#52 of VJ Samsonite's Top 100 80's Dance Hits Countdown! "Weird Science" (1985) by Oingo Boingo

Welcome back once again, here we are at #52, lets have a moment of silence...ok and the song is....Weird Science by American new-wave band Oingo Boingo. Oingo Boingo formed orignally back in 1972 (under the title The Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo) and were located in Los Angeles, California, and they were active as a band up until 1995. "Weird Science" appeared as track 9 on their fourth studio release album (released in August of 1985), and it also was featured as the theme song to infamous John Hughes 80's teen-comedy and all-time 80's classic film of the same name. It was also became the theme-song for the mid-1990's Weird Science television series. I must add that Weird Science is one of my favorite movies of all time and it is definitely on my top 5 80's movies of all time, but that will be a topic for a later post, and mark my words but I figure its only a short matter of time before they try to remake this 80's classic too, I just hope they don't butcher it too bad...

Song of the Day for September 30th, 2010: "Rest" by The Temper Trap

And the song of the day is....Rest by the Temper Trap. I heard this song being played on a diet coke commercial yesterday, kind of strange, but I guess that's how it goes in the music biz. The Temper Trap are an alternative-rock band from Melbourne Australia, yet another Melbourne based band that is up and coming in a big way. No doubt that this album, titled Conditions (released in June or 2009) was a great one, but I just find it interesting to see which bands make it big and end up getting press and which ones don't despite being just as good if not better. The album reached #175 on the Billboard Top 200 albums in 2009, and it peaked at #25 on the UK Albums Chart. Now generally I like to post songs and bands that aren't all that well known, but I have to give props to Melbourne bands as I lived there for 2 years and heard heaps of amazing music, and have managed to stay somewhat connected thanks to Triple J online radio. That said, enjoy the song and definitely take some time out to check out the whole album. Also, one quick note, the song doesn't actually start up til about 15 seconds into it, so if audio doesn't seem to working its because there is a pause at the beginning of this track.

Song of the Day for September 29th, 2010: "Save Our Town" by Philadelphia Grand Jury

And the song is....Save Our Town by Australian indie-rock band Philadelphia Grand Jury. Philadelphia Grand Jury are a 3-piece band from Sydney, Australia but who are now based in the UK. They consist of band members Simon Berckelman, Joel Beeson, and latest addition Calvin Welch on drums. This song was released as a single from their new album titled Hope is for the Hopeless, and this single was released in August 2010. Also, be sure to take note that this song is still available as a free mp3 download at the following web-page, and like all of the other posts I have made of free mp3 downloads, yes, it is a legal download and in fact the band wants to their stuff out there, so there. Enjoy!

Consumer Reports video for "Driving impression: Honda CR-Z hybrid coupe" 2011

I am hoping to cover some more car stuff, and seeing that this vlog/blog is focusing a bit more on "the new" that I want to cover the new generation of cars coming out here in the USA. I would also like to cover the new gen. of cars in Europe/UK, such as Citroen and Peugeot but I really don't have any exposure to them so hang in there with me. Here is the recent consumer reports review for the 2011 Honda CR-Z hybrid sport coupe innit.

#53 of VJ Samsonite's Top 100 80's Dance Hits Countdown!: "The KKK Took My Baby Away" by The Ramones (1981)

Well now, its been a bit too long this time hasn't it? I have been away at weddings and DJ gigs and what not, but I am back here today to present #53 of the countdown! And the song is....The KKK Took My Baby Away by the legendary American punk-rock band The Ramones. The Ramones are one of those staple punk-bands of all time, and they will always be out there in the spot light, at least they will be if I have anything to say about it. The Ramones originated in Forest Hills, in the burrow of Queens, New York, and they were active as a band from 1974-1996. They had a major influence on punk rock music in the USA and in the UK. All of the band members adopted the surname of Ramone, despite the fact that not of them were actually related. According to wikipedia The Ramones toured almost non-stop for more than 22 years and that they performed at 2,263 concerts during that time, and in 1996 they disbanded following one final show at the 1996 'Lollapalooza.' By 2004, the 3 lead members of the band had all died, inlcuding lead singer Joey Ramone, guitarist Johnny Ramone, and bassist Dee Dee Ramone. In 2002 The Ramones were inducted into the 'Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The KKK Took My Baby Away appeared on their 6th studio release album which was titled Pleasant Dreams and was released in July of 1981, and it was written by Joey Ramone. Well there it is in all its glory, now what could #52 be?? I reckon I should do that one sooner innit?

