POMATIC Mashup: Lady Gaga vs. Kardinal Offishall - "Numba 1 Game"

Song for November 30th, 2010: "I'm Not the One" by The Black Keys

Today's song is....I'm Not the One, by American blues-rock duo The Black Keys. The Black Keys have been around for awhile now, they formed in Akron, Ohio back in 2001 and have released 8 studio albums a 2 EP's in that time. That is including the collaboration album they did just recently with several R&B and hip hop artists titled Blakroc, which I would highly recommend checking out if you haven't already. Also, the Black Keys are a duo consisting of vocalist/guitarist Dan Auerbach and drummer/producer Patrick Carney. I'm Not the One comes off of their latest album release titled Brothers (released in May 2010). I highly recommend checking out the whole album if you like this style of music, as well as their past albums. Keep it real.

Brief Movie Review for "Gigante" (2009)

"Gigante" (2009) 

3.5 Stars ***"

This is not a move to watch if you are seeking action, as it is very slow-paced, however, that is what makes it interesting in my opinion. It is not a typical formula movie, as it follows some pretty ordinary people who work at a 'Wal-Mart' type store in Montevideo, Uruguay, and specifically a night-shift-security guard who develops a crush on one of the night-cleaners by watching her over the security cameras, and then semi-stalking her for months before ever developing the courage to actually talk to her face to face. I can relate to this character somewhat, as sometimes it is much easier to live in your own mind with a fantasy idea of what a relationship or a person you have a crush on is (although it is really just an idea in one's mind and nothing more), than it is to actually meet that person and realize its all just an illusion in your head. That goes for places too, actually, the idea that a place or a person can fulfill you, or help you to be more "fully yourself." Well, that was a long review, check out the movie!

Song for November 29th, 2010: "Take Me Over" by Cut Copy

Today's song is...Take Me Over, by Australian indie-synth-pop group Cut Copy. Cut Copy originate in Melbourne, Victoria (Australia) and consists of Dan Whitford (vocals, keyboards, and guitar), Tim Hoey (bass guitar and sampler), and Mitchell Scott (drums). Cut Copy started out in 2001 with Dan Whitford who is both a DJ and a graphic designer, and in fact Whitford released the first single and EP on his own before he recruited the other band members that comprise the band today. I have had the privilege of seen Cut Copy live on two occasions, and I highly recommend checking them out live if you ever get this chance, a very good show. Take Me Over is the the second single release from their upcoming third studio album Zonoscope, which is set to be released in full on February 8th, 2011. Both of these singles are quite good in my opinion which bodes well for the album (although it should also be noted that the band has stated there may be different final versions of these singles appearing on the actual album upon its release), although I would be pleasantly surprised if they could out do their 2008 In Ghost Colours album, which I also highly recommend checking out if you like this one. Paste!

Song of the Day for November 28th, 2010: "Coming Around" by Hungry Kids of Hungary

The song of the day is....Coming Around, by Australian four-piece indie-pop band Hungry Kids of Hungary. Hungry Kids of Hungary formed back in 2007, comes out of Brisbane, Australia, and consists of Dean McGrath (lead vocals, guitar), Kane Mazlin (vocals and keyboards), Ben Dalton (bass guitar and vocals) and Ryan Strathie (drums and vocals). Coming Around is the latest single released in August of 2010, which will appear on their upcoming debut full-length studio album titled Escapades. If you like what you hear be sure to check out their myspace page HERE, and their Unearthed page HERE.

Song for November 27th, 2010: "Finally See Our Way" by Art vs Science

The song for today is....Finally See Our Way, by Australian dance-punk-band Art vs. Science. Art vs Science formed back in 2008, out of Sydney, Australia and consists of members Jim Finn (vocals and keyboards), Dan McNamee (aka Dan Mac) (vocals, guitars and keyboards), and Dan Williams (aka Dan W) (drums and vocals). Finally See Our Way is the lead single coming off of Art vs Science's upcoming debut LP, and it is currently available for purchase on itunes US and Australia, and probably UK. Art vs Science toured the UK as a supporting band for La Roux and then Groove Armada this past May of 2010, and they received 3 nominations at the ARIA Awards 2010. Check this band out if you haven't already, I also would highly recommend their previous 2008 single release track Flippers, innit!Art Vs Science

