Videos of the Week March 14th

Lots of variety to chew on for this week's top five videos. The best of which was BANKS video for Brain. The hauntingly seductive visuals matched the aura of the track perfectly. I really hope more people start catching on to her creativity as an artist.

Beyond that, Asher took a trip to the skating rink, showing a fun Indie side to his musical repertoire. Despite the terrible tragedy at SXSW this week, shows did go on and there was a tremendous amount of hype surrounding Kanye and Jay Z's performance. I'm a big fan of concert intros, which is why H.A.M. was my favorite of the amateur videos shot. If you're in the mood for a sexy workout video with plenty of hard bodies and washboard abs, you'll appreciate Trey Songz new one. Finally, I'm more than a little excited for James Brown's life story to be told on film. Mostly because Tate Taylor (director of The Help) is directing it, but also because James Brown is an interesting dude....#GetOnUp
BANKS - Brain (Video)

Asher Roth - Tangerine Girl (Video)

Kanye West & Jay Z Performing H.A.M. at SXSW

Trey Songz - Na Na (Video)

James Brown Biopic "Get On Up" (Trailer)


Photo Credit: YouTube

"Everything We Touch Turns to Gold at Night"

Would it be unfair to compare Say Lou Lou to MGMT? I ask because the comp was the first thing that came to mind when I listened to Everything We Touch. The vibe of the track is part Madonna, part new school synth-pop aimed directly at the hipsters who want nothing more something a little different, but stress-free.

Sure, it doesn't hurt that they are attractive Swedish/Australian twins, but the duo has a fun aura about their music. The Kilbey sisters are equipped with soft and calming voices that sound powerful when fused together. No word on what their upcoming album will be titled, but word has it, it's going to land on iTunes in September. Let's all collectively hope they can keep their momentum going to a great debut album...#EverythingWeTouch

Say Lou Lou - Everything We Touch

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

"I'm a Black Man, I Could Dunk"

Quite a week for your homeboy Frank Ocean. The same week that he gets sued by Chipotle and begrudgingly pays back said fine-quick-service-dining chain back with a blunt statement on the check, he gets into a fun new mess of a track put together by Converse. Check the video below for a behind the scenes look at the making of the track...
At this point I would compare Converse to one of those kids who went to the soft drink fountain indulging in every flavor imaginable. Last we heard from them, they were mixing Gorillaz, James Murphy of LCD Soundsystem and Andre 3000 on Do Ya Thing. Now they're on to bigger and better things with Diplo, Frank Ocean and Mick Jones/Paul Simonon from The Clash. The track is a mix of reggae and soul with a punk finish. It has a fun Indie vibe to it that makes the whole mash-up palatable. Who know what they will come up with next, but I'll say that I'm at least a little curious...#Converse

Diplo, Frank Ocean, and Mick Jones/Paul Simonon of The Clash - Hero

Some Tracks Are Too Good To Be True

Before you uncontrollably spaz out after noticing the collaboration below, know that it is not passing the smell test. It's been processed, cut and pasted together to form what we all hoped was an epic collaboration. Though it was initially rumored that Kanye produced the track and it was a leftover from Daft Punk's latest album, it's all just too good to be true. Thanks to the diligent folks on Reddit leading the investigation, this is what we know.

First and foremost, the synths sound a whole lot like the synths from the track The Son of Flynn off the Tron Legacy Soundtrack. Yes, that makes it sound a lot like a Daft Punk song since Daft Punk produced the Tron Legacy Soundtrack. Instrumental below for reference...

Second, although nobody seems to have heard Jay Z's verse on the track prior to today, his references to an iTouch and Blackberry date the verse to somewhere around 2009 when the Tron Legacy Soundtrack was being put together. Third, the vocoder vocals sound like 100% genuine Daft Punk. The vocals, combined with the never before heard Jay Z verse are what the die hard believers are holding onto as far as believing that it's a new track. Nobody has stepped forward to take credit for the mash-up or legitimize it as a demo, but I'm willing to bet the story is only beginning with this one. I'm more impressed by whoever did it than impressed by the sound of the track since it sounds like a demo. I don't think it would have lived up to expectations had it been real, but for a mash-up/demo, well done whoever threw this together...#Computerized

Daft Punk feat Jay Z - Computerized (Mash-up)

Divergence Continues With Kendrick & Tame Impala

When the tracklist for the Divergent Soundtrack found its way on the internet a few weeks back, the track below was one that I circled with a red pen. Not just because Kendrick Lamar is on top of his game...and Hip Hop for that matter, but because he was collaborating with up-and-coming Australian Indie group Tame Impala. Before you jump to pressing play below, take note that Backwards is a remake of Tame Impala's single Feels Like We Only Go Backwards. Video below for those who aren't aware of the original...
My first reaction when hearing the original was "how old is this because it sounds like it is straight from the 70s?" Taking it one step further, if you like either the original, you need to check out Say Lou Lou's cover of the track, which is every bit as awesome as both versions in this post.

