For real. FIRE.
I know putitupto11 keeps fire jams rollin’ for you every week. But I spend all day errr’day on the HYPE MACHINE (this is linked to my music). Here’s some of my new favorites on this HUMPDAY.
Stay HOT.
M.I.A. – “Bad Girls”
Admittedly, I immediately brushed this song aside the first time I head it, mostly because I feel M.I.A. is a over-hyped, hypocritical loudmouth (and she did not do herself any favors with the now infamous Super Bowl finger.) However, shortly after the single dropped, so did this equally addictive and badass video, forcing a re-listen and new found appreciation.
The song relies on a catchy lyrically hook-like chorus that drills itself into your head with the bluntness of a sledgehammer, reminiscent of Wiz Khalifa’s jam “Black and Yellow.” While, accompanied by a video full of burka-clad women whipping around street cars and M.I.A. standing on the windows of one while it drives on two wheels makes the song not only something to hear, but a spectacle to see.
Neon Indian – “Fallout”
According the people over at Adult Swim, the inspiration for Neon Indian’s new video off last year’s standout album, Era Extrana, came about as follows:
When we heard “Fallout” from Neon Indian’s new record, Era Extrana, we knew we had to do something with him. So we tracked his ass down and said “let us make you a video!” He said “Uhhh, sure…” and we immediately called Lilfuchs, who made this homage to 80′s toons and sexy commercials. Put your arm around someone and click on this bad boy.
All I can say is I don’t remember my ’80s cartoons of G.I. Joe and Transformers looking like this.
Also, if you haven’t listened to Era Extrana, I highly recommend it, especially the tracks “Polish Girl” and “Halogen (I Could be a Shadow).”
Of Monsters and Men – “Little Talks”
A bit of a departure from the last two songs comes the upbeat and energizing single from Icelandic folk-pop group Of Monsters and Men. The song “Little Talks” will feature on their upcoming debut album due out April 3rd and its video was released last Friday.
The video is loaded with CGI-visuals that take you on a mind-bending, monster-escaping dream-like fantasy sequence that is completely captivating and so well done that Tim Burton may be calling for royalties; enjoy the snow-covered chase.
New music from Philly duo OCD: Moosh & Twist. These kids are legit and I wanted to write about them before but I never got a chance to. Now that they are putting out some new music, what better time?
Hip Hop has been moving in so many different directions in the last few years. I don’t know much about how these kids made it to where they are right now, but I do know where they are going. They are young, like Freshmen in college young and ready to rock. The video of them on Batcave Radio is a perfect example. It gives you a look at how these kids work off each other to create a musical experience. This is the latest song from their YouTube page.
Hold it Down
I gotta be the 1, cause number 2′s for pencils
You hear their flow? You listening to the lyrics? You know a lot of white boys who flow like that? Maybe you have to listen again? I’ll wait.
Twist, who’s name is Oliver, in my mind has one of the best flows I’ve heard in a long time. Something you wouldn’t expect from a white kid but it’s seriously awesome to watch. But how can I take that away from Moosh? He’s the same way, tight flow and sick lyrics. These two kids are best friends doing HUGE things. Below is my favorite of their jams that I’ve had on my playlist since it dropped last year.
Black Forest Gummy Worms
More tracks after the jump. Trust me…you want to watch them.
French-House masters, Justice, unveiled the newest video from 2011′s Audio, Video, Disco this past Friday. The song “On’n'On” is paired with a seriously trippy video that matches the mystique and creativity of Gaspard and Xavier. Check it out below, but be warned, with exploding skulls and naked chicks flying through space, it is NSFW.
Also, there can’t be a Justice mention without showing one of my favorite video’s of all time from their debut album †, enjoy.
Another video that dropped this past weekend was a collab. between Schoolboy Q and A$AP Rocky from Schoolboy Q’s new album Habits & Contradictions, “Hands on the Wheel.” I have been touting A$AP Rocky for a while now and at one point was compulsively listening to Live. Love. A$AP. It is great to see him team up with Schoolboy Q and rap over Lissie’s cover of Kid Cudi’s “Pursuit of Happiness.” “Hands on the Wheel” is at its core a song about getting fucked up that utilizes a sample from another song about getting fucked up, brilliant, and besides the meaning, its hooks are extremely catchy.
Lastly, this past weekend, Bloc Party (a personal favorite) confirmed their earlier statements of being in the studio to release an album by the end of the year, by posting pictures on their facebook page. So in honor of this development, enjoy the video for 2007′s single, “Flux,” which was filmed in Boston and mimics Japanese kaiju movies. Good times.