Brief Movie Review for "Gentleman Broncos" (2009)

Brief Movie Review for Gentleman Broncos (2009)

3/5 Stars ***

Similar to Napolean Dynamite, same director anyways, however not quite the same. Jemaine Clement (of Flight of the Conchords) plays a role of a Sci-fi author who has run out of ideas, and a teenager who is aspiring to be a sci-fi author who's work is copied and used by Clement's character as well as some local film-makers. This movie left me wondering what the point is, but then what is the point of any film, it occupied me for an hour and a half and was moderately amusing and worth watching once.

Brat Mashup: "Easy Heaven" (The Cure vs. The Commodores)

Song of the Day for November 25th, 2010: "I" by Bleeding Knees Club

And the song for today is....I by Australian indie-punk duo Bleeding Knees Club. Bleeding Knees Club originate out of the Gold Coast, in Queensland, Australia, and consists of members Alex Wall (Drums/vocals) and Jordan Malane (Guitar). I is a demo-song, although it didn't seem to make it onto their just recently released Virginity album, which is was just released earlier this month on November 2nd, 2010. So, you can check out their myspace page here or check out their unearthed page and download the free demo-mp3 of this song here. Booyakasha!

#40 of VJ Samsonite's Top 100 80's Dance Hits Countdown: "Rock This Town" by Stray Cats (1981)

Its time for #40 of the countdown! And the song is...Rock This Town, by 80's American rockabilly band the Stray Cats. Stray Cats originated out of the Long Island town of Massapequa, New York and were active on the rock-music scene by 1980. They consisted of members Brian Setzer (vocalist and guitarist), Lee Rocker (bass guitar), Slim Jim Phantom (on drums), and Gary Barnacle (on saxophone). They are one of those 80's bands that has had active and inactive periods, with members (such as Brian Setzer) doing work with other bands as well as solo-projects, but Stray Cats have been active as a group as recently as 2009. Stray Cats were a unique band for the time, as there weren't a whole lot of other rockabilly bands that I am aware of from the 80's era that were at all successful or in the mainstream much like the Stray Cats were. Rock this Town would be a major hit coming off of their 1981 release album, self-titled Stray Cats, it was their first studio album. The Stray Cats album was never actually released in the United States however, and hit singles Rock This Town, Stray Cat Strut, and Runaway Boys would later be released onto their Build for Speed album in the USA. The Stray Cats album was released in the UK in 1981 where it was very successful, and Rock This Town peaked at #9 on the UK Singles chart. Once released on their second US album, Rock This Town would also reach #9 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and it was their first of three eventual top 10 US singles. Rock This Town was listed by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as one of the 500 most important songs in the history of rock and roll and it appeared in the video game Guitar Hero II. I really like this song, and the Stray Cats as they were one of those 80's bands that really added some variety to the over-all 80's music scene making it one of those great musical decades. And now, on to the 30's portion of the countdown!

team9 vs Stereogum mashup: "Good After Time" (Cyndi Lauper vs Lykke Li)

Song for November 23rd, 2010: "Post Acid" by The Wavves

Today's song is...Post Acid, by American surf-rock band The Wavves. The Wavves consist of members Nathan Williams, Billy Hayes, and Stephen Pope and are based out of sunny San Diego, California. The band formed back in 2008, and have released 3 full studio albums. Post Acid appears as the track 5 on their latest album of the same name, which was just released on August 3rd, 2010. Makes me want to go surfing, although at the moment it is snowing here, so maybe I should settle for the mountain??