The track may only be a few years old, but it has a throwback vibe to it that adds to the intrigue of Kendrick presence on the new version. You better believe he spits with vigor on the track, yet he finds a way to keep the storytelling accessible by resisting needless vulgarity. It's sad that it's a challenge for most Hip Hop artists to tell a compelling story without raging vulgarity, but this is yet another great example of why we should appreciate the talent of Compton's Prince. Oh and tally another +1 to the Divergent Soundtrack that drops in less than 48 hours...#DivergentSoundtrack

Kendrick Lamar & Tame Impala – Backwards

A Little Saturday Night Grime

As I continue to get caught up in trap, I'm finding myself gravitating more and more toward RL Grime. A big reason for that is the incredible amounts of bass the LA native is able to infuse into house samples. For example, this week he released a new one featuring the duo What So Not called Tell Me. The track starts off with an innocuous harmony that forecasts a peaceful track. Then, around the half minute mark a slow build up emerges, giving way to a drop that begins and entirely different chapter of the track. The resulting cacophony of horns, bass and vocal sample are awe inspiring. Yep, this one is a must add to the Best of Trap playlist I've got cooking in iTunes...#TellMe

RL Grime & What So Not - Tell Me

Videos of the Week March 7th

Definitely an entertainment centric top 5 videos of the week, but it's hard to argue against Batman and Transformers. Yes, Mark Wahlberg > Shia LaBoeuf, but just put Optimus Prime against a band of bad guy robots and I'm in. Aside from the awesome movies that are coming out, I'm also excited about the Monster Go DJ that araabMusik expertly demoed. Shoot, you might as well call it a baby MPC, which is wild considering how transportable it is.

In other news, Aloe Blacc finally created his own video for The Man. It'd been so overused by so many commercials that the real release is anti-climatic. The real surprise of the week came from the Game of Thrones...mixtape? What wait? Interesting move, but I can't complain one bit because Wale, Big Boi, and Common to name a few...#GameOfThronesMixtape
Transformers Age of Extinction (Trailer)
Batman Arkham Knight (Trailer)

araabMusik for the Monster Go DJ (Video)

Aloe Blacc - The Man (Video)

Catch the Throne - Game of Thrones Mixtape


Photo Credit: YouTube

This is Tropical House

I'm still not entirely sure what Tropical House is, but if I were to put my finger on what it sounds like, I'd point right at Thomas Jack's remix of Israel Kamakawiwo'ole's Somewhere Over the Rainbow. Although I wouldn't dare take a stab at pronouncing Israel's last name, I do appreciate his soulfully calm vocals over the feel good beat. Yea, this one will make you reminisce back to that time in Cancun or Cabo where the drinks were aplenty under the umbrella shielding you from the tropical sun. I'm just appreciative that someone is taking a growing genre of dance music and trying to form another arm that is just as novel as it is weird...#TropicalHouse

Israel Kamakawiwo'ole - Somewhere Over the Rainbow (Thomas Jack Remix)

Martin Garrix's Brand of EDM Fills Rooms

At this point, Martin Garrix has become a household name thanks to his fiendishly addictive hit Animals. As such, there have been a lot of people tapping their feet wondering what he would come up with next. Well, that next thing is his new track Proxy. Staying true to form, the track finds a way to fill the room with an engaging chord progression that gives way to a gradual build up and epic drop. The resulting post-drop synths are the type that DJs can rely on to fuel the dance floor. The track has a lot of personality, but the main point I want to get across is that it is a rowdy, lose yourself type of EDM anthem. This should without a doubt find it's way into every self-respecting dance club this Spring. Oh and did I mention it's free to download?...#Proxy

Martin Garrix - Proxy

Gorgon City is a Funky Place

While we're at it, might as well keep the swanky British lounge music rollin' this week. Next up is Gorgon City's new one, No More, featuring the vocals of Liv. I'd almost go as far to say this is new age disco with it's heavy undertones and addicting dance vibe. Better yet, the lyrics are as sassy and defiant as you'd expect from a track named No More. It's a bummer I don't have plans to travel to England any time soon because I'd love to catch one of their shows...#WelcomeToGorgonCity

