The cliché that “loves hurts us all,” is a cliché for a reason. We all have dealt or will deal with the bruises and scars of love. Some of us are fortunate to be loved and share our love, and we may become known as hopeless romantics—as if being such a type is a bad thing. The problem with being a hopeless romantic who dishes out the love is that it can open up opportunities for potential pain and heartache. Someone who understands this deeply is Joshua Radin. His music has revolved around romance and its consequences since [...]
![Bonobo [Interview]](http://cdn.elbo.ws/posts/4932340_lg.jpg)
Bonobo (Simon Green)'s music is art. The term is tossed around quite lightly in regards to music these days, yet there are only a relative handful of musicians that craft their work with such intricacy, beauty, and care as Green does. His 5th album, The North Borders, had an incredible impact this year, displaying both a new side of the multi-talented producer while sticking to his signature tranquil style. His tour was an equally impressive sight, featuring unique live renditions of the album. Since it's release, the single 'First Fires' has gotten a video treatment from Young Replicants, the crew [...]
![Chance the Rapper ft. Ab-Soul – ‘Smoke Again’ [Video Review]](http://cdn.elbo.ws/posts/4928623_lg.jpg)
Chicago singer-rapper Chance the Rapper, aka Chancelor Bennet, teamed up with Metrojolt favorite Ab-Soul for this tongue-in-cheek, melodic track that’s perfect to ride to. The Blended Babies (who have worked with Freddie Gibbs, Bun B, and many others) provide the perfect production to complement Chance’s distinctive drawling tone. The video, directed by ILLROOTS, is a casual mix of smoking, dancing, and driving shots, punctuated by the occasional trippy side effect. Chance’s eyes will dilate into cartoonish black circles, or psychedelic shapes appear behind the rappers in the background. Chance gigs to his own music by throwing his elbows to each side, [...]
![The Courtney John Project – Future [Album Review]](http://cdn.elbo.ws/posts/4927499_lg.jpg)
Every audience is blessed with something musically unique. A new style just popped up folks. Imagine an infectious combination of Kingston based euro-electronica beats layered on top of traditional rock melodies. Now, think about that combination with a future reggae twist, offering chopped vocals on top of rapid fire drums and a soulful intensity that's hard to forget about. And thus, rootstronic was born with it's forefather Courtney John at the head of the revolution. Now you may not be familiar with the electrifying award winner Courtney John, but he's not one for boundaries. [...]
![TiRon & Ayomari [Featured Interview]](http://cdn.elbo.ws/posts/4926712_lg.jpg)
The L.A. rap scene is vast and expansive, covering every possible subgenre you could ever think of. Two of my favorites, TiRon & Ayomari, consistently create full projects that have every type of track on them. I got a chance to chop it up with the two at their recent show in Seattle about inspiration, the Cafeteria Line movement, and some of their dopest tracks. Let’s just start at the beginning. How did the pairing between you two come about? And how does the creative process work? Ayomari: [...]
![Flosstradamus Underground Nights Tour @ Celebrities [Show Review]](http://cdn.elbo.ws/posts/4925355_lg.jpg)
Weekends at Celebrities are always joyous, whether there is a show with a headliner put-together or not. This Saturday, the dynamic DJ/Producer duo in Flosstradamus took to the decks at Celebrities for what was one of the most-unforgettable nights I've had in a while! Receiving support from insanely up-and-coming M.O.D. Crew member Lil Texas on the latter half of the tour, Flosstradamus looked to tear the house down in Vancouver as it was their last stop on the Underground Nights Tour. This show was announced in a couple of months ago, so the [...]
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![Los – Becoming King [Mixtape Review]](http://cdn.elbo.ws/posts/4923888_lg.jpg)
Since I’ve moved to the District of Columbia, the diverse culture, people, and slang that inhabit the DMV area have intrigued me. After emerging on the battle rap scene in 1999, Baltimore native Los has been on his grind, recently getting a co-sign from Diddy . 2013 seems to be the year of his mainstream arrival. Earlier this month he put out his 17th mixtape (by my count), Becoming King . The tape is rich with dynamic production, including beats from Sonny Digital and Harry Fraud , to go with head snatching features from Wiz [...]
An unrelenting 210 seconds of rhymes, ‘Bird’s Eye View’ simultaneously washes over you and provides moments that insidiously run through your mind for the rest of the day. Produced by Statik Selektah , the track exudes New York Gritty vibes and features three of the city’s best from distinct moments of Hip-Hop history. After starting with classic Wu with a verse from Raekwon , the new school follows up with bars from Joey Bada$$ , and then the visionary Black Thought of The Roots rounds out the final moments [...]
Video games and music have had a long and symbiotic relationship. Since the earliest of games, electronic musicians have been sampling and chopping the bleeps and bloops with grand results. Some of the more popular games to sample have been Chrono Trigger and Xenogears, two beloved roleplaying games with soundtracks composed by the great Yasunori Mitsuda. To show tribute to this great man, composer Julian Wass gathered the best of hip-hop and electronic producers to put together a phenomenal album based on his work. The two lead tracks, Ryan Hemsworth's 'Proto' and KeyBoardKid2062s 'Secret Forest...(Tree Song)' are [...]
