Nuttin’ But Stringz was nuttin’ like I expected. About a year or two back, someone had posted up on a forum about a rap duo who played violins. I love when hip-hop brings on classic instrumentals; strings just sound so good with a baseline and an MC that can flow.
Unfortunately, the duo didn’t stack up as I had hoped. Their use of the violin is definitely their strong point, but anything past that just seemed second-rate. Fortunately, I managed to pull a song that’s good for a party mix, which I didn’t expect from a group that’s highlighted for their violin playing – let’s just say I expected more of a classical vibe.
The duo seems to be leaning towards pop – just saw them on Dancing with the Stars (on a YouTube clip) – but their talent for the strings will hopefully push them back into the art sometime in the future.
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I wonder what people from past generations would think of music nowadays? I don’t mean lyrically, but the actual sound. Take Pretty Lights for example – Derek Vincent Smith’s use of traditional instruments are only a small portion of his entire sound set.
Smith’s use of untraditional beats has set him, and many other electronic musicians, apart from conventional music. His newest album, Spilling Over Every Side, the second EP of his 2010 trilogy, is a step in a new direction, although not a leap forward from his previous work. The most noticeable difference is each song’s length, topping at close to nine minutes on “High School Art Class”. I’m not sure I prefer the lengthiness, but as he points out, there’s a “sort of dimension flip” occurring in each song.
In a document included with Spilling Over Every Side, Smith points out that he’s tried to incorporate different genres into his work, “transitioning between something pretty and organic to something heavy and electro”. Although this may be true, I don’t see Smith pushing forward and building from his previous work – it’s more of a side step. I’m sure if I was out hitting up one of his shows, this would be some awe-inspiring shit, but I expect his albums to be on the highest levels, only because I respect his craft so much.
Despite all my criticisms, it’s still phenomenally fresh, especially compared to countless other electronic albums I’ve heard over the past few months. I’ve been a big fan of his for a while, and with this latest addition, Pretty Lights continues to impress meh.
As always, you can hit up his site, PrettyLightsMusic.com, and head over to the downloads section to pick up this, and any of his other albums. Just make sure to give back the love if you enjoy his tunes – I just got a t-shirt form his store and it’s quality. Or go to the North Coast Festival this upcoming Labor Day weekend, and show him some support. Plus you might see me there (if you’re so lucky).
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This is my final feature of a three parter I’m doing on Pretty Lights’s 2008 album, Filling Up The City Skies. Just to recap, the first was on “Solamente“, which is a cool, downtempo beat; and the second was “Hot Like Sauce“, which is more like this feature, in that it’s something to start the night off with (aka good for a pregame mix). Each of these songs have been a favorite of mine at some point in the last few months, but I’ve come to realize that they’re all good for different situations.
Getting to the specifics on “Finally Moving Remix”: this one, without a doubt, has the best vocals of the three. I did some investigating on who the female voice is and came up with.. nothing, but to be honest, I didn’t put too much effort into it. Whoever she is, she has a remarkable voice, and the ways in which Derek Vincent Smith can doctor it to fit the beat so well can be almost perplexing at times. The man not only finds incredibly talented musicians to sample, but he can butcher their voices into something strangely pleasing to the ear. This original he created back in 2006 may not be as heart-poundingly engaging as this, but it still warrants a listen if you’re into his sound. If y’all want me to post it up then give me a shout out in the comments below, and I’ll see what I can do. I hope y’all enjoy it – you’ll definitely be seeing more of his music manipulations on here in the future.
One other thing, as I mentioned in one of my earlier posts, you can download most of Pretty Lights’s music on their website, and support ‘em by purchasing a t-shirt from their store.
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This is the second feature in a three part series, I just decided now that it would be a three parter (here’s the first part). The three parter basically covers my favorites of Pretty Lights. I discovered the group just a couple weeks ago and am already obsessed. This one, apposed to my first post, is a lot more worthy to rock out to, and man does it rock! Derek Vincent Smith is one hell of a DJ – he mixes that shit out of a bunch of samples and comes up with some amazing music. I believe “Hot Like Sauce” has Big Boi of OutKast mixed in there (at around 3:14), but I could be mistaken (I often am). This shit is bumpin, and is definitely rock out worthy while you “go hyphy in this bitch”.
Also, follow us on Twitter, so you’ll know when the next Pretty Lights feature will be! Oh, and as always, tell me what ya think…
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