Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Burns Went All Primadonna on Marina


Full disclosure here, Travis Ritchie get's credit for puttin' me on the track below. It's been out about a month now, but Burns did some work on flipping Marina and the Diamonds' pop-synth single Primadonna into an listenable electronic track. The remix must have been considered a success because the group posted it to their YouTube station in the form of the video below...

If you aren't up on Burns, he's from the UK and is about to drop an album in mid-May. In fact, he just released the visuals from the title track to his upcoming Limitless EP last week. Give it a look, or just check back because there's a good chance I'll be posting more from him...#Limitless

Marina and the Diamonds - Primadonna (Burns Remix)

Monday, April 29, 2013

"I'm Floating Through the Night on a Red Eye, Red Eye"


After a quick first lap around Indicud, I'm already ready to pick a favorite track on the album. I can't say it's a surprise because when I caught wind of Scotty's collabo with Haim, it shot to the top of my most anticipated tracks right behind this one. There's an undeniable calmness about Red Eye that is addictive. The sisters are quickly becoming one of my favorite up and comers because of tracks like this one and Falling. It's a little strange that Cudi only chips in background vocals on Red Eye, but sometimes helping produce the track with Hit Boy and getting the hell outta the way is the best way to go. I'm going to have this on very heavy repeat over the next week or so...#Indicud

Kid Cudi feat Haim - Red Eye (prod by Hit Boy)

Sunday, April 28, 2013

Nero is Actually Capable of Making Mellow Music


The Great Gatsby Soundtrack just got a little bit greater with Nero's new track below. We still haven't gotten a full version of the Beyonce and Andre 3000's track off the album and it's already one of the more interesting compilations in recent memory. The craziest part about Nero's contribution to the soundtrack is that it established a new level of mellowness for the usually rowdy group. The melancholy and ethereal tone the track takes on is a little out of the ordinary, but interesting nonetheless. In my eyes it shows their ability to play to different audiences, but I could see how their fans could be like WTF? Regardless, the real take away is, Jay-Z did an excellent job at putting this soundtrack together...#TheGreatGatsby

Nero - Into the Past

Saturday, April 27, 2013

"We're Ridin' on a Wave Baby"


If you're in the mood for some Passion Pit and tired of waiting for new material, let me introduce you to The Crystal Fighters. They have a similar Indie vigor and happy-go-lucky tone that is accomplished through easy listening electronics. Evidently their second album Cave Rave is dropping at the end of May and it will include tracks like their newest single You and I. It feels good to listen to a group I've never heard of, especially when it results in me really liking their music. Hopefully you give them the same chance that I did...#CaveRave

Crystal Fighters - Wave

Friday, April 26, 2013

Videos of the Week April 26th


Alright now that making promo videos for festivals is becoming "the cool thing to do", it's starting to wear on me. Not only are these awesome festivals generally nowhere near me, now I get to see the highlights and promos for them...awesome! The newest one being the Hard Summer concert taking place in LA August 3rd-4th. The lineup looks to be pretty killer.

Aside from that, there are two entertaining behind the scenes videos below to go with David Guetta and T.I.'s new visual creations. Quick sidebar, I'll be in Paris the next ten days, so apologies if seems like I've all the sudden developed a new music blind spot. I'll do what I can to keep up with the daily routine, don't you worry...#NoDaysOff
Hard Summer Concert in LA Trailer

David Guetta feat Ne-Yo & Akon - Play Hard (Video)

T.I., B.o.B, Kendrick Lamar - Memories Back Then (Video)

Stafford Brothers feat Lil Wayne & Christina Milian - Hello (BTS)

J Cole feat Miguel - Power Trip (BTS)

Thursday, April 25, 2013

"Will You Still Love Me When I'm Not Longer Beautiful"


This is now the second track I've felt inclined to post off the upcoming Great Gatsby Soundtrack. It's probably a no-brainer to anyone reading this, but anything Jay-Z executive produces is probably going to succeed. This time around it's through the sultry vocals of Lana Del Rey, who continues to carve this strange, new-school Nancy Sinatra niche in pop culture. For the life of me, I still don't know why I like her music, but all signs point toward her ability to sound unique in a world full of formulaic copycats. I can't say it always works, but as a writer and reviewer of music, I feel like it's partly my job to award those who make a concerted effort to run in their own lane. At this point it's probably more bandwagony to wax poetic about Lana, but just know that deep down there's rationale behind my decision to consistently post her music...#Originality

Lana Del Rey - Young & Beautiful

Wednesday, April 24, 2013

"Show Me That Big Dipper"


Everyone group in the music industry has their niche. For The Cataracs, they fill the wild, carefree party music void quite well. Saying their a go-to group for college party mixes is like saying Michael Jordan sorta likes basketball.