Song for November 22nd, 2010: "Palaces of Montezuma" by Grinderman

And today's song is...Palaces of Montezuma by English rock-band Grinderman. Grinderman was formed back in 2006 in London, UK and it consists of members Nick Cave ( on vocals, guitar, organ, and piano), Warren Ellis (bouzouki, Mandocastor, violin, viola, acoustic guitar, and backing vocals), Martyn P. Casey (bass guitar, guitar, and backing vocals) and Jim Sclavunos (drums, percussion, and backing vocals). All members in Grinderman were also members in the former group called Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, basically it was a name change. Palaces of Montezuma comes off of their latest album release (September 2010) titled Grinderman 2. Nick Cave has those very unique sounding vocals, and the band is obviously multi-talented, so check them out!

Song of the Day for November 21st, 2010: "Cabin Fever" by Howl

Today's song is...Cabin Fever by Australian alternative-punk-band Howl. Howl formed at Ballarat High School and apparently are named after the Allen Ginsberg poem of the same title. The band consists of members Daniel Marie (Drums), Tim Street (Guitar), Michael Belsar (Vocals and Guitar), Lachlan Morrish (Vocals), Galen Strachan (Keyboards and Vocals),  and Johnathon Crawford (Bass Guitar). For more info and songs by the band check out their Myspace page HERE, or there Unearthed page HERE. Cabin Fever comes off of their Brothers in Violence EP (released September 2010), which is available in US Itunes store now, woot woot!

Party Ben Mashup - Tegan & Sara vs Mylo - "Walking With a Ghost in Paris"

Brief Book Review for "A New Earth" by Eckhart Tolle

I have deemed it now time to start adding a few book reviews onto this blog to enrich the content a bit more, which has been mostly music and a few movie reviews. So, here it is folks, my very first book review, and the book is....A New Earth, by author Eckhart Tolle: If you were to read one book of all the books out there I would recommend this one. Eckhart Tolle has written a few other books as well, including the well known Power of Now. I read the Power of Now about 13 years ago when I was in highschool still. Now I remember thinking that the stuff he was discussing and talking about made sense, but of course that was my first time being exposed to the material and it didn't really stick that well. A few years ago Tolle rolled out A New Earth, which I found to be much more palatable material, and well, it just clicked with me the first time I read it, and I think it would be the same for most people. Now, do not get me wrong and think that I am putting down the Power of Now in any way, now, when I re-read the Power of Now I find it much more digestible (is that a word?). Once you have been exposed to multiple sources/authors and spiritual teachers, and as you progress (if it can be called progress) down a Spiritual path that is right for you, you will naturally become familiar and multifaceted when it comes to this material. Thus, you will have been exposed to many different perspectives on the same topics, as well as have expanded range.

Now if I had to give an explanation for how I view the Power of Now vs A New Earth (and I would like to hear the views of others who are familiar with these books) I would describe the Power of Now as being more masculine or slightly more intense and in your face (I see the color green when I think of it, whatever that could mean), and I feel that the A New Earth is a step back, more gentle, and sort of leads you by the hand, so to speak through material that has become a bit clearer (color of lavender comes to mind when I think of it). Now Tolle is one particular filter through which the information comes into this world, as is anyone that the material comes through, and like all things, with time, these filters change, and so perhaps the teachings became clearer and that is why it was clearer, or perhaps it was me, or a combo of all the above. In the end I say read both of them, but for the purpose of this article A New Earth (and the audio-book version for all of you long-distance-commuters) is my first recommendation to those of you starting out on a spiritual path, or any path for that matter. I have included the intro excerpt to the audio-book as read by Eckhart Tolle, which was found on youtube.com, just to get you interested, enjoy...

The BBC believes most people will have read only 6 or fewer of the 100 books listed below!

The BBC believes most people will have read only 6 of the 100 books listed here. Check out the list and see if you are up to par with the BBC. Also, I posted this because I thought it was an interesting list, and a good challenge to all those of you who would like to read more, but don't know where to bloody start or what to read next!! How many have you read hmmm???
1. Pride and Prejudice – Jane Austen

