Thursday, October 31, 2013

Halloween Means Ghostbusters EDM Remix


Yep, tonight's post was about as a big of a no brainer as you'll see around this neighborhood of the internet. I'll put it this way, when a talented DJ like Kill Paris decides to remix the Ghostbusters theme during the week of Halloween, my life is immediately made infinitely easier since it takes away the sifting, sorting and choices. The best part about the original theme is that it's almost entirely composed of synths. Not the snazzy new synths we have today, the old school ones that have become associated with the 1980s pop sound. Know what I'm talkin' bout? Well even if you don't, rest assured because Kill Paris managed to put his own stamp on the remix to ring in Halloween the right way...#Ghostbusters

Ghostbusters Theme (Kill Paris Remix)

Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Bun-B Gets Recharged on Roads Untraveled


An easy way to get my attention is to put the words "Linkin Park feat Bun-B" in the subject line of an email. In other words, you don't get that type of a high quality, cross genre collaboration every day. To be completely frank, I hadn't even heard the original version of Roads Untraveled prior to hearing the remix. Shame on me, especially since you can't un-hear a remixed version. If you were in the same boat, check the original below...

The Rad Omen remix below is different from the original in that it's sound is a quite a bit more energetic. The Bun-B verse seems a bit cut and pasted, but I'm willing to overlook that because it sounds pretty awesome. Before you go thinking that this isn't a "sanctioned" remix, think again. Linkin Park just released Recharged, which is yet another full length "reinterpretation" album. Needless to say, I am more than curious and will be doing a swan dive into that pool of audio goodness after I'm done writing this...#Recharged

Linkin Park feat Bun-B - Roads Untraveled (Rad Omen Remix)

Tuesday, October 29, 2013

James Blake Comes Thru With Some Drake


I'm still trying to figure out why, but James Blake's interest in Hip Hop is fascinating. His style that is consistently characterized by mellow vocals over calming synths wouldn't seem to translate well to Hip Hop, but he finds a way to make it work. That being said, you can understand why I'd jump at him offering up a freeemix he did of a recent Drake track. For quick reference check out the before version of Come Thru before checking out the remix below...

Make no mistake, he managed to inject some booty shaking synths into Drake's original. Fast forward to the 1:09 mark if you're wondering what I'm getting at. In general, I'll always have respect for an artist who refuses to stay in his lane that others create for them. Major dap is in order for JB, who flipped the original in a way that made it just as likable, but in a completely different way...#ComeThru

Drake - Come Thru (James Blake Version)

Monday, October 28, 2013

"I'm Friends With the Monster That's Under My Bed"


It's as if Eminem and Rihanna served up a perfectly crafted single on a platinum plate for us. Between Ri Ri's show stopping hook, Eminem's thoughtful and relatively profanity free verses and an extremely palatable beat cooked up by Frequency, the track has everything you'd ever want in a made for radio single. If you're counting at home, The Monster is the fourth single off Em's upcoming Marshall Mathers LP 2 that is scheduled to hit digital shelves in about a week on November 5th. Beyond that, there isn't much to say about the track because you're going to be hard pressed not to like it, but probably reluctant to love it...#TheMonster

Eminem feat Rihanna - The Monster (prod by Frequency)

Sunday, October 27, 2013

Feelin' Good is How Flo Rida Feels


Somehow, some way, Flo Rida keeps finding ways to release music that I just can't help but post. True, the formula for his success hasn't changed much at all throughout the years, but his uptempo delivery and high quality beats he's able to rap over have been the model of consistency. On his newest effort, DJ Frank-E cooked up a dope beat that samples one of the most heavily sampled tracks in Hip Hop, Nina Simone's Feelin' Good. Check the original below for a refresh...

