Where the food sounds good, and the music is pretty tasty too.
Nikki & The Dove‘s latest single release, “DJ Ease My Mind” does just that, it puts you at ease. And while your ears my have their own opinion your body will definitely want nothing more than to move to this. A word of warning though, if played too loud you may just not stop dancing until the batteries run out. Also, after the jump you can also listen to a Nikki & The Dove mixtape from a few months ago. Peace. Continue reading “nikki & the dove // dj ease my mind”
Cat Marshall (Chan Marshall) is without a doubt one of my favorite singer songwriters working today. I have been a fan for quite awhile now, and although her output isn’t as prolific as I would like I am pleased as punch about her forthcoming album Sun . The latest album if Ms. Marshall’s first collection of original songs in six years. So yeah, fans are pretty excited. After the jump check out, “Ruin” and the “Cherokee (Nicolas Jaar Remix). Both tracks are a stylistic variance from previous releases, yet both retain Cat Power’s haunting vocals and beautifully somber arrangements. Oh yes, September can’t get here soon enough. Peace. Continue reading “cat power // ruin”
Right now the mood is chill. It is time to grab something that’ll settle your nerves, wine perhaps? It is the hour if unwinding and the unfurling of any and everything that may get in the way of your total relaxation. If you’re a fan of music, and I’m not speaking of the Top 40 variety (but the music which lives just beneath the underside of complicity) then you might have the alt R&B duo AlunaGeorge on your radar. And if not here’s an introduction. Check out their latest, “Your Drums, Your Love” and you’ll discover its a sweet lil’ number to vibe to. Now, how about that glass of wine, writing music reviews is thirsty work. Peace. Continue reading “alunageorge // your drums, your love”
Just ahead of the much anticipated Mad Decent Block Party coming to Los Angeles next week, Diplo (co-label head) presents a mind boggling Major Lazer mix. Hosted by Walshy Fire, this is a 62-track experience showcasing talent by Vybz Kartel, Mr. Vegas, Busy Signal and a host of others. Download it now! Peace. Continue reading “major lazer // carnival 2012 mix”
According to their label, “the sophomore LP, Tracer, by Teengirl Fantasy cuts through some of the haze of their earlier recordings to create their most compositionally sophisticated work yet. “It’s more focused, far-reaching and it takes more risks.” Unlike the duo’s debut album7AM, Tracer is completely sample-free and features an array of vocalists including Panda Bear, Romanthony (of Daft Punk’s “One More Time” fame), Laurel Halo, and newcomer Kelela. For the songs with vocalists, their approach is, “a wacked version of the pop format.” The album is sonically maximal and symphonic, with heavily layered songs containing multiple elements. “The editing is more painstaking- there’s more crafting to the songs,” says the duo. Although Tracer touches on an array of genres such as techno, pop, R&B, and house, it simulates a cohesive journey.”
Nick Weiss and Logan Takahashi who make up the duo have raised the bar in the world of electronic music, now whether or not others follow will remain to be seen. But one thing is for sure the music is some of the best out there within the genre. You can stream the entire album on NPR’s First Listen and pre-order it at www.r&srecords.com. Peace. Continue reading “teengirl fantasy // tracer”
Yannick Ilunga is a visionary, and at only 21-years-old he is also as refreshing as he is talented. But, he is also somewhat of an anomaly. When you think of the South African music scene you don’t expect to find someone making some of the most haunting and original electronic music being produced today. Yeah, it’s kind of a big deal.
Till We Ghosts is the remarkable debut single on Bad Life from Capetown based singer/producer Yannick Iluga aka Petite Noir. And the vocals? Well, think of the soulful crooning of tumbling waves caressing your thought waves.or something else equally intoxicating and rhythmic. Peace. Continue reading “petite noir // till we ghosts”
I have been following the steady rise of south-Londoner King Krule (Archy Marshall) as he consistently pens highly emotive songs dripping with a young man’s sincerity. Check out the instantly likeable, “Rock Bottom” and I’m pretty sure you’ll play again and again. Peace. Continue reading “king krule // rock bottom”
Chicagoan Tom Krell is doing some of the best music of his career and under the name How To Dress Well he is sculpting his own brand of unique and wondrously sensual R&B. This time out HTDW has taken Ms. Jackson’s cautionary heartbreak ode, “Again” and channels it through his own tender heart. The results are nothing short of what the fans of HTDW (me included) have come to expect. You can get the song on the bonus 7″ for all pre-orders and you can cop it from Acéphale in North America and Weird World everywhere else. Peace. Continue reading “how to dress well // again (janet jackson cover)”
You know the band well, and if perchance you don’t think banjo and harmonies straight out of Appalachia. The music Mumford & Sons creates connects people, there’s no denying it. Theirs is a sound rooted in the rich heritage of the fiddle and banjo music of many a countrymen. And it isn’t a tradition steep only in the British, Irish and Scottish cultures. It is a music which has fallen upon many a folk and possesses many a nuance. But, like all music it wears traveling shoes, and it breathes and migrates like the transient and wild wind. Americans love Mumford & Sons because those same fiddle and banjo melodies settled here brought over many ages from the northern isles of Europe. Well, Mumford & Sons are back with their sophomore album Babel waiting beautifully in the wings. And the first single, “I Will Wait” couldn’t be more wonderful. It is rife and overflowing with quality and magic we’ve come to expect from this foursome of musical bros. The album drops via Mumfords & Sons very own Gentlemen of the Road label on September 24th. I’d say the closing of 2012 is shaping up quite fair. Peace. Continue reading “mumford & sons // i will wait”
Capital Cities (Ryan Merchant and Sebu Simonian) first caught my attention when the duo got their hands on Pink Floyd’s song Breathe and creatively (albeit funkily) infused Tupac Shakur into the track. It was nothing short of pure genius. Now, the party boys from The City of Angels have quickened my pulse again with another incredible cover, their better-than-Sinead-O’Connor‘s interpretation of “Nothing Compares 2 U.” And if there was any lingering doubt after their self-titled 2011 Capital Cities EP, this track solidifies Capital Cities as anything but a novel act, these guys are legit. Peace. Continue reading “capital cities // nothing compares 2 u”