Christmas is over, champagne hangovers have come and gone- and the weather has gone from quaint winter wonderland to nightmarish skin contracting tundra. All the more reason to stay under the covers with some headphones.

I Follow Rivers-Lykke Li

Madder Red-Yeasayer

Clint Eastwood(Live ft. Snoop Dogg)-Gorillaz

Feel Right-Symmetry/Ryan Lewis

Roll Away Your Stone- Mumford & Sons

End of The Line-Daft Punk

Coronado-Deerhunter

Desire Lines-Deerhunter

Melt My Heart to Stone(Kickdrums remix ft. Big Pooh)-Adele

In the meantime, the rock-solid empirical foundation of astrology was rocked by the revelation that in fact, they were wrong all along. OMGOD!!

Darren Aronofsky continues to demonstrate why he’s the most unnerving director in Hollywood with the pirouetting mindfuck that is Black Swan, which somehow makes even a lesbian sex scene between Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis disturbing. Not for the squeamish or the ADHD.

Jared Loughner, the man accused of murdering six and putting a bullet in the brain of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, has been picked up pro bono by public defender Judy Clarke- Clarke in the past defended the Unabomber Ted Kacynzski as well as other notable muderers. An interesting profile can be found here .

Lionel Messi was awarded the Ballon D’Or as the Best Player of the Year for the second year in a row; the diminutive winger scored 60 goals in 59 games this year, tied (Brazilian) Ronaldo’s record of 32 goals in the Primera League, had the most assists and the highest score tally of the Champion’s League. In short(no pun intended) the 23-year old didn’t do too shabbily. Josè Mourinho, winner of the Best Coach award, couldn’t (or wouldn’t) avoid polemics by stating that his Dutch protegè Wesley Sneijder should have won for inspiring Inter’s European and World Championship, in addition to dragging a rather lackluster Netherlands squad to the World Cup final. Check it.

Earlier today, Silvio Berlusconi’s tenuous grasp on Italy’s government was dealt another blow when constitutional judges ruled that the Prime Minister was not, in fact, above the law (Berlusconi had force fed a presidential immunity law through Parliament to shield himself from accusations ranging from bribery to underage prostitution. Hurray for the origin of Western Civilization!) Berlusconi only barely saved his pelt from a no-confidence vote earlier this month, and today’s ruling has set tongues wagging as to how long the media magnate can keep his political foundation from crumbling away. The Economist, Berlusconi’s dogged nemesis, has the scoop .

And surprising no one,  a new study released by the group World Public Opinion reveals that Fox New makes you stupid . Really? We needed a study?

Alright, that’s that. Keep on schleppin.

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Parliamentary Palace in Berlin, Deutschland

It has been a while. Blame the Eurotravels. Wedabest. So you get some pics. But like a red-headed stepchild we’re back for more with an October-sized serving of gems spanning the gamut.

to the music. Some hot cuts from this year’s snowboarding videos, some new Lupe, some hot euro-tech, 3 different mashups/covers of “One” by the Swedish House Mafia, and a gem from this year’s Mercury Prize-winning band The XX. Not to mention a sexy exclusive audio-article from a past week’s Economist.

Business

Schumpeter – The Will to Power: Why Some People Have Power Over Companies, and Some People Don’t (From The Economist September 13) -10/10 Perhaps one of the best Schumpeter columns of the year. Forget the “harness the power within” bullshit, or the old tale that power is rewarded to those that work hardest..

Classic / New Age

Melody Day – Caribou

Magic – Ladyhawke – 8/10

My Delirium – Ladyhawke

Cover

One (Swedish House Mafia Cover) – The Foals – 7.9/10 Although the original song is double money already, this is one of the best digital-to-analog covers I’ve ever heard…

Techno

Shelter (C.R.S.T. Remix) – The XX - 7.8/10 – Slow but sexy

Stereo Love – Edward Maya & Vika Jigulina - 8.2/10 perhaps one of the hottest tech/dance songs in Europe right now

We No Speak Americano – Yolanda B Cool Feat. D-Cup - most popular song in London this summer

Electronic

UNBRKBL – DEFEAT – Chromeo-cum-Justice Style Thriller

MoonRocket – Valerna -“I’m a spaceman, with my spacesuit on; I got my space-game, I got my space boots on”

