BOTR vol 16

Here is volume 16 of my Best of the Remix series here on The World Forgot.  Consider it my Christmas gift to you all.  Get some rest, spend time with family, and most of all enjoy the music.  To see all previous volumes just click here.

mp3 : 2Pac vs Gary Jules – Against a Mad World (Brenton Duvall Remix)
This remix needs no pithy introduction; no clever phrase could encapsulate all that it is.  Just look at the title.  It’s classic 2Pac and one of the best cover songs in the history of man rolled into one remix.  Merry Christmas indeed.

mp3 : Amadou & Mariam – Sabali (Miike Snow Remix)
Miike Snow somehow finds a way to make an already amazing song even more amazing.  It’s a Christmas miracle.

mp3 : Blackbird Blackbird – Hawaii (Niva Remix)
To be fair I’ve never heard to Blackbird Blackbird or Niva before this track.  I have, however, heard of Hawaii, but for decidedly different reasons.  Mostly because they have luaus for Christmas.

mp3 : Ellie Goulding – Your Song (Blackmill Dubstep Remix)
My younger brother, who at one point in time actually posted (once) on TWF, always seems to be fascinated with dubstep.  This remix is my Christmas present to him.  It’s a good one.

mp3 : Imogen Heap – Hide And Seek (Tiesto’s In Search of Sunrise Remix)
Hide And Seek was definitely not intended to be a club staple, but Tiesto changed that as he usually does.  There’s nothing really Christmasy about this track other than it reminds me of Chrimahanukwanzmakuh from The O.C. (don’t be a crazy Oliver and pretend like you didn’t watch).

mp3 : Lady Gaga – Just Dance (Worship Remix)
Is she still relevant?  Will she be in 2011?  Will people remix her pop drivel regardless?  Yes, yes, and yes.  Just drink some proper eggnog and dance.

mp3 : Lady Gaga – Paparazzi (Redlight Remix)
Dear Santa, all I want for Christmas is this; every Gaga remix from here until eternity should prominently feature hand claps synched with drum beats.  Oh, and world peace.

mp3 : Pixies – Where Is My Mind (Bassnectar Remix)
Bassnectar takes possibly the only song by Pixies that I genuinely like and turns it into something that would fit on the greatest Christmas movie soundtrack of all time (that being the soundtrack to Tron: Legacy).

mp3 : Pixies – Where Is My Mind (Refracture Remix)
I’m including this remix because it’s so distinctly different from the previous Bassnectar one.  As the stop motion episode of Community taught us, Christmas is a time to celebrate diversity.  And awesomeness.

mp3 : Sufjan Stevens vs Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Maps to Chicago (Remix)
There are points in this remix/mashup where I wish the arrangement were as clever as the song title.  But I always associate Sufjan with Christmas and to be fair Maps is the best song Yeah Yeah Yeahs have ever done.  It’s a win win.

mp3 : The Killers – Spaceman (The Knocks Remix)
In the future children will be told the story of a man, dressed in a flaming red positively pressurized suit (that’s why he looks fat, it’s the pressure suit), that flies through the cosmos to deliver toys to good girls and boys.  This will be the song that powers his magical spaceship.

mp3 : Two Door Cinema Club – Undercover Martyn (Passion Pit Remix)
Passion Pit takes one of the purest pop songs of 2010 and envelopes it in a glittering, shimmery, trance infused, best of both worlds wrapping paper.  They tie it up with a bow of awesome and set it below a Christmas tree topped with a disco ball.

mp3 : Wale (feat Lady Gaga) – Chillin (The Knocks Remix)
Wale always makes me feel like 1) Gaga can be relevant and 2) it’s the 80s.  And I grew up in the 80s.  And Christmas is awesome when you’re a kid.  And that’s a stretch, but if you’re still reading then you’re more than ready for ramblings.

mp3 : William The Vanish Russ Chimes – Hold On My Momma (White Panda Remix)
I love it when a remix takes a bunch of terrible tracks and makes us all realize that it is often the sum of parts that really makes art beautiful.  I will not talk about Christmas in this description.  Eat it.

mp3 : Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Dull Life (Professor Purple Remix)
If they ever update It’s A Wonderful Life (and I mean really update, not retell it like they did with The Family Man – which is coincidentally one of seven Nic Cage movies that were actually worth watching) they need to have a club scene where this track is playing.  Playing loud.

Merry Christmas.  Enjoy the music.

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The Best Albums of 2009

The previous two years were filled with amazing albums by amazing bands.  Picking the ten best of2007 was hard.  Picking the top albums of 2008 was almost impossible.  In contrast, 2009 was rather easy.  There just weren’t that many brilliant albums this year.  In fact there weren’t even that many great albums.  Fret not, though, there is still more than enough music to enjoy.

