Here's Your Chance to Support the #NoDAPL Movement

In case you've been living under a rock and haven't caught wind yet of the violent conflict surrounding the $3.8 billion dollar pipeline traversing from Illinois to North Dakota, here's a quick recap. The pipeline, which was set to be constructed on sacred Native American land and cross under Lake Oahe, would carry over 500,000 barrels of oil per day. Like many terrible things in America, lots of money is behind this project, which ultimately means the pipeline is going to find a way to get built, especially since it's already 70% complete. I'm not going to lecture you on the dependency of fossil fuels, but let's just say that it's easy to sympathize with the Native Americans whose rights and property are being severely leaned on in a way that doesn't stand to benefit them at all.

So what does music have to do with the pipeline protest you ask? Well, Mr. Carmack decided to work together with Djemba Djemba on a project to help fuel the protest movement. This week, they posted a Bandcamp link to the Rekindling album that features the song below. What you can expect when pressing play is a slow, plodding, instrumental dose of trap music. So Blunt sounds tribal with the ethereal wind instruments and sharp percussion. It will remind you a lot of something Baauer and RL Grime would put out, which is about as complimentary as it gets in this neck of the woods. So I ask you kind reader, are you ready to join the fight by buying some music? If you are, head on over to Bandcamp to chip and in share your purchase with the world using the following hash tag...#NoDAPL

Djemba Djemba - So Blunt

"And if You're With it Lady, Then We Can Make it Daily"

I'm really starting to miss good R&B. It's so rare that a vocalists decide to go the grown and sexy route, which has left a huge void on my recent playlists. Luckily, every now and then someone like 3Lau puts together a sexy mid-tempo, electronic ballad that manages to fill that empty space, if only for a minute. You Want More incorporates just the right amount of synths to make for smooth listen. To be honest, Max's vocals reminded me a lot of Miguel, which isn't a bad thing at all. It's not exactly what you'd expect from an EDM DJ, but that's what makes it so interesting. You know the drill, iTunes or Spotify to satisfy your fix...#YouWantMore

3Lau feat Max - You Want More

"We Can Just Be Rockin'"

Based on initial fan ratings, The Weeknd's new Starboy album has been a success so far. According to Metacritic, there have been 183 people who reviewed the album and out of those 183, 154 of them were positive reviews. I don't need to sell you on his collaborations with Daft Punk because I've gushed about them already here and here, but after giving it a deeper listen, I've got a new favorite. Rockin' is chalked full of speaker rattling bass, funky house rhythms, and smooth vocals. It's the upbeat pop, club track that comes off more feel good than the edgier album favorites like Starboy.

Simply put when it comes to setting the bar for R&B/Pop music, The Weeknd is still leading the way. And it's not just releases, his performances in concert keep getting better and better. Case in point his latest performance of I Feel It Coming/Starboy on Fallon this week. His stage presence is something he's had to work on, but the results are starting to really show...#Starboy

The Weeknd - Rockin'

"We Tried Love Today, Let it Rest in Peace"

Anyone who has heard Amba Shepherd's vocals on an EDM track has made a point to find out who she is. For me, that moment happened over six years ago when she chipped in vocals for Porter Robin's Vandalism. She has that angelic, Ellie Goulding softness to her vocals, which sounds really awesome by itself, but also fits quite well over EDM chords.

