RAAAAKKAS!

My fucking favorites, South Rakkas Crew, are finally back, and with a free album poppin out on New Year's eve. Here's a first single, a funky bassliney track featuring Caribbean hot shot Serocee

South Rakkas Crew - SO IT GO

FIRE!!!

HOT IT UP!

It's true, THIS SONG IS WICKED.

Kieda hails from Kingston, but comes in from left field. The Heatwave called her a female Leftside, and they're not far off on that claim. Hot It Up is a pretty weird track, and is making me excited for this evolution of new dancehall.
Enjoy this mad number.

KIEDA - HOT IT UP

ONE HIT FIRE

I really wish Shareefa had made it. This song was pure r&b/hip hop bang!

Shareefa - I Need A Boss (ft Ludacris)
Uploaded by tktouz. - Explore more music videos.

Her aesthetic reminds me of a Dark Child produced Shystie... Too bad Luda has to ruin EVERYTHING

I also wish Toya had made it...

M A L U C A ! ! !

Mad Decent's hot shit Dominicana, Maluca, just released the official video for the hotter than fire El Tigeraso, as well as some limited vinyl presses for the single. Electric mambo, latin ghettotech, Dominicana juke, whatever the fuck you wanna call it, Maluca slaughters it. Everytime. Enjoy the track, and sexy lil' remix from LA's Nguzunguzu.


El Tigeraso

MALUCA | MySpace Music Videos

Maluca - EL TIGERASO
Maluca - EL TIGERASO (Nguzunguzu Remix)

NEW SALEM MIXTAPE

SALEM - DIRT from ACEPHALE on Vimeo.

The kids over at We Make It Good recently released a new mixtape for New York dark crunk goth fags, Salem. This shit is deep.
Peep the goods here.

xo

NATALIE STORM

If we've ever talked about modern dancehall together, the subject of Natalie Storm has most likely come up. She's a goddess, and I'm a little obsessed with her. Whether it's her spitting over a hot riddim, or laying her trademark sound to an Enur track, whatever Natalie does is golden.
Peep her new video for (not so new song) "God Bless Me"



Natalie Storm -GOD BLESS ME


BONUS
Natalie Storm vs. Crookers -DAY N NITE

REUNITED

Take this all in, SLOWLY.


Vancouver/Toronto based Fan Death is my current disco obsession. You might recognize the pretty black haired babe as the one and only Dandilion Wind, who's creepy goth electro gained buzz in 2007 and 2008. The new project is a much welcomed move into a more lo-fi, italo sound, reminiscent of Portland's own Chromatics and Glass Candy.

Fan Death - REUNITED

BONUS:



PS. Dandi kinda looks like Parker Posey, the love of my life.

STRAIGHT SEXY

I'm glad the boys decided to make 2 videos for Keep it going louder. But which one is better?

Major Lazer- "Keep It Goin Louder" on Vimeo - Watch more Videos at Vodpod.

VS.

Keep It Goin' Louder Vídeo de Major Lazer - Vídeo MySpace - Watch more Videos at Vodpod.

My vote is for #1, mainly because it makes Nina Sky look less lame, though Wes looks fly in the suit.

FAGGETS

My two favorite Danish lesbos, Fagget Fairys, have a new remix out produced by Pittsburgh's king of bass B. Rich. The otherwise stale, somewhat boring track, Roll the Dice, is completely reworked into a surefire crowd-pleaser. Enjoy.

Fagget Fairys - ROLL THE DICE (B. Rich Remix)

LUST FOR LIFE

DANCING WITH WEAPONS

I first heard Maskinen (Swedish for Machines) in the fall of 2007 when a friend dropped their track Alla Som Inte Dänsar (Ar Våldtäktsmän) (Everyone who's not dancing is a rapist). At the time I wasn't sure exactly what I thought of the Swedish electro-rap threesome, the track wasn't exactly something I was super stoked on at first. After fellow Swedes and hard-hitting house DJ's Dada Life reworked the track, I gave it a second chance, and the song started to grow on me.
After losing a member in mid-2008, Maskinen returned with Segertåget (Victory Train), a far superior, more dancefloor friendly track that gave listeners the a first peek at the groups more global influences, bringing in a UK-esque bassline and a Portuguese hook to their signature Stockholm electro sound.
2009 has been a busy year for Afasi and Filthy: releasing two singles, Pengår (Money) and Bränner (Fires) (both of which was produced by another Swedish big shot, Style of Eye), before releasing their first full-length, Boys II Men, earlier this month. The guys worked with a virtual who's who of international dance music producers, notably Edu K, DJ Gorky and Radioclit. In fact, below, you can watch the fabulously amusing video for the the track that Radioclit produced, Dansa Med Vapen, which features the one and only Marina Gasolina, in all her voodoo glory.



