Thursday, April 28, 2011

| bad, real bad: this is too easy |

// 50 Cent & David Guetta - Bullshit & Party //




Wow: "Bullshit" and "Party." The two very words that first come to mind when the names 50 Cent and David Guetta come up. Hip-hop heads haven't cared about 50 for years, and house fans shun Guetta for his selling out and losing his creative edge. The songchild birthed from this union is the musical equivalent of a one-eyed invalid. My already poor opinion of Guetta holds true in light of this totally underwhelming effort. And 50? Well, this is another example of him trying to get people to buy something new with his name on it.

Really though, these two were once giants in their respective genres, and it's sad to see them so pathetic and used up that they have to resort to recycling an already overused sample and leeching off Biggie's classic, "Party & Bullshit". The two songs don't share anything beyond the words in the title, but I'm sure it's no accident this is what 50 and Guetta settled on. If you ask me, they could just drop the "& Party" and just called the track "Bullshit." That'd be infinitely more accurate.

Boring. Repetitive. Wack. 50 Cent & David Guetta deserve each other.

Sunday, April 17, 2011

| look at her NOW |

// Karmin - Look At Me Now (Cover) //


You know when you see something so crazy, you rub your eyes to make sure they aren't playing tricks on you? Well, I just Q-Tip'd my ears to make sure this chick actually just blazed Chris Brown's "Look At Me Now."

Crazy! I think I might have a crush..

Thursday, April 14, 2011

| a lipdub of our own |


I kinda wish I'd known about this when they filmed it a few weeks ago...
Takes me right back to my UBC days. Proud to be an Alum :)

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

| the single life: issue nineteen |

// Chris Brown - Talk Ya Ear Off //


It's been a while since I've heard Timbaland turn out a beat as nice as this - it sounds like a Justin Timberlake  FutureSex-era production. This time, though, the benefiary of Timbo's handiwork is none other than Chris Brown. Built on some creative Timbaland beatboxing, "Talk Ya Ear Off" is definitely club-friendly without sounding too canned. Brown is chameleon-like, putting his own flair on the verses while channelling a little bit of JT on the chorus. He even attempts - albeit questionably - a little Michael Jackson during the break. All in all, it's a solid toe-tapper that'll make a fine addition to any R&B dance playlist.


// The Pains of Being Pure at Heart  - Belong //


Download

Contender for Top 50 of 2011 alert. Easily one of the most hyped releases so far this year, The Pains' sound harkens to some of our favourite 90's alternative rock bands. It would be cool if they did it all on their own, but the truth is some of that vintage (holy crap is early 1990's "vintage" yet?) alt sound is owed to their teaming with British superproducers Flood and Alan Moulder. These two legends can count U2, Smashing Pumpkins, Depeche Mode, and The Killers as their past collaborators. Ho hum. Check out their album, also titled Belong. Past Me is playing air drums to this as we speak. Hell, Current Me is air drumming too.



// The Wilderness of Manitoba - Hermit //


Download

You'd think that a band called "The Wilderness of Manitoba" would be from Manitoba, but these guys actually call Toronto home. Rich, layered vocals and masterful control of pacing and harmonies are the hallmarks of this folk quintet. I've been listening to their album "When You Left The Fire" for about a week now, and it really is one of the most complete albums I've heard in a while. Nothing about them is overwhelming, which is ironically a godsend when you're like me: always thirsting for the next sound/song to knock me out of my chair. "Hermit" is the first song of theirs I came across, and it remains my favourite. Just don't listen to it while operating heavy machinery...


 // Lupe Fiasco - Airplanes //


Download

For those of you who like Lupe and/or still haven't gotten sick of B.o.B's "Airplanes". By the way, Lupe proves that he was made for this beat. Originally slated for L.A.S.E.R.S., the track was passed into Bobby Ray's hands at the request of Atlantic. Including "Nothin' On You," that's two hits that B.o.B. jacked from Lupe. Gee, I wonder why the guy hates his label...


// Savoir Adore - Sparrow //


Download

Labelmates to MGMT and Francis & The Lights, this Brooklyn-based indie pop duo has recently caught my attention with their new single, "Sparrow." It could be a transitive property of that wicked glowing ball of christmas lights they have (above), but there is a warmth and innocence to them that I can't deny. In true dreampop style, "Sparrow" reminds me of stupid love - the kind that is awkwardly normal when you're young but really, really uncool when you're older. Maybe that's what they're trying to get away from? Puppy love really is a lie, after all.

