Videos of the Week November 20th

It's getting hard nowadays to find videos that don't involve Justin Bieber. Here I was thinking that Bieber's rendition of Sorry on Fallon was the only sighting in the this weeks top five, but then I watched the Zoolander 2 trailer that he found a way into. While the original Zoolander is considered by many as a modern day classic, I can't claim fanboy status on it. I will say that there aren't as many slapstick comedies nowadays, so I'm giving it a 40% chance of freshness on Rotten Tomatoes.

In non-Bieber related news, Krewella gave us a peek behind the curtain on their golf cart ride turned in-depth interview. They've caught a lot of bad publicity from their group breakup and found their way in the crosshairs of deadmau5 (like many others), but they still find a way to come off as genuine. Simply put, they make fun music and pour energy into their music, which is something that's really easy to get behind.

In other EDM news, Madeon's new video for Nonsense dropped this week. I'm always amazed by the futuristic aesthetic he injects into his videos. Last, but definitely not least, is Logic on the mic for seven straight minutes. Beat after beat, he stays in zone and shows exactly why he's one of the top lyricists in the game...#Logic301
Zoolander 2 Trailer

Justin Bieber Performs Sorry on Fallon

Krewella Tell All in EDC NY Golf Cart Confessions

Madeon feat Mark Foster - Nonsense (Video)

Logic with a 7 Minute Breakfast Bars Freestyle

Photo Credit: YouTube

"Come on Parliament Funk"

There are few acts in electronic music that can create loud, controlled chaos. Some can do the loud, others can deliver a nice drop, but few can do it in an organized way like Knife Party. Case in point Parliament Funk off their new four song Trigger Warning EP. There's a hint of guitar riffs, bouncy chords, bright synths and soft piano all in one four minute and twenty second period. I'd liken it to Nero's ability to effortlessly inject heavy dubstep elements into hard driving electronic rhythms. There's an organized intensity that allows it to be listenable despite punching you square in the face. With this song, Knife Party has reached new funky heights on their way to paving a unique path through the monotony of mediocre EDM...#TriggerWarning

Knife Party - Parliament Funk

"California, Don't Let Me Down"

For the majority of the past month, I've been listening to Avicii's new album, Stories, on heavy repeat. On the album, there are a few tracks that I tend to gravitate toward when skipping around. The one track that I can't seem to ever skip over on the fourteen song EP anytime I listen is Sunset Jesus. Despite it skewing heavy toward pop, the combination of vocals and bubbly chord progression is addicting. The post-hook release offers such an amazingly jubilant release that can't help but nod along to the beat. It's one of those tracks that is so interesting that you pay attention to the lyrics and want to know more about what they mean. Such a cool use of symbolism to make a point about a topic that's much bigger in society.

And if you're wondering more about how the track came together, I bet you'll be interested to hear that Gavin Degraw is the vocalist on the track and Mike Posner was one of the writers on the track. Basically, it's a microcosm of the album as a whole and if you haven't given a full listen to Avicii's entire album, I hope that this drives you to giving it a full spin because there are plenty of hidden gems just like this one...#SunsetJesus

Savoy Taps Chali 2na of J5 on Love is Killing Me

Chali 2na of Jurassic 5 on an EDM track?!?!? Mind = Blown. He's not someone who I'd peg to fit well with electronic music, but Savoy isn't your average act. After seeing them live at Red Rocks a few months back, I quickly gained a new appreciation for their music. Partnering with one of my favorite lyricists is only going to amplify that love and you better believe Love is Killing Me didn't disappoint.

From the top, there's a soothing vibe to the track led by quiet synths and a high pitched vocal sample. Around the one minute mark, the beat starts gaining some steam, ushering in a substantial bassline and amplified synths. Then Chali comes in and kills it, dropping a stellar verse and making the track seem more Hip Hop than it did when I first started listening. I love collaborations like this that are equal parts awesome and unpredictable. If you like as much as me, head on over to iTunes to check it and the entire four song Thousand Years EP that will be dropping in two weeks. Oh and check the special message brought to you by the dynamic duo...#LoveIsKillingMe

Tell'em 2na. @Chali2na #loveiskillingme pic.twitter.com/Q3HoxD13Eq

— SAVOY (@SAVOY) November 14, 2015

Savoy feat Chali 2na - Love Is Killing Me

"They Headed For Me, They Don't Know a Truth From a Lie"

