remix that #7
It has been ages since i’ve done one of these posts. The last couple of months have seen the blog grow a hell of a lot, and it’s getting a little difficult to stay on top of all the top tunes that are sent to the inbox. If you reckon you got what it takes to help me out, send me an email! You’ll find the email address just to your left. Preferably someone local (Melbourne), but am open to other cities! But keep it in Australia. Anyway, if you’re interested, email me and ill let you know exactly what’s involved.
Back onto the music though. There’s been a few remixes that have come through of late that have been a little on the high rotation. First up…
This came in a while ago. It’s really good too. Put’s the original to good use. Elite Force (or Simon Shackleton to his mates…i imagine) has just done some big festivals shows through Australia and finished most of his sets with his remix of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs classic Maps. It’s pretty big and driving and [insert another word for this awesome remix here]. Turn it up.
Elite Force – Maps (Elite Force Re-Fix)
K. Next up is a remix of a new track by Sydney kids Teenagersintokyo. The remix is by UK gothpopers The Horrors. I don’t know which is better though…the original or the remix! Teenagersintokyo are releasing the single next month (Feb 15 to be precise). You can check out the original over at their MySpace.
Teenagersintokyo – Peter Pan (The Horrors Remix)
Last on the list is a band I posted about earlier on in the week. Get Stellar are Adelaidian and they’re pretty damn good. Check out my original post for more info on the band but I just couldn’t resist posting the GLOVES remix of their track The Moment. I originally said that the Def Starr remix just tips it at the post…but given that maamf seems to be going a little crazy for GLOVES.
Get Stellar – The Moment (GLOVES Remix)
K. That’ll do the ramble for now
The 10 Best Tracks of 2009
I’m beginning to sound like a broken record I know, but this list was probably the most difficult thing I’ve had to compile, even outside of the blog.
I think the main contributing factor behind this is that the blog isn’t specialised, there’s just too much good stuff out there to choose from. We don’t just post some electro/dance kinda stuff. We don’t just put a focus on indie rock. We post both of those…and about 50 other styles too (50 might be a slight tiny exageration…). As our About page says, “we’ll like just about anything”…and whilst this may seem to be a bit of a hinderence when it comes to compiling best of lists, I think it’s what makes maamf just that little bit different…different to the 50 gazillion other music blogs out there.
Anyway, enough of blowing the maamf trumpet and onto the 10 best tracks of 2009.
There’s a good mix here. Some electro, some indie pop, some singer songwriter stuff, hell…even some hip hop. I’ve even numbered them too…big call and was difficult…so please don’t take too much notice of the order the tracks are in!!
10. Goodnight Owl – Maps & Compasses
09. Van She – (Don’t Fear) The Reaper
07. The Golden Filter – Solid Gold
06. Hermitude – Your Call (feat. Urthboy & Elana Stone)
Comment away people! Be interested to know what you think of my list, and what made yours!!
The 10 Best Remixes of 2009
ok. So I know I said that these things are hard (For those new readers, I wrote last week that compiling my albums list was pretty freakin difficult), but man. I never thought that there would be so many remixes to dwindle down. It’s been a bloody good year for remixes I reckon. Hype bands like Phoenix, Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Miike Snow have had the shit remixed out of them (I counted 34 remixes in my iTunes for Phoenix alone and I’m sure that’s only about half of them available out there). There has also been a few new dudes/dudettes to come on the scene who have produced some great remixes (Alan Wilkis is an awesome example of this).
Anyway, here it is though. (No order…too hard to do that too!)
The MAAMF Top 10 Remixes of 2009
Miike Snow – Animal (Mark Ronson Remix)
The Scare – Could Be Bad (G.L.O.V.E.S. 12″ Megamix)
Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Heads Will Roll (Passion Pit Remix)
Phoenix – Lisztomania (Yuksek Remix)
Little Boots – New In Town (Fred Falke Remix)
Ladyhawke – Paris is Burning (Alex Metric Remix)
Miami Horror – Sometimes (G.L.O.V.E.S. Remix)
The Temper Trap – Sweet Disposition (Alan Wilkis Remix)
Lost Valentinos – Thief (Shinichi Osawa Remix)
Van She – Talkin’ (Van She Tech Remix)
What do you think? Good list? I think it covers a bit. I originally had close to 40 remixes that were all in serious contention…so I’m sure I’ve left something out etc. A few standouts for me were the Alan Wilkis remix of TTT. Changed the song completely, and it worked bloody well. He had a few remixes in contention actually – check his remixes out on Hype Machine. Another standout of the year would definitely be G.L.O.V.E.S. He’s put forward some awesome remixes this year – so good, I had to include 2 in my list! There were other obvious inlusions like Fred Falke (it wouldn’t be a MAAMF best of list without some of the Falkemeister) and his French pal Yuksek. All of them were standouts though…you know…that’s what a best of list is kinda all about and shit.
Anyway, comment away.
The 10 Best Albums of 2009
I had a hell of a lot of trouble getting this list together. Relistening to albums, figuring out which ones to cull from my list. I rediscovered some great great discs though. And my top 10 will be just below…for you!
But first off, I feel as though there are a few albums I should give a small shout out to. Although these discs didn’t make my top 10 list, they did make my shortlist (a list that ended up being not very short at all)…and man it was difficult trying to cull that down.
So, in no particular order, the honourable mentions list is:
Grizzly Bear – Veckatimest
Passion Pit – Manners
Bertie Blackman – Secrets and Lies
The Little Stevies – Love Your Band
Bluejuice – Head of The Hawk
Mumford & Sons – Sigh No More
Tiga – Ciao
Without further ado though, here it is. The MAAMF Top 10 Albums of 2009:
10. Lisa Mitchell – Wonder
I think people in general were a little skeptical about Lisa. Her first two EP’s were nice and soft and had that folkpop kinda sound, but people were a little “well there’s a lot of folk-pop singers out there…and this one came from Australian Idol, so I think we’ll say no”. I think Lisa proved them wrong when she released Wonder. It’s a great collection of songs. You can check out a full review of the album here as well as one of the standout’s from the album, So Jealous, just below.
