Lo-Fi-Fnk – Boom

Goodwill & Hook N Sling – Take You Higher (Club Mix)

Duck Sauce – Goody Two Shoes (Viceroy Edit)

The Grates – Turn Me On

get the zip here

One take, one amazing pop star and one hell of a lighting director. Sometimes extravagant costumes, overly choreographed dance routines and expensive sets cannot compare to shear and simple brillance.

Having listened to the album now 3 times to really get into it and actually listen to it – not just hear it -I cannot accurately describe how good it is. It is everything I could want in a pop album. Musically she rests somewhere, and very comfortably I might add, between the raw emotion of Robyn, the calmingly upbeat feel of Ellie Goulding/Starsmith and the emotional synths of Little Boots.

Her voice is clear and crisp – made for pop melodies.  At times she sounds like Martina of Dragonette (Bad Day), at others she has the ethereal air of Kylie Minogue (Numb, Maybe), there is also a point (Make Me, Break Me) where she just screams pop diva Britney Spears (though without the need for Britney’s computers).

Working to create this album on her own, over the span of quite some time, she has intensely and very sincerely worked to create something special and it shows.

Take a listen to the first two singles along with 2 of my personal favorites.

‘Make Me, Break Me’

‘Lost Without You’

‘Bad Day’

‘Tired’

Download the 4 Mp3′s

Take a listen, and if you like what you hear support Vanbot, someone who has worked hard to make her music her way, on her own and deserves all the success it brings. Get it on iTunes. Again the almighty PJ gets it right!

So it seems all Gaga is about to break has broken loose today on the interwebs, but what’s a little Gaga when you can have an entire Robyn Riot?!!

The man behind SHIFT is bringing a night FILLED to the brim with his favorite lady of music, Robyn. DJ MAJR will be running the show after midnight upstairs – filling your ears with all the best sirens of electro-pop. C&B’s very own DJ Donna (you may know him better as Josh) will be running the show downstairs. With Robyn videos, music and general amazingness provided lovingly by the C&B team. SHIFT and Coffeeandbars coming together mix up something amazing for your Friday night.

If you can’t wait to imbibe and don’t want to be dancing on your own, head over to Nellies before 10 for a bit a pregame and see your favorite sirens on the big TV screens, along with yours truly.

Enjoy the DJ MAJR edit of Robyn’s newest single ‘Call Your Girlfriend’ and get ready for the RIOT.

Get it here

YESS!! I will take all the Robyn she is willing to give out. I was instantly hooked on this song in September and now it has finally gotten a proper video! The editing is fantastic, not to mention the completely quirky, retro feel of it all. Expect to hear and see this one when I take over Nellies tomorrow night!

[Ed. note (editor being Josh): Nellie's Sports Bar was just ranked the #2 hottest nightspot based on Foursquare rankings in DC. Go check out Wes tomorrow night for a great time!]

“…i’m a little like you | ugly on the inside | but while I dive into the gritty | you just stand by…”


24. NightBus – Guys Like You

“…but i’m not with you for material things | you know i’m the modern girl | and as long as daddy doesn’t find out i’ll take you all over the world…”


23. Bruno Mars – Marry You

“…cause it’s a beautiful night | we’re looking for something dumb to do | hey baby | i think i wanna marry you…”


22. Yeasayer – I Remember

“…i remember making out on an airplane | still afraid of flying, but with you i’d die today…”


21. Sun Airway – Put the Days Away

“…but you’re gonna find something to hold close | in the moonless night I wait for your ghost…”


20. Hanson – Thinking ‘Bout Somethin’

…”cause the love i’ve got is better than what you gave…”
(Whatever, the song made me happy. Shut up.)


19. Sia – I’m In Here

“…i’m fearing it all | stuck inside these walls | tell me there is hope for me…”


18. Japayork – Teenagers

“…we feel great taking too much and some more we feel alive | the bright lights take us where we’ve never been before…”


17. Robyn – Dancing On My Own

“…stilettos on broken bottles | i’m spinning around in circles…”


16. Kanye West – Monster (feat. Jay-Z, Rick Ross, Nicki Minaj & Bon Iver)

“…now look at what you just saw | this is what you live for | aaaahhhh i’m a motherfucking monster”
(the reason this song is on here instead of “Power” or “Runaway” is because of ms. minaj. her wicked 1 minute and 20 second verse is by far the hottest thing to hit my eardrums in 2010. period.)


15. Arcade Fire – Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)

“…they heard me singing and they told me to stop | quit these pretentious things and just punch the clock | these days my life, i feel it has no purpose | but late at night the feelings swim to the surface |
’cause on the surface the city lights shine | they’re calling at me, come and find your kind…”
(the opening lines from this song have my vote as the best lyrics of the year. And this song needs to be the soundtrack to Freedom.)


