Summertime House Music

Happy House is the latest hit from the DFA dance duo, The Juan Maclean. This track always gets me moving and is a sure bet on any popular electronic DJ's summer playlist. The odd thing about this song is that it sounds awfully similar to Sunday Afternoon by Eddie Matos, one of my all time favourite house/acid jazz songs.

Even though the latter conjures up images of chilled out beach parties on a Sunday afternoon, I first heard it while at an apres-ski party in Whistler, B.C. at The Four Season Hotel bar. Substitute snow for sand; sweaters for skin and you get the picture.

The jazzy interludes of this upbeat track were perfect for the classy atmosphere of the lounge and still managed to give me goosebumps (even though we were sitting in front of the fireplace). Happy songs work well in Whistler because it's such a happy place - especially when the sun's shining and there's plenty of powder.

Aside from the different octave levels and the fact that there's singing in "Happy House", these songs still manage to remind me of each other. Whether it's the similar pattern of beats at the 1:20 mark of "Happy House" or just the positive vibe that they both radiate, it's remarkable how energized they both make me feel.

While on the topic of happy house music, I'd like to recommend a blog that I've been checking out daily for poolside lounge music. Binary is a family of L.A. based dance music producers and artists that has some great tunes for your listening pleasure.

So What Records also offers terrific soul/house/jazzy music with a Latin/Afro-beat feel that's perfect for the summer. Based out of Tel-Aviv, Israel, it makes sense that these guys are experts when it comes to playing music for beaches and sunshine.

Finally, I came across this Holy Ghost (also from DFA records) remix of this Jazzanova song that I absolutely adore! The track is called I Can See and is featured on Jazzanova's most recent album Of All The Things which came out in December 0f 2008. Usually remixes tend to speed up songs, but this one slows downs the lyrics, thereby emphasizes the powerful vocals of Ben Westbeech. The fleeting electro twinkle that tends to come & go throughout the track really highlights the uplifting qualities of the song and reminds me of a shooting star.

Pale Horses

Check out this beautiful video for the song, Pale Horses, off of Moby's latest album which comes out on Tuesday, called, Wait for Me.

The song and video remind me of a dream sequence where you're running into someone you once loved & lost and the happy and excited feelings associated with this chance encounter.

Like the popular children's novel which I read in French class, Le Petit Prince, the song emphasizes that harsh reality that even if love is ever lasting, people (or animals and plants in the case of The Little Prince) are ephemeral.

The song's haunting melody complements the video's monochromatic colour scheme nicely and the cartoon medium makes this melancholy video enjoyable to watch.

Music Spotlight: Lioness

The name Lioness is an appropriate moniker for one of Toronto's up & coming indie alternative rock bands. With a sultry voice that's powerful and majestic, Vanessa Fischer, lead singer of Lioness, is establishing a reigning title over the music kingdom.

With the help of her bandmates (formerly of controller.controller) Lioness has crafted a dark, addictive disco sound that's mesmerizing to both the ear and the heart. Their hit single "You're My Heart" has been remixed by such prominent DJ's as Mansion, Pilot Priest and Ccenturiess.

You can check out the Mansion remix by clicking here.

Don't you think that Vanessa's voice sounds awfully similar to the lead singer of The Gossip?

If you live in the Toronto area, I'd recommend checking out Lioness tomorrow night when they DJ at Marben for the K-OS after party, or next Wednesday when they play live at MTV.

Top 5 of 2008

Although many social commentators on pop culture are lamenting the death of the album, as new technology has made it easy to download just singles, I believe that 2008 was a great year for music albums as demonstrated by my top 5 pics.

These were albums that I couldn't help but listen to from beginning to end, over and over. The different songs were placed in a specific order to either tell a story or create an emotional response for the listener. Most managed to accomplish both, except for Feed The Animals which is too convoluted to tell a story but is brilliant in its thought process, leaving the listener's voice and feet exhausted from constant singing and dancing.

Nat's Top 5 Albums of 2008:

5) Jason Collett - Here's to Being Here

4) MGMT - Oracular Spectacular

3) Kings of Leon - Only By The Night

2) Girl Talk - Feed The Animals

1) Radiohead - In Rainbows

While on the topic of "Best of 2008" here is a list of the 5 movies I enjoyed the most this past year. These are movies that kept you thinking after you left the theatre. Movies where you felt like you knew or wanted to know the characters outside of the big screen. Movies where you forgot that you were sitting in a dark room full of strangers. Movies that gave your emotions a work out.

