The Borowski Spin / Kylie's Ruling the Summer

Jun. 07 Entertainment, Music, Music Review, News, The Borowski Spin no comments

Runway Realness, K-Pop, Disco Divas and Mash-Ups. We’ve got them all in this week’s ‘Spin’ as we take a listen to some bangin’ new tracks from the likes of Scissor Sisters, Kelly Clarkson, Whitney Houston and the fabulously-named MaDonna Summer!

“Let’s Have A Kiki” – Scissor Sisters

Lock the doors, lower the blinds, fire up the smoke machine and put on your heels, because I know exactly what we need: “Let’s Have A Kiki” the seriously addictive album track from the new Scissor Sisters album Magic Hour. Not only was it on repeat at our Pines share all last week, but barely a sentence was exchanged that didn’t incorporate the word ‘kiki’ or something that rhymed with it. This catwalk-ready mélange of attitude is all kinds of runway fabulousness. It’s also early 90s House as hell and the dubtastic DJ Nita Remix (available as a bonus cut on the Deluxe version of the album) takes you even deeper into the sounds of a night at The Tunnel. Prepare to find yourself quoting the entire opening answering machine message by the kikilicious Ana Matronic – throwing shade and sounding as glorious as her mid-song dissertation on the Sisters’ “Any Which Way.” You’ll be camping it up sooner than you can say ‘Werq.’ But what exactly IS a kiki, you ask? The song itself calls it “a party for calming all your nerves,” but its ready-to-sashay fabulousness suggests its closer to its urban slang definition: sharing bitchy laughs with your girlfriends. We’ve also since heard the term explained as everything from drugs to nether regions. (It’s even the name my one-year-old self gave my baby blanket! No joke.) But however you choose to define YOUR kiki, THIS kiki is infectious as f#ck. Yes, this kiki is MAH-VELOUS!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdZZ02gtbFU

“Dark Side” – Kelly Clarkson

Everybody’s got a dark side and Kelly Clarkson shows hers in the third single off her Stronger album. Sounding more like a cut from her darker My December album, it starts off as a haunting lullaby and never really leaves the world of minor-key moodiness. But Clarkson hasn’t become her generation’s Pat Benatar for nothing and it ultimately kicks into the kind of power pop she’s known for. Her belting pipes are even better served when paired with the rollicking retooling of several dance mixes. We make special note of two of them: the Ean Sugarman & Tifoney that adds a wailing electric guitar solo, and the DJ Laszlo Dark Anthem with its laser-like drums.

http://soundcloud.com/timofeymusic/kelly-clarkson-dark-side

“The Mash-Up Album” – MaDonna Summer

In what’s already become our favorite novelty album of the year, songs by the Queen of Disco have been mashed together with the Queen of Pop. DJ-ing duo Gentlemen Thieves prove they are brilliant conjurors of musical ideas. Constructed lovingly, it’s clear that a great deal of thought has gone into working out the best thematic pairings for this project (“Heaven Knows” with “Like a Prayer,” “She Works Hard for the Money” with “Material Girl”). When they work, they soar. “Secret Affair” (Madonna’s “Secret” with Donna’s “Spring Affair”) and “I Feel Justified” (Donna’s “I Feel Love” with Madonna’s “Justify My Love”) are simply heavenly. “What It Feels Like For A Bad Girl” was an especially big hit when spun this weekend. The problem that sometimes surfaces here is that technically, not all the songs are in the same league as these gems. There are some instances where even though the idea is a good one (like “4 Minutes Is Enough,” with a divine appearance by Miss Sandi Bernhard), production issues like soft vocals and unrectified pitch mar the finished product. But you’re only as good as what you have to work with, so we say get these boys the original HQ tracks so we can all really get Into the Groove with some really Hot Stuff!

http://www.shyboymashups.com/madonna_summer.html

“Like This” – Wonder Girls

With their new EP Wonder Party, South Korean girl group Wonder Girls continues to try and replicate their success across Asia here in the U.S. We loved their early hit “Nobody” as well as their embrace of 50s/60s girl group chic. But these 6 tracks, released here in advance of their forthcoming debut U.S. full album, abandon that look and sound, veering more towards today’s typical pop radio fare. They’ve essentially sacrificed some of their uniqueness to try and reach a wider market, though we do like the peppy first single “Like This” with its “Get Me Bodied” feel. The below video is the Korean version, though English versions are available on iTunes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7EZTUYwjWBs

BPM BITS: …From the soundtrack for their upcoming film “Sparkle,” the late Whitney Houston has been teamed up with Jordin Sparks for “Celebrate,” the album’s first single. It’s a bright if generic bauble… It’s been said the late, legendary Loleatta Holloway has been sampled more than any other vocalist in history. Now another snippet of her already much-sampled “Love Sensation” provides the hook for the epic House track “Thank You” from British trio Third Party… Last year in his native England, singer/songwriter Olly Murs had a giant hit with the Ska/Reggae-inflected “Heart Skips a Beat.” For the U.S. release, the mid-song rap by British duo Rizzle Kicks has been replaced by a similar effort by Philly duo Chiddy Bang. While we prefer the original UK version, either of the otherwise identical versions are great additions to your own summer soundtrack…“Wicked Workout” is NOT a Zumba class to songs by green-skinned witches! It’s instead a collaboration between DJ Jochen Simms and British singer Luciana about a blatant invitation to get down. If Luciana sounds familiar, she’s also featured on Tiesto’s current “We Run The Night” as well as the recent Betty White ditty “I’m Still Hot”…

Whitney & Jordin:

http://soundcloud.com/sparklemovie/celebrate

Loleatta Holloway:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0XclhsOUfic

Olly Murs feat. Rizzle Kicks:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8fEAW-5k_5I

Olly Murs feat. Chiddy Bang:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8fZRrlUPoJQ

DJ Jochen Simms & Luciana:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bMIZZCXT1SI

NEWS: TONIGHT!, Thursday, June 7, my monthly dance/pop party “GET YOUR MESS ON!” resumes Summer Thursdays. It all goes down at 9PM at Pieces Bar (8 Christopher Street) in the West Village. Also at Pieces, next Wednesday sees the next bi-weekly Disco/80s Happy Hour “MATINEE – Wednesday Tea” on Wednesday, June 13, 4:30-8PM.

With this week’s TOP 20 DANCE CHART, Kylie explodes into the top spot in only her second week on the countdown. It’s her first #1 of 2012, after having hit the top twice in both 2010 and 2011. In two big moves, Scissor Sisters werqs a big debut at #8 while J-Lo goes in, jumping 10 notches to #10. Her “Goin’ In” rises even as her recent #1, “Dance Again,” spends its 7th consecutive week in the Top 3.

1) Timebomb – Kylie Minogue (7) *

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zL2wGYCINwY

2) Put Your Graffiti On Me (Original & Moto Blanco Mixes) – Kat Graham (1) *

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iUB0cM-Yf6E

3) Dance Again (Extended Remix) – Jennifer Lopez feat. Pitbull (2) *

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5KxII6AJYZY

4) Call Me Maybe (Original & DJ Reidiculous Mixes) – Carly Rae Jepsen (3) *

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1f7_HIew8c

5) Call My Name – Cheryl Cole (6)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IYT6rbxNn30&ob=av2e

6) Girl Gone Wild (Justin Cognito & Dave Aude Mixes) – Madonna (4) *

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qBMiYJ7kzbI