A smile on your face?

On this grey and gloomy Sunday, with the nights creeping in far too early now that British Summer Time is officially over and the clocks have gone back, I think it's time for another showcase of some of the "newer" choons that have caught my ear of late.

Let's open with something sleazy, shall we? How about a bit of "bump'n'grind", courtesy of Sam Smith and Kim Petras..?

Sam Smith, Kim Petras - Unholy

I've always loved the work of master mixer Dave Aude - and here's his latest:

Dave Audé and Zee Machine - Motions

For some bizarre reason Ukrainian pop sensation, the very lovely Max Barskih [see here and here] has just changed his name to "Mick Sunday" - but at least he's producing new music in the midst of all the horror his home nation is suffering. In his own words: "This war brought great changes to my life. Feeling negative emotions and constant stress, you seem to forget about the existence of joy, happiness and love... I hope this music can put a smile on your face and put you in a good mood.” It works!

Mick Sunday - I Feel Good

You just know when you see the name Shapeshifters that you're in for a treat - and with this remake of an old Talking Heads classic, I'm not disappointed!

The Shapeshifters feat. Ramona Renea and Fiorious - Slippery People

Finally, how about a sizeable portion of Robbie? Yes please!

Lufthaus featuring Robbie Williams - Soul Seekers

As ever, dear reader - let me know your thoughts...

Today is gonna be the day they're gonna throw it back to you

With the dreadful wet weather that has greeted the first day of my two-week break, I thought it might be a good moment to visit some of the jollier newer music that has caught my ear of late (although, as is my wont, this selection is all a bit "retro-sounding") - the first such "Pick of the Pops" of 2021, indeed...

First to the bat is a group whose creativity has brightened our lives since they made their "comeback" in 2017 after a few years away from the spotlight - this time in a collaboration with the "Queen of the Red Carpet" himself, Mr Billy Porter!

The Shapeshifters featuring Billy Porter - Finally Ready (David Penn Remix)

Another welcome returnee to our airwaves is the faboo Felix da Housecat:

Felix da Housecat/Dave The Hustler/Blakk Hazel - Sweat!

Another somewhat bizarre collaboration, between masters of cool electro and the master of Britpop, works brilliantly:

Hot Chip feat. Jarvis Cocker - Straight to the Morning

Here's a fab discovery I recently stumbled upon - with their outrageous get-up and "Dead Or Alive"-esque sound styling, I love 'em:

Italove - I Trust You (Like I Trust Myself) (Matt Pop Club Remix)

Saving the best till last, however - here's a magnificent mashup that my dear sister alerted me to just yesterday! [Apparently Jimmy Somerville himself has said he loved this...]

Deco - Wonderwall x Smalltown Boy (Mashup Cover)

As ever, dear reader, let me know your thoughts...

Songs of the Year? Part 1

Yes, I am more than well aware that I haven't really been keeping my ear on the pulse of newer music as regularly as I used to. I make few excuses for this, other than a) the joys of getting older and more disconnected, and b) seeking comfort in more familiar stuff in a most unsettling year when every one of our usual entertainments was cancelled. However, dear chums, there are one or several choons I could tick off as "quite jolly discoveries of 2020", such as these...

Let's start as we mean to go on, with a faboo uplifting track [featuring on vocals the lady cavorting with all those lovely mirroball items in the photo above] that might have filled the floor at many a club and festival, had there been any:

The Shapeshifters feat. Kimberly Davis - Second Chance

Next, the biggest hit of the year, both in sales and in streaming [unless there are any sudden surprises]. Mr Abel Makkonen Tesfaye [yes, that is his real name!] has a penchant for gory videos [as I mentioned when I posted my own personal fave song of his back in April], but some clever bugger out there has merged this song with footage of that dance scene from The Breakfast Club instead - and it works perfectly!

The Weeknd - Blinding Lights

Speaking of all things retro, Erasure received a great reception for their new album The Neon in the summer, and from it, this drag-queen-heavy video:

Erasure - Nerves of Steel

Speaking of drag - an unexpected [for me] joy next, from a hitherto unknown reggaeton artist from Puerto Rico, who plays all the female roles here...

Bad Bunny - Yo Perreo Sola

I was overjoyed when one of my favourite eccentrics made a bit of a comeback, with a typically odd-yet-very-catchy number:

Róisín Murphy – Murphy’s Law

This year, I observed an ongoing trend in new songs that leaned heavily towards the sounds of the 1970s and 80s, including other favourite tunes of the year not actually included in this list by Dua Lipa and Doja Cat [as well as the above-mentioned The Weeknd] - and here's another in a similar vein that was a bit of an "earworm" in Spring:

Jessie Ware - Spotlight

And, rounding off this "first half" - another sure-fire dancefloor hit that unfortunately wasn't...

Jax Jones, Martin Solveig, RAYE, Europa - Tequila

Part Two of this self-indulgence will be winging its way in a couple of days.

As always, dear reader, let me know your thoughts!

My life is one, every weekend

Another weekend looms - and it's another Bank Holiday, peeps! The forecast looks OK, so it's three whole days in the garden pour moi, methinks...

But first - how about something brand new to get us in the party mood?

Fifteen years ago, an uplifting "Ibiza classic" called Lola's Theme [as I featured here, albeit in orchestral form] stormed our charts - and now, the song's creators The Shapeshifters are back, accompanied by Chic vocalist Kimberly Davis, with this fantabulosa number, released today [on Miss Davis' birthday]!

Get your sparkles on, peeps; fire up the smoke machine - and Thank Disco It's Friday!

The Shapeshifters featuring Kimberly Davis - Life Is A Dancefloor

[No video as yet, unfortunately - but you can watch here a brief "making of" clip, featuring the group, the singer and the orchestra.]

Have a good one, dear reader, whatever you do!

Keep the beast in my nature under ceaseless attack

One of the bloggers I follow, Cookie over at Doing Hard Time in Shaker Heights, is feeling sorry for himself. The eyedrops he's on contain steroids, which means he "can't get no sleep". I was looking for something appropriate(?) to play - such as Faithless' timeless dance classic - when I came upon this instead - excellent orchestrated versions of Insomnia and other choons from the mega-clubbing '90s, courtesy of the BBC Proms 2015 "Ibiza Prom", with DJ Pete Tong and the BBC Heritage Orchestra.

Of course I love it...

Pete Tong and the BBC Heritage Orchestra - Insomnia (Faithless)

Pete Tong and the BBC Heritage Orchestra - Right Here Right Now (Fatboy Slim)

Pete Tong and the BBC Heritage Orchestra - One More Time (Daft Punk)

Pete Tong and the BBC Heritage Orchestra - Lola's Theme (Shapeshifters)

Brilliant! I wish I had been there.