A VJ Brewski Remix: "Down Under Club" Men at Work vs. 50 Cent

I had to post this one, too good and too hilarious not too! Awesome job to VJ Brewski and DJ Lobsterdust!

Men at Work vs. 50 Cent - Down Under Club from VJ Brewski on Vimeo.
Men at Work - Land Down Under vs. 50 Cent - In da Club. DJ Lobsterdust Mashup. VJ Brewski Videomix

Song of the Day for September 28th, 2010: "Our Song (feat. Seth Sentry)" by Horrorshow

And the song of the day is....Our Song (feat. Seth Sentry) by Australian hip-hop duo Horrorshow. Horrorshow consists of duo Adit Gauchan (a.k.a. Adit) (DJ), and
Nick Bryant-Smith (a.k.a. Solo) (as emcee) who have been around since 2006 and come out of sunny Sydney, Australia. Both of these members grew up in the inner-west suburbs of Sydney and began their hip-hop careers at the age of 19. They have released two full-length albums in the past and have been releasing a few new singles here and there as well, in fact this song is still available as a free mp3 download as well as at least one other Horrorshow track at this link.  Also if you have a facebook account they have some free downloads and artist info on their page there, which I would highly recommend. Check them out, and enjoy yourself some great Aussie hip-hop!

Song of the Day for September 27th, 2010: "Collapsing Cities" by Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly.

And the song of the day is...Collapsing Cities, by English artist Sam Duckworth, and his band Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly. Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly. come out of Southend, Essex, England and were signed to Atlantic Records in 2006. According to lead band member Sam Duckworth, the name for the band comes from a section out of a magazine called ZX Spectrum, as a solution to a Batman computer game. The song Collapsing Cities appears as the first single from the new self-titled album, which was released on August 9th, 2010. Also if you like the song, you would do well to know it is still available as a free mp3 download at this website.

Brief Movie Review for "Swedish Auto" (2006)

 3.5/5 Stars ***

Not your typical formulaic movie, which is nice for a change. About a young single auto-mechanic who is infatuated with a violinist, but who in turn discovers another attractive blonde girl who is infatuated with him. Her family life, however turns out to be troublesome. I would recommend this one.

Song of the Day for September 26th, 2010: "Stand Tall" by Dirty Heads

And the song of the day is...Stand Tall by American reggae-rock band Dirty Heads. Dirty Heads consist of members Jared Watson, Dustin "Duddy" Bushnell, Jon Olazabal, Matt Ochoa, and David Foral and they are based out of Huntington Beach, California. Stand Tall came off of their 2008 debut album release titled Any Port in a Storm and it was featured in a Sony Pictures film called Surf's Up. This album would peak at #55 on the US Album Chart in 2008. This band has a laid-back beachy sound, no doubt about that, and yet they also contain some elements of indie rock which makes for an interesting blend, I highly recommend checking out their album.

Song of the Day for September 25th, 2010: "Falling" by The Cat Empire

And the song is....Falling, by Australian indie-rock-ska-jazz-latin-reggae-eclectic band The Cat Empire. The Cat Empire consist of Felix Riebl (percussion and vocals), Harry James Angus (trumpet and vocals), Ollie McGill (keyboard and backing vocals), Ryan Monro (on bass guitar and vocals), Will Hull-Brown (on drums) and Jamshid "Jumps" Khadiwhala (various percussion), and various guest artists who appear throughout depending on the song. Falling appears on their 5th studio-album which was released on June 29th, 2010 titled Cinema. I recently did a post on another track from this album titled Beyond All, which I would also highly recommend checking out if you like this one. As always, they blend lots of styles together in one song to create a masterpiece.

