Started listening to Plastic Beach about a week ago. My first thoughts were similar to that of Demon Days, sounds good but nothing stands out. It seems like with Gorillaz, at least in my case, you need to give their albums a few listens to really feel their sound. Well, after a few listens I found some keepers, unfortunately not as many as in Demon Days.
Stylo was the first single from the album, released at the end of January of this year. Though it’s not my favorite, it’s among the better ones, some others being Superfast Jellyfish, On Melancholy Hill & Plastic Beach. But we aren’t here to discuss those, we’re here for the best (of the best), and those would be…
Empire Ants (for one). The song is split in two, the first half with vocals from 2-D (or Damon Albort in reality), with some pleasant, dreamlike instrumentals; and the second half with vocals featured from Little Dragon’s Yukimi Nagano, with a beat that’s straight 80’s XTC (or is that just me, I didn’t live through much of the 80’s). The song takes you to another reach, typical of Gorillaz. It’s my #1 pick, followed closely by Broken.
Broken is a little like the first part of Empire Ants, in that it has a pleasant & smooth sound (other than that, not so much). What I particularly like about this track is its soul-striken lyrics, instead of the usual drug induced ones (those can be fun too, though). They really capture the heart …or maybe that’s just my sensitive side… Anyways, it’s a well thought out track, and good for the those times of heartache … actually, that may not be the best idea (but listen to it nonetheless).
Finally, I just wanted to touch (a little) on some of the tracks that aren’t worth listening to: Sweepstakes (gets stuck in the head, and not in a good way), Some Kind of Nature (sorry Lou, ya just don’t do it for me here), and Welcome to the World of the Plastic Beach (Snoop I expect much more with a beat like this). The other tracks on the album are fairly good, but I haven’t warmed up to them quite yet. Tell me what you think, and let me know your most/least favorites are?
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It’s funny how songs can remind you of the most random places. In The Twilight reminds me of strolling around The British Museum, admiring all the fascinating artifacts. I actually went there twice while I was in London; once to actually appreciate the art, and another time to goof off and take funny pictures (I act like an adolescent at times all the time).
The reason I chose this song is because I like it (duh, haha)… ok, other than that I chose it for it’s unusual, yet appealing instrumentals. A lot of the time when I hear DJ’s experiment with new sounds the end result just sounds like a bunch meshed noise resembling a child pressing on a soundboard! However, in this case the sounds collaborate into a relaxing, downtempo beat with a natural flare. If you like this then definitely check out my first feature of TM Jukes, Knee Deep, which has some soulful vocals. And, if you’re reading this right now, you better scroll down and comment on this damn blog or else! 
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Important, my favorite parts are at 2:06 (saxy) & 2:21 (the beat hits right) – check ‘em out!
This song will put you on another level.
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Alright, so you caught me, I posted this one a while back (you probably had no idea), but I have a good reason for posting it again (kinda). The original post was the entire album (Pyramids in Moscow), including Sleep Walkers. Since I’m not doing full album posts (for now), I wanted to split up the older album posts. They’ve got some of the best music on the site, so why wouldn’t I show ‘em off again?… right?… i’ve also been studying all day, so I didn’t have as much time (so, that could be it too). Alright, to the music!
As I said in the original post, “This is not only my favorite track of the album [Pyramids in Moscow], but one of my favorite songs of all time!” I love Raw Poetic’s rap style against Marlon Vann’s (H2a) trip-hop styled beats. But what really shines is Patrick Fritz’s (P-Fritz) voice: it’s shockingly (!) smoooth. Just listen to it, and I guarantee you’ll enjoy it (at least!). This is some of my best stuff! (or RPM’s, I should say) As always, tell me what ya think. It’s the only reason I write 
Also, this includes the entire song, which the original post did not!
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I was introduced to the Kottonmouth Kings from my friends in NorCal. Most of ‘em listen to music from the Bay (with good reason), but occasionally expand their scope, e.g. Kottonmouth Kings. The Kottonmouth Kings bring in an interesting mix of hip-hop and punk rock with a heavy influence from mary jane (…why is that become a reoccurring theme on this blog…). They remind me of Swollen Members, and a little bit like Insane Clown Posse, but let’s never mention that again. Tangerine Sky is no doubt their most popular song, and from my experience, girls tend to love it (it’s rare to find hip-hop that women like, other than the mainstream). It has a memorable reggae style, which is used in a good amount of their music. If you like their style, give Sleepers a listen, also on Rollin’ Stoned.
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I started listening to Frane about a year ago when I found his third album, Journey to the Planet of Birds, on a favorite forum of mine. After my fixation with the album died down, I decided to get my fix off of his other albums, so I gave Electric Garden of Delights a try.
I’d characterize Electric Garden as a mind-altering, drug-influenced arrangement, a lot like his other albums. But unlike his other albums, this album is set in a blissful garden, enchanted with exotic creatures and psychotropic plants. It’s an appealing album, but I’m not sure if it can hold up to his other works.
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With the release of his final installment in the “beats to blaze to” trilogy, Frane once again creates a beautiful masterpiece. Each track is a well-crafted composition that should definitely be blazed to!
Gravitational Communications: The journey begins with a downtempo intro, but really starts to shine with the second track, Gravitational Communications. The guitar rift is absolutely phenomenal in it! This, along with Visions of U, are the stand out tracks in the album.
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