Maskinen feat. Marina - DANSA MED VAPEN
I wanna kiss Filthy

BONUS:

FUNKY

This is the next level, the stuff that is coming out of London is insane. Garage, dancehall and grime, fused with tribal influenced house beats. Funky house has been my secret weapon for about a year now, and I'm finally ready for it to fly the coop. Lil Silva is creating some of the most innovative beats I've heard in months. Be prepared for this shit to take over. Not to mention the fact that this video is hilarious, love the barber shop setting.

Maxwell D & Lil Silva - BLACKBERRY HYPE

I'M BACK

Graduate school and work had, until recently, left me with little to no time to blog anymore. But I'm going to make an effort to get a few posts in each week.

Starting with this one:
Here's a new mix ah made.
PLACES ON A MAP by lifepartner

1. Maskinen - Bränner
2. Boy 8-Bit - Baltic Pine (GreenMoney bootleg)/Lifepartner Beenie Man blend
3. Daniel Haaksman - Parolar De Veso (Scottie B Chavy Boys Remix)
4. Twizzle- Skydiving (GreenMoney In Tha Sky remix)
5. Major Lazer - Pon De Floor (Laidback Luke edit)
6. Laidback Luke w/ Stephan Granville - Hypnotise (steve angello remix)/Lifepartner Please Me blend
7. Marcus Price & Carli - Mat, Bira, Kvinnor, Weed (Kingdom Remix)
8. DJ LoKey - Get With This
9. Dj Mujava - Township Funk (Scottie B remix)/Lifepartner more guns n' horns blend
10. Fake Blood - Mars (Hatchmatik bootleg)
11. Movado & Busy Signal - Bad Man Place (C-Code & Mike Mago Remix)
12. MaddJazz - Let Me Show You Something
13. Jack Splash- I Could Have Loved You (Sinden remix)
14. Steve Angello & Laidback Luke - Show Me Love 2009 (Afrojack remix)
15. Jamtech Foundation vs. Yellowman - Zungguzungguguzungguzeng (Hype Up Mix)
16. Kid Sister - Right Hand Hi (Kingdom remix)
17. Rye Rye - Hardcore Girls Possessed (DJ Ayres edit)/Hijack Blend
18. Aaliyah - Rock The Boat (Norrit remix/Lifepartner re-edit)

THIS SONG IS JUST PLAIN GOOD.

I like Bat for Lashes. This song is pretty. That's that. It's really long. FYI.

BAT FOR LASHES - PEARL'S DREAM (Leo Zero Remix)

TO YOU... TO YOU...

I love Holy Ghost! so much. Hold On has been a staple in my sets for over a year now, and though somewhat played out now, I'm still going to play it. And a year or so later, they produced another surefire dance floor gem. And they're so cute.

HOLY GHOST! - I WILL COME BACK

ps.

rest in peace

I GOT MY FIRST DMCA NOTICE

My post about La Roux remixes got shut down! Still love it though.

The DJ in the Freedia & Nobby videos is Dj K-Real (thanks C!). Now, who knows how I can wife him?

WHO'S THAT GIRL?

You know her, you love her: Yelle is back. This new single is a cover of Robyn's 'Who's That Girl."

YELLE - QUI EST CETTE FILLE


Also, my buddy Kingdom just got signed to FOOL'S GOLD!!! That would be A-trak's label if you live under a rock. Congratulations, Ezra! Kill em'!

GITTY UP

If you've seen me play a hip hop set recently, you've heard some real weird shit. That's because I'm obsessed with the new stuff coming out of New Orleans that's reviving the bounce that I was so excited to hear ten years ago. Remember 'Back Dat Azz up?' That was, for many, their first glimpse at a New Orleans phenomenon. Bounce is something that defines the region, and in the post-Katrina world, empowers the people of NOLA. It's insanely fun, super danceable and packed with energy.

And to me it's something to admire for it's social impact. In the last five years a few artists have taken their spin on Bounce, creating a sub-genre known as 'sissy bounce.' At the forefront of this movement is a group of queers; openly gay and trans people, taking over a scene that has been known to be very homophobic. But these artists held it down, and are now on top.

Check out some videos of a few of my faves doing their thing:
Big Freedia (The Queen Diva) & Sissy Nobby (The First Lady)- Get Back

bonus points for anyone that finds out who's the dj, he's cute.

