I don’t think that I have ever seen somebody singing and playing the violin at the same time. If I have, it definitely didn’t sound like this. He really goes in at about the 1:45 mark.
Bravo.
Electric Wire Hustle – Perception/Chaser
New music from New Zealand soul collective Electric Wire Hustle is at the very top of my wish list for 2011. Their self titled album has been getting regular rotation from me since it came out last summer. I can’t say that I’ve heard anything quite like it. It sounds like a jam session with Marvin Gaye, J Dilla and Sade’s band. CRAZY. Did I mention these dudes are from New Zealand? While I can’t say the video for “Perception” is new, it’s new to me and that’s just as good. Check out the videos below then do yourself a huge favor and get the album.
DMV Awards 2011 – #SMH
The 2011 DMV awards was this past weekend. Apparently, everybody lost.
Stalley – Lincoln Way Nights
Stalley takes John Mayer’s Assassin to a darker place for one of the highlights from his mixtape Lincoln Way Nights.
Click the cover for the free download from his bandcamp page. What you see and hear from Stalley is exactly what you get. No gimmicks.
Res’ Box of Chocolates
Good Man
You know a video is great when you ask your self “what happens next?” Lets hope we find out when Raphael Saadiq drops “Stone Rollin” toward the end of March. His 2nd video from the album is one of the best I’ve seen in a while. The cinematography and acting are brilliantly done. I’m about two years past ready for the retro-soul renaissance to go away but Saadiq gets another pass from me. He’s one if not THE premier male soul talent of a generation, a flawless artist. He has a signature sound and you can hear it in anything he touches so his most recent releases come off as more an interpretation than imitation in my book.
AAA: DTMD – Do “You”
AAA = AuralAdvocate Approved
If you haven’t downloaded DTMDs free EP ” The Basics” by now, YOU LOSE!
The Stuyvesants
If you’re a regular visitor to this blog and have some good sense, you’ve probably already made yourself familiar with the fantastically free mixes of Darien Victor Birks on his music and design blog flwrpt. He’s been hard at work with his friend Allan Cole who you may know better as DC’s 2009 Red Bull Big Tune champ, Algorythm. The two have joined forces as ”The Stuyvesants”, a design and music duo paying homage to their shared place of residence. They’ve released a FREE 25 instrumental and design project titled “Brooklyn’s Finest” that I’ve had on repeat since the day it dropped. It’s absolutely a must have for the summer. I’m hoping we’ll get more visuals from this project, the tracks definitely evoke some imagery. I’ve imagined them as sort of a day in the life of a Brooklynite but that’s just me. Check out “Panty Dropper” below and paint your own picture. Better yet, make a movie ; )
Secret Story
It’s been a while since my last post. My web surfing has been drastically reduced since starting a new job last month. I always wanted a career in music and for a while I felt like I had one since the majority of my days were spent surfing the web in search of good tunes. Times have changed though so while I have a lot more money to feed my habit, I have less time to write about it. I’ll take it though. June 7th not only marked the 52nd birthday of Prince Rogers Nelson which must be celebrated even if he chooses not to, it was also my 27th and my cousin’s 28th. Sharing a birthday with arguably the greatest performer of our time is pretty cool but growing up celebrating it with one of my best and closest friends who happens to be related but not my twin is so much cooler. We have oddly similar tastes in a lot of things but were not always on the same page when it comes to what we listen to. Some of my favorite memories though are times we spent together just chilling in the basement listening to and looking for music. This is one of my favorites from back in the day, It always takes me back to that time in my life which was pretty special to me. I have to admit it’s pretty wild that we were listening to stuff like this in our pre-teen years but it was albums like “Secret Story” that developed my musical palate. If you’re not familiar with Pat Metheny you have to wait until the 1:23 mark on the clip below to hear him do his thing. Happy birthday Cuzzo!
Red – Rags to…
If someone told me last year that 6 months into this I would be posting clips of the former BET boy band Family Circus Brutha singing back-up for a homeless street performing beatboxer and I would spend my hard-earned money to support such a collaboration, I probably would have just called it a wrap at that point and not even bothered starting the blog. Not for a lack of talent, Brutha just isn’t my usual cup of tea and unless the second coming of Doug E. Fresh pops up I generally hate beatboxing on principle alone. With all that said, it’s nearly June and here we are. It’s been at least a year since Red hit the web but his story is new to me. The clip below is just one of many unofficial versions of Red’s single ”I Should Tell Ya Momma on You” but it’s by far my favorite and the only one I found with no instrumental backing which makes it even cooler in my opinion. I don’t think we could quite call this a rags to riches story but I definitely admire Red’s determination and I would bet that we hear more from him before it’s all said and done. If I saw a clip of Brutha in full boy band mode I’d likely keep it moving too so you’re just going to have to trust me on this one. You can support Red on iTunes.
