The Ark - It Takes A Fool To Remain Sane (Extended Dance Mix)

"Wasn't life supposed to be more then this?"

I've been really into remixes this summer. Maybe it's because there hasn't been all that much new music that's struck me the past few months. I especially love remixes that take a song and totally shift it into something else (a dance mix of a dance song is sorta superfluous, right?). Given that I'm a super fan, I've always wished that there were more remixes of songs by the Ark out there. They did just come out with some mixes of Breaking Up With God, but I'd love to hear some new interpretations (or, dare I wish, a megamix?) of their older classics. I'm not even sure if the mix I'm posting today was done by a professional. It's not an official mix, but I've had it in my collection for years now. At first, it's nothing special. Just a basic dance beat. But once that simple piano riff starts, everything kicks into gear. This song may end up being known as the Ark's crowning achievement, so I'm surprised it doesn't have any official mixes. It's such an anthem... there's so much potential for something earth-shattering and floor-filling. For an unreleased mix, though, this is pretty good. And as is always the case with remixes, it all comes down to this: a great song is a great song, no matter how it's presented.



The Ark - It Takes A Fool To Remain Sane (Extended Dance Remix) by alienhits



(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists. Buy their greatest hits here. Follow me on twitter and facebook.

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Which Skyship Academy Student are you?

Only nine days until the book is released (though you can get it now on Amazon). There will be a music post tomorrow, I promise, but I thought it would be fun to link to this quiz today. Take it and tell me in the comments which character you get! (I got Avery)

SKYSHIP Quiz

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Lady Gaga - Yoü and I (Mark Taylor Remix)

"Sit back down where you belong"

RE: The MTV VMAs. Thank god for Gaga! Seriously, without her brand of craziness, the show last night would have been pretty boring. I found it kind of entertaining to count the number of the show's attendees who tried to dress "crazy" in the mold of Gaga and couldn't pull it off. I mean, I love Katy Perry, but she can't give the weird outfit thing the commitment it requires (the block of cheese... or whatever it was... on her head just looked stupid). Lady Gaga's choice to drag it up throughout the entire show may have been bizarre, but she committed to it fully (so much so, it was kind of scary!). As always, she was a compelling watch. Her performance, too, was utterly captivating in its sheer ambition and balls-to-the-wall nerve. She is IT. A complete star. And the more I hear this song, the more I like it as a single. I was particularly pleased that she decided to segue into what sounded like this remix for the dancing portion. It's an excellent uptempo transformation of the song. Who would have ever thought you could square dance to Lady Gaga? (Oh, and I haven't had a chance to mention it here yet, but the song's video is one of her best)



Lady Gaga - Yoü and I (Mark Taylor remix) by stefanmonster



(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists. Buy the album here. Follow me on twitter and facebook.

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Tove Styrke - Call My Name

"I'll be waiting over the border"

I am so proud of Sweden for embracing Tove Styrke. She was so obviously the highlight of her year of Swedish Idol, but my favorites don't always become the country's favorites. In this case, even though she finished third, she's carved out quite a nice little career for herself. Her debut (despite being uneven) spawned three hits, and now we're ready for round two. If this (I'm assuming it's the lead single?) is anything to go by, then I am very excited for the new album. She's gone just a bit rockier with this track. Gone are the icy, experimental electronics that characterized many of the older tracks. Instead, this is pure, BIG pop music. It's built on a repetitive hook but doesn't rest on it. In fact, the verses may be my favorite part. Like most Swedish pop songs, they just get it right.



Tove Styrke - Call My Name by NOiSEiT



(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists. Buy the first album here. Follow me on twitter and facebook.

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The Top Five Movies of Summer 2011 (+1)

Summer is a terrific time for movies. This year, I counted the "summer season" as starting on April 29th with the release of Fast Five. Between then and now, there have been six movies that I've absolutely loved. Of course, there were a handful of disappointments as well (Transformers, Cowboys & Aliens) and train wrecks (Green Lantern), but overall I'd say the quality level was above average in 2011. None of these (except maybe one) could be described as anything but summer tentpole films, but there's nothing wrong with that. The awesome indie movies are waiting just around the corner for Fall. As for Summer entertainment, here were my favorites:



1. Super 8/Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows Pt. II

I just couldn't pick between these two. One was the finale of the greatest film series ever made and, because of that, was impossible to separate from the excellent movies that had come before it. The other was the most refreshing, exciting, and nostalgic film of the summer. I'm obsessed with both. Dangerously obsessed.



2. X-Men: First Class

I'm a massive fan of this franchise, and this reboot/prequel ranks among the best in the series. The cast was wonderful, the story was gripping, and the choice to set the action in the 60's was inspired.



3. The Help

The only genuinely triumphant "serious" picture of the summer, I was on the edge of my seat the entire time (funny, since this is the only film on my list that couldn't be described as an "action" movie). Best acting of the summer, and very powerful.



4. Fast Five

I've never been a fan of this series, but I took a chance on this one and was so glad that I did. The action sequences... my god the action sequences! Forget the acting, forget the storytelling. This was one of the best "popcorn movies" I've ever seen. That scene at the end? Craaaazy.



5. Captain America

It actually shocked me how much I liked this one. I wouldn't have pegged it as having a chance to be on my list, but good old fashioned adventure storytelling made this something very special. Great cast, too.

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Le Kid - Escape

"I gotta undo the damage done"

After what seems like forever (and a million push-backs in release date), Swedish pop band Le Kid's debut is about to be released. I've heard it (honestly, I had heard most of the tracks months ago) and it's Swedish pop the way Swedish pop should be done. Big, glossy, sassy. It's really, really good. One of my favorite tracks that I haven't highlighted yet (fav tracks will always be America and We Should Go Home Together) is the gorgeous Escape. It really represents everything I love about Le Kid. It's lush, melodic and the perfect mixture of uplift and bittersweet. In other words, it's a model in Scandinavian pop writing and production. I can't tell you how much you've gotta get this album. Oh, and check out the new single We Are The Drums. It's pretty awesome, too.



Escape by roxyrecordings



(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists. Buy the album here. Follow me on twitter and facebook.

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Skyship Academy: Available Online NOW!

As of this morning, a number of online retailers received SKYSHIP ACADEMY: THE PEARL WARS (my debut YA sci-fi/adventure novel, if you're a new reader) and are ready to ship it. Online purchasers should receive it before it's even in stores. Aaaghh, it's a real book now!



Here are a few of the places it's available today:

Amazon

Barnes & Noble (still displaying an old cover)

And around the world, for preorder:

Amazon (UK)

Amazon (Canada)



And here's the back cover summary again. Also, don't forget to read the first three chapters online for free!



A devastated Earth's last hope is found in Pearls: small, mysterious orbs that fall from space and are capable of supplying enough energy to power entire cities. Battling to control the Pearls are the Skyship dwellers—political dissidents who live in massive ships in the Earth's stratosphere—and the corrupt Surface government.



Jesse Fisher, a Skyship slacker, and Cassius Stevenson, a young Surface operative, cross paths when they both venture into forbidden territory in pursuit of Pearls. Their chance encounter triggers an unexpected reaction, endowing each boy with remarkable—and dangerous—abilities that their respective governments would stop at nothing to possess.



Enemies thrust together with a common goal, Jesse and Cassius make their way to the ruins of Seattle to uncover the truth about their new powers, the past they didn't know they shared, and a shocking secret about the Pearls.



"A definite must-read!"—JAMES DASHNER, New York Times bestselling author of The Maze Runner

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