August 30th, 2011: Stephen Bruner, South L.A. native, releases his debut album The Golden Age of Apocalypse andThundercat is born. The alter ego of Bruner and co-produced by Flying Lotus, Thundercat has hit the scene and isn't looking back.
Blending funk-ish jazz fusion with understated electronic effects and way cool, float-through-the-sky effortless vocals, Thundercat is throwing some sort of new-retro soul right into our ears. My only problem with this song is it abruptly ends too soon. In some ways that might be cutting edge, but this will make you "grr" under your breath and possibly spit a little fireball onto your screen. Thankfully we do have the ability to replay the song so don't be afraid to.
Shoutout to Holly and Kelly Port for directing this great video. It's a mix of summer wind-breeze and spring allergy what-the-fuck.
While the future of Thundercat is unknown due to Flying Lotus's continued success (too busy for side projects?), Bruner has unlocked something that needs to be investigated further and for what it's worth, I vote for more.
12.28.2011
Kele performs Tenderoni on the BBC.
Semester over. Break on. Blogging resumed.
Last night I was listening to old Bloc Party songs (put out another album already!) when I realized I had heard that their lead singer briefly jumped ship to pursue a solo career. Unlike Thom Yorke with Radiohead, Kele pissed off the other members of Bloc Party when he decided to press the pause button. Deciding to sing more dance tracks that fit like perfect lego pieces to the underground club scene of London, one can see why Kele wanted to go on his own for a bit.
While not entirely convincing with his voice alone, Kele creates quite the dance song. All have a distinct groove to them with catchy melodies and mini dance breaks here and there. Songs that grab my ears include "Release Me", "Goodbye Horses", and "You Belong To Someone Else". The one below is called "Tenderoni" off of Kele's debut album The Boxer.
Take a second and check out some of his other songs, you'll be surprised. And you might suddenly wish that Kele as a solo artist and Kele as the lead singer of Bloc Party could coexist peacefully.
Last night I was listening to old Bloc Party songs (put out another album already!) when I realized I had heard that their lead singer briefly jumped ship to pursue a solo career. Unlike Thom Yorke with Radiohead, Kele pissed off the other members of Bloc Party when he decided to press the pause button. Deciding to sing more dance tracks that fit like perfect lego pieces to the underground club scene of London, one can see why Kele wanted to go on his own for a bit.
While not entirely convincing with his voice alone, Kele creates quite the dance song. All have a distinct groove to them with catchy melodies and mini dance breaks here and there. Songs that grab my ears include "Release Me", "Goodbye Horses", and "You Belong To Someone Else". The one below is called "Tenderoni" off of Kele's debut album The Boxer.
Take a second and check out some of his other songs, you'll be surprised. And you might suddenly wish that Kele as a solo artist and Kele as the lead singer of Bloc Party could coexist peacefully.
9.19.2011
Day Job: Songs For Bieber. Night Job: Frank Ocean Swim Good.
Having been ignored by the record company (Island Def Jam) that signed him, Frank Ocean released his entire album for free on his Tumblr account. Titled "Nostalgia, Ultra", this passionate and humble release is putting Mr. Ocean on the map.
Born in New Orleans but living in Beverly Hills (evacuated to LA when hurricane Katrina hit), Frank also goes by the name Christopher Breaux. Under this name he has written songs for artists such as John Legend, Justin Bieber and Beyonce Knowles, as well as Kanye West and Jay-Z. Pretty impressive huh?
"Nostalgia, Ultra" shows Ocean's maturity amidst a mostly younger crowd of fellow collaborators. The lyrics to each and every song are meaningful and Ocean uses his smarts to drop plenty of small tribute tidbits to Stanley Kubrick, Coldplay, MGMT and The Eagles. The album feels like a close friend. Sit down with it all night and learn a lot about yourself and society around you.
Swim Good was the first song that caught my ear on the first go-round of the album. I then saw the music video and was blown away. Put a Cadillac on the California coastline and you've got a winner. Enjoy.
frank ocean [swim good] from christopher francis ocean on Vimeo.