Mashups

One Lollipop – Swedish House Mafia vs. Lil Wayne -

Show Me One (Laidback Luke Bootleg) – Swedish House Mafia

HipHop

Mastered (feat. A-Trak) – Lupe Fiasco – Amazing beat

Burning Man Pseudo-Females

Burning Man Mutant Vehicle Hummer

And if you haven’t been watching HBO’s Eastbound And Down , its about time you do. Season 2 is killer. As for the other best shows currently on TV, we have the Sopranos-esque, Scorcese-directed Boardwalk Empire (also on HBO), and for the first time ever, a legitimate television series from FX in the form of Sons of Anarchy (Seasons 2 & 3 are incredible).

Oh, and as for our political predictions last week: Carl Paladino has fallen out of favor for talking of a conspiracy of homosexuals to brainwash children . Even better, Ohio’s 9th District Republican House candidate Rich Iott has been splashed across the web rockin a Waffen SS uniform on several occassion (but it was for a bonding experience with his son!). But even the Democrats have gone a lil crazy, proposing billions in funding for a “high-speed” train that tops out at 50 mph (China has a train that goes 250). Oh, America..

Ely Cathedral, Ely, United Kingdom

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After years in  sunny Southern California, TDOV has moved base to London. The weather is questionable, but hey, at least the city isn’t trapped in a smog bubble. Another perk: you’re less likely to get shot, but twice as likely to get stabbed.

Now being an international organization, allow us to offer some News of the World (minus the phone-tapping):

- Venezuela is now the deadliest country in South America , with 54 homicides per 100,000 citizens. Colombia is safer and more beautiful than ever.

- The Republican Party in the US is sabotaging itself via the Tea Party movement – and we’re not just talking Sarah Palin – as extremist and creationist evangelicals are taking power from reasonable and experienced  Republican politicians accross the board. Christine O’Donnell,  “a Christian activist with a history of financial problems” (even Republican strategist Karl Rove called her a “nut”),  trounced GOP veteran Rep. Mike Castle in the Delaware Republican Senate primary. As if it were a compliment, “admirers began calling her an ‘East Coast Sarah Palin.’” In New York, Buffalo millionaire Carl Paladino – “a first-time candidate who gained notoriety when he admitted forwarding racist jokes and pornographic images in e-mail” – whooped GOP-establishment choice Rep. Rick Lazio in the Republican race for Governor of New York. Now, both of these Tea Party darlings will face off against their Democratic-party counterparts. Imagine a  governor of New York who believes in “abstinence-only” education and says the earth is 6,000 years old…  Source: The Week

- Cuba is cutting 1 million state jobs – causing quite the uproar in a country where the majority of people are employed by the government.

- In England, union-backed Ed Miliband barely defeated his older and arguably more-experienced brother David in the race for Labour Party leadership. Two days after, David gave a poignant speech beautifully representing the party’s noblest ideals; newspapers read “We Picked Wrong Brother.”

Below we have some fine cuts from some standard artists – stay tuned for more coming soon.

Stuntin With a Milli (Lil Wayne x Phoenix x Pretty Lights) – Basic Physics

No Love – Eminem & Lil Wayne

Fireman III – MDC aka DJ 1600

Rap Music is Beneath Me – Milkman

Cult Logic (Drake ft. Kanye West & Lil Wayne vs. Miike Snow) – The Hood Internet

Sister Savior (DFA Dub) – The Rapture

Lethal Industry (DJ Pick’s FL Studio Remix 2006) – Tiesto

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Mt. Tronador aka THUNDER MOUNTAIN(seriously, literal translation)

This post’s strictly tracks, a haphazard mix between late night jams and some more downtempo stuff- host of different feels going on. Play as the mood dictates, per usual.

Major Lazer release from new album Lazerproof, available for a free download. Highly recommended.

Bulletproof(Nacey Remix ft. Matt Hemerlein)-Major Lazer - Whoo.

Cover My Eyes(Costra Nostra edit)-Major Lazer

Bonus Mashup: R. Kelly vs. Major Lazer, courtesy of Chitown based The Hood Internet:

Ignition(R. Kelly vs. Major Lazer)-The Hood Internet

PS. check out this pretty sweet doc from the Creator’s Project on Diplo. In general the whole site’s pretty excellent.

