Zee is a South Korean producer based out of Seoul. Travelled back in time to 2011 to dust off this Foster The People modern rock radio staple.
Searching for a Whitney Houston remix of “How Will I Know” for a wedding I am DJing. This wasn’t what the bride wanted…but I dug it. We Win Gracie remix.
The bride was looking for “How Will I Know” (Pursuit of Happiness remix)…my google-fu must be weak, I can’t find it. Do you know what she is talking about? Leave me a comment below please and thank you.
Happy Victoria Day to all you Canadian blog readers!
Came across this remix of Foster The People’s “Best Friend” by the producer/DJ person Dim Sum. They didn’t write too much in the email and their Facebook is pretty to the point. I guess we’ll just enjoy the tune and not worry Dim Sum as a person. I think he’s French?
Freaking Cool. Bear Week has begun on The Zone at 91-3. One week dedicated to the mighty BEAR! I recently asked Foster The People’s Mark Foster if he had a Bear Story…and it was like he kept one in his pocket, waiting for the day a radio DJ would ask him.
I had the chance to yap with Mark Foster of Foster The People last week. We chatted about a bunch of stuff including some world travel the man got up to. He talked about going to India, and how that changed the way the man will operate his life! Sounded like quite the spiritual journey. Back in LA, the man decides to call the new Foster The People record Supermodel…why is that?
Foster The People will be at Squamish… hit it up.
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Interesting story out of NPR the other day. Imagine Dragons’ “radioactive” has sat on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for a record 77 weeks. Why is that? According to NPR…. religion. NPR Pop Critic Ann Powers says, “It taps into one of rock’s favorite subject areas, and that is religious or spiritual imagery. It’s like an apocalyptic theme. It’s end times. It’s straight out of Revelation.”
And she says its not the only mainstream song on the charts borrowing from God. Check out OneRepublic’s new Much Megahit “Counting Stars.” Powers says, “That’s the power of pop music in America. It can absorb all of the most important influences in our lives. And certainly, for many, many people, spirituality [and] religion, specifically connected to Christian traditions, are important. It’s hardly a new thing, but we always seem to crave it again.”
Foster the People are ramping up on the media circuit, generating the buzz to sell their new record Supermodel (March 14, Columbia Records).
They just got back from London, where they made it on Zane Lowe’s BBC 1 show. The band covered the Calvin Harris EDM banger, “Under Control.” Back in LA, I had the opportunity to interview Mark and I asked him why the band chooses the cover songs they do.
He said the BBC has a list of songs that they have A-listed. Mark looked at the list, saw Calvin Harris and in a couple hours, figured out the jam.
The original is a real thumper, but Foster the People break it down to its some melody, then put their Foster the People shine on it.
I’ll try to get some more of my interview with Mark Foster on the blog next week… including stories about his world travels that inspired the making of Supermodel, why he called the record Supermodel, and one most excellent bear story.
Let us take the new Foster The People song “Coming of Age” for a spin.
The record, Supermodel, comes out on March 18th. First single in… sounds like Foster the People. That will will either be a turn on or turn off for you.
Lots of hype from Mark Foster about global influences and how he is really into “rock.” The creative process for Supermodel had the band set up on Morocco for a bit! Foster saying, “We didn’t have any rules. We just created as much as we could in seven days (…) And in the spirit of wanderlust and discovery we ended up stumbling on the musical identity of what this record was going to feel like.”
I don’t hear the Morocco too much in this song. Sounds like a So-Cal indie pop song to me.
It can feel like a challenge, thinking about summer in Victoria in June. The weather has been cold, grey and wet for the most part. On Thursday, I had the chance to DJ on the Rooftop Surfclub for their Solstice party. I was the first DJ up at 6PM and had a 45 minute set before Boitano turned it up and Marshal A and DJ Speedyshoes closes out the night. I posted my mix on Mixcloud if you’re into it.
A few weak mixes in here…but for the most part I think you’ll enjoy the set if you normally listen to modern rock.
Some of my favourite songs on the list… Cloud Nothings. I could listen to them all day. I dig the Passion Pit and Imagine Dragons remixes. Alex Clare is growing on my with every listen.