14. Cee-Lo Green – Please

“…but with all the wrong i’ve done | how could love ever love me…”


13. Dirty Gold – California Sunrise

“…i’ve been sleeping far too long | hibernating from your love | i need some summer sun to come and wake me up…”


12. How to Dress Well – Decisions

“…don’t forget to check your cell phone…”
(they’re really the only lyrics i can make out in this song)


11. Vampire Weekend – California English, Pt. 2

“…this girl was smarter than television scripts | this girl wasn’t damaged her jeans were just ripped | this girl was the girl that the girls in your world thought about when the night was cold…”


10. Sara Bareilles – Bluebird

Unlike “Gravity” which ended Bareilles’ last album, her sophomore closer brings a message of new beginnings however lonely they may be. It’s one of those sad-happy songs that after coming to a close make you think that just maybe this bluebird, too, will have this chance fly over the rainbow.


09. Alphabeat – DJ

This was Wes’ song of the year and, weirdly enough, my most played song on iTunes. No matter where I was or what mood I was in, whenever I heard it I smiled and started dancing…all night.


08. Mumford & Sons – After the Storm

I wrote about this hauntingly beautiful song here and I can’t really say anything more about it.


07. Rufus Wainwright – Zebulon

Rufus has always sung with bravado and drama backed usually with a full band, a reason why so many love his music. But here, it’s just his voice and a piano. There are not many things that are more beautiful sounding than this. It’s tender, sweeping, haunting, emotional. The output of feeling he has in this song is almost tangible. This song further solidifies that Rufus’ voice is a perfect instrument, and one that continues to amaze me.


06. Cee-Lo Green – F**k You

This song topped many 2010 lists and for good reason. It was super catchy, had retro 70s swag that felt fresh, and everyone likes a good fuck you song. It also had some of the best lyrics in a track this year including, “i guess he’s an x-box and i’m more atari”. Being an Atari myself, I readily hopped on the f**k you bandwagon.


05. Robyn – Fembots

Robyn was a force in the music scene this year. With an ambitious three album project, hot videos, and a tour, I’m not sure how she had time to keep her teeth so nicely filed. It seemed every time I put on my headphones a new slammin new Robyn song was playing. It was hard to choose which song would crack my top 10, but “Fembots” (off of Body Talk Pt. 1) grabbed me from the start and never let go. It’s effortlessly smooth chorus was one of the best this year and paired perfectly with the robotic verses and blips and bleeps throughout the track. It was the perfect start to an awesome year from Robyn.


04. Yeasayer – O.N.E.

After Animal Collective’s monster album last year there has been a definite swing to the style that they perfected. Yeasayer has piggybacked on this, and, in their own right, has created more of a pop version of a similar sound. The roots are there, the bad isn’t going anywhere, they just need to tighten up and edit a bit more. For me, O.N.E. is the best on the Odd Blood, an 80′s electro throwback with killer verses and awesomely heave beat drops. And if you haven’t seen the video, it’s quite a trip.


03. Martin Solveig – Hello

French electronic music DJ and producer Martin Solveig featured Canadian electropop group Dragonette for this ridiculously amazing work. The video for the song was recorded at Roland Garros where Martin Solveig faces Bob Sinclar, another DJ, in a tennis match…during a real match. Sweet. It’s such a great, fun, summer song. And hand claps! You know how I love hand claps. And when the beat drops. Oh. So. Nice. Hello Martin and Dragonette, thanks for coming to play. Game, set, match.


02. Arcade Fire – We Used to Wait

Oh, C minor chord. Your haunting, persistant, continuous keys. You make this song move. From the opening to the closing you are there. I can’t really think of a song that has the same chord played with such a determined purpose over the course of the entire track. It’s almost as if the chord is the sound of the runner’s footfall with each stride he takes. If you haven’t played around with the interactive video, it’s one of the coolest things I’ve seen in a long time…and makes me love the song that much more. It’s a massive album with some great standout singles, but “We Used to Wait” is special. It has that thing that only Arcade Fire can do. That thing where you are in the song, where it’s about you, not anyone else on the metro or on the sidewalk, but you. And, as Win Butler sings, it’s strange how something so small (like a song) can keep you alive.


01. LCD Soundsystem – I Can Change

I’m not sure there are many things better than LCD Soundsystem recording a great song. It can be a complete work of art, in my opinion. From lyrics like “love is a murderer | but if she calls you tonight, everything is alright” to “I can change | if it helps you fall in love”, the emotional baring and stripping that James Murphy goes through is remarkable, almost cringe worthy at times if we ourselves had never felt the same way. With it’s quirky little 70′s blips permeating the track to Murphy actually using that smooth voice of his (even going into falsetto) to infect lyrics that get stuck in your head well after the song has ended. Please, please don’t change. This is why I fell love with LCD Soundsystem.


Get the Best of 2010 .zip file here (179MB so be patient, it’s be worth it)

It is that time of year again. The “Best Of” season, the best singles, best album and best artists of the year. The lists are all over the internet, magazines and TV shows. I am sure that everyone of these lists use very scientific calculations and means to decide their rankings, and the list below is no exception. I used various facts, figures and statistics to compile my list of top 25 songs of 2010. (Who am I kidding, this is all opinion based somewhat on my musical whim, fancies and other highly unscientific reasons.)

