Mumford & Sons have always been a nice change of pace for me to listen to, but I’m no diehard folk rock fan. However, put a lil electro-step into folk and it may just peak my interest.
Hobotech does just that with a folk-step remix of Mumford’s well known ‘The Cave.’ Luckily, he doesn’t lay the step in too hard and plays off Mumford’s original with grace… or as graceful as this electro step can be.
[soundcloud url="http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/55768427" iframe="false" params="player_type=tiny&font=Arial&color=292929" height="18"]
Too many musicians just start blindly blasting out their music, but forget the most important rule when submitting your music to a blogger, get to know the blog and make sure they promote your style of music. Thankfully though, every once in a while there’s an up-n-coming musician that knows what they’re doing, and this episode it all about niceFingers.
Nick Waterhouse & Dave Schneider, who make up niceFingers, must know this blog or got real lucky because their style matches mine like few other. ‘Champagne Galaxy’ builds on some unique sounds that become more & more vivid along the way (with a few nice surprises too). I especially love how they snuck that wooden wind-pipe instrument in (whatever it’s called), hear it trailing in from 1:20 – 1:30.
[soundcloud url="http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/53768062" iframe="false" params="player_type=tiny&font=Arial&color=292929" height="18"]
Outside Lands 2012 was an odd affair in a city forest. The music had a sharp range of talent, the food… oh god, the food was sogood and the people were quite pleasant & interesting to talk to. OsL did have its drawbacks though- it was cold as hell, dirty as shit & a trek to get to, but one thing especially bothered me that could’ve turned this massive music fest into a whole ‘nother experience from any other and it just so happens to be what its city & the Bay Area are known for, technology.
Outside Lands takes us back to the beauty of nature and feels more like a party on Safari than in the middle of San Fran, but that doesn’t mean it shouldn’t try to innovative on what a festival means, especially considering where it’s held. Since the technology capital of the world is right in its backyard, OsL needs to use that to its advantage to become a festival like no other. Not only would a better adoption with technology, especially anything social, help its name spread much farther & deeper across the web, but more importantly revolutionize the music festival experience. From advances in technological art to better socializing the whole festival experience – if OsL doesn’t do it now, they’ll have to do it later, but with many other festivals far ahead of it.
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Anytime I’m ever feelin the blues, I take to disco to cheer me up and Luminaire just may be my main man for it. He always pulls out the most catchy choruses and his latest is no exception.
I should’ve posted ‘Shake’ when it first came out, but I wanted to sit on it a bit. At first, it didn’t compete with ‘Dream Lowe‘ or ‘Missing You,’ but I’ve since warmed up along the way. Once again Luminaire touches on my disco nerve just right.
[soundcloud url="http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/93491621" iframe="false" params="player_type=tiny&font=Arial&color=292929" height="18"]
Been a long time fan of Raw Poetic – he’s one of the main reasons for this blog – but when I first heard ‘Stealin Bread,’ it sounded like a whole ‘nother man. Raw P’s been changing up his style lately and it may not compete with the nostalgia of his earlier tracks, but I can more than respect a musician trying to change things up, not enough do!
Way back in the days of RPM, I knew Raw P as one smooth ass rapper who glided over his band better than most singers.
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More recently though, he’s been experimenting with his sound in a more blues rock styled pace (still gliding well, though).
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His latest release, ‘Stealin Bread,’ however, shocked/confused the hell out of me because I could barely tell it was him at all. Maybe with time, age and everything that goes with it, his voice changed to a more raspy, aged rhyme… or maybe he’s just doing some more experimenting. Whatever it is, I don’t see enough change in most musicians that I see in Raw P and that right there is something to take notice to.
[soundcloud url="http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/55712764" iframe="false" params="player_type=tiny&font=Arial&color=292929" height="18"]
Poolside is daytime disco at its finest. From slow builders like ‘Only Everything’ to more funked out pieces like ‘Why You Wanna,’ there’s a relaxing daytime jam that’ll fit any of your synth high needs during these summer sun times. Check ’em out for yourself and if they fit your niche, go for the rest of Poolside’s Daytime Disco, it’s a healthy set.
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Lovelife’s ‘Tonight’ almost instantly reminded me of some popular indietronic track, which I finally figured out to be ‘Electric Feel’ by MGMT. I still can’t describe what it is about the two exactly, should’ve studied music more, but I know it’s got to do with the bassline, that funky, funky bass… maybe the drum pattern I dunno, help me out here, people.
Great vocals & chorus too – rides well with that bass.
[soundcloud url="http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/52611331" params="player_type=tiny&font=Arial&color=292929" height="18" width="60%"]
Outside Lands 2012 has an eclectic set of artists to say the least. I’ll be covering it this year and even though my main goal is to see acts I’ve never heard before, there are a few I know who I’ve got to see! Check out my top picks for Outside Lands 2012 below and let me know who I should and shouldn’t see (here‘s the full line up). If you happen to be going as well, hit me up in the comments or on Twitter and we can meet up!
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Oren Lyons’ first single, ‘Forever Found,’ starts off as a pleasant orchestral piece, but doesn’t get to its glory quite yet. Kristianne Bautista’s vocals may not come off that heavy at first, but once she builds on it, her power soars along the way.
One thing I did notice needing some fine tuning was its production. I felt at times like the quality was degraded, and even though this could just be my attempt at trying to find something to criticize (or maybe just my speakers), it’s been stuck in the back of my head since the very first listen.
[soundcloud url="http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/53097541" iframe="false" params="player_type=tiny&font=Arial&color=292929" height="18" width="60%"]
Like too many SoundClouders before them, Pimpsoul & Neon Steve decided not to include the vocals they sampled for what I’m guessing is out of copyright fears… or is it something else Whatever it may be, we’ve got to find a solution so musicians get the proper credit they deserve. Thankfully, after a lil’ digging around, I found out who these two sampled.
When I first heard ‘Merry Go Round,’ I thought Pimpsoul & Neon Steve were sampling the Jackson 5. But after getting these things wrong more than once, you tend to check your work before posting it to the public. ‘Merry Go Round’ actually takes an obscure Supremes’ vocal sample and gives it a “complete funk facial.” And as much as I love the bass buzzing ghetto funk, how they perform the vocal breaks is what impresses me most.
[audio:Merry-Go-Round.mp3|titles=Merry Go Round]