Katey Redd- Hoe


This stuff has taken over, and the people of NOLA LOVE IT. Let's make it big out here, Portland.


SISSY NOBBY - GITTY UP

POP CHAMPAGNE

Seriously. I have been one busy lady, as a result I've neglected my poor music blog baby. Well, I'm back, and let me tell you: I'm back with a rage!

This last weekend was Portland Pride. It was a mess of parties, boozes and homos. All in all, a good time. But something that has left me with a general desire to bring something new to my local musical community, and mainly the queer community that I'm saturated in.

That being said, I've been on the look out for all sorts of new new in the last few days. And I've got a lot of good stuff coming up for y'all.


First up, is a new(ish) project from a man very close to my heart, the one and only Sammy Bananas. Telephoned is composed of the beats of Mr. Bananas and voice of Maggie Horn (the voice behind Curses! "The Deep End"). The two take disco-house/electro beats, and toss a few lyrics from recent radio hits sung beautifully by Ms. Horn. The result is something fresh, inspired and different.

Their track "Pop Champagne" got a little bit of play from yours truly during Pride, but not nearly enough. If you want it, go visit the wonderful folks over at RCRD LBL.

Bonus:
TELEPHONED - TURN MY SWAG ON

I WANT A NEW PARTY.

Bump n' grind. I want a tender moment, slow dance, contemporary rhythm and blues dance party. Something that makes you want to get close to the person next to you. I want to play everything from Ready for the World to Toni Braxton, Keyshia Cole to Soul for Real. Let's get this going, Portland.

CURRENT JAM

I finally got this as an MP3. I've had the hollertronix vinyl for a few months and have been in love with track. I know that it's lame of me to not want to cart around more records, but having this at my fingertips will ensure more plays in the future.

Buraka Som Sistema and Skream - BLIPSTREAM

NEW RECREATION MIX.

Each season I make a little mix of tracks I've been playing at my monthly disco night, Recreation, here in Portland. This is the latest installment. Live mixed, no Ableton.

TRACKLIST:
1. Spectacle Wins (Holy Ghost! Remix) - Only Fools and Horses
2. Love (Tuff City Kids Remix) - Boom Clap Bachelors
3. Falls (Hercules and Love Affair Remix) - Bostro Pesopeo
4. Kilometer (Ted & Francis Chiller Mix) - Sebastien Tellier
5. Dip Shorty (Unsportmanlike Remix) - CLP
6. Paramount (Rogerseventytwo Remix) - DJ Dig
7. Farewell To The Fairground (Rory Phillips Mix) - White Lies
8. House Jam (XXXchange Remix) - Gang Gang Dance
9. Feed The Horse (Club Dub) - Fagget Fairys
10. Lovely Allen (Riton Rerub) - Holy Fuck
11. My Girls (Dave Wrangler Remix) - Animal Collective

LIFEPARTNER - RECREATION SPRING

RUSKO REMIXES ADELE

Rusko is doing it. He's bringing dubstep to the next level and may succeed at creating a crossover. He first caught a lot of attention with his remixes of Crookers and Kid Sister, and is about to make an even bigger splash on the scene with this new remix of pop sweetheart and grammy winner Adele

Adele - Cold Shoulder (Rusko Remix)
BONUS- RUSKO - Woo Booost

FAGGET FAIRYS

Some hot gay shit.


Fagget Fairys - FEED THE HORSE

APRIL CHART!

1. Fever Ray - If I Had A Heart (Familjen Remix)
2. Miami Horror - Make You Mine
3. HIJACK - Hijackin (Herve's Fuck Fuck Remix)
4. Animal Collective - My Girls (HATCHMATIK Disco Bootleg)
5. The Golden Filter- Solid Gold (new mix)
6. ECK$ - Bitch I'm The Boss
7. Bobmo - To The Bobmobile
8. Prefuse 73 - Class Of 73 Bells (with School Of Seven Bells)
9. DJ Cleo - I Approve
10. DJ Mujava - Township Funk (TRG remix)

WHEN I GROW UP

THIS IS THE BEST SHIT EVER.

When I Grow Up from Fever Ray on Vimeo.

