Snakehips Flips Lana Del Rey's Summer Bummer

Generally speaking, I like Lana Del Rey's music. Her throwback vocals always seem to reel me in because of how distinct and melancholy they sound. Even better, when she collaborates with A$AP Rocky, good things usually happen. Knowing all that, it was probably a surprise that I didn't post their recent single, Summer Bummer. Check it below for reference...



My issue with the track was monotonous vibe. Even though Lana can do melancholy with the best of them, it's usually because there's an emotional component to the instrumental that allows her vocals to shine. That didn't happen on the original version, but it did on Snakehips' remix of the track. They added a bit more bounce to the beat and clap to the percussion that really elevated both the vocals and verses. At the heart of it, this is why I love remixes. When done well, like Snakehips did, it can clear a new pathway to a track that previously wasn't there...#SummerBummer

Lana Del Rey feat A$AP Rocky & Playboi Carti - Summer Bummer (Snakehips Remix)

"And I Lust For Life, Keep Us Alive"

It doesn't get more dramatic and theatrical than a Hollywood themed duo from Lana Del Rey and The Weeknd. Picture both crooning back and forth for four and a half minutes. Nothing but pillowy soft vocals focused on appreciating the little things in life is what you can expect on Lust for Life. It's the title track on Lana's upcoming Lust for Life album that will presumably be hitting iTunes in the coming months. It's not very often I post a serious, hardcore ballad like this, so I'm going to appreciate it for filling the void of ballads on this week's playlist...#LustForLife



Lana Del Rey feat The Weeknd - Lust For Life

"It's Enough To Be Young and In Love"

Yep, it's about that time I zig when you guys think I'm about to zag. Normally this is the home for up and coming Hip Hop and EDM, but I wouldn't be staying true to my own tastes in music if I didn't post the occasional ballad. This week it just so happens to be Lana Del Rey's newest single, Love. Lana's steady, mellow harmony is distinct in that there's rarely ever any peaks and valleys in her vocals. Normally I'd find the lack of excitability boring as hell, but there's an undeniable soothingness that is mesmerizing. Her style would seemingly fit in better with the 1960s, but that's probably why she's able to stand out among the crowd of young and formulaic pop stars. Definitely be prepared to zone out and get in touch with your feelings on this dramatic ballad...#Love

Lana Del Rey - Love

ZHU Continues to Own the Dancefloor

Man, I'm really starting to like the funk coming from the direction of ZHU. He's went from mysterious to consistently dope in a matter of weeks it seems. For his latest creation, he flipped Lana Del Rey's West Coast into dance masterpiece. The remix takes the original to a place it never could have reached. Particularly, around the 2:50 mark when the beat hits full stride. For this of you who are unfamiliar with the name ZHU and his signature three white line logo, you should probably hope on the boat because it's starting to fill up...#ZHU

ZHU x Lana Del Rey - West Coast

Videos of the Week May 9th

Ah yes, an eclectic week for videos led by the much anticipated Electric Zoo 2014 trailer. Honestly, we should all be happy that the entire festival isn't cancelled after last year's fiasco. In other news, Coldplay has a new dope album coming out and they were gracious enough to let us in on another single with Always In My Head.

Further, you had to expect Steve Aoki and Waka Flocka would craft a hype video for Rage the Night Away. The real question is who yells better over EDM, Lil Jon or Waka Flocka? Tough call! And to close the week out, Dr. Dre gets the title as the first billionaire in Hip Hop as Beats By Dre gets bought up by Apple. Exhale folks and feel free to press play below as Tyrese attempts to crip walk and do just to the large scale business deal that just happened...#BeatsByDre
Electric Zoo 2014 Trailer


Coldplay Perform In My Head on Late Nite With Jimmy Fallon


Steve Aoki feat Waka Flocka - Rage the Night Away (Video)


Lana Del Rey - West Coast (Video)


Dr. Dre Becoming Hip Hop's First Billionaire

Photo Credit:YouTube

Gods & Monsters Enjoy Chill Trap

As I continue to build fences around what constitutes Trap music, I'm at a bit of a loss with the one below. Usually I associate Trap with loud, energetic Hip Hop sounding beats, but that's being challenged with ViLLAGE's remix of Lana Del Rey's Gods & Monsters. If you missed the original version, it landed on Lana's Paradise Edition of her debut album Born to Die. Feel free to check out is the video of the original for reference.

