Nineteen Ninety Never

I just saw the video for Alejandro by Lady Gaga, and I couldn’t believe how much it reminded me of an Alastair Reynolds book.

The world Alastair paints for his readers is far-future: humans can live for centuries and are able to genetically modify themselves, yet the world they live in is still very full of pain and suffering, much of it self-inflicted. The awe of long-distance star travel is coupled with dangerous and painful conditions for travellers that make it possible.

There’s this overwhelming sense of discomfort and unease in the books, like something terrible is going to happen. Most of humanity lives in an asteroid belt called The Glimmer Band, and it is full of remnants of previous advanced technology that has been rendered unusable by an alien threat. Constant reminders of that pervade that remind the reader that not everything is alright in this future, and while its unspoken much of the population seems to think the same. This has given way to bizarre decadence by some, and masochistic religious cults in others in the world of The Glimmer Band.

I liked the books, yet I have a hard time reading them: none of the main characters are likable, and terrible things happen to people. Everyone is uncomfortable, sleep-deprived, on-edge, going crazy or all of the above.

Like I said, I got pretty much the same feeling when I watched the video for Alejandro.

Anyways, here’s a Rusko rework of the Gaga original (via Gotta Dance Dirty)

Lady Gaga - Alejandro (Rusko’s Papuseria Remix)

Lady Gaga - Alejandro

I’ve always thought that songs about phones and texting were hilarious, and that’s why I loved Scotty Dynamo’s remix of the Gaga and Beyonce hit telephone before I’d even heard the original. Here’s some other phone-related musical mayhem to go along with it:

Lady Gaga - Telephone (Scotty Dynamo Remix)

Lady Gaga - Telephone (Loose Cannons Funk Redial)

Lady Gaga - Telephone (Alphabeat Remix)

Lady Gaga - Telephone (Crookers Remix) (Props to The World Forgot for that)

Lady Gaga - Telephone (Passion Pit Remix)

Dragonette - Pick Up The Phone (Michael Van She Remix) (via the always-hot Trash Menagerie)

Ludacris - Sexting (via Dank Ideas)

You can download a bunch of Scotty D’s other tracks at ScottyDynamo.com, and he’s ScottyDynamo on Twitter, too.

For another classic telephone track, check out The Firm’s Phone Tap. Its aged surprisingly well. And since we’re on such a tele-kick here, also check out how The Mentalists cover MGMT’s Kids on iPhones.

And of course, the video for Telephone is unreal.

Monster image above via

According to this, the sirens were “dangerous bird-woman…portrayed as seductresses in Greek mythology.”

They were known for their beautiful voices that would lure sailors to their death. Odysseus was one of the only ones to get away with hearing them, and he had to do so by having himself tied to the mast of a ship and plugging his crew’s ears with beeswax so that they couldn’t hear the sirens while they sailed by them.

Anyways, here’s a collection of modern-day sirens. Disco sirens, if you will. You’ll be tempted, but not to the extent that you’ll need to put beeswax in your ears.

Midfield General - Disco Sirens (via the Blue Walrus)

Paris Hilton - Turn You On

CSS - Meeting Paris Hilton

Lady Gaga - Just Dance (Something Wrong Remix)

Katy Perry - Hot N Cold (Something Wrong Bassline Line Bitch Remix)

Katy Perry - I Kissed a Girl (Vanderbilt Remix)

Katy Perry - I Kissed a Girl (NONEWYORK Remix)

Hillary Duff - With Love (Disco Villains Remix)

Chromeo vs. Rihanna - Don’t Stop The Fancy Footwork (Hood Internet Mix)

Mariah Carey - I’ll be Lovin’ You Long Time (Gejius Dandy Lion Remix)

Midfield General - Disco Sirens (Push Rub Electro Mix)