Taking famous names and making them your own are all the rage these days (Com Truise, Dro Carey, etc). But Hype Williams, an awesome lo-fi duo, just straight up gripped the much ballyhooed music video producers name for their act. My friend Lucas turned me on to this and I can't stop listening, figured I'd share with the group. Ya know like show 'n tell.
Hard Mix is hazy hip hop beat maker by way of South Carolina that Altered Zones has taken a liking to. Below is a video for a song called "Eye Contact" and also a track I found on GvsB & PMA called "Now Her" that you should check out. There is an upcoming 7" split coming out with Hard Mix and the artist I talk about next, Star Slinger.
I've talked about Star Slinger on here before, a sample DJ reminicent of Dilla himself. Found a new video by him called "Mornin" on both Gorilla vs Bear & A Heart is A Spade:
I was admittedly late to the scene with Gold Panda, but I was blown away once I was. Another act from the beat department, this video is off the Lucky Shiner album (via SKOA and P4K). Enjoy:
Another act I just literally found out about this past week via I Hope Your Ears Bleed, Walk the Moon, and it is damn catchy. Tell me you don't feel the same way. And how about those workout outfits, eh?
Flying Lotus has been throwing his hat into the director ring and his latest is a piece by Erykah Badu (via SKOA). Me likey:
Not a music video, but I have to post on anything Diplo related by law. And according to Mad Decent, he checked in at Carson Daly's show. See I told you this was going to be like old school MTV!!
And lastly, my latest hip hop addiction is Odd Future in all its glory. I found that Tyler the Creator "Yonkers" video to be quite entertaining. You must watch their performance on Fallon last week that I found on Stereogum:
This changing weather has got the live music bug coarsing through my brains and I figured I'd give you a post about shows coming to town in the next few months that you should defintely check out, in my opinion that is, which you can take for what its worth. I know some of these are sold out, but they are good enough to warrant stub hub, scalping, or selling your body for said tickets.
4.22.11 - Nu-Jazz greats Soulive take care of business @ the TLA (TIX)
4.26.11 - Summertime dance fun with Yacht @ the Church (TIX) 4.27.11 - Flaming Lips-esque psych rock from Aussies Tame Impala & opener Yuck over @ the Church (TIX) (thx to a heart is a spade for the heads up)
5.16.11 - Love this girl. Lykke Li will be brining her talents to South Bea....err the TLA (TIX) 5.19.11 - Pop Punk pioneer Elvis Costello is playing @ the Tower Theater (not on sale yet) (thx P4K)
He's got a fallback if this electronic thing doesn't work out.
LET THE JAMES BLAKE MANIA BEGIN!!!
Let me start by saying that its only the nerds, like myself, who read about music all day that have seen the formal outpour of people who think the music this kid (he's only 23, maybe? what am I a doctor?) is making is phenomenal and he will be on everyone's brains by year end. Only problem is that this is some deep, eerie shit and most people are neither of those. You have to want to sit down and take a good listen to this shit in some headphones to appreciate it. He mixes slow beats and blips with ghostly voices and makes it fucking work. Some people, not me, call it post dubstep whatever the fuck that is. I have no idea, its just damn good. I love it, and I hope at least one of you will too. Here's the latest on what he's got going on:
Here's another clever one, Dro Carey. Get it? Its like a happy Aphex on helium. Odd combo, but I dug 'Wack Reeboks!!?'. Found this at Rose Quartz and you can grip two tracks there.
I feel like this is becoming a once a week thing, and I'm trying to get stuff on here more often. Which is why these posts are stupid long. I can't promise I'll try, but I'll try to try.
I peruse all these articles, send em to myself to write about later, start a bunch of posts, but I can never get them finished in any sort of a timely fashion. Am I hear to break the latest in music news? Nah, I'd rather just get you the information when I can, and just hope you haven't heard it yet or I tell it in a way thats more fantastic than the other zillion blogs, tumblrs, pressers out there.
Rant done.
