The OXD Mirror: New Music For 5.10.13

BY OCCUPY THE DISCO / JOSH APPELBAUM

The OXD Mirror is a weekly music column brought to you by the boys of OCCUPY THE DISCO (OXD), a New York City based movement created by three music lovers, Ru Bhatt, Josh Appelbaum, and Tadeu Magalhães, who want to share their love for disco, house and dance music with the world.

We are on Spotify!  Subscribe to our 'As Featured on Towleroad' Playlist to listen to tracks posted from past weeks.

 

Slow Knights vs Coleco: 'Shame'

Derek Gruen, better known as Del Marquis, has kept quite busy since his band The Scissor Sisters went on hiatus at the end of October, 2012.  His new project, Slow Knights, has begun to take off with their recently released debut record Cosmos, and their first official show in New York City on May 18th along with Midnight Magic.  'Shame' is a track that features Mykal Kilgore (from the national tour of Book of Mormon) belting out some serious soulful inspired vocals.  Canadian disco-house producers Coleco, who we've been following on OXD since they released a slew of free EPs last summer, give this song a shot of energy to make it a true dancefloor anthem.

 

Softwar: 'Believe'

Sydney's own Softwar saw the release of their Believe/One Day EP this past week.  The duo have been traveling around the world bringing their brand of house music alongside acts like Mark Ronson, Horse Meat Disco, Greg Wilson and LCD Soundsystem when they're not headlining at various clubs around Australia.  They've also produced remixes for Groove Armada, Azari & III and Two Door Cinema Club.  'Believe" is a "late night ode to the time when music was the answer, a true moonlight-maker," according to the band.  This rich track has a sound that evolves and changes, starting with a heavy bass found in many deep house bits and moving quickly into the drum breaks and synths found in classic house production.

 

Close: 'My Way feat. Joe Dukie'

Tad featured Close's first single 'Beam Me Up' a few weeks ago and now the British producer is back with his follow up single, 'My Way.' His debut album, Getting Closer, drops on June 3rd, and this particular single only appears on the album as a remixed version by Tanner Ross and Slow Hands.  The original version is a simple yet beautiful jazz-inspired song, featuring smooth vocals from Joe Dukie, minimal drums and light bass.  Although often we tend to gravitate towards heavy production on this column, this particular track struck a chord with me and I am equally as excited to hear the remixed version on the album as well.

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The OXD Mirror: New Music for 4.19.13

BY OCCUPY THE DISCO / JOSH APPELBAUM

The OXD Mirror is a weekly music column brought to you by the boys of OCCUPY THE DISCO (OXD), a New York City based movement created by three music lovers, Ru Bhatt, Josh Appelbaum, and Tadeu Magalhães, who want to share their love for disco, house and dance music with the world.

Below is a recent interview we did with Logo TV's New Now Next that describes who we are and what we do in a bit more detail. Enjoy!

And now onto the new music!

Logo: 'Cardiocleptomania'

The title of French electronic production duo Logo's latest track, 'Cardiocleptomania,' seems to suggest the song is about someone who steals others' hearts incessantly.  With it's pulsing house beats, intense piano and strong musical progression, the song certainly took my breath away at first listen.  According to thier label, Kitsuné, the accompanying video is "designed to challenge and condemn homophobia in sports as much as it is the story of opposite impulses...willing to fight one of the most painful and taboo subjects of nowadays."  The progression of the video is timed neatly with the drops in the song to create a chilling cinematic effect.

 

Kisses: 'Air Conditioning'

There's something particularly irresistible about the sweet, summery electronic pop that has been coming out of L.A. lately from the likes of Goldroom, Classixx and of course this song's artist, Kisses.  Evoking serious visions of warmer weather, Kisses' aptly titled single 'Air Conditioning' has a sound that reminds me of The Cure's 'Lovesong'. Singer Jesse Kivel's smooth vocals paired along with the hearty bassline and ethereal instrumentals make this song a "must have" on my early summer poolside playlist.

 

Satin Jackets feat. Patrick Baker: 'Only You'

Satin Jackets have been on a roll this past year - and clearly we are big fans since we've featured them three different times on Towleroad before. Their latest, 'Only You', is a deep house track with vocals from up-and-comer Patrick Baker.  Smooth and slow is how Satin Jackets likes to record their music, and this track is certainly no exception.  They stick so steadfastly to this theory that on their Facebook page they go as far as to claim they will never put out a track above 120 beats per minute.  I'm continually impressed with their production skills with every subsequent track and look forward to more releases from this talented group.