Gorgon City feat Liv - No More'

Feel Good Rhythms is All RAC Knows

I haven't been aware of RAC for very long, but I'm continuing to be impressed by his organically positive music. His new track, Tear You Down, featuring Alex Ebert is half Indie, half electronic dance and 100% easy listening. Prior to the track, I had never heard of Alex Ebert, but I now know that he's the lead singer of Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeroes. I can't say I like this as much as RAC's previous single Let Go, but when combined, both make me want to go and cop his new seven song Strangers pt. 1 EP that hit iTunes today. If you haven't heard of Remix Artists Collective, you need to throw a dash into your latest playlist to spice it up...#StrangersPt1

RAC feat Alex Ebert - Tear You Down

Collin McLoughlin Carries Deathcab's Transatlanticism

Most EDM producers are quite content with grabbing other artists' songs and translating them to their own heavily synthesized style. What makes Collin McLoughlin different is that he can take it a step further by handling the vocals on his own. Sure, he's got his own chill, melodic production style, but the fact that he isn't afraid to step behind the mic shows an added layer of talent that deserves praise.

His latest remix of choice is Deathcab for Cutie's Transatlanticism. I'd say it's safe to throw the original in the category of classic ballads, but feel free and pass judgment yourself...
The best part about Collin's remix is that you can cop it for the price of one Facebook like. Personally, I'd suggest clicking every link on the page after hitting the like button, but you may not have a playlist devoted to his music like you're boy. Either way, enjoy this one for it's emotion packed, bass heavy vibe...#Transatlanticism

Deathcab for Cutie - Transatlanticism (Collin McLoughlin Remix)

"I Love You Like Blood Do"

I've said it before and I'll say it again, great soundtracks are like unicorns these days. Back in the day (90s) a new, high profile soundtrack littered with high profile artists came out every week it seemed. With the backing of Interscope, it's looking like the Divergent Soundtrack is going to be one of those rare awesome compilations. With tracks from Kendrick Lamar, Ellie Goulding, A$AP Rocky and M83, the hype is building.

This week the slow leak of the album started with Ellie Goulding's Beating Heart. It was a solid start to the soundtrack that Pia Mia and Chance The Rapper continued moving forward with Fight For You. The track is a gentle, poppy ballad, but it was interesting hearing Chance The Rapper contribute a jittery verse over the Clams Casino produced beat. It's easy listening and chill, which is in stark contrast to what I usually post, but you know I like to stay all over the place. I'm going to go out on a limb and say this probably isn't the last track I'll be posting from the soundtrack over the next few weeks, so stay tuned for more to come...#Divergent

Pia Mia - Fight For You feat Chance The Rapper (Produced By Clams Casino)

Videos of the Week February 28th

I'm gonna keep it 100 by saying that I'm in Austin, Texas right now, which means that I need to get out and enjoy a city I've been wanting to get to know for a while. Got a solid top 5 for y'all to check out including some awesome trailers, Lebron and Jimmy Fallon collabo and some interesting music videos. If you're in Austin tonight, holler atcha boy...#GettinWeirdTonight
Haim - Change Your Mind (Video)

The Amazing Spider-Man II (Trailer)

Flux Pavilion & Dillon Francis - I'm the One (Video)

Jimmy Fallon & Lebron Rap About Wastepaper Basketball (Video)

Godzilla Movie


Photo CreditLYouTube

The Chainsmokers Enjoy Strange Talk

This post is going to be a little bittersweet tonight. Sweet because I'm in Austin, Texas and bitter because The Chainsmokers are playing in my freezing cold home town of Bloomington, IN. Their latest free-mix brings up and coming band Strange Talk into the limelight a bit. They describe the group as "Nina Agdal and put Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough on top of her", which should speak volumes about the group, while at the same time confusing the hell out of you. Whatever they are, you might wanna take notice because The Chainsmokers find a way to stay ahead of the front. Their formula of taking new music that you haven't heard of...yet...and making it even better is tried and true. I sincerely hope B-town welcomes them with open arms tonight at the 'Bird...#Chainsmokers

Strange Talk - Young Hearts (The Chainsmokers Remix)

"Like a Gust of Wind You Hit Me Off Sometimes"