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

| bad, real bad: mariah's hand bra |


..... oh hey! Peter Andre went on a hot date with a stunning Scottish nanny! Rad.

| no mas |

Announced today....


"The worst is yet to come"....

Yikes - it gets worse? I mean, good on Budden for forming Slaughterhouse, but I would much rather keep on with "Pump It Up" and "Fire" any day of the week. And to think the height of his popularity was a distant 8(!) years ago. Time flies when you get dropped by Def Jam and you fade into mixtape obscurity... man, Budden could've been so much more.

Friday, April 8, 2011

| the single life: issue eighteen |

// Beastie Boys - Make Some Noise //

Download

The Beastie Boys require no introduction or background blurb. We all know who they are and what they've accomplished in the span of their staggering 30+ years together. The always-relevant hip hop pioneers are back now that MCA (Adam Yauch) is supposedly back to good health after a bout with cancer. Their next studio album, Hot Sauce Committee Part Two, is due out soon and sounds good if "Make Some Noise" is any indication. For those of you who are wondering why you've never saw a Hot Sauce Committee Part One, it's because the project was shelved years ago. Part Two will feature some tracks from that album in addition to more recent material. I'm not a Beastie Boys fanatic or anything, but their presence is always both necessary and welcome regardless of the music climate. The Boys still sound as youthful and motivated as ever. "Here we go again, give you more, nothin' lesser / Back on the mic, it's the anti-depresser: AD-ROCK. No Pressure!" Kinda says it all, dunnit?

// Xaphoon Jones - The Jackson Pit //
// Xaphoon Jones - One Step Ahead (Aretha Franklin x Empire State of Mind) //
 Download

One half of electronic/hip-hop team Chiddy Bang, Noah "Xaphoon Jones" Beresin is the musical genius responsible for birthing the duo's inventive beats. Forever honing his craft, Xaphoon recently published his latest mixtape, simply titled Mixtape Vol. 2. Mostly putting his own spin on well-known pop/rap tracks, Jones took very honourable run at two classics in Aretha Franklin's "One Step Ahead" and "I Want You Back" by The Jackson 5. The first is more of a blend with the "Empire State of Mind" instrumental, but it's still a glittering gem of a remix. The initial drop is a little akward for half a second, but it quickly becomes clear why Xaphoon wanted to pair the two together. It's a nice reminder of Aretha's past greatness, seeing as us youngins likely know sweet little about her. Maybe this will inspire some more us to do a little music history homework (or as I like to call it: "wiki that shit.")

"The Jackson Pit" is a killer mashup of The Jackson 5's mega hit and Passion Pit's own standout track, "Sleepyhead." All I can say is that it pops. An instant crowd pleaser at any party - throw it on and dancing will ensue.


// Danger Mouse & Daniele Luppi f. Jack White - Two Against One //


Pairing up with Italian composer Daniele Luppi, songwriter/producer extraordinaire Danger Mouse is set to re-ignite the blogosphere with his latest project: a western-inspired mini album titled Rome. Teaming up once again with Jack White (of recently-disbanded The White Stripes), the trio have created a brooding, slithering slice of awesome. As Luppi's work is mainly based in cinema, it's easy to identify how the song's awe-inspiring level of polish came to be. Word is that Norah Jones is heavily involved in Rome as well. This is shaping up to be mighty interesting...


// Raleigh Moncrief - Lament For Morning //

Sacramento is home to indie rock/electronic producer Raleigh Moncrief. Best known for his contributions to The Dirty Projectors' highly acclaimed 2009 album, Bitte Orca, Moncrief is now readying his own EP for release in the coming months. Watered Lawns is expected to be a glitchy, sample-rich electronic offering and I'm really excited to see what it's like. "Lament For Morning" is slowly eeking its way up my mental list of songs I must listen to over and over until something else (ie. nutrition, sleep) pulls me away. I first listened to the whole thing in my car yesterday, and I fell in love how quickly it progresses without feeling rushed. Then, just when you feel the track waning, 1:45 hits and the whole thing explodes into unicorns and rainbows. Shortish at 2 minutes and 51 seconds, but hey, that's what the Back button on the iPod is for right?


