"High Without You Now, Keepin' Up a Life Somehow"

One of the music exciting things happening in right now is the proliferation of Indie music into Hip Hop and EDM. It seems like every time week I hear about well-known Indie artists like Bon Iver collaborating with a Hip Hop or electronic artist. The latest collaboration of the Indie/electronic variety took place this week when dubstep wizard Dillon Francis hooked up with Orlando Higginbottom, aka the English Indie/electronic producer known as Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs on Without You. As a quick sidebar, he's got without a doubt one of the the best stage names.

The track starts off like your run of the mill mellow Indie track driven by mundane lyrics. Then, miraculously, the synths come in to save the day with a delightfully cheery pep that acts as a hook. It got my attention real quick and didn't take long to grow on me. If anyone is wondering how mellow can blend well with electronic music without the use of a hook, this is a sparkling example. Still no word when/if we're going to get a debut album out of Dillon, but who needs a full album when singles like this are leading the way...#TEEDinosaurs

Dillon Francis feat Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs - Without You

"I Don't Wanna Say Your Love is a Waiting Game"

If I had to pick a woman's voice that personified the word sultry, I would without a doubt pick BANKS. If you haven't heard of her, it's only a matter of time because she's got a deadly combination of soothing vocals and drop dead looks. She hails from LA and is about to embark on a North America tour with The Weeknd. Abel made a solid choice in choosing her to open because she a similar R&B appeal.

BANKS' new single Waiting Game is an introspective and emotion ballad. On the SOHN produced track, she openly laments in a way that is vocally reminiscent of many Lana Del Rey tracks. The slow and steady synths do a great job of laying the groundwork for her vocals to shine.

If you're like me, you're doing your best to play catch up and trying to consume as many BANKS tracks as you can. As my gift to you, below is the video to her most notable single to date, Warm Water...

Feel free to join the growing number of folks eagerly anticipating her debut album. Oh and in case you thought she wasn't accessible, she openly provided her cell phone number (323) 362-2658 in case you want to talk...#WaitingGame

BANKS - Waiting Game (prod by SOHN)

"Cause You're a Good Girl and You Know It"

Of course...the second I starting losing patience with Drizzy, he drops a funky, grown and sexy mid-tempo ballad that nullifies the mounting ill-will toward his recent musical direction. I'm now at a complete loss trying to figure out how he's going to blend tracks like Hold On, We're Going Home with the likes of All Me on Nothing Was the Same. Who knows, maybe the curiosity will reignite my hope in his upcoming release.

While we're on the subject of Drake, he reunited with Kanye last night at OVO Fest. As the story goes, Ye emerged and paid respect to Drake, giving him credit for motivating he and Hov to make Watch the Throne. Drake called it "the most important moment of his life." Check the video below of the highlights and interview after the show...
It's cool to see Drake so humbled by Kanye's presence and you can tell by his tone that they've had a distant relationship over the past couple years. But you got the feeling it meant the world to Drake that Kanye came and represented in his hometown. Just a good moment for Hip Hop in general and I selfishly hope it leads to a collaboration between the two of them...#OVOFest

Drake feat Majid Jordan - Hold On, We're Going Home

Mumford & Sons Have Never Been So Entertaining

Man, it must be awesome to be able to call on charismatic celebrities to play you in your own music video. Mumford & Sons may have made the video of the year by recruiting very identifiable actors/comedians to do the legwork on their most recent video. As it turns out, they got Jason Sudeikis (Marcus Mumford), Will Forte (Ted Dwane), Jason Bateman (Winston Marshall), and Ed Helms (Ben Lovett) channeled the band member they most closely resembled. Along the way they managed to dramatize Hopeless Wanderer to the point that the energy in the video ranged from folk to a heavy metal. You'll understand once you watch it...
Maybe it's cost or simply the lack of a dedicated following that prevent other bands from recruiting celebrities to play band members in videos. Whatever the case, I wish it happened more often because the video below was entertaining as hell. If you've been living under a rock, you'd enjoy living under a rock a lot more if you had Mumford's latest album Babel...#HopelessWanderer

Mumford & Sons - Hopeless Wanderer

Photo Credit: YouTube

"You'll Learn to Love How to Dream"