The Pharrell and Daft Punk train is downright unstoppable. Even though their new collaboration off Pharrell's upcoming album Girl sounds like an extension of Get Lucky, the level of funk is still undeniable. There's a touch of old patented old school auto-tune with plenty of strings on top of a groovy bassline. This one speaks for itself, here's to hoping Skateboard P's entire album is littered with gems like this one...#GustOfWind

Pharrell feat Daft Punk - Gust of Wind

If Only Sunny Weather Music Brought Warm Weather

With winter winning every weekly battle with mother nature, it's refreshing to have an audio shot of warm weather every now and again. The summery vibe that Norwegian producer Kygo injected into Syn Cole's Miami 82 will find a way to warm your thermostat a few degress. I like that Kygo kept the original melody, while seamlessly adding in some bubbly and calming synths. With just over 1,200 favorites on hypem in the past 21 hours, it's pretty clear that a lot of folks around the world need some chill in their lives...#ChillHouse

Syn Cole - Miami 82 (Kygo Remix)

Avicii x Avicii - Infinity

If you are a routine viewer of this blog, you are keenly aware of my affinity for Avicii. He's one of the rare artists that I will willingly support no matter how big he becomes. It's true, top 40 radio and I don't have many common friends, but it's impossible to ignore the lengths that Tim Bergling has stretched dance music.

Now, after dropping a classic album in True, what's the logical next step for Avicii? Oh hell, why not just remix the whole thing all over again. Yep, you heard that right, Avicii is going to re-release a second version of True that takes different angles on each track. The latest one that has surfaced is his latest single, Addicted to You. I'm not usually one to post live versions of tracks being debuted onstage, but see above, the rules are out the window when it comes to Avicii. You better believe I'm going to be F5-ing the internet until this magical remixed album drops...#AddictedToYou

Avicii - Addicted to You (Avicii Remix)

Spotted @ FITA

"Got to Pick Yourself Up, You've Got to Jump Up High"

Artists hitting social networking milestones is like the new Christmas on the internet. Whether it's a couple million followers on Twitter or Soundcloud, milestones are great for fan because they usually mean free music. The most recent case being Flux Pavilion's new Exostomp off the upcoming Circus Records LP Grand Central. The magical milestone just happened to be two million followers on Soundcloud. *fist bump to the internet* for collaboratively working to get to that milestone.

Repetitious, bounce and fun are the three words I'd use to describe the track below. Like any self-respecting EDM track, it takes a bit of time to wind itself up, but what's in the middle is worth the wait. Listening to it again, I'm finding it hard not to get at least a little inspired listening to the lyrics. Great Monday morning pick me up for those getting ready to start another week full of 9 to 5...#Flux Pavilion

Flux Pavilion - Exostomp (Jump Up High)

I'll Be the First to Admit, I Slept on Fragile

I pride myself on picking one track a day to share with you guys in hopes that it will somehow provide you exposure to something you may not have heard before. Full disclosure, I let one slip past the goalie last summer when Tech N9ne, Kendrick Lamar, ¡MAYDAY! and Kendall Morgan's track Fragile dropped. Sure, the video for the track didn't hit the interwebs until about two weeks ago, but even that's egregiously late when it comes to blogger timing. If you missed it like me, check out the new-ish video for the track below...

I'm going to chalk this up to Tech growing as an artist because there's a deeper messages about bullying buried in the lyrics track. Yes, Tech and Kendrick brought their A games on verses, but I was ultimately impressed by Kendall Morgan's sorrow-filled hook. It's not something you'd expect on a Hip Hop track, but that's what makes her delivery so impactful. It's tracks like this that make me want to go back and give Tech's latest album, Something Else, another deep listen...#Fragile

Tech N9ne feat Kendrick Lamar, ¡MAYDAY! & Kendall Morgan - Fragile

Photo Credit: YouTube

Videos of the Week February 21

Well, this week Jay Leno retired, which means it was all about the passing of the throne to Jimmy Fallon. Hence, there was a lot of great late night content this week, starting with The Evolution of Hip Hop with Will Smith. It's as if he took it on himself to prove to everyone his versatility by then turning around and doing a barbershop quarter version of Ignition (remix). I'm not sure about y'all, but the future of late night is shining bright with lots of original content on the horizon.