How I Feel is the third single (Tell Me When You're Ready, Can't Believe It) to come off Flo's upcoming album, The Perfect 10. Most artists would feel blessed to have three total singles on an album, but most artists are not Flo Rida. In other words, Perfect 10 is shaping up to be pretty awesome and headed toward front to back greatness...#HowIFeel

Flo Rida - How I Feel (DJ Frank-E)

Saturday, October 26, 2013

"I Know I Should Have Treated You Better"


Ah yes, an EDM track that I can cool out to. With the help of The Kite String Tangle, Adventure Club crafted an easy-listening electronic ballad. The steady tempo is a huge contrast to some of their previous dubstep tracks like Retro City, but the melodic vocals on the track fit well with their sound on tracks like Gold and Rise & Fall. In case you missed it, Adventure Club released their four track Calling All Heroes EP on iTunes this week. I'm not sure about you, but there will always be a place in my music library for easy-listening electronic music that I can appropriately cool out to after a stressful week...#CallingAllHeroes

Adventure Club feat The Kite String Tangle - Wonder

Friday, October 25, 2013

Videos of the Week October 23rd


You look like you're in the mood for some electronic music, how bout a tall glass of EDM? Between the Calvin Harris and Nicky Romero/Krewella visuals, you should be able to find your way this week. Also, you don't have to be a Swedish House Mafia fan to find their upcoming documentary interesting. They recently hung up their synthesizers and before anyone could blink, here comes a story of their career. They are really good at what they do, so I expect the finished product to be pretty cool to watch.

If you're not in the mood for EDM, then you're really gonna enjoy Aloe Blacc's own video for Wake Me Up. Now that the Avicii version of Wake Me Up has run it's course, the bluegrass version is a very welcome addition. It's like finding a new flavor of you favorite cereal on the shelf. You know what it takes like, but it's a different flavor that make me fall in love with it all over again. Oh, and the next chapter of Captain America is coming out soon, so heads up on that...#WinterSoldier
Aloe Blacc - Wake Me Up (Video)

Captain America: The Winter Soldier (Trailer)

Calvin Harris & Alesso feat Hurts - Under Control (Video)

Swedish House Mafia - Clip One (Documentary Trailer)

Nicky Romero vs Krewella - Legacy (Video)


Photo Credit: YouTube

Thursday, October 24, 2013

Method Man Wants You to Jump in the Pit


As the EDM train rapidly whizzes by, engulfing everything in it's path, it looks like Method Man just became a passenger. The real question you need to ask yourself is, are you in the mood for a raw, uptempo, electro-Hop track or a loud, dubstep club pleaser that dabbles in Hip-Hop. If you're in the mood for the former, check out the graphic, animated video for the original Doctor P and Adam F track with Meth below...

No matter how you feel about the sound of the track, you've gotta be excited about the prospect of Method Man contributing to new music being made. If that doesn't excite you enough, then you might as well call this Wah Wah Wednesday because Datsik just injected a whole lotta dub in the step of The Pit. Honestly, for me, the remix below is about as much Wah Wah I can tolerate when it comes to dubstep. Sure, it's cool EDM sub-genre, but too much of anything that intense requires the right mood and crowd to fully appreciate. Who knows, you may like to wild out more than me, so you may like it even more than I do...#ThePit.

Doctor P & Adam F feat. Method Man – The Pit (Datsik Remix)
First seen at TSIS

Wednesday, October 23, 2013

Icona Pop Gets Chainsmoked


What happens when you combine irresistible pop with loud, club echoing electronics? Well...in short, you get an upbeat song that you can openly wild out in the club to like The Chainsmokers remix of Icona Pop's Girlfriend. It's impossible not to appreciate the sassy, in your face lyrics, but the loud, show stopping synths drive home the wild and free spirit of the track. Pretty cool that nowadays folks are getting so creative with synths that they can have the power to be just as catchy as a spoken hook. It's like having catchy elements sprinkled throughout the track so the listener never wants to turn it off. Novel idea, isn't it? Cop it ---> Beatport

As icing on the cake, Alex and Drew put together a video for the track. Anyone who has ever been young and absolutely went HAMilton Boulevard on a knapsack full of Halloween candy after trick or treating will appreciate the video. It's like when your mind asks you, "wouldn't it be awesome if you ate all of that candy?" and the rational part of your brain happens to take a moment off, so your mind answers back "yes, yes it would" as you headfirst dive into the land of sugar. Like the video insinuates, never lose that urge to be a kid and go wild every now and again...#StayAKidForever

Icona Pop - Girlfriend (Chainsmokers Remix)

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Wall to Wall Rock From Afrojack


The most common starting point of a remix is usually a producer or artist taking someone else's starting point (original song) and altering it or adding their own personal touch. Rarely do artists take a single they created and go a completely different direction with it. Case in point, Afrojack's Rock the Rock, which takes the core of the original track (Rock the House) and takes it on a rockin', robotic ride. Check the video below for reference on the original...

