It's hard to come to terms with my feelings about the song below. Christmas is such a joyous holiday, it's really hard to warm up to such a lyrically depressing track like LCD Soundsystem's new one Christmas Will Break Your Heart. On one hand, there's complete elation that LCD released their first new track in five years since disbanding and mostly retiring. On the other, it's a depressing and emotional ballad that will tug and pull at your heart strings for a full four and a half minutes. Man, take the roller coaster of emotion with a grain of salt, but whatever you do, don't take it too seriously and by all means have a Merry Christmas...#ChristmasWillBreakYourHeart
I'll put it this way, when blogs start raving about a collaboration three weeks before a track is set to be released, it's probably going to pretty big. Sure it helps to hype it up and reveal mysterious cover art, but I'm not sure I could have imagined a more interesting group of artists getting together on one track. Needless to say, when I learned that the mystery collaboration was going to be @gorillazband, James Murphy of @lcdsoundsystem and Andre 3000 of Outkast, I Googled around for at least 15 minutes (which is an eternity on Google) trying to learn about how in the hell this was happening.
I mean that in a dumbfounded, but in a good way type of tone too because I'm a fan individually of all three of them. I'd even venture to say that between James Murphy and Three Stacks, you've got two of the most independent thinking artist of my time. That means the track has to be better than a chipotle burrito to a hungover college student, right?
Well...sadly...no. Huge credit needs to be given to Converse for having the audacity to pull together such an ambitious Molotov of talent on one track, but I like it to combining your three favorite foods together. I mean I like peanut butter, cheese and a good cognac, but would I ever combine those three together? Ummmm...rhetorical doesn't do justice to that statement. Only really awesome thing that came out of this track is Andre's off the chain verse that set the lyrical creativity bar up a notch with his onomatopoeia based display of nonesense tied together nicely ("Asinine ass, and a gorgeous coochie").
It's interesting reading Pitchfork's interview with James Murphy and @damonalbarn of the Gorillaz. From what it sounds like, they really clicked in studio and it all just flowed well together. I honestly wish really badly that I liked the track more, I really do. Oh well, hopefully there's a round two and even if there isn't please lord...let LCD and/or Outkast get back together for one more album. Hell I'll even take a cameo concert from either, I'm not asking for much!...#2012Wishes
Gorillaz ft. James Murphy & Andre 3000 – Do Ya Thing |Download
It's funny how things come full circle sometimes. When I say full circle, maybe I mean, it's cool how things evolve to a point where you can look back and realize something was cooler than it appeared to be when you first saw it. For example, years before I started getting into @drh3, I witnessed him play guitar for John Mayer (no twitter handle since he left his 3.7 million followers behind). At the time, he wasn't more of a background singer and guitar player, but as the years went by and I found some of his greatsolotracks, I found myself looking back and wishing he had been a bigger part of the John Mayer show.
I saw all this to lay the ground work for how I was first introduced to @sleighbells. It was at the Philly Cruise Terminal watching them open for the legendary LCD Soundsystem. As an quick sidebar, easily one of the three best concerts I've ever been to. Their live act is so off the chain, it's disgusting and I'm still upset they retired prematurely. Aaaannnyways, long story short I got to see Sleigh Bells up close and personal for the first time and not knowing what to expect, I thought their music was a little too noisy and raucous to be enjoyed in concert...#NerdVoice
Looking back a little now, I feel pretty stupid because I now understand and have somewhat harnessed their kickassedness as time has gone on. I really took a liking to Riot Rhythm and even better, their new single sounds like @ratatatmusic chipped in some of their crazy electro guitar riffs in the background of Born to Lose. I even went back and copped their whole debut album Treats and gave it a spin after hearing their new single. Evidently their sophomore album Reign of Terror is due out in Feb and will feature even more in your face, loud as (F word) block rocking beats. I can't wait, let's crank it up, Christmas is less than a week y'all...#LetsRage
For months I had been looking forward to seeing LCD Soundsystem in concert. I've only begun to scratch the surface on my new electro/Indie/dance obsession, but this concert was, in my eyes, a way to take a headlong dive into the genre of music. I say that for two reasons, the first being LCD produces music that relies heavily on live instrumentation, which regardless of genre, is fun to watch live. Second, they've got a really really dedicated cult following that is fascinating to me. The best way to describe it is that I told many people that I was going to the concert and 95% didn't know who they were and the other 5% had this look in their eyes like "I wonder if he has the tickets on him right now so I can find a way to steal them because that show has been sold out for a while and I would do anything to see that show." Very polarizing, but that did nothing but add to the hype and anticipation I had going into the show...