Song of the Day for September 24th, 2010: "Teenage Crime" by Adrian Lux

And the song is...Teenage Crime, by Swedish DJ/producer Adrian Lux. Adrian Lux is based in Stockholm, Sweden and he is part of what has been called the La Vida Locash Movement. Adrian Lux is considered by some to be the successor of Eric Prydz. Teenage Crime is a single release which came out on June 28, 2010, and the album includes 3 or 4 remixes of the song, however the original mix is posted below via youtube. For more info on the artist and to check out some of his other work be sure to check out his myspace page here.

Consumer Reports Video: "New Ford Mustang vs. New Camaro"

I figure I haven't posted much about cars on this vlog/blog, and seeing that they are such a large part of our lives these days I figured its time to show some interest. The latest Consumer Reports Magazine has some ratings for the new muscle cars, as well as the new EV's coming out, so be sure to pick yourself up a copy of the October 2010 issue. If you are interested in seeing the 5 new electric vehicles coming out in 2011 (including the Chevy Volt, Ford Focus EV, Mini-E, Nissan Leaf, and Tesla Roadster) than click on this link.

Some interesting facts are that both of these cars put out over 300 horse-power and the Ford Mustang gets an overall 24 mpg, whilst the new Chevy Camaro gets 21 mpg.

Song of the Day for September 23rd, 2010: "Me and the Moon" by The Drums

And the song is...Me and the Moon, by American indie-rock group The Drums. The Drums come out of Brooklyn, New York and conists of members Jonathan Pierce (vocals), Jacob Graham (guitar), Connor Hanwick (drums). This track, like the last one I posted comes off of their self-titled debut album which was released on June 7th, 2010. This group has a unique sound, strangely though it is also not unique, but that is what makes it good, that duality.

Brief Movie Review for "Harry Brown" (2010)

2/5 Stars **

Strange movie, its kind of like a comic book vengeance story made into a movie with Michael Caine, which is a bit of a strange role for him, I am puzzled as to why an actor like Caine would accept such a role. The story is basically a latest UK remix of Charles Bronson's 1974 action hit "Death Wish," and a few of the scenes actually reminded me of another vigilante super-hero type movie that was also quite bad called "Darkman." Wouldn't really recommend this one and wouldn't watch it again.

Song of the Day for September 22nd, 2010: "Boyfriend" by Best Coast

And the song of the day is....Boyfriend by American indie-garage-pop trio Best Coast. Best Coast are based in Los Angeles, California and members are songwriter and lead singer Bethany Cosentino, Bobb Bruno (multiple-instruments) and Ali Koehler on drums. This song appears as the first track of of their Crazy for You album, which was just recently released on July 27th, 2010 on the Mexican Summer Record Label. The album peaked at #36 on the US Album Charts upon its release.

#54 of VJ Samsonite's Top 100 80's Dance Hits Countdown!: "St. Elmo's Fire (Man in Motion)" (1985) by John Parr

And #54 of the Countdown is....St. Elmo's Fire (Man in Motion) by English musician John Parr. John Parr is from Worksop, Nottinghamshire in jolly old England, and he is to this day best known for this hit song which was a #1 single in the USA in 1985. Parr entered the music world at the early age of 12 when he was a part of a band with fellow classmates called 'The Silence'. He later worked with acts such as the singer 'Meat Loaf' and the rock band 'Toto'. Following a tour with a band called 'The Business' producer David Foster asked Parr to record a song for the soundtrack of Joel Schumacher's 1985 Brat-Pack film 'St. Elmo's Fire.' He wrote the song with Foster as a tribute to Canadian wheelchair athlete and activist Rick Hansen, which is partly why the song is so powerful in its lyrics and effects. Rick Hansen, at the time was well known for his lectures to raise awareness about spinal cord injuries, which was dubbed the "Man in Motion Tour."On September 7th, 1985 the song hit #1 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and peaked at #6 in the UK that same year. This song would also receive a Grammy Nomination and various cross-references in popular media in later years. Well, that's #54, what oh what could 53 be?? You'll have to tune again in a few days time to find out, so don't hold your breath, stay in motion!