2 The Lord of the Rings – JRR Tolkien

3 Jane Eyre – Charlotte Bronte

4 Harry Potter series – JK Rowling

5 To Kill a Mockingbird – Harper Lee

6 The Bible

7 Wuthering Heights – Emily Bronte

8 Nineteen Eighty Four- George Orwell

9 His Dark Materials/The Golden Compass – Philip Pullman

10 Great Expectations – Charles Dickens

11 Little Women – Louisa M Alcott

12 Tess of the D’Urbervilles – Thomas Hardy

13 Catch 22 – Joseph Heller

14 Complete Works of Shakespeare

15 Rebecca – Daphne Du Maurier

16 The Hobbit – JRR Tolkien

17 Birdsong – Sebastian Faulks

18 Catcher in the Rye – JD Salinger

19 The Time Traveller’s Wife – Audrey Niffenegger

20 Middlemarch – George Eliot

21 Gone With The Wind – Margaret Mitchell

22 The Great Gatsby – F Scott Fitzgerald

23 Bleak House – Charles Dickens

24 War and Peace – Leo Tolstoy

25 The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy – Douglas Adams

26 Brideshead Revisited – Evelyn Waugh

27 Crime and Punishment – Fyodor Dostoyevsky

28 Grapes of Wrath – John Steinbeck

29 Alice in Wonderland – Lewis Carroll

30 The Wind in the Willows – Kenneth Grahame

31 Anna Karenina – Leo Tolstoy

32 David Copperfield – Charles Dickens

33 Chronicles of Narnia – CS Lewis

34 Emma – Jane Austen

35 Persuasion – Jane Austen

36 The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe – CS Lewis

37 The Kite Runner – Khaled Hosseini

38 Captain Corelli’s Mandolin – Louis De Berniere

39 Memoirs of a Geisha – Arthur Golden

40 Winnie the Pooh – AA Milne

41 Animal Farm – George Orwell

42 The Da Vinci Code – Dan Brown

43 One Hundred Years of Solitude – Gabriel Garcia Marquez

44 A Prayer for Owen Meaney – John Irving

45 The Woman in White – Wilkie Collins

46 Anne of Green Gables – LM Montgomery

47 Far From The Madding Crowd – Thomas Hardy

48 The Handmaid’s Tale – Margaret Atwood

49 Lord of the Flies – William Golding

50 Atonement – Ian McEwan

51 Life of Pi – Yann Martel

52 Dune – Frank Herbert

53 Cold Comfort Farm – Stella Gibbons

54 Sense and Sensibility – Jane Austen

55 A Suitable Boy – Vikram Seth

56 The Shadow of the Wind – Carlos Ruiz Zafon

57 A Tale Of Two Cities – Charles Dickens

58 Brave New World – Aldous Huxley

59 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time – Mark Haddon

60 Love In The Time Of Cholera – Gabriel Garcia Marquez

61 Of Mice and Men – John Steinbeck

62 Lolita – Vladimir Nabokov

63 The Secret History – Donna Tartt

64 The Lovely Bones – Alice Sebold

65 Count of Monte Cristo – Alexandre Dumas

66 On The Road – Jack Kerouac

67 Jude the Obscure – Thomas Hardy

68 Bridget Jones’s Diary – Helen Fielding

69 Midnight’s Children – Salman Rushdie

70 Moby Dick – Herman Melville

71 Oliver Twist – Charles Dickens

72 Dracula – Bram Stoker

73 The Secret Garden – Frances Hodgson Burnett

74 Notes From A Small Island – Bill Bryson

75 Ulysses – James Joyce

76 The Bell Jar – Sylvia Plath

77 Swallows and Amazons – Arthur Ransome

78 Germinal – Emile Zola

79 Vanity Fair – William Makepeace Thackeray

80 Possession – AS Byatt

81 A Christmas Carol – Charles Dickens

82 Cloud Atlas – David Mitchell

83 The Color Purple – Alice Walker

84 The Remains of the Day – Kazuo Ishiguro

85 Madame Bovary – Gustave Flaubert

86 A Fine Balance – Rohinton Mistry

87 Charlotte’s Web – EB White

88 The Five People You Meet In Heaven – Mitch Albom

89 Adventures of Sherlock Holmes – Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

90 The Faraway Tree Collection – Enid Blyton

91 Heart of Darkness – Joseph Conrad

92 The Little Prince – Antoine De Saint-Exupery

93 The Wasp Factory – Iain Banks

94 Watership Down – Richard Adams

95 A Confederacy of Dunces – John Kennedy Toole

96 A Town Like Alice – Nevil Shute

97 The Three Musketeers – Alexandre Dumas

98 Hamlet – William Shakespeare

99 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory – Roald Dahl

100 Les Miserables – Victor Hugo

Song of the Day for November 20th, 2010: "Echoplex (feat. Mai)" by Miami Horror

