I didn’t make it out to Austin last week, and I won’t be making it to Maimi this weekend, unless there is some sort of lotto win in my very near future. Nonetheless I’m eager to hear about what comes out of WMC 2009. The line up for Ultra this year is sick! So many big names, as there always is, packed into two days! So that I may vicariously live through my blog, I’m posting some of my favourtie offerings from my favourite artists/djs that are on their way to Maimi now. I do hope that you enjoy!

Back in Your Head (Tiësto Remix) – Tegan & Sara

I had the pleasure of seeing Tiësto spin at GM Place, while he was the #1 DJ in the world . A giant in the industry, who has skills in spinning, producing and remixing. He has he has been capturing electronic dance fans with his In Search of Sunrise mixes for years. Back in Your Head is an excellent example of Tiësto’s mastery, as he took an indie-rock tune by the twins from Calgary (my home town!), Tegan & Sara,and made it suitable for the most elite dance floors. Tiësto is headlining the mainstage at Ultra this year.

Smack My Bitch Up – The Prodigy

The Prodigy have been around for a long time. It’s been 18 years since their debut album Experience was first released. In 1997, Liam Howlett and his vocalists released The Fat of the Land, which came with quite a stir. Smack My Bitch Up, was labeled as misogynistic with its somewhat shocking video, at least at the time, following a hardcore party through an evening of debauchery. The Prodigy released their 5th studio album, Invaders Must Die this month, and are headlining the main stage at Ultra this year.

Forbidden Fruit – Paul Van Dyke

This beautiful trance classic by German DJ/Producer Paul Van Dyk has been a long time friend of mine. The tune is uplifting and bubbly, giving the listener permission to smile and bop her head in time to the dreamy rhythms and beats. Growing up in Eastern Berlin, Paul Van Dyk had to be sneaky when it came to getting his eager ears on the modern, western music of the day. A year after the wall fell, Van Dyk was DJing about Germany, and nothing could stop him. He is now known as one of the trance trail blazers, and finds himself playing the main stage at Ultra almost 20 years later.

Zocalo (Feat. Gabriel & Dresden) – Armin Van Buuren

Currently the number one DJ, Armin Van Buuren holds a special place in my heart, as Perfect and I met at an Armin show at a club that was once called Plush a couple years back.  The dutch DJ has skills both with spinning and with producing. <em>Zocalo</em> from his 2005 album <em>Shivers</em> illustrates his ability to create beautiful moments with sound. Armin has been producing his popular podcast <a href=”http://www.arminvanbuuren.com/asot/”>A State of Trance</a> since 2001, and remains one of the hardest working DJs in the industry.

Joan of Arc (Feat. Thailand) – David Guetta

David Guetta has been one of my faves since I saw him spin at my neighborhood club, Celebrities. He really knows how to get a crowd moving, and having an awesome time. Joan of Arc is a bit of an odd choice for me to post. While I love the track, friends of mine don’t, so it’s a bit of a gamble. I hope you like it!

Feeling So Real (Live in London) – Moby

Moby played a killer set at Ultra 2008 on the Carl Cox and friends stage, which was later broadcast on the Essential Mix on BBC Radio 1. The set came as a bit of a shock coming from the artist that gave us the beautifully crafted album Play, with its darker, more hardcore vibe. It is an awesome set that has gotten me through many challenging runs and sessions at the gym.I’ve posted one of Moby’s early tracks that wakes up my heart, and makes my dance around my living room all silly-nilly. This live version from his Best of CD, Go, carry a particular energy that is hard to resist!

Ladyflash (Simian Mobile Disco Mix) – The Go Team!

Simian Mobile Disco have been making wakes with their slick remixed for the past few years, but I have yet to experience a SMD DJ set, though I would like to! I have long loved their remix of The Go Team!’s Ladyflash, as I have always thought it to be uniquely interesting, and addictive.  Simian Mobile Disco’s treatment gives the cheer-based music a thick beat, and a funky vibe. The track is well worth the listen!

The Swedish House Mafia are going to be there too, but I won’t post about them, considering all the other posts I have done about the Swedish House Mafia. Also, Timbaland announced yesterday that he will also be playing at Ultra this year as well. Man, I wish I was going!

Are you going to be in Maimi this weekend? I’d love to hear about your plans and experiences!

I’ve got a bunch of completely unrelated remixes for you today… the only thing that holds them together is that they have all be keeping me happy as of late… I hope they make you happy too!

House Music (A1 Bassline Remix) – Cadence Weapon

Cadence Weapon - House Music (2008)

The lovable Canadian rapper from the parries, Cadence Weapon, dropped his swift lyrics for the original of House Music on his 2008 release Afterparty Babies. His fresh rhymes are put to upbeat house music, worthy of any dance floor, even my kitchen!