If you're in the mood for some visual storytelling, J Cole and Avicii came through with some interesting videos. One thing I did not see coming was the end of Avicii's video. Wow, sort of like a Bonnie and Bonnie story with a stunning ending. Aside from that, I was yet again reminded why Bonaroo is still on my bucket list of festivals. So much great much, so much middle of nowhere...#Bonaroo
Jimmy Fallon & Will Smith - The Evolution of Hip Hop Dancing

J Cole feat Amber Coffman - She Knows (Video)

Avicii - Addicted to You (Video)

Bonaroo Trailer

Jimmy Fallon Performs The Ignition Remix with The Ragtime Gals

Photo Credit: YouTube

Major Lazer & Sean Paul Bring the Reggaeton Heat

Up to this point, I have posted 2/5 of Major Lazer's upcoming Apocalypse Soon EP. Seeing that the EP is going to be released tomorrow, it only makes sense to alert you to yet another bangin' track off of it. On the track, Sean Paul feels as comfortable as a monkey swingin' through treetops over the loud, reverberating reggaeton rhythms of Come on to Me. On the track, Major Lazer shows how they can take a really awesome concept (reggaeton) and stretch it to the limits of it's intended use by teasing in a bit of trap flavor around the 2:37 mark. Man, this EP is shaping up to be somethin' special, I tell you what...#ApocalypeSoon

Major Lazer feat Sean Paul - Come on to Me

The Chainsmokers Amplify Flaws

Despite the fact that I have yet to post a Bastille track on the blog, I still have a healthy respect for their music. Everyone at some point over the last year has found themselves singing Pompeii to themselves, which speaks to their easy-listening, wide scale appeal. Oh you haven't? Stop playin', 65 million views on YouTube means many many more people have been impacted by the song.

Just in case you're under the impression that they're a flash in the pan or one hit wonder, I'm here to remind you that you're not. Below is their video for Flaws that I'm offering up as proof of that assertion...

So yea, The Chainsmokers took the original track and did what they do best. They injected some high energy synths to amplify the likeability of the track and make it readily consumable to a whole new audience. Consistency is big in music and I like that I can always count on quality from Alex and Drew...#Flaws

Bastille - Flaws (The Chainsmokers Remix)

ZHU Achieves Rare Mashup Success

I've been trying to wrap my mind around the mashup below for the past few days. What I do know is that an artist by the name of ZHU managed to blend together four Outkast tracks into a deep house track. *Sinks in* Yea, it was done...and it was done really, really well. So much so that I would venture to say that most 5-start lounges would play this in a heartbeat.

You'll notice hints of Ms. Jackson, So Fresh and So Clean, The Way You Move and The Whole World in the mix. What you won't notice is any hint of the original beats or verses by Big Boi or Andre 3000. All you're gonna get is some subtle female vocals sprinkling the samples throughout over sonically pleasing backdrop, giving the listener just enough to stay engaged. Looking at it from above, I can appreciate the design that went into this delicious audio concoction...#MovesLikeMsJackson

ZHU - Moves Likes Ms. Jackson (Mashup)

"People Tellin' Me Be Strong Like a Soldier"

Another week, another stellar mash up from Sir Lucious Left Foot. This week's dose of freshness combines Big Boi's Tremendous Damage with Charles Bradley & Menahan Street Band's The World (Is Going Up in Flames). If you listen closely, you might find a couple inspirational nuggets in the lyrics too. Oh and have no fears, below is the obligatory trippy video for the track...

Just how long can Big Boi keep this awesome streak up? Shoot, my Mondays just got a whole lot better, so let's collectively pool together some positive vibes to keep it goin' next week...#MashUpMondays

Big Boi feat. Menahan St. Band - Damaged World

Love Drunk with a Diplo Twist

Maybe it's because this week was Valentines Week, but has anybody else noticed the fixation on remixing R&B songs about love? Yesterday it was Mike Posner mixing a classic, now Diplo took a swing at Beyonce's Drunk in Love. To put it simply, it's as traptastic as you'd expect with plenty of bass and repetition of the original lyrics.

Unlike Kanye's remix of Drunk in Love, Jay Z's verse didn't make the cut for this mix. I'll leave it like this, where 'Ye added some creatively explicit bars, Diplo provided value in the beat, proving there are many different ways to get Drunk in Love...#DrunkInLove

Beyonce - Drunk in Love (Diplo Remix)

A Belated Valentines Day Present From Mike Posner

Yesterday, I alluded to the fact that Mike Posner has more game in his pinkie finger than 90% of males on this earth. Really, what I should have done is exercise some patience on Valentines Day because I should have realized there's no way he would have let the romantic holiday pass without dropping some sort of slow jam for the ladies. What I didn't see coming was the juke move he made by flexing his producer muscles rather than singing (like everyone might have assumed). Yes, Mikey P has a great voice, but he knows it's just not a good look to try and match Marvin's greatness (check the cover art above). Whatever you do, don't get too impatient, let it breathe for over a minute and a half before you pass judgment. I think he put it best by saying...