I'm still trying to figure out whether The Weeknd is becoming a household name because of his music or whether his cult-like following has tipped the scales in his favor. Whatever the case, it feels like there's a lot of excitement building for his upcoming album Kiss Land. Both Kiss Land and Belong to the World were received with open arms and I'm gonna go out on a limb to say that I like Love in the Sky more than both of them. Check the teaser video below that The Weeknd let loose this week...
I swear he's about as close to MJ vocally as you'll find in the current music landscape. Add to that his at times edgy lyrics that he delivers in a way that makes the vulgarity easy to digest. It makes people turn their heads, but in a jarringly acceptable way if that makes any sense. Shoot it made sense to me when I wrote it, which is more than I can usually claim. New album hits stores on September 10th, get pumped...#KissLand

The Weeknd - Love in the Sky

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 August 2nd

Tough call on top video this week, but if I had a vote it would be between Krewella, JT and Avicii. I'm glad that the world is finally catching on to Avicii's Newgrass to the tune of a top 5 iTunes showing. If you haven't caught on to Krewella yet, you should probably hop on that bandwagon before it's full. They make fun music. Period. If you'r in need of a Hip Hop video fix, worry not Jay Sean and Nelly have you covered...assist to Nicki for the twerking...#Twerk
Krewella - Live For the Night (Video)

Justin Timberlake - Take Back the Night (Video)

Avicii feat Aloe Blacc - Wake Me Up (Video)

Jay Sean feat Rick Ross - Mars (Video)

Nelly feat Nicki Minaj - Get Like Me (Video)

Photo credit: YouTube

"Understand That I’m on a Roll Like Cottonelle"

Sigh...I'm approaching a crossroads y'all. I've had to write this sentence a few times now, but in short, I'm not sure that I enjoy Drake's music anymore. Maybe it's because his storytelling was more engaging when he was on a come up. Maybe he used to be less about his music being judged and produced genuinely creative music that people could see eye to eye with. Whatever it is, the past four tracks he has released off his upcoming album have been so incredibly not like anything on his first two albums, that I'm left wondering if we're approaching a fork in the road. If he's gone by the way of hard core Hip Hop with dumbed down, mostly ignorant lyrics talking that played out I made it, look at me now business, then I've got a bad feeling that Nothing Was the Same may be our crossroads.

With all that being said, if you're not tired of 2 Chainz yet and have the time for a dope Big Sean verse, you may like All Me. Shout out to Key Wane on the beat and thumbs up to the Aziz Ansari Funny People clip (below)...

On the bright side, maybe his new album will be full of surprises that make September 17th the turnaround of my waning interest in my favorite artist's new musical direction...#NWTS

Drake feat 2 Chainz & Big Sean - All Me (prod by KeY Wane)

"This is How My Day Go, Swervin!"

What does a head nod inducing beat sounds like you ask? The easy answer is to press play below, but really you can't go wrong with anything Chuck Inglish produces. It just so happens that his latest heat rock off his upcoming album Convertibles, features his PIC Mikey Rocks. Yes, the same Banco Populair that used to roll around with Chuck in the form of The Cool Kids. I say used to because they broke up as a group earlier this year, but have ironically continued to make music together. Maybe it's a coincidence, maybe there isn't any bad blood. All I know is we as the public benefit from it, so I'm not gonna ask questions...#Swervin

Chuck Inglish feat Mikey Rocks - Swervin'

"But I Fumbled it When it Came Down to the Wire"

As I sit here impatiently tapping my foot waiting for a debut album from Haim, I can't help but be momentarily appeased by their new single The Wire. The sisters have a truly unique and engaging vocal delivery that's eerily magnetic. I'll admit, after the first few seconds I immediately thought, is this an Eagles Heartache Tonight spin off? Then it took a left turn around the ten second mark, paving it's own unique path with the help of a bubbly, synth guitar driven beat.

Even if you aren't feeling Haim's music, you can't deny they have a fun, light-hearted vibe that's hard to dislike. Their combination of throwback R&B with indie/folk is unique in the cookie cutter music industry. The single below is set for a September 23rd release, which seems like years away. Let's just hope Wikipedia is correct in stating that "In June 2013 they finished their album, which will be available in September."...#TheWire

Haim - The Wire

"Light it Up Like We're the Stars of the Human Race"

Leave it to Tiesto to lay down the perfect electronics to bring Ellie Goulding's latest single, Burn, to another level. To give some background on the original, press play below...
It's safe to say that the original was a pretty dope track in it's own right, but Tiesto's remix goes in a much different, equally awesome direction. At first, it sounds like a candlelight version of the track, then the drop hits and the synths kick into full gear. Safe to say, this is probably one of my top 10 favorite Tiesto remixes, which says a lot. And we gonna let it...#Burn

RT @ClubLifeMyLife: @tiesto's remix for @elliegoulding #Burn is so beatiful and emotional! Can't stop listen to it! https://t.co/PVnIoGZzpU