The take-no-prisoners, driving bassline is what makes the track below memorable. You want to talk about a club track, the track below will sufficiently fill every nook and cranny of you local discotheque without coming up for air. If you're in the mood for intensity and need a pick me up, this is your commute home track of the week...#RockTheRock
Afrojack - Rock the Rock

Monday, October 21, 2013

Call Skrillex Mr. International


Part of what makes Skrillex's brand of EDM memorable compared to everyone else is his incorporation of relentless, speaker rattling bass and dubstep rhythms. Like for example, when he recently flipped Chase & Status's recent single International. The reggae flavored lyrics give the track an added level of awesomeness that adds to the upbeat electro vibes. Simply put, Skrillex found a way to turn a solid track into a noteworthy remix that deserves a place on any college party mix. Don't leave this one off the weekend mix, you owe it to partygoers to share the energy of this one...#International

Chase & Status - International (Skrillex Remix)

Sunday, October 20, 2013

"I'm Tellin' Everybody We All Got the Spark Tonight"


Sometimes it takes a dose of quirkiness to make a song unique and memorable. In this case it's the vocals provided by Spree Wilson that cause the listener to do a double take. Part of the allure comes from the aerobic-instructor style, overly poppy enthusiasm of his delivery, but the jubilant tone is what makes the vocals catch your ear. Usually Afrojack doesn't need anything out of the ordinary to make memorable music, but in this case, he's got a real shot at a #1 single because of it's quirkiness. In other words, the radio is going to eat this one alive and go back for seconds and thirds. The club edit is a little more abrasive than the Radio Edit, but however you choose to take this one in, you'll leave with the same fulfillment...#TheSpark

Afrojack feat Spree Wilson - The Spark (Afrojack Club Edit)

Saturday, October 19, 2013

"You Be My Magic Number"


Is it me or has Australia been pumping out some solid EDM of late? First it was The Stafford Brothers, now it's The Potbelleez. On their breakthrough single below featuring Bobby Ray, they mash together EDM and Hip Hop with a pop rock hook. I'll admit, there were moments during the first minute of the track that made me want to turn it to the next track. Their best move to date was including B.O.B. on the track because it forced me to be patient with the track and not write it off as just another electronic track. The Hip Hop, drum and bass element saved the track from being boring and instead made it interesting. Check the lyric video below...
Magic Number hit iTunes yesterday if you're interested in copping it. If you're not into Hip Hop at least give the four second vocal ride out at the 3:03 mark on the track. Dude held his note for more than a few moments there to take the track home...#MagicNumber

The Potbelleez feat B.O.B. - Magic Number

Friday, October 18, 2013

Videos of the Week October 18th


Without a doubt the most eye opening video this week was the odd collaboration between James Blake and Chance the Rapper. The core of that statement has to do with the never-ending intrigue I have with cross-genre collaborations that mix two drastically different styles. It seems like Indie goes with everything these days, but the Life Round Here (Remix) struck me as somewhere beyond awesome and just short of epic.

It seems like I get a weekly reminder that I should have been in Philly for the Made in America Festival. This week's reminder came in the form of the trailer that successfully captured what I expect was the unbridled energy that the show created. Aside from those two big highlights, Bruno comes through with creative videos and Sleigh Bells has absolutely mastered the ability to rock a party. Because it was a slow week, I resurrected a favorite from the vault. If the final video doesn't somehow improve your day, you are way too left-brained and simply need to play more...#MorePlay

James Blake feat Chance the Rapper - Life Round Here (Remix) (Video)

Made in America Festival Trailer

Bruno Mars - Gorilla (Video)

