"You and I Cannot Collide, Running in Parallel Lines"

Not to take anything away from A-Trak since he's a dope producer in his own right, but anything Phantogram touches turns to gold. They make great music on their own, but their skills only seem to amplify when working with other talented collaborators. Their soothing vocals and overall Indie vibe are a breath of fresh air.

Another observation...Parallel Lines reeks of easy listening pop, which isn't something I'd associate with what A-Trak usually puts out. Suffice to say whenever a well respected artist goes in a direction I didn't anticipate, I generally appreciate it. That's exactly what happened here when my perceived possibilities of what A-Trak was capable of expanded quite a bit. Only down side is you'll have to wait a few weeks until May 20th to cop it. Until then feel free and wear out the lyric video below...#ParallelLines

Photo Credit: YouTube

Big Grams Debuts at Treasure Island Music Festival

You'd be hard pressed to convince me that there was a better one day ticket than last weekend's Saturday lineup for Treasure Island Music Festival. The likes of Gorgon City, Cashmere Cat, Run the Jewels, Hudson Mohawke, Big Grams and Deadmau5 all spaced out nicely without overlap seemed like a gift from God in hindsight. Rather than a full concert review, here are a few quick tidbits about each...

• Gorgon City - seeing a live performance rather than a DJ set was cool because there were live vocals in the mix. It allowed their set that was riddled with Deep House favorites to sound unique amongst the other DJ sets.
• Cashmere Cat - was surprisingly awesome. Maybe I just wasn't familiar enough with the type of music he creates, but it reminded me a lot of Odesza's melodic trap style. His set was the most pleasant surprise.
• Run the Jewels - you wanna talk about the South's version of the Beastie Boys. EL-P and Killer Mike go in and don't hold back one ounce of energy the entire set. There's no pause, it's just non-stop, in your face Hip Hop and rocking the mic old school style. There's a much deeper message behind a lot of their lyrics, but when it comes to going hard bar after bar, nobody can touch RTJ.
• Hudson Mohawke - man what can I say, HudMo brought his A game. His set has evolved a lot since I saw him at the Rickshaw Stop a year ago, but adding a drummer and keyboardist made a difference. It was the set I was most looking forward to and it did not disappoint one bit
• Big Grams - how many times can you say that you saw a group perform for the first time together? Such a cool vibe and their set was incredibly well executed for a first performance. They don't have a ton of music yet, but the crowd got pretty rowdy when they brought Killer Mike on stage. Their set was something I won't soon forget.
• Deadmau5 - last but certainly not least Joel came through with a show stopping headline set. The production value of his set was insane, as he slowly emerged from an egg looking pod that gradually shape shifted as the set continued. The most interesting part of the set was when he came out from behind the mask and rocked the crowd without his trademark mouse mask. I admire how his sets are always crisp, well-thought out and fluid. I'll admit to loosing it when he broke out the original version of Strobe...might be one of my favorite tracks played live by anyone.

Now on to the highlights from the Big Grams set. I included my two favorite snippets from the concert, which was tough because they set it off with Goldmine Junkie, Drum Machine and the Run the Jewels assisted Born to Shine. The lead verse from Fell in the Sun is such a classic Big Boi verse that I hope it doesn't take us years to appreciate how incredibly dope his swagger filled bars sound.
Big Grams - Fell in the Sun

The biggest surprise of the set was when they mashed up Outkast favorite Ms. Jackson with Phantogram favorite Mouthful of Diamonds. I can't say I was that familiar with the Phantogram favorite, but the audience energy from hearing the Ms. Jackson beat was palpable.
Big Grams - Ms. Jackson/Mouthful of Diamonds Mash Up
Other than the Okeechobee Music and Arts Festival in March, Big Grams doesn't have any official tour dates announced. I'm guessing that's going to change and when it does, I'd suggest scooping up some tickets because they put on a great show...#BigGrams

"Like a True Player Runnin' Out the Endzone"

Ah yes, the crown jewel of Big Grams' new EP finally made its way onto the internet and is currently wreaking havoc on speakers worldwide. If you thought you knew what heavy sounded like, I'd challenge you to rethink your definition after listening to the track below. Skrillex came correct with a rolling 808 bass line that will leave you wondering whether you have a whole pack of midgets in the backseat wraslin'. It sounds like Big Boi and Skrillex said, don't worry Phantogram, we've got this one and then proceeded to weave together a fierce three minutes and 47 seconds of loud bass and clangy percussion. It's only a seven song EP, but I'm fully bought into the genre bending rhythms that Big Grams has managed to put together...#DrumMachine

Big Grams feat Skrillex - Drum Machine

"Always Overstood, Never Undermined"

I must say, this whole Big Grams supergroup thing is really working well thus far. Their lead single Fell in the Sun was like a cool breath of fresh air on a day with no clouds. And now here comes the second salvo from ATL's finest in the form of Goldmine Junkie. Instead of it's heavy and funk filled predecessor, their newest track is more of a jazzy ballad. Check it out below...