Song of the Day for September 21st, 2010: "Every June" by My Fiction

And the song of the day is...Every June, by Aussie Indie-electronica-rock band My Fiction. My Fiction consists of Eric Robinson  (Vocals, Guitar), Mike Willmett (Bass, Synth and Percussion), Danny Murphy (Drums, Vocals, SPD-S), and James Laubscher (Guitars, Vocals) and they originate out of Brisbane, Queensland in Australia. Every June was released on their FireRomanceFire albume in 2010 by SUGARRUSH RECORDS. If you want more info or a few free mp3 downloads by this band you can check their info page here. Now, my search bar doesn't seem to work anymore (thanks to the brilliance of google) so I can't remember if I've already posted this song, but I CBF either. Enjoy!

Brief Movie Review for "Kung Fu Hustle" (2005)

4/5 STARS ****

Una peli magnifica! Quite an entertaining and interesting story. A couple of young and clumsy Chinese lads make their best attempt to join the infamous "axe gang," but in the meantime they stir up a lot of trouble in their hometown which leads to some interesting developments. Lots of action and insights. I am interested in seeing more movies like this for sure. If you like martial arts movies that aren't too serious, than you will enjoy this flick.

Song of the Day for September 20th, 2010: "Up from Below" by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros

And the song is...Up from Below by American folk-rock-indie group Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros. Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros come out of Los Angeles, California, and they consist of members Alex Ebert, Jade Castrinos, Nico Aglietti, Christian Letts, Stewart Cole, Tay Strathairn, Aaron Older, Josh Collazo, Orpheo McCord, and Nora Kirkpatrick. This song comes off of their July 7th, 2009 release album of the same name. They are best known for their hit song titled Home, which can be found on the same album. Up from Below peaked at #187 on the Billboard Hot 200 chart in 2009.  For more info on this artist check out their myspace page here.

Song of the Day for September 19th, 2010: "Friday Night" by CASSIAN

And the song is....Friday Night, by Australian electro-funk-house artist CASSIAN. Now, there is little to no bio info on this artist, however he is from Sydney, and he does sound a bit like another electronic group called Chromeo. So I suppose that makes my job here today easier, and if you want to check out some more of his stuff, try his myspace page here. This song comes off of his Friday Night EP, which was release in 2009 and can be found on Itunes. Enjoy!

#55 of VJ Samsonite's Top 100 80's Dance Hits Countdown!: "The Reflex" by Duran Duran (1983)

Welcome back to the Top 100 80's Dance Hits Countdown! Today is Friday, September 17th, 2010 and we are at #55, and the song is....The Reflex, by the all-to-famous, (and not to mention my favourite band of all time) English synth-pop-rock band Duran Duran. The Reflex appeared on their Novemeber of 1983 release album Seven and the Ragged Tiger, it was their 3rd full length release studio album. A direct quote from wikipedia states the following:

"Simon Le Bon said the album "is an adventure story about a little commando team. 'The Seven' is for us — the five band members and the two managers — and 'the Ragged Tiger' is success. Seven people running after success. It's ambition. That's what it's about."

The Reflex was later released as a remixed single in April of 1984, and it would become Duran Duran's most successful single, which I find surprising as they had so many other songs I would have guessed to have been bigger hits. In fact, it would prove to be their last UK #1 hit, and it was their first single to peak at #1 on the US Billboard Hot 100. All of that said, this has been the second Duran Duran song to appear on this countdown and be forewarned, there will be more to come....Don't miss them live if you get the chance to see them whilst on tour.

A Brief Movie Review for "Things You Can Tell Just By Looking At Her" (2000)

2/5 Stars **

Mildly interesting weaving of the lives of a few different women living and enduring life's struggles in Los Angeles. I don't know that I would recommend it, its definitely not an up-lifting movie but a bit more depressing...I wouldn't watch it again.

