In case you didn't know about the self-proclaimed "Tumblr God", Robb Bank$ reps FLA out of Ft. Lauderdale. In close cahoots with SpaceGhostPurrp and his Rvdxr Klvn, Bank$ is all too familiar in the Tumblr rap scene. While frequently alluding to heavy drug use (Xan With That Lean), he spits about anything from obscure girls like Alysha Nett to animes like DBZ and Naruto ("loadin' up Kamehameha Waves out the clip of my K"). Don't let the subject matter fool you though, Robb almost always lights the track on fire with his relentless rapping tenacity. Here we have a new joint in "Practice" featuring Sir Michael Rocks. Enjoy.
Hey I don't pick the track art, I just post it. XXYYXX is weird, maybe along the lines of other post-dubstep artists like James Blake but more so in line with R&B experimentalists like Lapalux. Also known as 17-year-old Marcel Everett, XXYYXX, laboriously dabbles in combining the distorted, sampled voices of mostly R&B and Rap with his own heavy, hip-hop inspired beats. With Everett, the key to each of his songs is the build up, as he layers each track with levels of increasing sonic complexity as the song progresses. Anyways, take a listen to the haunted sound.
Something's definitely brewing rap-wise in Chicago right now. I've already posted about Chief Keef, Reese, and GBE in the past, but if you've been sleeping on Chance the Rapper then now's the time to get familiar. Chancellor Bennett, better known by Chance, is a 19-year-old emcee that represents a completely different aspect of Chi-Town. His subject matter is a lot less bang bang, shoot 'em up, and a lot more chill-and-smoke oriented. But don't get it twisted, Chance still brings the heat just about every track. As a semi-followup to the excellent "Acid Rain", Chance brings on Ab-Soul for "Smoke Again". It's the fifth song released off of his upcoming mixtape Acid Rap, which drops tomorrow. Watch the video and enjoy.
A good music blog's function, first and foremost, should be to get music news out to its followers. But these same blogs can also be used as both tools and vehicles to get out unknown music from little to unknown artists. This can be both a blessing and a curse, as some blogs can fall into the game of getting in bed with certain artists, sacrificing their genuine objective view of one's music for benefits, etc. With all that being said, we don't do that here, it's good music or nothing. Enter Harris Rudman, 21, who hails from Sacramento, California.
It's hard to believe that it's been three years since Kanye West's last, iconic performance on SNL. Yet here we are in 2013, salivating at the mouth for some new solo material from Yeezy. Well we may just get our wish as Kanye will be back on Saturday Night Live for the show's season finale on May 18. While nothing in terms of new stuff has been confirmed by the enigmatic artist, it seems odd that he would perform on the show without bringing at least one or two new tracks to showcase to the world. It's been a little bit since I sat down and watched SNL but I'll be sure to tune in mid-May. Watch his last performance while promoting 2010's MBDTF after the break. Thanks to P&P
Thanks to the wonderful blog Pigeons and Planes we've got not one, but two distinctly different yet equally amazing versions of the same song. The first version of "Gabriel" was released way back in 2011 as a collaboration between singer Valentina and producer Joe Goddard. The dance-driven track is very upbeat and pleasant when coupled with Valentina's strong vocals.
I'm still not sure if we can consider the boys from GBE "good" rappers, lyrically speaking. They have a long way to go if they want to be considered the top rap group out right now, something Black Hippy Crew (TDE) probably has locked up at the moment. That being said, what Chief Keef and his crew lack in lyrical adeptness, make up for with raw passion and straight up street thuggery. They're not lying when they hop on a track, unlike many other rappers out there. Lil Reese, Keef's right hand man, is no slouch with the flow so check out the Chicago-based rapper here. Via Hot New Hip-Hop.
Wild Belle is a great new age reggae/indie-pop duo from Chicago that we already wrote about previously. But because this blog wasn't up when they released their album Isles back in March, I wanted to share a couple of their videos on here.
Ab-Soul, perhaps TDE's most underrated rapper, dropped a low key dope track in "The End Is Near". Like a twisted version of Kendrick on an acid tablet, Ab-Soul brings a vicious tenacity to this head-nodder and Mac Miller is all of a sudden relevant again (wait "wut"?) by spitting a flow much different than what we've been previously used to. Overall the two make for a pretty surprisingly nice pair. Listen.
It's Thursday everyone! Step into the DeLorean and relax while listening to one of our favorite tracks from the early 2000's, pause. Anyways, Eve drops bars Nicki couldn't even come close to, and Gwen Stefani keeps it hot. "Face screwed up like you havin' hot flashes." Listen and enjoy ~J. Mon
Jay-Z, the 'curator' of "The Great Gatsby" soundtrack, really put all of his resources into making the film's music resonate with its intended audience. Having already enlisted the help of artists like Florence and The Machine, Lana Del Rey, Fergie, and Q-Tip, Jay got a blog favorite in The xx to record an original song for Gatsby, titled "Together". The track retains all of the signature sound of The xx, with its peaceful bass and guitar familiarly harmonizing in unison, yet is even more haunting than the band's usual melancholy tone. Overall, it's a great listen, so just press play and enjoy.