01 : Animal Collective – Merriweather Post Pavilion (amazon) (itunes)

I don’t like a single other album that Animal Collective has ever made.  Most of their career (including their latest EP) sounds like simple repetitive noise void of any melody or musicality.  Merriweather Post Pavilion is an entire different beast.  Although the middle of the album drags a bit it easily tops the list as the best album of the year.

mp3 : Animal Collective – In The Flowers
mp3 : Animal Collective – My Girls

02 : Noah and The Whale – The First Days of Spring (amazon) (itunes)

I simply love sad and somewhat depressing music.  Noah and The Whale has taken a melancholic lyrical style and draped it over the perfect mood setting melodies.  At times this album reminds me quite a bit of the slower side of The National.  Every song is worth a listen (and if you choose the second track below you simply must listen to the very end).

mp3 : Noah and The Whale – Blue Skies
mp3 : Noah and The Whale – My Door Is Always Open

03 : Phoenix – Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix (amazon) (itunes)

Phoenix has long led the charge from radio friendly pop music to the purest pop sound imaginable.  This entire album is pure pop candy.  There exists not an errant second in the entire trip through perfectly crafted pop genius.

mp3 : Phoenix – Girlfriend
mp3 : Phoenix – Love Like a Sunset

04 : We Were Promised Jetpacks – These Four Walls (amazon) (itunes)

They have a whimsical name, they share a homeland with Frightened Rabbit, and they titled one of their songs after a rather obscure physics principle.  What more could you possibly want?  Oh, and their music is top notch.

mp3 : We Were Promised Jetpacks – Quiet Little Voices
mp3 : We Were Promised Jetpacks – This Is My House, This Is My Home

05 : Matt and Kim – Grand (amazon) (itunes)

Matt and Kim proved in 2009 what can be accomplished with a minimal setup and the simple direction of making crowd pleasing dance pop.  With catchy hooks and repeated lyrics their are tracks on this album so insidious that you’ll be silently dancing to them well into next month.

mp3 : Matt and Kim – Daylight
mp3 : Matt and Kim – Lessons Learned

06 : Metric – Fantasies (amazon) (itunes)

Most of my Metric listening comes in the form of brilliant remixes of their tracks.  For the most part their studio albums always felt flat on repeat listening.  This is the first time they’ve broken that cycle and have truly created the masterpiece of their career.

mp3 : Metric – Blindness
mp3 : Metric – Sick Muse

07 : Yeah Yeah Yeahs – It’s Blitz (amazon) (itunes)

Yeah Yeah Yeahs have gone the route of Metric and finally created a masterpiece album to sit atop their collection.  The only way this album could get any better is if they could go back in time and steal their previous track Maps and put it on this album.

mp3 : Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Heads Will Roll
mp3 : Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Skeletons

08 : White Lies – To Lose My Life (amazon) (itunes)

If The Killers ever feel the need to make another album they need look no further than White Lies to see how high the bar has been set.  White Lies have found a way to incorporate the grandiose with the melancholic and yet make every song something to sing along to.  Brilliant.

mp3 : White Lies – Death
mp3 : White Lies – From The Stars

09 : Deer Tick – Born on Flag Day (amazon) (itunes)

Deer Tick is quite possibly the greatest bar band you will ever hear.  The most interesting part of their repertoire is that their trademark live sound is captured perfectly on their studio albums.  If you like them live then you’ll love their southern rock infused albums.

mp3 : Deer Tick – Hell On Earth
mp3 : Deer Tick – Song About A Man

10 : The xx – xx (amazon) (itunes)

This album is subtle genius and yet almost forgettable.  The band recorded the album in a neighborhood garage after dark and the rumour goes that this setting contributed greatly to the whisper quiet nature of most of the tracks.  It’s by far the most mellow album on the list.

mp3 : The xx – Islands
mp3 : The xx – Stars

And there you have it, albeit somewhat belatedly.  Those are my top ten albums for 2009.  If you’d like to see my previous lists follow these links; 2008, 2007 (or click here to see all 3 years on one page).  Although this past year wasn’t near the brilliance we were presented with in 2008 it was still a solid year for music fans.  Honorable mention should be given to a few bands that were just barely nudged off of this list for some reason or another.  Modest Mouse made one of the best albums of the year but it failed to make this list on a technicality (it’s actually an eight song EP).  While albums by Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros, White Rabbits, and Julian Casablancas all scattered tracks of pure top ten worthiness, but sadly failed to sustain those moments throughout an entire album.

Until the next time around keep reading and, as always, enjoy the music.

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BOTR vol 12

It has been a full year since the BOTR series graced this humble page.  And I do apologize.  I apologize.  But it is far better to apologize than to eulogize.  And in the end it is far better to actually post music than to take months off (sorry mates, but deadlines at work and real life adventures are simply dominating my time).

