My Picks For This Week

Tracks to watch out for

There have been a whole lot of tracks that are slowly creeping their way up the charts here in the U.S. and abroad. Many of these tracks have originated outside of the U.S. but they are still quite good and can pack a dancefloor. Here are a select few I think have potential to do well in the U.S. in clubs and on dance radio. Some of these tracks may be this year's "buzz records" at the Winter Music Conference. I have found some samples of the various records to make hearing what they sound like as easy as possible. Enjoy!

• Global Deejays - What A Feeling - Superstar (Germany)
  This record is hot on the heels of Eric Prydz's "Call On Me" and Uniting Nation's "Out Of Touch." This time, Irene Cara's career-defining hit "Flashdance...What A Feeling" is revisited. This is a disco classic and deserves to be brought back to the dancefloor again. There have been several other white labels circulating that use Ms. Cara's song. According to some sources, sample clearance was not granted for the original vocal so it was re-created by a new singer. It sounds quite similar to the original. It's a deadringer for Irene Cara. This is an essential track for house and circuit DJs. The Clubhouse Mix is the mix of choice here. If you liked the Eric Prydz track, this one has your name written all over it. There are some harder versions of the track on the 12" as well so DJs of darker house and trance have not been forgotten.
  
  Club House Vocal Mix
  Glow Feelin' Da Vox Mix
  Progressive Follow Up
  OSX Version
  
  
• The LoveFreakz - Shine - Positiva (UK)
  This is another sample track. This one uses Electric Light Orchestra's "Shine A Little Love". The LoveFreakz Club Mix is the mix that shines here. It's a great peak hour vocal track. This one will be on every mix compilation this year.
  
  The Lovefreakz Club mix
  Jupiter Ace Mix
  Pete Heller's Phela Style Club Mix
  Chosen Few Remix
  
  
• David Morales Featuring Tamra Keenan - Here I Am - You (U.S.)/Airplane (Italy)
  This is the followup to the smash "How Would U Feel." This has already begun to climb up the charts just as the other one did a while back. With a nice handful of mixes, this track will do well. The Kaskade mix is a nice one. It's a bit laid back, but it's something different. More soulful and mellow.
  
  You (U.S)
  Morales Club Mix
  Full Intention Dub Mix
  Kaskade Remix
  Full Intention Vocal Mix
  
  Airplane (Italy)
  Morales Club Mix
  Morales Dub Mix
  T&F vs Moltosugo Klub Mix
  T&F vs Moltosugo Dub Mix
  

Superstars Remixed

Here is another hot compilation coming to music stores in May. This article in Billboard summarizes it best. But overall, the remixes on this album are quite good. Hopefully it's unmixed. Like completely unmixed. There were those Totally Dance and This Is Ultimate Dance CDs that came out on Arista some years back. Those claimed to be unmixed while each track just blended into the next at the last 3 to 4 seconds of the song that was playing. Technically, it was not unmixed. The choices of tracks on those two were great. Many of the remixes featured had been commercially unavailable in those mixes. It totally defeated the purpose of purchasing those albums. Let's hope this one is not like those.

Pop, R&B Hits Get 'Superstar' Remixes
Hits from Britney Spears, Jennifer Lopez, Maroon5, Kelis and Pink are reimagined on the upcoming compilation "Superstars Remixed," due May 10 from Sony BMG Strategic Marketing. The album sports remixes from such dance notables as JXL, Hex Hector, Armand Van Helden and Junior Vasquez, among others.

Spears' "Toxic" is remixed by Van Helden, while Hector takes on Lopez's "Waiting for Tonight," Deborah Cox's "Nobody's Supposed To Be Here" and Toni Braxton's Unbreak My Heart." Elsewhere, Vasquez remixes Maroon5's "This Love," Peter Rauhofer updates Christina Aguilera's "Beautiful" and Victor Calderone revamps Beyonce's "Naughty Girl."

The set is rounded out by remixes of cuts by Kelly Clarkson, Duran Duran, Sarah McLachlan, Dido, Monica, Whitney Houston and Fantasia.