— Tiësto (@tiesto) July 28, 2013

Ellie Goulding - Burn (Tiesto Remix)

"Damn That White Girl Got Some Ass"

Seeing that both Pitbull and Flo Rida make the same tempo music and steady rep Miami to the fullest, it make you wonder why they don't collaborate more often. That's my general reaction to the song below, which is more or less and ode to all the white girls in the world who have enough booty to fill out a g-string. I dunno about you, but I really appreciated the cover art above that perfectly captured the essence of the track in the form of a Boy Scout badge. Even better, Flo leaked a preview of the video that is supposed to hit the internet on Tuesay...
Couldn't find much information regarding production on the track or the album name for Flo's 5th studio album. What I can tell you is that this will probably inspire quite a few Caucasian women to shake the modest thang that they're momma gave them in an attempt to fit in with black women who may have a little more in the trunk than they do. Here's to hoping that them white girls don't use this track as blind confidence to show out on the dance floor. With respect comes responsibility, make us all proud white girls...#BubbleYumBum

Flo-Rida feat Pitbull - Can't Believe It

"Will You Talk Dirty to Me?"

When you're an international superstar, you can afford to release singles for specific countries. Such is the case for Jason Derulo who is readying a release of his UK single Talk Dirty featuring 2 Chainz on September 16th. The release of the single just happens to be about a week before JD is schedule to let loose his upcoming album, Tattoos. As a quick side note, I found it entertaining that Jason is calling his upcoming album his "breakout" album. I guess when you've got 2.2 million followers on Twitter, you could always reach more people and have 11.5 million followers like Drake?

The most surprisingly awesome element of Talk Dirty is the beat cooked up by the Balkan Beat Box. The saxophone driven part near the hook really gets your attention and pulls you in. For a pop track, 2 Chainz definitely didn't hold back on his verse. His lyrics fit the tone of the track, but I'll put it this way, there will some editing needed for radio. Not sure when this one will hit US iTunes, but I assume it'll be sooner than September 16th since the internet has already gotten a hold of it...#TalkDirty


Jason Derulo feat 2 Chainz - Talk Dirty (prod by Balkan Beat Box)

Videos of the Week July 26th

Whole lotta comedy this week in the form of The Lonely Island's performance on Jimmy Fallon and Colbert's entertaining roast of Kanye's new clothing line. Aside from that, I enjoyed the really well done piece by Jason Goldwatch on Bun-B. He is a living legend and I'm glad to see him get the respect he deserves through features like this. Still loving just about everything that Big K.R.I.T. puts out and am excited as hell to see Miguel on tour with Drake this fall...#WouldYouLikeATour
The Lonely Island Perform YOLO on Jimmy Fallon

Stephen Colbert Talks About Kanye's Clothing Line

Bun-B Time Pieces by Jason Goldwatch

Big K.R.I.T. - Multi Til the Sun Die (Video)

Miguel - How Many Drinks Acoustic Session

Tiesto Aspires to Help Acer Sell Their New Ultrabook

Take that HP! So what if you have Beats by Dre in your laptops, Acer has Tiesto! In an effort to market their new Acer Aspire P3 Ultrabook, they enlisted Tiesto's support by recruiting him for a promo track that is appropriately titled Aspire.

While I wouldn't categorize this as one of Tiesto's crown jewels, it's still worthy of a few listens. To download the song for free, all you need to do is go to Acer's Facebook page and make a real life nerd named Vernon dance! Don't worry the game is as strange as it sounds, but I've done a lot worse for free stuff. According to Endgadget there are more than a few good reasons to invest in the tablet, but the real question is, can it compete with the big boys like iPad and Nexus?...#TimeWillTell

Tiesto - Aspire

"Don't You Know Your Secret's Safe With Me"

I'll be the first to admit, I'm captivated by Sam Smith. He's got an original, fresh sound that continues to remind me of Michael Buble. He isn't bashful about showing off his vocal range, but his talent goes far beyond his voice. He can craft a ballad with the best of them and with Two Inch Punch's help, he delivered the goods with his new one, Safe With Me.

There's a bubbly, redolent vibe that the song below gives off absolutely reeled me in. Still no word on when Sam's debut album is going to drop, but that's the least of my concerns as long as he keeps releasing these awesome singles. Between this one and Lay Me Down, he's two for two by my count. Keep it comin' Sam...#SafeWithMe

Sam Smith - Safe With Me (prod by Two Inch Punch)

Congrats to The Chainsmokers on 50k FB Fans

Lately I haven't been bashful of late about sharing anything The Chainsmokers touch and that isn't about to stop. Their latest mix was set free to celebrate eclipsing the 50k mark for Facebook fans. I've made this clear before, but I'll say it again, Alex and Drew are that are worth cheering for. They don't just make great music, they're down to earth folk who have a great sense of humor. Case in point their latest Facebook post...

