Here is another Random Friday! I do realize some of these songs are a tad old, some go 2 years back, but nontheleses they are random great songs that I have heard this week.
Dance/Techno:
I actually stole this mp3 from one of my favorite blogs gottadancedirty.com, a blog that focuses on electro/dance remixes. Click here to read the mp3’s post.
The Knock (Bass Weazal Remix)
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Alternativ Rock
The Bell is an indie rock, post punk band hailing from Sweden. Their debut Make Some Quiet was released digitally in 2007
I am History – The Bell
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iTunes – Amazon
Folk
Marissa Nadler is an American dream-folk and indie-rock musician. Nadler writes strange, yet classic, melancholy songs. Her voice is often bathed in a wash of reverb and space echo and creates a ghostly, atmospheric feeling to the music.
Racheal – Marissa Nadler
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Mellow:
Kid Cudi – a famous american rapper that has gained an enormous amout of popularity for his remixes and colaborations with Kanye West.
The Prayer – Kid Cudi
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This video is just too awesome, I had to share it. They really enjoy performing.
Buy:Amazon – itunes
Yes, the joke is on everyone that has not listen to the extremely catchy song title “The Joke” (click here to check out the video). Patrick Davy is a singer/songwriter/guitarist from Detroit, Michigan. In his album debut “Where it began“, Patrick creates a balance between the simplicity of his songs and the powerful heartfelt vocals to create beautifully sounding melodies. As he points out “‘Where it Began‘ is a darker record than most as the songs are reflections of reality. Because life isn’t like TV. The record is directed at the heart and bones without the sales-pitch frills that the obsolete gatekeepers of the music industry have required for too many years.
“The joke” and “Took a long time” are one of the lighter songs that appear on his album. Others like “The feeling” and “Where it began” are much more mellow with a steady slow tempo. Make sure you check out his myspace to listen more of his album.
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Where it Began – Where It Began
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I recently discovered Michael Rossback music on thesixtyone and I do not know why I haven’t heard him before, his acoustic rock songs along with an impressive voice, similar to Chris Martin’s, just made me buy all 4 of his independent albums… with no regrets. Micheal Rossback spends most of his time in the studio producing other artist but that has not stopped him from recording his own music. Although most of his songs are comprised of acoustic instrumentals, his songs have a heavy rock influence. In addition, some of his songs have an experimental foundation that combined with his heavy but soothing rock voice, makes you compare him to popular bands like Radiohead and Coldplay. Micheal has taken me by surprised and I hope he does the same to you. I have included one of the most experimental sounding songs from him titled “In Dreams” from his album “In Dreams
” released independently February of 2008. It is emotionally powerful enough to appear in a soundtrack of a TV show on some type of romantic farewell scene. On the same album, there is a much mellow, acoustic guitar, soft song titled “Best Dreams” that’s lyrics are as gentle as they sound sincere. I probably like this song a lot due to its lyrics that go “Give love away, live your tomorrow, today” a phrase that everyone should try to live by.
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Odd duets make awesome music. It is certainly true for Another Robot Sunset, an indie electronic hip hop band from Nashville. Cadence was a rapper. Padgett was a physicist. They met, started making music together, and The Amber Ep was born. I think CDBaby said it best “This is what would happen if a rapper and a scientist got stranded on a desert island with only a casio keyboard and a drum computer”. As a huge fan of bands that mix electronic/experimental beats with hip-hop, The Robot Sunset hit the spot. Throughout their album you will notice they are more electronic than hip-hop and it really works to their advantage. They dont simple lay down a beat and rap over it. The vocals/raps almost seems secondary to the harmonious electronic melodies that make up every song, which makes them an easy listen… even for non hip/hop fans. Although The Amber EP, released in 2007, is probably the last and only album we will hear from them.. I just couldnt help myself to not exprses how great they sound.
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Here is another great song from The Amber EP
“Hospital Hearts”
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In a Hip Hop scene saturated by the Fifties, Weezys, and the Wests, it is difficult sometimes to filter through the commercialized singles with the sole purpose of selling albums, from the talented lyricists. Hip Hop even though still very strong in it’s roots, sometimes feels like it is having a personality crisis, with some artists willingly trying to blend, and morph into anything that sells. On the other hand we have artists that show insane skills, and have been doing it for years… enters Tech N9ne. An American rapper native from Kansas City, which has accomplished milestones like selling over 1 million albums, and performing sold out shows from LA to NY. In his latest album “Sickology 101″ features collaborations by Chino XL, Krayzie Bone, and B.G. just to name a few.
The song Sickology 101 features Chino XL and Crooked I, you can hear the fast melodic, and hard hitting punch lines. Verses like “This is harmony, Nina’s taking you through it/Make it buttery, utterly beautiful, make it fluid/Sickology 101 is in session, I thought you knew it/We murderin motherfuckers in music, that’s how we do it!” by Tech N9ne and “I’m demented, spittin writtens as sick as I can/Grenade grippin, fittin to detonate Disneyland/I am teachin Sickology, try to follow how every punch line hits/Like Chris Brown’s fist in the face of Rihanna” by Chino Xl will surprise you not only with the rhymes but also with their very sharp flow that always compliments the beat.