And the song for today is....Echoplex (feat. Mai) by Australian electro-pop group Miami Horror. Miami Horror has been posted a few times on this vlog, so to remind you who they are I will paste a portion from an earlier post. Miami Horror is a four-piece group out of Melbourne, Australia which has been active on the music scene since 2007 and consists of members Benjamin Plant (producer), Josh Moriarty, Aaron Shanahan, and Daniel Whitechurch. The group has released an EP titled Bravado (2008), as well as a full studio album titled Illumination (just released in August of 2010) from which today's song comes off of. Much of Miami Horror's music has been influenced by 70's and 80's dance-pop and electro-synth-pop, which makes for an interesting mixture going into the '10s. Echoplex comes off of their Illumination album, and features the enchanting vocals of Mai.  I recommend checking out both the Bravado EP and Illumination album as they both have great tracks on them!

Party Ben/VJ Jaren Mashup "Tender Umbrella"

Song of the day for November 19th, 2010: "I Love U So" by Cassius

Today's song is...I Love U So, by French house music duo Cassius. Cassius consists of music producers Philippe Zdar (Philippe Cerboneschi), and Boom Bass (Hubert Blanc-Francard) who originate out of Paris, France. I <3 U SO comes off of their most recently released Rawkers E.P., which was just released in October 2010. In fact they also have a full studio album about to be released next month, titled 1999 which is bound to be good. I would also like to add here that I am still wondering when itunes or amazon is going to start offering Cassius's 2006 Toop Toop single, which is my personal favorite by the duo! Come on then itunes!!

#41 of VJ Samsonite's Top 100 80's Dance Hits Countdown: "Never Let Me Down Again" by Depeche Mode (1987)

Bonjour!! Here we are again, and #41 of the countdown is...Never Let Me Down Again, by some true English synth-electronica gods..Depeche Mode. Depeche Mode (meaning 'hurried fashion' or 'fashion dispatch' in French) started out in 1980 in Basildon, Essex, UK, and presently consists of members David Gahan (lead vocals), Martin Gore (keyboards, guitar, vocals, and chief songwriter after 1981), and Andrew Fletcher (keyboards). Depeche Mode originally began when Vince Clarke and Andrew Fletcher started a band by the name of No Romance In China, and a few others, then in 1980 the original band members that formed Depeche Mode would end up being Dave Gahan, Martin Gore,  Andrew Fletcher, and Vince Clarke. Vince Clarke left the band in 1981 following the release of their debut Speak & Spell album, and he was replaced by Alan Wilder who stayed with the band up until 1995 when he also left leaving the remaining trio what it is today. Depeche Mode are considered one of the most successful (if not the most) electronic band in music history as they have generated #1 albums in the UK, US, and Europe as well as charting 48 of their tracks on the UK Singles Chart. According to EMI they have sold over 100 million albums and singles worldwide, and apparently Q Magazine named them "the most popular electronic band the world has ever known." Now I originally was going to place their single "Enjoy the Silence" at #41, but then I realized that it was actually released in March of 1990 (recorded in 1989) making it just out of reach of being an 80's release, so maybe when I make a 90's countdown in the future and on a different blog I could include Enjoy the Silence, and just because its not 80's doesn't mean its not a great track!! Now, as for Never Let Me Down Again, it was first released on Depeche Mode's 6th studio album in 1987 titled Music for the Masses. It would peak at #22 in the UK, #2 in West Germany, and become a top 10 hit in various other European countries. Now, when listening to the lyrics one will find that the song is clearly about drug-use and the endless search for that fleeting high, only to be inevitably 'let down again.' Well, there it is peeps, #41, and this countdown seems to be a fluid entity, but as they say.. thems the breaks. Now the video is a live version, because once again youtube doesn't have an embeddable recorded version of the song so this is what we have to put up with.