Not sure about y'all, but the whole royal birthing story really doesn't excite me much. Maybe I'd watch if the baby was born with superpowers? Til then, I'm moving on to the next channel.

Anyways, the duo managed to flip The Killers Miss Atomic Bomb into a soothing electronic track that's extraordinarily easy on the ears. Don't be bashful about giving them some Facebook love, they have made a habit of rewarding their followers with a lot of exclusive music...#MissAtomicBomb

The Killers - Miss Atomic Bomb (Chainsmokers Remix)

"You're Gonna Miss Me When I'm Gone"

Admittedly, I'm a sucker for nostalgic music. No matter who the artist is, I'm like a large mouth bass staring down a worm on a hook when an artist successfully samples a track that reminds me of a period in my life. With that in mind, Akon nailed the Phantom Planet sample of their hit California (below)...
Now that we're on the honesty bandwagon tonight, I'll cop to passively watching more than a few episodes of The OC back in the day. Even though they'll be reluctant to admit it, every man has that one show that they'll watch because their kid or girl or someone who holds some sort of power over them wants to watch it. The good news is, I get to relive it in a not as harsh way vicariously through Akon's sorrowful sing-along...#Memories

Akon - Wanted Man

"Can't Go Wrong When Everyday is Sunshine"

Looks like Baby is at it again, pulling together yet another compilation of big names in Hip Hop. I will always be critical of Cash Money/YMCMB's commander and chief's ability as an artist, but you'll never hear me second guess a business move of his. His latest effort will be released under the name Rich Gang, which is more or less everyone on the Young Money record lable, plus a whole bunch of other artists that would take up a few lines to name. Put it this way, who is your favorite rapper? Yep, he's on there.

The track that initially caught my eye when I caught a glimpse of the final tracklist was Sunshine. Mostly because it features Limp Bizkit and it's been years since the phrase Limp Bizkit has come to mind. Early indication is that they will probably come back to relevance in 2014 since they signed with Young Money and are planning on releasing a new album titled Stampede of the Disco Elephants. The track is extremely chill, easy listen, which isn't at all what I expected. Being caught of guard isn't always bad because it causes you to adjust your expectations and reorient yourself. Who knows, maybe their new album is going to be a Fred Durst and Lil Wayne flavored rock album like the lead single Ready to Rock...#RichGang

Rich Gang feat Limp Bizkit, Flo-Rida, Birdman & Casey - Sunshine

"Sometimes Even Thugs Fall"

Even though The Runners haven't been churning out songs like they did in their heyday a few years back, I'm still a big believer in everything they touch. If you were to tell me that a hook by Kevin Cossom is included on a track they produced, you could be Joe Schmo from the corner bodega and I'd still give the track a serious listen. What's great is that Ace Hood is much better than Joe Schmo and he just released a new album this past week called Trials & Tribulations. Call it a thug ballad if you will, it's a new school slow jam that has a healthy mix of bars, a great hook and smooth production.

If you're buying the album on iTunes, don't expect to see them gem below on it. Instead you'll need to go to Target because the suits need to give you just a little more incentive to spend a few extra bucks on the music. What fun would it be anyways if you could buy it for $1.29 on iTunes anyway?...#BrokenBusinessModel

Ace Hood feat Kevin Cossom - Thugs Fall (prod by The Runners)

Videos of the Week July 19th

I decided to go 100% Hip Hop on this week's video post. It seems like it's video season for Hip Hop and you can expect a lot more of that to come with Jay-Z, Kanye, and Drake having singles on the horizon. Dap is order for Juicy J who managed to avoid the strip club scene in his video for Bounce It, which is undoubtedly on repeat at your local gentleman's club. I thought the video was pretty classy and well done by Benny Boom.

