Spending the majority of the weekend bed-ridden has given me a bit of time to mooch around the internet, find some new music and do this ere blog-post. I probably should be spending this afternoon Christmas shopping, but I don't think I could handle a jam-packed Westfield or Kingston (or basically anywhere with lots of people). So instead of doing anything useful or constructive, here is a bunch of music wot I like.
Music for y'all:
A Side
TV Girl - If You Want It
I know nothing of this band, but I do like this song.
The Black Keys feat Intuition - Psychotic Girl
The Black Keys are so good, especially when combined with great MCs. Ain't Nothing Like You is just as good, if not better.
Q-Tip - Vivrant Thing
Q-tip's debut solo single from 1999 - sweeter than Ben & Jerrys.
Hans Zimmer - Time (We Plants Are Happy Plants Remix)
Hans Zimmer is such a good name - would it be cruel to name my first child Hans Zimmer (regardless of gender)?
B Side
Adele - Someone Like You (Live on Jools Holland Show)
I love Adele. Not only is she a great singer, she also has the best laugh ever (skip to 6 mins in).
The Sims - BUILD 4
I should probably be pretty ashamed of the fact that I am a bit in love with the soundtrack of the original Sims game...but then again, fuck shame - I like it.
Phantogram - When I'm Small
BOW-BOW-BA-BA-BOW-BOW.
Alexander - Truth
Corinne Bailey Rae - Is This Love
I've come to the Corinne Bailey Rae party quite late, (mainly after being put off by hearing 'Just Like a Star' OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN). I saw her performance at the Mercury Music Prize, found this song and got 'The Sea' album. Lesson to be learned - Corinne Bailey Rae is great, don't let memories of 'Just Like a Star' put you off.
So I still haven't managed to find myself a super-awesome-creatively stimulating job, but I'm making progress towards getting one. I've been getting a few interviews and some market research freelance work, hopefully it's only a matter of time before I find something permanent. I'm getting quick cash by working as a professional food provider and dish washer for a catering company - not the most glamourous job but it's decent enough money and I can choose when I work. The soundtrack to my life since last time I posted has been as follows...
Music for y'all:
A Side
Devil In A New Dress - Kanye West A lot of the time, Kanye West is a bit of a dick. This doesn't mean he's not still capable of producing some pretty damn good music.
Ready to Start - Arcade Fire The new Arcade Fire album is fantastic, really catchy tunes, great lyrics and interesting sound experimentation. The Wilderness Downtown video is also pretty fantastic. I've never seen them live, but you can get a pretty good taste of them by watching videos of their recent live shows at Madison Square Gardens or Reading Festival - they look like religious experiences.
Stars (LAZRtag Remix) - The XX The XX were the very deserving winners of the Mercury Music prize this year, the album is a monster of a record. This remix is great, but it's mainly just an excuse for me to talk about the XX - go and download the album this instant if you haven't already.
Boy (RAC Mix) - Ra Ra Riot I don't have either of the Ra Ra Riot albums, but judging from this song (and this one), I probably should do.
Royksopp - This Space I really liked 'The Understanding' album, so I figured it would be worth listening to some of their new stuff. I'm a big fan of This Space and The Drug is also pretty good.
B Side
Sadie (Joanna Newsom cover) - M. Ward This month I've been listening to a lot of Joanna Newsom, but her voice is a bit of an acquired taste so I thought I would post this awesome cover by M. Ward of Sadie. If you fancy trying out a bit of Joanna, 'The Sproat and the Bean' and 'Baby Birch' are two really good ones.
Twice - Little Dragon I first heard of Little Dragon because of their collaboration with the Gorillaz on the Plastic Beach album, but it was only after I heard 'Twice' that I went and downloaded both of their albums. They have so many good songs, but Scribbled Paper, Feather and No Love are some of the best.
Fall N Love - Slum Village Last month I went on a bit of a J Dilla rampage - this was my favourite song out of all of the stuff I found.
Creep - Scala This song was featured in the trailer for 'The Social Network' movie, I think it's a pretty brilliant cover.
Bonfires - Rosie and Me Nothing particularly special or mind-blowing, it's just a happy clappy summer song.
