Friday, August 19, 2011

OCD: Moosh and Twist


No one would guess that from their amazing sound that Moosh and Twist just graduated high school. Their sound is as unique as the artist, with Moosh's smooth and easy on the ears style while Twist's is rougher and more engaged. This dynamic approach to hip-hop has allowed them to gain recognition on the East Coast. They are slowly building a buzz around Philly that will soon be sweeping the nation. Check out their new single Take Me Back above. 


People Under the Stairs


People Under the Stairs are a hip-hop group from LA formed in 1997 by artist The Ones and Double K. The Ones and Double K are forward-thinking traditionalist extraordinaires, who reach into hip-hop's past and stitch it into their new style. They possess a rhythmic flow that rides along on their beats like a surfer on a wave, which creates a nice chill hip-hop sound. 



Thursday, August 18, 2011

Pepper


With the use of a heavy bass guitar, Pepper blends punk, reggae, ska and some hip-hop into their music that gives them a Sublime like sound. Since their inception in the mid-90's they produced six studio albums with their latest being Stitches which was released last year. Their music promotes relaxing and having a good time which makes it perfect for the summertime.



Other great songs: Give it Up, Bring Me Along, Crazy Love

Bliss N Eso


Bliss N Eso are currently my favorite hip-hop trio. An exhilarating blend of fluid rhymes and banging beats teamed with beat boxing and impromptu freestyling has made this group a brand in their own right. Hailing from Australia they bring hip-hop to another level with their influential and politically charged lyrics backed by amazing beats and the occasional acoustic rhythm. Their fourth studio album Running on Air went straight to number one on the iTunes album charts within minutes of release and the album garnered near perfect reviews across the board. Both Bliss and Eso are at their lyrical sharpest on this album, questioning the socio-political status quo that matches the uplifting nature of their music. Definitely worth taking a listen to.


Other great songs: Eye of the Storm, Bullet and a Target, The Sea is Rising, Family Affair 
Similar to: Hilltop Hoods, Cunninlynguists, Dyme Def, Atmosphere

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Wale ft Justice - W.A.L.E.D.A.N.C.E


This is one of Wale's older hits, which is a remix of the Justice hit Dance. Wale is one of the leaders of the new school hip-hop of today with his slick lyrics and his fresh flow. He recently signed with Rick Ross' record label Maybach Music Group so expect some more hits coming from this rapper in the future.

Update: Wale just released his new single entitled Lacefrontin today off his mix tape The Eleven One Eleven Theory. Check it out below:


Cris Cab - Black and Yellow (Cover)


After many countless and annoying Black and Yellow remixes, its nice to hear something like Cris Cab's awesome reggae acoustic cover. Cab is an impressive 17 year old singer songwriter who's vibrant reggae acoustic covers of Wiz Khalifa's Black and Yellow and Kanye West's All of the Lights has landed him a recording contract with Pharrell's Star Trak label. His recently released EP under this label shows that he is well talented beyond his 17 years and that he's on the road to greatness. 

Other great songs: Good Girls, Take you Away, All of the Lights (Cover), No Hatred

Brenton Duvall


The first time I heard one of Brenton's mashups was when I was studying abroad with his brother in Italy. He played me Brenton's mashup of Lil' Wayne and Passion Pit entitled Ambien (Sleepy Trip) and after hearing that song I was hooked. With his recent tracks like Mean Planes and Against a Mad World, Brenton has been making some serious noise in the blog scene and is showing the world what can be achieved was a good sense of rhythm and a couple hundred bucks of equipment. Besides creating mashups, Brenton has also been producing beats for local D.C. rapper Young Prince, which can be heard on the track Strange Times. Check out his latest hits and expect more in the future.


Other great songs: Ambien (Sleepy Trip), Pretty Little Penthouse, Strange Times

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Kid Cudi - Angels and Demons


Here's an unreleased track from Kid Cudi which is rumored to be leftover from his debut album Man on the Moon: The End of Days. The song was intended to feature The Clipse but in the leaked version, the audio cuts before the duo gets a chance to spit any lyrics. This cut has a nice beat and it sounds similar to the other tracks on his first album; its too bad they couldn't finalize something with it.

Wolf Gang - Lions In Cages


This song has been out since October of last year but I'm sure most people haven't hear of it. With its soft melodies, soaring choruses and an overall sound not too dissimilar to chart topping favorites MGMT, when thrown all together there's not a lot you can complain about. Lions in Cages perfectly encapsulates Wolf Gang's surreal and imaginative sound off his self titled debut album and is a clear statement of his knack for creating classic and colossal melodies.