To this date, she's had lots of feature credits, but this time she's branching out on her own solo single.
Prelude (Rest in Peace) merely confirms what we all figured from our first listen. She's got the talent to make her own music without hopping on other peoples' songs. When you press play below you'll immediately be re-introduced to her vocals before being smacked in the face with a wobbly, deep-house-esque chord progression that immediately reminds you that you're still living in the neighborhood of EDM. My favorite version of her new single is obviously the vocal Radio Edit that mixes all the goodness together, but there's also a four song EP with an extended club edit and instrumental version you might enjoy too. Let's all collectively hope this offering of new music is only the tip of the iceberg and we get to continue to see Amba soak in that limelight on a path to becoming the artist we think she could become...#Prelude

Amba Shepherd - Prelude (Rest in Peace)

Sean Paul and Tory Lanez Will Keep Your Heart Protected

With every song Tory Lanez jumps on, I become a bigger fan. There's something about his emotion dripped delivery that lures in me every time he gets on the mic. In the past he's dabbled in reggae vibes, but his new one with one of the kings of Dancehall (Sean Paul) takes that dabbling to a new level. What you're getting below is a slow, rhythmic ballad from two talented vocalists. If you're a connoisseur of all things Sean Paul, you may have recognized the bouncy horn sample added to the beat toward the end of the track from one of my favorite tracks of his, Deport Dem. Love that track and how he sprinkled it into Tek Weh Yuh Heart to give the ending a but more pizazz. If you're interested, check the iTunes or Spotify for your listening pleasure...#TekWehYuhHeart

Sean Paul feat Tory Lanez - Tek Weh Yuh Heart

More Intense Heat From Flume

First off, hope y'all had a good Thanksgiving and stuffed yourself at a leisurely pace like I did yesterday. Now that you've all made it back from you Black Friday shopping extravaganza, time to get back to some new music. We've all been waiting for some new music from Flume and today we got that in the form of a new Companion EP that will piggyback his recent full length album, Skin. The song is titled Heater and it's exactly that. Slow and steady instrumental builds give way to some heavy bounce throughout the track. The aggressiveness fits the rebellious vibe that is now being associated with the now infamous Sydney Lockout Laws. Some of you might remember the protest video below where the track was originally featured...

As a huge fan of small music venues, I'm just as fired up about things changing for the worse when it comes to legislature that could negatively impact the mom and pops types. Hopefully they're able to create something that adequately fends off alcohol related violence without effectively shutting down night life. In the meantime, I'm going to head on over to Spotify to give the four song EP a listen now that this one has piqued my interest...#Heater

Flume - Heater

deadmau5 Dabbles in Hip Hop With Shotty Horroh

It's rare, but occasionally deadmau5 mixes in some Hip Hop to keep everyone on their toes. Similar to a few years back when he teamed up with Shotty Horroh on Are You Not Afraid?, the duo are back with a new one titled Okay. Never mind silly things like hooks or choruses, their new one is more of a stream of consciousness, bar after bar, lyrical gymnastic exercise. To Joel
's credit, he delivered a bangin' beat and got the hell out of the way. It's a rare track that succeeds in its simplicity by getting you to nod your head along with the beat and focus on the spit-fire verses. Despite it not making the cut for deadmau5's upcoming W:/2016ALBUM/ album, it's every bit the novelty I had hoped it would be...#Okay

"Even If It Makes Me Blind, I Just Wanna See the Light"

It's long overdue, but San Holo is making his GWDJ debut tonight. I've been a fan of his music for a while now, but haven't ever blessed him with a post. That changes tonight with his new banger Light. It represents future bass at it's best, mixing a melodic vocal sample with heavy, but vibrant chords. It's an instrumental dominated track, but the sparse vocals sprinkled throughout find a way to earworm their way into your short term memory. If you're looking for some new chill, but excitable EDM, this should quench that thirst. And if you're in the giving mood and appreciate free music, do your boy a solid by chipping in an upvote on hypem. For those of you who invest in your iTunes collection, head on over to iTunes if you wan to feel official. Me? I'm gonna head over here to cop this one y'all...#Light

San Holo - Light

"Put Them Bright Lights on, I Shine on 'Em"