You've done it before, pretending to know about something when you really have no idea what the ____ it is. It's probably the problem with our generation, as we can cover up our ignorance for a little bit, pawning off our 'expertise' while we secretly look up the info on our iPhones. Whether it be an obscure movie, sports news, or a popular song, we've all lied about our knowledge on one thing or another. Well I suggest you don't do it with a video camera flung in your face, otherwise hilarity ensues and Jimmy Kimmel is the culprit... Enjoy.
So Anything In Return by Toro y Moi (aka Chad Bundick) is definitely one of my favorite albums of 2013 so far. His voice isn't the strongest, but perfectly melds with his own production to form the definitions of what are known as the "Chillwave" and "Indie Pop" genres. I won't bore you with a long album review in this particular case, but nevertheless, you should check it out. With that being said, I came across this chopped mix of his album by a very obscure DJ from Brooklyn that goes by "Heath Caring"...
"I don't sit while your running it down. I don't carry a gun...I drive." - The Driver
I want to take you through the thought process of the 2011 version of me after watching this tv spot for Drive
Now I'm paraphrasing a bit, but I think my reaction went something like, "....meh". At the time, Ryan Gosling to me was pretty much a non-entity in the cinematic universe. Obviously, this was a misinformed and all-around absurd opinion, but it was my opinion nonetheless. Ignorant to his stellar performances in 'Half-Nelson', 'Blue-Valentine', and 'Lars and the Real Girl', I immediately associated Gosling as that scrawny white kid in Remember the Titans who got his spot jacked by Turk from Scrubs and as the cape-dawning savior of chivalry in the insufferable overly melodramatic 'The Notebook'. Also, he was that kid who couldn't sing or dance but somehow got a gig on 'The Mickey Mouse Club' along side JT and Britney Spears, (It happened, look it up...or don't, your loss). Needless to say, I didn't think too highly of the guy. Couple that with the fact I completely misinterpreted the film's plot as being that of the Fast and Furious rip off, Drive was relegated to 'I'll just catch it on DVD' status. When I did happen to catch it on DVD (actually, Netflix), it's safe to say my life was changed for the better. That's not hyperbole either. We're currently living in a post-Drive world and it's awesome
So I know it's not Thursday, but I couldn't wait to post my first Throwback Thursday video. This week I'm taking to back to one of my first favorite raps songs. I present to you Oh Boy x Cam'Ron ft Juelz Santana
Need I even say anything? The electronic gods have officially graced us with their presence yet again. Just press play, and listen to one of the smoothest tracks you'll hear all year. The much anticipated Random Access Memories is due stateside on May 21, but for now let's all enjoy the old-school feel.
One of our favorite rappers dropped the first banger from his major record company debut a couple weeks back, but just in case you missed it... ScHoolboy Q's "Yay Yay" never made drug dealing sound so appealing. As if we're about to drop everything we're doing to slang, ha! Anyways, listen.
The xx had an amazing performance at Coachella this year so it's been posted for your viewing pleasure. Never too over-the-top, this melodic band is something special. Enjoy.
We love the Brits! Charlotte Aitchison better known as Charli XCX reps Esssex and is currently trying her hand at reigning as Dance Queen Supreme. While holding down the ladies, her electro-dance infused pop is sure to create some buzz. Her debut album True Romance came out yesterday, but if that's not really your steez at least skip forward to Danny Brown's verse on the remix and give it a listen. He adds even more energy to an already vivacious track.
C'mon guys you're sleeping on a young god in the present, get familiar with the mysterious Jai Paul. Covering Jennifer Paige's 1998 hit "Crush", Jai makes this new version completely his own with a funky electric guitar and that sweet crooning voice of his. Just push play, you'll enjoy it.
It's pretty easy to hate on Drake, something he probably brings on himself. With that being said, you can't deny that the man is naturally talented. Bringin' that heat in his second new track today featuring James Fauntleroy, we have a very smooth joint blessing our ears here. Check it out, and say his name.
So you've heard them on Kid Cudi's Indicud, singing their hearts out on the standout track"Redeye", and you're wondering who they are huh? No? Well you should.
The two Chicago natives are linking up again, this time in Paris, to work on West's sixth solo album. It was already reported that Daft Punk and West were each contributing to each other's album and now we can count on Keef and his talented producer Young Chop to continue to bring fire to the flames.
In different ways, the picture you see above sums up just about everything that we know of Jai Paul, which is pretty much nothing. Releasing his first song demo way back in 2007 titled "BTSTU"(which Drake sampled in his "Dreams Money Can Buy"), the song didn't pick up steam until 2010 at which point absolutely nothing else had been released by Jai. Then in 2012 he struck again with one of the year's best songs in "Jasmine", a beautifully beating track where his lyrics can barely be made out except for the song's namesake. Given his track record for musical updates, his absolutely nonexistent relationship with his fans, and overall obscurity, the odds weren't in our favor to get any new material any time soon. Or so we thought...