"Happy Valentine's Day. I remixed Marvin Gaye's Sexual Healing for the occasion. Marvin sings, I produced it. Go make your babies to this. #RelateLoveInspire"

Marvin Gaye - Sexual Healing (Mike Posner Remix)

Videos of the Week February 14th Valentines Day

Man, what an eventful week. You had severe weather wreaking havoc on the east coast and causing teachers to rap about school closings. You had the end of Jimmy Fallon's late late night chapter in favor of his new tonight show gig. What better way to close a chapter than a collabo with The Muppets on The Band's The Weight. And of course today is also Valentines Day, so hopefully you did something equally as creative as Timeflies did by cracking open a package of candy hearts and using them to fuel a freestyle. I have mad respect for artists who can freestyle off the brain like Cal (from Timeflies) and Chiddy (from Chiddy Bang). Also threw in the obligatory weekly EDM video featuring the beautiful and talented Hayley Williams of Paramore. And who could resist posting a new one from a dude who probably has more game in his left pinky than 90% of males on earth. Such an inspirational track! Have a good V-day y'all...#VDay2014
Mike Posner - My Light (Video)

Durham Academy Announces Snow Day

Zedd feat Hayley Williams - Stay the Night (Video)

Timeflies Tuesday - All You Need is Love (Video)

Jimmy Fallon Sings The Weight with The Muppets on his Last Show


Photo Credit: YouTube

"Oooh Oooh You Got Me in the Mood"

Ahh man what a fun remix! Aside from their top 40 singles, I'm not all that familiar with Neon Trees, but what Kat Krazy did with their latest single Sleeping With a Friend is more than a little awesome. The energetic, feel-good vibe of the electronically infused remix is equipped with the ability to turn that frown upside down. Put it this way, if this doesn't cause at least some foot tapping, you probably took a wrong turn on the internet and ended up in the wrong hood. Nothing but good vibes in this sub-division folks, keep that positivity flowin'...#SleepingWithAFriend

Neon Trees – Sleeping With A Friend (Kat Krazy Remix)

The Oncoming Apocalypse Keeps Getting Better

In the grand scheme of things, Major Lazer exists on their own island of awesomness. Take for instance their new one below, Lose Yourself, off their upcoming Apocalypse Now EP. There's some reggae, some heart pounding tribal rhythms, some synthesizers...it's more or less one huge cluster of fresh. Fresh meaning that they are clearly totally cool with paving their own unique way through peoples' headphones. It's tempting to effusively praise Diplo for being the mastermind behind the whole operation, but that would be selling short the talents of Jillionaire and Walshy Fire. At this point, there are three more tracks on the EP that I haven't heard and I'm now F5-ing the internet for their arrival...#ApocalypseSoon

Major Lazer - Lose Yourself (feat. RDX & Moska)

Mumford Get the Deep House Treatment

On first reaction, seeing a Mumford and Sons house remix elicited a confused reaction. But, the skepticism led to curiosity and in the end I'm pretty happy that I gave it a listen. The infusion of saxophone was a fun surprise that blended well with the deep, rhythmic vibe of the track. Hats off to the two up and coming Dutch producers Bloombox and Sam Feldt for taking a unique spin on a classic track. Cool out to this one y'all...#DeepHouse

Mumford and Sons – I Will Wait (Bloombox & Sam Feldt Remix)

Big Boi x Third World Means a Reggae Party

I'm still not entirely sure what this whole streak of weekly b-sides that Big Boi has been releasing is all about, but what I do know, is the the remixes keep getting better and better. Never thought I'd associate Big Boi with reggae, but thanks to the help of Third World, he flipped Shoes for Running into a track straight from Kingston. And what would a remix be without sweet cover gif (above) and a trippy video (below)...

Watch out for that CGI snake around the 1:25 mark. That things comes right into your living room in HD. I appreciated the original cross-genre collaboration, but this track ascended to a much higher level with the added bass and reggae twist. I wish all Mondays started off with free-mixes this dope...#RunTh3World

Big Boi feat B.o.B., Wavves & Third World - Run Th3 World

"I Just Want the Simple Things"

Despite the fact that the list of R&B superstars seems to be dwindling by the year, Miguel continues to be a shining star. His latest track should strike a chord with the ladies, focusing on the the Simple Things. When the bass kicks in around the 35 sec mark, Miguel hits his stride. The background guitar riff throughout the track blends oh so well with the heavy bass and meaningful lyrics.