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The OXD Mirror: New Music for 3.29.13

BY OCCUPY THE DISCO / JOSH APPELBAUM

The OXD Mirror is a weekly music column brought to you by the boys of OCCUPY THE DISCO (OXD), a New York City based movement created by three music lovers, Ru Bhatt, Josh Appelbaum, and Tadeu Magalhães, who want to share their love for disco, house and dance music with the gay world.

We are now on Spotify!  Subscribe to our 'As Featured on Towleroad' Playlist to listen to tracks posted from past weeks.

 

Tuxedo: 'So Good'

The mysterious music act Tuxedo is comprised of unnamed members, but is rumored to be the braindchild of Mayer Hawthorne and producer Jake One.  They seemingly came out of nowhere a couple of weeks ago and started to tease their debut EP Tuxedo Funk cryptically on Twitter and Facebook. This three-song effort showcases their unique brand of smooth, synth-heavy funk.  The slick, yet sometimes silly, vocals are backed by masterful production, creating the perfect brand of sexy funk music to get down to.  Although we may not know who the members of Tuxedo actually are, I am greatly looking forward to hearing more from this talented music act.

 

Jamiroquai: 'Too Young To Die (Late Nite Tuff Guy Capricorn High Remix)'

Jamiroquai, a band that has been making music since 1992, were one of the pioneers in the acid jazz scene in London in the mid 90s.  To this day, their effect on funk and acid jazz music can be heard across multiple genres, even with popular artists like Robin Thicke and Justin Timberlake.  'Too Young To Die' is Jamiroquai's second single off of their debut album Emergency on Planet Earth.  Lead singer Jay Kay's vocals are the highlight of this song (as they are with most of Jamiroquai's work) while Late Nite Tuff Guy (aka Cam Bianchetti) takes the original upbeat song and substitues a more soulful and jazzy backing.  Although the remix comes 20 years after the original song's release, LNTG's remix adds a sexier element to the song that the band's repertoire has sometimes lacked.

 

Hanni El Khatib: 'Penny (Classixx Remix)'

San Francisco native Hanni El Khatib describes his music as being 'for anyone who has ever been shot or hit by a train'.  While I don't fall under either category, I am a fan regardless.  His latest single 'Penny,' from his upcoming sophomore album, Head In The Dirt, is a bluesy modern rock song inspired by a bassline Khatib would play while warming up at sound check.  L.A. producers and summer music afficionados Classixx totally overhauled the song, giving it their signature "sunny weather" feeling, complete with crescendoing synths and instrumentals.  The final product is nearly a dub version of the original with the distinct beats Classixx are known best for.

MORE NEW MUSIC AFTER THE JUMP...

The OXD Mirror: New Music for 3.8.13

BY OCCUPY THE DISCO / JOSH APPELBAUM

The OXD Mirror is a weekly music column brought to you by the boys of OCCUPY THE DISCO (OXD), a New York City based movement created by three music lovers, Ru Bhatt, Josh Appelbaum, and Tadeu Magalhães, who want to share their love for disco, house and dance music with the world.

We are now on Spotify!  Subscribe to our 'As Featured on Towleroad' Playlist to listen to tracks posted from past weeks.

 

French Horn Rebellion: 'Girls (Rogue Vogue Remix)'

French Horn Rebellion are 2 Brooklyn-based brothers that describe themselves as "band geeks gone wild." While normally I would scoff at a song from two guys paying tribute to the female species, the song also features vocals from ex-Le Tigre member and out lesbian J.D. Samson, thereby mitigating the chauvinistic nature of the track. Chicago disco DJ Rogue Vogue adds in his signature disco style and chops up the vocals, making this once cheeky pop song a fun, dancefloor-appropriate work. The track is available for free download through the link above.

 

Gold Fields: 'Dark Again (Penguin Prison Remix)'

Although recently my taste has leaned towards deeper and 90's-inspired house, this appropriately dark remix of Australian band Gold Fields' single 'Dark Again' really struck a chord with me. Penguin Prison added deep synths, rolling bass and a much more sinister vibe to this song, giving it a very 80's new wave feel. Gold Fields have a sound that is reminiscent of pop/rock/dance comrades Phoenix and Van She. Their debut album is available on iTunes here, and it's definitely worth a listen if you like the former two bands.

 

Kraak and Smaak: 'The Future is Yours'

Netherlands-based trio Kraak & Smaak have been producing their own original songs and remixes for artists like Sam Sparro, Moby and Jamiroquai since 2003. Their latest single features vocals from a personal favorite of mine, UK crooner Ben Westbeech. His smooth and sexy vocals go quite nicely with the slick "uptempo lounge" sound Kraak & Smaak have crafted.  If this single is any indication of the sound of their new album, we are in for quite a deep house treat. I'm also a big fan of Tom Trago's deep house remix of this song, which can be found here. For extra credit, check out the video for Ben Westbeech's slick 2011 single 'Something For The Weekend'.

