Another weekend fast approaches (and for those of you in the UK and east you’re already there) and who better than Cudi to ease you into your Friday night. This song falls under the “it’s been stuck in my head for more than a day so I thought I should post it and pass the obsession along” variety. And let’s be honest, Cudi is rapidly becoming one of the most consistent rappers of his generation. Enjoy.
mp3 : Kid Cudi - CuDi Zone
For the completionists out there; this track hails from Cudi’s 2009 album Man On The Moon: The End Of Day (amazon) (itunes).
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Ah, the Pursuit of Happiness. It is a foundational principle upon which the United States was built, a movie in which Will Smith cried a lot, and an action that probably gets boys, girls, husbands, wives, boyfriends, and girlfriends into more trouble than it’s ultimately worth.
Never you mind, death professor, Kid Cudi has taken all of those associations and thrown them out the window. What is left is an elegant slice of modern hip hop that’s supplemented by MGMT and Ratatat. What’s not to love?
mp3 : Kid Cudi - Pursuit of Happiness (feat MGMT and Ratatat)
Even the opening thirty seconds of gritty instrumentals is hypnotic. And when the lyrics drop it’s obvious Kid Cudi is never, repeat never, going to slow his roll. Never. For those of you that care you can find this track on the album Man On The Moon: The End of Day (amazon) (itunes). Enjoy.
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I’d never heard of their album until Droll Stevan recommended their video of Handlebars to me. At first listen I loved it and that prompted me to take a trip through their 2007 release, Fight With Tools (amazon) (iTunes). Their sound reminds me of a lot of different and equally diverse influences and for the first hour or so I found myself unable to accurately put into words what I was hearing. They remind me of a band that mixes Eminem’s rhymes with the Gorillaz smooth pop rock. They remind me of Rage Against the Machine without the searing guitar solos or the searing angst filled screams {although the political mindedness of their lyrics is spot on}. At times they obliquely remind me of Mighty Mighty Bosstones mashed up with Linkin Park.
I guess you could say this a serious example of the new wave of genre blurring musical acts {and really, what’s a genre today? Everything is fractured in fractal patterns. Even myspace has you list the three, yes three, genres your band fits into}.
mp3 : Flobots - Stand Up
mp3 : Flobots - Handlebars
If you didn’t watch their video for Handlebars from the above link make sure you click here to watch it over at YouTube. It’s my favorite song on the album, by far, and the lyrics are amazing. It’s nice to hear hip hop {hip pop?} with this many political and pop culture references.
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I thought it was only fair to post about a rather obscure artist I referenced during yesterday’s post about Alexi Murdoch. I first met Josh Garrels back when I was trundling through school on my way to a degree in architecture. Back then {in the early 2000’s} Josh was known for his intensely personal live shows that seemed to have a warmth that transcended mere musical performance. He played shows all around the Mid West and found a passionate following wherever he went, with some fans logging hours and miles in the car just to catch another concert. What I remember most about those shows is how unassuming Josh’s stage presence was. He was the epitome of the everyman; that is until he opened his mouth to sing and took to plucking his guitar. It was then that you realized you were truly witnessing something special, something that would keep you warm on many cold nights to come. His live performance felt less like we were watching someone perform and more like you were witnessing a sacred celebration of music.
Josh Garrels never signed a record deal, although he was rumoured to have been offered a few, choosing instead to take his time and release albums when he wanted. Taking a few years between studio sets to refine his live shows, start a family, and generally be best friends with everyone he met. {The most delicious rumour I’ve heard yet is that he’s working on a new disc}. In 2002 he self released Stone Tree, and it is a solid album that rambles from pure acoustic folk to an eclectic blend of hip hop based soundscapes. He later recorded a live album, Underquiet, and in 2006 he released his second proper full length with Over Oceans (iTunes). What I remember most, though, were the easy smiles, friendly hugs, and gregarious attitude that permeated the before and after of each of his songs. I truly hope he gets the music bug again, Josh Garrels really is something special.
mp3 : Josh Garrels - Fire by Night
mp3 : Josh Garrels - Going Home
mp3 : Josh Garrels - Restless Ones
Fire by Night hails from his most recent LP, Over Oceans, while the other two tracks are taken from his debut full length Stone Tree. I must note that it was largely Josh’s live shows {I must’ve seen him play at least a dozen times during my college days} that led me to pick up the guitar and begin playing myself {well, that and my endless pursuit of the ladies}.
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Let’s be frank for a moment. Clef is brilliant. He is easily one of the most talented MC’s, producers, players in the hip-hop stage over the last two decades. Everything he touches simply turns into musical gold {even if the critics oft be hatin}. From the Fugees, to the impressive list of musical acts he’s discovered and/or produced hit songs for, to his rich and vibrant solo career, Clef never fails to impress. And his latest effort, Carnival Vol. II Memoirs of an Immigrant (iTunes), is another fine addition to the Wyclef Jean musical legacy. Pulling in such varied guests as Serj Tankian, Shakira, Paul Simon, Norah Jones and stalwart collaborator {whose career he literally helped get back on track} Mary J. Blige, Clef uses this album to show his depth as a composer as well as a talent schooled in various forms of hip hop, soul, r&b, and other more eclectic sounds.