I've never watched Girls on HBO, but word has it this track will surface on the Girls, Vol. 2: All Adventurous Women Do... soundtrack that is going to be released this week. I'm still trying to get over the fact that Drake cancelled his Indianapolis tour date, especially since Miguel was the opening act. Songs like this don't make that fact any easier to cope with, but in the meantime I'll quietly add it to the growing list of favorites...#SimpleThings

Miguel - Simple Things

Might as Well Face it Skylar Grey is Addicted to Love

It's always a tenuous task trying to take another artist's classic hit and make it your own. There are a million different directions you can go with a song, but the challenge lies in the comparison to the original. When people have heard a song a certain way for decades, there tends to be an acute reaction to hearing a song sung a different way.

Case in point, the 180 that Skylar Grey did on Robert Palmer's classic Addicted to Love. While the original has a cheery, pop vibe to it, Skylar's version is much more quiet and ominous. The sing-songy, matter of fact tone of the original is nowhere to be found in the hauntingly deliberate cover that will surface in the upcoming movie Endless Love. Having seen the trailer in the theater, it seems like the vibe of the movie fits into the tragic love story category. Knowing that, I'd say Skylar did a pretty awesome job foreshadowing the cautious love story with her cover of the song...#AddictedToLove

Photo Credit: YouTube

Videos of the Week February 7th

Folks, there's a lot of value added content in this week's top five. I'm not trying to gas you up when I say that PBS did a great job with Blank on Blank in animating Jimi Hendrix's last interview. A few weeks back I posted a similar one featuring 2pac, so if you were a fan of that slice of creativity, you'll enjoy this one too. In other news, Chromeo's brand of funk is really starting to grow on me. Their newly minted visuals for Come Alive are on point.

The rest of the videos this week are really awesome covers. It's a coin flip between Childish Gambino and Lorde for who produced the better cover, but if you twisted my arm I'd probably give the nod to Donald Glover. P.M. Dawn's classic, Die Without You, isn't an easy cover, but he really showed off his dynamic ability as an artist on the track. Oh and this just in, The Roots might be the most unde appreciated band on the planet. The have been and will continue to be one of the few Hip Hop acts that are above average to see live in concert...#RealTalk
Jimi Hendrix's Last Interview Animated by PBS

Chromeo – Come Alive (feat. Toro y Moi) (Video)

Lorde Cover James Blake's Retrograde

Childish Gambino Covers PM Dawn's I'd Die Without You

Justin Vernon and The Roots Perform Holocene


Image Credit: YouTube

"Get Low When the Whistle Blow"

You may remember around Christmas that I posted DJ Snake and Lil Jon's rowdy trap anthem Turn Down For What. I get that the energy of the track is tough to top, but I never anticipated it climbing to the top of the iTunes dance chart a month later. In contrast, DJ Snake's new one with Moombahton extraordinaire Dillon Francis should definitely reach the top of the dance charts. You wanna talk about hard hitting, in your face, trap music. This one will make your speakers blush and the neighbors more than a little agitated. Songs like this are allowing me to center in on what the essence of trap music is all about. It's loud, it's heavy, it's synthesized and chalked full of energy.

Without hesitation, I'll point out that DJ Snake is steadily climbing up that list of artists that need to be paid attention to in 2014. He's one of the rising starts at Mad Decent and he's starting to make some great electronic music. If you're not feelin' the Soundcloud link below, you can stream it exclusively via Spotify prior to it's release via iTunes on February 11th. Have we gotten to a point where streaming music services are now fighting over debuting songs before they are released? If so, that's good news for us because competition wins!...#GetLow

Dillon Francis & DJ Snake- Get Low

"We're Giants in a Little Man's World"

I thought I saw something about Afrojack having a new song available via the Budweiser/Shazam commercial that ran during the Super Bowl. As it turns out, the song is called Ten Feet Tall and features the vocals of singer/songwriter Wrabel. Recognizing that the quick 20 sec Super Bowl spot didn't tell they whole story of the track, Afrojack's team put together some more engaging visuals in the form of a live performance lyric video...

