Lady Gaga - Born This Way vs. Madonna - Express Yourself

So, the new Lady Gaga track was released on Friday.  My boyfriend mentioned that it sounded a lot like Express Yourself, and a quick search online revealed that he wasn't the only one who noticed the similarity.  So, I made a little comparison mix.



The Madonna track is 116 BPM versus Gaga's 124, Madonna is in camelot notation 9B (G Major) and Gaga is 11A (A Major).  I didn't edit "Born This Way" at all, but I did speed up and pitch Madonna to match Gaga.  I also did some light editing to line up the verses etc.

I'm not asserting that Madonna is superior or that Gaga is better, and I'm not saying Gaga ripped off Madonna.  I just wanted to illustrate the perceived similarities between the two tracks, and juxtaposing the two songs was a good exercise.

Do yourself a favor

and go get the free Florrie downloads ASAP!  She's sort of electro, sort of acoustic, sort of freakin' great!



Of course it doesn't hurt that she's gorgeous.

She's a drummer, works with Karl Lagerfeld, is so very indie and really cutting edge.  Her music is cute and catchy but still seems really new and fresh to me.  I can't to devour everything she puts out there!

I think my favorite song is "Call 911."  That chorus will get stuck in your head!

I love Wrigley gum products

It's not just because I live in Chicago, but also because of this song.



Oh GOD, she's so cute, the song is so catchy! It's literally bubble-gum pop! I think what first drew me to the song was the vaguely "Dimitri From Paris" inspired beeps (listen to Love Love Mode and you'll see what I mean.)  Then the cute factor bonked me over the head.  I really enjoy the "clap-along" beat and the narrative style of the lyrics.  The video is rather minimal, but it works.

Anne Lilia Berge Strand is a good looking woman and she has the kind of breathy vocals I adore.  Sort of like a Marina Schiptjenko with a bit of a younger, whisper-y vibe.

I know this song is from 2004, but I still love it.  Check out her catalog, it's fantastic.  This is the kind of electropop I want to hear!

Electronic Pop + Dancing Cats

Now this is just bonkers.  Who would make a video of people in cat costumes dancing to a choreographed routine?  The Japanese.

Fine.

Who would take that video and set it to his own remix just for laughs?

Me.

Electronic Pop + Menacing Cats.

The impossibly fun electro act, Hyperbubble, created a music video that capitalizes on the cuteness of Smokey the cat. I've always heard that it's difficult to work with children or animals, but Smokey seems like a natural.



I'll admit to having visited icanhascheezburger.com a few (thousand) times and when I meet a nice kitty I am inclined to pet it, but I haven't ever met a cat as awesome as Smokey.

Enough about the cat, the music is pretty awesome too. In an elemental, straight-up synthpop style, Hyperbubble satisfies my desire for a high toe-tapability quotient and catchy riff all in one track.

It never gets old

Erasure have revisited their smash hit "A Little Respect" for the 3rd or 4th time (I can't keep track) and it's just brilliant.



From the press release:

"Erasure have announced the release of a brand new version of their top 5 single, A Little Respect -- HMI Redux, out on 5 December 2010. A colourful new video for the track, shot in New York City and featuring Erasure lead singer Andy Bell, HMI youth and many other passers-by, will be released as well.

Proceeds from the track will be donated to The Hetrick-Martin Institute, the home of the Harvey Milk High School, in New York, and the True Colors Fund. The Hetrick-Martin Institute, the nation's oldest and largest LGBTQ youth service organization, provides a safe and supportive environment to all young people -- regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity so that they can achieve their full potential.

The HMI Redux features a youth chorus from the Hetrick-Martin Institute who also appear in the music video, directed by filmmaker Jason Stein."

I'll never get over Erasure. They'll be my lifelong love.

New Haberdashery Album in 2011

You know what one of my lifelong passions is?

Synthpop.

Is it any surprise that my life partner creates synthpop?

No.

His act "Haberdashery" is releasing a new album in 2011 and he's released a teaser video today.



I am so excited about the new album, "Tonight The Angels." I'm going to remix every single track on it!