Despite the fact that The Cataracs have broken up as a group, it looks half of the group (Cyrano) is going to continue forward with the group's name. To be honest, I couldn't tell they had broken up based on the sound of the track below. We'll see if that changes as more music comes out, but for the time being...#PartyOn

The Cataracs feat Luciana - Big Dipper

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Jason Derulo Says No to the Friendzone


It's official, Jordin Sparks and Jason Derulo might be the most likable couple in R&B...sorry Nick and Mariah. I've always enjoyed JD's pop zeal and MJ-esque dance moves on stage, but in addition to that, it's hard not to cheer for a dude that broke his neck practicing his stage act. The good news is he's back and about to release a third studio album. Below is his recently released lead single, The Other Side, off his yet-to-be-titled album and a little behind the scenes action on the video for the single...

I can appreciate the message of the song because there are a lot of guys out there who willingly get stuck in the dreaded "friendzone." You know that area that guys are sometimes willing to patiently remain in hopes that there will be some more the friends type stuff happening down the road. Hopefully this song inspires more people to just take the gamble and push the issue without regard for whether or not there will be a friendship afterwards. If you want to date the girl, actively see if she's willing to fill that role, or else be content with her toying with you and target someone else. I'll be here all week for relationship advice, holler atcha boy...#FreeAdvice

Jason Derulo - The Other Side

Monday, April 22, 2013

Logic Was Just Added to Ms Jackson


Like many other extremely talented white rappers before him Logic is facing the uphill battle of overcoming the prejudice of being light skinned. Given, it's easy for me to play arm chair quarterback when I'm white myself, but without seeing his picture I know one thing for sure is the boy can spit. His flow reminds me of a slightly edgier version of Diggy Simmons, but what I appreciate the most about his style is his lyrical depth. He wordplay isn't based off rhyming four letter words, he's got a knack for telling a story and being articulate when he does it.

I'm a little behind on XXL's 2013 Freshman Class, but the fact that Logic was a part of the list gives it some credibility in my eyes. If you're keeping track at home, I'm a fan of Kirko Bangz and Travis Scott is growing on me, but the majority of the bunch are question marks for me at the moment. Another thing I noticed was that the Ms. Jackson instrumental inspired quite a bit of nostalgia when I listening to Logic spit over the beat. Man those were the days...#OutkastReunion

Logic - Roll Call

Sunday, April 21, 2013

"We Dance in the Waters of All the Tears We Cry"


Last week I posted Avicii's latest foray into country, which evidently was only the tip of the iceberg of new stuff he's got on the horizon. About a week and a half ago he blessed us with a legit promo mix chalked full of new album material. His newest single with Lana Del Rey is featured around the 4:40 minute mark of the hour long mix. Between the piano and Lana's distorted vocals, the track will suck you in before punching you in the face with an upbeat rampage of synth madness. Apologies for the radio edit, that's the best I got for now as I patiently wait for the proper release soon...#Avicii

Avicii feat Lana Del Rey - Dance in the Water (Wild Boys)

Saturday, April 20, 2013

"Someone's Gonna Get Hurt, And It's Not Gonna be Me"


Even though Skylar Grey is blessed to constantly have one of the best producers in the game backing her (Alex Da Kid), I'm resigned to thinking that her angelic voice would still be enough to make her a star. To her credit, she's become much more than just your garden variety hook artist who can propel a great single to a #1 single. There's a lot of rage and emotion in her music, which a great contrast to her soothing vocals. It takes some balls and a little bit of nerve to be able to sing the f word like she does in tracks. I've done a double take more than a few times like..."wait a minute, did she just say that?" You're damn right she did and she meant it despite it being sung so sweetly.