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The OXD Mirror: New Music for 2.15.13

BY OCCUPY THE DISCO / JOSH APPELBAUM

The OXD Mirror is a weekly music column brought to you by the boys of OCCUPY THE DISCO (OXD), a New York City based movement created by three music lovers, Ru Bhatt, Josh Appelbaum, and Tadeu Magalhães, who want to share their love for disco, house and dance music with the world.

 

Mighty Mouse: 'Love Is Gonna Lift You Up (Sunrise Mix)'

We always get excited when one of our favorite producers, Mighty Mouse (who we have featured HEAVILY on Towleroad), drops a new track. It's not like the UK-based DJ and producer has been idle – he recently announced his new musical project, Du Tonc, with Van She's lead singer Matt Van Schie.  That hasn't stopped him from doing what he does best: creating lush electronic dance and disco tracks.  His latest, 'Love Is Gonna Lift You Up,' samples Bobby Womack's 2012 song of the same name and Mighty Mouse has given the track 3 different treatments: a Sunrise, Sunset and Church Mix. All three take the soulful R&B song and turn it into something inspiring. I especially like the Sunrise mix, as it injects nu-disco elements to make this once smooth song even more powerful and uplifting. We're hoping to hear this in person when we Occupy Brooklyn's Cameo Gallery for Mighty Mouse next week; Check out the details on our site.

 

The Carry Nation: 'House Like This'

I am really excited to share this release from NYC-based DJ duo The Carry Nation. Two of New York City's best gay DJs, Nita Aviance and Will Automagic, are the brains behind this outfit. Nita is known for DJing New York Times-profiled party Westgay while Will is resident DJ for Spank! Magazine's Brooklyn loft parties.  Both of these guys are talented in their own right and together are a force to be reckoned with.  'House Like This' is their first release and serves us their dirty underground brand of house music NYC has come to know and love.

 

Golf Clap: 'Another Way (Grant Nelson Remix)'

I stumbled upon this cut from deep house label Freeze Dried Records and I can't get enough of the slick 'evening time over cocktails' feeling this song evokes.  Apparently the Detroit based act Golf Clap is resonating well with others too, as this particular remix by British producer Grant Nelson went to #1 on Traxsource's top download charts this week.

MORE NEW MUSIC, AFTER THE JUMP...

The OXD Mirror: New Music for 1.25.13

BY OCCUPY THE DISCO / JOSH APPELBAUM

The OXD Mirror is a weekly music column brought to you by the boys of OCCUPY THE DISCO (OXD), a New York City based movement created by three music lovers, Ru Bhatt, Josh Appelbaum, and Tadeu Magalhães, who want to share their love for disco, house and dance music with the gay world.

 

Disclosure: 'White Noise ft. AlunaGeorge'

There's nothing I love more than seeing two buzzworthy up-and-comers team up to put out some great work. Disclosure has been teaming up with talented vocalists like Sam Smith to create sexy, garage house-inspired tracks like their latest hit 'Latch,' which climbed up to #11 on the UK singles charts.  After burgeoning popularity with their original tracks and with remixes for artists like Jessie Ware, they've teamed up with Aluna Francis, lead singer of the hot electronic duo AlunaGeorge,  to create a fun, upbeat dance track that will keep your feet moving.

 

The Embassy: 'Related Artist'

Swedish duo Embassy have a knack for creating breezy indie-pop tracks inspired by the likes of Elvis Costello and Saint Etienne.  Their latest single, 'Related Artist', combines guitars, some bird noises and husky vocals to create an ethereal track that seems well-suited for a roadtrip playlist. 

 

Grizzly Bear: 'Gun Shy (Lindstrøm Remix)'

Grizzly Bear is a Brooklyn-based band, fronted by openly gay lead singer Ed Droste, who is known for their generally mellow and sweet sound and very tender vocals.  The band's most recent release, 2012's Shields, was widely acclaimed by music critics and reached #7 on the US Billboard 200.  'Gun Shy' is a track that does not stray far from Grizzly Bear's very mellow sound - until Norwegian producer Lindstrøm adds his blend of danceable synths and fun beats to the song.  Droste's voice lends itself nicely to this upbeat remix; perhaps some pop-inspired tracks could be a fun side project for the very talented Droste some day!

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