Sleigh Bells Performs Bitter Rivals on Jimmy Kimmel

Ferrets Playing in Packing Peanuts

Photo Credit: Showtime via YouTube

Thursday, October 17, 2013

Flux & Dillon Chop It Up


Now that the proliferation of electronic music onto the pop culture music scene is all but complete, I guess it's up and time to start diving into the sub-genres of EDM. Tonight's feature, moombahton, which is the half reggae/half house sound that Dillon Francis' continues to champion. I've personally learned from Major Lazer that reggae does in fact mix well with synthesizers (cue up Jah No Partial), but the kicker with I'm the One is the deep bass that Flux Pavilion brings to the table. It's a whole mish-mash of high and low pitches that has the potential to get a whole lotta people out of their seats. If you're a fan of moody electronic music that has the ability to take on multiple personalities within a four minute span, you'll enjoy this little burst of energy...#ImTheOne

Flux Pavilion & Dillon Francis - I'm the One

Wednesday, October 16, 2013

"We Are, We Are the Satellites"


Indie and EDM go together like two peas in a pod theses days. The latest pod comes in the form of up and comers from Jersey, Cash Cash. They are looking to build off their debut single, Take Me Home, which can be viewed below if you haven't heard it.
As far as Satellites is concerned, I'm really digging the acoustic guitar turned synths sound on the beat. The Passion Pit-esque chanting gives the track a feel good vibe that matches the upbeat rhythms. Not sure about y'all, but Cash Cash is on my radar and I'm casually excited for their upcoming Overtime EPthat is due out in a few weeks...#Satellites

Cash Cash - Satellites

Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Skrillex & Alvin Risk Are Gonna Try It Out


It's been a few minutes since we've heard from Skrillex, but he's back with a raucous heat rock featuring OWSLA's own Alvin Risk. I'll say this, don't be dissuaded by the lead in on Try It Out. The track is very chill at first, but like any Skrillex track, it gets to the point real quick with plenty of electronics and bass to boot. Check the newly minted visuals below...

I can't put it any better than Sonny who proudly proclaimed:
"'Try It Out (Neon Mix) sets a perfect mood for exercising, hunting T-Rexs, swimming in volcanos, playing with catbug, playing video games, or just hanging out with your parents on a cool summer's night. If you're feeling like you need a lil umph in your rumph, bang this track and get pumped up for whatever ever it is you're trying out."
As if kissing a lion in a globe trotting video wasn't enough to get you excited about the track. The silver lining in all this is that Skrillex is going to soon be releasing a debut studio album. I think we can all collectively get pretty pumped for that...#TryItOut

Skrillex & Alvin Risk - Try It Out (Neon Mix)

Monday, October 14, 2013

"Gimme That Old School Love Right Now"


I remember about a decade ago when soulful R&B hooks were used on a weekly basis to compliment meaningful Hip Hop verses. It was a great chapter in music history that really represented Hip Hop's growing influence on pop culture. Stripped down soulful tracks like Lupe Fiasco and Ed Sheeran's Old School Love happen so infrequently now that when they come along they really stand out.

Forget the easy-listening, rolling, piano driven beat and beautiful hook by Ed Sheeran, the verses are what elevate this track to greatness. Whether anyone wants to give him credit, Lupe is one of the best storytellers in the game. If you have any doubt how well he's able to craft a meaningful, thought provoking narrative, give his third verse on the track a listen. It's deep, well-delivered and thought provoking all at once. And is it just me, or does this track sort of support the whole "after this one I'm done" sentiment from Lupe? It has the mood of a nostalgic swan song, which is probably what makes it so alluring, but it makes you wonder if he really might hang up the mic after his upcoming Tetsuo & Youth album. Let's all collectively hope that the album as a whole is as thoughtful and well-written as his first single...#OldSchoolLove

Lupe Fiasco feat Ed Sheeran - Old School Love

Sunday, October 13, 2013

"It's Goin' Down, I'm Yellin' Timber"


I have no idea why more people don't incorporate harmonica into their music. Maybe it's because there's been a huge resurgence of country/folk collaborations in pop music of late, but Hip Hop and EDM seem to be pulling in different elements as a way to stay fresh. Despite the awesome harmonica infusion into the beat cooked up by Dr. Luke, I don't think Timber will need much selling to the top 40 audience. If anything the huge fan bases of Pitbull and Ke$ha might merge on this one and take over the world...or at least the fans around the world that don't live in Australia since the Pitbull and Ke$ha tour was just cancelled.

