He can rap (Duh), he can produce (see: all of his beats), and apparently he can sing (Love Lockdown, & Heartless)

1st: there were the "Flashing Lights" video(s)
2nd: Love Lockdown
3rd: Heartless
* Are you seeing the pattern: Innovation; a constantly evolving sound; refreshing genre jumping.

I preface this song no further:

- Listen

- React

- Love

Kanye West - Heartless

Lion King + Indie Rock = Esau Mwamawaya

I have previously posted on Esau, a new Afro-rock musician. Sounds like a great guy: a year ago he owned a furniture store and was just "a guy." Now he seems to be getting some attention, signed a label, recorded an album, and doing big things.

I like him. Maybe you will too.

the very best :: dinosaur on the ark

Passion Pit: "Does a band that sounds like The Shins, The Postal Service, and Hot Chip sound good to you?"

A New York Times review of Passion Pit can be found here:

Passion Pit Review NYT

Video here:

Sleepyhead

Noah And The Whale

Today was cool, because for the first time in awhile I found a new band that I really like. They're folky, yet poppy, and at the same time simple and fun lovin'. They're called Noah and The Whale. Here's a cool video of them playing a song on the metro transit system in Paris.

MySpace

Coldplay Live

This past weekend, while in The Bay, I went to see Coldplay. For me, Coldplay is a sort of guilty pleasure. They're typical, their in-your-face egos can get a bit too much, but there is no denying their formulaic success in creating catchy-hook driven-poppy melodies. The show was amazing. Chris Martin was, well, melodramatic (dancing crazily, collapsing on the floor, playing a set in the stands, etc. etc. you know the rest). The underlying message is that Coldplay Live is a two hour sing-a-long, an experience, and a treat. Not to mention my company (Coldplay enthusiasts) added to the magic of the show.

- Wes

P.S. "Yellow" and "Lost" stole the show for me.

Shwayze - "Buzzin"

If you like Gym Class Heroes listen to this!

You want to dance but you are sick of T-Pain.

So, you are at a party. A house party. And your friends say "where's the music? let's get this going." What do you do? You most likely grab your iPod, go to the "T" section and put on some "I'm Sprung." Right? Well, now you have another option. Instead of T-Pain, Rick Ross, or FloRida, why don't you open up some MGMT, Hot Chip, or Crystal Castles. Here's a few bands that will turn some heads. Check 'em out.

MGMT - Kids
Crystal Castles - Courtship Dating
Hot Chip - Ready For The Floor

P.S. Yes, Timbaland did steal Courtship Dating from Crystal Castles when he produced Ayo Technology.

A laugh, a listen, a good time. The Teenager's "Homecoming" Video

Sycophants $20. True Fans $15. Financially Deprived $5. Duche Bags $1.

Girl Talk is crazy. If you don't know, Girl Talk is the DJ name for Gregg Gillis, a Pittsburgh native. Girl Talk is known for his expansive, sample-based remixes, in which he mashes many tracks to create a dance-rave-electronic-mash song. From removing all his clothing @ live shows, to creating the perfect "house party" music, Girl Talk has caught the eyes of many different people. His latest album can be purchased, like Radiohead's last album, for a price of your choosing here: Feed The Animals - Girl Talk

Young, Talented, and Innovative

Emerson Valentine Lyon, Rickety, sounds like: Kanye West meets Flight of The Conchords. Witty lyrical compositions, with relentless comedic relief provide the formula for Rickety's records. From going at Soldier Boy and the stagnant sound of Hip Hop music these days, to simply making dance music, EVL has created a new genre of Hip Hop. Let's call it Comedic-Technopop-Hop. According to his MySpace an album, So 90's, is in the works and will be available ASAP.

Another young artist who seems to be experiencing some success in the sub-genre of
Technopop, is a group from Berkeley, California: The Cataracs.

Like Emerson Valentine Lyon, their lyrics are hilariously in your face, wit crafted, and make subtle stabs at pop-culture. Their work can be purchased on iTunes.

Take a portion of Campa's verse from Luv Song for example:

I'm not gonna act like I'm fly,
I'm not gonna act like I fight, I'm a little guy,
I don't got much to impress you with
Except I'm raw as they come and I'll test your wit

My post simply doesn't do these artists justice, you have to check them out!