I started this series, and the BOTM series, because in my previous life I had much more free time than anyone else on the face of the planet.  Literally.  Well since then I landed a fairly demanding (and rewarding) job, a car, a girl, a life, a etc.  So I’m not sitting flush with free time anymore, but I still care.  Honestly, I still care.  So enjoy the remixes, witches.

mp3 : Bloc Party – Hunting for Witches (Crystal Castles Remix)
Imagine if you took Bloc Party and strained their music through a Nintendo soundtrack.  Then you added a grungy bass line and called it a remix.  Brilliant.

mp3 : Busta Rhymes – Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Can See (Valerna Remix)
Everything about this mix is perfection.  Busta spits like usual except this time the backing beats and remixed nature perfectly complement his nasty flow.  Rappers today wish they could drop lyrics like Busta.  This track is so good I’m tempted to simply stop now and publish this post.

mp3 : Chromeo – Destination Overdrive (DFA Remix)
This remix reminds me of Kill Bill.  Just when you start to think “OMG, is this ever going to end” you’re immediately stunned into silence at the beauty of the following moment.  Yes, it’s over seven minutes.  Yes, it’s worth it.

mp3 : Fenech Soler – Lies (The Phantoms Revenge Remix)
If anyone out there is looking to edit a sweet ass parkour video I highly recommend this song.  I don’t know why they should be lumped together, but it makes sense.

mp3 : Fever Ray – Seven (The Twelves Remix)
Hello 2009, welcome to 1974.  Or a Guy Ritchie film.

mp3 : Florence & The Machine – You Got The Love (The XX Remix)
I love the bass line in this remix.  It sets the perfect subdued mood and lets the string plucking float along like it was meant to.

mp3 : Ladyhawke – Paris is Burning (Cut Copy Remix)
This is another track that feels like it’s never going to reach a point worth caring about.  If you turn it off in the first minute you’re missing out.

mp3 : Major Lazer – Keep It Goin’ Louder (Feat. Nina Sky & Ricky Blaze) (Diplo Remix)
I honestly should not have to sell you on this track.  Look at the group name.  Major + Lazer = Win.  This track = Massive Win.

mp3 : Major Lazer – Pon de floor (Chewy Chocolate Cookies Remix)
Oh colonial era drum beats, oh trumpet fanfare, oh crazy twisted drum and bass synth that cuts in after thirty seconds.

mp3 : Passion Pit – Sleepyhead (Ring Trick Remix)
Remember when everyone was claiming Passion Pit was going to be huge?  Remember when everyone was wrong?  Dead wrong?  Well guess what, no one cares anymore, because this remix is great.

mp3 : Peaches – I Feel Cream (Proxy Remix)
The opening of this remix could easily qualify as the essential ‘film noir’ of remixes.  I’m not quite sure if I’m supposed to think that is a good thing or a bad thing.

mp3 : Phoenix – 1901 (L’Aiglon Remix)
The first of three remixes of one of the most popular tracks of the year.  This takes a straightforward pop/rock track and makes it even more straightforward.

mp3 : Phoenix – 1901 (Pete Herrs Symphonic Remix)
If the previous remix was straightforward then this remix is literally so far out in right field it’s playing cricket.  It begins spread out and sparse but soon enters the realm of angels.

mp3 : Phoenix – 1901 (The Tremulance Remix)
I’m including this remix to round out the trifecta of what a remix can be.  We had a straightforward pop remix, followed by a minimalist symphonic remix/re-imagining, and this is a frenetic blip filled mix.

mp3 : Phoenix – Lisztomania (Redial Remix)
I know you’ve all be wondering what this track would sound like it was sped up and played frantically with more reverb than a live Prince show.  Well wonder no more.

mp3 : Radiohead – Videotape (Ring Trick Remix)
You can almost never go wrong with a Radiohead remix.  Especially one centered around the impressive track Videotape.  Ring Trick simply nails this remix.

mp3 : The Sounds – No One Sleeps When I’m Awake (La Dolce Vita Remix)
Sugar coated remix covered with whip cream, chocolate sauce, and sprinkles.  Bring your own cherries.

mp3 : Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Heads Will Roll (A-Trak Remix)
A fitting, wailing end, to this installment of BOTR.  The repeated “off, off, off, off, off” is what remix dreams are made of.

I hope it’s been worth the wait and we’ll all keep our fingers crossed that it’s not another year before BOTR returns.  Enjoy the music.