...which was hard to describe, but the best I can come up with is uncontrolled chaos that was a byproduct of out of control dancing. When I say out of control, think as crowded as a mosh pit, but instead of intentionally pushing everyone around you, it was unintentional as everyone in the crowd put their own dancing interests above the next person's well-being. You got me on that description? Anyways, it was nuts on a level that I didn't anticipate or even intend to be in the middle of...but the fact of the matter was, I was in the heart of the chaos and I didn't see repositioning my spot as an option, opting instead to embrace the debauchery that was surrounding me and live in the moment. Sure the limited edition Great Whites got a little dirty from being stepped on all night and I had to clean them something fierce this week, but it was all well worth being able to soak in the intensity and sheer awesomeness of the music I was witnessing. So many instruments and elements that went into every beat, it was just cool on a level I hadn't witnessed before and I can see exactly why people covet their concerts so much.
What needs to be mentioned also is the perfect setup for the concert being on the Naval Base in South Philly (called Philly Cruise Terminal). The acoustics were off the chain, making the club bass shake your heart ever so gently with every deep bass hit. I took a zoomed out shot of the scene and it looks like a haunted house, which it was far from, but gives a visual of how long (like a football field) the terminal was...
Really cool venue, hope to go to another concert there soon. Below is a their opening track, which just so happens to be my favorite of theirs Dance Yrself Clean. I had to cut it off at a minute because the crowd went absolutely Alexander GraHAM Bell as soon as the beat dropped around the 3 min mark. Needless to say it was no place for a camera to be out when that madness overcame everyone...here's a taste...
I'm still not sure if hearing your favorite track as the first song of a concert is the worst thing ever at a concert or not. I'm leaning toward yes because it kills the anticipation, but at the same time, you usually get a longer, more drawn out original version of the track since it's the intro to the show. Glass half full would say at least they played your favorite song right? Needless to say it was a great great great show and if you have a chance to see them live, you might as well book yourself for a felony because it is grand theft being able to see them for around $30.
In addition to the epic show, I managed to score two free M.I.A. tickets in line waiting to get into the LCD show. I've been a casual fan of her work and decided what the hell, I'm gonna be down in Philly anyways for the Mets/Phils game, so might as well check it out. Especially because Bmore club specialist Rye Rye was going to be opening up for her. If you're not sure who she is, she became big with this track here and embodies the whole craziness that goes along with Bmore club dancing. Lemme tell you what, if you don't learn and/or try new dance moves after seeing her perform, you either have no rhythm or you suck at dancing and think you're better than you actually are. Think fast club bass with a Hip Hop flavor...almost dance Rap if you will, it's a really cool under appreciated sub-genre of Hip Hop and I'm gonna do my absolute best to keep putting it on blast through this blog.
Moving on to the main act, M.I.A....well...she has more energy at her shows than a 5 Hr energy mixed with a Redbull. Case in point, her concert entrance below...
The show never let off the gas pedal...not once for over an hour. I recognized a few tracks and bounced around all ignorant and crazy with my five fingered gats blazin' when Paper Planes came on. It was just a fun show to be at and it was partly because of the girl I took to the concert, who deserves a shout out (I see you melo!) because she (like me) is an absolute dancin' machine with all kinds of rhythm (that was primarily meant to give her credit even though it probably came off more than a little cocky on my part hah!). You know when you're dancing with someone you just met and every move is in sync with them no matter how fast or slow the music is you are dancing to? That's wassup...and for all you guys needing a tip right quick, here's a free one. If you see a bachelorette party at a bar, don't hesitate to throw yourself in the mix and start dancin', it ends up being a great decision more often than not...#Truth + #FirsthandExperience
If you haven't already you should cop both @_m_i_a_'s new ablbum Maya as well as @lcdsoundsystem's new album This is Happening. Below is LCD's newest video for their track Home, give it a look...
Never a dull moment in the world of Scott Mescudi as he continues his genre bending collaborations that have consistently lit a fire under the traditional Hip Hop sound...a sound that before the likes of Cudi, B.O.B., Drake had taken on a somewhat monotonous, vanilla tone. One thing that's becoming increasingly clear is that his new album Man on the Moon II: The Legend of Mr. Rager will continue to push the boundaries of Hip Hop and maybe on more of an Alt/Emo/Rock tip. I say that because of this track, which is every bit Contemporary, borderline Emo Rock mixed with Hip Hop and if you combine it with the sounds of his first single with Kanye titled Erase Me, which is a Pop/Rock track meant for radio consumption (and has also been wiped off the face of YouTube after the radio rip leaked...you better believe I'm postin' that shit once the CDQ drops), it seems like his sophmore albums is setting sail towards a more alt-rock vibe.
This collaboration dubbed "Three Artists One Track" is being marketed as a Converse promo. In an interview with Hip Hop DX, Geoff Cottrill, Chief Marketing Officer of Converse, said that it was important to bring a diverse trio together for this project.