Sickology 101 Ft. Chino XL and Crooked I
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Midwest Choppers Ft. Krayzie Bone and K-Dean
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Los Amigos Invisibles’ from my hometown Caracas, Venezuela, will be releasing their sixth studio album Commercial, which will be available exclusively at iTunes on May 26th and in stores June 9. Starting with lead single, “Mentiras,” (which has been number one in Venezuela for some time now) the multiple Grammy-nominated group have tightened their hooks and focused their songs, recording their most accessible work yet.
Since their first album in 1995, Los Amigos Invisibles have developed a sound based in the gozadera, an irresistible fusion of Latin rhythms with fiery funk and lounge music.
Los Amigos Invisibles moved to New York City from their hometown of Caracas, Venezuela in 2001 and entrenched itself in the local scene. Los Amigos were able to establish themselves in the dance music scene and expand their sound. While raking in Grammy nominations year after year and performing on programs like the Jimmy Kimmel Show, the group has continued to expand touring across the country.
To fans of their music, Commercial still portrays their lyrically sarcastic humorous songs with the upbeat funk we have come to love. Starting with the song “Mentiras” (“Lies” in Spanish) is about a guy explaining to his girlfriend/wife that he wouldn’t dare be with other women and that all the rumors she hears about him are just a bunch of lies… or are they? In their Official Music video for “Mentiras” you will find the truth. Los Amigos Invisibles always try to incorporate different styles of music than their typical funk/rock. In their song “Plastic Woman” they lean more towards their electronic side using voice synthesizers for some of the choruses, on “Merengue Killer” they go experimental using a heavy distorted guitar accompanied by a fast paste meregue beat, only something Los Amigos Invisibles can pull off.
My favorite song from the albums comes right at track 3 titled “Vivire para ti”. A down to earth, slow and funky romantic song expressing, very sincerely to his loved one, how he would “live for you” which is the translations to the songs title.
Mentiras – Los Amigos Invisibles
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The melodic glitch music master Shuta Hasunuma from Tokyo, Japan lets loose an endless array of gorgeous and restless rhythms and melodies on his new LP Pop Ooga. Throughout the album he seamlessly folds funky bass and synth lines, graceful guitar, and breathy vocal harmonies into his web of glitch-pop-concrete. Like the album’s artwork, the music evokes its own unique design – neatly cut acoustic edges within a new, visceral, time-lapsed version of reality. Literally blending bells and whistles into an infectious, breezy dose of melodic sunshine, expect to be caught in an addictive, vinyl trance that will have you eagerly resetting your stylus again and again. If you enjoy experimental music you should definitely consider checking out his new album. Two of my favorite songs from the album are “Soul OSCI” and the more soothing “Vol Struggle”. This is a much more melodic and ambient style of the glitch-music/glitch-pop genre and its surprisingly refresh to the ears.
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I simply can’t get enough of listening to the experimental wonders of Balmorhea. My job as a web developer sometimes requires me to tune the outside world and focus on the piece of code I am writing. The classical acoustic styles of Balmorhea can put anyone in the zone, however some side effects may include: lower heart rate and sleepiness; as most of their songs are accompanied by a mellow tempo. They are very close to be considered classical music yet their style is extremely modern with recognizable rock influences. Formed in 2006, Rob Lowe and Michael Muller from Austin, Texas have been touring around the United States and promoting their three albums they have released thus far.
Their songs are not just piano notes and violins, they have strong experimental tendencies. In the song “In the Rowans” they manage to incorporate a typewriter typing away in sync with the piano’s tempo as you hear what it appears to be a movie film rolling in the background. Other songs are more ambient like “A Circumnavigation” with two crisp and clear guitars playing and raindrops in the background. My favorite song is titled “Settler” from their album “All is Wild, All is Silent” released March 2009. A heavy layered song that brings together a variety of different instruments as well the appearance vocals – a rare thing to come across as most of their songs are just instrumental.
Finally I want to mention “Winters”, a beautiful but much darker piano driven song. The repetitive progression of the piano with the soothing and almost sadden violin in the backgrounds, along with the constant crescendos and decrescendos give the song a much deeper emotional meaning. Overall, Balmorhea is one of the greatest instrumental/ambient bands I have come across and urge you to check out their new CD “All is Wild, All is Silent”
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Led by the commanding screams of front man Eddie Hermida, Detroit’s metalcore band All Shall Perish unleashed another musical swing against America’s corporate system. With their latest album, Awaken The Dreamers, the band shows they can still use their all-to famous disgusting guitar sweeps and brutal breakdowns in an effort express the feeling behind their music.
This time around All Shall Perish went somewhere no one really expected. The band did a really good job at fusing their grinding deathcore style with a more experimental vibe. I believe this has helped All Shall Perish portray their message to a wider spectrum of listeners than their previous albums have been able to. The change between the first two albums, "Hate, Malice and Revenge and The Price of Existence and their new album Awaken The Dreamers is noticeable; and for the better.
However, do not confuse this transition in style with All Shall Perish selling out. They still have that same flow that makes you wake up with neck pains in the morning. The band has evolved beautifully throughout these past albums, and their future looks even more vicious!
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