If you're keeping score at home, Timber will serve as the lead single for Pitbull's yearly upcoming album titled Meltdown. If he doesn't manage to get it out by the end of 2013, it will mark the first time since 2009 that he didn't release a studio album. Pretty awesome record of consistent excellence he's developing...#Meltdown

Pitbull feat Ke$ha - Timber (prod by Dr. Luke)

Saturday, October 12, 2013

A Relaxing Marriage of Folk and Electronic Chill


As EDM continues to extend it's seemingly never ending tentacles into other genres like Hip Hop, Pop and Indie music, I'm still getting the impression that there's much more cross-genre collaborating to come. With folk music's resurgence into pop music with the likes of the Lumineers, Mumford and Of Monsters and Men, the genre as a whole is becoming that band chick in high school that all the sudden became really attractive when you ran into her after college. Oh how the tables have turned, EDM used to be the cool kid in high school, now they're trying really hard to find ways to stand out since their popularity has worn off.

Quirky analogy aside, Thomas Jack managed to turn an inspiring folk track into a super chill track with the subtle use of electronics. On the remix, he chopped up the original vocals a bit, but didn't take away from the storytelling essence that made the original what it was. As a side note, I appreciate that his cover art matched the mood of the track. It's those little things that people who pay attention appreciate depth. Cool out to this one over the weekend y'all...#LittleTalks

Of Monsters and Men - Little Talks (Thomas Jack Remix)

Friday, October 11, 2013

Videos of the Week October 11th


Interesting collection of videos centered around Hip Hop this week. I'm still trying to wrap my brain around the sheer awesomeness of Marina Shifrin's "take this job and shove it" video that catapulted Kanye's 8 yr old track Gone to 4th on Billboard's Hip Hop chart. Everybody would love to do this at some point of their life, but kudos to her for actually pulling it off and going viral.

Aside from that business, Eminem got around to make a new video for his video game inspired track Survival and Childish Gambino is starting to ramp up the hype for his upcoming album. Quick side note, that Travie McCoy and Jason Mraz track is dope as hell...#RoughWater

The Video that put an 8 yr old Kanye song at #4 on the Current Billboard Charts

Eminem - Survival (Video)

Childish Gambino - because the internet (Teaser)

Janelle Monet feat Miguel - Primetime (Video)

Travie McCoy feat Jason Mraz - Rough Water (Video)

Thursday, October 10, 2013

Deep, Hot and Steamy Music


All great artists experiment and evolve in ways we wouldn't have necessarily predicted. I hate to beat a dead horse, but don't act like you anticipated or expected the whole Country/EDM movement coming before you heard the Ultra Music Festival rip of Avicii's Wake Me Up and Hey Brother. Expectations are good for establishing boundaries, but boundaries are only for people who color between the lines and see speed limits as strict guidelines that are never to be eclipsed.

All that nonsense in the paragraph above was an attempt to set up The Chainsmokers new remix of BANKS' dark and loathsome ballad, Change. I'll afford you the momentary right to be taken aback by the lack of sythns in the track below since you're just as used to the progressive house sound that Alex and Drew generally bring to the table. But, after that, I dare you not to get caught up in it's deep grooves and raw funk. On the topic of the track's lyrics, I'll point out that as a die hard fan of Will Hoge's Blackbird on a Lonely Wire, I really dig dark ballads that shed emotion in a deeply personal way. You can expect the same type of experience with BANKS because she has the same uncanny ability to evoke that feeling of a relationship ending that you'd get from Will's Lover Tonight.

Comparisons aside, deep grooves combined with deep lyrics is a good look. Back in August when I posted BANKS' Waiting Game track, I told you to keep an eye out for her. I'm gonna echo that sentiment and continue to throw dap toward The Chainsmokers for taking me a place I didn't think I'd ever go with them...#GoDeep

BANKS- Change (The Chainsmokers Hot & Steamy Edit)

Wednesday, October 09, 2013

"I'd Rather Have One Night, Than Nothin' Forever"


This week has shaped up to be a really dope week for new electonic music. Maybe it's my own personal tastes, but the influx of chill, uplifting electronic music has made me a happy camper of late. Below is a great example of how a mixture of well delivered vocals with a steadily building beat can lead to a really successful track. Tritonal surfaced on my radar this past year as an act that I really want to see live because their sound is so easy to digest and palatable.

