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Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Artist to Watch: Michael Kiwanuka


My buddy David recently suggested I check out Michael Kiwanuka, an emerging Soul artist from England. Kiwanuka has had a whirlwind couple of years, going from session guitarist, to playing with Adele in her 2011 tour, to now breaking through as a solo artist. He released two EP's in 2011, Tell Me A Tale and I'm Getting Ready, and released his debut full-length album, Home Again, earlier this year. His music is near-perfectly arranged into crisp songs that serve as a vehicle for Kiwanuka's beautifully poignant voice. Kiwanuka's music has that great musical quality, like an Aretha Franklin or Bill Withers, to draw any listener in and put smiles on faces. I think the only complaint I have is that, like those other artists, a number of his songs seem about a minute too short.

Check out a beautiful acoustic version of "I'm Getting Ready", "Home Again", and "Tell Me A Tale".





Wednesday, May 9, 2012

Temper Trap: Great Music from Down Under


If you have heard of Temper Trap, it is likely because of the breakthrough success of their 2009 hit single, "Sweet Disposition". The song featured in the movie (500) Days of Summer, and seems to have been in the background for every car/drink/sport commercial between 2009-2010. The success brought international attention to the Australian indie rock band (Dougy Mandagi on vocals, Jonathon Aherne on bass, Toby Dundas on drums, Lorenzo Sillitto on guitar, and Joseph Greer on keyboard/guitar) and added to acclaim for the group's debut album, Conditions. Their self-titled second album is scheduled for release later this year, and promises to build on the successful fusion of Mandagi's powerfully eerie wail-of-a-falsetto with U2-like instrumentation that makes Conditions such an impressive first effort.

Yes, "Sweet Disposition" is a fantastic song, but make sure you check out a couple of Temper Trap's other great tunes . I am particularly fond of the the videos for "Love Lost", and the acoustic SXSW session of "Fader" provided below. You can download these tracks for yourself by clicking on the blue text above. Also, for anyone who loved the80's, and Karate Kid movies, I'm sure you will get a kick out of  the video for "I Need Your Love", the pre-released first single from the upcoming album,  "Temper Trap" .



Friday, May 4, 2012

Top 5 Beastie Boy Videos::: A Tribute to Adam Yauch (August 5, 1964 – May 4, 2012)



In 1995, when I was 14 years old, four friends and I somehow convinced our parents that it was a great idea for us to go, unsupervised, to a Beastie Boys concert. Ill Communication had recently come out, and we were so pumped to see Ad-Rock, Mike D, and MCA live that we got to the show hours early just to make sure we could get a good spot right in the front of general admission. We had no idea what was in store for us.

Over the next couple hours so many awesome things happened. I was introduced to a then-little-know band, The Roots, who opened the show and blew everyone away. I was front-row-center to see classics like "Sabatoge" and "So What cha' Want", performed live. I bought my first concert T-shirt. I was picked up by the crowd and forcibly crowd-surfed. I experienced my first mosh-pit. And I watched a friends nose explode in front of me, thanks to somebody jumping from the stadium seating onto us in the pit.

I remember the energy of the crowd, the haze of funny smelling smoke, and the smiles on everyone's faces. I remember the feeling of the afterglow when we met up for the ride home. We compared stories and constantly repeated to each other how amazing the night had been, as if each of us hadn't just experienced the same event. And best of all, I remember the horrified look on my parents faces when I returned home in a blood-drenched $50 T-shirt with the biggest shit-eating-grin they had ever seen plastered across my face. This was my first true concert experience. I loved it, and will never forget it.

When I first heard Adam Yauch (MCA) died today I was surprised at how sad it made me feel. It just sucks to lose such a creative and thoughtful person at just 47 years old. But now, memories of all the fun of that nights concert, and all the fun I have had since accompanied by Beastie Boy music, I feel mostly thankful. Life is short and cancer fucking sucks. But Yauch, as an individual and with his band-mates, created a lot of happiness in this world, and that is something I'm sure many of us appreciate and will always remember.

In tribute to Yauch's passing, I put together a playlist of my Top-5 favorite Beastie Boy videos. Hope you enjoy them.



Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Nas to Release New Album July 17th ::: Life Is Good ::::: Album Preview

Mark July 17th on your calendars, people. Thats the day Nas' new album, Life is Good, will hit the streets. A couple tracks from this work have been leaked online over the past year, drumming up considerable excitement about the 10th studio album from this hip-hop legend. The buzz hasn't all been positive, though. The release of "Daughters" this week sparked Nas' ex, Carmen Bryan, to take to the internet in criticism of both the song and Nas' parenting of their teenage daughter, Destiny. Personal issues aside, these tracks are quality, exhibiting crisp, driving production and lyrical talent reminiscent of the early albums that showed Nas to be one of the greatest rappers of all time. Definitely worth checking out.

"The Don" and "Daughters", are included below. I also threw in a couple Nas classics, "Memory Lane", "It Ain't Hard to Tell", and "Black Girl Lost", for your listening/downloading/comparing pleasure.



Daughters




Memory Lane


It Ain't Hard to Tell