My next mixtape will be an Osheaga festival mix similar my Sasquatch mix.
Picking a top 10 list of favourite records is always excruciating fun. I always think it will be easy until I sit down and start going through my records. I enjoy remembering, but then quantifying and sorting those memories can be a challenge.
The radio consultants at the Zone always say that “your heavy rotation songs should be easy to pick.” I agree that my number 1 this year (like previous years) was an easy pick. But then after that… I dunno.
Another challenge is trying to weigh something I listened to heavy in January to something that is bright and new and shiny right now… Generally I figure, if I am not rocking it now, then probably not a top 10 list type of band. But then… Awolnation I used to listen to all the time. But couldn’t find a spot on the list. Also, Destroyer or Fleet Foxes I jammed out for a time…but not on the list.
Lots of bands had songs that I adore, but couldn’t include the record because:
A) I don’t actually have it
B) Not that good, even if I listened to a particular song a trillions time.
Man, I loved songs from Holy Ghost, Atlas Genius, We Are Augustines, Dinosaur Bones, The Strokes, Airborne Toxic Event, Gold Panda, Bell X1… hmmm there are bound to be even more… I jammed out tons of country, metal and electronic this year… but no records that get played heavy.
And then there is The Black Keys. Record comes out on Tuesday. It’ll come out in 2011… but I haven’t heard the whole thing yet so.
11) The Black Keys – El Camino
I have only heard part of this record… and I already know I’ll love it. The band dominated the Zone (and rock radio in North America) this whole year. 4 number 1 singles on the Modern Rock Countdown. My goodness.
I know doing things on margin is what caused the financial crisis but I had to include El Camino on my top 10 list! Even if its Number 11.
Over 10 years I waited for the follow-up to post-whatever band By A Thread’s The Last of the Daydreams. Over 10 years!
I loved this record when it showed up in the mail back in April. I put the record aside for most the summer… but once the weather turned, I dunno, but this record has featured tons on my listening habit. When I walk to the Zone, this record get blasted through the headphones and transports me back to my college radio days. I love this record because it has both a timeless feel to me, while sounding somewhat modern . I say “some what” because sometime I get tricked. maybe you’ll listen to this record and go… “hmmm, sounds like late 90s post-alt rock to me.”
all you need is “Fashion.”
09) Coldplay – “Mylo Xyloto”
Haters gunna hate… but whatever, this is a pretty good record from Coldplay. I enjoy the singles on the radio, I enjoy them when they pop up in mixes, and I enjoy the record which lives in my van for long drives. Just a plain, good old fashioned well produced mega slick, great big record.
Live to be a 40-year-old virgin listening to “Paradise.”
08) Foo Fighters – Wasting Light
Another big, slick mainstream record that is just good. I enjoy all the songs we play off this disc on the radio. The album was so super hyped before its release I was a little concerned I wouldn’t like it. But hitting play on this album is a rewarding experience and is another point on the list of why Dave Grohl is a living legend.
Shower in a truck stop with friends to this song, “Rope.”
07) Arkells – Michigan Left
Arkells are the band that demanded to be on my top 10 list. The story goes… I knew of the Arkells as a band. A Canadian rock band like a billion before them and a billion after them… then I saw them open for Tokyo Police Club and rattle the cage that was my brain. I quickly became a convert and devoured the back catalog. I was primed for the release of Michigan Left and was not disappointed. A fantastic, front-to-back album of rock & roll music. This CD lives in my van and I punch it up often.
If I had a friend named Matty that rocked ‘Women and Songs 2’… well I don’t what I’d think about that. “Book Club”
06) Washed Out – Within and Without
Just look at that album artwork… don’t you wanna make-out?
An album of easy listening. I have a sweet tooth for this type of chill electronic music. I can’t deny it. This record is a staple of my lounge set at Veneto. This record also lives in the Civic and sounded so awesome this summer barrelling up the Pat Bay Highway.
You’ll get to third base if you drop the needle on “You and I”
05) The Naked and Famous – Passive Me, Aggressive You
Tricky… this record was technically released in 2010… but then re-released to a world-wide audience (and on vinyl) in 2011.