I'm just as surprised as you that 2 Chainz got to a point in his career where he could demand 100k per feature. Who knew 100k would include video girls? In other news, Jay-Z took over Pace Gallery in NYC and performed Picasso Baby for six hours straight. Oh to be a fly on the wall for that marathon of a day...#PicassoBaby
Juicy J feat Wale & Trey Songz - Bounce It (Video)

Lil Wayne - God Bless Amerika (Video)

2 Chainz Charges 100k Per Feature

Wiz Khalifa - Paperbond (BTS)

Jay-Z - Picasso Baby (BTS)


Photo credit: YouTube

"Heyo I'ma Be the King Soon, I Can't Wait to Be King"

Social networking milestones are an important benchmark for any aspiring famous person. The best part about it for the fans and followers is that when these milestones are reached, they usually result in an artist leaking a free track. Yesterday Diplo reached 1 million followers on Twitter and as a result, he felt the need to let loose a new electro-trap, twerk friendly banger in Crown...

Whoa million followers where did you come from

— D1Pl,000 000 (@diplo) July 16, 2013

The track features the calming vocals of Mike Posner to go with Boaz Van Da Beatz and recent Mad Decent signee Riff Raff. Overall, it's a good mix of calm and rowdy, but it approaches the limit of my trap love. Still, at the very least it's a party starter that must be played at a high volume...#MadDecent

Diplo feat Mike Posner, Boaz Van De Beatz & Riff Raff - Crown

"Everybody Knows He Ain't Just Tought, He's Strong"

Hang with me for a min as I take a trip off the usual Hip Hop/EDM wagon. Unbeknownst to a lot of you, I've been a huge Will Hoge fan for about a decade now, which goes contrary to me disliking country music as a genre. To be fair, I wouldn't really classify Will as a country singer. In my eyes, he's a southern rock artist who is really good at crafting ballads. His southern twang sure makes his music sound country at times, but in the same way I jive with Kid Cudi because he makes sad and at times moody music, I feel the same way about The Man Who Killed Love.

Even though Will's most recent recognition by the music industry came in the form of a Grammy nomination as a songwriter, he can still make great music himself. Case in point his new single, Strong, that you may have already heard in the latest Chevrolet commercial...

Pretty cool to hear the story behind how one thing led to another and then his track ends up on the desk on someone at Chevy, then book got the opportunity to be the music behind their new 2014 campaign. After listening to the track, you'll understand why Chevy jumped at it. It has damn near every adjective that you could think of that you'd associate with the brand and he even mentions trucks in the song. Sure, it almost drifts uncomfortably close to country for my tastes, but if you gave a listen to the modern day classic that is Blackbird on a Lonely Wire, you'd understand why I will forever be a Will Hoge supporter...#SilveradoStrong

Will Hoge - Strong

"D Boy Drug Dealer Look, Billionaire"

It seems like every day since Magna Carta Holy Grail was released has brought a new piece of bad news. First there was the uproar surround whether or not a company could buy an album to platinum status, then the Samsung app had issues crashing and now it appears that Samsung wants just about every piece of information about you in exchange for getting to use the app, which has the FTC launching a formal investigation. Yikes, good thing @s_c_ can brush these 99 problems off because he's reppin' the likes of Robinson Cano and Kevin Durant.

Business aside, Magna Carta is clearly a well-sculpted album. Sure, when you've got some of the best producers in the game backing one of the most polished rappers of my generation, it's hard to go wrong. After a few listens, there hasn't been a track on the album that managed to get stuck on repeat, but BBC has gotten the closest. The head nod worthy production by Pharrell mixed with verses from Hov and Nas is a tough combination to top. When listening to the track, it's not a surprise at all that Jay-Z anointed it as the track that was the most fun he had making. Take note artists, when you have fun making music, the end result shows!...#MagnaCartaHolyGrail

RT @xcxarlos_sc What song was the most fun recording? #MCHG [BBC #factsonly]
— Mr. Carter (@S_C_) July 8, 2013

Jay-Z feat Nas & Timbaland - BBC (prod by Pharrell)

"Voices in My Head, Echo Things That You Said"

Nothing like some Swedish Progressive House to start the week. Sure, it might be about four months old, but that's how long it took to get to the Midwestern US. Assist goes to my boy Adam in DC for schoolin' me on Henrik B, Niklas Gustavsson, and Peter Johansson's latest single, Echoes. The track is heavily synthesized, but it gives off intense feel good rhythms that are perfect for a new work week. I dunno about y'all, but I'm ready to conquer the rest of the work week now that this track has got my mind right...#Echoes

Henrik B, Niklas Gustavsson, Peter Johansson - Echoes (Radio Edit)

Bone Thugs Creepin' on a Come Up, Keepin' it 100

Dear 90s Hip Hop fan,

You ever wonder, "man what ever happened to Bone Thugs?" I'll put it this way, you remember when they released BTNH: Resurrection back in 2000? To put things in perspective, they were already coming back thirteen years ago and that was the last time one of their studio albums went platinum. Sure, their Greatest Hits also went platinum in 2004, but still, they haven't created new music like they did in the 1990s in quite a while. Maybe it was the record labels changing, maybe it was because all of the members weren't entirely present during some of the albums between 2000 and 2010, maybe it was because they simply weren't making great music like they used to.