Brief Movie Review for "Ondine" (2010)

Ondine (2010)  3.5/5 Stars ***

Interesting story, not too believable and a bit predictable but worth a one-time watch. The part that gets me is that we are all supposed to believe that these people swimming in the coastal waters just off of Ireland aren't all getting hypo-thermia?? Maybe there is some sort of warm ocean current around the shores of Ireland that I am unaware of but I can't imagine that those waters could be warm enough to even want to consider jumping in. Note that there is somewhat predictable twist to this one.  

Song for November 18th, 2010: "Sugarhoney" by Ross de Chene Hurricanes

Today's song is...Sugarhoney, by Australian indie-garage-rock band Ross de Chene Hurricanes. Ross de Chene Hurricanes originate out of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia and consists of members Justin Kuchel (on Drums), and Mark Doman (on Vocals and Guitar). For any further info on this band check out their myspace page HERE, and if you wish to download this song and a few others as free and legal mp3 downloads check out their Unearthed page HERE. Enjoy!Triple J Hottest 100 Vol 17

Marc Johnce Mashup: Dizzee Rascal vs. Duck Sauce

Song of the Day for November 17th, 2010: "It Takes a Muscle" by M.I.A.

Today's featured song is...It Takes a Muscle, by British singer/songwriter/rapper/record producer M.I.A.  M.I.A. (actual name is Mathangi "Maya" Arulpragasam) originates out of Mitcham, South London, UK. She began her career as a visual artist and designer in West London and started up on the music scene in 2004, and after a couple of hit singles she was nominated for an Academy Award, 2 Grammy Awards, and a Mercury Prize. If you check out her wikipedia page HERE, you will see just how many other awards she has been nominated for and won. Her mother works as a seamstress in London, and she notes fashion and guerilla art as being big influences on her style and music. It Takes a Muscle is actually a cover recording of the original 1982-release track recorded by Dutch band Spectral Display, which M.I.A. has clearly added a reggae-style twist to. This song was released on her 3rd studio album titled Maya which was released on July 10th, 2010. The Maya album has been her highest charting album to date, as it reached #21 on the UK Albums Chart, #9 on the US Billboard 200, and #1 on the U.S. BillboardDance/Electronic Albums. Booyakasha!

Lady Gaga and Madonna Mashup - Alejandro (Mkaio's Holiday Smash)

Song for November 16th, 2010: "Girl" by Dolphins

The song for today is...Girl, by 3-piece Australian surf-garage-rock band Dolphins. Dolphins is a side project of the Gold Coast based indie-electro band Elke, consisting of band members Zack, Joel, and Jesse from that very same band. They call themselves a "band for the summer", which they no doubt live up to. I personally really like all of the musical works of Elke, and so I am stoked to hear them continuing to come up with new works, including side-projects such as Dolphins. In my opinion they are a highly under-rated band and its time they got some serious radio-play!! For more info on this band you can check out their website HERE where you can listen to/download a free mp3 of this very song and more. Also be sure to check out their myspace page HERE, and their Elke unearthed page HERE. Also, do note that you can find Elke's Blue Dream Lover EP for purchase on itunes in the US store, and if you are in Australia you can probably get more but I wouldn't know as I am limited to the US store thanks to location, itunes seriously needs to change that but I suppose it has to do with trade agreements or something like that. Enjoy Dolphins!