My employment at the moment is somewhat vague - I'm leading a double life as a freelance table-waiter and interior decorator, while also searching for a way to get employed as a market research consultant. The soundtrack to my life since I've been back in London has been as follows.
Music for y'all:
A Side
General Patton - Big Boi Epic. Big Boi's new solo album is so good - the military parade-esque production on this track is incredible. I'm going to let this youtube comment here speak for me - 'Oh good lord this beat blew my fucking cock off.' Word.
BTSTU - Jai Paul "Don't fuck with me, Don't fuck with me...' This song is so friggin good. The guy is from London and seems to be just starting out - he has a GIANT mullet & bowie make-up... http://www.myspace.com/jaipaulmusic
Classic - MED, Madlib & Talib Kweli Madlib has been one of the best hip-hop & rap producers around in the last 10 years or so - he's done stuff with Mos Def, Ghostface Killah, Talib Kweli, MF Doom & J Dilla. He also recently produced several tracks on Erykah Badu's album, and may have contributed his production to several of the tracks on Kanye West's new album. He's generally a bit of a badass - well worth checking out his other stuff & the people he's worked with if you like this.
Blue Blood - Foals I've never really clicked with Foals before, but this song is pretty great. I can't get a video but here's the mp3 - http://hypem.com/#/track/1129405/Foals+-+Blue+Blood
Michael Jackson - Remember The Time (SLEEPER Remix) I realise how creepy this song sounds at the beginning - but it's worth putting up with (or editing out) for the rest of the song. MJ gets ANGRY and sings his own drumbeat!!
Halving the Compass - Helios One of my music neighbors on Last.fm very kindly said that she liked my music taste - I looked at her top artists & gave Helios and Bonobo a listen - they kick-ass. Really chilled out lo-fi tunes for relaxing in the heat.
Chinatown - Do Make Say Think Do Make Say Think are another pretty awesome lo-fi group, hailing from Toronto (BRAP BRAP BRAP!). The bass starts out on this track a bit intensely, but layers get progressively added.
Promises - Sun Kil Moon Nice track - chilled out acoustic guitar & solo vocals.
Untitled - D'Angelo The video that was released with this song is so fucking hilarious. It got him a lot of fans at the time, but he wanted to be taken seriously as an artist (which is fair enough, he's an amazing singer). He gave up his music career because nobody turned up at his gigs for the music - it was mainly ladies and gay guys screaming at him to take his clothes off. Apparently he is now fat, but hopefully more happy than this photo suggests! - http://madnews.files.wordpress.com/2008/07/wow.jpg.
I haven't done this since March - pretty pathetic effort really! HOWEVER, my dissertation is done, I only have one exam on June the 7th - life is good. Annoyingly, I'm going to have to stop posting download links for mp3's on this blog - I've been getting some emails from the DMCA & blogger has been taking down my blog posts - I'm guessing that pretty much all of you have some kind of method to get your own music - if you like the music then go find it! This means that I have more time to spend posting songs to no-one. So without further ado...
Music for y'all:
A Side
Like a Rolling Stone (Bob Dylan live cover) - Jimi Hendrix Although Bob Dylan's version may have a bit more venom, Jimi Hendrix is just a total baddass - I prefer his version.
Spottie - The Hypnotic Brass Ensemble It might just be because I'm a total sucker for trumpets & just brass in general, but I think this is an incredible track. Outcast have collaborated with this band I think twice on their new album - one of the tracks being a variation on this one entitled 'Spottieottiedopalicious'
Nina Simone - Feeling Good (Troublemaker Remix) This is an interesting remix - it doesn't sound overly produced in any way, Troublemaker has just added some really decent instrumental backing - really epic track.
Hot Chip - Alley Cats This is without a doubt my favourite track off of Hot Chip's new album (One Life Stand). Although some of the lyrics may be a load of nonsense, I still like it a lot.
Gil Scott-Heron - The Bottle It has jazz flute, it's about alcoholism - what more could you want? (P.S. the version I've posted is slightly faster and more FONKY than the one on youtube)
B Side
Melodia Africana II - Ludovico Einauldi Without Ludovico, I wouldn't have been able to write my dissertation. FACT. Beautiful classical piano music.
