I read an article not too long ago about Lykke Li, and she was talking about how her music comes from a sad dark place and how she thought it too be possible that she was born this into sadness.  She didn’t seem to be upset about it because she explained how it helped with her writing.

And when it hurts the most
I’ll push a little more
I’m back where I started at
You know I’m a little lost
Like lightning in my heart”

I find it refreshing to listen to a female artist who can really embrace who she is and what she is writing about.  It makes you want to listen to her more, and you can almost feel what she is feeling from her vocals, I guess you could say that honesty is what makes the best music and we don’t have a whole lot of honesty these days.

When I was listening to this track it really made me ask myself about how honest I was being with my own self.  I think this track is great to sit back and mellow out to as well…Enjoy!

Lykke Li – Hanging High

-Mollz

Where am I? I’ve been rockin’ for a good 27 hours now,  was in the studio with the Oos & Ahhs all day yesterday, pulled an all nighter to finish curating the music for a restaurant and then realized this morning I have to hook you up with this months mixtape – Go, go, go…

Life in the fast lane
Surely make you lose your mind
Life in the fast lane, everything all the time…” – The Eagles

This months installment of LMDM is arriving 17 days late but in my opinion perfectly on time. I’ve been meaning to post about 9 of the 14 songs on the list which goes to show you how similar Steph and I are when it comes to music. There is much to be said about this line up, but I want to avoid too much talking because and let Mai 2011 shine. I’m pumped to finally have the new LMDM and I know a lot of you have been waiting so here it is, enjoy.

I decided to open this mix with Naked and Famous’ :48 intro called The Source which then goes into The Sun, my favorite track off the new album, besides Young Blood, and ended this month’s mix with one of my favorite Paris DJ’s Walter Sobcek, and his new remix of Parisian artist, Keren Ann, called My Name Is Trouble- the opener and closer of this month’s mix sets somewhat of a tone, which depending on the individual could feel completely different from one person to the next.

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Tracklisting:

1. Naked and Famous – The Source
2. Naked and Famous – The Sun
3. Youth Lagoon – Cannons
4. Lykke Li – I Follow Rivers (The Magician Remix)
5. Blackbird Blackbird - Hawaii (Niva Remix)
6. Wave Machines – Keep the Lights On
7. Washed Out - Eyes Be Closed (SposhRock Remix)
8. Loud Valley- Daytona Beach
9. We Are Trees – Colorado
10. Siriusmo – Idiologie
11. Purity Ring – Lofticries
12. Holy Ghost! - Wait & See (CFCF Remix)
13. PEPEPIANO – Flesh Rails
14. Walter Sobcek- My Name Is Trouble

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There’s never been a ni$%@ this good for this long
This hood, or this pop, this  hot or this strong
With so many different flows, this ones for this song
The next one I’ll switch up - This one will get bit up
These fucks to lazy to make up shit
They crazy, they don’t paint pictures
They just trace me.” – Jay-Z

That verse is exactly how I would describe Steph’s LMDM series, especially after the bomb she delivers this month. March crept up on us thanks to the February’s short month trickery and on the 28th I got an email from Steph reading exactly as follows -

its march tomorrow…..!!!!?!??!?!

LMDM is usually a month long project and I have to admit I was a little worried when I heard it this time around it was going to happen in about 24 hours but like a true champ Steph stepped up and absolutely crushed it. By now you’ve probably figured out that you can’t figure this girl out, I mean Skeeter Davis into Star Slinger?! How does it work, how is each tape so different month after month and I tip my hat to yet another fantastic installment of LMDM…

What more can i say?
What more can i do?
I give this all to you…” - Hovito (What More Can I Say)

A 1964 song opens this one. Another track I wanted to single out is Star Slinger’s remix of The Go! Team’s Apollo Throwdown and also the Diamond Messages track, which I fell in love with on the spot when EMPT posted it a few weeks ago. I found 3D Friends when we interviewed the SKINS 19 year old music supervisor from London, you can check out that interview here, and the closer to the mix, White Wishes is another one to check out (all of their material is available to download for free on their bandcamp page)- everything I listen to by them I love. Have fun in the March moments.