9. Jet – Shaka Rock
I think a few were pleasantly surprised when they heard this, the third record from Melbourne rockers Jet. I read somewhere that whilst it’s not an amazing album, it is still a great solid rock ‘n’ roll album. Call it a come back record or whatever you like. It’s still good. And so is the second official single from the album Hearts On Fire.
8. Yves Klein Blue – Ragged & Ecstatic
These boys, in my opinion, put forward a great album that seemed to go largely unnoticed, especially in terms of reviews and hype etc. They’ve put together a great album, with nice piano lines and a really good mix of styles. You can tell there’s a whole heap of influences in their music and their sound isn’t strictly dictated by current radio, or even current western music. The track Polka is an obvious example of this for sure. Check out the full review here as well as the first single from the album, Getting Wise.
Yves Klein Blue – Getting Wise
7. Miike Snow – Miike Snow
I’ve just done a search for them on the blog to see what i’ve written previously…and turns out they haven’t been mentioned. At all. Easily one of the most hyped albums of the year (and thankfully one that lives up to the hype), it is such a great collection of well crafted and well written pop songs. It would seem the Sweedes have this in the bag! Check out one of my faves from the album, Cult Logic, just below.
6. The Bloody Beetroots – Romborama
I remember speaking to a friend and we had our usual conversation about what we’re listening to. I raved on and on about these dudes. This album hits hard. And kinda doesn’t give up. Same thing with Miike Snow though, I haven’t mentioned the guys before on the blog. Am a little perplexed by that because this kicks and pushes and all that. I think the reason I like it so much is that you can tell the guys are from Italy. There’s something about the instrumentation, the melodies, the chords, the playfullness that reminds me of Italian lessons in Primary School. Fave off the album would have to be the lesser known Warp 7.7 (Warp 1.0 got played a hell of a lot as it was one of the singles taken from the album.
The Bloody Beetroots – Warp 7.7
5. Yeah Yeah Yeahs – It’s Blitz!
When I first heard Zero, the lead single from It’s Blitz, I loved it. However, as I wrote for my first ever album review for this blog way back in April, “I’d grown accustomed to Zero…it’s thumping sound and Karen O’s distinct vocals made it a really cool, catchy song. But after being played all over the shop…it was starting to sound a little less amazing. However, after hearing it in the context of the full album, it makes sense to me again. That seems to be one of the great things about this album. It flows really well and has enough of a mixture of sounds to not make it sound repetitive or boring.” And i’d have to agree. I now love Zero. Great song. And it’s a great album too.
4. Jack Penate – Everything Is New
I don’t know how many people would put this in their top 10. I get the impression young Jack flew under the radar for a few this year, which is a pity, because Everything Is New, is just that. It’s all a bit new. His first Album, Matinee was firmly rooted in the Britpop genre. This album sounded completely different. The man reinvented himself almost…and a bloody good job of it he did! Although it comes in at just over 30 mins, it’s the move to a more soulful sound that gets me. One of the best off the album would have to be So Near…and you can check that out just below.
3. Jonathan Boulet – Jonathan Boulet
I only bought this a few weeks ago and only reviewed it just over a week ago…but man. When an album leaves you a little taken aback you know it’s a good one. Mr Boulet does this. And pretty fucking well too! The dude possesses some great song writing skills. I don’t really know what he reminds me of. It’s a little all over the place, but I think that’s what’s good about the album. There are obvious standouts like A Community Service Announcement and 321 Ready or Not. But then there’s also every single other track. They all have this great ease about them all. There’s just something about an artist that seems to not really care about what people will think of his music. Or at least gives that impression. And for that fact, this album easily gets my number 3 spot.
Jonathan Boulet – 321 Ready Or Not
2. Phoenix – Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
Well…I actually thought this would get to number one. It almost goes interchangeable with the first but number one just tips it at the post (I bet you’ve scrolled down already to check it out. Cheeky bugger!). I remember writing that as soon as I heard this album, I knew it would be a contender for album of the year. I was right about that! It may be just a tiny bit too short (it clocks in at a little over 36mins), but I think the fact that every song on this album is such a great pop track makes the length seem irrelevant. It was definitely a hype album. Just looking on The Hype Machine now and Phoenix are the second most blogged artists. I don’t know when the hype will end! Totally deserved though…and totally deserving of the number 2 spot.
1. The Temper Trap – Conditions
wow. This is it. TTT provide my best album of 2009. It’s such an impressive debut. I remember writing back in July when I reviewed the album that it reminded me of Motorace. They sound absolutely nothing like Motorace I know, but I think it’s just their ability to fill out songs. And it’s probably also that Motorace produced a bit of an Australian classic album in Five Star Laundry, and I think The Temper Trap have done that too. It’s extremely difficult to fault in my opinion. All the tracks are great. They all provide something different. And to all those haters out there (trust me, every review I read, someone has posted about how they suck and are corporate produced shit or something like that), cool. We’re all entitled to our own taste. I don’t know what the guys ever did to you but you don’t hear me whining about how I don’t like some stuff! Anyway, this is meant to be an album poll. I’m pumped to be seeing these boys at The Forum down here in Melbourne in a month or so. Should be amazing. Solid awesome great Australian record…and Me, And All My Friend’s top album of the year.
The Temper Trap – Science Of Fear
Yeeeeessssssssssssssssssssssssss!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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