Whatever the reason was, it's in the rear now that their new single Everything 100 dropped. Two decades later, they can still spit in their laid back, easy to understand way that made them the poster child for Hip Hop success in the 1990s. All members are on deck (Bizzy, Flesh, Krayzie, Layzie, Wish) for their new one that features the vocals of Ty Dolla $ign and production on DJ Felli Fel and Wundermine. Word has it the group is releasing the single in preparation for their upcoming Rock the Bells performances. No word of any new music beyond that, but I think we can all come to the consensus that the world could always use more Bone Thugs...#Everything100

Bone Thugs-N-Harmony feat Ty Dolla $ign (prod by Wundermine & DJ Felli Fel) - Everything 100

The Cool Kids Reunite and Let it Drop

So much for The Cool Kids being broken up! Thanks to the folks at Milkcrate Athletics in NYC, the Chicago duo reunited for a bangin' new collabo in the form of Footwork. I'd classify it as a catchy, uptempo bootyshake anthem with plenty of bass. You can expect the track to surface on the upcoming Milkcrate Athletics mixtape that will be mixed together by the crate man himself, Aaron LaCrate. As such don't expect it to be a polished single worth effort, instead take it for what it's worth, a shot of unrefined 100 proof awesomeness...#Milkgang

The Cool Kids feat Aaron LaCrate - Footwork

Videos of the Week July 12th

Hip Hop dominated this week's videos with Flo Rida and B.O.B. releasing visuals for their new singles. The more I listen to Bobby Ray's Headband, the more the whistling embeds itself into my brain. Dap is in order for the up and coming DJ Mustard for cookin' up that beat.

In other news, I'm putting it on my bucket list to attend Electric Zoo in NYC at some point. All you really need to know is Avicii is headlining with Benni Benassi and Knife Party. Oh and if you don't get pumped up hearing John Harrison's monologue from Star Trek: Into The Darkness over Derrick Rose highlights, then something is wrong with you...#Vengeance
Flo Rida feat Future - Tell Me When You're Ready (Video)

B.O.B. feat 2 Chainz - Headband (Video)

Justin Timberlake - Tunnel Vision (Video)

Electric Zoo Trailer

Derrick Rose Vengeance

"All I Want To Be Is a Little Bit of Certainty"

What once seemed novel now seems like a quick developing trend. Last night I waxed rhapsodic about Kill Paris's new EDM/R&B blended single as if it was the next big thing. Evidently he's not the only one headed down that path as Duke Dumont's new track resonates in a similarly soulful, but electronic way with the help of MNEK. To be honest, he sounded like Sam Smith for a minute, which is a hell of a compliment because that dude can SING!

Hold On succeeds in large part because of the contrast between the catchy upbeat rhythms and soulful vocals. It's not an easy thing to pull off, which is why I'm still a captivated by it. Whether it's EDM mixed with country or EDM mixed with R&B, I'm enjoying the different sub-genres that are forming as a result of electronic music becoming prevalent in pop music....#HoldOn

Duke Dumont feat MNEK - Hold On

Kill Paris Wants to Treat You Right

The real question is, have you ever heard an EDM duet? I'm talking like an R&B track that still manages to sound like an electronic track. Haven't? Well, that makes two of us and it's a big reason why I'm a little awestruck at Kill Paris's ability to weave the two together. Who needs traditional build ups an drops, that's what everyone else is doing. I can respect the ballsiness that it took to boldly go in a direction that other electronic artists haven't gone yet.

I'd be remiss if I didn't give a shout out to the vocalists on the track, Marty Rod and Alma. I can't say I've heard of them, but that's never a problem in this neck of the Internet. Anyways, Falling in Love Again just hit Beatport if you're itching to cop it and Kill Paris's new album is set for a fall release on Skrillex's OWSLA label...#KillParis

Kill Paris feat Marty Rod & Alma - Falling in Love Again

"Don't Wanna Hurt Nobody, But They Make It So Hard"

When it comes to outta left field collabos, Mayer Hawthorne's new one with Kendrick Lamar ranks right up near the top. The smooth R&B vocals mixed with smooth Hip Hop delivery sounds enticing strictly on the name value of the two artists, but the end result more than lives up to the hype. The thump of the beat draws you in and gives way to some bluesy guitar that sets a sexy tone for some Mayer falsetto. Then, right around the 2:10 mark, the coach goes out to the mount and gestures toward his right arm to bring in the closer. Kendrick's verse is energetic and jumpy, but hits the spot for the the fun, party vibe of the track.