Emerson Valentine Lyon

The Cataracs

Emerson Valentine Lyon - Rude
Emerson Valentine Lyon - Accent

The Cataracs - Blow
The Cataracs - All That Matters

The Greatest Rapper Alive Finally Made A Good Album

Lil' Wayne, the self-proclaimed "greatest rapper alive," recently released his third (seemed like billionth) album this past week. I listened. I liked. And felt the need to comment. While "greatest rapper alive" is a flawed ego-boosting title, his witty lyrics, great use of pop-culture humor, and innovative verbal delivery left me throwing Tha Carter III on repeat. When Kanye's cocky he's kind of annoying, but when Weezy F Baby is cocky he's just funny as hell. And It's his conceited lyrics that do it for me:

Man, I got Summer hating on me cause I'm hotter than the sun / Got Spring hating on me cause I ain't never sprung / Winter hating on me cause I'm colder than ya'll / And I would never, I would never, I would never Fall / I'm being hated on by the season / So fuck ya'll who hating for no reason

If that doesn't do it for you, maybe the more vulgar sexual humor will:

"Safe sex is great sex
Better wear a latex
Cuz you don't want that late text
that "I think I'm late" text
So wrap it up
but but he so sweet,
she wanna lick the rapper"

For Beats See: Kanye's produced tracks (Duh!)
For Guest Appearances See: Jay-Z on "Mr. Carter"
For R&B See: Robin Thicke (As if "Shooter" wasn't enough)
For Lyrics See: Every Word On The Album (Well, sort of)

An artist is great, when they can retain their commercial sound (their fan base), while at the same time push the boundaries of innovation. Wayne is still Wayne, but his flow has been completely transformed. Each album, from Tha Carter to Tha Carter III, has shown great progression. Wayne, I'm a fan.

I'm not good at reviews, I don't feel like I can accurately break down each song, or touch on themes in the album, but I hope I have conveyed one thing to you: If you don't have the album, get it, it won't disappoint. With that being said, here's my grade for Lil Wayne's Tha Carter III.

Grade: A - (9.1) Why you ask? (Yea I hate A minuses too. It's like, "why can't I just have the 'A'?" Well, here's why Wayne: For starters, your album cover is terrible, just terrible! Second, a tone deft cocaine addict could make a better track than "Got Money." And if your truly the greatest rapper alive, you don't have guest appearances from T-Pain and Juelz Santana. You got an A minus Wayne, now go make another mixtape.


Lil' Wayne - Let The Beat Build
Lil' Wayne - Mr. Carter (Feat. Jay-Z)

Lightspeed Champion Tour Dates

Lightspeed Champion is finishing his U.S. tour in June and he's coming to Portland. Bummer: The show is 21 +.

Upcoming Shows ( view all )

Jun 10 2008 8:00P Les Saints (18+) Montreal, Quebec Jun 11 2008 8:00P Lee’s Palace (19+) Toronto, Ontario Jun 12 2008 8:00P Andy Warhol Museum (All Ages) Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Jun 13 2008 8:00P Empty Bottle (21+) Chicago, Illinois Jun 14 2008 8:00P 7th Street Entry (18+) Minneapolis, Minnesota Jun 17 2008 8:00P Chop Suey (21+) Seattle, Washington Jun 18 2008 8:00P Doug Fir Lodge (21+) Portland, Oregon Jun 20 2008 8:00P The Independent (21+) San Francisco, California Jun 21 2008 8:00P Troubadour (All Ages) West Hollywood, California Jun 22 2008 8:00P The Glass House (All Ages) Pomona, California Jun 27 2008 1:00P Glastonbury Festival - John Peel State Glastonbury Jun 27 2008 8:00P Glastonbury Festival - The Guardian Stage Glastonbury

Lightspeed Champion sounds a bit like Bright Eyes, minus the depression (somewhat), his acoustic melodies are driving and quite catchy. He incorporates strings nicely as well. I didn't love his album as a whole, but there are definitely a few gems.



Lightspeed Champion - Dry Lips
Lightspeed Champion - Galaxy Of The Lost

Hip Hop's Comback: Indie, Hip, & Multi-faceted

I am excited about today's post. It looks as if Hip Hop is being revived. Kanye couldn't do it himself. Hip Hop sure did need some help. And the help came. From Sri Lanka, from Malawi, even at home - from Brooklyn. For those looking for an alley, a change of pace, a side street off mainstream Hip Hop (away from the Chingy's, the Young Jeezy's, etc.) your pleading has been answered. First, Esau Mwamwaya, while holding on to a lot of African influences, has began to mesh his cultured music with Pop and Hip Hop. In addition, a female artist, drawing comparisons to M.I.A., Santogold, has come to save you. Take a few minutes and check them out.

P.S. - For Vampire Weekend fans, the video below features Ezra (Vampire Weekend's lead singer) singing the chorus for Esau Mwamwaya's song "Warm Heart of Africa."

Esau Mwamwaya - Tengazako (Paper Planes Remix)
Esau Mwamwaya - Chalo


Santogold - L.E.S. Artistes

Tapes 'N Tapes - Hang Them All (Video)

Great video by a band you probably have never heard of, I hadn't, but forget the band, it's the video that's so great. It's almost more like a vignette or short film then a music video. I won't sit here dispensing the storyline, just watch it and enjoy it.

Amplive is Everywhere!