Born in New Orleans but living in Beverly Hills (evacuated to LA when hurricane Katrina hit), Frank also goes by the name Christopher Breaux. Under this name he has written songs for artists such as John Legend, Justin Bieber and Beyonce Knowles, as well as Kanye West and Jay-Z. Pretty impressive huh?
"Nostalgia, Ultra" shows Ocean's maturity amidst a mostly younger crowd of fellow collaborators. The lyrics to each and every song are meaningful and Ocean uses his smarts to drop plenty of small tribute tidbits to Stanley Kubrick, Coldplay, MGMT and The Eagles. The album feels like a close friend. Sit down with it all night and learn a lot about yourself and society around you.
Swim Good was the first song that caught my ear on the first go-round of the album. I then saw the music video and was blown away. Put a Cadillac on the California coastline and you've got a winner. Enjoy.
frank ocean [swim good] from christopher francis ocean on Vimeo.
9.07.2011
Justice are BACK.
That's right. Justice have a new song AND a brand new video to go along with it.
Fearing that the famous French electronic duo had decided to take an extremely long vacation on Richard Branson's island or yacht or galactic spaceplane, Gaspard Auge and Xavier de Rosnay have returned to the scene with "AUDIO, VIDEO, DISCO". Due out Oct. 25th, their long-awaited sophomore release is said to be more "rock-oriented" than their previous hit album. As opposed to their all-electronic instrument first album, the new album was recorded with all real instruments. Whether that makes for a worse sound awaits to be seen.
So far they have released two tracks with videos from the upcoming album. "Civilization" boasts a neat looking video and has some very catchy moments. The title track (featured below) is what caught my attention. With a driving beat, repeating melody line and straightforward feel, this song shows me Justice haven't lost their magic. Enjoy.
Fearing that the famous French electronic duo had decided to take an extremely long vacation on Richard Branson's island or yacht or galactic spaceplane, Gaspard Auge and Xavier de Rosnay have returned to the scene with "AUDIO, VIDEO, DISCO". Due out Oct. 25th, their long-awaited sophomore release is said to be more "rock-oriented" than their previous hit album. As opposed to their all-electronic instrument first album, the new album was recorded with all real instruments. Whether that makes for a worse sound awaits to be seen.
So far they have released two tracks with videos from the upcoming album. "Civilization" boasts a neat looking video and has some very catchy moments. The title track (featured below) is what caught my attention. With a driving beat, repeating melody line and straightforward feel, this song shows me Justice haven't lost their magic. Enjoy.
8.19.2011
The Horrors Are Next Brit Band To Take Over. Sorry, Radiohead.
With hints of Radiohead, Blur and The Verve, this group of young Brits is something special.
Formed in 2005, The Horrors are a post-punk, semi-shoegaze band from Southend on Sea, England. They have three albums out so far: Strange House, Primary Colours and their newest being Skying (released in July). Each album has progressively climbed the UK charts. Their first album getting to 37th overall and Skying reaching an outstanding 5th overall. It's no surprise Louise Brailey, of the UK's 'NME' magazine, called the group "one of this generation's most important bands."
While not as complete and whole of an album as Primary Colours, Skying showcases the group's growing maturity. The songs have more meaning somehow, with a clear focus being on atmosphere, background and significant subject matter . Faris Badwan (lead singer) is more comfortable and confident with his singing than ever before and it enhances each song's overall appeal greatly.
The band recently recorded a live performance in New York City's famed Webster Hall for MTV Hive. The song featured below, "Moving Further Away", is one of two centerpieces to Skying (the other being "Still Life"). It's an impressive and meditative sprawling piece that shows you the band isn't afraid of letting things develop. Patience is a virtue and this song is the reward. Give it some time to sink in and appreciate the waxing and waning of the energy. Enjoy.
8.13.2011
Lykke Li Gaining Momentum
Already proven, Lykke Li shows she has more tricks up her sleeve.
Li's new album, Wounded Rhymes, was released this past February to near universal acclaim. Metacritic gave it a "universal acclaim" rating of 83/100 and BBC Music proclaimed "another outstanding album" and "...there is a level of subtlety at work here far more sophisticated than most mainstream releases, the sound's sheer size is almost overwhelming."