To answer your question, Mayer's new album, Where Does This Door Go hits iTunes in a week on the 16th. Based on his new single below, I have very little doubt that it will more than meet expectations. If you haven't made Mayer Hawthorne part of your music library...well...shame on you...but feel free to rectify that when his new album drops next week...#WhereDoesThisDoorGo

Mayer Hawthorne feat Kendrick Lamar - Crime

Krewella Lives For the Night

Now that EDM has fully embedded itself into American pop music, the path to mainstream success is much more well-defined for groups like Krewella. That's not to take anything away from them because they've been on the scene since 2007 and are recently starting to make big waves. The biggest wave, though, is on its way in the form of their upcoming studio debut album, Get Wet.

Speaking of the album, The Yousaf sisters and Rain Man recently sat down with Fuse to talk about their upcoming album and give the back story on how they came together as a group...
Pretty cool to hear how they formed as a group when Jahan pulled in her younger sister Yasmine to start the group. It's always a plus when you promote your music with condoms. Anyways, their Live For the Night is presumably the lead single off the album, which is scheduled for a September 10th release. It's a great lose yourself-type party track that is as uplifting as it is fun. Positivity plays well especially in the EDM realm, which is why I'm a big fan of Krewella...#LiveForTheNight

Krewella - Live For the Night

"So Sorry That We Fell in Love, Geronimo"

It's a shame that more people don't know the name Alex Da Kid. You've all heard my rant on how producers are a better indication of track success than artist, but I'll take it a step further and say that if the executive producer on your album is great, then your album will follow suit. Just ask Imagine Dragons whose debut album (Night Visions) went platinum with the help of Alex Da Kid executive producing the album.

Having said all that, Skylar Grey's new album Don't Look Down is also executive produced by Alex, Eminem and JR Rotem and it's going to hit iTunes on Tuesday. I've posted damn near all of her singles up until now and I'm not even sure if her new one featuring Big Sean and Travis Barker will be a single, but it's definitely worth a listen. You can call it the "just getting out of prison" anthem because it centers around getting reacquainted with someone when they've been gone for years. As per usual, Skylar's vocals shine all over the track, but just as much credit is in line for JR, whose beat and song organization put the track in a position to succeed. Honestly, it's hard to tell Travis Barker chipped in, but Big Sean's flow fit well on the track. Just one of many well put together tracks that are going to surface on Tuesday...#DontLookDown

Skylar Grey feat Big Sean & Travis Barker - Back From the Dead (prod by JR Rotem)

"Sippin' From the Cup Til it Runeth Over, Holy Grail"

Now that Magna Carta Holy Grail has gone platinum before release and found it's way into Salisbury Cathedral in England right next to the part of the original Magna Carta. Talk about taking creative promotion to another level!

Between Kanye debuting his videos around the world on buildings and Jiggaman taking his album title metaphor to a level not previously reached, it makes you wonder what limits the duo will go to in 2014 when Watch the Throne 2 drops.

As far as the lead track is concerned, between the production by Timbaland, writing by The Dream, vocals by Justin Timberlake and Nirvana lyric sample, it's a lot to take in. JT damn near steals the show with his 1:20 min lead in and memorable hook. It's a buttoned-up track that has a distinct beginning, middle and end, which exhibits a level of sophistication that most artists would be lucky to reach. While the reviews range from lukewarm to critical to impressed by it's lyrical depth, it sounds like Magna Carta is at the very least struggling to live up to the massive hype that came before it. Maybe it's because people are a little uneasy with the way he released it through Samsung, maybe it's the lack of lead time or singles, maybe it's because of the almost daily release of song lyrics prior to people being able to hear the songs. Either way, this is going to be a trail blazing type of event because nobody has ever released an album the way he's doing it with Magna Carta. As a reminder, for non-Samsung users, MCHG hits iTunes on Monday...#MCHG

Jay-z feat Justin Timberlake - Holy Grail (prod by The Dream & Timbaland)

Videos of the Week July 5th

Great mix of interesting and funny on this week's version of VOTW. Pretty cool to see Wale throw out the first pitch at the Nats game recently, then learn that his album debuted #1. We're now less than a week away from Magna Carta Holy Grail being released to the non-Samsung, common-folk crowd. I have little doubt that the album will be anything less than classic.