Me and My Hand - Broken Social Scene Probably the nicest song ever written about masturbation.
In The Dark - Toots and the Maytals Riddle me this, riddle me this, riddle me that - if you like this, 'Funky Kingston' is another great one.
Window Seat - Erykah Badu If you ever see Erykah Badu on a plane, don't talk to her - she doesn't want to talk to you.
Carina - James Hunter I first heard about James Hunter when my girlfriend was asked out by a certain man-who-cannot-be-named to go to one of his gigs, thankfully she declined. She played me a few of his tracks & I think he's pretty damn good - so basically I got some new music and kept my girlfriend! IN YOUR FACE MICHAEL.
Super Sunday (Master Rhymes & Noisia) - Baptazia I've been on a bit of a DnB kick this month, after seeing my housemate Jack & his brother Tom DJing in Coventry I got thrown into a bit of a frenzy of DnB downloading and listening. I'd seen this on YouTube before, but Jack reminded me of it the other weekend. There are 3 other Baptazia videos on YouTube - all worth a watch if you like this. Download mp3 - zSHARE
1000 Paper Planes - Haircut Someone in my house said that this song sounded like 70's porn music...I may be the only person who likes it.There's no video on Youtube but you can listen to it here - http://potholesinmyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/Haircut-1000-Paper-Cranes.mp3 Download mp3 -zSHARE
Woo Boost (Subskrpt Remix) - Rusko Download mp3 -zSHARE
Original Nuttah - UK Apache & Shy FX This song is incredible - really good build up to an awesome jungle drop.. Download mp3 - zSHARE
Paradise Circus feat. Hope Sandoval (Gui Boratto Remix) - Massive Attack I haven't heard such a good Massive Attack track in a while, not quite Teardrop level of awesome, but still a great song. The vocals are done by Hope Sandoval, the singer from from Mazzy Star. Download mp3 - zSHARE
B Side
Paper Aeroplane - Angus & Julia Stone The more I hear from Angus & Julia Stone the more I like them. This is my favourite track by them at the moment, but I could've picked from several others - And The Boys, Jewels & Gold and Silver Coin are all great.
My Baby Just Cares For Me - Nina Simone I've nicked this song off a Mr Tom Sharp, who in turn nicked it off DJ Derek, who nicked it off someone else. DJ Derek is a crazy old asian fella from Bristol who MCs in patois. He's a bit of a legend - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DJ_Derek Nina Simone has so many good songs, but this one has a lovely claymation video to go with it! Download mp3 - zSHARE
Police & Thieves - Junior Murvin This one was recommended to me by a Mr Andy Barr, it's also on DJ Derek's album - Sweet Memory Sounds. Awesome reggae tune. Download mp3 - zSHARE
Zebra - Beach House Nice harmonies, cool echoing effect.
So it's a new month! I had originally intended to blog every week, but I'm a lazy bastard so that didn't happen. I'm now back in Manchester, I've been doing exams for the last two weeks so all my spare time has been dedicated to sleeping, eating, socializing and occasionally revising. Thank fuck that's all over now! The dissertation work has to start soon, but for the moment I can just relax and listen to some music.
So to business! My library has absorbed a lot of juicy new tracks since last time I posted, so I'll cease the babbling about myself and get on with sharing the music.
Got Your Money - Wu Tang Clan vs The Beatles
I found this while trawling the Hype Machine yesterday. Put together by a fella named Tom Caruana, the album 'Enter the Magical Mystery Chambers' is fantastic. It's not your straightforward mash-up album, he tends to use whole Wu-tang songs but samples a range of Beatles songs on every track. Give the song a listen and if you like what you hear, you can download the full album for free right here.
Scenario (Live on Arsenio Hall) - A Tribe Called Quest
While I was at home for Christmas, my little brother asked me if I had old-school rap I could give him. After realizing that I didn't have that much to suggest, I went hunting for some decent songs that I could recommend. This performance of Scenario by a Tribe Called Quest is ace, recorded for the Arsenio Hall show in 1992. Busta Rhymes gives a stellar performance, but is marginally upstaged by his own hat.