You know when you were a kid and every soda at the fountain looked so good that you couldn't just choose one, so you ended up making a suicide soda? That's sort of like what happened on Tkay Maidza's new single Ghost. The up and comah from down undah not only enlisted the help of fellow Aussie's What So Not and George Maple, she also threw in a dash of Baauer to make it even more interesting. The resulting beat alternates from fast to slow as Tkay ducks and weaves transitioning between Hip Hop verses to singing the hook. There's a palpable clap to the beat and plenty of bass, which satisfies the trap expectations I had before pressing play. Going back to the original analogy, there's a lot of flavors to the track, which makes it as novel and tasty as a Root Beer, Coke, Sprite, Orange, Dr Pepper soda mix...#Ghost

Tkay Maidza feat Baauer, What So Not & George Maple - Ghost

"What Are You Afraid of, We Know What You're Made Of"

Here's yet another hot remix from the bass heavy Aussie duo Hermitude. This time they took a swanky house track from Disclosure and flipped it into a chill trap remix. The vocals stayed the same, but it's much more of slow jam in it's new incarnation. If slow bounce is your thing and you enjoy zoning out in your favorite noise canceling headphones, make some room for this one. Oh and if you're wondering whether Disclosure's new album Caracal is awesome, feel free and add this to the growing number of remixes to various tracks from the album. In EDM when other DJs are remixing your original music, there's no better compliment...#Jaded

Adele's Hello Was Made for Trop House

You knew it was coming sooner or later, but credit Konglomerate and Good Life for beating everyone to the punch. The "it" I'm talking about is a Tropical House cover of Adele's Hello. Back when Adele was blowing up a few years back, Trop House wasn't anything more than a novel daydream. After one listen of the remix below, you'll join me in thinking "why didn't something like this happen earlier?" because Adele's mellow style fits like a glove over the flutes and high pitched synths. Even though the vocals come from Gabe Maulion rather than Adele, you're going to be hard pressed convincing me you can tell much of a difference since it sounds like a sample from the original. All in all, this is one of the better Trop House covers I've heard in 2015...#GoodLife

Adele - Hello (Good Life & Konglomerate Cover)

Videos of the Week November 13th

Let's call this week's top five an entertaining variety show. Led by Hannibal Burress's Hip Hop/politics commentary and Nick Offerman's interesting culinary choices for the fall, there's plenty of funny in the mix. If you're looking for art and creativity alongside some dope beats, ZHU/Skrillex and Kill the Noise have you covered. The claymation creation of Donald Trump's limitless greed was a fun watch if you're into pointed satire. Closing out the week on a huge high note was Missy Elliot's comeback single WTF (Where They From). No matter how much time goes by, Missy is always going to be able to create music that inspires people to shake that booty...#WhereTheyFrom
Hannibal Burress Matches Up Presidential Candidates with Rappers

ZHU x Skrillex x THEY. - Working For It

Nick Offerman Offering Up His Top Fatty Dishes for the Fall

Kill the Noise - Kill it 4 the Kids (Video)

Missy Elliot feat Pharrell- Where They From (WTF) (Video)

Photo Credit: YouTube

"Am I in Love with You? Or am I in Love with the Feeling?"

Just when you thought this whole Bieber/Skrillex thing was going to be a momentary flash in the pan, here's another log to throw on the fire to keep it roasting for a few months more. Lately I've been trying to resist Bieber coming back into my musical life, but Skrillex is doing everything in his power to break down the preconceived notions and close mindedness. It's one of those battles where you want to separate the persona from the artist because he's capable of making great music, but there's something you just don't like about him.

In the case of Bieber, I literally can't continue hating because the music he's releasing of late is unquestionably stellar. His latest EDM flavored releases, starting with Where Are U Now, are all really catchy blends of the best that R&B, Pop and electronic music have to offer. His latest one, The Feeling, excels in it's emotion soaked angst. Led by a flawless hook from Halsey and a heavy, but somber beat from Skrillex, Bieber is able to chip in a few well executed verses to round out the track. It really reminds me of the golden age of R&B in the 90s when artists were able to tear at your strings with heart wrenching slow jams. In just two days, JB's new album Purpose is going to hit iTunes and my guess is it's going to be one of the rare albums the eventually reach platinum status. Time will tell, but there are at least five singles I've already given the thumbs up to on the 19 song track list, so let's just say he's off to a promising start...#Purpose