Well keep this short & sweet. Black Thought is doing his own thing now. He's got some new stuff with Danger Mouse coming out (via SKOA).
And in the above interview he did with the NY Post he said that he's got an EP titled 'The Talented Mr. Trotter' coming out on Def Jam (via Okayplayer).
Dilla's gives 2Pac a run for his money. Who's released more awesome music posthumously then this guy? ?uestlove tweeted this awesome article about how Dilla got so good over at the Guardian. Here is a trailer for the movie called 'Just Shining', which is all about the man himself with interviews with people close to him and live concert footage. This just came out last week (via 2dopeboyz):
The infamous (thats more than famous??) descendent of Coltrane, Flying Lotus, made his directorial debut with Bilal's 'Levels':
You can also order some sweet remixes of that Levels track here (via Soul Culture) and over at 2dopeboyz you can get another remix of The Dolla off of Bilal's new album by Black Milk. Where does he find these wonderful toys??
Here are some awesome things happening in the indieverse:
Cut Copy just released their new album, its the tits. Sounds from all over the place. Give it a listen on their free stream here!
I thought this was pretty cool. Datarock is coming out with new music, an EP and a LP to be exact. Here's the cool thing, they are packing those two awesome things with all their other albums (including remix albums and b-sides), and a plethora (thanks word of the day calendar!) of pics all on a custom USB toy.
I'm impressed with the marketing idea. Here is a free track off their new EP called Catcher in the Rye. [via SKOA]
TORO Y MOI ROUNDUP
Toro y Moi is all I've been reading about for the past week. It's unbelievable. You'd think that ol' Chazzy is the second coming. I can't blog everyday because i have a regular job that requires my actual attention, but there was no fucking way possible to keep up with his 'buzziness'. Here's a recap of everything I've compiled from their upcoming album "Underneath the Pine" over the last few days:
Middle of December - He drops "Still Sound" on us for free[via Stereogum]
Lastly, he gave the album to Urban Outfitters (you read that right) to stream away. Go nuts. I was a huge fan of Causers of This and I'm already feeling this album. It comes out Feb 22nd. Go away winter...
RCRD LBL is the best thing for catching new music for free that I am aware of. If you know of something else, I'd like to hear it. Here is Holy Ghost's new joint, which is rad/free...
I managed to make it to Making Time last week to see Le Femme and Small Black. I hadn't heard of Le Femme other than Dave P telling me they've got "futuristic sounds". What else is new? I did know Small Black though. They are a electronic outfit that apparently is/was Washed Out's backing band. Anywho, Phrequency shares some sweet photos of the show (I'm in there somewhere and I look extremely composed and sober) and posted their latest video which is from Stereogum:
I can certainly appreciate these new acts that are firmly rooted in their efforts to bring back simple and stupendous rock tunes. Last year it was Free Energy for me, and thanks to yvynyl I may have a new artist to check out - Bare Wires(myspace)
I saw this character Bosco Delrey at the Mad Decent Block Party last year and saw what kind of stage presence he's got. Look out for this dude this year. Here is the original and remix of a song off of his upcoming EP release 'Evil Lives/Wild One'
giving off weird alt cat/relationship vibes since 2k10 (via Hipster Runoff)
Another type of revival music is the 50's & early 60's rock pop that is coming out in surf rock, garage rock, Grease-era stuff, etc. Went to see the Philly Stop of the Best Coast/Wavves tour last night at Starlight Ballroom. Pretty good schtick having the alt/indie power couple of the day tour together. I thought the opener No Joy had real promise and I thought Wavves was the big winner. He played a new track that I thought was tits, and Idiot and Green Eyes sound kick ass live. I tried to get into Best Coast, but she lost me three songs in when she basically just hummed a melody on loop the entire song. I can enjoy her on occasion, but live is not that occasion. I'd throw up a video of her band making their debut on Letterman last night, but everyothereffingblog beat me to it. I think I had a bias going in though after reading this article on Make Major Moves, he was totally right though.