Song of the Day for September 16th, 2010: "In the Fire" by Mammoth Logic

And the song is...In the Fire by South Australian electronica duo Mammoth Logic. Now I know that I just posted one by them last week, but I was so impressed by their sound that I had to post another one straight away, so there. Mammoth Logic consists of Dave Crowe & Reid Jones, and they come out of the city of Adelaide, in South Australia. The electronic duo have been described as a mix of 'futuristic pop' with 'French-electro' with post-punk-rock, which is quite a mix indeed. This song came out just in the past few months of this year (2010), and they are set to release an album, so keep your eyes peeled for that. If you like the song then you should take note that it is currently available as a free MP3 download at this link here. Hasta Mañana!

Song of the Day for September 15th, 2010: "The Bike Song" by Mark Ronson & The Business Intl

And the song of the day is....The Bike Song, by English guitarist/producer Mark Ronson & The Business Intl. Now I have done a previous post for his recent hit song titled Bang, Bang, Bang, so to expedite this process the rest is just a simple copy and paste from the previous post: Mark Ronson is known for working with other artists, primarily as a DJ and producer in producing hit pop-hop and electronica tracks such as his 2003 release Ooh Wee (feat. Ghostface Killah, Nate Dogg & Trife) which appeared on the Hitch movie soundtrack that year. Mark Ronson has released 3 studio albums, and has won a BRIT Award for Best Male Artist in 2008. The Bike Song comes off of his still unreleased Record Collection album, due to come out sometime in this year of 2010.This song features singer Kyle Falconer from indie rock band The View and rapper Spank Rock. This video is pretty cool, especially the beginning bits with the flashing lights reminiscent of japanese animation and 80's cartoons the likes of Voltron and Thundercats. It is a bit different from his last one though, not quite as instantly catchy, but it will grow on you. The song itself is set to be released on September 19th, 2010 in the UK, so it will probably be on itunes and amazon by then. Enjoy!

Brief Movie Review for "City Island" (2010)

3/5 Stars ***

Una peli divertida, claro! Was a funny comedy and was produced well. Is about a family who keeps lots of secrets and interesting personality perks from each other, which inevitably unravel and the comical situations this puts the characters in makes the movie worthwhile and not serious. I recommend this movie for a good laugh, and I looked it up on the map, City Island aye??

Song of the day for September 14th, 2010: "Atacama Disco" by The Salvadors

And the song is...Atacama Disco, by Australian indie-pop group the Salvadors. The Salvadors consist of first names only Tom ( vocals/guitar), Eddy (guitar), Jeff (bass guitar), Eugine (drums), and Cat (keyboards). I have posted another song of theirs on this blog before (called Rio) and am hoping to hear more and more from this group as everything so far has been quite good stuff from this group out of Adelaide, in South Australia. This song and a couple others are still available as free mp3 downloads at this Australian Radio website. 

#56 of VJ Samsonite's Top 100 80's Dance Hits Countdown!: "Dancing in the Sheets (Extended 12'' Mix)" by Shalamar (1984)

Here we are already at #56 of VJ Samosonite's Top 100 80's Dance Hit Countdown! And the song is....Dancing in the Sheets (Extended 12" Mix), by American soul-pop-disco group Shalamar. Shalamar formed back in 1975 and were active as a group up until 1991. This dance hit first appeared on the scene in November of 1984 on their Heartbreak album, and it also appeared on the 80's hit movie soundtrack for Footloose (1984), which incidentally hit the screens in 1984. In fact, their is a long dance scene involving the local teeny-boppers, dancing and getting loose to this tune at their local diner/arcade/hang-out, so go rent the movie if you don't remember or know what I am talking about, it is a truly classic scene. Another interesting fact about the Footloose (1984) soundtrack is that it from April 21st-June 30th, 1984, it was was ranked at Number One on the Billboard 200 Pop Album chart, while the song Dancing in the Sheets would peak at #17 on the Billboard Hot 100. Shalamar consisted of Howard Hewett, Jeffrey Daniel, and Carolyn Griffey primarily, but over the years it included other members such as the Grammy Award winning guitarist/singer Micki Free. Shalamar began originally as a disco-driven group created by Soul Train booking agent Dick Griffey, but they developed into an influential dance and fashion-setting trio. Well there you have it, #56 in all its glory, now make sure you go out and watch Footloose sometime soon, as I hear they are remaking a new version of the movie which is going to feature country music??? Sounds lame to me, sometimes they should just leave old creations be in their original form, and create something brand new, but alas they are remaking all of my old 80's favorites left and right. I suppose that means one is finally over the hill when Hollywood has remade a newer version of all the childhood movies, shows, and cartoons??