Her newest single Don't Look Down is the second off her upcoming album Don't Look Down, which is slated to drop on July 9th. By my count she's a solid 2 for 2 on singles so far with the one below and C'mon Let Me Ride. Let me quick reiterate, don't get it twisted thinking the song below is all butterflies and rainbows because there is a nice background fight scene toward the end of the track that will raise a few eyebrows...#FinalWarning

Skylar Grey - Final Warning (prod by Alex Da Kid)

Friday, April 19, 2013

Videos of the Week April 19th


Going off the reservation a bit with more of a pop vibe on this week's video post. On first glance, it's great to see Macklemore and Ryan Lewis continuing their independent assault on the music industry with Can't Hold Us. The sheer fact that they went to six continents to film the seven minute video lets me know they've got their might right and understand that success isn't guaranteed forever.

Add to that a full Drake set at the Jordan Brand Classic and a couple pop videos that are getting plenty of love on the blogosphere, and you've got a wide range sounds this week. On a quick side note, it's a little ridiculous that Psy's new Gentleman video has over 167 million views in less than a week. Is the video really that interesting??...#Gentleman
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis feat Ray Dalton - Can't Hold Us (Video)

Drake Live at the Jordan Brand Classic

Calvin Harris feat Ellie Goulding - I Need Your Love (Video)

Lana Del Rey - Summer Wine (Video)

Psy - Gentleman (Video)

Thursday, April 18, 2013

The Great Gatsby Soundtrack is Going to be Awesome

Now that we're within a month of The Great Gatsby hitting the big screen, the marketing machine is out in full force. If you've somehow manged to miss the trailer for the movie, press play below..
Yes, like you I read the book back in High School and don't remember much about the plot. What I do know is that the new remade version has Leo DiCaprio and the soundtrack to the upcoming movie is going to be awesome. Yea, it might have something to do with the soundtrack being executive produced by the Jiggaman. The soundtrack will feature new ones from Lana Del Rey, Beyonce, Andre 3000 and Florence & The Machine (below). The track is as dramatic and vocally brilliant as you'd expect from something Florence Welch blesses. I'd imagine this track is going to be prominently featured in the movie due to her high octane vocals. Not sure about y'all, but it's been a while since I've been excited about a soundtrack...#GreatGatsby

Florence & The Machine - Over Love

Wednesday, April 17, 2013

"Turn Around, Stick it Out, Show the World"


It's been a while since Baby Got Back got re-branded, which is something that clearly bothers Major Lazer. In case you missed it, their new album, Free the Universe, landed on iTunes yesterday. While there's a clear dancehall, electronic tilt to their music, Bubble Butt is a great example of their ability to expand their musical reach to the Hip Hop crowd. In other words, yes, there's a good chance this one might end up at your local strip club. I'm still not exactly sure where Bruno fits into into the track below, but what I do know is the phrase bubble butt will be stuck in your head immediately after one listen...#BubbleButt

Major Lazer ft. Tyga, Mystic & Bruno Mars - Bubble Butt

Tuesday, April 16, 2013

"Tryin to Find a Reason to Not Go Out Every Evenin"


So it turns out Drake lived up to his promise of releasing two new tracks this week. First it was the disappointing No New Friends with Lil Wayne and Rick Ross and now he's back on his R&B tip with the help of James Fauntleroy on Girls Love Beyonce. I really like the fact that he teamed up with someone I consider one of the most underrated writers and vocalists (James Fauntleroy) in the game, but the track amounts to an odd Destiny's Child Say My Name b-side. I like it better than his three latest tracks, but I still haven't heard that YES! track that produces the same excitement that any of his past ten singles have. I'm going to continue to give Drizzy the benefit of the doubt because he's trying flex his lyrical muscles a bit, but his upcoming album Nothing Was the Same might end up taking on more than one metaphorical meaning...#GirlsLoveBeyonce

Drake feat James Fauntleroy - Girls Love Beyonce

Monday, April 15, 2013

Daft Punk and Pharell Like to Get Lucky


If the blogosphere has any sway over what albums do well in 2013, the album that will get the biggest push will be Daft Punk's upcoming release Random Access Memories. The French electronic duo were electronica before electronica was cool, which is why I get the groundswell of appreciation for their trail blazing efforts. It's crazy to think that they haven't released an album since 2005, but the amount of hype they are getting is reaching epic levels. You would think that their new album is being released next week the way people are clamoring over their Collaborators project videos, SNL ads (below) and interviews. Below is the latest media release that came across today...