Justin Bieber feat Halsey - The Feeling

Dillon Francis Remixing Disclosure is a Good Omen

After a few listens, I'm really impressed with what Dillon Francis did with Disclosure and Sam Smith's Omen. I was skeptical prior to pressing play, but he did everything he needed to turn my skepticism into unbridled optimism. His creative use of Sam's vocal samples and bass heavy beat breakdowns were a big reason why my perception quickly shifted. He took a radio hit and made it into more of a fun party track, which isn't an easy task. In his own words, he really did "nail it" and I can see why he compared his excitement to the feeling he had in making Coming Over with Kygo. The only downside is you'll have to wait until next week when the remix lands on iTunes and Beatport

Disclosure - Omen (Dillon Francis Remix)

Keys N Krates Just Let Loose a Bangin' New Single

Man, if you're wondering why Keys N Krates have consistently been one of my top five trap groups, look no further than their new single. U Already Know represents everything I love about their music. It's bouncy, it's fun, there are high pitched samples in the mix and they never leave you wanting more on drops.

I didn't expect a full one minute build leading up to the first drop, but it did the trick in upping my level of intrigue. It's their third single off the upcoming Midnite Mass EP that is scheduled to drop on January 15th. Out of the three singles, this is by far my favorite because the horns and bass remind me a lot of Hip Hop beats I've enjoyed in the past. You can bet if you receive a mix of mine in the next three months, this one will absolutely be on it...#UAlreadyKnow

Keys N Krates - U Already Know

Who Needs Real Friends When Imaginary Sound This Good?

After months of relative silence, deadmau5 seems to be announcing his return with a triumphant roar this week. Yesterday he let loose a Three Pound snack and today we now have a new full length meal in the form of Imaginary Friends. Both have a quiet build up, but go in totally opposite directions. Where Three Pound Chicken Wing takes a turn for Future Bass, Imaginary Friends is much more hard hitting melodic House. It's one of his multi-faceted tracks that is half driving, in your face bass, half beautiful synth progression. Up until this week, a new album in 2016 seemed like a pipe dream. Now that you've tasted the Kool Aid, join me in getting excited for what's coming next...#ImaginaryFriends

deadmau5 - Imaginary Friends

"Life and Death With No Intermission"

November 13th, next Friday, mark it on your calendar. That's the day Logic's new album, The Incredible True Story, is slated for release and below is yet another reason why it would be good investment. The rhythmic clap on Fade Away gives a simple canvas for Logic to flow over for three minutes and change. I say flow because he has such a relaxed delivery that it's as if he's having a conversation with you. There's nothing forced about it, which is why he's able to pack so much intensity into his music without overwhelming the listener. In my eyes he's one of the bright spots in Hip Hop world that is desperately needing someone to carry the torch on from a generation who understand the craft that goes into being a lyricist...#FadeAway

Logic - Fade Away

Take 'Em to Church Parson James!

Admittedly, I'm a sucker for soulful, choir-assisted gospel jams. As soon as the organ fires up and the harmony starts pouring in, I might as well be a hooked fish. In this case, Parson James is the vocalist leading the charge on an appropriately titled track, Charge. By now, it should be abundantly clear (in a Bruno Mars type of way) that Parson is going to be a super star. Counting the one below, he has at least three solid singles that will hopefully be leading up to a debut album. It's time for me to get out of the way and led Top 40 radio it's job of making him a household name...#ParsonJames

Videos of the Week November 6th

If you thought that somehow there wouldn't be multiple Hotline Bling themed videos this week, you're sorely mistaken. Funny enough, the best of the bunch was a seriously awesome acoustic cover of the track by Dan Henig. I'm not at all familiar with his music, but I'll definitely be on the look out after hearing his cover. On the other side of the spectrum is Bernie Sanders getting down to Drake's newest single on Ellen. Yes, it's Jib Jab quality, but admit it, you thought to yourself for a minute, is that really what my grandpa would look like dancing to a Drake track?

In other news, Ariana Grande is eye candy and she went all Willy Wonka style on her new video for Focus. Some choose to sell sex, others like Sia sell dance and choreography. There was no Maddie Ziegler sighting, but the martial arts choreography for her new video Alive was intense! Finishing out the week on a funny note was Aziz Ansari impersonating Bobby Jindal. Needles to say, he does look similar and he did a spot on job of poking fun at how terrible he's doing in the polls with his dated views...#FeelTheBern2016
Dan Henig Cover of Drake's Hotline Bling (Video)

Bernie Sanders Gets Down to Drake's Hotline Bling on Ellen
Ariana Grande - Focus (Video)

Aziz Ansari Plays Bobby Jandal on Fallon

Sia - Alive (Video)

Photo Credit: YouTube

BANKS is Back and Better Than Ever

Fresh off the success of her debut album Goddess, BANKS is back with a powerful new single. Better is a perfect example of how she uses a wide variety of raw emotion to tell a story. It's another stunning example of how she constantly proves that you don't need to follow everyone else's formula of verses and hooks and melodies to make great music.

