the weeknd | beauty behind the madness

The Weeknd gets fans (haters too) all in a tizzy. His second (official) album Beauty Behind The Madness (via Republic Records) drops today!
 
You can stream it over at HYPETRAK. The BBTM release is a biggie! Why? Well, it’s 14-tracks heavy on why we love Mr. Abel Tesfaye in the first place… the music man, the music! Although the haunting sadistically and beauteous voice is familiar we’re treated to hear new directions in sound, scope and the myriad palette of colors coming together is such fine form. This particular body of work stretches, arcs and shifts from the unconventional to a proscribed formula based on, well… unconventionality. Case in point, the track Dark Times (feat. Ed Sheeran) is an unforeseen sticky sweet and euphoric absinthe pill. Just as the proceeding track Prisoner, a tryst coupling Lana Del Rey‘s prettily bruised vocals with the sinful amber of yours truly. It’s a slight of hand; a mere candy drop coated with incense smoke and shared body heat.

All in all, the album stands on it’s on and is a pretty solid display of The Weeknd’s unfolding brilliance. Personally, I think this is his best release to date. The Beauty Behind The Madness closes with the track Angel and it intones… I hope you find somebody to love, find somebody, find somebody … well,  I think my ears already have. Peace.
 
Artist: The Weeknd
Album: Behind The Beauty Madness
iTunes
Spotify
Google Play
 
Tracklist:
 
1. Real Life
2. Losers feat. Labrinth
3. Tell Your Friends
4. Often
5. The Hills
6. Acquainted
7. Can’t Feel My Face
8. Shameless
9. Earned It (Fifty Shades of Grey)
10. In The Night
11. As You Are
12. Dark Times feat. Ed Sheeran
13. Prisoner feat. Lana Del Rey
14. Angel
 
Angel Lyrics
 
Angel, oh oh oh

Knew were special from the moment I saw you

I saw you

Yeah

I said angel,  oh oh oh

I feel you closer every time I call you

I call you…

‘Cause all I see are wings

I can see your wings

But I know what I am, and the life I live

The life I live

But even though I sin

Baby, we all want to live

But I know  time will tell if I planned for this

Yeah. If I planned for this…

And if we’re denied

I hope you find somebody (x3)

I hope you find somebody to love

Somebody to love (x2)

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

__________

I said angel, whoa whoa whoa

You’ll probably never take me back and I know this

I know this

I said angel, whoa whoa whoa

I am so desensitized to feeling these emotions

No emotions, baby

‘Cause all I see are wings

I can see your wings

But I know what I am, and the life I live

The life I live

But even though I sin

We all want to live

But I know  time will tell if I planned for this, yeah

If I planned for this…

And if we’re denied

I hope you find somebody (x3)

I hope you find somebody to love

Somebody to love (x2)

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

__________

And even though we live inside

A dangerously empty life

You always seem to bring a light

You always seem to bring a light

And even though we live inside

A dangerously empty life

You always seem to bring me light

You always seem to bring me light

I hope you find somebody (x3)

I hope you find somebody to love

Some body to love (x2)

Yeah. Yeah.

OHHHHHH!

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Hailing from Ocala, Florida Thad Kopec crafts folksy pop odes perfectly suited for lazy days and introspective nights. Mr. Kopec is the consummate old soul cast into a young man’s body. And if you need further evidence, well listen to his track, “The Ghost And The Thief.” No doubt this young singer/songwriter is going places. I recommend you also check out his Soundcloud page for a ton of play worthy songs. I especially love what Thad has done with his cover of Lana Del Rey’s “Born To Die,” which I may just prefer over the original. You can purchase the “The Ghost And The Thief” single exclusively on iTunes. The undeniable artistry of Thad Kopec makes for an easy choice for Our Sunday Best. Peace.

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“Our Hump Day… Ergo Our Wednesday Spotlight Favorite!”

More often than not, whenever you talk to someone with any degree of success in any given field, and you ask the secret of their success, you will usually get an answer that goes something like this: I was born to do this, or I started with the basic principles, or I worked really hard and learned everything about (insert passion).

So, it comes as no surprise when the musical auteur known only as illy symphony gives us a similar formulaic response. But, here it sounds like the truth only because it is, or rather he is, the real McCoy. Like the well-worn adage goes, “The proof is in the pudding,” and in this case, I’ve not only sampled the pudding, but my ears have licked the damn bowl clean as well. Needless to say, the results are downright euphonious!