On the other hand, the beat on the remix is a little heavier, but sounds like a lullaby, which fits well with the tone of the lyrics. The result is super chilled out, but admittedly more engaging than the original. The best part about it? You can head on over to Thissongissick to cop it for free...#ChillTrap

Lana Del Ray - Gods & Monsters (ViLLAGE Remix)

Spotted at: Thissongissick

Videos of the Week Decemeber 6th

I've got a buy one get one free deal going on this week's collection of video. Due to the influx of videos I wasn't able to narrow down on five, so y'all get six. In particular, I'd pay attention to the PBS animated 2Pac video where they sketched up some visuals to match the original interview. The visuals do a really good job of portraying a lot of the messages 2pac explained in the interview. The video that's getting the most acclaim this week is by far Lana Del Rey's 27 min Tropico video. I'll say that there have been mixed reactions, but the common thread it that people react strongly to it.

I love how Lorde's legacy is steadily growing, and you can't get much more crowd pleasing than Pitbull and Ke$ha's Timber. Not sure about you guys, but I can't wait for Anchorman 2. Oh and if you haven't been teased by Detox for over a decade like me, then you should get excited for new Kendrick Lamar tracks produced by Dr. Dre...#Detox
Uncut Tupac Interview From ’94 Brought To Life In New Animated PBS Video

Pitbull & Ke$ha - Timber (Video)

Will Farrell Talks Music Cameos in Anchorman 2

Lorde - Team (Video)

Lana Del Rey - Tropico (27 min video)
Bonus Video:
Kendrick Lamar Beats By Dre Commercial (Directors Cut)
Photo Credit: YouTube via PBS

End of July = Summertime Sadness

Each year as summer winds down I usually post a nostalgic summer track that transports me mentally to a place where those summertime memories reside. Jay Z's Dear Summer might be my favorite summer memories track, but thanks to Cedric Gervais, I now have another to add to the group. Sure, Lana Del Rey's original version of the track could be grouped in the same way, but the uptemo-ness of Cedric's version gives such a successful contrast to the loathsome tone of the original. For reference, check the video for Lana's original below...
Wow, I didn't see her video reaching the 70 million hit mark after two weeks. That speaks to the distinctness of her style, there really isn't a good comp to her in music right now. And with a shot of electronics, Cedric took the track to another level. Anytime a DJ can get dance floor patrons singing along while dancing, it's a success. This remix should ensure that experience...#SummertimeSadness

Lana Del Rey - Summertime Sadness (Cedric Gervais Remix)

Videos of the Week May 10th

Run of the mill offering this week with a lot of Hip Hop and R&B. Evidently Lana Del Rey has become the icon for The Great Gatsby, which is fitting given her throwback style. Oh and this just in, Mariah Carey is still smokin' hot. Also, is it just me or are lyric videos now the new thing? I don't mean only lyrics as the video, I meant interaction style lyrics embedded into real videos like on T.I.'s Hello? Maybe it's the interaction designer in me, but I appreciate it...#UXMakesTheWorldGoRound

Mariah Carey feat Miguel - #Beautiful (Video)

T.I. feat Cee-Lo - Hello (Video)

Lana Del Rey - Young and Beautiful (Video)

DJ Felli Fel feat Ne-Yo, Tyga, Wiz Khalifa - Reason to Hate (BTS)

The Wanted - Walks Like Rihanna (Video)

"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

"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)

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)

"I Know if I Go, I'll Die Happy Tonight"

I needed a pick me up tonight, so I took a trip to Beatport in search of a track that would give me the energy to be fun tonight. Like any human being under the age of 30, I consulted the reviews and what I came back with was @CedricGervais's remix of @LanaDelRey's Summertime Sadness. If you're curious, check out the original below, which is much less energetic, but every bit as emotionally charged and sultry...like everything else LDR does...

Sometimes for a story to hit home, it needs some tempo to keep my attention. That's exactly what Cedric was able to infuse, which is probably why this is sitting at #2 on Beatport's Top 100 right now. If you're into House flavored EDM, you'll really appreciate how Lana's vocals cut the madness and provide a great tempo contrast to the surrounding electronics. As a quick sidebar, I had a positive user experience at Cedric Gervais's stylish website. Dude clearly appreciates aethetic, which isn't surprising after listening to the mix below...#SummertimeSadness

Lana Del Rey - Summertime Sadness (Cedric Gervais Remix)

Videos of the Week Part 2 Oct 14

It just so happens that Friday was the day for video releases, which means a lot of solid, entertaining videos didn't make the usual post deadline for the weekly video post. In an effort to mix it up, why not put up a videos part two of a very eventful week of videos?...especially when the ridiculousness of @SnoopDogg's new Hot Pockets commercial is just too good to pass up. The basic concept of taking his Drop it Like it's Hot track and turning it into "Pocket Like it's Hot" is funny enough, but when you mix in Snoop Lion swag lines like "I just heat it up, to eat it up" and "hungry kids in the crib ma, pocket like it's hot" Not a huge surprise that @AndyMilonakis is at the center of track either because the outlandish idea was somehow his brain child.

