Beneath the heat of the sun the waves crash. Over and over the waves crash. Settling at the beaches end, the water's foam breaks down, dissipating into smooth sandy hills of yellow. Listening to El Ten Eleven's "Transition" is similar to an beach side portrait-as the album cover suggests. Loops methodically, driven with mathematical precision, build then subside and return like the tide. It's easy to get lost in the hypnotically movements like album title track that even at a near 11 minute clip passes by quickly. If you're a fan of Explosions in the Sky you will surely fall [...]
There are no boundaries for Alicia Keys. Both she and her husband, record producer Swizz Beatz, feel that their two year old son is ready to make his vocal debut. "When It's All Over" is an experimental collaboration with producer Jamie xx of The xx, who has previously done work with both Drake and Rihanna. From her newly released fifth album, Girl on Fire , the Grammy award winner successfully delivers a modernized classic R&B sound that also features a subtle mixture of many genres. Her emotive vocals set a soft, comfortable mood [...]
Sharon Jones label mate Charles Bradley will take the stage at the Great American Music Hall this Friday. Like Jones, Bradley is an artist who's been ignored most of his career-but fortunately-not all. Riding the success of his latest album, No Time For Dreaming , Bradley is final getting the attention his skills deserve. Backed by the Menahan Street Band , expect the heat from this performance to put the bounce in your perms and the shuffle in your step. The Menahan Street Band, who will open the night, shouldn't be missed. Like [...]
Hip hop legends Nas and Lauryn Hill brought the Fox Theater to life on Monday night. An invisible force pulled the eager crowd towards the stage, squeezing them tightly together. As the lights dimmed, fans had no idea what they were in store for: two of the greatest 902s hip hop acts coming back to shine. Nas took control of the stage first with a burst of powerful energy. The once still sea of bodies were awakened by his strong lyrical voice. Human waves filled the room as people threw up their hands, surrendering [...]
After Jessie Ware temporarily abandoned her music career to obtain an English degree at Sussex University with the idea of becoming a journalist, the south London singer-songwriter (thankfully) returned to continue her formal pursuit of the performing arts. The turning point was when she lent her soulful vocals to masked producer SBTRKT in concert and on their recordings. She is currently signed to PMR Records and her album Devotion was nominated for this year's Mercury Prize. Ware recently performed a beautiful acoustic version of her down-tempo R&B single "Running" after her Pitchfork [...]
At first glance, the drawings at the Toro y Moi album preview for his upcoming album, Anything In Return , at Public Works seemed a little disjointed. The new songs themselves are new, and different, but they are still very Toro—layered and complex, evocative of internal emotional dialogue. The drawings, on the other hand, are flat, graffiti-like line drawings hovering disembodied on white canvasses. It was difficult at first to connect the complexity of the music to the images. After listening more, some of the song/drawing pairings actually worked. In those cases, the song brought [...]
CCERULEANN is the musical project of brother/sister duo Elliott and Marilyn Baker. The siblings broke into the blog scene earlier this summer with their track, "F*cking Wind," reaching #2 on Hype Machine. Aptly renamed to "Future Wind," they’ve officially released the song on their self-titled debut EP out on November 16. The EP is a lush dreamscape, balancing strong synths with light, airy vocals. The opening track "Cerulean Skies" really sets this surreal tone with its hollow twinkling and steady drum. Marilyn’s slightly affected voice adds depth while not overwhelming the melodies. They’ve done well to balance [...]
Like the comforting warmth of hot chocolate or coffee on a cold day, singer Patrick Watson 's vocals can send magical shivers through your bones that warm your heart. His recent album, Adventures In Your Own Backyard is full of dichotomies-like the songwriter himself. Sweet tones accompanied sad and lost lyrics. Live his playfulness understates the seriousness of his music. Together though, these balances provide for a beautiful experience. Win two tickets and catch Patrick Watson tonight at the Great American Music Hall. All you have to do is: 1. Sign up [...]
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It's crazy how much sounds El Ten Eleven create. Without a single laptop or sequencer, the duo generate enough noise you'd think it was a much larger group of musicians. Lacking lyrics to specifically explain their deep emotions, the pair instead uses a barrage of bass and drums. With an upbeat ambient style containing subtle, but complicated melodies, similar to that of Explosions in the Sky and Ratatat , El Ten Eleven performed at the Rickshaw on Friday night to a hip, diverse crowd. Following opening performances from the energetic Chicago rock group [...]
Photographs by Leticia Molina A buzz built outside of The Fillmore. "Can I get a ticket?" "Anyone have tickets to sell!?" Anxious fans without tickets crowded around the venue trying their hardest to find a way into Tame Imapala 's sold-out performance. Inside, The Amazing opened up the night to a few dozen huddled fans. "I never dreamed I would stand on this stage," proclaimed the bassist in the most polite and appreciative Swedish accent. Setting the tone for the evening with their chill-back vibes and mellow music, halfway through their set the venue was packed with [...]
