Little Rock, Arkansas isn’t often thought of as a hotbed for hip-hop talent; the city has plenty of history, sure, but hip-hop’s never much played a role. SL Jones is looking to change that, and is well on the way with the release of a handful of quality projects in the past months. First came The Number 23, a Don Cannon-hosted mixtape that boasted features from the likes of Waka…
It’s not often you can listen to cover a song and not compare it against the original. Upon listening to Lady’s version of Andre 3000’s ‘The Prototype’, it’s easy to forget your listening to someone else’s song. The Philadelphia-based soul/folk/jazz newcomers Lady serve up something quite memorable with their first official output as a group. Lady’s full length debut ‘You and Me’ will be out via Ropeadope Records on 10/16.…
“Don’t Get Stuck (Proud Elephants)” is the latest single from instrumental set Wondervisions (Luaka Bop), the debut album from New Jersey’s Delicate Steve. The track premiered recently via Fader.com and is available as a free MP3 download now. Delicate Steve is also set to join Ra Ra Riot on tour this fall, kicking off October 26 in Washington, DC. The video for “Don’t Get Stuck (Proud Elephants),” directed by filmaker…
Most individuals that are into punk music have heard The Scarred’s title track to “No Solution” either on their Myspace or through another place. The track is not quite as out there and streetpunk as some of Punk Core’s other bands, but the catchiness present in acts like The Unseen is present as well in The Scarred. During songs like “battlefield”, The Scarred mix together acts like Bad Religion with…
Steve Jablonsky has done a tremendous job in creating the perfect environment for those that have picked up Gears of War 3. The different compositions here all feed into one another while maintaining some semblance of different stages or levels. Where the soundtrack differs from the scores that are typically created for different video games is that Jablonsky’s compositions all could conceivably exist on their own. While a proper understanding…
The Scared Stiffs start out their “Autopsy Turvy” in a pretty weak set of straits. There is a heavy amount of rockabilly influence, but there is virtually no energy beyond “When Monsters Fall In Love”. The guitar work sounds put together without any audience in mind; there is skill in playing this but nothing really that hits the primal chords of someone’s heart. Each of the track continues this overly-done…
Mercury Nashville/19 Recordings/Interscope artist Scotty McCreery has been chosen as the first artist to release a CD in the successful ‘ZinePak configuration, which features his debut album, Clear As Day, and exclusive elements, including a magazine with never-before-seen family photos and personal information about Scotty. The ‘ZinePak – pronounced “ZEEN-pack” – will be on sale exclusively at Walmart beginning Oct. 4. It will be available in the music department, alongside…
There are a number of different pre-workout supplements that do not contain creatine. For those individuals that still wish to get the energy from their pre-workout plus the recovery time increase and muscle growth of creatine, the All-Pro Science Pure Creatine is the perfect product. One just needs to take 5 grams of the stuff (which comes in a 2/3rd pound bottle) and they will gain the benefits that normally…
Ólafur Arnalds creates and releases a new song, one per day for one whole week. The songs will be recorded and filmed live in the living room of his Reykjavík apartment and released instantly for FREE as streamed videos and MP3 downloads. Following in the spirit of Ólafur Arnalds’ critically acclaimed ‘Found Songs’ (2009) where he wrote, recorded and released a free song every day for a week – now…
Bath salts can be a very inexpensive thing; I know of a number of dollar stores that have some sort of bath soak or salt. However, the quality of these products is incredibly low, and one would have a better time just sitting in lukewarm bath water. However, there are some companies that are creating bath salts that will ensure the most luxurious and fun baths out there. One of…
NeuFutur does not get much in the way of folk music. Thus, whenever Tompkins Square records sends us anything, we have to be really on our toes. Whether it is due to re-releasing decades old album or finding some of the newest folk virtuosos (such as is the case with this album), Tompkins Square is always one of the stronger genre-specific labels out there. This disc is essentially a three…
In the world of rock, Bella Clava is a breath of fresh air. Returning to the roots of rock music with a classic, heavy sound, Bella Clava represents the unparalleled energy, charisma and spirit of dirty rock and roll. Hailing from Toronto, they have built a strong local following over the past few years with their explosive live shows which have garnered them both renown and notoriety in the Canadian…
Matthew Herbert’s forthcoming album, One Pig, made entirely from recordings of a pig’s life cycle from birth to plate, is out October 18th on Accidental Records. In celebration of this imminent release, Accidental Records is sharing a Micachu remix of album track, “December.” Premiered yesterday via Pitchfork, this is one of several Micachu remixes of One Pig tracks that will be released as an EP in late November. It follows…
The Swiss’ latest single, Double Or Nothing, is out now via Modular Recordings. To celebrate, Tony Mitolo and Luke Godson of The Swiss have put together this week’s Modcast. Titled d’Ancestry, the tracklist reflects their wide pool of influences, and honors the artists that have inspired them over the years. d’Ancestry Tracklist 1. Madhouse – Silver Convention 2. I Thought It Was You – Herbie Hancock 3. Eve of the…
Starting out their EP with “Scale Model”, Megan’s vocals really give off a Yeah Yeah Yeahs feel, and the backing instruments really give the disc an earlier nineties feel. For a slipcase and CDr type of disc, the recording on this demo is astounding – each individual element of Scale Model comes through as clear as day. This really benefits the thick, sinewy bass lines of Joe’s as much as…
There sheer amount of time that Amberfern gives the different tracks on Quiescence is intriguing; with a number of the album’s cuts clocking in at the six or seven minute mark, one wonders before the CD begins whether listeners’ interests can be sated. It may take a few minutes of the album’s first track, “Misty Harbor”, but listeners will rapidly understand the unique and mature compositions as they truly are.…
Enlightened Love can be enjoyed if an individual is doing housework or meditating, but I believe that to truly get the essence of the album, listeners have to provide total focus to the strains and compositions that are provided here. There is just so much nuance and complexity present to a track like the opening Eastern Sun that would simply be missed if listeners were not solely focused on the…
Mike Howe is a veteran in the music business, but I feel that ey has continually kept eir ear to the ground. This means that there is a vibrancy to each of the tracks on Island of Anywhere that simply is not present on a release at another musician’s similar part of career. After the strains of Beyond the Mountains wrap up, listeners are provided with an emotionally affecting track…
Mill Creek has been on a tear as of late, releasing a number of seasons of classic shows like That 70’s Show and Roseanne. Even more than that, they do a valuable service for fans of the original show – they ensure that the DVD sets never make it out of print. Furthermore, they provide these sets at a price that individuals can actually afford. For example, both That 70’s…
Dropkick Murphys are set to perform their single “Going Out In Style” on Conan (TBS, 11pm PDT/EDT, 10pm CDT) on Thursday, October 13. “Going Out In Style”–a rousing, celebratory tale of an Irish wake as seen through the eyes of the deceased–appears on Dropkick Murphys’ critically acclaimed album of the same name (on the band-owned Born & Bred Records), which debuted at #6 on the Billboard 200 in March. The…