All The Records In The Hit Parade

Mark Ronson featuring Santo Gold “Pretty Green” – The original version of “Pretty Green” by the Jam is hardly a sleepy tune, but in comparison to this super-kinetic cover by producer Mark Ronson, it seems stiff and comatose. Is there even a proper genre name for this thing, other than “classy dance-pop stuff with horns that Mark Ronson makes” or um, “modern Ze“? Santo Gold has a prissy, bratty voice similar to that of Cristina, though her delivery is more playful than caustic and ironic. Not to say that there isn’t some irony in this record; it’s just that it’s not the kind that is meant to make you feel bad. (Click here for Mark Ronson’s MySpace page.)

Bonde Do Role “Gasolina (Radioclit remix)” – Things we lose by not listening to the original mix of “Gasolina”: a great blurting horn hook, a fantastic drum break that kicks in just before the first minute is up. Things we gain by listening to this remix by Radioclit instead: a jumpy electro beat, a slightly devious synth lead, and vocals that pop out a bit better, especially when she chants the name “Afrika Bambaataa.” I mean, this really shouldn’t be an either/or situation, but the Radioclit mix wins today. (Click here to buy it from Turntable Lab.)

Elsewhere: R.I.P. Charles Gocher from the Sun City Girls.

Also: Sean Michaels didn’t die.

And: Craig Ferguson explains why he is not going to mock Britney Spears.