Fever Ray - When I Grow Up

NEW KINGDOM MIX

Kingdom's got a new mix up on Lower End Spasm. It's all over the place, in the best way possible.

tracklist:
01 - TIM DOLLA - Number Advisory
02 - KINGDOM - Mindreader ft. Shyvonne
03 - FR3E - Tribal Skank
04 - ROSKA - Elevated Level (Kingdom Edit ft. Brandy)
05 - VJUAN ALLURE - I Said Come On Elements
06 - KINGDOM - YOU
07 - SHAUN-D - Pullup
08 - SHAUN-D - Boeke
09 - SHAUN-D - Full Up Class
10 - MISTER RIES - Sugar (Kill Frenzy Remix)
11 - KILL FRENZY - Uuuh!
12 - BLACKBOX - I Don't Know (Kingdom Remix)
13 - DEXPLICIT - Judas
14 - JAZMINE SULLIVAN - Need U Bad (Scottie B Remix)
16 - KINGDOM - That Mystic VIP

I love this guy!

Download it here!


Also, congratulations to my girl, Bebe, for winning RuPaul's Drag Race! She was a the fiercest of the bunch!

SNOOP STEP?

Yeah. Snoop Dog made a dubstep song. I don't know how I feel.

Snoop Dog - Snoop Dog Millionaire

THE DEEP END

Luca Venezia has been at it for a while. He goes by a couple of aliases, the most known of the two being his bass-heavy house wrecking ball of a project DROP THE LIME. It's his other project, CURSES! however, that's been getting all of my attention as of late. Having just put out a new EP called 'The Deep End,' CURSES! is planting his feet firmly on the line between heavy house and border-line freestyle disco. He's tying in the wobbly basslines he's known for as DROP THE LIME with diva style vocals and hooks. There's even something gospel-ish to it. I'm tossing down down a couple remixes of 'The Deep End' one of which I may have to permaturely name as the best remix of 2009.

Curses! -The Deep End (Holy Ghost! Day School Disco Dub)
Curses! -The Deep End (Bart Bmore Remix)

ALL STARS

New video for the official remix of Wiley's 'She's Glowing' featuring fellow London hard hitters Kano and Ghetto:
Look at these guys showing their soft sides. I'm obsessed with this tune!

A DISCO HERO

Justin Faust has continually blown my mind since I was first made aware of this awe inspiring disco-house cuts. Back in full force with a new bunch of tracks and remixes, Faust is quickly establishing a slot in every disco set I've played as of late. His knack for high synths and catchy hooks makes every song he touches a guaranteed dance floor killer.

For you to enjoy, dance and kiss to:
Justin Faust- Revenge
Justin Faust- Revenge (Russ Chimes Remix)
College- The Energy Story (Justin Faust remix)

MARCH CHART

1. Revenge (Russ Chimes remix) - Justin Faust
2. But It's Alright - Emynd
3. In For the Kill (Skream remix) - La Roux
4. I'll Get You (Royal Rumble Edit) - Classixx
5. Rich Girls (XXXchange remix) - The Virgins
6. The Deep End (Holy Ghost! dub) - Curses!
7. Wanna Ride ( DJ Fame remix) - Bit Crushers
8. Click Clack - Bobby Labeat
9. Hey! (Switch & L-Vis 1990 Remix) - Diplo
10. Kilometer (A-Trak remix) - Sebastian Tellier

WORST HUMAN ALIVE

I honestly think that Chris Andersen of the Denver Nuggets is quite possibly the worst human alive. I hate his dumb face, he makes me want to punch children.

I'M PISSED OFF

My favorite queen was given the boot on RuPaul's Drag Race tonight. Ongina, the show's most dynamic and interesting character was asked to 'sashay away.' Ongina, you're gonna be missed girl.


Riskay's 'Smell Yo Dick' was a staple of my sets last year and is about to make a come back, thanks to the gents over at the Hood Internet. This fancy lil mash is a blend of Smell Yo Dick and the best track off of the new Junior Boys record.

Riskay vs. Junior Boys- Smell Yo Boys
Junior Boys- Hazel

SCORN DEM.

So, as a queer man I often find myself on shakey grounds when it comes to my support and enjoyment of the dancehall genre. I've been a fan of the music coming out of Kingston and other Island Nations since I was kid, but sometimes I get pretty pissed off with the outright homophobia that permeates the scene. Whether it's Mr. Vegas talking about cutting 'batty boys' with a machete, or Bennie Man professing his desire to hang 'chi chi gals' with a long a piece of rope, I often feel out of sync with the music I love and the life I live. A recent example of this is found in Vybz Kartel and Spice's new(ish) track 'Romping Shop.' In the intro, Vybz and Spice have a bit of a back and forth which leads up to the quote 'Man to man, gal to gal that's wrong. Scorn Dem.' One thing that's really interesting to me however, is that Vybz chose an adapted version of this song to be used for a commercial advertising his condom brand 'Dagger In Codoms.'