Amplive, the producer-masher genius behind Zion I's production, has been exploring a wide range of musical genres as of late. You might remember his exploration of Radiohead's last release In Rainbows. Well now he has mashed a few of MGMT's singles. I absolutely love his ability to mesh hip hop with pop and rock influences. Check his latest work out:


MGMT - Of Moons, Birds, & Monsters (Amplive Remix)

Throw Them Some Love

In the fall, the Columbia grads that make up Vampire Weekend, were unknown, playing at hole-in-the-wall venues for chump change, and just hitting the indie scene. Today, less than a year later, they have gone from just those dorm room boys, to claiming the # 1 Album download on iTunes, to playing on: MTV, Saturday Night Live, Central Park. You name it, they've done it. One of the quickest, and most successful indie start ups in recent years. Now, a small group out of Seattle, Washington, Throw Me The Statue is beginning to walk a familiar path. In less than a few months since their album was released, they have gone from "just another band," to being featured in TV commercials (Rhapsody), having their new video released on MTV, and opening for Cake. While their success, so far, is nothing like that of Vampire Weekend's, it's important we note their phenomenal beginning and wish them luck for the future. If you don't know them, check them out. You'll fall in love. I did.

MySpace
"Lolita" Video

Throw Me The Statue - Lolita
Throw Me The Statue - About To Walk

Band of the Week: Seabear

So, there's Sea Wolf, an acoustic pop rock band that surfaced a year back (their songs were used in TV shows such as Friday Night Lights and became popular among indie bloggers), and then there's Seabear. Seabear, a mellow pop group from Reykjavik, Iceland, has managed to go under the radar of most Indie fans so far. Seabear, a lot like Arcade Fire, incorporate many instruments, and sample a wide array of sounds (bird chirps, nature sounds, etc.) They're currently in the studio working on a follow up album to their debut, The Ghost That Carried Us Away. Seabear, sounds like a more experimental Iron and Wine, or like a folk influenced The Boy Least Likely Too. I hope you enjoy. Check out their MySpace as well.

MySpace

Seabear - Singing Arc

Seabear - I Sing I Swim

The Rise Of Electro-Pop: From MGMT to Crystal Castles

When MGMT was buzzing in the fall last year, my iTunes play count triggered 30 + counts of "Kids" their techno-electro-poppy-addictive-dance song. This spring, a new band has repeated measures w/ my iTunes. Crystal Castles, much like MGMT, has created a perfect mesh of Techno-Pop-Rave-Dance-Experimental music. I don't consider myself a Techno fan whatsoever, definitely not a Rave connoisseur, and I dabble in the Pop genre from time to time, but Crystal Castles' sound is simply to refreshing to ignore. As they begin their US Tour, I strongly suggest you check them out, you never know you may find yourself at a concert soon... At least I know I will.

Crystal Castles - Untrust Us
Crystal Castles - Vanished

Princeton: Not The School, Rather The Band

Princeton

As a college student in the Los Angeles area, my opportunites for exploring the indie scene are endless. I recently (this past semester) discovered an amazing local pop, Vampire Weekendesque band in the local Eagle Rock area. Ironically, they opened for Vampire Weekend at a small Hollywood venue called The Echo. Their energy, pop, and diverse Arcade Fire type arrangements, are addicting and contagious. Oh, and did I mention they're young. The reason you haven't heard of them, is because they're just getting started. The band is composed of two brothers and a long time friend. Instead of attempting to further describe their music using words, I find it more worth while for you to figure out if Princeton is for you:

Princeton - The Indifference Curve

Welcome!

My Musical Philosophy:

Kanye West. Vampire Weekend. Ratatat. Ra Ra Riot. Discovery. This list incorporates a Top 40 Hip Hop artist (Kanye), an obscure Indie Pop band (Ra Ra Riot), Electronic music (Ratatat), and Crunk (Discovery). So, where's the correlation? Why are they listed together? There is none at first glance. If Kanye and Ra Ra Riot were to hold a concert together, you'd have high school students bobbing their heads and throwing their hands in the air to the thumping bass, while free spirited moms tap their feet to the rhythmic sensations of Ra Ra. Doesn't really mesh well, does it? Kanye and Ra Ra Riot aren't friends, hell do they even know each other? So why are they listed together. Is there any relation? There is at least one, and that is the term: Avant-Garde. Avant-garde means "advance guard" or "vanguard". The adjective form is used in English, to refer to people or works that are experimental or innovative, particularly with respect to art, culture, and politics. All of the musicians above possess a refreshing, unique, aesthetic quality. They all break the boundaries and limitations that have been established by the media, your favorite radio station, and MTV. Ra Ra Riot = Symphony Orchestra + 80's Synth's + Modern Pop. Kanye West = Soulful samples + 90 BPM + Lyrics that challenge and engage the audience. There is no formulaic, generic, confined sound. Their sounds are evolving and challenge the audience. Here at "You Wish You Were Avant-Garde" the aim is to provide readers with a sense of artistic freedom. To introduce readers to bands, artists, and musicians that challenge the classical conventions of music. I hope you enjoy. Welcome.

Ra Ra Riot - Run My Mouth Off