Funny or Die came through with a nice David Spade Catfish spoof, but the most entertaining video of the week has to be the Lumineers vs Will Ferrell playing Harry Caray Ho Hey mix. What a great mashup, really made me miss the old Cubs broadcaster. Speaking of which, if you're in Chi-town this weekend holler atcha boy, I'll be in the bleachers on Friday...#GoCubsGo
Wale Throws Out First Pitch at Nationals Game

Jay-Z Previews His New Track Oceans

Lumineers vs Will Farrell Playing Harry Caray (Hey Ho Mashup)

David Spade Gets Catfished...by Selita Ebanks

The Game feat 2 Chainz & Rick Ross - Ali Bomaye (Video)

"Look At Me, Look At Me, How Much Vanity You See"

Now that Wale's album has officially hit shelves and I've had a chance to take a few laps around it, I've found myself gravitating to a favorite in Vanity. The beat's piano backbone lays the foundation for Wale's more than skin deep introspective effort. The best part about it is the re-purposed Gary Jules Mad World sample (original below)...

I've always found it interesting when artists openly wax poetic about the reality of being famous. Lines in the track below like, "these broads jocking me is validating my conceit" are the introspective thoughts that give fuel to Vanity. I know to the Hip Hop outsider, you may feel like you need a big shovel to dig for meaning in most Hip Hop tracks, but if you choose to listen closely you might just find some thoughtful nuggets just below the surface. I'm gonna give a big Sample Justice thumbs up because Wale didn't even use the original sample. Instead, he flipped the sample and took it another original direction. Mad dap is in order for that and while on the topic of ordering, feel free an cop The Gifted while you're at it...#TheGifted

Wale - Vanity

"Pay All Your Bills, Bet You Are a Zombie"

On Monday, Scotty let loose a freebie out of the blue in the form of Going to the Ceremony...

https://t.co/GUOBJzHuNE

— Scott Mescudi (@ducidni) July 1, 2013

The track is presumably a WZRD throw away, but it's every bit as dark and lyrically depressing as you'd expect from him. The rock flavor of the track explains the WZRD branding, but it serves as a sufficient outlet for him to let out his struggles.

Anybody else itching for a Cudi tour? I missed out on the college tour this spring, so lately I've found myself going to his website more than once over the past month in search of good news, but coming up empty on the tour front. I get that he was trying to get at his younger audience, but I've been hoping for a more large scale effort to get out and share Indicud. I still haven't found a track as genuinely likable as his collabo with the sisters Haim. Someday I will hear that track in concert, you can take that to the bank...#BetDat

Kid Cudi - Going to the Ceremony

The Chainsmokers Make Indie Music Awesomer

Simply put, The Chainsmokers can remix the sh*t outta Indie tracks. It's not a mistake that they keep climbing to the top of HypeMachine. They have single-handedly opened my eyes to a lot of bands that would normally be in my blind spot, but doing it in a way that I can relate to. Their progressive house style is refreshing when set to the backdrop of Indie summer anthems like Smallpools latest single Dreaming. I'll put it this way, Sony made a great decision employing The Chainsmokers to remix the track because they took it to another level.

Now that they're becoming somewhat of a mainstay on this blog, it's time you got to know a bit about the quirky duo of Alex Pall and Drew Taggart. I've been privy to their consistently entertaining submissions and their knack for writing has given me even more reason to post their music. This time they included an entertaining video detailing life around their NYC office....

Yea, they seem like they take life too seriously, don't they? I guess they only thing left to do is pick a side. Are you on #TeamAlex or #TeamDrew?

Smallpools - Dreaming (The Chainsmokers Remix)

"Shorty Got Grilled Like Chipotle"

I've heard Mariah and Miguel's #Beautiful on the radio at least four or five times now. Every time I hear it, I think to myself, "man I really like this track, I should put that on a playlist." For some reason it has never made it to a playlist, but now that the track has gotten remixed by Jeezy, A$AP, even gotten the Spanglish treatment, it's finally going to make it's debut this week.

Sure, on first glance you might think, "he;s only posting the A$AP remix because of the Chipotle line." While I was entertained by it, I'm gonna give a lot of the credit to Dat PMF for lacing the remix similar to the way he did on Rihanna's Cockiness. A$AP's low-key bars fit well over the Sittin' By the Dock of the Bay style beat. Successful remixes take original versions to another level and that's exactly what happened below...#Beautiful

Mariah Carey feat Miguel & A$AP Rocky - #Beautiful (Remix)