Jae Jin’s Album “Kairos” Is A Stunning Soulful Success!

Posted on October 26, 2015 by Terry Gotham

Jae Jin – Kairos

I spoke to Jae Jin a little while back, during his last stint of NYC performances. Easily one of the most electrifying new voices of my generation, I think there’s a certain explosive potential in this kid. He’s put it all on the line and if you were one of the chosen few who helped him crowdfund (with a hefty chunk going to charity no less) his debut album, you have not been disappointed. For everyone who wasn’t smart enough to get in on that action, you can grab it here, which I highly recommend.

When It Finds You is one of the best vocal tracks I’ve heard in years. This has pop/rock anthem written all over it. It delivers with hints of gospel, a heaping dose of soul & just a dash of euphoria. The call & answer section is a wonderful throwback & the tune reels you in and doesn’t let you go. Expertly arranged, it busts the door down for the album.

Running pulls a little more in the indie direction, showcasing Jae’s range and ability. The mastering & additional elements added in to support his buttery vocals are the right choices, with the track gliding along. I’m surprised I haven’t already heard it on the radio. Ain’t About Love brings it back down to almost a blues vibe, but the ditty uses piano & snaps to emphasize just how good Jae Jin is at this.

Don’t Fall Too Late is a rambling, relaxed soulful meditation, but by this point, you should be expecting that. It harmonizes & blends well, giving Jae Jin another chance to knock it out of the park. Which he of course does. The guitar & piano are front and center, but neither dominates. Everything is necessary and it all works. Moon & Stars modernizes that soulful vibe, centering on some soaring chords. It has almost a country vibe, feeling like it could be played at an indie show or even a NASCAR race. It feels very American, if that means anything anymore.

Honestly, I could keep going on, listing each track and telling you how good they are, but that’s just taking time away from you listening to & buying the album. Each track is expertly arranged and continues to show new sides of Jae, ones I didn’t even know he had, and I knew the guy years ago.

I want to wrap this up by saying that this guy’s sound is screaming to get paired up with DJs & producers here in NYC. This guy’s vocal work is beyond compare and any producer or label that picks him up will be lucky. He’s pulling his weight in gold, to quote Gallant, and Ed Sheeran has nothing on this kid. Pick the album up here and enjoy!

Cattle Rap Is My New Favorite Thing.

Posted on May 18, 2015 by Terry Gotham

This is everything good & right on the internet right here. Someone got the brilliant idea to take cattle auctioneers & drop hip hop beats under them. While this seems like one of the higher ideas to come out of a college basement, the two videos I’ve linked are some of the better examples. The video above is the high water mark for the genre, a fun little vid that came out in 2014. The one below is the original that really got the movement (lol) going. This kind of “hey, this is a wacky combination, I’m bored, here’s my offering” thing that’s part of the internet now makes for some truly dopey shit. Enjoy this one & shake Monday off. If you’re super into the track, you can get it on Bancamp here as well.

STUDIOKAMP feat. Rick Shoemaker – Cattle Rap from studiokamp on Vimeo.

Flipping The Script: Girl In A Country Song by Maddie & Tae

Posted on July 28, 2014 by Terry Gotham

In amazing news, country music has finally started to let its hair down. Maddie and Tae got my attention over the weekend with this jam of a tune that attacks the idiocy of “bro country.” While I can’t say I ever thought I’d be discussing country on this blog, there you have it. In the same way I wanted to give airtime to the female led punk group JENNCity, I think it’s important to signal boost artists that are fucking with the patriarchy in new & awesome ways. These two are doing so delightfully, as the video shows. I had no idea country had become so ridiculously bro’d out, but it seems it has, with a bunch of the classical instrumentation & focus on guitar skill fading in the face of lift kits, greased hair and misogyny. Amazingly, this hasn’t been embraced by all female artists, with Maggie Rose dropping a “love letter” to bro country. (via Metafilter)

Midnight Music: The Common Linnets – Calm After The Storm (De Hofnar Bootleg) [Big Sky House]

Posted on May 20, 2014 by Terry Gotham

Combining country and any genre of music is difficult, but I think this bootleg done by De Hofnar of The Common Linnets has done it. The addition of the smooth bass to the rifts and smooth vocals of The Linnets totally works. It’s super rare to see, but the beat never overpowers the vocals and it remains a very solidly country tune. I’d love to hear a whole set of country grooves like this. Now that would be an opener for Kygo like woah. Summer, big sky vibes.

2013 Country Music All Sounds Exactly The Same!

Posted on December 23, 2013 by Terry Gotham

Just in case you weren’t sure, someone on Youtube managed to supercut most of the 2013 top country hits and pushed out one of the more embarrassing retrospectives of the year. Beer, Hey Girl, painted on jeans and American-built trucks continue to shine as the seeming only possible topics when it comes to a hit in the flyover states. Here’s a tip guys, call the girl by her actual name and try and do something besides drinking on the hood of your car, the ladies like that kind of stuff.