Beyond the product placement Hip Hop parody, I really liked @UsherRaymondIV's new video for Numb, @LanaDelRey's new video for Ride and @justinbieber's collabo with @NICKIMINAJ on Beauty and the Beat. Get the popcorn ready for the LDR video, which is more of a short film than typical video...#OldSchoolAmerica

Snoop's Raps About Hot Pockets (Video)

Usher - Numb (Video)

Lana Del Rey - Ride (Video)

Justin Bieber feat Nicki Minaj - Beauty and a Beat (Video)

Sub Focus feat Alpines - Tidal Wave (Video)

"You Can Tell By the Swagger and the Lips"

The track below is one of the most publicized and talked about collaborations of the past six months. There were interviews, an in-studio preview, a snippet, and a subsequent last second removal of the track from a mixtape that further fueled the intrigue. More specifically, the track was going to be included on @thekickdrums mixtape Follow the Leaders, but was pulled at the last minute by the suits because of the attention it was garnering.

The night and day, polar opposite effect that comes from @lanadelray and @asvpxrocky collaborating is probably where most of the intrigue comes from. It seems like the world is downright curious about Lana Del Rey and collaborating with an up and coming Hip Hop star gives her a wide range of visibility. The best part about it, the track is every bit as different as you'd expect. The subdued beat, quirky harmony from Lana, screwed up hook and smooth verse from A$AP is crazy unique and hard to ignore.

The track is supposed to land on A$AP's debut album LongLiveA$AP that will presumably drop by the end of 2012. The collaboration doesn't end there, though, as Lana took full advantage of the attention being given to the first collaboration with A$AP by weaving an interesting JFK remake in her National Anthem video (below)...

No denying the level of creative thought that went into that video, although it does take a small leap of faith to fully wrap your head around it. Regardless, it definitely has the interenet talking, which is more than half the battle and a big reason why Lana is so relevant...#NoSuchThingAsBadPress

The Kickdrums feat A$AP Rocky & Lana Del Rey - Ridin

|iTunes

Videos of the Week Good Friday Edition

Real busy last couple days for videos with @drake dropping his new Take Care video with @rihanna and surprising everyone with a double shot by simultaneously releasing a video with @liltunchi for HYFR. Shout out to Yoann Lemoine for directing the abstract video for Take Care where the random animals seem to strangely lock in the emotional energy in a symbolic way. You know art class type of stuff that get people talking because there's a lot to analyze...(let's be honest I have no idea what I'm talking about). All I know is Rihanna was lookin' like the white witch in Narnia. Also deserving dap is @idirectorx for the Jewish wedding themed, slightly more normal Hip Hop video with HYFR.

I think it was only fitting that I included @ritaora's new video for R.I.P. with @TINIETEMPAH. I say that because she's a spitting image of Rihanna in just about every way. Maaaybe she's a lil more light skinned and slightly thicker, but the alarmingly red lipstick and general sexiness routine comes off like a doppelganger. That's not a bad thing though, so don't even try and run with that like I'm hatin'. I'm pretty excited to hear the full version of @thekickdrums's new track featuring the polar opposites @_ASAPROCKY and @lanadelrey. Doesn't get much more interesting with a collabo than that! Have a good Easter weekend y'all!

Drake feat Rihanna - Take Care (Video)

Drake feat Lil Wayne - HYFR (Video)

Rita Ora feat Tinie Tempah - R.I.P. (Video)

Steve Aoki feat Kid Cudi & Travis Barker - Cudi the Kid (Video)

Preview of The Kickdrums track with A$AP Rock & Lana Del Rey

The Cool Kids, The Workaholics & Tommy Sandoval Preview LRG's Summer Lineup

"At LRG we don't grow up, we beast out"

Videos of the Week March 23

Some high profile videos flew across the radar this week with @lanadelrey's Blue Jeans video leading the way. By far, the most entertaining watch for me this week was hearing @royceda59 recount @SLAUGHTERHOUSE's past week on tour. Just the SXSW story alone was worth the watch because you rarely hear an artist openly admit that they were worried another legendary artist was going to upstage them. That's gotta be a baaad feeling when you're headlining, about to go on stage, and @kanyewest plays two or three tracks that ignite the crows and make you go SON OF A BITCH, HOW ARE WE GONNA TOP THIS?? It's that type of down to earth real talk that makes me respect the hell out of them individual artists and as a group. Now if they could only hit Philly on a night besides this Tuesday, I'd really be pumped...#WishfulThinking