Nat's Top 5 Movies of 2008:

5) The Dark Knight

4) Forgetting Sarah Marshall/Vicky Christina Barcelona

3) Iron Man

2) Slumdog Millionaire

1) The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Hopefully 2009 will continue to bring wonderfully entertaining artistic pleasures to our eyes and ears.

A Little Bit in Love

Have you ever been a little bit in love? It's definitely an exciting feeling. Kind of like when you get a song stuck in your head that you always want to hear cause it just sounds so good and puts you in the best mood. But deep down you know that this love is ephemeral and 2 months down the road you'll have a new obsession.

Well I have a confession to make. I'm a little bit in love with this upbeat remix of Lykke Li's catchy tune. Local Toronto DJ's AutoErotique (formerly known as VND/LSM & now signed to the Dim Mak label - woah!) have created a masterpiece that I'm a little bit addicted to.

Have a little listen here

Girl Talk in Toronto!

Ever since I bought my Girl Talk ticket, 5 months ago, I have anxiously been anticipating the 12th of November. Luckily I had quite a few other momentous occasions to keep me occupied (Canada Day, TIFF, Halloween, Guy Faukes Day, the American election... to name a few) and now the day has finally arrived, quicker than expected!

Girl Talk, a.k.a., Gregg Gillis, is a young DJ who knows how to get the dance floor moving! He is well loved and loathed for his signature style of mashing up popular songs from different genres and decades to create a unique tune that makes you smile at the clever incorporation of songs you never thought would work together, but do.

Some critics hate his concept of stealing other artists' music. I think that he incorporates their work in a brilliant way and would be honoured if Girl Talk borrowed one of my songs. (Too bad I don't have any)

His latest album, Feed the Animals, is a splendid cacophonous masterpiece and can be downloaded for any price you like, right here.

DJ Spotlight - Boys Noize

Boys Noize are playing in Toronto tonight and I am so excited!!! I missed their show last year at The Social, a much smaller venue than This is London, where they will be DJing tonight with Montreal's A Track, brother to the lead singer from Chromeo.

Aside from hosting a pre-drink for 14 of my fun & crazy friends, I also can't wait for tonight because Boys Noize are an extremely talented electro duo that still charge reasonable covers for their gigs (unlike Justice who's ticket prices have gone up 75% since last year).

From Snoop Dogg to Feist, these German musical geniuses have remixed quite the diverse range of artists and made their songs more conducive to partying. Click here for a glimpse of their electrifying performance at Coachella this past April and get ready to dance!

Fritz Helder & The Phantoms

What is one of the reasons why Toronto has such a great nightlife/live music/party scene? It's because so many of the talented DJ's and musical acts that are creating a stir, come from Toronto and naturally tend to play at many of the cities' parties and clubs.

Fritz Helder & The Phantoms are a terrific example of a live electronic/dance act that is "making a scene, doing it right, taking the party to another height". Their humourous pop culture songs are full of a raw energy that makes you want to dance, sweat and enjoy living in the moment.

I recently saw them put on a wild & crazy performance at a launch party for a clothing line from L.A., taking place at Lileo in the Distillery District of Toronto. Some of the footage from their performance can be seen by clicking on the link above.

To see this incredibly fantastic dynamic & creative band perform before they get too big, check out Sneaky Dee's tonight, if you live in the Toronto area, for the Shit La Merde 4th year anniversary party.

Be prepared to witness some of the best dance moves since Hammer Time.

Brand New Remix

The 84.85, whom I blogged about last week for having one of their tracks remixed by Toronto's up & coming DJ Barletta, recently played a crowd pleasing film festival show at The Drake Hotel. Jay, the 84 behind the 84.85, has come out with his own remix of OPOPO's popular electro-rock song, "Blast Blast".

Click here for a listen. Caveat: You might get a little sweaty.

OPOPO recently played at Toronto's 3rd annual Virgin Festival where some crazy guy attacked Noel Gallagher from Oasis. (If you're into watching messed up people do stupid things, click on Noel's name to se the attack)

Consequently, Oasis cancelled their New York shows which were supposed to have happened over the weekend. Sorry Toronto fans, but there's no way they are ever stepping foot in our city again and perhaps even our country.

