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bear hands // songs from utopia vol. 1

NYC is known for (among other things) excellent bands. And bands don’t come any more excellent than Brooklyn’s Bear Hands. Recently the band released another round of melodic noise by way of their Songs From Utopia EP. The band describes the release as such, “Songs From Utopia Vol. One is a collection of quasi-political “thought pieces” that serve as a manifestation of overwhelming white guilt and a pinko elitist liberal arts education. Released worldwide on July 4th, 2012 it is also a birthday present for America.”

You can download it for free, as in no charge, from www.bearhandsband.com. A bit of advice though, when you click on the link the first thing you’ll see is bearded lead singer Dylan Rau sitting on a couch, now scroll down. See the sea green tool bar thingy? Click on the first icon/button with the X on it. Let the downloading begin. You’re welcome. Peace. Continue reading “bear hands // songs from utopia vol. 1”

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young man // fate

The sophomore release from Young Man, Vol. 1, is a seemingly effortless body of work. It is beautiful and dripping with the tranquil and the utterly melodic. As the 23-year-old Brooklyn singer/guitarist/songwriter Colin Caulfield readily demonstrates his prowess with well crafted and melodic songs. Listen and watch his video for the song, “Fate” and immerse yourself ear deep within its lush beauty. Vol. 1 is an album you’ll want to listen to more and more, so why don’t you give Young Man a try. In closing, I am also recommending Colin Caulfield’s Ideas Of Distance EP. Yes, it’s only 3 songs, but they’re much more here than 3 songs. Peace.

Available on iTunes and Amazon

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knife party // fire hive (whiiite remix)

DJ Chris White was kidnapped and taken to a secret government laboratory were he was experimented on extensively. Eventually he was dumped into a toxic waste dump and left for dead. But something happened and Chris White was transformed into something diabolical. DJ Whiiite is a musical Frankenstein spinning you into a trance. Check out Knife Party’s Five Hive (Whiiite Remix) it is something diabolical monster. Peace. Continue reading “knife party // fire hive (whiiite remix)”

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frank ocean: steps out of the closet

Frank Ocean is the latest celebrity to proclaim a not so run of the mill sexual orientation. (Read Mr. Ocean’s coming out letter) Less than 24-hours ago Mr. Ocean substantiates claims of his bi-sexuality shortly after a U.K. reporter outed him.  Frank Ocean played his upcoming album Channel Orange for a mix bag of press at a promotional event. The follow trio of songs, ‘Bad Religion,’ ‘Pink Matter (Ft. André 3000) and ‘Forrest Gump’ exude not so subtle references of Frank Ocean loving a ‘he’ and not a ‘she’. What will this mean for the up and coming singer/songwriter? And further, how will fans, and specifically the R&B community react? I guess we’ll find out soon enough. Frank Ocean’s forthcoming album Channel Orange drops in just under 2-weeks (July 17th) via Def Jam. Peace.

Pre-Order: Channel Orange CD – $11.99

Pre-Order: Channel Orange Vinyl – $17.44

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alabama shakes // boys & girls (our sunday best)

By now you’ve already heard of the Alabama Shakes. You’ve heard their galvanizing tracks, “Hold On,”  “I Ain’t The Same” and my hands down favorite “Be Mine”. Check out their heart-thumping performance on Jimmy Fallon. This band is making waves all over the place, and with good reason. Together they’re a whiskey soaked fist channeling every ounce of black and blue heartbreak, turmoil and raucous joy through the southern soul-fired vocals of Ms. Brittany Howard. Without a doubt BA are certified darlings of the Indie music scene the world over and then some. I have little else to add, except this one is a no-brainer and Brittany Howard is the truth! In my opinion she’s a hybrid of Janis Joplin and Tina Turner. And although those are apt comparisons she is standing firmly on her own blessed ground. Period. Listen to the whole Boy & Girls LP after the jump, that’ll git ya’ fired up! Then cop it for yourself. Peace. Continue reading “alabama shakes // boys & girls (our sunday best)”

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lupe fiasco // bitch bad

Always love to hear new material from one of Chi-Towns finest Lupe Fiasco. You can always depend on Lupe to drop something conscious and thought provoking with an ill beat. “Bitch Bad” and the track “Around My Way (Freedom Ain’t Free) for which I have the video, is no exception. Both above fare cuts are taken from Lupe’s forthcoming September 25th release Food & Liquor 2: The Great American Rap Album and of course you can cop this, as well as additional material from Lupe Fiasco on iTunes. Peace. Continue reading “lupe fiasco // bitch bad”

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the heavy // what makes a good man?

Today a link to the video, “What Makes A Good Man?” by The Heavy appeared in my in-box. I watched the video and I was intrigued by the story of the troubled man who was the central character in the cinematic short. Redemption is a powerful theme amongst our human populace and this video, more so than the song, was an excellent catalyst for it. This is my first brush with The Heavy, and now I am sufficiently curious to see, and hear, what else these guys have to offer. The Heavy’s forthcoming release The Glorious Dead is scheduled to drop in August. Peace. Continue reading “the heavy // what makes a good man?”

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the neighborhood // i’m sorry… ep

West Coast (Los Angeles) band The Neighborhood makes music just right for relaxing and vibing out any day of the week. Take the songs, “Female Robbery” and “Sweater Weather”. Both are easy tracks to chillax to. No word on an official debut LP release yet. However, you can check out (and download) the band’s debut I’m Sorry … EP at www.thenbhd.com  or you can just cop it on iTunes. I’m keeping my phalanges crossed for a full-length album sometime soon. I suspect too you’ll be hearing a lot more of this darling band if you haven’t already. Peace. Continue reading “the neighborhood // i’m sorry… ep”