Their newest one is about as grown and sexy as it gets for electronic music. It took until the 1:06 mark for it to sound anything like a "usual" Daft Punk track, which shows a potential new direction for their music. I'm not quite buying into the hype as much as the the internet wants me to, but I'm intrigued to hear their new direction...#RAM

Daft Punk feat Pharrell & Nile Rodgers - Get Lucky

Sunday, April 14, 2013

"Hey Sister, Do you Still Believe in Love I Wonder?"


I gotta admit, I'm at a loss right now trying to rationalize the track below. I've always been an avid non-country`fan, meaning that I've ardently resisted just about any and every chance to get into the genre. Everyone has their one genre of music that just annoys them for one reason or another and for me it's always been country. Maybe it's the simplicity of the lyrics, maybe it's the generally whiny tone or a general lack of tempo. If I were to pick the biggest reason, it would have to be a lack of bass.

Personal vendetta against country aside, I am having a really really hard time not loving Avicii's latest Frankenstein innovation below. The track is called Hey Brother Hey Sister and there's a rumor going around that it could be an upcoming single. Country and EDM...really? Hip Hop/EDM is one thing, but country/EDM is a pretty big stretch that I had little to no confidence could be pulled off...until today.

And it's not just me either, Spin magazine called a portion of his set at Ultra "bizarrely twangy." First there were Beatport rumors that Avicii has all the sudden gone country. Then came his recent track with Aloe Blacc called Wake Me Up that sounds like a Mumford and Sons creation. It all amounts to me being somewhere between surprise, disbelief and amazed. I'm going to have to do some soul searching because I might just be forced to re-think this whole country thing because of the way Avicii managed to bend the genre into something incredibly likeable...#Speechless

Avicii - Hey Brother Hey Sister

Saturday, April 13, 2013

In the Mood for Some Soothing Dubstep?


If you're like me, you're probably exhausted as hell from a long week, but downright excited because it's Spring and the weather is taking a general turn for the better. When I heard the song below driving home today, it absolutely hit the spot, providing the soothing electronic rhythms I needed to be revived after a day's worth of work on a Saturday. The remix is cooked up by Seven Lions and is a marked improvement on the original below by Tritonal and Cristina Soto...
Nothing against the original, but it's straight out of Pure Moods, which makes it the chamomile tea of music. But the combination of Dubstep with Pure Moods type music is something to write home...or on the blog about. The remix is a little over a half year old, but in case you missed it like me and need a relaxing pick me up, look down and...#PressPlay

Tritonal feat Cristina Soto - Still With Me (Seven Lions Remix)

Friday, April 12, 2013

Videos of the Week April 12th


Little bit of everything from Hip Hop to R&B to straight up Indie electronic awesomeness this week. I still don't really have a good explanation for what type of music TNGHT makes, but what I do know is they take the best part of EDM (synthesizers) and mix it with the best part of Hip Hop beats (BASS) to create a marriage of epic proportions. I've always been in the minority supporting instrumental Hip Hop, so to see it take shape with an electronic twist makes me one happy camper.

As a side note, Major Lazer is still really awesome and Miguel has all but made it into the good graces of stardom...finally. No funny videos this week, but I'll leave you with an entertaining, current music hashtag instead...#Coachella2013
J Cole feat Miguel - Power Trip (Video)

Frank Ocean - Lost (Video)

TNGHT - Acrylics (Video)

Miguel feat Kendrick Lamar- How Many Drinks Remix? (Behind the Scenes)

Major Lazer feat Busy Signal, The Flexican & F5 Green - Watch Out For This (Bumaye) (Video)

Thursday, April 11, 2013

"Is There a Place Called Love in Modern Hearts?"


Either disco is coming back or there is an Indie electronic movement on the rise. About a year ago, I posted a track by The Knocks called Learn to Fly that sounds pretty similar to their new one with St. Lucia. In a way, The Knocks remind me stylistically of Matt & Kim, which is compliment because their free spirited music is absolutely awesome. Hopefully you're in the mood for something easy listening like I was tonight because Modern Hearts hit the spot...#EDM

The Knocks feat St Lucia - Modern Hearts

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

"You Are What You Love, Not Who Loves You"


Ya know what I said yesterday about my favorite track on Fall Out Boy's upcoming album being their recent collabo with Big Sean? You can flush that BS right down the toilet today after I gave a few listens to FOB's new title track for their new album Save Rock and Roll. The track is engaging from the start, marked by a rolling beat clap that leads to a vulgar tirade around the 40 sec mark. Definitely didn't see that coming, but unpredictable is usually the lyrical norm for FOB.