// Chiddy Bang f. Mac Miller - Heatwave //

Sampling Martha & The Vandellas' version of the Motown classic "(Love Is Like A) Heatwave", Chiddy Bang are back at it with newcomer Mac Miller. Pretty well consisting of a breakbeat with vocal loop and synths, the combined effect on the updated "Heatwave" is another fine addition to Chiddy Bang's ever-expanding library of singles. I'm always wary of the use of soul/R&B/Motown hits, but I'm beginning to trust Chiddy Bang's handling of the classics. These guys are the real deal.

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

| bad, real bad: ke$ha-capella |

 

Ke$ha raw and without the aid of auto-tune. 
I turned it off almost ten minutes ago and I'm still cringing. 
This is a truly gruelling experience, only for the partially deaf and most courageous of heart.

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

| the single life: issue seventeen |

// Peter Bjorn & John - Dig A Little Deeper //


So good they gave themselves three thumbs up? Our secondmost favourite PB&J combo may never top the astronomic success of "Young Folks", but they've remained a steady source of indie goodness over the years. Back at it again with Gimme Some, the Swedish trio hit us with a surprisingly profound thought on "Dig A Little Deeper." Belting out the line, "All art has been contemporary," Peter Morén reminds that all artistic styles/genres/movements must have been considered contemporary at one time or another. The point? Take a chance to create something new - that's how progress is made. Weird and unconventional today, revolutionary tomorrow. That's how classic styles are born.


// Tyga f. Adele - Reminded //


At 21 years old with a Grammy nomination already under his belt, up-and-coming Young Money rapper Tyga is adding his name to the list of young hybrid emcees coming up in the game. Enlisting Adele to help him on a mixtape track? I have no idea how that happened, but after comparing "Reminded" to Adele's "Someone Like You", I'm at least sure that Adele's hook on the former is not a sample from her original (studio) track. In any case, it's a great look for Tyga. It'll be interesting to see how he rises through the Young Money ranks, but he'll be around for a minute as long as he can count Lil' Wayne, Drake, and Chris Brown as his allies.


// Sky Ferreira - 99 Tears //


Just months shy of her 19th birthday, Sky Ferreira has graduated from mere internet sensation to commercial juggernaught in waiting. Although her album was pushed back from its early 2011 release, Ferreira's hype as the next big thing in pop remains unfazed largely thanks to her self-released EP, As If! Charged with pulsing bass and synths, "99 Tears" will be buzzing in your ears for days after a couple of listens. It's a little too dancy for me, but this stuff is just too slick not to put out there as noteworthy. If you haven't already, get familiar with this future pop star.


// Memphis - I Want The Lights On After Dark //

 

I'll admit that I'm as wild about Memphis' new album, Here Comes A City, as I was about their last one. That said, there are still hints of the magic shared by Torquil Campbell (of Stars) and collaborator Chris Dumont. Probably my favourite from the new album is the punchy "I Want The Lights On After Dark." With the steady attack of the snare set against typically dreamy electric guitars, Memphis again achieve a sound probably much bigger than the cabarets the song will fill. I mean this in the most sincere way possible, seeing as this was established long ago as Campbell's side project to Stars. You can tell the material comes from the same mind behind Stars, but it feels distinctly more like an organic "indie rock" sound without the electronic component we usually see from Stars. All in all, it's a nice departure, if not a necessary break from the incredible weight of trying to top Set Yourself On Fire - Stars fans know what I'm talking about. But I digress...


 // Amadou & Mariam - Sabali (Miike Snow RMX) //

 

Known simply as "The Blind Couple from Mali," Amadou Bagayoko and Mariam Doumbia have an incredible story to tell. After coming out of nowhere to become one of the biggest surprise hits of 2008, Amadou & Mariam's "Sabali" has since enjoyed additional exposure courtesy of numerous remixes and sampling credits. Last December, the duo released an entire complilation of "Sabali" remixes. Notable contributors included Bob Sinclar, Miike Snow, Nas & Damian Marley, and Theophilus London. Being a huge Miike Snow fan, I just had to post this. They didn't rock the boat too much, but the right touches were made. "Sabali" is a beautiful song - Amadou and Mariam should be applauded for crafting a classic while putting Malian music - however briefly - on the world music stage. Also consider the near-impossible task of learning how to play instruments blind. Truly uplifting stuff, folks.

Monday, April 4, 2011

| wait for it |

Here's Miss Keri Hilson putting on a surprisingly decent live rendition of "America The Beautiful" this past Sunday at Wrestlemania 27. Singing in her hometown Atlanta, the R&B songstress put on a clean performance but got a bit ahead of herself early on. Dude, wait for the piano!