The one where I admit I know nothing about cool music

It's MusicMonday on Twitter. I usually avoid participating because I know nothing about cool music. With the help of a friend, I'm starting to learn, though. (Disclaimer: I am voluntarily and shamelessly bragging on my friend; I have not been compensated to recommend his music.)

I have to admit that I've never really understood remixes. I could appreciate that they (some, at least) sound cool, but I didn't get what inspired people to make them. Until now. My friend, Jeremy, has been submitting entries to a remix contest, and the description he wrote for his most recent entry put the whole remix genre into perspective for me:

Here's my glitch remix for Ro-Ro. The way I look at remixes is like directing a movie based on a classic novel. You take those words and tell your story. Someday, I would love to be remembered as the Quentin Tarantino of remixes! HAHAHA! When I listened to the words, it painted a very specific story for me in my mind...almost a female version of True Lies! In my mind, I saw a woman being the average young lady to most of the world, but is also a secret agent super spy! It's kind of my metaphor for what Ro-Ro's experiencing between being an international icon and a new mother. Hope you guys like it! J

Maybe this is a weird analogy, but in the writing world, remix reminds me a bit of fan fiction. You're paying homage to the original artist while putting your own unique spin to the story. Additionally, I always thought that remixes were only about the sound. As an English geek, I was excited to learn that there is almost a literary analysis of the lyrics and that this affects how the artist mixes the music (and Jer, your metaphor ROCKS).

Furthermore, Jeremy's post about glitch (it's okay to click on the link; I had no idea what it was either) helped me to see how poetic remixing can be:

I don't give songs a remix. I give them a re-birth.

But that's a beautiful concept: that every song, just like every person and every life-experience, has something meaningul in it. Something that can speak to us, if we just pay attention. And I get to discover these hidden bits and put them in the limelight. 

Now I find myself listening to remix for those "hidden bits" the way I look for Easter eggs in DVDs.

You can listen to Jeremy's latest remix below, and if you like it, feel free to vote and help him move up in the competition. (More shameless bragging: Jeremy also writes and performs original music. You can sample his CDs here. His single "Selfish Song" is one of my favorite tunes to blast and sing along to in the car.)

I'd love to hear your take on the remix genre and find out if I was the only one in the world who didn't know what glitch was.