Trevor Hall


A mix of reggae, folk and roots-rock, all blended with an acoustic sensibility, the music of Trevor Hall lives somewhere between the anthemic grooves of Matisyahu and the gentle melodies of Jack Johnson. His music is able to serve as a vibrant landscape for his thought-provoking and inspiring lyrics and shows that he really puts his heart into every song. His latest album Everything Everytime Everywhere is set to be released on August 23rd and is said to fit perfectly into the realm of reggae, but lyrically and musically still showcases Hall's distinct twist.


Other great songs: The Rascals Have Returned, The Lime Tree, Origami Crane, Other Way
Similar to: Ben Harper, Citizen Cope, Michael Franti & Spearhead

Monday, August 15, 2011

Murs


Murs is an underground MC out of Los Angeles. His name is an acronym that he himself created multiple meanings for such as "Making the Universe Recognize and Submit" or "Making Underground Raw Shit." His music is eclectic, politically charged, adventurous and generally entertaining. He has always spoke on tales of the common man and has always brought a conscious, personal and thought provoking message of real life events to the table. 


Clear Conscience


Clear Conscience is music that has been vibing since roughly 2003. They produce a soulful blend of reggae influenced with rock and hip-hop. Frontman Jeff McDermont is the soul of the band and his voice, vibe and the collaborations he's done have taken the band from small standing to producing chart topping reggae records.


Other great songs: Island Feeling, Straight Line, New Love
Similar to: Iration, The Movement, Rebelution, Stone Sense  

Friday, August 12, 2011

Dyme Def - Let it Be


Dyme Def is another hip-hop trio with roots in the Northwest. Composed of rappers Fearce Villain, S.E.V and Brainstorm the group has a rare synergy that hasn't be recognized since the golden age of hip-hop with groups like N.W.A and De La Soul. The way the trio is able to weave words and manipulate beats is truly amazing. Their song Let it Be, off their debut album Space Music, is a total feel good song where the guys absolutely kill it over a sample of The Beatles' Let it Be.

Common Market


This Seattle duo composed of RA Scion and DJ Sabzi are hailed for their conscious hip-hop. They are passionate about changing the way we think about the world and encouraging us to think about how we can actually make a change. Scion is a lyrical mastermind and his rhymes are an adventurous journey through an array of expertly delivered vocabulary words that make up a truly unique hip-hop experience. 



Other great songs: Swell, Escaping Arkham, Tobacco Road, Every Last One
Similar to: Dilated People, Common, Blue Scholars, Gang Starr

Hootie and the Blowfish - Hey Hey What Can I Do


Here's a great cover of Led Zeppelin's song Hey Hey What Can I Do done by Hootie and The Blowfish. This song appears on their album Scattered, Smothered and Cover along with various other covers of bands like R.E.M and the Smiths. Darius and the gang really do this song some justice and at the same time pay homage to arguably one of the greatest bands of all time. 

Thursday, August 11, 2011

ALO - Try


ALO or Animal Liberation Orchestra is a California based band with ties to Jack Johnson, who occasionally performs with the band. With flow like Phish and jam sessions like hippies these guys have a chill yet feel-good vibe that has the band in the middle of a run of semi-stardom. If you are looking for more ALO, check out the Jack Johnson and Friends DVD Live at the Greek. 

Other Great Songs: Pobrecito, Girl I Wanna Lay You Down
Similar to: Jack Johnson, Donavon Frankenreiter, Phish

Matt Easton


Newcomer Matt Easton is a 20 year old college student who moonlights as hip-hop artist. He creates and produces all his music in addition to adding vocals. His recently dropped mixtape Old Hickory is a great blend of diverse instrumentals and laid back lyrics. Gotta give props to Wes Powell too who absolutely kills it on guitar on the track Drift Away.


Other great songs: Midnight Rider, Chillin, Live Life
Similar to: Hoodie Allen, Moosh and Twist 

Anthem - A Boy's Dream


Anthem's new track has the talented rapper flowing lyrics over a sample of "Crash" by Dave Matthews Band. This track displays his lyrical abilities which are comparable to that of Lil Wayne's or J. Cole's. In this song he describes a boy's journey towards success and his dreams reflecting on his life where he gave up a job on Wall Street to pursue his dream of becoming a rapper.