Sure, the hook is awesome and finds a way to embed itself in your brain on first listen, but after the first verse you begin to wonder when Elton is going to make an appearance. Then, like a closer walking in from left field, he settles in on the track. From there on, the track ultimately morphs into a powerful duet between Patrick Stump and Sir Elton (pictured above), which is one of the more awesome vocal combinations in recent memory. After the past two days, I've elevated FOB's album to must listen status, so keep that in mind next Tuesday when their album drops...#saverockandroll

Fall Out Boy feat Elton John - Save Rock and Roll

Tuesday, April 09, 2013

"Oh How the Mighty Fall in Love"


Now this is what I'm talmbout! Out of the three single worthy tracks Fall Out Boy has released since their comeback, this one is by far my favorite. And it's not just because Big Sean contributed a stellar verse, it's because the track has the rejuvenated vigor that their earlier music had. Patrick Stump is back to bellowing out addictive hooks and delivering his signature dramatic verses, which is the biggest reason FOB is back...to Save Rock and Roll that is. One week til their new album drops is an exciting headline...#saverockandroll

Fall Out Boy feat Big Sean - The Mighty Fall

Monday, April 08, 2013

Cudi Still Don't Need Nobody


This was a track I've had circled in big red sharpie for a couple months now. Today, it digitally jumped onto the internet in a not so authorized manor, but Scotty isn't about to lose a wink of sleep over it...
Based on the somber, maniacal tone the original Solo Dolo took on, I can't say I was expecting an upbeat, in your face lyric-fest on part II. Along with Cudi, Kendrick didn't disappoint, spitting with a maturity you wouldn't have heard last year. It's amazing what a year can, especially when you drop on of the best debut albums in recent history. Stay tuned, Indicud drops in two weeks on April 23rd...#Indicud

Kid Cudi feat Kendrick Lamar - Solo Dolo Part II

Sunday, April 07, 2013

"Hey Now, I Haven't Had a Good Laugh for a Day Now"


The core of my post last night about the Ultra Music Festival had to do with me lamenting over missing two weekend's full of my favorite EDM artists. What I didn't mention was the amount of great up and coming artists who lit up the stage in Miami like Martin Solveig. He used the festival to drop his new single featuring The Cataracs and Kyle. Off the top of my head, the phrases dope dance track and summer anthem come to mind. It's upbeat, catchy, go to the beach on a sunny day type of music. I love posting tracks like this that have the ability to immediately put people in a good mood...#SummerAnthem

Martin Solveig & The Cataracs feat Kyle - Hey Now

Saturday, April 06, 2013

Someday Ultra Music Festival...Some...day


Sigh...this post is an ode to one of the many times I've gotten the "why didn't I just fork over the money to go to that festival" feeling of remorse. Evidently over 320,000 people attended the Ultra Music Festival last month in Miami, which to me means that literally everyone in the world was there except for me. It didn't help much watching the promo recap video either...

Man, that video sure makes it seem like nobody who attended had fun. Looking back at the lineups for Weekend 1 and Weekend 2 literally makes me want to vomit. Seeing Avicii go on right before Tiesto on day one, then getting to see Deadmau5 and Swedish House Mafia headline the next two nights = mind blowing.

The videos aren't quite adequate replacements for the experience, but it's a whole lot better than nothing. The one really cool thing about the festival is that they taped damn near every set and you can watch them for free on the Ultra Musicfest TV YouTube Channel. Whoever made the decision to use the Adventure Club remix of Yuna's Lullabies made a very good decision... #ForeverInMyMind

Yuna - Lullabies (Adventure Club Remix)

Friday, April 05, 2013

Videos of the Week April 5th


Good mix of musical entertainment, viral videos and just plain entertainment from comedians losing at paintball. After reading Pigeons and Planes' well-written article detailing our fake friendship with Drake, it's only fitting that he be the subject of this week's rendition of videos. Drake let loose his new video for 5 AM in Toronto, played a cameo role in Snoop Lion's No Guns Allowed video and managed to whoop up on Kevin Hart's crew in paintball all in one week. The week as a whole supports the whole article's premise about how we know so much about Drake's life that we can both love his music and then turn around and make fun of him like we've known him for years. For example, his 5 AM in Toronto video is pretty boring as a whole, but he dropped a flawless verse on No Guns Allowed and backed up his sh*t talking to Kevin Hart by waxing him "I think we beat Kevin as many times as they played that John Legend song on Think Like a Man (Tonight feat Ludacris)." Cold!

