WHITLEY REMIXES.
I wrote about Whitley ‘s new track ‘My Heart Is Not A Machine’ a couple of weeks back. “So Whitley’s back”, I began, completely forgetting his whole thing about dropping the Whitley moniker and doing things under his real name, Lawrence Greenwood when he got back from his overseas jaunt.
The back-and-forth on his name has gotten me a little confused…but then, of course, I read what I wrote about the comeback single, and realised that this guy, no matter what fucking name he goes under, is a great songwriter. And yeah, that may be a little convenient, given the fact that there seems to be a few notsogreat stories out there about his live shows, but I truly believe that talent and well written songs trump everything.
So, preamble aside, the track has received a couple of remixes and even a cover. Easily the best of the remixes is from Melbourne dude Fractures, taking the track, and seriously making it his own, albeit with the same sort of structure. That bedding that Fractures builds up underneath Whitley’s vocals.
And then there’s this incredible cover from Brighton UK but originally Melbourne boys, Kins. Taking it and making it a hell of a lot darker, Kins nail that atmospheric uneasiness.
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Miks
WHITLEY.
So Whitley‘s back.
Killer new track from Mr Greenwood, doing what he does perfectly. ‘My Heart Is Not A Machine’ is the first cut from his new album, Even The Stars Are A Mess which comes out on July 5. On the indefinite break, Whitley did a shit load of travelling, all becoming inspiration for the new album.
The clip for ‘My Heart Is Not A Machine’ was shot in the Amazon rainforest, the last leg of his trip. Makes for an incredible clip – and a beaut track too!
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Miks
remix that #8
ok. Some killer new remixes just for you. well…when I say ‘new’, some may be a little old. But only a month or two. Anyway, on with it I say.
First cap off the rank is is a remix of a dude I really wish I saw at Laneway. The guy’s name is Whitley. The song is Head First Down. Whitley’s label organised a remix comp for the track…which even I had a shot at. Never finished it though. Anyway, enough of me. More of the guys that won the comp. No Device may be known to bloggers out there for their pretty nice remixes of some Aussie acts like Dappled Cities, Washington and Lisa Mitchell. With Head First Down, they take what was a pretty anthemic track and make it all down tempo and moody. Works pretty well too! (If you want to download this one, head over to the Universal Music website to download it.
Whitley – Head First Down (No Device Remix)
Second. Well well well…could maamf ever feature another Phoenix remix? Well…yeah, I suppose we could. This one comes courtesy of Poindexter, who’s out of Portland, Oregon. Just about every blogger out there will tell you how good the original is, but, as Poindexter himself puts it “This is probably the millionth remix you’ve received of this track but it’s the only one that matters”. And whilst he did put that forward with a little winky smiley face, a little tongue in cheek, it is pretty good. The thing I like about this one is the key change, and how he seems to utilise every chord known in the verse before the chorus kicks in.
Phoenix – Fences (The Poindexter Remix)
Third on the list. I think in 6 months time, Delphic may be what Phoenix is in terms of the number of remixes done. I’ve received 3 remixes for the track so far and expect a few more. I think the best thing about the original is that not only is it an awesome track by it’s self, it’s also got this “come remix me” vibe about it. There’s so much you can do with it, especially with the cut up vocals. This remix is by a dude from the UK called Doc Daneeka. He mixes up the cut up vocals to great effect I reckon. Makes it a little breaksy, a little dubby, and a little grimey (he did dub his remix the ‘All For Space Grime’ after all).
Delphic – Doubt (Doc Daneeka All For Space Grime Mix)
Last. This guy is turning out to be a bit of a favourite. I loved his remix of Sweet Disposition that dropped last year, as did a lot of other blogs out there. The dude’s name is Alan Wilkis and he has a knack of putting a whole new spin on tracks. Well duh, isn’t that what a remix is? Yeah, but I think Wilkis does it in such an original way which just works so well. The obvious choice for Sweet Disposition would be to capitalise on the whole big all encompassing sound, the soundscape if you like. Wilkis puts this killer drum pattern underneath it that ramps it up and makes it something completely different. He’s done nearly the same with the Yeasayer track Ambling Alp. You say Yeasayer and you think pretty heavily blogged (For good reason though – I just picked up their second album the other day and man, early contender for album of the year for me). Anyway, Wilkis gives it a four-on-the-floor kick, and keeps it minimal(ish), not like the layers used in the original. He’s kept those horns and repeated them and man. It just kills. The dude has skills.
Yeasayer – Ambling Alp (Alan Wilkis Remix)
Good list eh? You know it.
laneway festival: new venue, new lineup
You think Laneway Festival. You think St Jeromes. You think all those cool laneways in Melbourne. Well…this year you think wrong. St Jeromes closed it’s doors earlier on this year, and after a pretty bad festival this year (punters pissing in the street, massive scheduling probs etc), the organisers have decided to move it. And this time it’s not a laneway. It’s actually a pretty open area. Footscray Community Arts Centre is where it’s at next year. Some may think why?! Footscray?? Isn’t that junkie town? Hehe…well yeah, there is that side of it. It’s also a pretty funky area – super multicultural! If you ever want a good meal, check out just about any Footscray cafe/restaurant. Especially if you dig middle eastern food and also african food. Awesome awesome awesome. You can check out a run through of the venue here.
Anyway, the lineup for the gig is looking pretty good so far. Local bands like The Middle East, Dappled Citties, and Eddy Current Suppression Ring, as well as local solo dudettes and dudes Sarah Blasko and Whitley. For a local lineup, that’s pretty good so far. But I think it’s the international artists that really sell it. Florence & The Machine, Hockey, NASA, The XX, The Very Best, Mumford and Sons. I mean geez! It’s a music bloggers wet fuckin dream!
Tickets for all legs of the fest (Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth) go on sale Friday (30th October). Can not wait! Good Vibes tix also go on sale that day too…so I think I might just have to waste a bit of money on Friday. Hehe.
To leave you with, a few of the tracks from the bands/artists I’m really hanging out to see.
Mumford & Sons – Little Lion Man
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K. That’ll do the ramble for now.
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