popwreckoning

Gossip is a three-piece indie rock outfit from Washington, fronted by Beth Ditto. They released their fourth studio album, Music For Men, this past summer and “Heavy Cross” was the first single released. Their sound is a mixture of vocals that are soul and gospel and music that is funky punk and dance.

Gossip – “Heavy Cross” (watch video below)
Heavy Cross starts off with quiet staccato strums and soft ‘oohs’ from Ditto. Though peaceful, there’s a slight urgency to the music that builds up and eventually breaks through with aggressive guitars and dancey percussion. Ditto’s voice, powerful and diva-esque, carries the entire track, from her whispers to her screams, the music matching all the highs and lows. There’s a touch of synth splattered throughout for a retro feel.

“Heavy Cross” (Yuksek Remix)
Yuksek does the best remix in my opinion. The song is structurally the same though layered with creativity. The first addition is stadium thumps and claps surrounding the staccato and the vocals, eventually Yuksek plays with distortion by adding in electronic and house beats. The result is a quicker more dangerous track.

“Heavy Cross” (Burns Remix)
Similar in structure to the original and Yuksek’s mix, Burns adds his own flavor as a layer to what already exists. His mix is tremendously faster and concentrates on percussion which is a driving force, thick and heavy. He plays with that throughout on different levels. Burns allows for a slower build up in the beginning before bringing all the noise in.

“Heavy Cross” (Fred Falke Remix)
Though not the best, Fred Falke does the most diverse of the remixes, the one that sounds nothing like the original. He strips the original melody and inserts his own, ethereal, light synthesizer sound. Mr. Falke then adds in speed via a thick bass line that snaps around like a rubber band for an original sound. It’s a ligher and faster track, the most appropriate for the dance floor.

Gossip: website | myspace | interview with

Passion Pit’s “The Reeling” is pretty much everywhere right now. It’s a great track and the first single from their debut, Manners, released just a few days ago. It follows up from their EP release, Chunk of Change. Manners has received stellar reviews, which is good, since they’re living up to their hype.

Passion Pit

“The Reeling’,” despite its introspective lyrics, “Look at me, oh look at me/Is this the way I’ve always been…/I can feel the madness inch by inch” is an upbeat, summery, electro-pop song with an extremely retro feel. It has their signature fuzzy, synth sound and Michael Angelakos’ voice adds the retro-ness. At the chorus he’s joined up with a children’s choir for a fuller sound.

Miike Snow

Miike Snow is a Swedish trio that has been making a lot of noise in the international music scene of late, mainly due to their singles and now remixes. The mix brings a darker, 80s video game aesthetic to the song. It also intertwines basic Eastern European music a la accordion-esque beats. The song is slower than the original, though it can’t keep down the rapidness and power of the chorus.

Calvin Harris

80s style disco boy, Calvin Harris, brings his signature sound to the track, with funky, slapping bass riffs, electroclash rhythms, build ups and build downs. Here, a slightly faster, dancier version of the original is created. The track is less serious and a lot more fun.

Burns

BURNS, the 23 year old DJ from the UK, the wunderkind of British dance who has slowly started to shake the international music scene and grasp acclaim. A distorted and grunge sound a la Justice, but with a little sleazy disco for some more movement is what BURNS offers up. The vocals are adjusted to be slightly slower and echo-y, which creates a haunting feel to the words. The track is layered with soft synthesizers, heavy disco beats and bubbling keyboard notes. The song is a flood of different instrumental pieces that follow from one to the other to make this the most diverse mix.

Passion Pit: website | myspace | Interview With: Ayad Al Adhamy