Since the first edition of our favorite SoundCloud Educators & Storytellers, we’ve grown to love such shows as Blank on Blank, StoryCorps & The Story Colliders even more than before. And better yet, we’ve found plenty more to talk about.
Our list of favorite podcasts range from lost interviews of famous peoples to the most up to date panels in music tech. Not every show will be for everyone, but I guarantee you’ll find one you’ll be listening to for life. I’m sure I’ll be listening to at least a handful of these until they broadcast no more.
[soundcloud url="https://api.soundcloud.com/playlists/15478355" iframe="false" params="player_type=tiny&font=Arial&color=292929" height="18" /]
Starting to think Method Records may be my new favorite label. With their most notable release of the year, ‘Together‘ sports some notable names including Nile Rodgers, Disclosure & Sam Smith. But before all that, they gave us Lxury’s ‘J.A.W.S.’, which I’m now coming to find was co-produced with Disclosure.
Disclosure is all over the place and that’s a key to creativity. They know the art of collaborate as their past pairings like Lxury can corroborate.
[soundcloud url="http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/110235013" iframe="false" params="player_type=tiny&font=Arial&color=292929" height="18" /]
Rarely do I keep going back to the same musician and consistently post everything they put out. I crave novelty and vocals especially tend to dry up fast. Bordeaux, however, is one of a few exceptions.
In my favorite single off his latest side project, Warm Space, ‘Rust Lovers’ takes that voice I love so much and puts it into a very warm piano piece. The other two tracks are still a good taste of Bordeaux’s style & voice, but I love the lyrics in ‘Rust Lovers’ most. Not necessarily just for the meaning, but what his voice brings to it too.
[soundcloud url="http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/121444361" iframe="false" params="player_type=tiny&font=Arial&color=292929" height="18" /]
Zimmer’s ‘Galapagos’ is a steady inspirational build built for the Caribbean. Wasn’t a fan of the whip sounds I heard near the start, but it’s a small price to pay for the rest of this tropical dance. Best part is when the vocals kick out towards the end and it’s nothing but in your head.
[soundcloud url="https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/118827966" iframe="false" params="player_type=tiny&font=Arial&color=292929" height="18" /]
Well if I do say so myself Sam Smith almost sounds as pretty as Prince. And along with Disclosure’s unconventional electro wobbles, this makes for some progressive electro soul music. Not only that but Nile Rodgers features on the track and damn does his melody run through. ‘Together’ might come in a little short at just over two minutes, but a whole lotta different styles of soul are packed in.
[soundcloud url="http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/120240297" iframe="false" params="player_type=tiny&font=Arial&color=292929" height="18" /]
When the beat drops off just under a minute in, it feels like Panda and their ‘Eighty Nine’ goes for a whole change of pace. Rarely do I see a song successfully pull off a complete change up and although this isn’t quit that it’s a beautiful balance between disco highs and deep soul lows.
Still can’t believe that switch up. Keep rewinding back with me.
[soundcloud url="http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/119464366" iframe="false" params="player_type=tiny&font=Arial&color=292929" height="18" /]
I just caught Rolling Stones ‘Rocker vs DJ’ short (seen below) and as true as mainstream EDM may be “shooting shit into our eardrums,” there’s no doubt electronic is the future. Electro music is as much a genre as it is an expansion of what constitutes music, for better or worse. But like I’ve said before, anything emerging is gonna have its over flow of shit. It’s up to music influencers to set the tide straight.
Joel Compass’ ‘Run’ is a thing of the past, it sounds right from the 90’s. But Joel has a way with the chorus and Armeria mixes it into a groove pop beat that many would call house or whatever subgenre. Labels are a tainted bitch, but serve their purpose.
[soundcloud url="http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/119474388" iframe="false" params="player_type=tiny&font=Arial&color=292929" height="18" /]
I don’t know if Jess Burgess will end up as the type of music we cover on Silence, but get this girl the right producer and she’s got just as much potential as anyone on here… well, she already does but more so! At first her ‘Rivers and Roads’ cover sounded like any aspiring singer, but when she hit those highs it hit the heart (then the head).
That said, there’s plenty of sweep throughs this needs in production and mastering before anything goes legit. Particularly the ending sounds out of sync and just plain off. I’m not one to promote unfinished work, in fact that’s usually why I don’t, but Ms Burgess is in need of notice with some producers whom I know roam around here. Vocals like these are not easy to find, especially with the bombardment of producers we’re getting today, and Jess deserves her paid dues.
[soundcloud url="http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/119199892" iframe="false" params="player_type=tiny&font=Arial&color=292929" height="18" /]
Loving these house producers like Bluford Duck doin something deep on 90’s pop sensations like Brandy. So far we’ve had Whitney, Janet and now our second Brandy (first), plus I’m sure there are a few others lying around.
Same old song & dance on this ‘I Wanna Be Down’ remix, vocals pitched to unrecognizable levels with deep house sounds on the back end. Wonder how much longer I’ll be on this pitched vocals fad, love what direction it’s turning.
[soundcloud url="http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/118882482" iframe="false" params="player_type=tiny&font=Arial&color=292929" height="18" /]
Finally more Broken Bells. The duo put out one of our favorite albums of 2010, back when we actually featured albums, and we’ve been wondering ever since if they’d come out with another.
Just a week or so back, Broken Bells teased us with a short (below) and now finally we get our first single. ‘Holding On For Life’ is a ghostly tune with Bee Gee like backups, but everything else is all Broken Bells signature. That familiar guitar strum, Mercer’s hauntingly good looking vocals, all with a slight build to keep it uplifting til the end.
Can’t wait to listen to the full album. I’m sure it’ll be good for many go arounds.
[soundcloud url="http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/118528380" iframe="false" params="player_type=tiny&font=Arial&color=292929" height="18" /]