[DLOAD] Candy Shop ~ 50 Cent (full band funk cover)

I remember this song coming out and being reeeeally controversial. But at that time, I didn't know why. Thinking about it, I don't think I'd even listened to the song so had no idea what the original sounded like. Came across this one when going through my sudden jazz/big band phase a few weeks ago.

Right, so now I know what it's about.

Anyway, this version is pretty cool in it's own right, and after listening to the original, I have to conclude that this version is in fact much better than the original. Dun dun dun.

There's something just so relaxed and laidback about this version with the rhythm and the delivery of the vocals. And whatever message it is sending out to the masses, this version definitely achieves it better in terms of musicality than the real version.

Download available here: http://soundcloud.com/xavier-smith/candy-shop-50-cent-tmme-cover

Britney Spears ~ Toxic (DOPE! Dubstep Remix)

I am in love with this remix. Oh. My. Days. So dark, so eerie at 42 secs, with such an amazing bassline at 2 mins 5 secs ~ the minor sequence there definitely made the whole song for me. And then it gets repeated at the end but a few octaves up. Sweet. Sounds like the guy who did this remix knows his theory ~ his other remixes are pretty awesome too, especially his one of Britney's Circus ♥.

[DLOAD] New Born ~ Muse (Big Band Arrangement)

Discovered this arrangement of Muse's New Born a few days ago when I suddenly started listening to jazz/big band. There's so much I can talk about here ~ the vibraphone intro, the beats, the use of trumpet and sax, the vocals, the solo, the smooth way that the verses and bridge and chorus link together...I just love love love this arrangement so much!

I knew I was hooked when I heard the opening with the smooth build up of instruments ~ bass, then sax, then vocals. Long, drawn out notes in jazz/big band are my weakness, then the dramatic pause, solo, and guitar kicks in with drums, changing the pace and style, setting this piece in motion. The long high brass minor chords work so well with the guitar, and then the guitar offbeats give the verse a really jazzy feel. Graghghgh the bridge!! Most of the song (apart from the solos) sounds so musically simple yet so effective! And the vocals...this dude really does sound like Matt! :O

If you like the song, the composer has put the file up for download (oh my!!) over here:

http://www.mediafire.com/?f4bus64419s145o

I really hope he does more big band arrangements of popular songs! :)

Summermelody ~ H2K

Nothing like a bit of trance to get you into the summer mood! Came across this song last night when looking up videos on pen spinning tutorials, cuz I'm cool like that. Can't actually find any information about H2K online which is puzzling...where did they come from? Who are they? Do they have any more hits?

It's a summer melody
For the night, for the day
With us any time we play
A timeless song

A summer melody
In the wind and trees
You were floating in the breeze
And we can't go wrong

It's a summer melody
For the sea, for the sky
We can let it, take us high
On a beautiful day

A summer melody
In our heart and soul
And we never have to throw
Our dreams away

Loving the carefree melodies, vocals and general lightness the song brings to the three minutes that I spend listening to it. And click repeat...

[DLOAD] Dubstep Recordings Presents: Raw Audio Vol.1

...it's free!!

Came across this compilation on Facebook, saw that it was free and downloaded it instantly. With the rise in popularity of dubstep, there's been a lot of stuff that's been released that isn't of great quality, so I'm glad I wasn't disappointed here. Love the industrial sounds in tracks 2, 4 and 7...!! :)

Heartless ~ The Fray (Kanye West Cover)

I never thought I'd listen to The Fray ~ they were one of those bands that I'd avoided for being a bit alternative, but hadn't really done any research into them at all and so didn't really have a good reason to not listen to them other than a misjudged prejudice. Someone put this song on during the celebration of Rob's birthday in my room, and so I've been listening to it a lot today, finding myself strangely drawn in by the melancholy air of this cover. Checked out the original, and I have to say that this version is MUCH better, so much so that I decided to give this band a chance, and found that I have actually heard one of their songs before and even know some of the lyrics. Ohmydays. As they've been around since 2002, this is not really a 'new' discovery, but simply me giving them a chance and realising that I do like them indeedy.

I Just Had Sex (feat. Akon) ~ The Lonely Island

If you have not heard of this song then you must have been living underneath an Internet-free rock. I remember being amused as hell when it first came out, but it recently came to my attention again during a mid-revision tea break with Andy and Olivia when they came crawling out of their Internet-free rock, and then again when Claud and I were trying to think of a suitable Facebook update to celebrate my newfound ability to move longitudinally in water.

Love the lyrics and the tongue-in-cheek-ness of the whole song, plus cameos from the big J A and Gossip Girl's Blake Lively amused me muchly. As did the 'metaphorical' ending visuals. Also, apparently there's a 'ghost' in the video during the scene with the Asians twenty-three seconds into the video: keep an eye on the left hand corner and you'll see a 'ghost' walk across the room! Oh my!