Anyway. I've made a mix tape for y'all to scope out. I can't actually upload the songs for you to download (bandwidth issues, plus it's sort've illegal ya know) but you can download them yourselves and burn them and it'll be like I created it just for YOU. I gave it the 'You Make No Sense' name because, well, it's two fold. One, it's Nicole Kidman's big week (birthday + marriage) and I thought that line from the excellent Birth was a fitting title because it aptly describes the music itself. I have no rational way of creating this mix for you. I just... selected a bunch of songs I'm loving at the moment. Here we go y'all:
1. Liza Minnelli - "Losing My Mind"
2. Pet Shop Boys - "Flamboyant [Michael Mayer Mix]"
3. Paul Oakenfold feat. Brittany Murphy - "Faster Kill Pussycat [Hip-Hop Mix]"
4. Cut Copy - "Going Nowhere"
5. Tiga - "(Far From) Home"
6. Dannii Minogue - "So Under Pressure"
7. Lo-Fi-Fnk - "Steppin' Out"
8. Madonna - "Get Together [Teifschwarz Mix]"
9. Bronski Beat - "Smalltown Beat"
10. Christian Falk feat. Robyn & Ola Salo - "Dream On"
11. New Order - "Ceremony"
12. Regina Spektor - "Us"
13. Dixie Chicks - "The Long Way Around"
14. Snow Patrol feat. Martha Wainwright - "Set the Fire to the Third Bar"
15. Lisa Miller - "Eleven"
16. Sarah Blasko - "Remorse"
17. Terry Reid - "Seed of Memory"
18. Kate Bush - "The Painter's Link"
Want some comments on each? I can provide those for you!
Liza Minnelli - "Losing My Mind"
I Do believe this is the gayest song ever made. I have spent many listening hours trying to find the Holy Grail of camp music - I thought La Minogue's "Your Disco Needs You" was a definite contender, Madonna clashing with ABBA on "Hung Up" definitely registered, as does anything by the Pet Shop Boys. The reason why Liza's "Losing My Mind" is the definite winner, is threefold. 1. It's Liza freakin' Minnelli! One of the gay icons of the twentieth century. 2. The song is produced by none other than the Pet Shop Boys, who produced her entire "Results" album. 3. The song is actually a Sondheim number! The Boys twisted this Sondheim song into a dance track! I think Hands down, this is the winner. Although, on the album Liza covers the Pet Shop Boys' own awesome "Rent" and is turned subsequently into a Broadway ballad. But, still... this is it all the way. Plus, the track is awesome. I thank HomoEclectic for allowing me to discover this.Pet Shop Boys - "Flamboyant [Michael Mayer Mix]"
It was hard for me to choose just one track from the Boys' new album "Fundamental" (here's a tip - BUY IT! Definite contender for album of the year if you ask me), but I chose this one. Now, if you take my advice and go out and buy the album make sure you pick up the Limited Edition (limited my arse) that has a bonus disc of remixes and bonus tracks. For some reason "Flamboyant" doesn't appear on the regular edition, but the Michael Mayer Mix shows up on the second disc and boy is that a good thing. This song is one of the Boys' greatest songs. I want to know what their original version sounded like though. Love the trumpet and the beat, just so good. But, really, I could've included at least five other titles from the "Fundamental" album and I would be able to say the same thing. Paul Oakenfold feat. Brittany Murphy - "Faster Kill Pussycat [Hip-Hop Mix]"
Surely you've heard the original of this song by now. It's awesome, but give this version a go. It slows down the pace, but it doesn't lose any of the punch. The bit where Brittany sings the harmony part is choice.
Cut Copy - "Going Nowhere"
I have no idea who these guys are, and I still don't. I heard this song on "The OC" a while back and thanks to the marvel that is Music From The OC I tracked it down and downloaded it. Awesome track with a great guitar... thing. New Wavish I think. Great song.
Tiga - "(Far From) Home"
Don't know who Tiga is? Well, you should. He's an ace DJ who usually does remix work. I first became aware of the man from Richard X's B-R-I-L-L-I-A-N-T album "Richard X Presents His X Factor" with the song "You (Better Let Me Love You x4) Tonight". He recently released his first actual album "Sexor" and this is probably my favourite track from it. This song is such a great strutting song! Whenever I'm walking around (wherever I may be) and this song comes on my iPod I have to resist the urge to do a Saturday Night Fever and strut. I love this song.Dannii Minogue - "So Under Pressure"
Confession time - I adore me some Dannii Minogue. Her last album "Neon Nights" was surprisingly fun, and her last single "You Won't Forget About Me" was ace. Now, trust Dannii to release a single detailing how her sister (Kylie, y'all) and her battle with cancer... and how it affected her. Loves it. What sort of pop star with Dannii be if she wasn't focused on herself? Add to that the fact that the song is really really great and I'm still in love with Dannii. There's still nothing funnier than seeing Julian McMahon (Dannii's former husband) dancing in one of her old video clips in a Hawaiian shirt. Priceless.