Song of the Day for September 13th, 2010: "Howlin' for You" by The Black Keys

And the song is... Howlin' for You by American Blues rock duo The Black Keys. The Black Keys have been posted on this vlog before, but I will refresh the memory as I can't even seem to locate the past  posts I've done of them. They are Dan Auerbach (vocalist/guitarist) and Patrick Carney (drummer/producer), and they formed in 2001 out of Akron, Ohio. This song can be found as the 4th track on their latest album release titled Brothers, which officially hit the stores on May 18th, 2010. I might just add that I reckon the Black Keys are one of the top new artists out there, and they bring us back to a sound that was lost in the 1960's but also with new elements which seems to be what defines great new music. Enjoy!

Brief Movie Review for "Heaven Knows Mr. Allison" (1957)

 4/5 Stars ****

This is a World War II movie starring Robert Mitchum and Deborah Kerr. It is quite a good for a war movie, and one with a little bit of suspense here and there. A marine and a nun are trapped alone on a South Pacific island near Fiji that is frequented by Japanese troops, interesting plot and apparently there were two Oscar nominations given to this one.

Song of the Day for September 10th, 2010: "After Dark" by The Count and Sinden (Ft. Mystery Jets)

And the song of the day is...After Dark (ft. Mystery Jets), by English duo The Count & Sinden. The Count & Sinden are and electronic-duo coming out of London, England. The duo have been around since 2008 and they are Joshua "Hervé" Harvey (aka The Count), and Sinden. After Dark is a single release (released on August 15th, 2010) featuring the 5-piece English indie rock band Mystery Jets, which is due to appear on their debut album titled Mega Mega Mega. This song has already peaked at #4 on the UK Independent Chart. Enjoy!

Song of the Day for September 9th, 2010: "Jazzy" by knoe FM

And the song of the day is....Jazzy, by Australian hip-hop artist knoe FM. knoe Fm is a young MC from Perth, in Western Australia. There is not too much info about know FM on his pages, but you can check out his myspace page for more info. Also, this song is available for listening or as a free mp3 download at this webpage.  Actually you will have to go to that site to even hear the song, so make sure you do that, enjoy!

Song of the Day for September 8th, 2010: "So Bad" by Class A

And the song for today is.... So Bad by Australian hip-hop artist Class A. Class A is a hip-hop artist coming out of Melbourne, Australia who was voted the best Female MC there in 2008 and 2009. She has already shared the stage with big-time acts such as Talib Kweli, The Hilltop Hoods, Dilated Peoples, and more...and one can tell that she has "it," whatever "it" is. This song comes off of Class A's soon to be released (September 17th, 2010, to be exact) debut album titled Me, Me, Me and Him: The Secret Life of a Receptionist. If you like the song, it is still available as a free mp3 download at this web page. 

