February 28th, 2010
Spencer posted this in Hip Hop, Jazz
The smooth and stylish José James is back with his sophomore release, Blackmagic. He’s been called a jazz singer for the hip hop generation which is particularly fitting for his collaborations with Flying Lotus who produced several songs on the new album. Blackmagic was released on February 1st.
MP3: José James – “Blackmagic (Produced by Flying Lotus)”
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Blackmagic (Brownswood, February 2010)
February 27th, 2010
I have a couple of friends whose musical tastes and opinions I really respect. The one who showed me Foster The People’s “Pumped Up Kicks” expects it will explode on the blogosphere becoming a hit and there’s good reason to believe him, it’s just starting to happen now. BlackBookMag.com compares their sound to MGMT and Peter, Bjorn, and John, predicting the song to become one of the big hits of this summer. Indie radio stations can be, at times, predictable and if you keep track on Hype Machine and Elbo.ws alone, you’ll have a pretty good collection of these kind of blogosphere hits. The song has been selected as a favorite by over 2,500 different people and the song’s only been around for a week. Check out Foster The People’s official website and you might find all of the songs just as refreshing and enjoyable as “Pumped Up Kicks.” If there was a fantasy music league, I think these guys would be a good bet.
MP3: Foster The People – “Pumped Up Kicks”
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February 27th, 2010
Spencer posted this in Indie, Pop, Rock
The Radio Dept. is an indie-pop rock band from Sweden. Their upcoming album, Clinging To A Scheme, is scheduled for release in April of this year and will be their 3rd full length release to date. The single off of the album is called “David” but it’s another track, “Heaven’s On Fire,” that has become one of the most blogged about songs of 2010.
MP3: The Radio Dept. – “Heaven’s On Fire”
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Clinging To A Scheme (Labrador, April 2010)
February 27th, 2010
Alex Metric is a remix DJ from the UK. His electro-rock, dance floor friendly remixes put a nice twist on the original song while raising the energy to another level. If you’re having a party and you want to seem some dancing, try his remixes below.
MP3: Phoenix – “Lisztomania (Alex Metric Remix)”
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MP3: Gorillaz – “Stylo (Alex Metric Remix)”
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February 27th, 2010
Clearly, I haven’t been paying enough attention to Yo La Tengo. At least, not until their latest record, Popular Songs. A friend needed only to play me the first track, “Here To Fall” and I instantly realized the folly of my ways. The combination of heavy rock and strings is irresistibly cool. The song is a throwback to Zeppelin and other 70s heavy rock yet it maintains a relevance to today’s music. It isn’t just enjoyable, it’s impressive, especially if you listen to bands like The Dead Weather, Heartless Bastards, or Band of Skulls.
MP3: Yo La Tengo – “Here To Fall”
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Popular Songs (Matador, September 2009)
February 14th, 2010
When I heard about the upcoming collaboration album between Nas and Damian Marley, I wasn’t expecting much. They’re both great artists but I thought a collaboration between the two wouldn’t amount to anything substantial. I have to admit, “As We Enter,” the new track and first single from Distant Relatives, is kind of impressive. Nas and Damian sound good together, trading rhymes back and forth over an otherwise lackluster beat. In terms of lyrics and delivery, the two artists are on fire, but the music itself is a little bland. I’m still not expecting to be blown away by the album but it’s definitely worth checking out.
MP3: Nas & Damian Marley – “As We Enter”
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(Single available on iTunes on February 23rd)
February 14th, 2010
Under the name Four Tet, Kieran Hebden creates art with music. There Is Love In You was just released on January 25th, over four years since his last full length album. Rich, unique sounds and melodies are designed and arranged into luscious electronic symphonies but the music itself is experimental and mostly donwtempo. The new album is a great listen and each song is a real work of art.
MP3: Four Tet – “She Just Likes To Fight”
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MP3: Four Tet – “Angel Echoes”
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There Is Love In You (Domino, January 2010)
January 29th, 2010
I couldn’t find much info on Breakbot. I think he’s French, but some people say he’s Australian. All I know for sure is, I like the music this man makes. From his own mellow, funky material to his high-energy dance floor remixes, all of Breakbot’s productions have given him a name in the blogosphere. His debut EP on Ed Banger Records is set to be released on Valentine’s Day.
MP3: Breakbot – “Make You Mine”
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MP3: Pnau – “Baby (Breakbot Remix)”
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MP3: Data – “Aerius Light (Breakbot Remix)”
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If you’re in New York and you like what you’re hearing, you can check out Breakbot at Terminal 5 on Friday, February 12th. Better bring your dancing shoes.
January 29th, 2010
Fyfe Dangerfield is the front man of Guillemots. His debut solo album is called Fly Yellow Moon and it was released on January 18th in the UK. I’ve only heard two of the tracks off the album. “She Needs Me” perfectly embodies all of the soft, pop qualities that were already bothering me with “When You Walk In The Room” which is otherwise fun and avoidably catchy. I’m suspicious that the album’s overall sound is closer to “She Needs Me” which I didn’t really enjoy. There’s something about “When You Walk In The Room” that I do like a lot but I can’t really put my finger on it. Since those are the only two songs I’ve heard from the album, I guess I’ll have to wait until it’s released in the US to really check it all out.
MP3: Fyfe Dangerfield – “When You Walk In The Room”
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Fly Yellow Moon (Polydor Records, January 2010 (UK))
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