Drive It Like You Stole It-The Glitch Mob -Truth in advertising. High octane track specifically designed to overwork your adrenal glands. Play in car at your own hazard.

Zoosk Girl-Flo Rida ft. T-Pain -Anybody know what a Zoosk girl is? Anyone? Disregard dubious etymology, enjoy the return of the Tainted Love backbeat (About time).

Now for some tranquilizers..

Broken Bells: Danger Mouse(Of Gnarls Barkley, Danger Doom, and Grey Album fame) teamed up with Shins leadman James Mercer. Very nice. Epiphanic.

The High Road-Broken Bells

The Ghost Inside-Broken Bells -Please listen. Headrocking optional.

MISC:

Army of Tears-Cathy Davey -Strings make everything better.

20 Miles-Deer Tick

When I’m Small-Phantogram -Some funky scratch. Very cool.

Ok, that wraps up today. Will post lengthier articles in coming days(World Cup preview and analysis). Enjoy.

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HAPPY 4/20

Drakemau5 – MDC aka DJ 1600 (hint: one of the five families in The Godfather) – 9.5/10

Hey, Soul Sister (Karmatronic Radio Edit) – Train – 9/10

Only You Can Make me Happy – Au Revoir Simone – 7.5/10

Ambien (Brenton Duvall’s Sleepy Trip Remix) – Lil Wayne vs. Passion Pit – 7.9/10

Office Musik (Dwight K. Shrute vs. Weezy F. Baby) – Lil Wayne – 8.2/10

Damascus (Dada Life Remix) – Young Rebels & Francesco Diaz – 9/10

Lollipop (Nasty Ways Remix) – Lil’ Wayne – 8.1/10

Got Some Stratosphere (Obie Trice Vs. Junkie XL) – The White Panda – 9.2/10

Baptism – Crystal Castles – 7.6/10

Pedro's Cousin

Busy P

Fireball, Stage 1

Fireball Stage 2

Fireball, Stage 3

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Pseudo-Women @ Burning Man

We are gathered here today to celebrate the epic absurdity and awesomeness of the Burning Man Festival , held every year in the barren and lawless Black Rock Desert of Nevada. Rule #1 at Burning Man: no currency allowed – only trading. TDOV’s suggestion: wear paint instead of clothing, build a vehicle over 40 feet long, drop some acid, and get freaky.

40 Day Dream – Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeroes (Amazon) – 9/10

Century (feat. Calvin Harris) – Tiesto (Amazon ) – 8/10

My Way – JJ feat. Lil Wayne – 8.7/10

Anenome – The Brian Jonestown Massacre (Amazon ) – 8.3/10

Like A G6 (feat. Cataracts & Dev) – Far East Movement – 8/10 (w/o bass or hyphy: 6.5)

Ultraviolet – Way Out West – 7.5/10

"Mutant Vehicle" at Burning Man

Sphynx & Colored People Burning Man

Mutant Vehicle Rage

Extra Responsible Parenting @ Burning man

History Class @ Burning Man

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Spring Break on the Pacific Coast of Colombia

Some have Spring Break, others have March Madness. Whatever you call it, people are getting hyphy. College debauchery in Cabo, AZ, anywhere hot and sexy. Even US Congressman Eric Massa (D-NY) caught the bug and got served with some crazy bromance allegations , but he reassured us that, “not only did I grope” a male staffer, “I tickled him until he couldn’t breathe, and then four guys jumped on top of me.” In Israel  (the country whose Mossad intelligence agency can execute foreign assassinations almost flawlessly), the national Army had to call off a planned raid on a warehouse because a soldier posted the details of the operation on Facebook . I guess we’ll just have to settle for another 2 weeks of craziness, and for that I have the appropriate LISTENING MATERIALS:

The Night of The Vampire – Roky Erickson – 8.6/10 (Amazon)

The Girl and the Robot (Spencer And Hill Remix) – Royksopp 8.6/10

Stars Come Out – Calvin Harris – 7.4/10 (Amazon)

Say Yeah – Wiz Khalifa – 7.5/10 (thx to Killa Whale for the info)

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Beautiful, Clean-Air L.A. Sunset

TDOV is back, and has come bearing gifts. Aka get your f*cking eargasm on. Here we have a lil something for everyone, take a gander:

CHILL BRA’