Lana Del Rey - Blue Jeans (Video)

Slaughterhouse Vlog Episode 2

Game feat Kendrick Lamar - The City (Video)

OnCue - Kinda Late (Video)(prod by Just Blaze)

Trey Songz - Sex Ain't Better Than Love (Video)

Quicker Than a Lana Del Rey of Light

Ya know that old saying, "There's no such thing as bad publicity?" That seems to be a common theme I've noticed this month as I've managed to find two likable new artists because someone seemingly "important" very vocally denounced them as artists. First it was @donaldglover, who I discovered because one of my favorite blogs Pigeons and Planes did a long winded reactionary post on Pitchfork giving his album Camp a 1.6 out of 10. Nothing screams "your album is awesome and I have a personal grudge against you and don't want you to succeed" than a 1.6 out of 10.

Now it seems the public has turned it's eye to an interesting young woman named @lanadelrey. How did I get wind of her you ask? Simply put it was because @bwilliams's thought her performance on Saturday Night Live was "one of the worst outings in SNL history." In case you missed it, feel free to watch her performances of Blue Jeans and Video Games. And here's a good summation of the degree that everyone went HAM on Lana after the performance.

So what's all the buzz about then? Well for starters, Elizabeth Lizzy Grant transformed into Lana Del Rey overnight and released the video below, which is now up to 21 million views...

Video Games was the beginning of people becoming curious of her for a lot of reasons. For one, she's got a female Johnny Cash thing going on with her slow, drawn out diction. On top of that, it'd be fair to say she's sort of girl next door cute and her throwback style perfectly aligns with her "Gangster Nancy Sinatra" image.

So why is everyone attacking her? That's a good question and I have a few theories. First off, she's sooo incredibly different than anything else out that many people are skeptical of her authenticity. From the millionaire parents to the intricately recreated persona, the super botoxed lips...it's easy to see why people are skeptical. Add to that the @kanyewest comparisons because of her dark, haunting song lyrics and slightly inflated self-confidence and you've got a bullseye starting to form her back. When you describe your own music by saying, “Think Nina Simone singing a Cat Power song over Lil Wayne’s track. It’s Sick.", then it can rub writers (whose job is to come up with these creative descriptions) the wrong way. It's like giving yourself a nickname before anybody really knows you...#OhWaitSheAlreadyDidThat

If you're wondering how I feel about Lana, the jury is still deliberating. Do I think her reincarnation as a new artist is interesting as hell and she is worthy of respect for bringing something different to the table? I'd say so, but let's all keep in mind that her debut album hasn't even hit stores yet. My hope is that you take a similar stance and wait to judge after you hear Born to Die, which is due out next Monday, Jan 31st. From an underdog perspective, I hope she shakes the haters and becomes the rose that grew from concrete. That being said, I really hope she isn't being forced down our throats because she has a Rebecca Black type backing both financially and creatively...#FridayWillNeverBeTheSame

Lana Del Rey - Video Games

|iTunes

Videos of the Week Jan 20

Definitely went wide on my scope for videos this week as I managed to encompass a few videos that may have fallen beneath the radar this past week. Pretty cool watching @Yelawolf's journey with his Tide to the National Championship, as well as the in studio video of some of the quickest lyricists on the mic with @RealDjKayslay. If you haven't gotten a formal introduction to @Drake's right hand producer, I found it interesting hearing @OVO40 talk about how the Buried Alive (Interlude) with @kendricklamar came about. Lastly, if you haven't caught wind of the firestorm that is @lanadelrey, feel free to give her SNL performance a quick watch and see if you disliked it as much as Brian Williams. I'm only beginning to listen to her and she isn't half bad...or at least half as bad as you made her seem. I know we all love sarcasm via email, but in the world we live in, it's never safe to admit that emails are private. To everybody else throwing darts at Lana...#StopHatin

Lana Del Rey Performs Video Games on SNL

Nicki Minaj - Stupid Hoe (Video)

Yelawolf LSU vs Alabama Webisode

DJ Kay Slay f. Busta Rhymes, Layzie Bone, Twista & Jaz-O -- 60 Second Assassins (Video)

Bei Maejor - Mesmerized (Video)

B.O.B. feat Future & Trae Da Truth - How Bout Dat (Video) 

Drake's Right Hand Man 40 Talks Kendrick Lamar's Buried Alive Interlude