Lo-Fi-Fnk - "Steppin' Out"
I'm noticing a scary trend. A lot of these tracks seem to be quite... what's the word... gay! (I realise I just quoted The Producers which just ups the gay-quota two-fold.) This track by some (I think) Swedish band is about coming out. It's a great upbeat track (as you would expect from Sweden). Again, thanks to HomoEclectic for pointing me towards this track. Awesome stuff.
Madonna - "Get Together [Teifschwarz Remix]"
Madonna is God. And this remix from her "Get Together" single is ace. The other remix (by Jacques le Cont) wasn't all that (especially considering he masterminded the whole "Confessions" album) but this one more than made up for it. Still, nothing tops the album version - I just thought you'd all have the original by now (surely) and this would be a bit different.Bronski Beat - "Smalltown Boy"
The gay trend continues - but that's probably just a reflection on the music, right? This song is from 1984 and is about a boy wanting to get out of Glasgow and move to the big city (London) because he's gay. If any of y'all remember the group Yazz you'll have a fair idea of what this song sounds like. That sort of androgynous singing style that was so popular in the '80s. But, the song is awesome, so... ya know... get it "Run away/Turn away/Run away/Turn away" LOVE
Christian Falk feat. Robyn & Ola Salo - "Dream On"
God, I wish they would release a proper version of this song! The only available versions are live ones so you'll have to make do with that. It's seriously a great great great great great song! I love this one to pieces. I can't gush about this song enough. Brilliant pop. But, yeah, I wish they'd release it as a single or something so we can get better production values instead of the live acoustics. But, still, AWESOME.
New Order - "Ceremony"
Yes, the song from the Marie-Antoinette trailer (not, "Age of Consent" which is actually better, but I'm listening to this one at the moment). New Order are quite simply one of the greatest groups ever and this near-identicle cover of Joy Division's "Ceremony" from their classic "Substance 1987" album is excellent. Who doesn't love New Order? SHOW YOUR DIRTY FACE!
Regina Spektor - "Us"
I thank Cal for this one (Cal's awesome btw). "Us" is very WOW worthy, completely unexpected (her "Oedipus" is quite excellent too, but that's all I've heard). Think Vanessa Carlton on speed and you're in the right ballpark. Love the piano and the strings and everything.
Dixie Chicks - "The Long Way Around"
The Dixie Chicks' new album "Taking the Long Way" is quite wonderful, and this is my favourite track from the album. It's all about lost nostalgia and wanting to get out of the tiny town and head for the big city. It's a great great song that mixes pop with country expertly. "My friends from high school/Married their high school boyfriends/Moved into houses/With the same zip codes/That their parents live/But I could never follow" great stuff.Snow Patrol feat. Martha Wainwright - "Set the Fire to the Third Bar"
I basically love anything Martha does and this is no exception. This is from Snow Patrol's "Eyes Open" album, which I liked quite a bit. This was my favourite song from the album. It's just so haunting and atmospheric, no doubt because of Martha's heavenly vocals. She's bliss.
Lisa Miller - "Eleven"
Lisa Miller is an Australian singer whose first album (which I have not heard) was all covers, but decided to make an album of original songs, it was all "Version Originale" and it was really great. This is probably my favourite song from the album (although "I Love You A Thousand Dollars" is also special), it's all about having writers block. It even featured in 2005 Uma Award winner Look Both Ways. Just a great warm song.
Sarah Blasko - "Remorse"
Sarah freakin' Blasko! Y'all should know this name. She is definitely one of the greatest new artists of the decade. Her album "The Overture and the Underscore" was quite stunning and while "Remorse" wasn't my favourite (that would be "Don't U Eva" probably) it's definitely right up there. It feels sort of epically operatic, if that makes sense. Her voice is stunning (although the accent may turn some non-Australians off I suppose) and has a very Bjork vibe about it. Warning though, if you decide to download this song try and find the version with a shorter file size, as the album actually closes with this song and once it's finished you get 5 minutes of silence and then a bonus track (which isn't that good). But some nice people have edited "Remorse" by itself, so get that.Terry Reid - "Seed of Memory"
I found this song just last week in Rob Zombie's hilariously disgusting The Devil's Rejects (it was the closing credits song) and immediately fell in love. It's from 1973 apparently and I don't really know anything else. Great song, that's all.
Kate Bush - "The Painter's Link"
It seems quite fitting to end the mix with some beautiful Kate Bush. Stunning and sublime.
Don't you just love how the mix starts off all dancy electro and then starts to wind down in the middle and then ends with a collection of slower songs. I love doing stuff like that. Although when I was creating a mix tape for Nathaniel I somehow managed to make a CD that detailed the start, middle and end of a relationship. Purely by accident. It was sort've awesome though.
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