Better is roller coaster stream of consciousness that lasts for three minutes. The song's tone is half therapeutic post-break up release, half moving on because I can do better in tone. The synths are heavy handed leading up to the climax, but what follows is a tranquil ending. If this doesn't get you excited for her upcoming album that's supposed to drop early 2016, then feel free and go back to listening to formulaic top 40 that is devoid of the type of emotion and feeling that she puts in her music...#Better

Sam Gellaitry Wants You to Have Another One

Over time as my tastes for EDM have continued to evolve, I've come to realize that melodic trap is right in my wheelhouse. There's something about the combination of chill synths over choppy drum and bass rhythms that really do it for me. Up and comer Sam Gellaitry's new one, shake (have another one), is every bit as head nod worthy as you'd hope from the budding Scottish star. Admittedly, I've only recently caught on to his Short Stories EP and I'd recommend you familiarize yourself with it too. Similar to the way RL Grime uses everything and the kitchen sink to make his tracks, Sam employs the same type of bells, whistles, percussion and anything else you can think of type of approach, which is cool. As a side note, if you're in the mood for a bouncy, harp led slow banger, give The End a dedicated listen and keep an eye out for Sam as a name you'll need to know going forward...#SamGellaitry

Sam Gellaitry - shake (have another one)

"Do I Go Home to Nothing or Stay Out for More?"

Boy...when Sam Smith warns us that a song isn't radio friendly and is dark, he is not playing around. I can see why Drowning Shadows wouldn't have necessarily fit with a lot of the other tracks on his platinum debut In the Lonely Hour. Despite it's depressing tone of the track, it's incredibly real and I'm glad the Zane Lowe edition of the track below includes a bit more of a back story to the genesis of how the song came to be. It's easy to glamorize the lives of these really talented artists like Sam, but at the end of the day, they're just people like us too. Back when he wrote this track he had to make a real decision every night about whether to turn left to go home and be lonely or turn right and head to the club for the prospect of a good time. It's a struggle that a lot of 20-somethings go through in their day-to-day lives and it struck me as real because he was just an average artist trying to make it big when he wrote this track. In summary, I'm glad he didn't drop this downer of a track on the first release, but now that he's releasing it as a deluxe version, it's much easier to appreciate in hindsight...#DrowningShadows

Sam Smith - Drowning Shadows

Biebex Are Back at it Again With I'll Show You

At times over the past decade it's been hard to get behind Justin Bieber. In a lot of ways, he's fulfilled the child star prophecy in becoming that petulant, privileged, entitled young adult that we've all seen so many times before in music and television. All that being said, he's never lost the talent that caused Usher to sign him on the spot when he was just a young kid trying to make it big. Back in 2009, I will cop to very vocally backing Bieber as the next big thing when he dropped his first single One Time. Unfortunately, the past six years between now and then have resulted in more trips to the police station then posts on this blog.

BUT...time can prove to be a powerful thing when it comes to second chances. Three Skrillex produced singles, I'm back on board the Bieber bus. The most interesting part about it all is that the three singles haven't been overly electronic. If anything, I've gained more respect for the versatility of Skrillex as a producer. That's not selling Bieber short either, his new R&B flavored I'll Show You gets back to what made him a star years ago. The whiny beat, chill synths and ever-so-emotional vocal delivery is why this one will continue to have success and be one of the most remixed tracks over the next few months...#IllShowYou

Stephen Re-imagines Adele's Hello

By now you've undoubtedly heard Adele's new comeback single Hello and taken the time to recognize it's limitless potential. There simply aren't many people in the world who have the vocal talent of Adele, so it shouldn't be a surprise that her new video for the single has over 190 million views on YouTube in ten days. Feel free and give it a listen below if you found a way to not watch it at some point over the past week...
Admittedly, her original version of the track deserves it's own post, so I'm a bit remorseful that I waited until a noteworthy cover comes along to post her version. By no means is Stephen's cover (below) anywhere near as powerful as the original, but it's a really interesting re-imagination of Hello...