Matter of fact, I'm gonna make it a point to check them out on Sirius XM's channel 52 (Electric Area) this Saturday at 2 PM as they host their weekly show. I'd be remiss if I didn't give some love to Phoebe Ryan for her emotional delivery of the melody on the track. It's a challenge for a track to remain memorable without well-delivered vocals, so tip of the cap to her on that. Only crappy thing is, we gotta wait til October 28th to cop it, bummer...#NowOrNever

Tritonal feat Phoebe Ryan - Now or Never

Tuesday, October 08, 2013

Duck Sauce Just Got Bingo'd


I'm generally critical of well-known EDM acts remixing tracks by other well-known EDM artists. I'd equate the concept to adding dark chocolate to fudge. Both are great additions to any dessert, but when you put a dessert on top of dessert, it can be distracting.

Continuing with this food analogy (Chopped is on, give me a little leeway here), the remix by Bingo Players is like adding peanut butter to the chocolate syrup of Duck Sauce's Radio Stereo track. Instead of addition by subtraction, it accomplished the rare feat of addition by addition. This remix has a whole bunch of personalities, some channeling the original, others adding a heavy, club rocking elements. It's just huge stew of awesome that needs to be enjoyed at loud volumes...#RadioStereo

Duck Sauce - Radio Stereo (Bingo Players Remix)

Monday, October 07, 2013

Adventure Club Got That Thunder Clap


Usually I associate Adventure Club closely with what dubstep should sound like, but it sounds like they're not about to be keyholed anytime soon. Case in point, their newest single, Thunder Clap. Make no mistake about it, the track goes hard and falls under the reverberating, club bangers category of EDM. By my count, they're 2 for 2 on singles of late, which has me pretty excited for their upcomingCalling All Heroes EP, due out October 22nd. As a side note, I appreciate their cover art above and the general Space Ghost style superhero theme should play well with any electronic music listening audience...#Thunderclap

Adventure Club - Thunderclap

Sunday, October 06, 2013

Calvin Harris + Alesso + Hurts = Festival Anthem


If you're like me, you saw the title of the song below and immediately thought, "welp, that's probably going to be (fill in upcoming festival name) anthem." After listening to the track a few times, I gotta admit, it managed to live up to expectations. Take this with a grain of salt, but I think Hurts' vocals make the track more memorable than the synth chord progression. In other words, I can see the beat getting old real quickly once radio gets a hold of it, but the song has a chance to live a decent shelf life because of the vocals. The moral of the story is Calvin Harris and Alesso make great music, but I'd argue that they both individually make better tracks than what you'll hear below, which is more of an indication o. To me that's more of a compliment than a slight, but take it how you will and bang this one out for a hot minute before the masses get a hold of it via iTunes October 11th...

Calvin Harris & Alesso (Ft. Hurts) – Under Control (Radio Edit)

Saturday, October 05, 2013

"Baby I Wanna Be the One You Just Can't Do Without"


The few cuts I've heard from Duke Dumont have been on point to the point where I'd be awfully hesitant to take a shot at remixing them. For example, Duke's new one Need U 100% has a really funky electronic vibe to it that is really easy to listen to. Check the video below that gives a solid example of how to dance to tracks like it..

Yep, pretty solid track, but Dave Edwards' house remix of the track blows it out of the water. It takes the track up a notch energy wise, which makes all the difference. The song goes from being a solid contribution to a dance mix to the party starter. Serious dap is in order for Dave because he managed to improve on an already awesome track and do so in a way that will resonate with clubgoers who find themselves helpless to it's danceworthiness. Feel free and give him some love on hypem since he did his part to add a must listen new track to your weekend mix...#NeedU100

Duke Dumont feat A*M*E - Need U 100% (Dave Edwards Remix)

Friday, October 04, 2013

Videos of the Week October 4th


Now that Drake's new album has been out a week, it's time to start looking forward to his upcoming tour. Am I bummed that he pushed back most dates two months and I'm going to be attending his show on a Monday instead of Friday...well yea, but the tour is still on so it's water under the bridge. Nothing Was the Same is really starting to grow on me too, so maybe it was for good reason that the dates were pushed back.

