With it's iconic status and a storytelling structure that seems like it would be pretty easy to translate into a more traditional, non-rap format, it's kind of amazing that there hasn't been a million "ironic" coffeehouse covers of Ice Cube's 1993 classic "It Was A Good Day" (at least that we are aware of) to come down the pike. Holmes has come up with one (as part of his new Covers album) and it's a pretty genius remake, transforming the summery, soul-baked bliss of the Isley Brothers-sampling [...]
It has become pretty much law that with every new Rihanna single, especially an uptempo one, world chart domination will be achieved and artists ranging from all aspects of the musical spectrum will then proceed to remake the song in their own genre-specific light. "We Found Love" , the pop princess' controversial video-accompanied latest effort, can check off both boxes now, already reaching either No. 1 or the Top Five in nearly twenty different countries so far, and in the past couple of days, seizing the boast factor of being the Live Lounge [...]
After Slow Magic hit us with the track "Sorry Safari" they're now back with a three song collection named "▲". continue reading >>
UK-born Birdy (real name: Jasmine Van den Bogaerde) turned plenty of heads earlier this year with her cover of Bon Iver's "Skinny Love" , gussying up the intimate For Emma, Forever Ago folk ballad with a heart-wrenching, made-for-CW-primetime piano-pop weariness and maturely polished vocal that probably would have been burned down amidst fiery cries of "Blasphemy!!" had it not been for the fascinating fact that the singer-pianist was only FOURTEEN YEARS AGO (!!!!!). Looking to repeat the commercial success of that surprisingly ace number (it eventually peaked in the Top 20 [...]
The trouble with piano-led indie-pop songs is that they get lazily compared to bands (and we don't need to name names here) that they really don't have very much in common with. The debut single from HOODLUMS occupies familiar territory to what's gone before, but what makes 'Landmarks' stand out is the sense of anxiety hat permeates the song, just waiting to be released, and the payoff arrives in the form of a thunderous finale. Originality is slightly overrated anyway - nice work if you can get it, but [...]
Click here to view the embedded video. This is a video for I Am Noxious album, it will be released on a Danish label called Easy Tiger Records. Go fan up his page on facebook , he deserves every attention we can give him. A true artist in all of the meaning it may apply. --> <!-- --> <!--
I've had I Am Noxious ' music up on this blog a lot, and for a very good reason, he is one of the best new producers that have come to my attention. And he continues to surprise me every time he sends me a new track. His new track Watch My Ship go Down is just a wonderful portrayal of honest and beautiful song-writing at its best. It starts of like a romantic piano-ballad that makes me think of a couple in love getting ready to go on some adventure and just let their [...]
After a long break, I've got new music for your listening (and download-able) pleasure.
Fresh from penning Whitney Houston's surprisingly irresistable "don't call it a comeback" entry "Million Dollar Bill" and co-celebrating the Big Apple on Jay-Z's anthemic Blueprint 3 highlight "Empire State of Mind" , Alicia Keys steers the focus back to her own solo career with the newly leaked ballad "Doesn't Mean Anything", the first taste of her as-yet-untitled upcoming fourth album and one that'll surely garner her some more award gold come 2011 Grammy night. Built on a steady drum/ piano pounce that initially hints of a "No One" re-do [...]
![[MP3] New Greg Laswell – "Your Ghost"](http://cdn.elbo.ws/posts/1901383_lg.jpg)
Courtesy of KCRW's "Today's Top Tune" : Greg Laswell is an LA-based producer and songwriter with a few full-length original albums under his belt. For his upcoming EP, however, he's decided to re-interpret some of his favorites songs. Here's a preview with Today's Top Tune, a haunting version of Kristin Hersh's " Your Ghost. " I couldn't agree more about the "haunting" aspect, yet all the while Laswell still manages to stay true to his easily accessible pop, with the ever-present piano and [...]