Where Adele's vocal range takes the cake on the original, Stephen adds a rock element to the track that is really intriguing. I've posted a few tracks of his and with each track I'm gaining more of an appreciation for his music. Great artists grow on you and he's doing everything he can to be memorable. Keep him in mind for breakout artist of 2016 and keep it locked here for anything new he puts out...#StephenSwartz
Photo Credit: YouTube

"Break Up the Sound, Now Blow Up the Bass"

Creating rowdy electronic music seems like a relatively easy thing to do these days. All you need is a catchy chord progression and a bass heavy drop to do the trick. Not so fast! There's another level of organized madness that AutoErotique and Major Lazer just came through that will make you question those preconceived notions. While The Sound does share a lot of the cookie cutter characteristics outlined above, the ghetto blaster grittiness and tribal rhythms are what set it apart. Yes, it definitely goes hard in the paint like your boy Waka Flocka would say. It's rave quality and sure to get the attention of any listener within a block radius. That's the type of power you hope for when two heavyweights like AutoErotique and Major Lazer team up on a track. Chalk one up for the good guys, this one delivered the mail...#TheSound

AutoErotique feat Major Lazer - The Sound

Videos of the Week October 30

If you're looking for interesting and novel, this week is going to be right up your alley. Led by the broken leg, turn doggy-voyeur video from The Chainsmokers, this week was marked by stuff you just don't usually see. The dog/human fist bump at the 1:03 mark is pretty much all you need to see to understand the personalities of Alex and Drew. If gender roles and sexuality are more your flavor, then you'll find Tosh.0's parody of Selena Gomez's Good For You video an interesting watch. Not sure if Carrot Top was needed to drive his point home, but it is interesting that we find women gyrating in no clothes interesting, yet Tosh looks pretty absurd.

Last week if you would have told me that there would be a video with Skrillex playing acoustic guitar while Bieber sings vocals in this week's top five, I would have laughed in your face. Touche Biebs, touche! If Terry Crews going ham on stage dancing with Kendrick Lamar is more your pace, then fast forward to the three minute mark of the These Walls video. That video has enough content in it for a short movie, so make sure the popcorn is ready before you hit play. And last, but definitely not least, there was a used car dealer in Wichita, Kansas that officially put an end to all this Nae Nae dance business. You know a dance move has jumped the shark when an old white dude in the middle of Kansas starts mixing your dance move with the Stanky Legg in an attempt to sell cars...#WhipDance
The Chainsmokers - Waterbed (Video)

Tosh.0 Parodies Selena Gomez's Good For You Video

Justin Bieber, Skrillex & BLOOD Perform Sorry (Acoustic)

Kendrick Lamar - These Walls (Video)

What Happens When a Car Dealer Tries to Sell Whips Doing the Nae Nae

Photo Credit: YouTube

Rivers Gets a Vocal Upgrade From Nico & Vinz

Prior to hearing the new version of Thomas Jack's Rivers, you would have been hard pressed trying to convince me that the song could be made better. Lucky for us, the original didn't get an entire makeover, just a vocal upgrade from Nico & Vinz. I say upgrade because somehow, some way, the new vocals managed to make the already stellar track just a little bit better. For one, the spoken words are much easier to understand, but they're delivered in the same easy-going, perfect for Trop House fashion. This begs the same question I had when the original dropped - when is the debut album coming? I know a full length EP is asking for a lot, but I'm crossing my fingers that another single will be revealed by the time I see Thomas in perform at the Regency Ballroom in about a month...#ImFeelingLucky

Thomas Jack feat Nico & Vinz - Rivers

"In Zone, Blowin' Strong, Money Long, Limousine"

Bang it out the deck GTA! You wanna talk about going hard and not looking back, give this three and a half minute assault on your eardrums a quick listen. Admittedly, I'm not up on a lot of the new Hip Hop and that includes K Camp's recent single Lil Bit, but thanks to GTA I'm catching up. The beat on the original version of the track is as heavy as it is bouncy, giving K Camp plenty of room to weave in and out of a few stellar verses. But the real story here is the snappy Trap upgrade from GTA. Making the pace of the vocals a bit faster and adding a few speaker shattering drops makes a world of difference. If you need a loud, party starter to get you through your hump day malaise, look no further y'all...#LilBit

K Camp - Lil Bit (GTA Remix)

