There’s not much to say about this besides the fact that I think this is the best use of “Bound 2” I’ve seen that doesn’t involve James Franco. I had no idea Thomas The Tank Engine’s theme goes FREAKING PERFECTLY with Kanye. Now I want to hear a series of Tank Engine melodies mashed up with Kanye, Lil Wayne, and vintage DMX. There is an entire world of crazy mashups on Soundcloud, some triumphant, others horrifying. This kind of goofy fun shit is why I love Soundcloud, and why I’m so sad that they’re clamping down, giving up the nest to Universal and generally becoming a pile of un-fun business people. If I wanted that out of a music service, I’d use iTunes. Just kidding, I’d never use iTunes.
Monthly Archives: October 2014
Midnight Music: Fox Stevenson – Sweets [Sugary Progressive Beats]
I’ve been talking about Fox Stevenson since he ran by the name Stan SB, so seeing the maturation of his sound and his success warms my heart. Tonight, I bring you a delightful, upbeat tune he dropped last week that I’m just going to dub Sunkist EDM. This orange soda-flavored goodness is fun, popcorn dance that will get you grooving in your chair (or walking around if you’re reading this on your phone. Don’t read music blogs & drive!). The electro jam is a departure from his drum & bass bread and butter, but he can do whatever he likes at this point. When not only the headliners but the rising stars are able to jump genres with ease, it’s a good time to be alive.
Wu-Tang Flan Ain’t Nothing To Fuck With!
Start your week off right with a heaping portion of Wu-Tang Flan! Now I want there to be a whole universe of Wu-Tang food. Cappadonna ham, Method Man M&Ms, Red Zelvet Angel Food Cake (RZA Cake!), Ghostpepper Chili, Raekwon Kim Chi, and GZA Gumbo and more need to be purchased. Let’s make this happen.
Midnight Music: Eastside – Ellie (Loyal x Don’t) Coucheron Remix [Indietronica Mashup]
I’m coming at you with some officially under-the-radar shit. Coucheron, the Shia LeBoeuf of the people (I swear, that’s his Twitter description) picked up a gorgeous mashup cover of Chris Brown’s Loyal Ed Sheeran’s “Don’t.” This flip the script mashup came to me on a tip from This Song is Sick and I’ve gotta thank Nick for this, as it’s a MUST listen. Not only are the Eastside my new indie underground band to watch (they’re so new they’ve got 2 digits of twitter followers, so let’s help change that). This soothing vocalist reminds me of Daughter in the way that they take songs and bend them to their will. This track takes the original work and adds a soft, groovy chill vibe that I am digging hugely. With the rise in Tropical House, I think we’re going to be hearing a lot more of this kind of sound even when we’re not hearing a 4/4 dance beat. Coucheron is a great example of what’s possible when you don’t cling to the dance beat 3rd rail of EDM and we all benefit from it. Check out the original below and definitely hit up both the original artist & the remixer on this one. Quality all over the place.
On Monstercat and the Legitimacy of Narrow Music Tastes
Some interesting thoughts about Monstercat, one of my favorite indie labels, that is doing some great work. Both in amassing a huge stable of awesome rising stars & in pissing off people on the internet. Both are valid goals but The Biohazard makes some excellent observations about how people listen to music in this age of limited aural bandwidth & experience. I quite like a lot of the artists on Monstercat, while there are a few I think should quit the game yesterday. However, I will always give props to a forward thinking, internet-ready label that doesn’t have its head up its ass when it comes to mobile/social/local. The idea that people are finding music by tree’ing through playlists & other people’s taste is the same as it’s always been. Whether it was vinyl, mixtapes, cds, miniDiscs (remember those fucking things?), or combing through people’s p2p shares, that’s how we’ve always found music. Monstercat makes it slightly easier if you like some of their stuff, to find other stuff you like.
Great read, thought provoking.
So… Monstercat.
I feel like this topic is going to be much more touchy than it should be.
In the electronic music scene, there’s a bit (read: a lot) of a stigma against fans of the indie label “Monstercat.” The stereotypical supporter of the brand is seen as a youngster with a Minecraft addiction, a vast library of YouTube subscriptions, and above all else, a distinct lack of experience in any label other than that of the feline in question. The interactions between fans and non-fans are generally just a bunch of back-and-forth with no real resolution. For example…
Person 1: “Monstercat music is the best!”
Person 2: “But what about this other label?”
Person 1: “Eh, all I really listen to is Monstercat.”
Person 2: “But that’s bad!”
Person 1: “Why?”
Person 2: “Because you’re not listening to other music!”
Person 1: “And why is that bad?”