I Got Soul – Chris Tall vs. The Killers

The Killers - Hot Fuss (2004)

One of my favorite tracks by The Killers from their debut album, Hot Fuss, released way back in 2004. Chris Tall gives this track a soft touch, that keeps what made the original track great in tact, while adding some fun-loving house beats to bring us all out to the floor. His skillful handling of this remix makes me believe that he is on his way up, and will, in not long, be put on the same shelf as Jacques Lu Cont. I’ll be watching for future remixes from this Swedish producer.

Bubblicious (Congo Rock Remix) – Rex the Dog

The Rex the Dog Show (2008)

Congo Rock took Rex the Dog’s very 1980’s feeling track, with uplifting lyrics and varying bleeps and bloops, and made it thick and dirty! The very dancable tune, has fat beats and baselines over top of the light vocal samples from the original track. Its a fun romp on the floor, if you ask me!

Rex the Dog is currently touring in and around Europe in support of his 2008 album Rex the Dog Show. Italian Congo Rock is also touring currently, all over the world, including a stop at my neighborhood club, Celebrities next month, with The Crookers! I’m going to have to talk Perfect into going with me, I think it’s going to be off the hook!

Happy Up Here (Boys Noise Remix) – Röyksopp

Röyksopp - Happy Up Here (2009)

This track is a little on the experimental side, but it has a way of getting stuck into your subconscious. The prominent beats, keep a constant rhythm, that is joined by various changing elements, including vocals from the original. Give this track a try, you might not like it upon first listen, but if you give it a chance, it really grows on you!

I love and truly appreciate that artists send me their music in hopes that I might feature them on Road 2 Nowhere, I get quite a lot of emails from artists, labels and PR firms of this nature every week. I am sad to say that most of it is crap. My policy on the Road 2 Nowhere is to only write about music I like. I want to share good music with you, my readers, not tell you my opinions about bad music. Thus, its a challenging task for someone to try to get music on to my blog. I do read all the emails I get, and listen to all of the music I gets sent to me (unless you send me virus ridden sendspace links, this will get you marked as spam!). Finding an artist that I like this way is rare, but it does happen, and they all most certainly get a blog post on the Road.

Last month a new Finnish band send me their their album Persuader, and to my great surprise, I’ve been listening to it lots, and loving it! I would like to recommend to you, Pooma, from Helsinki, Finland:

If May Starts Tomorrow – Pooma

The promo material the band’s label send me called Pooma’s music a “mesmerizing mixture of shoegaze-pop, electronica and majestic strings” that takes “Scandinavian melancholy even a step further”. Their sound is dreamy, and haunting, with large soundscapes painted with strings and electronica elements brought into focus with sweet and thoughtful lyrics sung beautifully by the band’s singer Tuire Lukka. The album has elements of Sigur Rós, Mazzy Star and The Jesus and Mary Chain, being capable of both light and happy tunes, and dark and pensive tracks.

Pooma

The band announced in the fall last year that they are taking some tme off from touring to focus on writing new material. Hopefully that means that we can look forward to full release from Pooma in the forseeable future! I for one am looking forward to hearing what they put out next.

In anticipation of their next full length release, Battle for the Sun, Placebo are giving away the title track on the official Placebo website.

Battle for the Sun – Placebo

The new song sounds like classic Placebo, with the unmistakable vocals of Brian Molko over top of slick indie-rock riffs and rhythms. If you are a fan of Placebo, or are looking to get into a new alternative artist, check out Placebo’s new track, and their back catalog.

To contribute to my Cover-licious category a bit here, I’ll post my favourite track by the London trio:

Running Up That Hill – Placebo

Placebo took Kate Bush’s 1985 track and made it raw and full of emotion (not to say Bush’s version wasn’t emotional). The heartbeat sounding baseline that follows Molko’s unique vocals that cry:

And if I only could,
Make a deal with God,
And get him to swap our places,
Be running up that road,
Be running up that hill,
With no problems

Watch for Placebo on the European festival circuit this summer!

Please enjoy these two beautiful tracks… Each of which are females covering classics tunes that were originally done by male vocalists:

Sound of Silence – Emiliana Torrini

Emiliana Torrini

With Icelandic vocals we remember from the haunting Gollum’s Song from The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Emiliana Torrini takes us through the classic Simon & Garfunkel track made popular via the film The Graduate. Recorded in 1996 for an Icelandic compilation of covers in which she also contributed her renditions of The Rolling Stones’ Ruby Tuesday, and Jefferson Airplane’s White Rabbit. The crystal clear female vocals, with the adorable Icelandic accent combine to give this old tune new life. Still beautiful and powerful, just as the original, but with fuller instrumentation, including a distant, almost G’n'R electric guitar accompaniment.

Space Oddity – Emilie Simon

Recorded for the 2007 tribute to David Bowie, Bowiemania, Emilie Simon’s cover of Space Oddity is so hauntingly beautiful, that it has the power to pull my attention from whereever it may be to the sad tale of the lost astronaught Major Tom. The story is the same as when the Thin White Duke told it, Major Tom loses communication with Earth, and is left to float through space for the rest of his days. Emilie’s soft and pure vocals give this already powerful tune, more emotion and sad beauty.