It's a fact that every athlete wants to be a rapper and every rapper wants to be an athlete. What that causes is a whole lot of athletes that think they can rattle off 16 bars with the best of them. Despite the fact that the majority of athlete rappers are delusional, there are exceptions like Dame Lillard for example. Check out Dame's latest video and you'll see why he deserves a category unto himself...
What does all that have to do with Mike Stud's new track Shine? Well, it features Marcus Stroman who is a friend of Mike's and pitches for the Toronto Blue Jays. He's no Dame Dolla, but he more than held his own in a support role on the track. Utilizing a bangin' beat from Louis Bell and Roofeeo, the duo managed to lyrically capture the athletic swagger of performing in a big moment. That type of swag isn't easy to simulate, so in this case, their athletic background was necessary to make a track like this happen. The best part about, it comes at the price of a Facebook login or email sign up, which is less than free.50, so hop on it...#Shine

Mike Stud feat Marcus Stroman - Shine (prod by Louis Bell & Roofeeo)

Language Gets a Tempo Boost by Jauz

Remember back in 2012 when everyone was obsessed with Porter Robinson's Language? Well, today, thanks to Jauz we get to relive a bit of that memory with some added tempo. For a refresher and a thin slice of nostalgia, check out the original below...

When it comes to a song telling a story by taking you through chapters with ebbs and flows of emotion regulated by vocals and instrumentation, Language sets the bar.

As far as the remix is concerned, picture the original with a frenetic tempo and a considerable bass boost. My favorite part about the remix, aside from the fact that it's free to download, is that it sounds so different from the original. When it comes to re-imagining a universally loved track, you go big or go home because if you hedge, it will sound too much like something people already like. I realize I'm preaching to the choir a bit with Jauz fans because if you've seen on of his sets in the past few months, a free download of the remix is probably a huge relief. There's nothing better than anticipating the release of a track you've heard live and learning it's a free dl, so enjoy this one y'all...#LanguageRemix

Porter Robinson - Language (Jauz Remix)

The Weeknd & Daft Punk Are At It Again

It's becoming easier and easier to close you eyes when listening to The Weeknd and hear the ghost of Michael Jackson. It never feels right comparing anyone to MJ, but vocally and stylistically, the sound is strikingly similiar. Take for example his new one, I Feel It Coming, featuring Daft Punk. The track has a lullabye ballad sound similar to so many MJ hits like Will You Be There, for example. Instead of the soft, choir vocals on the MJ track, you get the digitized, Daft Punk vocals. It doesn't have the sexy pizazz and addictive bassline like it's predecessor Starboy, but it showcases the softer, well-rounded skills of The Weeknd as an artist. With the release of Starboy less than a week away, here's a whole list of reasons to continue getting excited for it...#IFeelItComing

OFFICIAL TRACKLIST : https://t.co/LZqp1rFBnd pic.twitter.com/foEgtjPlSi

— The Weeknd (@theweeknd) November 17, 2016

The Weeknd feat Daft Punk - I Feel It Coming

Videos of the Week November 18th

This was definitely the week for new beginnings and reinterpretations. As far as reinterpretations are concerned, anytime The Roots and Fallon decide to go all acapella and schoolyard instrumental in the classroom, you know it will get some love on this internet property. This time they joined Metallica in a spirited, yet surprisingly accessible version of Enter Sandman. The energy of the track is the same, yet it sounds so different. Sticking with the remixes, I found myself in awe of Sarah Hyland's (of Modern Family) vocal abilities on her cover of The Chainsmokers' with Boyce Avenue. Coming close to Halsey vocally is no small feat and she more than held her own on the duet.