#42 of VJ Samsonite's Top 100 80's Dance Hits Countdown: "That's Good" by Devo (1982)

So I have been on holiday for the last week or so, but I do have #42 of the Countdown here, and the song is That's Good by 80's synth-pop legends Devo. Devo is just one of those iconic 80's bands that really couldn't fit into any other era and rightfully so as they have an almost cultish following. Devo originated out of Akron, Ohio back in 1973 and consists of members Mark Mothersbaugh, Bob Mothersbaugh
Gerald Casale, Bob Casale, and Josh Freese. They were one of those bands that lead the 80's synth-pop-music-video era of MTV into a genre of its own, although I still find it hard to comprehend what has now happened to MTV (or VH1 for that matter), and how it truly does seem to have lost its way, I guess that is what happens when the big boy corporations come in and buy you out, you lose all of your authenticity and uniqueness and become another generic cable tv station....Although I do know that some people probably liked the change, change is a fact of life...Now back to Devo! That's Good appeared on the 1982 release album titled Oh, No! It's Devo. I would like to add that this is my personal Devo favorite of all time, and it makes for a great 80's dance hit that most DJ's don't seem that familiar with, so I hope to change that. Oh, No! It's Devo was their 5th studio release album and contains another of their songs I would highly recommend checking out titled Big Mess. Devo are still best known for their #14 Billboard Chart and music video hit Whip It, and if you don't know that song then I really can't help you, the outfits should be a dead give-away...seriously. One last bit of info on the Oh, No! It's Devo album is that it reached #42 on the US Pop Albums Chart that year. Now, the video below isn't of the highest quality in audio or video, however it comes from a 1982 Devo live performance of this song on Letterman, which is quite entertaining, so enjoy!

Song of the Day for November 15th, 2010: "Angela Surf City" by The Walkmen

Been on holiday for the last week, but I am back now, and the song for today is....Angela Surf City by American indie-rock band The Walkmen. The Walkmen have been around since the year 2000, and are based mainly out of New York City, and consists of members from 2 different bands; three members from Jonathan Fire*Eater being Paul Maroon (on guitar and piano), Walter Martin (organ and bass guitar), and Matt Barrick (on drums) and then 2 members from The Recoys, Peter Bauer (bass guitar and organ) and Hamilton Leithauser (vocals and guitar). I am not too familiar with this band, but I do remember that they had a hit single which was featured on a Saturn Ion car advert, that song being We've Been Had, so many of you may be familiar with that song and not even know it. Angela Surf City is a new single released off of their latest album (released on September 14, 2010) titled Lisbon.

Song of the Day for Novemeber 12th, 2010: "Rapunzel" by Drapht

The song is Rapunzel, by Australian hip-hop artist Drapht. Drapht is from Perth, Australia, and is signed to the Obese Record Label. This comes off of his upcoming new release album called The Life of Riley.

Song of the Day for November 11th, 2010: "Final Round" by Cassian

And the song is....Final Round, 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!

"Stardust Kids" mashup of "David Bowie vs MGMT" by A Plus D

Song of the Day for November 8th, 2010: "Beamer" by Coach Bombay

And today's song is....Beamer, by Australian indie-electro-pop band Coach Bombay. Coach Bombay has been called the bedroom project of Melbourne musician Terry Mann, which according to Mann has the goal of brightening your day with upbeat blips, pops, beats, and delusions of grandeur. The other band member is Luci Hodgson who also does parts on the vocals. They have a website which can be found here, and an unearthed page with the usual free mp3 downloads, inlcluding one of this song here. Woot!

Song for November 7th, 2010: "Lost In The Moment" by Daniel Lee Kendall

And today's song is...Lost In The Moment, by Australian indie musician Daniel Lee Kendall. Daniel Lee Kendall originates out of Central Coast (NSW) in Australia and writes his own songs. There really just isn't that much bio-info on this bloke, so you are going to have to go to his myspace page here, or his unearthed page here for more info. Also note that this song and a couple others of his are still available as a free mp3 download on his triple j unearthed site, linked just above.

Song for November 6th, 2010: "She & I" by Bird And Prey

And today's song is...She And I, by Australian indie-punk band Bird And Prey. Bird And Prey originate out of Brisbane, Queensland and consists of members Josh Aubry  (Vocals),  Jahman Davine (Guitar), Angus Durham (Guitar/keys), Beau Jenkins (Drums),  and Chris de Wet (Bass Guitar). Not a whole lot more info on them, but you can check out their myspace page here or you can check out there Unearthed page and free mp3 downloads here.