The Palace of fine arts is somewhat of an intimidating space. For Damien Jurado , there was dead silence as he told us stories and sung with nothing but an acoustic electric guitar. It was indeed going to be an intimate night. Once Ben Gibbard took the stage the audience gave him the same respect they showed to the previous performer. We all just held on to the silence and let the master work, trying not to make a sound in our seats. Ben was on stage with nothing but a guitar, a mic, some amps and a [...]
Harley Streten is a local Sydney beat maker who got his first taste for producing music at age 13 from the unlikeliest of sources: a cereal box. The breakfast bundle strangely ignited his career because it included a music production program. Now 20-years old, he still lives with his parents in the Australian beach-side suburb of Manly and performs as the dance artist, Flume , with heavy melodic bass that represents a friendly future sound. This recent collaboration with atmospheric vocalist and Sydney resident Moon Holiday (Alex Ward) originates from his [...]
Just before Channel Orange ’s release, Frank Ocean announced his homosexuality in a note posted on his Tumblr. Like a crashing piano, the noise of support and criticism blurted out at once. Rarely has anyone, certainly not as recognized as Ocean, come out to the largely homophobic hip hop and R&B community. The admission was powerful in its simple truth: “I don’t have any secrets I need kept anymore.” Frank Ocean’s honesty shines throughout Channel Orange . Struggling with his love addiction (“Thinkin Bout You”), he tries to escape (“Crack Rock”). Midway through the album, he spirals out [...]
The soundtrack for the upcoming film Silver Linings Playbook has a stunning mix with Stevie Wonder, Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, Alabama Shakes, Eagles of Death Metal , and Alt-J . The latter is a British art-rock band. The group of Literature and Fine Arts majors founded the band in 2007 at Leeds University. Holding jam sessions in their dorm rooms and all open hallucinogen enthusiasts, ∆ (pronounced Alt-J) consists of Gwil Sainsbury on bass guitar, Joe Newman for vocals and guitar, keyboardist Gus Unger-Hamilton and Thom Green keeps the tempo on drums. Their September debut, [...]
Lee Foss may not be a "household name," but he sure seems like it. Two weeks ago we caught his session on the Boiler Room (which if you're not familiar with them-we suggest you take a gander); and, just last week he performed on the famed BBC 1 Essential Mix. The deep house DJ is co-founder of the popular underground label Hot Creations .
Honestly, the Aussie electro-funk group Flight Facilities has yet to release a disappointing track. Big ups to them for their confidence and effectiveness on their new single with a new direction. Rather than the group's traditionally upbeat disco dance style, "Clair De Lune" provides a dark and subdued sound, incorporating deep and reflective noises in a relaxed manner. Subtle down-tempo grooves flutter with a tingling piano, a heavy orchestral beat and the beautiful voice of Brooklyn-based indie vocalist Christine Hoberg. Together, the feel is chilling and cinematic. This newly released video was shot in [...]
Photos by Evan Cohen Well, it's now completely clear why there is no longer any Girls. I'm sitting in The Lodge - a warm room decorated in the early 20th century masonic lodge style - in a chair. Among rows of chairs. There's even a chair on the stage. The Lodge looks far more like a playhouse then a music venue. Programs litter every seat, plain and elegant, each one stating at the top "Turnstiles Music and Fat Possum Record Presents The Debut of Christoper Owens' Lysandre . There are elegant tapestries [...]
By now you've hopefully heard about Tame Impala's incredible sophomore album, Lonerism . Drawing from 70s pysch rock a la late Beatles like Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band , the album has found it's way into our hearts. If you were too late to get tickets to their now sold out performance at The Fillmore, don't fret! We've got you. To win a pair of tickets all you have to do is: 1. Sign up for our mailing list (make sure to verify and use an [...]
Mesita, born James Cooley, is from Littleton, Colorado, which is a quaint Rocky Mountain suburb that is also the birthplace of South Park's Matt Stone, present home of former San Francisco Giant Dave Dravecky and the grave site of Alferd Packer, the only convicted cannibal in the U.S. James has been performing as name Mesita since 2008 with a beat-driven style that pairs live percussion and electro drones with multi-tracked vocals atop twinkling strings. The result bears resemblance to jazzy, piano-based electronica. "XYXY" is the first single off his new album, [...]
This Thursday and Friday, Billboard will host their Future Sound Conference in San Francisco. Merging music and tech, the conference will feature guest speaker, DeadMau5, on the state of music business. Given his vocal stances of musicians, his refusal to has his latest album stream on Spotify, we expect it to be an interesting discussion. For fans or individuals interested in getting involved in the music industry, especially the dot com side of things-this event is certainly worth your consideration. For one lucky fan, we've got a pair of tickets that you can [...]
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