![Ab-Soul – The End is Near [Song Review]](http://cdn.elbo.ws/posts/4920132_lg.jpg)
ain't never running from nothin'– I'm fit to tread mills/ name another movement making time stand still… Let me just put this out there: when it's all said and done, Ab-Soul might be one of the dopest acts to ever hit Hip-Hop. The uncanny combination of superb lyricism, mystic intellect, and LA-schwag already make the Soul Brother #2 one of the premiere standouts in Hip-Hop's new landscape. Soul's latest leak, ' The End is Near ' featuring Mac Miller, continues to build popular steam for the Black Hippy member, and in my opinion, has [...]
Those of us who have never been to Nashville, Tennessee probably have that go-to image of a rock and country music paradise full of drunken college kids and honky-tonk bars. Yet it would be wise not to underestimate a city so culturally and musically vibrant, otherwise it can really surprise you. I know this did: ‘Communicate’ is the first single to be released by WRLDS, an indie electronic duo that hails from this country music Mecca. Throughout, ‘Communicate’ has a similar feel to Steve Miller Band’s ‘Fly Like an Eagle’ , matching Steve Miller’s [...]
Lights on, stage set, curtains up. Ladies and gentlemen, I present you with the ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ of beats, the Les Mis of loops, the Romeo and Juliet of rhymes. I present you with GLDMSK’s very own hip-hop opera. Hip-hop opera? That’s right. ‘Roger Sterling (A Time Traveling Paratext)’ is a nearly-eight-minute epic of ever-changing flavors, flows, and soundscapes. If you’re looking for catchy hooks for the casual listen, best to keep moving, because you won’t find it here. In the tradition of the Queen’s ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ or The Who’s Tommy, GLDMSK (who, by the way, remains anonymous in [...]
I'm pretty new to L.A. I've been here for almost two years now, but I'm constantly discovering new things about the city. For instance, I always brushed off Hollywood clubs as an epicenter for crowds that could care less about the music, rowdy boys making trouble, and a general lack of vibe that I always wanted to avoid. However, when I saw deep/techno duo Tube & Berger were coming all the way out from Germany to play Couture for Polaroid Thursdays, I simply couldn't resist. Polaroid has been having pretty stacked lineups recently, and I'm quite glad I [...]
![NEXUS Burning Man Fundraiser “The Fire Ball” [Show Preview + Ticket Giveaway]](http://cdn.elbo.ws/posts/4916863_lg.jpg)
San Francisco heads! If glitch-hop, breakbeat, tech-house, and other weird permutations of bass are your cup of tea, we've got a treat for you. NEXUS , one of the largest camps on the playa at Burning man , is throwing it's annual fundraiser "The Fire Ball" tomorrow night at a storied after-hours space in SF…and our friends at YBR Promotions have a ticket to give away! Nexus is of course best known for its huge, fire-spitting globe which graces Burning Man every year, known as the pyrosphere . Not to mention, bringing out A-Grade talent from [...]
![Casey Veggies: P.CS&S Grand Opening April 27th, 2013 [Interview]](http://cdn.elbo.ws/posts/4915514_lg.jpg)
Casey Veggies is just 19 years old. For most people, 19 signifies a ripe age when one starts to formulate independence and continue maturation towards adulthood. For Veggies, 19 is simply a check mark on his to-do list as he climbs the ranks of rappers decades older than himself. Wiser than his years, the rapper turned businessman has decided to open up a clothing store in LA on April 27th that he sees becoming a staple for urban youth. Metrojolt was privileged enough to chop it up with the young stunna and discuss his notable accomplishments such as the five [...]
Walking into the storefront of The Well, a high end clothing store a la Diamond Supply, you would never expect deep warehouse vibes. But, as you walk past the sneakers and graphic tees you suddenly enter a huge, grey room with projections on every wall, a portable Red Bull bar, and a big ol' set of sound bumping new + old Kastle while the audience grooves with gusto. The guy has a wonderful combo of garage, deep house, and bass music that goes over so well when the vibe is right...his remix of Miguels 'All' is a favorite of mine. [...]
I'm pretty new to L.A. I've been here for almost two years now, but I'm constantly discovering new things about the city. For instance, I always brushed off Hollywood clubs as an epicenter for crowds that could care less about the music, rowdy boys making trouble, and a general lack of vibe that I always wanted to avoid. However, when I saw deep/techno duo Tube & Berger were coming all the way out from Germany to play Couture for Polaroid Thursdays, I simply couldn't resist. Polaroid has been having pretty stacked lineups recently, and I'm quite glad I [...]
Seminal Scottish twee-poppers The Pastels are officially back! They are set to release Slow Summits , their first full length album since 19972s Illumination on May 28th through British label Domino Records. In advance of Summits , the band is releasing its first single, 'Check My Heart' on April 29th. The single will be backed by b-side 'Illuminum Song'. 'Check My Heart' picks up right where these guys first left during their highly influential 90s run. Alongside bands like Orange Juice, The Vaselines, and most notably Teenage Fanclub, The Pastels [...]
Seminal Scottish twee-poppers The Pastels are officially back! They are set to release Slow Summits , their first full length album since 19972s Illumination on May 28th through British label Domino Records. In advance of Summits , the band is releasing its first single, 'Check My Heart' on April 29th. The single will be backed by b-side 'Illuminum Song'. 'Check My Heart' picks up right where these guys first left during their highly influential 90s run. Alongside bands like Orange Juice, The Vaselines, and most notably Teenage Fanclub, The Pastels [...]
the metropolitan jolt
Disclosure – When A Fire Starts to Burn
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Daft Punk: When anonymity goes wrong
Daithi – Chameleon Life (feat. Raye)
Listen: Dan Black feat Kelis - Hearts [New Single]