Crystal Castles Craziness

During the recent film festival, I attended the Vice Magazine party at The University of Toronto's Hart House. It was an excellent venue for an excellent party with free booze, hors d'oeuvres and hipster DJ's. Everyone was having a great time and enjoying the beautiful evening in the Harry Potteresque courtyard.

However, in keeping with the magical atmosphere, when the clock struck 12, the mood totally changed. Crystal Castles, the overly hyped electro-punk duo from Toronto, came on stage and turned the civilized chilled crowd into a frenzy of angry and aggressive fans. All of a sudden I was being pushed back and forth like a ping pong ball as Alice Glass, the vocalist of Crystal Castles screamed into the microphone and threw a hysteria fit on stage.

Crystal Castles are definitely a very talented duo and I must admit that I'm slightly addicted to the tracks Crimewave, Magic Spells and Vanished, but I hate the violent undertones in their performances that evoke a similar reaction in their audiences.

To read an incredibly well written and accurate portrayal of Crystal Castles, please check out the blog, Passion of the Weiss.

Fix That Speaker

Mr. Scruff, one of my favourite artists on the incredibly impressive Ninja Tunes label, has come out with a brand new track called "Fix That Speaker" which can be heard at the JusLikeMusic blog, one of the better music sites out there. This song is instantly likable due to its jazzy beat and soulful saxophone solos. It's a great track to listen to in the evening, post dinner with a glass of wine, before heading out for the night or going to bed.

For some reason this song also reminds me of the Fall, which is just around the corner.


Check out this stunning picture of Mount Royal Park in Montreal which I took last October. Even though the Film Festival is coming to an end, at least we'll still have some moving images to look forward to come Fall.

Remix This

The other night I was at a beach party where I heard Sultans of Swing being remixed with a Justice song! Sounds pretty crazy but it also sounded great. Recently I've noticed other collaborations with classic rock & electro tunes and I've been liking the results. MSTRKRFT has been following this trend for a while and two of my favourite sexy results include The Gossip and Metric remixes (not quite classic but definitely rock).



Also worth checking out is the new single from Southern Rockers' Kings of Leon, who's latest album, Only by the Night, debuts on September 23rd. (Only 20 days left!) Each Kings of Leon album has been amazing and I can hardly wait for their 5th mark of brilliance.



The video for their new single, Sex on Fire, can be viewed at the toolbar on the right. Enjoy!

Feel like Dancing?

It's Thursday, the weekend is just around the corner and it's a long one! Click here for a kick-ass remix of The 84.85's hit track, Don't Worry, courtesy of DJ Barletta to get you hyped up for the start of the last official weekend of summer!

Don't be sad though, it only gets better from here. Film fest is exactly one week away, which means tons of incredible parties and a 4am last call for selective bars & clubs around Toronto! Bring it on!

(In order to hear the above remix more clearly, feel free to click on the gold necklace of the dude holding the juke box on the middle right side of the page, which turns off the background music)

$8 for a beer?

A few weeks ago I found myself at the legendary Horseshoe Tavern for the release party of The Stills' latest album, Oceans Will Rise. Now I'm not much of an Indie music fan but I figured that a free concert with good company would make for a fun Tuesday night.

Turns out my expectations were exceeded by the melodic and passionate voice of the lead singer. The Stills' sound was more lyrical and rock based than Indie inspired, which I much preferred.

The fans at the jam packed show were really into the music and didn't seem to mind the humidity and awful acoustics that add to the nostalgic element of the Horseshoe. However, the fans who were waiting outside the venue were probably pretty pissed off that the release party was held at such a small place. Sure an intimate vibe was created, but the nostalgic aspect of the night wore off as soon as I ordered an imported beer and the bartender asked for $8.

Yikes! $8 for a bottle of beer at The Horseshoe? I decided to order a Blue instead for a more reasonable $5 but was dismayed to learn that such a dirty bar with an awful sound and ventiliation system had the nerve to charge so much.

A friend of mine recently visited the newly opened Biermarket at King & Portland and also complained about spending $8 on a beer. However, she ordered a pint and in my opinion, $8 for a large glass of a unique type of beer at a clean and pleasant venue, is much more acceptable.