Big K.R.I.T. and 9th Wonder Work the Guillotine

Whenever I think of a guillotine, I think of a violent and swift result. As a result, the title Guillotine Flow came with it expectations of harsh lyricist that would leave the listener thinking that the artist "killed it." While I'm not denying that K.R.I.T. and Rapsody brought their A game, they delivered their bars in methodical, mellow fashion, which was a bit of surprise. The subtly heavy, chill beat cooked up by 9th Wonder was by far my favorite part of the track. The beats he's able to create lend credence to the thought that simplicity is beautiful. You may not leave thinking it's the flashiest instrumental you've heard, but it paves the way for those two artists on the mic to tell a compelling story. That's what a producer is supposed to do and exactly why this 9th Wonder and K.R.I.T. collabo is special despite lacking pizazz...#GuillotineFlow

Big K.R.I.T. & Rapsody - Guillotine Flow (prod by 9th Wonder)

"Now When You Close Your Eyes Breathe, Just Breathe"

At first glance, when two artists with different styles collaborate, it can seem like an oil and water type of mix. That was my first reaction when seeing that Knife Party/Pendulum's Rob Swire and Eric Prydz were getting together on a track. Sure, epic collaboration, but Swire's edgy and rowdy sound matched with Prydz who is known for mellow EDM seem like an odd mix.

But that's why you don't judge a book by it's cover kids. Holy crap Breathe is awesome! It's the type of melodic Dubstep that I've grown to love thanks in large part of artists like Sub Focus. Rob's vocals were a nice addition to the track, but the steady bass mixing with ethereal chord progression just wins on all levels. All I have to offer is the Radio 1 rip, but that's more than enough to get me excited for the full version to trickle out...#Breathe

"New York City Please Go Easy on Me Tonight"

If you're like me, you've been anxiously waiting for The Chainsmokers to release some sort of multi-song EP. The remixes have been awesome and have continued to ramp up expectations for what the talented duo is capable of creating. It seems the wait is over because their five song Bouquet EP finally landed on iTunes this week as they prepare to embark on 40 city US tour.

On the EP you can expect recent favorites Roses, Waterbed, and Until You Were Gone, as well as their mellow new one below. There's a calmness in Olivia Zaro's vocals that resurrected a lot of memories I've created in the city that never sleeps. I know Alex and Drew don't want listeners to get hung up on the fact that the song is about New York City, but the song was nostalgic for me and I've only visited New York a hand full of times. I feel like anyone who visits NYC leaves with a story and while some have better endings than others, they're all memorable. I'm not from New York, but if I was, I've got a feeling that this track would end up being a go-to track for transporting mentally to that feeling of home. Tip of the cap to The Chainsmokers for seemingly working this track to death by producing over 100 versions and finding a way to land on an impactful result...#NewYorkCity

The Chainsmokers - New York City

There's No Bass Like Wombass

I'm not sure if Tiesto has a bucket list of artists he's trying to knock out collaborations with, but here's yet another new and novel addition to his discography. This time he teamed up with Dutch producer Oliver Heldens to put together a crisp and melodic assault on our eardrums. Sticking true to the song title, it's filled with plenty of bass that blends well with the bubbly chord progression. There are enough tempo changes throughout the track to prevent the synth arrangement from feeling too repetitive. It may be a simple track, but it bangs and has enough fuel to ignite any dance floor. Unfortunately, you impatient listeners will have to wait until November 9th to cop this one, so enjoy the Soundcloud player in the mean time...#Wombass

Tiesto & Oliver Heldens – Wombass

Videos of the Week October 23rd

This week's top five was centered around actual music videos for change. Leading the way was a lot of music touched by Skrillex. His new one with Dillon Francis was as jittery and trappy as you'd expect from the duo. In somewhat of a surprise, he also came to the rescue of Justin Bieber by setting the tone on Sorry. Man, you better get used to hearing that track because it's going to be lighting up top 40 radio for the foreseeable future.

For you Hip Hop heads out there, Logic is still dropping weekly videos to cover his recent hits. The kid can spit, there's no getting around that. If you're up for a little nostalgia, then you'll appreciate Hov bringing back a classic on Kimmel this week. Sure the track isn't the same without Alicia's vocals live, but Jiggaman has enough stage presence to carry a concert. And last, but certainly not least, the most meemed video of the past week, Drake's video for Hotline Bling. If you're one of those who love to poke fun at his expressive expressions, this one made your entire year...#HotlineBling
Skirllex & Dillon Francis - Bun Up the Dance (Video)

Justin Bieber - Sorry (prod by Skrillex) (Video)

Logic feat Big Lenbo - Young Jesus (Video)

Jay Z Performs Empire State of Mine on Kimmel

Drake - Hotline Bling (Video)

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

Baauer Booms and Clangs His Ways Into Our Hearts

There are a select few artists in EDM who can create the feeling of surprise every time you press play on a new track of theirs. For me, Baauer sits atop that list because of the wide variety of samples he uses to make music. Whether it's a boom, clang, echo or slap, Baauer throws the kitchen sink at you with every single.