Le Miel du Mois at work? That’s much better than work at work! Download

Tracklisting:

1. Skeeter Davis – Gonna Get Along Without You Now (Theresa Brewer Cover)
2. The Go! Team – Apollo Throwdown (Star Slinger Remix)
3. Diamond Messages – Liquid Summer
4. 3D Friends – Lina Magic
5. The Drums – Me and The Moon (Clock Opera Remix)
6. Smith Westerns – All Die Young
7. Foster The People – Houdini
8. Pretty Lights – Forever Lost
9. Yelle – Que Veux-Tu (Madeon remix)
10. Phantogram – Let Me Go
11. Royksopp- Keyboard Milk
12. Lykke Li – I Follow Rivers (The Magician Remix)
13. Ravens & Chimes – Division Street
14. White Wishes – Happy and Afraid

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First of all, thanks to everyone who downloaded and played the Casey Mendoza mixtape released yesterday. It broke all our records for most downloaded and most played tracks in one day, fresh. Thanks to Brobible.com for releasing it with us, we’ve got more on the way, let’s get it…

Alright, some of you may have wondered why I didn’t post the new Lykke Li stuff and today’s post is why – the remix…

After the show it’s the afterparty, then
After the party it’s the hotel lobby, then
After the Belve then it’s probably Cris
And after the original it’s probably this.. – Jay-Z

One of the best things about Lyyke Li’s debut album Youth Novels was the barrage of amazing remixes that came after it. Her style of singing and production is usually very ambient and mellow in nature which is exactly what they are going for. However, stip down those vocal tracks and you have this angelic voice that becomes the perfect ingredient for some drum heavy instrumentals. Seasoned producer Dave Sitek is well aware of that and use Lykke Li’s voice to perfection on this remix. Dave Sitek is a member of TV on the Radio and has been quite influential in the indie music scene so I would def check him out if you’re not familiar. Alright, its snowing up a storm in the city and I need to get some work done so press play and kick back, enjoy.

Lykke Li – I Follow Rivers (Dave Sitek Remix)

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As if Le Miel du Mois wasn’t already on fire, Steph and Kristin of Forthebeat took the popular mixtape’s best of the best to provide you with 9 of ’09, 9 remixes and 9 originals from our first official year in business.
Just when you think this tape is gonna slow down and its safe for you to take a  coffee break, you get smacked with a banger, then another and another… What’s the moral of the story? Sit your ass down and listen fool!! With the year closing in I couldn’t think of a better compilation to represent the taste and song selection we hold so dearly at EMPT, enjoy.

EMPT: The only blog you know with a bounce and a half.“

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Tracklisting:

1. White Rabbits – Percussion Gun
2. Delorean – Deli
3. Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Heads Will Roll (A-Trak Remix)
4. Passion Pit – Sleepyhead
5. Sleigh Bells – Ring Ring
6. Whitest Boy Alive – Golden Cage (Fred Falke Remix)
7. The xx – Crystalized
8. The Virgins – Rich Girls (The Twelves Remix)
9. Miike Snow – Sylvia
10. Telepathe – Chrome’s On It (Gold Panda Remix)
11. Florence and the Machine – Cosmic Love
12. Sebastien Tellier – Roche (Breakbot Remix)
13. La Roux – I’m Not Your Toy (Jack Beats Remix)
14. Air France – Collapsing At Your Doorstep
15. Lykke Li – Dance, Dance, Dance
16. Florence and the Machine – You’ve Got the Love (The xx Remix)
17. Friendly Fires – Paris (Aeroplane Remix)
18. The xx – Shelter (Them Jeans Drum Edit)

I tell you man these Swedes are unstoppable with this music thing, I can’t tell you how many times a good song leads me back to the good ol’ Landet lagom. In fact, I just found out Sweden is the third largest music exporter in the world, surpassed only by the U.S. & UK, thank you ABBA. Anyways, I heard the new Lykke Li song for  the New Moon soundtrack and it put me back in that zone. This song is from Kleerup’s self-titled album which features some excellent production and features. This was one of the first tracks I posted on EMPT so here’s a classic throwback for your Saturday morning, enjoy.

Kleerup – Until We Bleed (Feat. Lykke Li)

Kanye West  – Get ‘Em High (Ratatat Remix)

I was at a party at the Tribeca Loft’s last night and I literally heard every song I’ve ever posted here played in successively. On top of that, the drinks were courtesy of Cognac Tesseron and let me tell you my friends, music is quite a different experience when you have 25 year old Cognac in your system. All that and a flock of elegantly dressed girls, I was in heaven.

That said, I thought to post something for the DJ’s by DJ’s to say thanks to the heads that took care of the music last night. Punks Jump Up are a producer/DJ team from East London known some seriously high energy remixes, my favorite being their rendition of Lykke Li’s Breaking It Up. Anyways, I’m running late as usual so here’s the some Punks Jump Up for your Thursday morning, enjoy.