Here is the track list for "Superstars Remixed":

"Since U Been Gone" (Hani remix), Kelly Clarkson
"Diary" (Hani remix), Alicia Keys
"This Love" (Junior Vasquez remix), Maroon5
"Sunrise" (Peter Presca remix), Duran Duran
"World on Fire" (JXL Club remix), Sarah McLachlan
"White Flag" (Al B Rich remix), Dido
"Milkshake" (DJ Zinc remix), Kelis
"Toxic" (Armand Van Helden remix), Britney Spears
"So Gone" (Scumfrog remix), Monica
"Dreamlover" (Dave Morales remix), Mariah Carey
"Naughty Girl" (Victor Calderone remix), Beyonc#&233;
"Get the Party Started" (Pink Noise Disco remix), Pink
"It's All Good" (Nate Skaten remix), Fantasia
"It's Not Right But It's OK" (Thunderpuss remix), Whitney Houston
"Waiting for Tonight" (Hex Hector remix), Jennifer Lopez
"Beautiful" (Peter Rauhofer remix), Christina Aguilera
"I Wish I Didn't Miss You" (HQ2 remix), Angie Stone
"Unbreak My Heart" (Soul Hex remix), Toni Braxton
"Nobody's Suppoed To Be Here" (Hex Hector remix), Deborah Cox

-- Jonathan Cohen, N.Y.

My Picks For The Week

Here are the tracks I am liking this week, in this particular order.

What's next on Energy?

It’s that time to guess which songs Energy 92.7 will add this time to their rotation.

Here are some possible choices.

Mariah Carey - It’s Like That [Morales Club Mix]
Fannypack - Nu Nu
Jenn Cunetta - Bring The Sun
Kaskade - Everything
Rachel Panay - Back To Love [Josh Harris Mix]
Shapeshifters - Back To Basics
Gwen Stefani - Hollaback Girl

Cardio Radio Redux

Lately, I have been really enjoying the Cardio Radio mix show that airs on Energy 92.7 at 12pm on weekdays. Previously, I didn’t have much free time to listen, but I have re-arranged my schedule so I can listen to part of it.

It has been really good the last few days. It’s been good before, but it has been better this week. The Friday editions are extra good!

Here’s today’s playlist. By the way, all these songs were played in a 60 minute period.

Mixed by A-Jax
C&C Music Factory - Here We Go
Sweet Sensation - Sincerely Yours
Nocera - Summertime
New Edition - Cool It Now
Johnny Kemp - Just Got Paid
Ciara Featuring Missy Elliot - 1,2 Step [Original Mix]
Kelis - Milkshake
Lisa Lisa & Full Force - I Wonder If I Take You Home
Pretty Poison - Catch Me…I’m Falling
George Lamond - Bad Of The Heart
Freeeze - I.O.U.
Madonna - Into The Groove [12” Mix]
Nina Sky - Move Your Body
---commercial break---
Dino - Summer Girls
Cynthia - Endless Nights
Lisa Lisa & Full Force - Can You Feel The Beat
Debbie Gibson - Only In My Dreams
Rockwell - Somebody’s Watching Me
Midnight Star - No Parking On The Dancefloor
Kylie Minogue - Come Into My World
Madison Avenue - Don’t Call Me Baby [Original Mix]
Flexy - Mamasita
Paul Johnson - Get Get Down
Moloko - Sing It Back vs. I Feel Love
Mynt Featuring Kim Sozzi - How Did You Know [Extended Mix]
Soulsearcher - Can’t Get Enough [Vocal Club Mix]
Dave Armstrong - Make Your Move
David Morales Featuring Lea Lorien - How Would U Feel [Reconstruction Mix]

Ma Ya Hi

This is a fun little track I discovered just a week ago. I have been aware that this track has been around for quite some time now. I have been loving it ever since I heard it! And this one looks like it could hit big here in the U.S. The track got broken into the U.S. by being played on NBC's Today Show with Matt Lauer and Katie Couric!

Give it a listen here.

Here is the review from Billboard Magazine.

DAN BALAN (OF O-ZONE) FEATURING LUCAS PRATA
Ma Ya Hi
Producer(s): Bogdan Popoiag
Writer(s): D. Balan, L. Prata
Publisher(s): Media Services/EMI Music Publishing Romania; 150 Lafayette Music/ Lookieluke Songs (ASCAP)
Genre: POP
Label/Catalog Number: Ultra UL1242 (12-inch vinyl single)
Source: Billboard Magazine
Originally Reviewed: March 12, 2005

In its original Romanian version ("Dragostea Din Tei"), this major slab of Euro dance/pop topped the charts in France, Germany, Romania and most every other European country. Then, Ultra released the original and English-language versions last fall—with nary a care from Americans. But then a homemade video popped up on the Internet, and all of a sudden, Ultra's phones began to ring. After a recent appearance on "Today," the label is now rushing this new Today Show mix to radio. This could very well become the novelty hit of 2005. It is culled from O-Zone's 2004 album, "DiscOzone."—MP

Uniting Nations - Out Of Touch

This has already been a huge hit in the UK already, and has already begun to make its presence felt in the U.S. Just in case you didn’t notice already, the song contains a recreated sample from John Hall and Darryl Oates’ classic “Out Of Touch”. The same lines are repeated throughout the whole song in the same fashion as many of last year’s sample records. Junior Jack’s “Stupidisco” and Dave Armstrong’s “Make Your Move” both contained similar samples from The Pointer Sisters “Dare Me”. While Eric Prydz sampled Steve Winwood’s “Valerie” for his international smash. On a side note, he has a new track that is already making the rounds called “Miracle” which contains a sample from Mike & The Mechanics’ track “All I Need Is A Miracle.”