Having had enough of the cold weather and cold emotions in Stockholm, Lykke Li decided to write the album in Los Angeles. Li said, "I was totally romanticizing the idea of Los Angeles when The Doors, Joni Mitchell and Neil Young were hanging out there. I was trying to find David Lynch and Leonard Cohen with no luck. It was just more of a retreat."
Directed by Tarik Saleh and featuring Stellan Skarsgård (Pirates Of The Caribbean and Thor), this video doesn't lack star-power. Lykke Li displays the raw emotion you'd expect to find in a seasoned actress, and the whole setting of the video contrasts the music of the song. It really does look like a scene from David Lynch's Twin Peaks so in a sense she did find her own, inner version of Lynch somewhere in the hills of the city of angels. "Sadness Is a Blessing" shines a light on the power of changing attitudes for a positive outlook. Vocally driven with minimal distraction, Li has layered the song so the lyrics absorb completely. This piece must resonate with her because it feels as if she's yelling the message to you from on top of a hill, but the valley below turns that yelling into a clear, melodic-sounding verse of song. Enjoy.
Li's new album, Wounded Rhymes, was released this past February to near universal acclaim. Metacritic gave it a "universal acclaim" rating of 83/100 and BBC Music proclaimed "another outstanding album" and "...there is a level of subtlety at work here far more sophisticated than most mainstream releases, the sound's sheer size is almost overwhelming."
Having had enough of the cold weather and cold emotions in Stockholm, Lykke Li decided to write the album in Los Angeles. Li said, "I was totally romanticizing the idea of Los Angeles when The Doors, Joni Mitchell and Neil Young were hanging out there. I was trying to find David Lynch and Leonard Cohen with no luck. It was just more of a retreat."
Directed by Tarik Saleh and featuring Stellan Skarsgård (Pirates Of The Caribbean and Thor), this video doesn't lack star-power. Lykke Li displays the raw emotion you'd expect to find in a seasoned actress, and the whole setting of the video contrasts the music of the song. It really does look like a scene from David Lynch's Twin Peaks so in a sense she did find her own, inner version of Lynch somewhere in the hills of the city of angels. "Sadness Is a Blessing" shines a light on the power of changing attitudes for a positive outlook. Vocally driven with minimal distraction, Li has layered the song so the lyrics absorb completely. This piece must resonate with her because it feels as if she's yelling the message to you from on top of a hill, but the valley below turns that yelling into a clear, melodic-sounding verse of song. Enjoy.
8.11.2011
Dum Dum Girls New Album Out Soon-Bhang!
"Things can be so awful but at least they can be bliss."
-Dee Dee Penny
Dee Dee, also known as Kristen Gundred, formed Dum Dum Girls back in 2008. Quickly gaining attention from her solo songs, Sub Pop signed her in 2009 and a four piece band formed as a result. They went on to release their first full album, I Will Be, the following year. Their new album is due out this September and pre-orders were just made possible two days ago (Aug. 8th).
Inspired by the likes of The Ramones, Patti Smith, The Beach Boys and Billie Holliday, DDG have a really nice throwback, stripped-down sound that doesn't try too hard to impress. With subtle notes of Blondie (producer Richard Gottehrer produced Blondie as well) and other Rockabilly-esque artists, "Bhang, Bhang, I'm a Burnout" turns distorted echo into loveable pop. Enjoy.
-Dee Dee Penny
Dee Dee, also known as Kristen Gundred, formed Dum Dum Girls back in 2008. Quickly gaining attention from her solo songs, Sub Pop signed her in 2009 and a four piece band formed as a result. They went on to release their first full album, I Will Be, the following year. Their new album is due out this September and pre-orders were just made possible two days ago (Aug. 8th).
Inspired by the likes of The Ramones, Patti Smith, The Beach Boys and Billie Holliday, DDG have a really nice throwback, stripped-down sound that doesn't try too hard to impress. With subtle notes of Blondie (producer Richard Gottehrer produced Blondie as well) and other Rockabilly-esque artists, "Bhang, Bhang, I'm a Burnout" turns distorted echo into loveable pop. Enjoy.
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