Month: November 2015

While Americans stormed retail malls across the country, Kendrick Lamar had different plans in mind. Lamar remixed J. Cole, adding to the hype arounda collab album between the two rappers. The TDE mainstay rapped over the "Tale of 2 Citiez" beat from J. Cole's 2014 Forest Hills Drive on his newest track. The song features some clever wordplay and a shoutout to Kanye West. Kendrick proclaims defiantly, "I'm yelling Mr. Kanye West for President." The song is vintage Lamar and a welcome pre-holiday gift from one of rap's most complex and talented stars.

It's definitely chilled-out study music, but its ominous sound effects damn near reference Pink Floyd. It also showcases Brandon Boyd's incredible melodic phrasing abilities as a singer, and I have no idea why this circa-2000 gem never quite caught on as one of Incubus' top hits. Also, if anyone ever serenades me with a song as alluring as this one, I will fucking swoon.

https://youtu.be/rV5xeXEZER4 Last Saturday I explored the second annual LitCrawl in Wellington, New Zealand. LitCrawl is a celebration of art, literature, and spoken word, and hosts performances and readings in some of the city's most hidden and most beloved venues. At around 9 pm I found myself in Alistair's Music Shop at an event simplistically called 'Writing Tunes & Playing Poetry'. The shop was small, and because my friends and I were the last to arrive we were ushered into a corner at the front of the room next to where the artists would perform, the only space left in the shop. As I sat cross legged, trying to make myself small amongst the acoustic guitars hanging above my head and the audience staring awkwardly at me, the first artist appeared from a little back room at the fr...

Med, Blu & Madlib stand out in a homogenous rap game as unique talents. Knock Knock features a catchy beat and some deft wordplay. Start off your Sunday evening on the right foot and get this song on in your headphones.

If this song sounds vaguely familiar, that's probably because you were enraptured by the dance routine that accompanied it at Dance Workshop last weekend. I, too, found myself captivated not only by the jerky, saran-wrapped dancers, but also by the the hypnotism of the bass and simply by how weird the song sounded. This isn't your usual electronic concoction. Traditional ambient electronic sounds brew together with nearly-wartime-era woodwind riffs and the kind of incessant bass beat you'd usually just hear in hip hop. This song's a slightly avant-garde treat, probably weird enough to ward off the Friday the 13th demons.

Fourth week is rough. A lot of folks seem to get jittery and listen to that new-age hippity-hoppity stuff that'll be sure to just add to the anxiety of the end of the block. I say no more. "Easy" is a soothing, gentle tune by Son Lux, a multitalented producer who is really starting to step into the limelight. Peep this track, and chill a little bit- that paper isn't going anywhere. For more Son Lux, I leave you his Spotify.

Is almost exactly half a year before Blues & Shoes too damn early to post what is unequivocally the festival's anthem? In case you're not already in the know, Blues & Shoes is what CC kids call the annual, one-day springtime bluegrass festival that annihilates the grass of Tutt quad. This addictive banjo-and-fiddle tune sums up everything that day stands for: highly do-si-do-able bluegrass, the occasional yell of affirmation ("OH BOY!"), a bit of dissonance, and several mentions of the potential (and inevitable) consumption of illicit beverages. It's a riveting song all the time, of course, so be sure to check it out and start on your stoke six months early.

The world of electronic music has its share of well-known, burnt-out DJs. The EDM scene is littered with their legacies. For every decaying EDM star, there are thousands of undiscovered artists waiting to be found in the depths of Soundcloud. Most of these DJs make garbage music. Contra is not one of these DJs. Real name Conner Lund is an up-and-coming producer at UCLA; and has some serious potential in the electronic music world. His latest release "Diamonds In My Mouth" is a total departure from his previous Thomas Jack-esque tropical house vibe. "Diamonds in My Mouth" features some skillful vocal chops and an overall fuller sound from the Louisville, CO based artist. Follow Contra on (twitter: mynameiscontra) or on (soundcloud: Contra303). If a recent tweet from Contra is any indicati...