Hey everyone. Real quick one here.
Who loves Rogue Wave… I mean really LOVES the music of Rogue Wave? It seems to me like every time I hear a new Rogue Wave song, I produce the exact same level of interest. There is something special about the way they create. Here’s a gem I stumbled on. B-Sides from the Vultures days. Sweetness! Appears on the 10:1 EP.
MP3: Rogue Wave – “Crush The Camera”
Rogue Wave | MySpace | iTunes | Amazon | Sub-Pop
“They’re tryin’a graduate from school, Lu…”
I’m gonna keep it short.
I have this conversation with pretty much every hip-hop fan I ever meet. You know the one. The one about the state of the genre, the message it sends and the general deterioration of role-model image that it contributes to… Enter, once again, Lupe Fiasco.
His debut, Food & Liquor, was one of the best mainstream hip-hop albums of the past few years for sure. Not afraid to be honest, Lupe is a beacon of light in an otherwise dreary landscape. Now, he’s ready to hit us with the always important sophomore album… and from what I’ve heard, Lupe Fiasco’s: The Cool is the sickness.
And I mean the good kind of sickness. One of his tracks, “Dumb It Down” is a perfect response to everything our mainstream, MTV society asks for. Not to mention, Lupe’s skills are honestly among the best. Beat’s nasty too. Check it out.
MP3: Lupe Fiasco – “Dumb It Down” from The Cool
VIDEO: Lupe Fiasco – Dumb It Down”
PRE-ORDER IT NOW: iTunes | Atlantic
BONUS The Cool Tracks:
MP3: Lupe Fiasco – ‘The Coolest”
MP3: Lupe Fiasco – “Superstar”
Stream the entire Lupe Fiasco’s The Cool: MySpace
Josh Buckley is a close friend.
Or at least that’s how he sings it. To the listener, he and his band, The Gilded Splinters go for intimacy. Having the pleasure of getting to listen to January, there is something concrete about The Gilded Splinters. Headed up by Josh Buckley, the band isn’t playing on any fad. Heartland rock, in the vein of early Wilco or The Band, is interspersed with cool vocal ballads. JP Bowersock, producer of The Strokes and Ryan Adams took to their work and really made the album kick. An extremely pleasurable mix. Buckley’s voice, admittedly, is surprising at first, but comes to be a realization of becoming unconstrained. This is how it is. Period.
But it is more than just songwriting. The Gilded Splinters aren’t on shaky foundations. They don’t rely on an obsessively complex chord structure or “what the hell?” instrumentation. They tell it as honestly as possible, and they’re rewarded. If anything is a lesson learned, January reminds us that there is nothing trite or shameful about a 3-chord progression and traditional configuration… if you do it right. So many bands today try it and just blend in. What The Gilded Splinters have is genuine emotion. You can get lost in Buckley’s wordplay and it doesn’t demand anything of itself. The listener is just as much a part of the music as the band.
Enjoy my selection:
MP3: The Gilded Splinters – “All Over Again”
MP3: The Gilded Splinters – “Haunted Child”
Buy January: iTunes Music Store | JoshBuckley.com
Create a long lasting friendship with The Gilded Splinters: MySpace
Wow… very few posts on my part lately. For that I apologize.
Let me just hit you with it. A band I heard for the first time sometime early this year (March?) just made me happy all over. I refer, of course to Brooklyn’s Meowskers. A musical supergroup of sorts. These guys have a sound that seems to make it into every mix and “best new” list I’ve made for a while. It really calls upon a Flaming Lips style song with great rock vocals to add. These guys surprise me with every song and their debut, Fake Orange EP is stunning. They weave melodic stylings seamlessly with powerful, raw rock that just shakes your fucking head off. This is my new theme song for walking out of the subway station… that’s refreshing!
MP3: Meowskers – “Colors That Lie!”
Now, if it seems like these dudes couldn’t get any better, I just took a little trip to their MySpace and saw that they have their whole EP for download in 192 kbps. FOR FREE. Nasty.
Here it is (absolutely CANNOT wait for the album):
Oh Meowskers, will you ever stop giving? No, and this is the best part. A site that I know, love and hold so dear to my heart, Daytrotter, has an exclusive session with these guys and its OFF THE CHARTS. This is a group I’m dying to see live, at this point. Writing this post makes me want to see them right now. Check out the Daytrotter Session and especially “Dead or Awake,” thats just more proof of the musicality of an already fun band.
MP3’s and MORE: Meowskers – Daytrotter Sessions