Zune vs. Ipod

The Zune player, Microsoft's version of the Apple Ipod, is probably a better product, but will it ever dominate the market and become synonymous with the name MP3 player, the way that the Ipod has? Unlikely.

The Onion, "America's Finest News Source" recently poked fun at Microsoft for trying to compete with Apple in the MP3 category, with a news story titled "Thousands Wait Overnight at Microsoft Stores for Second Generation Zune." True? No. Familiar? Yes. Reminds me of the time, not too long ago, when thousands waited in line for the Apple iPhone.

Since the birth of the Ipod, Apple products have become a way of life for the cool and hip or for people who want to feel cool and hip. In addition to the fact that Apple is arguably North America's #1 brand, the Ipod was also the first MP3 player of its kind. The Ipod has revolutionized the way we listen to music and is a leader in the market. Most consumers want the original product and not the imitation.



Contrary to the Ipod, the Zune player is black with black ear buds. It has a larger screen and weighs slightly less. Like the Ipod, it comes in different sizes with different amounts of available memory. It's extremely easy to use. You simply glide your finger up or down to scroll through the settings which include two additional features than the video & photo Ipod, those being radio and social.


The Zune is trying to create an online social community where music fans can share music with each other. One of the best features of the Zune is the ability to send a song to a fellow Zune buddy simply by pushing a button. This makes getting new music very easy and cheap. There is also a Zune shop, similar to Itunes, which offers unlimited music for only $14.99 a month. Not bad considering that the average album on Itunes costs $9.99.


The Zune also has cool accessories like the Ipod, including the ability to have a design engraved onto the back of your Zune to help customize it as you please.



So, even though consumers want to feel unique by controlling what kind of music they hear through their own playlists and engraved music players, they also want to feel connected to something larger. The Zune offers an online social community whereas the Ipod offers a membership into the Apple brand, which seems to be the more popular choice.

What should Microsoft do?

Why not give out free Zune players to people who buy Microsoft computers? This could be a limited time "back to school" offer but will not only offer incentive for students to buy PC's, it will also put the Zune in the hands of more consumers.

This idea will enhance the unique song sharing feature that makes the Zune desirable since the more friends you have with a zune, the more songs you'll get for free.

To make the product even more accessible, Microsoft should make the Zune's software compatible with Macs. Then maybe we'll start to see more of a balanced competition.

DJ Spotlight - Chromeo

As my loyal blog readers are well aware, I have a "thing" for the Montreal bred DJ, David Macklovitch, a.k.a., Dave1 from the well loved duo, Chromeo. It's definitely not a crush; as I"m not into the tall & skinny Waldo look. Rather, it's an appreciation for an incredible DJ who knows exactly what kind of music I want to hear. It's like we have some kind of telepathic communication system going on where he can read my thoughts which are controlled by my running shoes (red & black DC's with red laces) as my feet won't stop dancing or jumping, which tends to happen from too much excitement.

Part of the reason why I get so excited during Chromeo DJ sets, is due to the constant upbeat energy that emanates from the crowd. This enthusiasm is controlled by Dave1, who radiates happiness through countless smiles, fist pumps and the occasional joyous jump. I've never seen such an acclaimed DJ get so excited by performing for his fans and it's truly a remarkable experience.

I was fortunate to see Chromeo DJ twice on Sunday!! Once, during a "surprise" set in the Nokia tent at The Rogers Picnic. And then again at the after party held at The Social, where Aaron LaCrate and The Cool Kids shared the DJ duties.




Unfortunately the same energetic-love for life-contagious feeling that was experienced during these DJ sets was not felt when Chromeo performed live on stage at the rained out Rogers Picnic. Rain and bad food are the worst things to have at a picnic. Luckily for concert goers, the food selection was adventurous and delicious. I must commend Rogers on using local Toronto restaurants, including personal favourites, Big Fat Burrito and Shanghai Cowgirl as vendors. The rain, however, was not a lovely sight and fans were too busy holding umbrellas to bust a move.

DJ Spotlight - Bonjay

I recently had the pleasure of seeing Toronto's own Bonjay perform live at the Drake Underground during the NXNE music festival. Though they are not as well known in the Toronto music scene as the increasingly popular girl-guy duo, Thunderheist, Bonjay's style and kick-ass attitude share a striking resemblance.