Energy 92.7 has been throwing this in the mix every so often, so this could be a possible add sometime in the future.

As energetic and hypnotic as this track is, there has been a whole new wave of records that contain just one line or a series of lines repeated throughout the whole track. The Royal Gigolos ended up making a full album of tracks that were sample-based. Almost all of the tracks started out with that similar Benny Benassi style beat and bassline (think of the song “Satisfaction” or the remix of Tomcraft’s “Loneliness”). The samples of the vocals come in every so often and then the vocal filters in during the instrumental break in every single song. It’s a bit formula, but it gets the people dancing.

New Order & The Chemical Brothers Coming To The Bay Area

Legendary group New Order and the electro-duo Chemical Brothers are coming to the SF bay area to make a once-in-a-lifetime appearance and do a concert. Energy 92.7 and Live 105 have been promoting it and giving tickets away over the air. Wild 94.9 may soon follow. The other two are confirmed as doing the promotion.

Tickets go on sale this Sunday (the 13th). For more info, please check out this link. As more information will become available, it will be posted here.

This is definitely a chance of a lifetime. Don't let it pass you buy.

Big Changes In Airplay

Despite making it to number one for almost a week, Mynt Featuring Kim Sozzi's "How Did You Know" has been knocked out of the top spot by Kylie Minogue's "I Believe In You." This track was steadily falling for two weeks and then it just made a significant, sudden gain just as Eric Prydz did a couple weeks ago with "Call On Me." Speaking of that track, it has fallen significantly. It's hard to believe that this track held the top spot just weeks ago. Mario's "Let Me Love You" has quickly shot up into the top 10 within just a week of being added. Many of the old recurrents from 2 to 3 years ago have finally fallen out of the top 30 leaving mostly tracks from 2004 on the chart.

Here's the top 30 as of now.

LW	TW	Artist	Title	TW	LW	+/-
21	1	KYLIE MINOGUE	I Believe In You	51	29	22
3	2	MYNT	How Did You Know?	51	51	0
20	3	PAUL VAN DYK	Connected	50	30	20
12	4	CIARA	1,2 Step (f/Missy Elliott)	34	31	3
	5	MARIO	Let Me Love You	33	0	33
10	6	NARCOTIC THRUST	I Like It	33	32	1
19	7	STONEBRIDGE	Put 'Em High	33	30	3
16	8	GWEN STEFANI	Rich Girl	32	31	1
8	9	GADJO	So Many Times	31	32	-1
9	10	MICHAEL GRAY	The Weekend	31	32	-1
14	11	LASGO	Surrender	31	31	0
6	12	DAVID MORALES	How Would U Feel	31	33	-2
17	13	ANASTACIA	Sick And Tired	30	30	0
2	14	DIRTY VEGAS	Walk Into The Sun	30	53	-23
1	15	ERIC PRYDZ	Call On Me	30	54	-24
15	16	SHAPE: UK	Lola's Theme	30	31	-1
18	17	STELLAR PROJECT	Get Up Stand Up (f/B. Emma)	30	30	0
5	18	MARLY	You Never Know	29	33	-4
22	19	SCISSOR SISTERS	Filthy/Gorgeous	28	29	-1
4	20	FLEXY	Mamasita	27	36	-9
64	21	INTENSO PROJECT	Get It On	26	2	24
	22	KELLY CLARKSON	Since U Been Gone	25	0	25
7	23	SIN PLOMO	It's You	25	33	-8
11	24	JONATHAN PETERS	All This Time (f/S. L. Sharp)	24	32	-8
27	25	ASHLEE SIMPSON	Pieces Of Me	24	21	3
26	26	DANIEL BEDINGFIELD	Gotta Get Through This	23	21	2
30	27	COLDPLAY	Clocks	22	19	3
31	28	KYLIE MINOGUE	Love At First Sight	22	19	3
23	29	LMC VS U2	Take Me To The Clouds Above	21	22	-1
24	30	CHRISTINA MILIAN	Dip It Low	21	22	-1