You may ask why 25? Well first Josh and I tried to create our top ten lists, and well this was an utter failure on all accounts. It was impossible to whittle down our favorites to just ten. And twenty, too easy, lets add five more into the whole mess and together you will get the top 50 songs as seen by C&B.

After the Top Ten, number order really loses nearly all meaning, just an FYI.

1. Alphabeat – DJ (I Could be Dancing)

This is hands the best song of 2010. ‘DJ’ is what Pop music should be, infectiously fun, campy, and really doesn’t take it self too seriously. With a perfect tip to 90′s Euro dance-pop and something all their own, Alphabeat is something special in the world of Pop music. ‘DJ’ has done more to make me smile this year alone than maybe any other song.

2. Robyn – Hang With Me

Robyn truly one of music’s most masterful writers, my good friend DJ MAJR sums it up the best, “[Robyn] is catchy without being vapid.” Honest, sincere and beautiful, Robyn is able to tell a story like very few in music can.

3. HURTS – Better Than Love

From Theo’s enthralling voice, to rich full synths that ebb and flow creating a whirlwind of sound, to brooding lyrics that cut straight through it all, ‘Better Than Love’ is a song that stands out from everything else in Pop.

4. Example – Kickstarts

Completely new and unique is the way to describe ‘Kickstarts’ and anything Example creates. ‘Kickstarts’ really is an endearingly sweet love song about the highs and lows of every relationship; expertly paired with explosive beats and high energy synths that are the perfect embodiment of all the excitement love brings. Plan and simple its quite brilliant!

5.  Kylie Minogue – Get Outta My Way

Her want to live to the fullest and her lust for life is contagious and passed through her music to everyone who listens to it. ‘Get Outta My Way’ is no exception, full of spunk and sass with that ever present exuberant joy.

6. Japayork – Teenagers

For me there is a visceral reaction/connection to this song that I feel every time the chorus hits. The urge to escape; to leave the problems, pain and strife of the world behind and enjoy the now. Revel the moment you are in, to love life and the people you are sharing it with.

7. Penguin Prison – The Worse It Gets

Penguin Prison has created the perfect musical embodiment of the yearning I get to leave the noise of the world behind and get away from it all.

8. Chew Lips – Slick

Cool synth beats paired with piano chords and deep bass that build excitement through the whole song. Tig’s voice perfectly floats over the beats telling the story of memories and life gone by.

9. Goldfrapp – Alive

Disco is alive! Glam and glitter. I would say more but it would only cheapen it.

10. Bright Light Bright Light – Love, Pt 2.

‘Love Pt. 2′ overwhelms you with the carefree exuberance that comes with realizing you are able to feel love’s faint flutter in your heart again.

11. Florence and The Machine – Dog Days Are Over

12. Joe McElderry – Real Late Starter

13. Cassette Kids – Spin

14. Delphic – Doubt

15.  Moneypenny – Destroy

16. Gorillaz – Doncamatic

17. Aeroplane – Without Lies (ft. Sky Ferreira)

18. Sia – I’m In Here

19. Katy Perry – Teenage Dream

20. Frankmusik & Computer Club – Losing Streak

21. The Ting Tings – Hands

22. Kaskade – Fire In Your New Shows (ft. Dragonette)

23. Ellie Goulding – Lights

24. Lights – My Boots

25. Hyper Crush – Keep Up

Get the Top 10

We at C&B take the health and well-being of our readers very seriously. As the holidays approach so do those dreaded holiday pounds. To help keep off those pesky pounds during holiday frivolity we are happy to offer Work!, our first Fall Mixtape. Thirty tracks sure to motivate you to put down that turkey leg and head to the gym (Or at least get up and dance). Enjoy!

01. Kaskade – Fire In Your New Shoes (Feat. Dragonette)

02. The Ting Tings – Hands

03. Girls Aloud – Something Kinda Ooooh

04. Robyn – Stars 4-Ever

05. BG5 (The BeachGirl5) – Scratch

06. Example – Girl Can’t Dance (Radio Edit)

07. The Saturdays – Karma

08. Hyper Crush – Kick Us Out

09. Kylie Minogue – Aphrodite

10. Moneypenny – Cool & The Gang

11. Sneaky Sound System – I Want Everything

12. Florrie – You Wanna Start Something

13. Sugababes (with Keisha Buchanan) – Thank You For The Heartbreak

14. Katy Perry – E.T.

15. Blake McGrath – Relax

16. Rihanna – Only Girl (In The World)

17. Japayork – Teenagers

18. Just Jack – Doctor Doctor

19. Starsmith – Give Me A Break

20. Christian TV – When She Turns 18 (LA Riots Remix)

21. Far East Movement – Like a G6 (Feat. Cataracs & Dev)

22. Martin Solveig – Hello (Feat. Martina of Dragonette)

23. Rihanna – S&M

24. Cheryl Cole – Promise This

25. Don Diablo – Animale (Feat. Dragonette)

26. Jessie J – Do It Like A Dude

27. Ke$ha – We R Who We R

28. Sky Ferreira – Obsession

29. Kylie Minogue – Put Your Hands Up (If You Feel Love)

30. Ocelot – Beating Hearts

Download it Here (Link is fixed! ENJOY)