Pistols Of Fire (Mark Ronson Remix) – Kings of Leon

This remix that Ronson put together is so full of rockin’ energy, with a dancable beat and blah’s rough vocals singing:

Higher, where did you want to take me?
Higher, where did you want to go?
Higher, grabbing up the money it’s coming
Higher, coming for that rooftop door

Ronson hast vastly improved this alright track from Kings of Leon’s 2005 album, Aha Shake Heartbreak. This tune should not be missed!

Get On Your Boots (Crookers Remix) – U2

The Crookers have been on quite a roll over the past year, dropping thick remix, after thick remix. This retouch is one of their more recent, redressing U2’s first single from their 12th and latest album, No Line On The Horizon.

Empire (Jagz Kooner Remix) – Kasabian

Jags Kooner took a good song and made it better, by thickening up the beats, and bringing the tune an epic quality that is difficult to ignore. Kasabian set to release their 3rd album, West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum, early next month. If their single Fire is any indication, this one will be worth picking up.

Come as You Are (Dirty Funker Mix)Nirvana

Dirty Funker had some excellent material to work with for this remix. One of Nirvana’s many great tunes lends itself to the cut-up surprisingly well, with its dark and brooding, yet catchy (only Cobain could blend the three so well) guitar riff taking the focus of the track. Dirty Funker seems to prefer giving his mixing touch to the harder rock bands. His mySpace page showcases his remixed of Metallica, Guns ‘n’ Roses, and Nirvana.

I’m Free (Hot Chip Remix) – The Rolling Stones

Hot Chip’s hipster remix of The Rolling Stones classic track is up beat and respectful of the original. You can hear Hot Chips styles in between the patented Jagger vocals, and updated beats. Good times.

At Road 2 Nowhere one of my many aims is to share awesome remixes with anyone who will listen, it’s a series I call Mix-tastic! On with the mixes!

Animal (The Crookers remix) – Miike Snow

There is little to know out there in the intertubes on this Miike Snow entity. The Miike Snow myspace page is incredibly minimalistic, featuring only a large bunny with antlers silhouette and the myspace the music player, with several fun offerings, including this track, and the original.

The Crookers, on the other hand, are quickly becoming a household name, well at least within certain demographics. They still cannot seem to secure a page on Wikipedia though. This remix is a little different from The Crookers, as it lacks that super thick base we’re accustomed to hearing from the Italian pair, but that doesn’t mean it lacks funky rhthyms! The track has a subdued base line and dancable percusions that perfectly acompany Miik Smow’s vocals. A track well worth the download!

Infinity 2008 – Guru Josh Project

The Guru Josh Project website describes its members as “three people who have a love for electronic music and old school 90 rave music…” who want to “…bring back the magic of the 90’s dance scene with a fresh and up to date new sound”. From listening to Infinity 2008 I believe that they are in fact bringing back the magic. Once this track finds it’s way onto your mp3 player there is so going back. The addictive tune finds it way to the front of the playlist to make you dance, late 90s style.

The remake of Guru Josh’s 1989 single,Infinity, has a fresh feel while maintaining just enough nostalgia for those of us who remember 1989. There’s no word on any future projects by these 3, though they each have independent efforts in the works.

And here is the cream of 2008… in my very humble opinion.

5. Dance, Dance, Dance – Lykke Li

The young and beautiful Lykke Li released her debut album Youth Novels early in 2008, which was met with great fanfare through the blogosphere, which had been primed with the early release of Dance, Dance, Dance. In the song Lykke Li claims that her dancing hips lie and she is actually terribly shy. I love how wonderfully unique, catchy and adorable this tune is.

4. Sleepy Head – Passion Pit

I wrote about this track as one of those fabulous crooked trees, those fabulous tracks that are both strange and wonderful. Passion Pit independently released Sleepy Head early in the year, which resulted in multiple labels vying for the artist to sign with them. In the end, Frenchkiss Records won out, and the album Chunk of Change was released in mid September.

3. Walking on a Dream – Empire of the Sun

The Empire of the Sun are a diversely talented pair from Australia. I posted about their haunting track Country earlier this year, but neglected to tell you about their ridiculously catchy, soon to be pop classic Walking on a Dream (I wouldn’t doubt that you heard about it anyways!). It took a couple of listens for this track to sink into my psyche, but it didn’t take long before I was searching through the tracks on my mp3 player so that I could hear this gem again.

2. Electric Feel – MGMT

The young pair from Brooklyn dropped an amazing album on the scene with help from The Flaming Lips producer, Dave Fridmann. Oracular Spectacular contains several stand out tracks that made MGMT one of the top bands of 2008. While I adore the majority of the album, Electric Feel is the stand out track that I listen to over and over. Sadly, I didn’t get around to posting about MGMT this year, but I’m excited to post about their future offerings.

1. Day ‘N’ Nite (Crookers Remix) – Kid Cudi

This song isn’t even officially out yet, it’s set to hit the shelves January 13th, 2009. But, I have the satisfaction in knowing that I posted about it 8 months ago. This killer track earns my top spot in this year’s best of list with the fresh, thick sound that The Crookers bring to the up and coming rapper Kid Cudi, aka. The Man on the Moon.