Although I wouldn’t place this new album at the top of the Wyclef heap it easily dominates most of the drivel which is currently being pawned off as modern hip hop. Music fans and aspiriing MC’s alike would be wise to give this amazing album a listen from start to end.
mp3 : Wyclef Jean (feat Akon, Lil Wayne and Niia) - Sweetest Girl (Dollar Bill)
mp3 : Wyclef Jean (feat Norah Jones) - Any Other Day
mp3 : Wyclef Jean (feat Paul Simon) - Fast Car
My only regret with Clef is that I wasn’t there at Woodstock 99 when, in tribute to the great Jimi Hendrix, he played The Star Spangled Banner and ended by lighting his guitar on fire. Regardless of your opinion of his musical style there is no doubt that Clef has more talent than some entire record labels.
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I get a ton of free music emailed to me on a daily basis. And to be honest most of it is utter trash. It’s unoriginal rubbish. Some however is simply brilliant. And then there are certain bands, sounds, or songs that don’t really fit into any of those categories. These musicians and artists somehow sound familiar while still sounding original. There always seems to be something about their music that is infectious and catchy while still having certain qualities that maybe hint at not being ready for prime time {but hey, neither was the original cast of SNL}.
Shwayze is just such a sound. At first listen they easily passed in and out of my head in just a few minutes as they were crammed in the middle of a largely folk {alt folk, new folk, post folk, indie folk, I was on a folk kick ok? style of playlist}. But to be fair I try to listen to each and every song that is mailed my way whether it comes via the old fashioned standard mail or the brand new interwebs. So today I finally got a chance to listen to Shwayze on their own, without the clutter of other music. And the verdict is that I like it. It’s good music that sounds like the type of sounds you’d like to hear in the background of a good chill out. At times acoustic, at times indie, and at times hip hop there are enough elements here that everyone can find something to chill with. Anyway, Shwayze is made up of Shwayze and Cisco {no not that Swayze and not that Sisqo} and they make some inventive music.
mp3 : Shwayze - Buzzin’
mp3 : Shwayze - Don’t Be Shy
There is still something that I cannot get out of my head while I listen to these two tracks. There is something so familiar about their sound and I swear that they’re triggering something from my days in high school {the latter parts of the nineties}, but I cannot place exactly who my brain thinks they sound like. Any good readers have an idea? Something in me wants to compare it to Diddy back when he was called Puff Daddy but played over an acoustic track. There are some of the same melodic elements that Diddy used in his tribute to Notorius B.I.G. as well as Diddy’s classic smooth vocals and loose rhyme schemes. Does any of that ring true with your ears? Just who do they remind you of?
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It was a much ballyhooed clash of the hip hop titans this summer. Kanye West vs 50 Cent. They dropped their albums on the same day, they talked more trash than Muhammad Ali, and at one point 50 even told the press that he would retire if Kanye’s album outsold his in the first week.
Well, as we know now, Kanye’s album trounced 50’s. Not entirely because it’s a much better album to begin with but I would argue Kanye is just a better star. He’s not really a thug, he doesn’t identify with gangsta activity, the general market that 50 sells to, and his rhymes are more in line with a certain panache, a certain self assuredness that comes across as slightly superior to all other rappers. Face it, when you listen to his music you’re imagining yourself as slightly superior to all those other music crazy fools. To be blunt he’s easily marketable and appeals to repeat radio listeners ears. And let’s be honest for a moment, the only people still buying hard copies of albums are the same people that still listen to standard AM/FM radio.
Take a listen for yourself and see what you think. Granted this Kanye Track is a remix of his smash hit, but it still dominates the 50 track, even when he had Timbaland and JT lending him massive help.
mp3 : Kanye West - Stronger (A-TrakRemix)
mp3 : 50 Cent and Justin Timberlake - Ayo Technology
Well it’s clear in my mind that Kanye has defeated 50. I don’t know who else Kanye still has to prove himself against. Maybe The Fugees can drop a new album and give him a run for his money?
+ hype hype
Well my friends, the time has come to buck up and begin blogging again. There has been far too many days spent in lackadaisical ways and it simply cannot go on. In other news I was thinking of starting a Non-Profit Organization. Except it would be very unorganized, indie, grass roots, or some other appropriate word amalgamation.
Cheers, enjoy the repost which might actually work now that it’s on a new file host. Here’s to BOXSTr and their new service. And also, here’s to hoping I don’t kill my 500 MB per day of bandwidth.
[What follows is a repost from two weeks ago, if this works then I'm sure we'll be updating more frequently from here on out. Just got the best album of 07 in advance. Think The Weakerthans, and think amazing. I mean honestly, they have an entire song about curling. Get excited.]
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“Someone tell these ____ who Kanye West is.”
Honestly the best song of the summer. It’s Hey Ya meets Crazy with a whole lot of attitude. And honestly, Kanye West is one of the only true talents in hip hop anymore. Who else is taking old Daft Punk tunes and rhyming over the top? That’s right, no one.
mp3: Kanye West - Stronger
+
“Someone tell these ____ who Kanye West is.”
Honestly the best song of the summer. It’s Hey Ya meets Crazy with a whole lot of attitude. And honestly, Kanye West is one of the only true talents in hip hop anymore. Who else is taking old Daft Punk tunes and rhyming over the top? That’s right, no one.
mp3 : Kanye West - Stronger
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