His newest creation, appropriately titled GoGo!, is every bit as new and novel as you'd expect. The back and forth synths inspire intrigue as he takes you up the mountain, only to push you off the ledge with a monumental drop that booms and clangs, giving way to an edgy synth repetition. I guess you could say that it's an expected deviation from the mean since Baauer takes so much pride in blazing his own trail. Tip of the cap for continuing to question and push the limits what us listeners have grown accustomed to hearing...#GOGO

DJ Snake Gets in the Middle With Bipolar Sunshine

Many successful singles have an earworm element that you can't escape. Whether it be sugary vocals, a bubbly chord progression or a sample that you can't get out of your head, there's something about the track that keeps you whistling the beat or singing the hook. In DJ Snake's case, he chopped up vocal samples into an uptempo cacophony of jubilation. Middle is a great example of how you don't necessarily need a hook for a track to be addictive. A choppy, unique sample can be all that it takes. True, the verses from Bipolar Sunshine do an excellent job of filling the space between the beat breakdowns, but there's something about that alarming sound on the sample that will reel you in. Listen at your own risk because this one has the ability to embed itself deep...#Middle

Kanye Gets a Soundcloud Account, the Internet Takes Note

It's not everyday Kanye opens up a Soundcloud account and lets loose two new ones. I say two new ones loosely because one is a new version of one of his old songs and another heavily samples The Weeknd's Tell Your Friends. I chose to highlight Say You Will because the original has always been one of my favorite Kanye tracks and not just because Drake sampled it to perfection on Say What's Real...

Before you start thinking Ye's new version of Say You Will with Caroline Shaw is going to be appreciably different than the original, check your expectations. It's quite a bit more ethereal, but the lyrics and harmony of the track are a lot like the original. Despite it being eerily similar to the original, I can't hate on it one bit since it's one of my favorites. Now if Kanye would only start posting new tracks on his Soundcloud rather than b-sides and lost verses, then we'd really be talking...#SayYouWill

Kanye West feat Caroline Shaw - Say You Will

Caspa & Rusko Will Knock Off Ya Blouse an Skirt

After seeing HudMo step his live set up to another level last night, I'm starting to understand just how much I appreciate loud horns in Dubstep and Trap songs. Tracks like Chimes and 100hm come to mind if you're looking for some horny examples. I preface this post about Caspa and Rusko's new one with that because it deserves to be in the same loud horns discussion. If you remember back to 2007 when the dynamic duo released the FabricLive.37 and showed us the type of music they're capable of piecing together as CaspaRusko. Now they're back at it again with another loud and bouncy beat that will make your eyebrows raise a bit if you turn up the volume in your headphones. The provocative video below does justice to the song title and is edited in a way that puts to use wobbly transitions that emphasizes the mix of horns and bass. Tip of the cap to the two Dubstep legends and here's to hoping they have more than just this single up their sleeve...#BlouseAnSkirt

Kygo Continues to Dazzle on the Keys

It's as if Kygo tapped into a long lost art that a whole generation of music listeners hasn't been given exposure to. If anybody other than him would have made the decision to release piano compositions without vocals, you can bet nobody would care. But now, since Kygo has lit a fire under this new incredible thing called Tropical House, we're all listening with baited breath. I can't in good faith say that five years ago I would be listening and appreciating the intricacies of piano compositions, but that's what makes life so interesting.

Piano Jam 3 is the most mellow of the three and takes a solid two minutes to start gaining some steam. Out of the three Piano Jams, my favorite by far is the first one, but there are parts of each I'm growing to love. For example, the crescendo on #3 around the two minute and 45 sec mark is really cool and the second Piano Jam has a decidedly Gavin DeGraw-esque ebb and flow to it. I'm sure this new one will grow on me more, but I'm more interested in the meta implications of the PJs as a whole tonight. Here's to hoping there are more developed versions of each track like this one and this one...#PianoJam3

Kygo - Piano Jam #3

Videos of the Week October 16th

There were a few live performances that stood out in this week's top five. The first two having to do with The Weeknd's visit to SNL. He's been one act that has alluded me in a live setting, so seeing him on SNL was pretty cool. I'm really digging both of his remixes for The Hills and seeing Nicki's dramatic performance was icing on the cake.