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BOTM vol 11

The end of the month draws nigh, and I have sought only to serve the blogosphere what meager offerings I could find.  In my endless search of great music there are, on occasion, songs that fall through the cracks.  Sometimes they’re brand new tracks, in other instances they are old and almost forgotten.  It is for this reason that each month I present to you my Best of the Month series.  Enjoy the tracks below, I’ve done all I could to bring you only that which is worthy of your precious time.  If you’d like to peruse all the other BOTM volumes click this link.

All the tracks in one zip file : here {zshare = left click}

mp3 : Arcade Fire – Maps (Yeah Yeah Yeahs Cover)
It’s almost a sure bet that when one of my favorite bands covers one of my favorite songs it’ll be worth listening to.  This cover comes from the wonderful year 2005 and it’s still hot.

mp3 : Coldplay – Death Will Never Conquer
The four boys from England gave this track away for free on their website.  I’m not sure if it would qualify as a b-side, as a hidden track, or whatnot.  Regardless of nomenclature it’s a nice slice of Coldplay.

mp3 : Enur (feat Natasja) – Calabria 2008
Yes, this is that song, from the Target commercial featuring two undergrads setting up their dorm room {with an appropriate amount of dance off panache}.  It’s good, trust me.

mp3 : Jack White and Alicia Keys – Another Way To Die
Could the upcoming bond be as good as this summer’s Batman movie?  A large part of me thinks it will be impossible, but I can always hope.  This is for certain, Jack White makes amazing songs.

mp3 : Kanye West – Love Lockdown
It’s been remixed to shreds, already, and to be honest I hope Kanye realizes his albums sell because of his rhymes, not his vocals {however computer aided/distorted they are}.  As a single song this track is nice, I would cringe if it filled out an entire album.

mp3 : Katy Perry – Electric Feel (MGMT Cover)
Katy Perry ranks right down about the same level as Rhianna or Amy Winehouse on my list of those who shouldn’t have a recording career.  But even broken clocks are right twice a day.  Or in Katy’s case, once.  This cover proves yet again that anyone can sound decent when they’re playing someone else’s song.

mp3 : Mystery Jets – Bleeding Love (Leona Lewis Cover)
While my mind is as of yet undecided about whether Leona Lewis is talented or not, one thing is for certain.  Mystery Jets have yet to do something that disappoints me.  This track is superb.

mp3 : Phoenix – If I Ever Feel Better
I’ve often thought of Phoenix as the much much more talented version of Maroon 5.  See Maroon 5 is terrible {always}.  Phoenix, on the other hand, seems to be getting better and better with each and every album they produce.

mp3 : Snow Patrol – Take Back The City
It’s officially a toss up whether or not the upcoming Snow Patrol album will be amazing or terrible.  I like the progress they’ve made with their latest two albums, although I know some fans would vehemently disagree.  This song shows promise.

mp3 : The Kooks – Kids (MGMT Cover)
If you skipped over the Katy Perry cover of MGMT {which you rightly could do, she’s not that talented} then this is definitely a track you should hear.  One word comes to mind when I listen to this track, and that word is love.

mp3 : The Postal Service – Grow Old With Me
Will they ever release another album?  Not likely.  If they do somehow get the tracks together and release an album will it be epic?  Probably not.  Probably not even close.  It’ll probably disappoint as much as the second half of Weezer’s latest disc {and I really wanted to love that one}.

mp3 : TV On The Radio – Family Tree
Their latest album is solidly in the running for best album of the year.  Honestly, every track is brilliant off this album, and Family Tree is one of those tracks.

mp3 : Yannis Kamarinos – Money Shot
Yes, this is that song from the AT&T techno twins commercial.  I had to search high and low for this little slice of danceable goodness.  You are welcome.  The next volume in the Best of the Remix series should hit tomorrow.

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Gossip Girl vol 06

Let me take a minute and introduce you to a new addition to The World Forgot. His name is Josh and he will be contributing occasionally by posting odds and ends. If you look below this post you’ll see his review of the OK Go concert which he attended this past weekend. I thoroughly encourage you to check it out. He’s a good kid and he’s pretty much awesome. Now, on with the show.

This week we were put back into the melodrama that is the Upper East Side’s prep school for life. Well as long as your life consists of trust funds, Ivy League schools, and love triangles. Fortunately the music included in this episode was the best of the series. Well maybe the second best seeing as how the premier used over twenty two tracks. Enjoy the tunes, especially these songs by Beck, Mika, and The Yeah Yeah Yeahs.

mp3 : Beck – Timebomb
mp3 : Mika – Happy Ending
mp3 : The Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Kiss Kiss
mp3 : Nekta – Guess Who

Other music in the sixth episode included tracks by 5 Alarm, Sofi J, Becca Styles, and Miss Eighty 6. And again I reiterate that the tracks up above by Beck, Mika, and The Yeah Yeah Yeahs are all solid.

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