Having just been told about Sarah RabDAU and Self-Employed Assassins (h/t Becca), based out of Boston (hometown nod), I'm frankly surprised I'm featuring them so quickly on the blog. But the music got me pretty quickly, what with the enormously catchy piano riffs and a voice with a slight quirk that makes Rabdau stand out from some other artists in the ever-burgeoning female pianist singer/songwriter. Not to say that quirk is obvious - her vocal timbre is quite astounding. Reminiscent of Imogen Heap (I know, no small comparison) and Fiona Apple, Rabdau knows how to work [...]
Quirky, baby-doll-voiced singer-songwriter Regina Spektor is set to drop her fifth studio effort, Far , later to month, and to build up anticipation for the project, she's unleashed a few digital downloads and brand new videos over the past month. Of all these pre-release teases, the one that has really brought out our excitement for the next era of Spektor's odd-ish, ivory-tickling pop is "Eet". "It's like forgetting the words to your favorite song/...It was so easy/ And the words so sweet/ You try to remember, you try [...]
Fun is about to be New York's latest indie pop sensation. Just signed to Nettwerk , their debut single "At Least I'm Not As Sad (As I Used to Be)" releases May 5. They have back and forth male/female whoa-oh-oh's, piano stabs across rhythmic guitar and a swinging horn-filled bridge—all key elements of a perfect pop song, and yes, it's perfect. SOUNDS LIKE of Montreal, I'm From Barcelona, Feist, Mother Mother Fun - At Least I'm Not As Sad (As I Used to Be) [...]
PT Walkley's latest effort Mr. Macy Wakes Alone is a black comedy told through a brilliant collection of songs that deliver the feelings of early 19th-century honky tonk piano bar songs and classic western film soundtracks. The tale is of a rich kid named Audrey Macy, her father the evil record executive and Calvin, the coroner's son and aspiring musician who is taken advantage of by Mr. Macy. I won't spoil the story, but here's a chapter from the middle that introduces the protagonist, Calvin the Coroner. You can read and listen to the entire tale [...]
As stated here before , it's always nice to hear something from 808s & Heartbreak that's been fleshed out with live instrumentation and a "real" singer, and this take on the album's second single by anony-pop/ rockers The Fray bears a certain quasi-appeal thanks to some starry-eyed twinkling elements, ghostly background vocals and the ever-zealous Isaac Slade wringing has much angst as he can out of each "Damn her!!!!" lyric. Ultimately, though, it ends up sounding just as bland and overly-familiar as everything else The Fray does, and past a single curioso listening [...]
We need more videos to just be four minutes of pure pop bliss and interesting visual pieces like landscapes, televisions, light spirals and CGI. The new record from the UK's most promising piano-pop band (sorry Coldplay, old news), Keane , also titled Perfect Symmetry , is out right now. Oh, and this whole post is mostly for the lovely girlfriend, natch, as she's totally into everything this band has put out so far. (mp3) Keane - Spiralling (mp3) Keane - Lovers Are Losing Godspeed!
Para apoyar el primer single de su nuevo disco, Keane lanzó el video del tema "Perfect Symmetry" donde el frontman del grupo, Tom Chaplin , aparece en una pequeña pantalla de televisión abandonada cantando la canción y después empieza a mostrar imágenes de cataratas, fractales, luces y, lógicamente, a al banda. La canción es también el título del tercer disco de estudio de Keane que se lanzó en octubre y del cual Jackie ya les estuvo hablando mucho y haciendo su reseña . [...]
Kate Nash estuvo hablando acerca de su segundo disco, el que le seguirá a la producción súper exitosa Made Of Bricks . La cantante británica le dijo al Daily Star que ella está poniendo toda su energía a escribir las canciones porque hace muchísimo que no lo hacía. "Supongo que estoy un poco preocupada porque pasó mucho tiempo y uno dice: 'Dios mio, necesito escribir canciones'". "Cuando entré a mi sala de ensayos me sentí mucho mejor porque estaba trabajando y [...]
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![Niki & The Dove - The Fox [OFFICIAL VIDEO]](http://cdn.elbo.ws/youtube/l2f6UbMnlq4_130.jpg)
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