Person 2: “Well……
View original post 615 more words
Midnight Music: Oriel Poole – Foothills [Soulful Indietronica]
Oriel Poole came out of nowhere and put this into my face. I’m so glad she did. There’s a soothing majesty to the tune. The trip-hoppy vibe grooves along with some well executed indie chords. It feels vintage while giving off the airs of freshness. Ms. Poole has a timeless voice that I am looking forward to becoming familiar with. This is The 2:45 break shows what the song is capable of, with she & Max Savage exploring the space. It might sound a bit more melancholy than some of my other recommendations, but with autumn in full swing (in the Northern Hemisphere anyway), it’s definitely good sweater music.
Midnight Music: Ryan Hemsworth – Snow In Newark (ft. Dawn Golden) [Soulful Indietronica]
I gotta give it up to Ryan Hemsworth. He got into my head a few years back, and has kept popping back in at all the right times. While I can’t say I’m a fan of every single thing he’s ever done, when he nails it, it’s fucking perfection. This soulful original is a perfect example. Ryan & Dawn (I know, I can’t call them that. Yet) hit all the right chords & resonance harmonies to make for something wonderful. There’s a quiet wistfulness in the song that makes for perfect Autumn music. Hit up Ryan Hemsworth if this is the first time you’re hearing of him, Dawn Golden too. Check the amazing video below. It’s so good there’s a monkey in it. Also Nepal.
Earworm Of The Month: Metrik – Make The Floor Burn [Lethally Good D&B]
I do my best never to miss the Hospital podcast by London Elektricity, as he shows off the best tracks & artists coming from Hospital & Med School Records each time. He also takes the time to connect with people on Twitter and other social media sites. His podcast #240 exploded out of the gate, with the new album by Metrik getting a lot of love. One of the tracks on the album, “Make The Floor Burn” has been on repeat since the podcast came out. Not going to lie, this is going to be rocked out to on the daily for weeks, or at least, until the album comes in the mail and I can jam out to the rest of Metrik’s new tracks.
How good is the track? To quote Tony Coleman, London Elektricity himself:
It’s like Underground Resistance vs. The Prodigy. I don’t often say this about a track, but sometimes I hear a piece of music that is so good, I would take a bullet for it.
What else do you need to hear? Frankly, after hearing the tune, I agree with him. What do you think? Would you go Secret Service for this tune? Also get the new Metrik album, cause I certainly fucking did. (Thanks for the Shout Out 55min in Tony! So much respect!)
Midnight Music: Lorde – Yellow Flicker Beat [She’s Back!]
You thought she was a one hit wonder, and talked shit about her during her ascent to super-stardom. When you didn’t hear anything, you told your friends she was a one hit wonder and that you never really liked “Heroine” anyway. Guess what, she’s back bitches! Yellow Flicker Beat straddles the line between indie & electronica in a way only she can. This track is the lead single off of the upcoming Hunger Games Mockingjay Part I movie, just in case you didn’t think you were going to hear it a thousand times over the next couple of months. I am unabashedly a fan of her sound and her “zero fucks, do good art” attitude. I hope you’ll join me in getting excited for her next album, while bomping this to your hater friends.
Attend: Matt Lange & Bender Drop In At Slake Before ABGT100!
I have been waiting for something like this to happen for years. Slake is such a fantastic venue for showcasting the best in different genres of music, with Above & Beyond coming in, I know what I’m doing the night before. ANJUNABEATS HO!
Matt Lange has been one of the AnjunaBeats institutions I’ve tracked for years. The smooth complexity of his beats have a depth & lush richness that is hard to describe until you’re surrounded by it. The AnjunaBeats vibe is one I’ve been hoping would come to NYC since I discovered the label after being young and stupid and mistaking them for Armada in a YouTube search years ago. Best mistake ever. Slake has been on fire lately, bringing the best artists out before they blow up. To get my euphoric AnjunaDeep feel down at a club a couple of blocks from the Empire State building? Yes please.
The local fire that is Bender will be holding it down in support as well. There’s a playful, almost Loki-esque vibe with the house coming out of this guy. Don’t let it fool you though, there’s a deep iceberg of quality selection, mixing skills and crowd reading under the seemingly youthful exterior. Bringing a local DJ on to support Matt Lange is the right move, especially considering the terrible habit of headliners bringing their own support acts. While I’m always glad to see new talent from different places, there are piles of local DJs who deserve the spotlight and Bender is at the top of this Tri-State area list.
Cameron Kush has become synonymous with Slake, More Fridays & Tech Noir Saturdays in the same way Alex English is now a household name in households that love dubstep, electro, UK bass & future garage. The dude’s command of bass, trap, electrostep and whatever else he ‘s rocking out to that week will bring us in right. The resident is definitely a name to watch here in the city, and if you don’t believe me, check out the mix above from Slake. This looks to be a great night and a wonderful overture to Above & Beyond Group Therapy 100.
Terry Gotham 