When was the last time you hear Big Boi harmonize on a track? Tip of the cap to Sir Lucious for showing a wider range of skills. If these two tracks are any kid of indiction of what's to come, Big Grams' upcoming EP may be gaining steam for top release in 2015 when it finds its way onto the internet in two days. I certainly hope to validate that when I see them perform live at Treasure Island Music Festival in about a month...#BigGrams

ATL STAND UP! Big Grams is in the Building

Nowadays it's hard to come out of nowhere with an album and legitimately surprise people. Despite the odds, a dynamic duo formed out of the ether today and moments ago dropped a lead single. The supergroup, known as Big Grams, is comprised of ATL's finest, Big Boi and Phantogram. Between them, they bring immense amounts of funk and Southern drawl that packing a slow and melodic punk. Press play before I get too effusive with my praise...

Everything from the slow, bass and horn heavy beat to the high pitched hook meshes so well together. It's the type of fresh Georgia Hip Hop that we knew and grew to love in the early 2000s. I'm not sure whether it's the nostalgia that got me tonight or whether fresh Hip Hop is becoming increasingly hard to come by, but Fell in the Sun is hands down one of my favorite tracks of 2015 thus far. Stay on the look out for Big Grams upcoming seven song EP (that will feature Skrillex and Run the Jewels) due out on September 25th...#FellInTheSun

"Serious, Mind Gone All Delirious"

Despite having an on and off relationship with Danny Brown and his quirky ways, I appreciate his ability to reach across genres when collaborating. Last we saw Danny on this internet property, he was rubbing shoulders with Vampire Weekend on the Step remix. Now, he hooked up with Phantogram on the remix to Black Out Days. Original below for reference...

Really dig the chill vibe of the original, Sarah Barthel definitely leaves an impression on you with her vocals. Where the original was chill, the remix is borderline crunk thanks to a little help from Leo Justi. Feel free to jump to the 1:45 mark to hear Danny do lyrical jumping jacks all over the beat. This is a perfect example of what awesome things can happen when you inject a little Hip Hop into non-Hip Hop...#BlackOutDays

Phantogram – Black Out Days (Danny Brown & Leo Justi Remix)

Big Boi Switches Lanes on A-Ha

Another week, another awesome Big Boi track spun a completely new direction. I definitely didn't see the a-ha sample coming, but hell, at this point let's just roll with it. This week, it's a difference of one vowel with Big Boi's Lines off of Vicious Lies and Dangerous Rumors becoming Lanes.

Yes, you will in fact have a-ha's Take On Me in your head the rest of day if you listen to this, so listener beware. The vocals from both tracks are evenly represented on the mash-up with a good amount of chopping of the beat. It's skirts dangerously close to being disjointed, but the sheer novelty of the track combined with the familiarity of the sample make it listenable. Honestly, the alien driver cruisin' in the gif above is my favorite part...#Lanes

Big Boi feat A$AP Rocky & Phantogram & a-ha - Lanes

"We Keep it Cracking Like a Egg Yolk"

Very funky and grown up is the best description I have for Big Boi's new one featuring Phantogram and Sade. Yes, Big Boi comes strong with some pointed verses directed at the use and at times overuse of technology by today's society, but Sade's vocals are what stuck with me after a few listens. Her voice is so incredibly calm and soothing that when mixed with a funky bassline, the result is show stopping. Even better, Big Boi put together a trippy video where the computer screen literally sings to you. Check it out...

Taking it one step further, Big Boi is cool with your downloading it for free.50 via Soundcloud. It's all interesting timing with talk of this new 40 festival Outkast tour. It'll be interesting to see if both Big Boi and Three Stacks can crank out new solo albums before going on tour together. If it does somehow happen, though, we will all be much better off in 2014...#CPU20

Big Boi feat Phantogram & Sade - CPU 2.0

Phantogram - When I'm Small (RAC mix)

@phantogram is a co-ed duo from New York, that is tough to describe, but easy to enjoy. They share vocals, which adds a dimension to their sound, but the beautiful @sarahbarthel primarily takes the reigns. In an attempt to categorize them, I found myself at a loss for words, so I've found with bands like this, it's best to let the music do the talking.

Phantogram - When I'm Small (RAC mix)

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When I'm Small was one of my favorite tracks of 2010, and this remix from RAC adds another dimension to it. (RAC or Remix Artist Collective consists mainly of three guys: Andre Anjos (@andreanjos), Andrew Maury (@aemaury) and Karl Kling (@karlkling) that specialize in remixes, garnering a ton of attention for their work with @RaRaRiot, @TheShins, @radiohead, and @thisisblocparty). The track Mouthful of Diamonds was the 2nd part of Phantogram's 1-2 punch off their debut release, Eyelid Movies, that kept me coming back for more. Give it a listen!

Phantogram - Mouthful of Diamonds

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