You Got What I Need - Freddie Scott
While I was on the same old-school rap hunt, I ran into Biz Markie's 'Just a Friend' on YouTube. Wondering where I had heard the chorus before, I found this soulful gem from Freddie Scott after a bit of internet foraging.
Heartbreaker (Kris Menace Remix) - Metronomy
After looking at the lineup for my friend Rohan's club night Chalkat Sankeys, I went looking for some tracks from the headline act - Kris Menace. This remix he's done of Metronomy's 'Heartbreaker' is awesome, I love the original track and this remix has helped me love it a little bit more.
Scattered Black & Whites - Elbow
Elbow's album 'The Seldom Seen Kid' passed me by when it was released last year. I heard good things about it, but since I've never been a big fan of Elbow I wasn't going to go out of my way to hear it. This track (off the 2001 album 'Asleep in the Back') has made me an Elbow fan, I'll have to try and find some more stuff by them when I get the chance.
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Download mp3 - zSHARE
Moth - Burial & Four Tet
Really good collaboration between Burial and Four Tet. A repeating minimal beat provides a foundation for the added layers of percussion, background pitch and vocals.
Silas the Magic Car - Mew
Mew seems to be one of these bands that attracts utterly devoted fans. I've seen and heard a lot of ranting and raving about the genius of Mew, after a quick search I found a whole bunch of tracks that I really enjoyed. Silas the Magic Car is one of their more chilled out tracks, I hope you enjoy!
Boy From School (Hot Chip Cover) - Grizzly Bear
I LOVE HOT CHIP. I really do, I've listened to their first three albums about a bazillion times.'And I was a Boy From School'isone of my favourite tracks off the 2006 album 'The Warning'. This cover version by Grizzly Bear is lovely, very different to the original. Swapping jagged electronic beats for an acoustic guitar and strings really works, well worth a listen
Happy New Year everyone!
So…I’ve decided to use the excuse of it being new year to take the next step in disappearing up my own arsehole, I’m going to try and make a go of writing this ere music blog.
Since it’s my first ever post, I figure I might as well set out a mission statement of some sort. I’m starting this blog because I love my own music taste a little bit too much, and I require validation from others to enhance this exercise in self-love.
I’ll try to post new music whenever I find something I think is worth spreading around, be it awesome, interesting or utterly terrible. I can’t promise it’ll always be to your taste, but if you find just one song that you think is worth a place in your life, it would make me pretty happy.
So, music!
I figure the best way to start is a run down of some of the stuff I've been listening to of late!
Some harder stuff first:
New-year themed goodness to start things off: Cyne - This Year
Well...Michael Jackson died! This was my favourite of the onslaught of remixes that followed his death: I Want You Back (Z-Trip Remix) - The Jackson Five
I fucking love Eryka Badu - here's a dubstep remix of Didn't Cha Know Erykah Badu - Didn't Cha Know (Biscope Boot)
http://hypem.com/track/972587/Erykah+Badu+-+Didn+t+Cha+Know+Biscope+Boot+
Download mp3 - zSHARE
I haven't downloaded the 2009 album from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs yet, but this song has convinced me to try and get it asap: Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Hysteric
I found Stornaway on the BBC hot-list for 2010, if this song is anything to go by I imagine they'll be doing pretty well this year. It's a shit video but a lovely song: Stornaway - Zorbing
I’ve been listening to Pogo a fuck-load over the last few weeks - at the moment most of his songs are free on Last.fm - Go and download them before he changes his mind!!
This is the most famous one Alice - Pogo zSHARE - Alice.mp3
Go here to get most of his tracks:
http://www.last.fm/music/Pogo
I haven't heard anything else from Angus & Julia Stone, but this is lovely song.
Angus and Julia Stone - And The Boys
I (as with the rest of the world) fell in love with Grizzly Bear this year. Here's one of the best tracks from their album 'Veckatimest': Grizzly Bear - Ready, Able
Further proof that I am a big girls blouse, I love Bon Iver and St Vincent...and this track is from the New Moon Soundtrack... Bon Iver & St. Vincent - Roslyn