Recap, illy symphony started with the basics, he fell head over heels for percussionistic sounds, mainly the kick and the snare. Later, he become enamored with vinyl and the art of synthesizing and excavating the ghosts of beats into the twin atmospheres of rhythm and groove. In short, with an innate skill illy symphony has mastered his chosen craft and is now poised to make a debut. A debut not given to someone unworthy of review. No, this one has put in work. And yes, I hope you like pudding, the rich chocolatey intensely rhapsodic variety, because this won’t just stick to your ribs, it’ll coat your eardrums with joy. After the jump, check out what illy symphony had done with the works of Lana Del Rey, Little Dragon and Jack White, and if they’re pleased with his work, like me you’ll be utterly ecstatic. Peace.   

“Off To The Races” Lana Del Rey (as translated by illy symphony)

“Love Interruption” Jack White (as translated by illy symphony)

“Ritual Union” Little Dragon (as translated by illy symphony)

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When I listen to the AlunaGeorge’s Born To Die Remix it makes me feel like I somehow rolled up Ms. Del Rey’s sexy shadow and pouting lips and somehow smoked them, you know like one of those funny cigarettes. Now, I feel like I’m somewhere all dangled up in the forgotten prayers cluttering up the stratosphere. And those prayers are stuck up there for lack of the proper postage of faith. But me, I have all the faith in the universe in Ms. Del Rey to transcend a devout listener to a higher plane. I also believe that if you listen to this track long and hard enough, it will deliver you too. Peace.

To get yourself more of what AlunaGeorge has to off check out: alunageorge.com

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(Photo courtesy of thisisfakediy.co.uk)

Every other day or so it seems someone is writing something about Lana Del Rey. And from what I’ve read most reviewers are divided. The big bad press on this demure songstress are equally torn, not really knowing what to make of this new studio Gangsta Boo. Love her or hate her, the woman with the bee-stung lips has got it going on. I’m in the camp of those who adore the whole package, whether or not her’s is a contrived image or not doesn’t really matter to me. I’m sold. Maybe even a bit obsessed.

However, what does matter is her output, which is continuously getting better each time out. Her initial buzz starters, “Video Games” and “Blue Jeans” were catchy enough, and in the “Video Games” collide offereing she played the coy, slightly tempestuous card for all it was worth. Can you blame her? And then “Born To Die” came along and furthered, not only our collective curiosity, but it was a well timed release after her so-so performance at Manhattan’s Bowery Ballroom. So far, we’ve been privy to 7 out of the 12 songs listed on LDR’s soon to drop LP, which also includes “Diet Mountain Dew” “Disco, “Yayo”, “This Is What makes Us Girls,” and “Off To The Races,” in no particular order. All of these tracks sound better than average to me.

Now, we have “National Anthem,” to chew on and it’s more than just fat and gristle, it’s rack of lamb marinated in all the aromatics available to ensure lots of flavor, and again the presentation is very agreeable. It works because we’re all carnivores at heart. And who can resist the raw sexualized lamb Ms. Del Rey is offering up? Not I. Now, “National Anthem,” with it’s gutsy guitar and a fist full of dollars hook, is not only catchy, but it also possesses a bit of spot-on social commentary. Consider the lyrics ” Money is the anthem of success? Money is the reason we exist? Everybody knows it, it’s a fact, kiss kiss? No hollow lyrics here. Whatever your thoughts are regarding  Lana Del Rey, her star isn’t likely to fade anytime soon. In 2012 her ascension to the venerable ‘Court of Pop Ladies’ is pretty much a sure bet.

Haters, go bark up another more deserving tree, because this Quercus coccinea is growing deep roots in the fertile soil of our pop culture, for days. And Lana, you can be our China doll, and this reviewer, most assuredly doesn’t want to see you fall. Peace.

Listen to “National Anthem” and “This Is What Makes Us Girls” at ohmyrock.net.

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I didn’t see it coming. Who did? I heard Lana Del Rey and her song “Video Games” way back when the rest of the developed world heard it. I liked it well enough, but not like I like it now. Sub Swara have put their collective subversive mitts all over it and made it a funkier and dirtier affair. Now, “Video Games” 2.0 needs to go to confession and say a few Hail Marys and Our Fathers, but I hope not. Now, it has swagga galore. Dhruva Ganesan and Dave Sharma has clothed Ms. Del Rey in Beth Gibbons’ attire. Now she walks a bit like PJ Harvey to the heady drone of uncircumcised ragga beats and swooning synths and the world is better for it. Thanks guys. Peace.

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