A super fun and catchy record that contains a couple of my favourite songs of the year on it. “Young Blood” and “Punching in a Dream.”
Jon Williams was a big champion of this album and randomly showed up at the Zone one day with a vinyl copy tucked under his arm; which he then gifted to me. Nice. This record was the soundtrack to most my summer… and spring… and actually I jam out “Punching in a Dream” during many of my club DJ sets.
its a banger… “Punching in a Dream”
04) The Decemberists – The Kings is Dead
A record that came out in January of 2011… King is Dead is the first Decemberists record that I truly loved…
I went to see the Decemberists in the summer with Simon from the Veneto and his wife. There I met up with Dan and Laura visiting from France and had one of my great summer nights of 2011. I drank a cocktail that night that tasted like a spicy Chicago Dog! (in the best of ways)
“Rise to Me” would also make my list of top 10 songs of the year.
03) Foster the People – Torches
What do I say about Foster the People? Their song “Pumped Up Kicks” went sub-atomic on not only rock radio… but a bonafide top 40 jam. Soccer Moms hum along to a song about Columbining your school.
This record was played all-the-time around my home in the Spring and Summer. Coral and I don’t really jive on the same bands much anymore. So I do find it special when we both have a record we could put on and crank.
I swear, I could take any song off this record and play it on the Zone and it would be a hit. If anything, this record is TOO sugar sweet on the ear drums.
I like the song “I Would Do Anything For You” because I am a romantic (and a dork). Ooh-la-la
02) M83 – Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming
My top two records both win because they are chill-out records and most my (as in MY) listening… is late at night (what time is now… shit, 1AM). I put on headphones, hit go… and dream. So my Top 10 has a lot of records that reflect that as they are the records that I listen to.
M83 is a record I wish came out anytime prior 2006 when I smoked way too much pot. This is a pot record in the best way. Lots of weird audio wickedness to pet your ear-holes. I’ve blogged lots about M83 and could go on all day on why he’s so awesome. You’ve read it and taken it to heart, or you haven’t… so what Imma gunna do is post “Midnight City” again and hope this time… this time it is the time you go… “riiiiiiiiight.”
M83 could and almost should be my number 1, but it doesn’t win for a few reasons. As much as I love the sonic oddities… sometimes I’m not in the mood. I do find myself occasionally skipping songs which I never do with…
01) Bon Iver – Bon Iver
I said at the top of my list that picking the number 1 should be easy and this year it was… My end of the day go to record when the weight of the world is pushing me down.
Hot dog, its good. A front-to-back masterpiece of modern light rock. I am sure in like 20 years Bon Iver will be the Hall & Oates of this generation… but fuck, whatever. Hall & Oates is cool again, so maybe that says something?
This is another record that both Coral and I listen to… cute attack!
This album is not a rocker or very pop. So if you need growls, distortions, tattoos, testicles… this album won’t be for you. But if you like to strap in and explore time and space in some sort of out-of-body astral projection experience… then you’ve found the soundtrack.
This song is so beautiful, “Holocene”
That’s another list of some of my more memorable albums of 2011. If I can find the energy, I wouldn’t mind trying to lay down a top 10 songs… but now that would be an even greater challenge. Maybe top 20? Top 50? Zoinks.
As with anything, music is subjective so unless we’re already musically compatible, you might scratch your head at some selections… and that’s cool, maybe it’ll inspire you to write your own list? Just be sure to post a link in my comment section so I can read your’s too.
Ugh, I always feel like I am forgetting something…. I am sure that I am.
I raced down during a little lull in my crazy hectic day to snap up a copy for Coral before they went sold out again. (also got me out of the studio/office for 20 minutes and into the city).
Foster the People – “I Would Do Anything For You”
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Yesterday I talked about buying a Ukulele and got lots of messages from friends with ukulele’s too! Neat.
And the reason I was at L&M was to check on today’s capital purchase for my Wedding DJ business… I bought a two PA speakers, a sub, a wireless mic and all the cables/stands I need to make them go.
It will save me money making the payments vs. renting each wedding. And by next summer… I’ll get to keep a little more profit!
The Morning After 