Tiga – Beep Beep Beep (Punks Jump Up Remix)

Well, the E.M.P.T. pre-party for our bigger and badder one year anniversary party was a huge success and we’d like to take a moment to thank everyone that made it out, we enjoyed your company and hope to have more and more reasons to keep celebrating, see you in November.

As many of you know, the first of the month on E.M.P.T. means a new tape from mixtape guru Steph Lund. However, I was in severe recovery mode after the party so not much got done around these parts so this months mixtape will be a day late but here nevertheless. Without further ado, here are some words from the genius herself, enjoy.

Le Miel du Mois: Octobre

The art of “the repeat”. When I fall in love with a song, its always the same, I can tell instantly whether I am going to completely love it in the first 10 seconds. This is usually followed by playing the song over and over until I can anticipate every beat and lyric.

Le Miel du Mois repeats one of my new favorite artists: UK’s The xx. Enjoy, and be sure to: repeat.”

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1. The Xx – Intro
2. Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Soft Shock (Them Jeans Acoustic Remix)
3. X-Wife – On the Radio
4. Sleigh Bells – Infinity Guitars
5. Tiesto – Feel It In My Bones (Feat. Tegan and Sarah)
6. The Xx – Crystalized
7. Metric – Gold Guns Girls
8. Fake Blood – Fix Your Accent
9. CSS – Let’s Make Love And Listen To Death From Above
10. Lykke Li -  Breaking It Up
11. Sean Bones – Dancehall
12. Beirut – My Wife, Lost In The Wild
13. Dntel – Last Songs
14. LCD Soundsystem – Someone Great
15. Cold Cave – Life Magazine
16. Hooray for Earth – Surrounded By Your Friends

Ok so it’s hard to take anything Jack Black says serious and the original version of this song is certainly no exception to the rule. The G.O.V. version on the other hand adds an entirely new realistic dimension to an otherwise satirical song. His verse is about that post break-up boredom one experiences after sharing so much with your significant other.

Ok I’m an asshole, you ain’t never lie. I been lying so let me testify, that I miss you. I can’t find shit to do…”

There’s something so appealing about simple honesty, in my opinion it makes for the best lyrics in music. You can find this type of writing all over Lykee Li’s Youth Novels, Peter Bjorn & John’s Writer’s Block and countless other introspective records. There’s no place for insecurities in love so when I hear an artist express that understanding I get addicted to the feeling. What can you say about a song that speaks itself, not much. Here’s the latest G.O.V., exclusively on EMPT, enjoy. Download.

twitter.com/govmusic

Tenacious D – Dude (I Totally Miss You) (Feat. G.O.V.)

MP3: Download

I may be biased with Lykke Li on the vocals but Miss It So Much is definitely my favorite song off of Royksopps third proper album, Junior. The production quality on this song is phenomenal, the gifted Norwegians created a wonderful ambient experience that serves as the perfect canvas for Lykke’s voice. It’s a Royksopp song that sounds like it could be on the next Lykke Li album, is this a glimpse of the future? Great song, enjoy.

Royksopp – Miss It So Much (Feat. Lykke Li)

SP: Biggie or Tupac?

Lykee Li: I love Biggie’s songs but I think I like Tupac more as a person.”

I’m starting to be convinced that I need to date a singer… First Natasha Khan writes a song about being a champion and now Lykke Li hints at understanding Tupac. Step your game up pretty girls! Didn’t know this about her but it all makes perfect sense now…

Anyways, it’s been about a week or so since our last Lykke Li post – a week too long. I forget where I was when I heard this remix, but I wrote it down in my Blackberry and while recapping on the night and deleting any silly phone numbers I may have picked up I came across it. Breaking It Up is one of the more dynamic and inviting tracks on Youth Novels, and like most of the album it’s been victim to both thrilling and mediocre remix. This Punks Jump Up Remix would not be the latter. In it’s original form, Breaking It Up is full of vigor and excitement, this remix is that idea on steriods – Bigger, Stronger, Faster, enjoy.