The self proclaimed Moon Man's rise and fall from musical stardom has been joyful as well as painful. The Bape draped rapper came out #ServinThatHeat with two awesome mixtapes, Dat Kid From Cleveland and A Kid Named Cudi. And also still one of my favorite albums to date MOTM. While also dropping what seemed like dope freestyles every other day on YouTube. Fast forward a year from MOTM and it seemed as though Cudi's music seemed to have taken a turn for the worse dropping what I saw as duds in MOTM2 and WZRD. Well now here we are in 2013 and Mr. Solo Dolo himself decided he would bless us with his 4th studio album in Indicud. Enjoy!
Pusha's back and he's bringing "dat heat" for the ninjas. Kanye has also graced us with his presence (sort of) by combining with DJ Don Cannon on the production front. Listen below.
JT needs no introduction as he's been a figure in the mainstream media since he was a teen. However, Timberlake sure does wait long enough in between albums to make you question if he can really still be relevant. Welp, after listening to The 20/20 Experience it's safe to say that the answer to that worry is a resounding yes. While it might not end up being iconic like Justified, or even bring sexy back like FutureSex/LoveSounds, The 20/20 Experience stands strongly on its own as Timberlake steps into a new direction in life: marriage. Hit the jump for more.
Electronic powerhouse Daft Punk have teased us with another preview of their first single from their upcoming album: Random Access Memories. Not really needing an introduction, the duo has teamed up with Pharrell and Nile Rodgers (no, Rick James has not risen from the dead) for the album's first single titled "Get Lucky". The anticipation has never been higher, but we'll all have to wait until May 17th for the official release. For now just enjoy the snippet.
So Coachella is currently going on this weekend and you’re
stuck here reading this article. That
being said, you might not realize all that you’re missing out on. While big name bands like the Red Hot Chili
Peppers, Yeah Yeah Yeah’s, Modest Mouse, and Phoenix will make their presence
felt along with solo artists like the ever-popular 2 Chainz, and Pusha T, you’ll be surprised to hear that
they might not even be the best acts at the show. This article will spotlight some of the
lesser known artists/bands at the festival and hopefully influence you enough
to at least give them a listen.
I guess an introduction is necessary. James Blake, 24, hails from London bringing with him his gospel-like voice and new age instrumentation. Widely viewed as a frontrunner of the Post-R&B/Post-Dubstep movement, Blake's experimentation of traditional rhythm and blues with a more electronic-oriented sound has certainly gained him positive attention and acclaim over the last few years. Rewinding back to 2011, his self-titled album debut gave us singles such as "The Wilhelm Scream" and one of 2010's best songs in "Limit to Your Love", yet most listeners could tell Blake was still finding his way in terms of a cohesive, unified sound. Skip forward to 2013 and we have a complete James Blake.
Admittedly, on first listen Overgrown was a little underwhelming. The album's first single "Retrograde", released back in February, already has my vote for song of the year and set the standard very high for Blake. The song's hauntingly beautiful tone and piano chords coupled with a subtle beating bass and Blake's melodious humming start the tune off. But as this song about love builds we here a master at work, as electronic organ synths rise while Blake's ghostly track persona delivers lines like "Ignore everybody else, we're alone now". The track has a way of separating yourself from everything that's going on around you, something only good music can accomplish.
With all that being said, I initially felt that there was "Retrograde" and then everything else on Overgrown until I watched the video below:
I was wrong, as the album's namesake serves as a fantastic opening for the album using gentle drums, combined with the crooning of Blake's voice, while sounding reassuring as the soft piano occasionally comes in and out of our awareness.
The key to listening to almost every song on this album is patience, because sometimes a track will feel as if it is meandering about in its first few seconds or even minutes. But like an experienced captain Blake will (eventually) get you to your final listening destination. Songs like "I am Sold" and "To the Last" follow similar patterns but are ultimately satisfying examples of why Blake's sound is so appealing.
Never straying too far from his dubstep origin, Blake provides us with "Digital Lion" (which is a frenetically paced song that only continues to get faster and better as the song progresses) and "Voyeur" which loops the lyrics "I don't mind, it was all me" throughout, and serves as Blake's metaphorical love letter to dance music and beat making. "Our Love Comes Back" is an excellent closing melody, that is once again taken over by Blake's peaceful humming and use of the piano as an understated synth hoots in the background. Even the bonus track "Every Day I Ran", sounds great (but almost completely different from the rest of the album) and is effectively Blake just showing off, demonstrating that he could give us Clams Casino-like instrumentals if he wanted to. The only track I suggest you stay away from is the overly forced "Take a Fall For Me", which includes two very random and off-beat RZA verses that just don't really fit with what the song is trying to do.
Overall Score: a hard 8.5 + great experimentation, unified sound + use of piano coupled with electronic synths - Songs may take a while to actually get started (stick with it) - RZA's verses (chill out RZA)
Welcome to Summer in the Winter, a blog focused primarily on music with doses of entertainment, sports, photography and everything else in between sprinkled in. Building a good blog is a process. Knowing that, Chase, Dylan, and I, along with other contributors, will do our best to bring a certain uniqueness to this blog that'll be hard to find anywhere else. Appreciate the love.
~E.I.C. J. Mon
