Author Archive
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New: Canibus “Merchant of Metaphors”
As rapper, Canibus prepares to release his ten album, C of Tranquility. The album will be his second album of this year so Canibus has been a busy man. The album’s latest single is “Merchant of Metaphors”. The track is raw, hardcore hip hop. Check it out!
MP3: Canibus “Merchant of Metaphors” -
New: King Fantastic remixes Linkin Park’s “The Catalyst”
I have now posted a couple different remixes of the lead single from Linkin Park‘s upcoming album, A Thousand Suns. The latest “The Catalyst” remix comes from rapper/producer King Fantastic. King Fantastic does a great job flipping the track into a hip hop beat adding his own flows over it. Check it out.
MP3: Linkin Park “The Catalyst (King Fantastic Remix)” -
New: Fernando Garibay “Sassy Milkshake (Kelis // Kat Graham)”
Producer Fernando Garibay is more well known for producing hits like Enrique Iglesias‘ “Bailamos”, Ricky Martin‘s “Shake Your Bon-Bon”, and Lady Gaga‘s “Dance in the Dark”. Now Fernando is taking on the mash-up game with his mash-up of Kelis and Kat Graham. Enjoy!
MP3: Fernando Garibay “Sassy Milkshake (Kelis // Kat Graham)” -
New: Thoko remixes the Ghostbusters’ Theme
Thoko has sent me a bunch of remixes but never have I been so excited to listen to one as this Ghostbusters remix. Not only because who does not love the Ghostbusters theme but it also gives me a chance to geek out about the upcoming Ghostbusters 3 movie. It is still two years away but it is worth getting excited about as long as Anna Faris does not ruin it. Check out the remix!
MP3: Thoko “Ghostbusters’ Theme (Remix)” -
Blue Sky Black Death: Third Party
Blue Sky Black Death: Third Party
San Francisco, CA production duo, Blue Sky Black Death have produced tracks for artists like Jus Allah, Sabac Red, Myka 9, AWOL One, Ill Bill, Prodigal Sunn, and Jean Grae among others. Their latest album, Third Party is a full length collaboration with vocalist Alexander Chen of Boy in Static fame.
Hip hop producers that try to cross over into other genres is often a dicey proposition (think Timbaland‘s collaboration with The Hives). In this case, Blue Sky Black Death are known as hip hop producers and they are working with a vocalist who traditional does Postal Service-esque electronic pop. That’s not exactly the biggest stretch in the world. What is surprising about the release is how much Blue Sky Black Death seem to conform to Alexander Chen’s genre rather than bringing more of a hip hop flare to the table.
With the lack of hip hop flare, it is amazing how similar to bands like Owl City Third Party sounds. The album’s opening track and lead single “Carl Sagan” has by far the most hip hop influence. The track mixes hip hop drums with electopop synths while Alexander Chen’s airy pop vocals go over the top. The track is reminiscent of Massive Attack style trip hop.
But “Carl Sagan” is not necessarily indicative of the entire album. Many more songs are along the Postal Service lines than a slick mixture of trip hop and indie pop. This leads to an album that is a little bit bland in my opinion. There are a couple of really great moments (late in the album song, “Rerun” comes to mind) but for the most part, the album is hit or miss.
Rating: 6.3/10
MP3: Blue Sky Black Death “Carl Sagan”
Buy: iTunes or Insound! -
New: Devlin remixes Paul Weller’s “Fast Car / Slow Traffic”
Former The Jam leader, Paul Weller is nominated for BarclayCard Mercury Music Prize for his latest album, Wake Up the Nation. The album’s single “Fast Car / Slow Traffic” recently got the remix treatment by grimeman, Devlin. Devlin adds a little bit of grime flare to the post-punk single. Check it out.
MP3: Paul Weller “Fast Car / Slow Traffic (Devlin Remix)” -
New: Chico Fellini covers Peaches’ “Fuck the Pain Away”
In general, Chico Fellini is kind of ridiculous. The Lexington, KY foursome mixes theatrical and pop similar to an American Destroyer. But the group has no qualms about not taking themselves too seriously as demonstrated in their cover of Peaches‘ “Fuck the Pain Away”. Check it out!
MP3: New: Chico Fellini “Fuck the Pain Away” -
New: Sentel “Widow”
I am excited to be bring you the latest track by Sentel. Sentel is a group from Krakow, Poland and being of Polish decent myself, I am consistantly disappointed at how little music I receive from Poland. “Widow” is a bass-thumping dance track from the electronic duo. The track has already received airplay on Radio Kampus (Warsaw), Radio Luz (Wroclaw), and Rinse FM (London, UK). Check it out!
MP3: Sentel “Widow” -
New: The White Panda “Young Bloods Poppin’ (T.I. // The Naked & Famous)”
DJ Griffi of The White Panda sent me this new mash-up. Of course he suggested to post the track for Labor Day BBQs which are over by now, but better late than never, right? The track uses T.I.‘s “Big Shit Poppin’” acapella which allows me to report a little on T.I.’s latest arrest. Police arrested rapper T.I. and his wife in California this past Wednesday. They were pulled over and the officer smelled marijuana. T.I. was subsequently arrested for possession of a controlled substance. T.I. has only been out of jail for five months part of which was to be spent in drug counseling. Not looking great for T.I. right now. But the White Panda mash-up is pretty great (like that transition?). Check it out!
MP3: The White Panda “Young Bloods Poppin’ (T.I. // The Naked & Famous)” -
The National Rifle: Vanity Press
The National Rifle: Vanity Press
Whenever I go to Philadelphia, I stay in Havertown, PA. It is a little bit of a commute into the heart of Philly but it is worth it with the reduced hotel prices. But the years of experiencing Havertown never prompted me to think “this seems like a place a decent indie rock band could come out of” but indeed it is the home base of The National Rifle. On their third release, Vanity Press, The National Rifle attempt to put Havertown on the map as something more than the home of the nearest Sonic Drive-In to Philadelphia.
The album’s opening track “In The Weeds” is probably my favorite. The song opens up with an R.E.M. “Auctioneer (Another Engine)” style drum beat but Peter Buck’s arpeggios are replaced with lead singer and guitarist, Hugh’s extended power chords and snotty vocals. As the track evolves the drums become more disjointed and pulsating piano chords are added all making the song sound like at any second it will come apart at the seems and degrade into an unlistenable mess. But that disequilibrium is fun and the National Rifle somehow hold the song together just over four minutes.
The entirety of Vanity Press seems to fiddle around with this concept of disequilibrium. It almost reminds me of Pavement with a little more of a 90s alternative edge to it. At just five songs in length, it is hard to know if the National Rifle could be this captivating for a full length release but they certainly managed to hold my attention for the 20 minutes of Vanity Press.
Rating: 9.0/10
MP3: The National Rifle “In the Weeds”
Buy: iTunes
