I’ve wanted to make a mix of lady vocals ever since I first heard Birdy’s, and finally 2013 has given us more than enough. So for our first best music list of 2013, we get a mix of beautiful singers with producers who deserve half the credit. From pop to garage and disco to rap, you may not love them all, but you better find at least one.
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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.
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I may have been more of a Michael fan back in the day, but Janet is the one making a comeback in this untraditional style, via the remix. She’s got a handful of my favorite disco, soul & funk producers remixing her right and I’ve been waiting far too long to present it to you. Now some of them have been so chopped & fucked with that it doesn’t even sound like Janet anymore, but I assure you it’s all in good taste. Guarantee you’ll find some gem to obsess over for sometime.
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There is no other sound more fun to dance to than disco. However fast or slow, it brings the spirit to soul music. This may only be our second mix of its kind (#1), but it’s got some soon to be disco legends for sure. So whether you’re alone or in public, get up & dance to this 13-track disco mix.
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Melodic dubstep may sound like an oxymoron at first, but it is for sure the best of its kind. It’s the kind of music that will take you out of your element, away from your own personal shit show – kinda like most music, but better. I would go as far to say it carries you to heights higher than our own beats to blaze to. So get out your best speakers, preferably headphones, and take a step away for a minute with some bass in mind.
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Independent record labels are sprouting up all over the place — in location & style. And the ones that are doing it right not only have a choice selection in catalogue, but also take the time to artfully craft their image as they do their artists.
Each of these 12 labels sport some of the most well respected producers & musicians that belong on this blog and create a culture with style around their music. On here I may point out a few that lack in proper online presence, but they are all doing it right when it comes to the perception of this era’s evolution in music labels.
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We’re finally getting our favorite musicians of 2012 out there. Remixes & heavy sampling have made up most of the other best music of 2012, but the rest of these are all originals (at least for the most part).
I also decided to change it from 2012’s best musicians to the most promising. They may be our favorite musicians of 2012, but they’re probably all new to you – except Frank, Madeon & Miike maybe.
Also remember, not every one of these may be your favorite style, but you’ll definitely find a few you’ll enjoy for a good while.
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Soul music is back with a whole new influence. Just two years ago I couldn’t find a half decent disco track, let alone anything funk or R&B. So like I do best, I filtered the shit out of the web and found me some good ol’, new-fashioned Soul music. This new style of Soul, however, isn’t like before, there are all sorts of electronic influences grown in. So let’s take a look at my Soul obsessions of 2012 and see what’s in store for the future.
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Last year we picked a theme for our Best Mashups of 2011, which we dubbed, “Mashups Not Inspired by Glee,” but this year we decided to go with a more positive approach. For 2012, our tribute goes out to Ms. Anna Kendrick. She first caught our eye in Rocket Science and now most recently in Pitch Perfect. And although Pitch Perfect wasn’t really all that good, kinda funny, Anna playing an aspiring DJ & mashup artist was probably the hottest thing, and “DJ”, of 2012.
Another change to this year’s list from last was expanding into remixes & covers. The point of this top 2012 list is to feature the best reinterpretations of memorable hits this year, whether it be mixed, mashed, covered and everything in-between. Whatever it may be, as long as it’s not inspired by Glee, it’s all good by us.
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The EDM scene seems to have missed our radar this year, but we did manage to bundle up a bunch of electro remixes anyway. And there are a few gems in there that you’ll definitely need to listen to – contrary to my lack of effort in electronic, it will be a big part in the future of music.
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