This week I am again taking a trip in the way-back-machine in hipster time to mid-2011 to unearth 3 largely overlooked releases that have for one reason or another resurfaced on my radar. These 3 artists comprise a diverse selection, but all deserve some legit consideration and a listen.
Main Attrakionz – 808s and Dark Grapes II
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The indie rap genre is blowing up with the DIY, free mix tape, tumblr driven artists that pump out music on an almost quarterly pace. This unfiltered development in musical convenience can create many misses or a pathway for obscurity, lost in the continual shuffle. However, Main Attrakionz, the Bay Area based duo of Squadda B and MondreM.A.N may have some staying power. There is a textured glossy sound accompanied by consistent bass blasting 808 beats and great sampling to be found on 808 that allows it to easily drift from stoned out hazes to tight production. This sound is also fueled by Squadda and Mondre’s smoothly interchanging lyrical delivery, which can carry some weight, but mostly serves as an added layer of ambiance, included to build a greater whole affect, as opposed to be song drivers itself. The variety and scope of Main Attrakionz can be seen in the contrasts between the chilled-out “Bossalinis & Foolyones Pt. 2,” “Chuch,” and “Modre Mo Murda” to the darker, heavier beats of “Nothin’ Gonna Change” and “Take 1″ to the polished sonic sound of “Perfect Skies.” Although 808s and Dark Grapes II at times can comparatively feel mundane, a mere symbol of the laptop dominated mixtape game that currently exists when the musical backing shifts to more commonplace processed beats; its hits and overall sound make it stand out from the continually changing pack and a LP to chill, hang out and float away with as the album’s artwork depicts.
The New Division – Shadows
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On Shadows, The New Division show that life in Southern California can have a dark underbelly. Singer and songwriter John Kunkel touches on heavy themes like drugs, death, and relationships throughout the recording, even though they are often overshadowed by the dark aesthetics that surround them. The low-fi, synth-heavy sound makes you believe the ’90s guitar movement never existed and given the band’s name, it’s pretty easy to guess where their influences lie. The more concise and packaged songs like “Opium,” “Sense,” “Violent,” and “True Lies” point to a band that is really onto something and even when The New Division get lost within their own sound, they are also successful, see “Momento.” Yet, as a whole Shadows could have been stronger by a slimmer and more punctual delivery, leaving “Momento” as a change and true standout. Ultimately, Shadows is a great tribute to some of the best sounds the ’80s had to offer and a solid debut LP, making this an enjoyable listen with beautiful atmospherics, even if it takes some wading though to get to them.
Strange Talk - Strange Talk
Australian electropop group Strange Talk are the last stop this week. Strange Talk can easily be compared to the likes of Phoenix, Friendly Fires, Yeasayer, or fellow countrymen Cut Copy. They released their eponymously named debut EP last year produced by Eliot James (Two Door Cinema Club, Bloc Party) and have just recently released a single “Sexual Lifestyle” mixed by John Fields (Cut Copy) to precede their debut LP expected in mid-2012. As a sidenote, this past year, they opened for the likes of The Rapture (a personal favorite), Neon Indian, and The Joy Formidable. Strange Talk don’t stray too far from a formula of echoing guitars, a punchy synth, and heavy basslines that discreetly form highly stylized indie-pop dance hits, which can be found in “Eskimo Boy,” “Climbing Walls,” and “Sexual Lifestyle.” Even the slower paced songs “Is it Real?” and “We Can Pretend” are centered around indelible choruses… all-in-all, highly addictive. Strange Talk aren’t poised to win any awards or place on too many end-of-the-year lists by the time they release a full length LP, but as a first impression, they manage to create an unbelievably fun and catchy dance sound that will surely be a party favorite and stay in your head for quite a while.
I’ve asked pharro a number of times if this is the best hip-hop song of all time. Why have I asked a number of times? I always get different answers when I ask him a question more than once, but thats not the point. Always come to one consensus — It is without a doubt the best hip-hop song live. Period.
In my opinion its the Manny Pacquaio of rap songs. You can talk about how good he is but you can’t judge the little guy against one of the Klitschko brothers. The song is only two minutes long so it can’t be judged against everything else in the hip-hop world but as far as two minutes of awesomeness goes? It’s tops.
So as you finish up your Friday and start consuming alcohol to celebrate making it through another week — enjoy this one from the vault.
Note: Doesn’t something have to be about a decade old to be from the vault? Just saying. (ed. note — how DARE you question the vault! as far as i’m concerned, the vault can include anything from like 5 years ago or older…)