Wax Tailor – How I Feel – 9/10

Dice – Finley Quaye - 8.3/10

TECH-HOP

Dangers Not A Stranger (Diplo Remix) – Gucci Mane – 6.9/10

Wrong Prayer – Jaydiohead (Jay-Z vs. Radiohead) – 7.6/10

STRAIGHT TECHTRONICA

637 Charlotte – Booka Shade – 8.6

Starts With One (CLASSIXX Remix) – Shiny Toy Guns – 8.6/10
As far as current events go, TDOV has noticed some interesting happenings:

1) Have you seen the movie “Munich?” The one where the Israeli secret agents working for the Mossad go kill the anti-Israel Muslim bad-guys? Yeah that’s still happening today, the Mossad is as bad-ass and deadly as ever…In Dubai, disguised Mossad secret agents  kill a Hamas leader, dressed as everyday tourists carrying tennis rackets. You go girl

2) At Sea-World, Shamu’s evil cousin bites a trainer by the ponytail, drags her underwater, and kills her – in front of a live studio audience. Some people are calling for the whale to be punished… For some reason, I’m not surprised that an animal known as the “killer whale” decided to fight back against the people who keep it in a concrete pool.

3) Houston, Texas, where some say gay-bashing was invented, just elected its first (openly) gay mayor

4) CIA kicking ass and taking names in Afghanistan, after suicide attack left 7 American operatives dead. Taliban’s Chief Military Chief, Mullah Baradar, is captured

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SoCal Winter

‘Tis the holiday season, and TDOV has the goods for all you naughty & nice alike. And yes the license plate is real deal Holyfield.

Onto business: First off we have the instant hit “Hello Brooklyn,” a 70’s funk beat on which  Jay-Z & Lil Wayne kill it in the name of New York. Gotta love the occasional Marvin Gaye “Sexual Healing” moans scattered across the track.

Hello Brooklyn – Jay-Z ft. Lil Wayne – 9.6/10

Next we have an incredible party slice from Super Mash Bros.; the epitome of the ideal mashup. With amazing and sundry transitions, twould be useless to attempt to list everyone you’ll hear on the track.

Future Dads (Platinum Edition) – Super Mash Bros. – 9.7/10

Here is a gem found on Culture Bully’s top mashups of 2009. Frogthedog, whoever he is, created a great hardcore-West Coast-rap throwback to the Blue Oyster Cult Classic “Godzilla.”

Westside Godzilla Connection (Westside Connection vs. Blue Öyster Cult mashup) – Frogthedog -8.3/10

From the creator of the Sufjan Stevens remix of “Chicago” comes this excellent cut from Kanye West-style college-dropout rapper/producer Xaphoon Jones. “Say hello to the game, the people know my name. And do they really love us? Or is it just a fling? And we be Peter Parker in love with the Mary Jane”

Radar Detector (Xaphoon Jones Remix) – Darwin Deez – 8.8/10

Delving into some Perez Hilton-style nugatory gossip, this excellent rendition of the Reggae-chiller “Animal” is remixed by none other than the brother of Lindsey Lohan’s ex-girlfriend Sam Ronson who you may have seen in the tabloids. The interconnectedness of it all.

Animal (Mark Ronson Remix) – Miike Snow – 8.5/10

The Plate Speaks for Itself - Endorsed by TDOV

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Ever since Eminem and Kanye West hit the scene, the uniquely absurd barriers to entry that gated the small world of rap-stardom were forever abrogated.  People started to realize that you don’t actually have to be black or get shot or sell crack in order to create legit rap music – and thus emerged the once-unimaginable college rap scene (think Ascher Roth, Mike Posner, Xaphoon Jones, even longtime TDOV friends White & Crazy Kids, formed a stone’s throw away at Chapman University).

In this rapidly filling college-rap vacuum, the demand for quality product is beginning to exceed (or at least match) hollywood’s nascent hard-on for the college-rapper image. And where there’s demand, someone will supply – even a undergraduate econ-finance major who spent last year abroad at London School of Economics. With these introductory remarks, TDOV is proud to present M.D.C., aka DJ 1600. You may remember him from the white-hot summer banger Calvin Ross – DJ 1600 (which received the coveted 10/10 award). DJ 1600 further establishes himself as a musical force to be reckoned with in the emerging tech-hop genre in his new release:

GetLowBus – DJ 1600

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