Lykke Li – Breaking It Up (Punks Jump Up Remix)

In the beginning of this video she ask the crowed if they love hip hop, than she ask, does anyone know Rick Ross – I’m pretty sure that was a joke. The funniest thing about this video is the audience, whom to say the least do not look like the type of people with a diverse enough palette translate a song which is at face value about selling drugs to how Lykke Li and many others see it, hustlin’ or simply working hard. Still in their defense her busting out and acoustic version of a 2006 southern rap song is literally the last thing anyone would expect. After realizing who she was dealing with she asked the confused people:

Don’t you got any jobs? Are you not like working hard?”

Lykke Li is the best.

Lykke Li – Hustlin’ (Rick Ross Cover)

I started binging on Youth Novels again and with that comes all the amazing remixes the album has inspired. Perhaps the most remixed track from the album is Little Bit, I can think of about 8 off the top. From what I gather this song is about a “friends with benefits” type of relationship that she is scared of taking to the next level…

Lykke Li – Little Bit (AutoErotique Bootleg Remix)

Lykke Li – Little Bit (Reprise de Drake)

Lykke Li – Little Bit (Gigamesh Remix)

And for you i keep my legs apart
And forget about my tainted heart
And i will never ever be the first
To say it
But still I,
Yes you know I..I..I..”

Most chick flicks and love songs are so mawkishly sentimental and unrealistic that I completely shut them out. Lykke Li, however, expresses a very realistic and relatable version of love, one that I can really identify with, good stuff. Here are 2 of my favorites including a pretty good cover by Drake. No, I didn’t forget the Death to the Thone remix, I just think the drum sounds they used are a little to happy hardcore sounding for a Lykke Li song. Anyways, these will do your Tuesday right, enjoy.

 

The difference a little diversity makes is immediately evident for Friendly Fires. Quite what has held back the milieu of meandering morons that make up the music scenes mid range, mid class, middlemen is probably this intelligent and creative leap; crossing genres and keeping your opus open and fresh.”

- MusicOMH.com

Big on the Friendly Fires, even bigger on Lykke Li. In fact, I think I’ve unofficially declared this Lykke Li week for EMPT. I posted this back in January and thought it be a good one to bring back whiles she’s fresh on everyone’s mind after Carson. I’ve also posted the Lykke Li cover of Knocked Up, a song I actually prefer to the original by Kings of Leon. Enjoy.

Friendly Fires – I’m Good, I’m Gone (Lykke Li Cover)

MP3

Lykke Li – Knocked Up (Kings of Leon Cover)

Just got an email from the good folks over at NBC informing us that Lykke Li will be performing on Last Call With Carson Daly tonight.  I’m not quite the noctambule I am during party season but I’m certainly staying up to watch this. In the mean time it looks like I’ve found an excuse to post another Lykke Li song. Here’s Breaking it Up, one of the many fabulous songs from Youth Novels. Great breakup song, I like her perspective.

Now call you baby I will and I do.

Persuade you in though I know that were through.

I let you think that I’m your but I’m not.

Keep You here though I’m ready to drop the last line…

If your going abroad I can’t help you.

If your crossing the street I might be there.”

Lykke Li – Breaking It Up

The lyrics for this song are amazing, you’d be hard-pressed to find that kind of honesty in music, much less people. I’ve been partying and going to concerts so much lately I think it’s time for me to start relating to this song for a while. We’ll see how long it last, enjoy.

When everybody’s drinking (I don’t want to)
When everybody’s smoking (I don’t need more)
When everybody’s fooling (I don’t want to)
Everybody but me, yeah”

Lykke Li – Everybody But Me

Drake is a fantastic talent, his nack for wordplay and rhymes holds up with the best. I’m not sure about all the 808’s & Heartbreak influenced singing though. This kinda feels like that part in Ray when Stevie is still trying to find his style but has yet to come to his own. Nevertheless, we all expect great things from this guy. I’d love to hear more rapping at some point. Either way, I’m a sucker for anything Lykee Li so here’s the mashup.

Drake & Lykee Li – Little Bit

Formula for success = Lykke Li vocals. Here’s a very noteworthy remix by Pockertknife. Great party music.

Lykke Li – Breaking It Up (Pocketknife’s Loosefoot Remix)

Archer just commented on the Lykke Li post and reminded me of a feature she did with Swedish producer Kleerup. It’s called ”Until We Bleed,” good call, definitely worth posting for everyone to hear.

Kleerup – Until We Bleed (Feat. Lykke Li)

Also from that album is the Kleerup & Robyn collaboration “With Every Heartbeat,” an incredible love song for those able to feel it. One of the best songs from the album.

Kleerup – With Every Heartbeat (Featuring Robyn)