"It is exciting to be able to bring Kid Cudi, Rostam, and Best Coast together to create an original piece of music that blends their musical styles in a fresh and unique way. These artists are all at different stages in their careers and at the forefront of creating innovative music so it was no surprise that the single came out as great as it did. We couldn't be more proud to have a role in making this track come to life." -Source
As if the song wasn't weird enough, the video definitely topped it off with the huge heads. To be honest, I'm not all that familiar with Best Coast or Vampire Weekend, I did do a skit earlier this month at a familiar reunion to their song Cousins, so after hearing that song beaten into my memory I feel like I've got somewhat of a feel for their sound and what they bring to the table. Definitely a lot of fast paced drumming to go with an odd mix of percussion/guitar. Funny that what sounds weird to me can sound great when combined with a little bit of Cudi.
Kid Cudi has single handedly opened my music world up to so many new sounds and widened my seemingly myopic taste in music to now include tremendously underrated artists like LCD Soundsystem, Ratatat and Band of Horses. If you're not sure who they are, you should probably get on my song list because June's list was allll about that electro funk that the aforementioned artists bring. If you read my long-winded album review of Cudi's Man on the Moon: The End of Day, you'll gain more of an understanding for how much I appreciate his music. Keep it up Cudi, wherever you want to take your musical tastes, I will follow...
Give it a listen...and support Converse, they tend to make smart business decisions...
Kid Cudi feat Rostam Batmanglij (of Vampire Weekend) & Bethany Cosentino (of Best Coast) - All Summer (Three Artists One Track)
| Download
Truth be told, I've been jammin' out to this new Mikey Posner joint for a couple months now, only to find out it's spreading like a wildfire on radio stations everywhere. When I have people who I don't usually provide music for coming up to me saying, "hey do you have that new Cooler Than Me song by I dunno who, but do you know what I'm talking about?", you know it's officially permeated the pop culture barrier.
Did I see that one coming? Not one bit, I mean I really like the song and Mike Posner is a really talented artist, who has been under the radar for a while and has received beaming endorsements from my Chi-town friends who are quick to point out how good of a performer he is. In fact, I remember hyping an artist named Na Palm who was opening for Mike Posner about a month ago. For all of you in the Chicago area who missed that concert you're probably kicking yourself because similarly, 2AM Club's Worry About You has blown up all over radio stations and Posner, Napalm and 2AM Club were all on the ticket.
This whole Hip Hop/Electro movement that mainstream radio has deemed "in" right now is a trend I hope continues for quite a while. Between this, the influence of David Guetta, Crookers, LCD Soundsystem (see newest Kid Cudi sample), MGMT, Ratatat, even DJ Class who is injecting techno/dance into Hip Hop...it's coming from all angles geared toward upbeat dance music.
For all of you who aren't very familiar with Mike Posner, go ahead and check out both of his mixtapes he released, One Foot Out the Door and A Matter of Time. In the video below Mike speaks about his upcoming album 35 Minutes to Takeoff due out second week of August, which coincidentally is 35 minutes long and "at the end of the 35 minutes he's going to be at a different spot (career wise)".
Real soft spoken, animated dude who has that subtle confidence in the video above that makes me believe he's going to make a splash with this new album. Guess we'll see once August comes around, enjoy the remix...
Mike Posner - Cooler Than Me (Gigamesh Remix)
| Download
BONUS: Already done a New Artist Spotlight on Napalm, so I'd be remiss if I didn't include the official remix that he donated a verse on. Give it a listen...
Mike Posner feat Napalm - Cooler Than Me (Remix)
| Download
Pretty crazy that a track this good is seen by Cudi as "an idea i had that me and Chip decided to do for fun. as of right now its not on anything, we just recorded it and put it out just for the fuck of it." - Source
The background is borrowed from LCD Soundsystems's track Dance Yrself Clean. Check out the track below if you're curious, but everything from the lyrical sample at the end to the electro beat breakdown between verses comes from this track.
Entertaining how he used a clip from Christian Bale's expletive laden Terminator set meltdown and blended it with LCD Soundsystem's sampled lyrics of "Talking like a jerk, except you are an actual jerk and living proof". Very fitting, fun, lighthearted, it's all good, I laughed if you were wondering.
Let's see Ratatat, MGMT, LCD Soundsystem...I'm starting to see a pattern here of Indie/Rock/Electro groups that Cudi is hitting up...in a presumable attempt to corner the Indie Hip hop crowd? Hell, more power to you Moon Moon man...wait I mean Rager? For all of you that missed the announcement, below is going to be his next album's title...due out sometime in the Aug/Sept range.
as well as @lcdsoundsystem's new album 
. Below is LCD's newest video for their track Home, give it a look...