In other news, Sam Smith is still the man and when he flips it acoustic and the audience is forced to focus on his vocals, it's game over. Oh and this just in, Rihanna released another scantily clad video...(yawn). Cool to see some BTS on Eminem's Berzerk video, but a little wierd that it came out after the video was released? Oh well, it's the weekend, go #Berzerk...
Drake Would You Like a Tour Trailer

Sam Smith - Nirvana (Acoustic)(Video)

Rihanna - Pour it Up (Video)

Eminem - Berzerk (Behind the Scenes)

Pusha T feat Kendrick Lamar - Nosetalgia

Thursday, October 03, 2013

"My Very First White Girl, White Girl"


When I first heard news that Goodie Mob was coming back together for a reunion I was a notch above excited. Now I'm starting to wonder if they've become Cee Lo Green and the other guys the way their sound has morphed into pop sing-alongs like their newest track White Girl. I get it, you've gotta craft a radio friendly hits to move units, but this is a far cry from their old stuff.

Below is their recently performance on Conan where they made it very clear what the most popular name for a white girl is...

Their latest album Age Against the Machine has gotten lukewarm reviews from the likes of Pitchfork and Vibe for it's funk filled, but not-so-Goodie-Mob-sounding style. If you like Cee Lo's style, you'll enjoy this one, but I'm still getting used to this new version of a group I used to love. Man what I wouldn't give for another classic like Black Ice...#AgeAgainstTheMachine

Goodie Mob - Amy

Wednesday, October 02, 2013

Come Watch Elastic Hearts Catching Fire


What an interesting collaboration. You've got the high octane vocals of both Sia and The Weeknd over a quirky Diplo beat in what amounts to an emotionally charged track that seems perfectly fit for Hunger Games: Catching Fire. The coolest part of the track is at the 1:40 mark where Abel seems to teleport down and finish Sia's sentence. Not sure how well the two vocalists work in a duet setting, but they both absolutely did there thing in putting together a powerful ballad.

With the premiere still about two months away on November 22nd, I'm starting to wonder the powers that be are going to continue to slow play the soundtrack leading up to movie. In case you haven't seen it, the new teaser trailer below will give you all the visuals you need to get excited about it...

With a diverse and interesting tracklist featuring the likes of the Lumineers, Of Monsters and Men, Lorde and Imagine Dragons, I'm not afraid to cop to being more excited for the soundtrack than I am the movie. Then I get I didn't read the book, so you could say I'm a middle of the road Katniss fan...#HungerGames

Sia feat The Weeknd - Elastic Heart (prod by Diplo)

Tuesday, October 01, 2013

"See the Necklace, My Life's a Completed Checklist"


Alright time to get down to the nitty gritty a bit on Drake's new album. Singles aside, there's little doubt in my mind that Tuscan Leather will continue to be the standout track on the album. In a world full of cookie cutters who think inside of the box, Drake went out and rapped over three unique beats in one of the longest album intros that I can remember. Respect to 40, Boi-1da and Nineteen85 for helping weave together three different beats into one track without it sounding too cut and pasted together.

The track is a reminder of why Drake's music reaches so many people. He puts thought into his verses that roll off the tongue and better yet, are repeatable enough for his audience to connect with them. Storytelling and Hip Hop have always gone hand in hand and the artists who ascend to the top of the mountain in Hip Hop are usually the ones who can lead you along a path by filling with anecdotes that listeners can hang onto. Shoot we didn't even know he had a deep falling out with Nicki Minaj til he told us on the track. Being able to open up to millions about something that personal, yet in the same sentence admit that she's always going to be there to ground him is a cool thing to hear. If you haven't listened to much Drake, this song is a good indication of what to expect both delivery and style wise from him. If you like any of the three parts of this track, you'll be able to find a whole slew of tracks by him that will suit your tastes.

Early indications are that Nothing Was the Same is going to sell about 658,000 copies the first week. Will he be reach platinum status by next week? The sheer fact that it's a possibility should say enough...#NWTS

Drake - Tuscan Leather (prod by 40, Boi 1-da & Nineteen85)

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