#57 of VJ Samsonite's Top 100 80's Dance Hits Countdown!: "Summer of '69" by Bryan Adams (1985)

Aloha all, we are now presenting #57 of VJ Samsonite's Top 100 80's Dance Hits, and #57 is.....Summer of '69, by Canadian singer/songwriter Bryan Adams. Bryan Adams was born on November 5th, 1959 in Kingston, Ontario, Canada, and has become the bestselling Canadian male recording artist of all time! Over the years he has won 15 Grammy Awards, 18 Juno Awards, as well as MTV Awards, ASCAP Awards, and American Music Awards. I would also mention that his music done for films have been nominated for Golden Globes and Academy Awards as well. Quite the talent, and I would guess that most Americans don't realize that he is actually a Canadian, in fact I have discovered that many actors, musicians, bands, and performers that people think are home-grown Americans are often from Canada, Britain, or Australia, which is quite interesting and not to mention a tangent, so allow me to digress. In April 2006 Adams was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame, and in 2008 he was ranked #38 on the list of All-Time top artists by the Billboard Hot 100 50th Anniversary Charts. He is no doubt a big player in the music biz, and he got his start there in 1977. Adams has sold somewhere around the vicinity of 100 million records worldwide. Summer of '69 came off of his 4th studio album titled Reckless, which was released in June 1985. According to wikipedia, the reference to '69 in the song is actually a sexual reference as opposed to the common perception that he is singing about 1969, which actually surprises me a little bit, as I was one of those people up til now that thought he was referring to the year. Later on down the same wikipedia page it states that Adams revealed in an interview with In the Studio that the song indeed is a reference to the year 1969 and the cultural revolutions and social movements that were taking place at that time, so pick your own interpretation or even both. Upon its release in 1985, Summer of '69 peaked at #5 on the US Billboard Top 100 chart, and it remains an 80's staple for pub cover-bands the world round. So, there is #57, and off we go to discover #56 and onwards....

Song of the Day for September 7th, 2010: "Met on Mars" by Mammoth Logic

And the song of the day is....Met on Mars, by Australian electronica duo Mammoth Logic. Mammoth Logic consists of Dave Crowe & Reid Jones, and they come out of the city of Adelaide, in South Australia. The electronic duo have been described as a mix of 'futuristic pop' with 'French-electro' with post-punk-rock, which is quite a mix indeed. This song came out just in the past few months of this year (2010), and they are set to release an album, so keep your eyes peeled for that. If you like the song then you should take note that it is currently available as a free download at this page.

Song of the Day for September 6th, 2010: "Gate Track" by Convaire

And the song is...Gate Track, by Aussie indie-pop group Convaire. Convaire formed in 2009 in Sydney, Australia, and consisting of members John Towey (guitars), sisters Liz and Jane Slattery (keyboards) and Dan Talbot (bass guitar). Gate Track was a single release in 2010, there is no youtube video for this track yet, but it is available for free download at this link. The band also has an EP release that is set to be released within the next year. Enjoy!

#58 of VJ Samsonite's Top 100 80's Dance Hits Countdown!: "It's Like That" by Run D.M.C. (1983)

I've been gone a few days, but I am now back, and I am carrying with me the secret envelope that contains #58 of the countdown....and the song is....It's Like That, by the infamous 80's American hip-hop group Run D.M.C.. Run D.M.C. came out of Hollis in the Queens borough of New York City. Run D.M.C. formed back in 1981, and consisted of members Joseph "Run" Simmons, Darryl "D.M.C." McDaniels, and Jason "Jam-Master Jay" Mizel. It's Like That appeared initially as a single on cassette release in 1983 which was accompanied by another track titled Sucker M.C.'s.  Run D.M.C. is considered by many to be one of the most influential hip-hop groups in music history, and along with other acts of the time (such as LL Cool J) they were pioneers of the new school of hip hop. According to wikipedia, they were the first group in the hip-hop genre to achieve a Grammy Award and a Gold Album, and Rolling Stone Magazine named them #48 on their list of Greatest Musical Artists of All Time. Finally, in 2004 they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, (despite the fact that they were a hip-hop group) and they were only the second hip-hop group in history to have achieved this. There are heaps more trivia items about Run D.M.C. on their wikipedia page, so I suggest you look there for more info on the group. Also, there has been a very popular and well done remix version of It's Like That by Jason Nevins (released in 1997) which I also highly recommend checking out. However, the original is a classic so what I would truly recommend is getting a hold of both versions. Bam!