It's becoming routine, but I had to post The Chainsmokers new visuals for All We Know with Phoebe Ryan. They truly have a knack for not only telling stories through their music, but also crafting a matching story visual story that engenders a similar emotional reaction. Love the first person camera perspective of the video, it gave allows the audience to exist in someone else's shoes, if for only three and a half minutes. Switching gears to the new beginnings portion of the top five, meet Amine, a rapper from Portland who burst onto the scene with his recent viral hit Caroline. It was so buzzy that it got him a spot on Fallon and he crushed it! And last, but not least, we've got another (sort of) new beginning with Chocolate Droppa. Sure, it's really Kevin Hart, but he does his best R&B artist impression with the help of Trey Songz on Push It On Me. I'll admit though, I almost lost it when he coasted to a finish acapella in the video 😂...#ChocolateDroppa
The Roots and Metallica Sing Enter Sandman (Classroom Instruments Version)

Boyce Avenue feat Sarah Hyland (of Modern Family) Cover The Chainsmokers & Halsey's Closer

The Chainsmokers feat Phoebe Ryan - All We Know (Video)

Amine Performs Viral Hit Caroline on Fallon

Chocolate Droppa (Kevin Hart) feat Trey Songz - Push It On Me (Video)

Photo Credit: YouTube

"Connect Four, I'ma Line Up in a Row"

Yeeeeeessssssss!!! It doesn't get more lit than new material from Chuck Inglish and Mikey Rocks. Last summer they announced that they'd be getting back in the studio together after five years of doing their own thing. If you're wondering whether they lost a step talent or chemistry wise, don't waste your time. They still bring the heat led by Chuck's hallmark of steady thumping of bass and original samples. That's not to slight Mikey's skills on the mic, both emcees effortlessly traded bars for a full three and a half minutes of entertainment. It's exactly what I had hoped for in a reunion and I can't begin to explain how excited I am to hear more...#ConnectFour

The Cool Kids - Connect Four

Chance the Rapper Delivers Uplifting Knock Knock Jokes

Damn...it's been a while since I've heard some smooth, vocal driven R&B. No synths, no build up and drop, just a funky bassline and some stellar vocals. That's what you can expect from John Legend on his new one Penthouse Floor. It's an uplifting ballad that takes a turn for the silly thanks to Chance the Rapper who detours around the 2:48 mark straight into a knock knock joke. It was one of the most random segues into a verse that I've ever heard, so you've got that novelty to look forward to if you have the patience to give it a full listen. For those true John Legend fans, and I know you're out there, you'll be interested in knowing his new Darkness and Light will be landing on e-tailers in about two weeks on December 2nd. Until then, you'll just have to continue wondering what his collaborations with Miguel and Alabama Shakes' own Brittany Howard are going to sound like...#PenthouseFloor

John Legend feat Chance the Rapper - Penthouse Floor

Remember When HudMo Did a Video Game Soundtrack?

Well...the Ded Sec - Watch Dogs 2 finally arrived, which means a boat load of new instrumentals from my favorite Scottish producer Hudson Mohawke. What you can expect is a full 45 mins of booms, clanks, and ear-popping samples. Each song seems to have their own distinct personality, but there's a steady Trap vibe throughout that reminds you who is steering the ship. I even appreciated his 8-bit sampling mixed into tracks like Burning Desire that give it an extra video-gamey feel.

Below is the second single from Ded Sec, titled Play N Go. It's not my favorite of the bunch, but the methodic pace of the track sounds perfect for keeping someone in the zone while playing level on a video game. If you were to ask me my favorite, I'd pick the Watch Dogs Theme because of it's mix of bass and graduer from the horns. It reminds me of everything I like about HudMo, but to each their own, you're sure to find another one that will strike your fancy...#WatchDogs2

Hudson Mohawke - Ded Sec - Watch Dogs 2 (OST)

"Is It Gravity or Are We Falling in Love?"

I feel like I've missed the boat on the past few Timeflies singles, so what better time than now to hop back on the bus with a brand new Tropical flavored hit. I say flavored because it's much more of a pop ballad, but the post-hook beat breakdown is filled with Trop goodness. One way or the other you'll find yourself singing along to catchy hook by the time the song ends. It's as if Future Bass made love with Trop House to make a pop baby. That's the best I've got for this one, but you better believe it's coming to a radio station near you...#Gravity

Timeflies - Gravity

"It s War Time, Check Your Wrists (Ready, Kids?)"