#43 of VJ Samsonite's Top 100 80's Dance Hits Countdown! "Hypnotize Me" (1986) by Wang Chung

Ok, so #43 of our Countdown is....Hypnotize Me by British 80's new-wave group Wang Chung. According to wikipedia the name of the band came from the Chinese word 'Huang Chung,' which literally means "yellow bell" in Chinese but the band surmised their translation of it as meaning the sound that a guitar made. In fact it wasn't until 1983 that they changed their name from Huang Chung to Wang Chung because apparently english speaking people kept referring to them as Hung Chung.They originally formed in 1979 and consisted of core members Jack Hues (vocals/guitar) (real name is Jeremy Ryder), and bassist Nick Feldman, and like so many other 80's acts they split up in the 90's only to reconvene in the 00's and are still playing concerts to this day. Wang Chung had their greatest musical successes in the US markets, producing 5 top 40 hits there between the years of 1984-87. Hypnotize Me first appeared on the their 1986 Mosaic album, where it peaked at #36 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and at #13 on the U.S. Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. I first encountered this track watching the 1987 movie Innerspace as it was on the soundtrack and featured in a dance club scene in the movie itself. Wang Chung were famous mainly for Dance Hall Days and Everybody Have Fun Tonight but I personally think that Hypnotize Me was their best song, and that there a few others of theirs that were also better than the two most popular ones. Anyways, moving on to #42....

DJ BC Mashup: "Could you Be Lovegamed" Lady Gaga VS Bob Marley

Party Ben Mashup: Kid Cudi - Day 'N' Night

Song for November 2nd, 2010: "Resurrection (Penguin Prison Remix)" by The Temper Trap

The song is...Resurrection (Penguin Prison Remix) by Australian alternative rock band The Temper Trap. I have posted about this band before but for the sake of tradition: the band consists of members Dougy Mandagi, Jonathon Aherne, Lorenzo Sillitto, Sebastian Kirwan, and Toby Dundas, they originate out of Melbourne, Australia, and they have been active on the music scene since 2005. This song is more recent release and remixed version of their song Resurrection, which appeared on their June 2009 and first studio album titled Conditions. A free mp3 download of this remixed version can be found here.

#44 of VJ Samsonite's Top 100 80's Dance Hits Countdown! Peter Schilling: Major Tom (Coming Home) (1983)

Here is #44! And the song is...Major Tom (Coming Home)," by 80's German synth-pop artist Peter Schilling. Peter Schilling was born on January 28, 1956 in Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg, Germany, and he began his music career back in the 1970's. His songs were known for featuring sci-fi sorts of themes, such as astronauts, aliens, holocausts, and other dark sorts of post-apocalyptic imagery. Major Tom (Coming Home) is considered to be his one international hit song and was featured on his 1983 album titled Error in the System. According to wikipedia, it was intended as a re-telling of the 1969 David Bowie song Space Oddity. There isn't a whole heap more of information out there on Schilling, other than he had a few other single releases worth mentioning and checking out including The Different Story (1986) and Terra Titanic (1984). I included this track on the Countdown I spent many a night dancing to it at a local 80's night and the DJ used to always play this song, and obviously the chorus is the sweetest part. It is a bit hard to locate the English version of the song as Itunes and Amazon seem to only carry the German language version, which is annoying, but as they say 'seek and ye shall find.' Enjoy, and we are already on to rest of the countdown!

Song for November 1st, 2010: "Holidays (feat. Alan Palomo)" by Miami Horror

And the song is....Holidays (feat. Alan Palomo), by Aussie electro-pop group Miami Horror. Miami Horror is a four-piece group out of Melbourne, Australia which has been active on the music scene since 2007 and consists of members Benjamin Plant (producer), Josh Moriarty, Aaron Shanahan, and Daniel Whitechurch. The group has released an EP titled Bravado (2008), as well as a full studio album titled Illumination (just released in August of 2010) from which today's song comes off of. Much of Miami Horror's music has been influenced by 70's and 80's dance-pop and electro-synth, which makes for an interesting mixture going into the '10s. I recommend checking out both the Bravado EP and Illumination album as they both have great tracks on them!

Steve Judd's Global Forecast November 2010