Today I wanted to give some insight into the songwriting of Phoenix, the French electro pop group.  I’ve posted “If I Ever Feel Better,” a fun, danceable track whose lyrics actually point to a deep melancholy and pain. Thomas Mars elaborates:

“Each track is a veritable case study in how to construct a shimmering and infectious melody atop a dance-ready foundation while still imbuing it with a sense of meaning that won’t grow tiresome after a dozen listens. Getting to this this rare point of pop transcendence isn’t by accident or even repetition; it’s by exercising an almost merciless doctrine of self-editing and concision. ”  

Phoenix- If I Ever Feel Better

Also, be on the lookout next week for the first edition of the Twilight Notes “What Is a Song?”  podcast- a half hour trip into the soundtrack of our lives: no format, all eclectic, all great song writing in all its forms. 

Thanks to Dj Jeremy Farrar for turning me onto this track last night during his sunday sessions on las olas. It’s a new one from Gui Boratto, a perfect example of electronic music that can create a real emotional connection with the listener.  Beautiful.  Gui Boratto- No Turning Back 

“Gui Boratto isn’t your ordinary DJ/Producer. Born in Sao Paulo, Brazil, he worked as an architect, A&R man and graphic designer before beginning to produce music for major labels in the mid nineties.  Michael Mayer plucked him from obscurity, signing him to Kompakt in 2005.”

As Depeche Mode’s new album comes out, Rhaphsody online gives us an interesting career retrospective on this band who has quietly become legends in the worlds of pop and electronic music.  Follow the link below, and you can listen to their new record, get a full rundown on all depeche mode side projects, check out a guide of essential recordings, get insight from the producers who remixed their tracks, and listen to a playlst of the best remixes.  Follow me.

“DJ/producer Ric McClelland, aka Scope.  What really makes a DJ receive proper recognition these days is their production and nobody’s singles have made more people take notice this past year than Scope’s.” (Source)

“With a steady stream of much sought after tracks, Scope’s sound is reaching audiences all over the world. His debut release ‘Strung Out’ was picked up by Urbantorque in 2007 and now only two years later he has a most impressive discography that has lead him to a Beatport nomination for ‘Best Deep House DJ of 2009’. He’s sharing this recognition with the likes of production veterans Milton Jackson, Jimpster and Kevin Yost.

Check out this track….   Scope- Toronto

Twilight Notes is pleased to invite you to the first in a series of monthly events at Brew Urban Cafe blending local art and live dj and Pa sets.  Twilight Notes is organizing the event with Enticement Design, who each month will be bringing in the best young talent that South Florida has to offer.  The first event takes place on Wednesday May 6th, featuring artists Matylda Mclvenny, Illian Velasco, Olga Volkus, and Jose Lopez.  Twilight Notes will be bringing you an eclectic mix of sounds, including a set of funk/hip hop from Utopia Syndrome, a live downtempo set from Manuel Manrekords, and a collaborative disco/house set from Twilight Notes regulars Vinwat and Adam Foster.  Hope to see you there!

May 6th, Brew Urban Cafe- 209 SW 2nd St, Downtown Fort Lauderdale

Just wanted to give everyone a headsup about one of my favorite sites- Lars Behenroth’s DeeperShades.net.  This is your one stop for all things deep, it is a weekly two-hour radio show, an online community, shop, and now a digital label.  Right now I am bumping episode 268, featuring a beautiful, soulful guest mix by Jimpster.  Mmm… 

Follow me to the deep here… 

This Saturday is National Record Store Day, a day to celebrate your local record store.  Sure, we all love the convenience of digital music, but let’s all take a day to support our local store, lest they all go out of business.  Read all about it and find your local record store here.

The Twilight Notes crew will be at Radio Active Records in Fort Lauderdale, where there will be live djs, bands, and more! Please come out and join us!

1930B East Sunrise Boulevard, Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33304

Scion A/V is breaking new ground again, by having top music blog Discobelle.net create their newest complilation.  Tune into Discobelle for a complete rundown of all tracks from the release, or do the right thing and by the compliation.

“3229 posts and 15 662 comments later we finally got a record deal. Phew! For a while there we thought no one was going to call.

The guys that did were Scion AV. After releasing a long row of artists, we were selected as the first blog in the series to make our own compilation. It took a Japanese based car brand, working in America, to get Sweden some love. But whatever works because now we’re here.

So we spoke to a few of our favourite artists, and keeping it true to the blog we made sure that half of them were Swedish. Support your local musician and all of that. We tried to make it a good selection that reflected the blog. If you’re reading this, you’ll like the tracks fo sho. After that we asked Micke/PMKFA to help us with the killer cover that you can see above.”

This might be old news to some of you, but I had to post this mashup (and I generally HATE mashups, but this one is something special) of Cut Copy, Whitest Boy Alive, and Mylo. Andy Webb has used Fred Falke’s remix of “Golden Cage,” and cut it up with Cut Copy’s “Hearts On Fire” and Mylo’s “Otto’s Journey.” The result is a shiny, eight minute dancefloor burner. This one is going to be on my disco/dance playlist for awhile to come…

Otto’s Golder Journey (Andy Webb Remix) (Follow me to the track)

Be sure to pickup this month’s issue of Mixmag, which features an exclusive dj mix by Aeroplane, highlighting the best of the best in the rebirth of the balaeric/disco sound.  This mix is a great introduction to this style if you are not farmiliar with it.  It starts with a new banger from Mylo, who has been slow to release a follow up to his “Destroy Rock and Roll” album.  This one has a much different feel, incorporating banjo’s and other Americana sounds.

Listen to the whole mix here, or download the new Mylo track here.