It looks like the Super Bowl did some good because the track is sitting in the top 10 on the iTunes US Dance chart. It's a little more mellow than what I'm used to hearing from Nick, but serves as a suitable contrast to his latest party anthem The Spark. Between the two, he's got two top 10 singles in the past three months, which isn't an easy task. Selfishly, I hope his streak continues, so that I can start hyping it up as a top EDM album of the year candidate...#TenFeetTall

Afrojack - feat Wrabel - Ten Feet Tall

O.A.R. is Back With a Peaceful Ballad

I'd had an off and on relationship with O.A.R. over the years. When Craziest Game of Poker came out, they were the coolest band since Sublime. Their unique style that includes reggae, acoustic, and pop was such a breath of fresh air.

As the years went by, I had a tough time continuing the same love I had for them because their style wasn't as unique anymore and, frankly, my music tastes shifted. They've now released seven albums, which makes for an extensive discography that I'm probably a few albums behind on. That being said, when I saw them live about four years ago in Philly, they made it abundantly clear how far their live show has come. They have evolved into such a crisp professional act that I'd easily recommend to anyone.

With their new ballad, Peace, they're now on to album number eight. The yet to be titled album will be out in May, just before they embark on a summer tour. If you're in the mood for a calming, peaceful, well-crafted ballad I'd recommend the track below...#Peace

O.A.R. - Peace

Indie Music That Will Make You Rush Into Love

God bless the Hipsters! Where would we be without their youthful spirit driving the Indie music scene? I know one thing, I wasn't planning on writing about Dale Earnhart Jr Jr until they started pulling in some of my favorite artists. Slim of 112 had me at Cupid over a decade ago and we all know about my deep seeded infatuation with the better half of The Cool Kids.

Collaborations aside, the cheerful, but heavy synths in Rush Into Love are legitimate super hot freshness. Does the instrumental fit in the 80s? Maybe, but that's part of it's throwback allure. Sure, it could be that I was thrown by a loop by one of my favorite R&B voices crooning over an 80s beat, but when you drop something like that outta left field, I'm all ears. Now, it seems I need to keep an eye out for new music from the tremendously white duo from Detroit with a name that started out as a joke and has subsequently continued to be a joke as they continue to gain followers. Word has it Daniel and Josh are going to release a Produce mixtape soon, but if you're chomping at the bit for music by them give a listen to their latest album, The Speed of Things...#IndieMusic

Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. feat. Slim from 112 & Chuck Inglish - Rush Into Love

"Make Yourself Bigger Like Mushroom, Mario Kart"

There was a low quality video of a new track between Major Lazer and Pharrell released last month via Holy Ship called Aerosol Can. This week the studio version of the track found it's way on the internet and it's as bangin' as advertised. When I say bangin', I mean it has a tribal, rhythmic vibe to it with plenty of bass. I'm not going to even try to classify this into a genre. It doesn't need to be because it's that awesome. The tempo invites you to dance and the speaker thump will keep you dancing.

iTunes say Major Lazer's new Apocalypse Now EP will be released in a little less than three weeks on February 21st. Hopefully the leak will encourage the early release of the track as a single. Until then, keep on pressing play below until you're done feeling like dancin...#AerosolCan

Major Lazer feat Pharrell - Aerosol Can

Major Lazer - Aerosol Can

Crookers Are Not Afraid to Make You Blush

Boy have I missed the crisp, loud production of Crookers. Yes, I almost jumped out my seat when his new track Heavy became visible from my neighborhood of the internet and no it did not disappoint. It may have taken about a minute and 32 sec to hit it's stride, but when it did, my neighbors had to have been pretty upset about it. When I say it, I mean that deep, rhythmic groove of the bassline.

If you're wondering what kind of vibe they're trying to inspire, you'll get the picture around the 2 min and 54 sec mark. Needless to say, the sounds of a woman being pleasured will surely get a lot of folks attention and raise a few eyebrows. My critique of that is, are sexual noises grounds for the parental advisory tag? There is no explicit language in the song and although the sounds coming from the woman are associated with an adult, parental act, is it harmful for kids to hear? My opinion on the matter is mixed because when I first heard it, my inclination was to turn it down because hearing a women loudly experience pleasure is not normally a socially accepted sound. Maybe the uptempo, heart-pounding build up leading to the climactic release contributes to the feeling of explicitness. I really don't know the answer, but I get why the censor police would err on the side of caution by giving it the ominous black and white parental advisory sticker. It made me hesitate, so I'm curious what others' think about the social normality of blatantly sexual noises and how it relates to parental advisory.

Critique aside, the bass on the track will peel back your eyelids a bit, which elevates it to dope status in my book...#Heavy

Crookers - Heavy