After what can only be described as a tumultuous week for people in the US, it's fitting that Run the Jewels stepped up with a new hit to invigorate the protest movement. 2100 is heavy on anti-government bars, but touches on everything from Civil Rights to the threat of nuclear war. Despite the anti-establishment tone, there's a clear underlying message of unification that tries to rise about the negativity that we're all dealing with when we see someone leading us that we don't necessarily agree with. The pitter-patter bars have the velocity and vigor to light a fire, yet the vocals provided by BOOTS provide a calmness that is necessary for the message to get across. You can expect this to surface on their upcoming Run the Jewels 3 album that will be released in the coming months. It's all about unification at this point, so more power to RTJ for using their platform to get people to rise above the divisive messages that have become common whenever we turn on the news...#2100

Run the Jewels feat BOOTS - 2100

Starboy Goes Trop House Thanks to Kygo

It's been a minute since we've been privy to some newness from Kygo, so his new remix for The Weeknd's Starboy was a welcome surprise. It's hard to mess with the original version, but Kygo amplified the sexy by layering his piano and Trop House chords on top of the original. One thing that fell a bit flat on the remix is the edginess of the lyrics. The force and gravitas that Weeknd's vocals brought on the original weren't quite as emotion packed over the gentle chords. Nonetheless, it's an interesting take on a track that everyone seems to have fallen in love with, which gives plenty of room for it to live a second life on the remix circuit after the original eventually fizzles out...#StarboyRemix

The Weeknd feat Daft Punk - Starboy (Kygo Remix)

Videos of the Week November 11th

Let's call this the OG edition of videos of the week. Led by what can only be described as a must-see interview between Kendrick Lamar and Rick Rubin that merges generations of Hip Hop, there is more than enough content to get your eyes glued to the screen for minutes on end. Thanks to GQ, they talked shop casually for all of us to watch for a full 50 minutes. If you're curious about the inner workings of what makes Kendrick tick, you'll enjoy it. Then, there was that time Grandmaster Flash took us all back to school to on Hip Hop and what it takes to be a Hip Hop DJ. He even took to the white board to explain the intricacies of the physics behind scratching a record and the shapes of needles and wafers for turntables. Another full 57 minute watch chalked full of Hip Hop history.

If getting schooled on Hip Hop isn't as interesting to you, then you might enjoy the lengths that The Chainsmokers went to create their new lyric video for Setting Fires. There were stunt doubles and lots of cardboard signs, which made it a fun watch. If talent is what you want, then you need to get to know Lido. He's a jack of all trades and he shows you exactly why by putting on an instrumental show for his Dye video. And last but not least, we've got some Jimmy Fallon roasting by the Seattle Seahawks. Evidently Marshon Lynch was licking his chops to get back at him and he delivered a pointed message at the end of the video. Always entertaining to see some back and forth to remind us all that the famous people who are frequently the butt of jokes are capable of dishing it out too...#ThankYouNotes
That Time Kendrick Lamar Met Rick Rubin

Grandmaster Flash Talks the Theory of Being a Hip Hop DJ

The Chainsmokers - Setting Fires (Lyric Video)

Lido - Dye (Video)

The Seahawks Respond to Jimmy Fallon's Thank You Notes

Photo Credit: YouTube

Arona Mane Goes Retro Funk on Teardrops

Tracks that are hard to put in a nice neat box genre wise tend to be the tracks I enjoy most. Call it freshness or uniqueness, it's that original sound that pulls from other styles to create a new vibe is what lure me in. Cue up the new one from Arona Mane that pulls in funk samples, House rhythms and even some Hip Hop bass. Teardrops has a throwback sound, but the retro vibe is far from stale. The rolling bass break down around the 2:45 mark hits the spot and takes the track from a fun listen to a must listen. Down with the vanilla music you're listening to right now, give this one a shot...#Teardrops

Arona Mane feat Quinn - Teardrops