Thanks to Drake, transparency is now cool again and for that I will forever be grateful to him for bringing it back. Even though we're his fake friend, he's better off with us and we're better off with him, so as superficial as it might be, it's a symbiotic relationship that benefits all parties involved. As a quick aside, make sure and check out that dueling saxophone video in the subway. The world needs more spontaneous music like that...#Saxophone

Drake - 5 AM in Toronto (Video)

Nicki Minaj feat Lil Wayne - High School (Video)
Snoop Lion feat Drake and Cori B. - No Guns Allowed (Video)
Dueling Saxophones Playing Billie Jean on an NYC Subway
Kevin Hart's Squad Takes on Drake's Team OVO in Paintball

Thursday, April 04, 2013

Wolfgang Overdoses on Awesome With Medina

"Baby can I OD on you?"

The more I listen to Wolfgang Gartner and attend his live shows, the more impressed I am with his ability to make great dance music. I've always been a sucker for small venues, which is probably why I enjoyed him so much in concert, but his music has the same type of appeal that Deadmau5 and Skrillex have. For his latest single, he teamed up with Medina to craft Overdose, a synth masterpiece that tastes a lot like Deadmau5. The hook is repeatable, the beat is infectious, it's just a fun track all around. Who is with me on Wolfgang being team captain on the all-underrated #EDM?

Wolfgang Gartner feat Medina - Overdose

Wednesday, April 03, 2013

2 Chainz Knows What You Did in the Dark


This one is a little less strange than the Juicy J and Passion Pit collabo, but it's still obscure. It took me a little while to figure out what was different on the instrumental, but the Hip Hop-ness kicks in around the 30 second mark. In the past I've been pretty critical of 2 Chainz's interesting career progression through the years, but I'm beginning to tolerate him. Maybe it's because he's constantly collaborating with many of my favorite artists or maybe his verses are evolving in quality...either way I don't always skip to the next track when his verse comes on. Kudos to Fall Out Boy for going Hip Hop on the remix, good things always happen when genres collide. FOB's new album drops in less than two weeks when they finally #SaveRockAndRoll.

Fall Out Boy feat 2 Chainz - My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark (Remix)

Tuesday, April 02, 2013

One Republic x Alesso - "If I Lose Myself Tonight"


Anytime the words progressive house remix and One Republic are used in the same sentence, my ears perk up. And it's not just average Joe DJ remixing it either, Alesso is one of the better progressive house DJs in the game. The seven minute extended remix might require a bit of patience by the listener, but it has the build ups and drops you'd be looking for in an EDM mix. Feel free to hop on over to Beatport if it strikes your fancy and lives up to the summer house anthem billing...#IfILoseMyself
One Republic - If I Lose Myself (Alesso Remix)

Monday, April 01, 2013

Chris Brown Goes West Side Story MJ Style


It seems only fitting that Chris Brown do a West Side Story based video with all the scuffles he's been getting into of late. Clearly not one to avoid conflict, he doesn't seem afraid of much, especially the Drakes and Frank Oceans of the world. Add to that the conflicting reports that he is still with Rihanna or they may be broken up...it's all one big show it seems like sometimes. Drama aside, he can dance...about as well as the late Micheal Jackson, who he clearly channeled in his new single below...

Fine China is set to hit iTunes tomorrow and will be the lead single off his upcoming album X. To be honest his lead single isn't getting me half as excited for his new album as the announced inclusion production giants Diplo and Danja on his new album. The visuals will probably end up making more noise than the track itself, but I'm optimistic he's got some heat rocks coming down the pike...#FineChina

Chris Brown - Fine China (prod by RoccStar)

eXTReMe Tracker