In other live performances, Pharrell got everyone and their mom singing along with his performance of Freedom on the Ellen Show, which was cool to see. The mystical ZHU also released some shocking new visuals for Automatic. I won't spoil the plot, but let's just say, I definitely did not see it ending the way it did. And last, but definitely not least, the fake Barack Obama spoof of Trump using Drake's Back to Back beat delivered a nice climax to an eventful week of videos. Much love to the authentic Barack delivery and on point lyrics...#BacktoBack
The Weeknd feat Nicki Minaj - The Hills (Live on SNL)

The Weeknd - I Can't Feel My Face (Live on SNL)

ZHU feat AlunaGeorge - Automatic (Video)

Pharrell Performs Freedom on Ellen

Barack Obama Back to Back (Drake Spoof)

Photo Credit: YouTube

"I'ma Get it Like Whoa"

Despite my on again, off again relationship with Hip Hop there will always be a few notable exceptions. One of them being Logic who always seems to spit on the mic like his next meal depends on his success. What makes him so special you ask? It's the effortless gymnastics he's able to execute as he rolls from one bar to the next. Despite being quick on the lyrical trigger, his delivery doesn't prevent the listener from understanding his message. That's not an easy thing to do without sounding forced, which is why I'm always like bug looking into a lit up light bulb when his music comes on. Shout out to 6ix on the low key production that set the table ever so nicely for Logic to put in work. We're about a month away from The Incredible True Story, which means you have the green light to start ramping up your expectations...#LikeWhoa

Logic - Like Whoa (prod by 6ix)

Cashmere Cat Tickles the Ivory on HudMo's Forever 1

Having been to hundreds of live shows, I can't tell you how much of a difference it makes when an artist plays/performs something unique to start a set. When I say unique, something that you couldn't be easily purchased or listen to via usual channels like Spotify/Pandora. Something like what you hear below from Cashmere Cat who always opens his set with his version of Hudson Mohawke's Forever 1. Before listening to the remix, check the original below that surfaced on HudMo's Slow Jams VII...

While the original has soft R&B vocals to go along with the harmonic chord progression, the remix is 100% piano driven. It's not what you'd expect from Cashmere Cat, which is why I like it so much. Most of the Cashmere tracks I've heard until today have been bouncy and melodic, so hearing a track with a lullaby vibe was cool. This track couldn't have come at a better time for me since I'll be seeing both of them perform at Treasure Island Music Festival this weekend. Such a stacked lineup and now I'm even more excited to see Cashmere's set...#Forever1

HudMo - Forever 1 (Cashmere Cat Edit)

"Til the Sunrise Pull an All Nightah"

Last week Kill the Noise dropped a fresh new album that has been the talk of the EDM world. To be blunt, Occult Classic is a ten song musical assault on the eardrums. The most hype of the bunch is without a doubt the Tommy Trash and R. City assisted Louder. You could convince me it's a bit repetitive, but the post-drop madness is worth the price of admission.

As a quick side note, about five years ago I posted quite a few Rock City tracks and was always quick to serve them up dap for their writing and vocal abilities. It's cool to seem them crossing over and dabbling into the world of synthesizers. Head on over to Soundcloud to stream the entire album and if you feel so inclined to drop KTN a few dimes, iTunes has your back...#OccultClassic

Kill the Noise and Tommy Trash feat R. City - Louder

Eminem Cruises Over The Hills

In hindsight, I thought The Weeknd had a lot of talent, but I can't say I anticipated him reaching the level of stardom he's at now. It seems like every couple weeks he's had another single reach the top of the charts to a point where everyone seems to have taken a liking to his edgy R&B sound. Speaking of edgy, it doesn't get much more rough around the edges than Slim Shady who blessed The Weeknd's latest chart topper with two white hot verses. Like only he can, Eminem tells his own vivid tale peppered with drama, drugs and fluctuating emotion. Unless you're used to his choppy, cliffhanger bars and stop and go diction, it's always a challenge to follow along. But for those that are used to it dissect it, there's always more than a little brilliance in the mix. It only happens two or three times a year, so enjoy this gift that seemingly dropped out of the sky this week...#TheHillsRmx

The Weeknd feat Eminem - The Hills (Remix)