I find this ad both entertaining and hilarious. And I think that Vybz is doing something great here; HIV/AIDs and other STD/STVs are rampant in Jamaica, and he has chosen to use his success as a means for promoting safer sex. However, it's a bit tragic that he still finds the gay community, one that is highly impacted by this epidemic, to be 'scorn' worthy. I understand that the culture of the Caribbean Island Nations has historically been centers of anti-homosexual sentiments and it's somewhat ingrained into the peoples of those nations, but I just wish that there might be a way to someday strike a balance of tolerance. For the time being though, I'll make playing dancehall an empowerment thing. Here's the MP3 and video for 'Rompin Shop.' Be warned, this song is DIRTY!

MAYA RUDOLPH LOOKALIKE?
=?


Vybz Kartel and Spice- Romping Shop

FRANKMUSIK

Uhhh...

What's with the girls in the onesies and LSD trails all over the place? And why does this guy sound like he has a retainer in his mouth? I bet he spits a lot... This is going to be playing in Forever 21 by the end of March. Mark my words.

BOOTY DO

I've found myself strangling drawn to the recent development of the cultural phenomenon of young people recording themselves doing dances attributed with certain hip hop songs and posting the results on youtube. What began with 'Crankin dat Soulja Boy,' and has since evolved into 'Doing the Stanky Legg [sic].' Said dance does not incorporate doing anything other than repeatedly bringing one leg in toward the other in a somewhat rhythmic fashion. There are literally HUNDREDS of videos of people doing this dance. Here are a few:




At least it's a means for fighting teenage obesity...

AND THE BEST:

LA ROUX

Continuing in the new ladies of dance vein, I'd like to take some time to discuss another one of my early 2009 favorite acts, La Roux. Hailing from Southeast London, Elly Jackson, aka La Roux, is taking the new wave of UK Dance-Pop to new places, bringing together aspects of international 80's pop chic (think Gary Numan, Prince and Blondie partying together with maybe a little less coke), influences from bigger UK electronic acts such at Hot Chip, and a hint of the burgeoning electro explosion, mixing them together and standing out among all sorts of new comers. It's not hurting her any that she's working with the disco hot shots over at Kitsune, touring with Lily Allen, getting remixed by a ton of big names, or is friends with another one of my favorites Mr. Sebastien Tellier either. And she's super fucking cute! For your listening and viewing pleasure here's 'In For the Kill' and the most beautiful remix Skream's ever done.


La Roux - In For The Kill from pster on Vimeo.

La Roux- In For The Kill
La Roux- In For The Kill (Skream Remix)

xo

WE'VE GOT OBSESSIONS.

Marina & The Diamonds are one of my favorite acts to come out this year, and are most likely going to remain that way for the next 10 months. With an extremely unique approach to song writing, Marina finds a place somewhere between Lykke Li and Little Boots in the new landscape of female fronted acts. Her lyrics border on darkness and absurdity, but she makes it work by tying it all together with an elaborate sound scape and great production. I'll be interested to see where she goes from here with her new tracks, but for now enjoy 'Obsessions' and a fantastic remix from Gold Panda.

Marina & The Diamonds- Obsessions
Marina & The Diamonds- Obessions (Gold Panda Remix)

NEW SHIT COMING SOON

I've decided to jump on the music blog wagon. Here I'm gonna write about new stuff people are doing and post my favorite dance cuts, as well as some of my own work. I'm also going to discuss some cultural things that impact my life and promote work being done by other artists in PDX.


First up are new Thunderheist tracks "Sweet 16" (aka 'Horny') and "Cruise Low". Since first hearing "Bubblegum" in 2007 I've been a huge fan of this Canadian duo, and am really looking forward to their up coming BIG DADA debut record. I'm attempting to set up a date for them to make their first appearance here in Portland sometime in the early summer. I really want to kick it with Isis, she seems rad.

Thunderheist- Sweet 16
Thunderheist- Sweet 16 (Mansion Remix)
Thunderheist- Cruise Low (direct link)


Next up are NYC based Electro/Ghettotech duo Bit Crushers . The two have been cranking out heavy dance jams together since 2007 and have recently gotten a lot of attention on the DJ circuit with their track "Wanna Ride." The track was recently got a new bassy, fidgety face-lift by fellow New York heavy weight DJ Fame and has been featured pretty heavily in my recent sets.

Bit Crushers- Wanna Ride (direct link)
Bit Crushers- Wanna Ride (DJ Fame Remix) (direct link)
Bit Crushers- What She Said (direct link)


In non-music news, Jade was kicked off of RuPaul's Drag Race tonight. It should have been Rebbecca Glasscock, but whatever.

xo