While Thunderheist focuses more on the hip-hop electro genre, Bonjay's tunes lean towards dancehall and reggae. Although the latter is not quite as popular as electro-hip hop these days, Bonjay's powerful stage presence and natural ability to get the crowd dancing will be hard to keep a secret for much longer.

Click on the DJ Spotlight title above to catch a glimpse of Bonjay in action. If you like what you see and live in the Toronto area, head over to Teranga every third Friday of the month for a hot and sweaty dance party.

TD Canada Trust Toronto Jazz Festival

Today marks the mid-point of the 9 day long Toronto Downtown Jazz Festival. So far Maceo Parker, Al Green and Jake Langley have already graced our city with their presence.

Wait a minute - who is Jake Langley?





He is incredible. He played last night at Supermarket with his trio. He currently resides in New York but won the best Canadian jazz guitarist award in 2004. His sound is the epitome of why I like jazz music. It's warm with deep grooves and smooth melodies that makes you want to relax by a fire place with a glass of wine in your hand. Click on the TD Canada Trust Toronto Jazz Festival Title above to catch a live performance.


Other upcoming acts worth checking out this week include the very handsome trumpeter, Roy Hargrove and the very talented John Scofield Trio.

Don't worry if you missed this year's festival or felt like you could still use a little more jazz in your life. You can get your fix at The Beaches International Jazz Festival happening next month in Toronto.

DJ Spotlight - Steve Aoki & MSTRKRFT

I was planning on writing about NXNE and my favourite shows from the weekend but last night's MMVA's after party easily won the award for best live performance. Even though it's great to see emerging bands and DJ's try their hardest to impress possible new fans, it's much better to see already extremely talented DJ's turn the dance floor into a kick-ass party. Such was the case last night as Hollywood DJ, Steve Aoki and Toronto's own MSTRKRFT, teamed up to deliver an incredible night of non-stop dancing.

The after party continued at Rosewater Supper Club where Ottawa's Jokers of the Scene took over to extend the good times. It was one of those nights where your feet are killing but you're having too much fun to feel any pain.

Steve Aoki and MSTRKRFT both have an extensive summer touring schedule but hopefully they'll reunite in Toronto for the Film Festival in September.

NXNE Spotlight - OPOPO

This weekend marks the 14th annual North by Northeast music festival in Toronto. For 4 rock/indie/electro fun filled dancing days, many of the city's bars and clubs will stay open till 4am showcasing local and international upcoming music talent.

NXNE is a downscaled version of Austin, Texas' SXSW music festival which features more prominant acts at a pricier cost. Sometimes I wonder why NXNE has never become as big as its southern counterpart, considering that Toronto is a breeding ground for such large scale events like The International Film Festival, Luminato, Nuit Blanche and Gay Pride.

Is it because historically Canada has been viewed as a smaller version of the States?

Or, do we prefer to see the festival as a tool to help new emerging artists make it big so that one day they'll be asked to play at SXSW?

I love it how the festival is more personal and allows the average music fan to see as many acts as possible for only $29. At the same time, I'm still surprised that NXNE hasn't taken off yet on a larger scale.

In the meantime, be sure to take advantage of the accessibility of the festival and check out tons of shows. My recommendation for one of this year's highlights, is to see OPOPO, Friday night at Supermarket. These 3 local Torontonians, will be taking the stage at 1am but be sure to get there beforehand as the place will be swamped.




OPOPO's energetic stage presence, combined with their electro rock sound produces one hell of a live show.




I was first introduced to OPOPO at last year's Nuit Blanche Festival where they took over an abandoned car wash to stage an ad-hoc late night dance party. Their infectious DJ set kept the crowd dancing till the sun came up and spawned a new wave of fans who are impatiently waiting for another night of serious beats.




These black and white shots are from a recent house party that OPOPO DJ'ed. (Notice Ayn Rand's, The Fountainhead in the last picture. Definitely worth reading if you're looking for some inspiration.)

NXNE kicks off on Thursday where I'll be checking out The Coast play some hits from their latest album at the legendary Horseshoe Tavern. Although I'm not really a huge indie fan, these guys have a great sound and a lot of talent. Also from Toronto, the four young men who make up the Coast are starting to garner some much deserved attention and have a busy upcoming summer tour planned.







(photo courtesy of www.chromewaves.net)