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

The Movement


Probably one of my favorite reggae band, The Movement blends elements of rock, reggae and hip hop into one sound that is as indefinable as it is recognizable and familiar. Their sophomore album Set Sail combines trippy guitar riffs, keyboard solos, harmonicas and mellowed out acoustics to create a solid album that you can listen to from start to finish. The songs off this album are able to take you to a place were care floats away and you can just sit back and relax. Definitely worth giving a listen to if your into reggae music and don't pass up on a chance to see them live cause they put on an amazing show.


Other great songs: Another Man's Shoes ft G.Love, It's Alright, Say Hello, No Wood, Ocho Rios
Similar to: Stone Sense, Rebelution, Clear Conscience, Slightly Stoopid

Gorilla Warfare Tactics


Gorilla Warfare Tactics provide a fresh sound with old school flair that shifts away from the "money, cash, hoes" orientated hip hop of today. The trio coming out of New York City are able to pay homage to the art of hip hop while finding their own relevancy. Their first single Temptations provides great lyrics over a catchy "Ain't too Proud to Beg" sample. The second single they released entitled Rewind Rhyme has a ragtime feel to it with a fun and bouncy piano on the beat. Look out for Gorilla Warfare Tactics in the future because they have just revitalized hip hop.


Other great songs: Classics, The Tales of Mr. Street, East Village Freestyle
Similar to: Jurassic 5, Gang Starr, Mos Def

The Knux



The Knux are an alternative hip hop duo with rock and electronic influences out of New Orleans. The duo consist of brothers "Krispy" and "Joey" and are well known for their intense live shows. Their first album entitled Remind Me in 3 Days features the hits Bang! Bang! and Cappuccino. Bang! Bang! was the first single I heard off this album and it immediately made me think of Outkast based on the multiple musical genres combined in the song and the way the brothers delivered their lyrics. Their sophomore album Eraser (which is set to drop on Sept. 27th) seems to transitions to more of a modern rock sound based upon the two singles that have been released (Run and She's So Up) which are pretty guitar-centric. I expect this album to push the brothers into the spotlight especially with Kid Cudi contributing on it.

Other great songs: Run ft Kid Cudi, She's So Up, F!RE (Put it in the Air), Cappuccino
Similar to: Outkast, The Cool Kids, B.o.B

Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Mumford and Sons - Dustbowl Dance


I'm sure most people have now heard of Mumford and Sons with the success of their two hits Little Lion Man and The Cave but, there is more to this English band than just these two tracks. Their debut album Sigh No More is deep and full of great songs such as Dustbowl Dance, Winter Winds and Awake My Soul. This album flows really well, changing pace from slamming on the banjo to soft, slow melodious tracks. Marcus Mumford lays great vocals and wonderful lyrics over every track and we learn that Winston Marshall can play a mean banjo. Dustbowl Dance is a great showcase of what the band has to offer; the song itself starts of soft and slow then changes direction quite a bit and explodes into a wild and violent piece, all while telling a story in between. Overall this is a great debut album that suggest greater things might still be to come.

Other great tracks: Winter Winds, Awake My Soul, Roll Away Your Stone, White Blank Page
Similar to: Bon Iver, Broken Bells, Band of Horses 

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club


Black Rebel Motorcycle Club has been around since 1998 but still hasn't quite broken through to the mainstream. You've probably heard some of their songs before as they have been featured in commercials for Ketel One Vodka and The Cosmopolitan Luxury Resort in Las Vegas. The band has a great bluegrass/rock sound which really catches your ear and makes you feel apart of the music. "They are able to translate feelings into sound, and those sound into lyrics that sets off on moody journeys deep into the soul."

Other great songs: Spread Your Love, Beat the Devil's Tattoo, Berlin, Shuffle Your Feet
Similar to: Kings of Leon, The Black Keys, TV on the Radio



Simplified - Wake 'n Bake



Wake 'n bake bitches! Simplified have been producing quality jam band music for over 6 years and this song showcases some of their talent. Wake 'n Bake is off their third album called Smile which would be described as a mix of reggae/jazz funk blended with mild flavors of southern roots. Their latest album, which was produced with help from Jerry Depizzo of O.A.R, definitely shifts gears from jam band to more of a rock-driven sound similar to that of O.A.R's. I prefer their older stuff over the new album but this band is still definitively worth taking a listen to. 

Other great songs: Home, Don't Change, Sugar Tree
Similar to: O.A.R., Dave Matthews Band, John Butler Trio

The Five One


The Five One are four talented individuals that bring a unique balance of rock, pop and hip hop into their music that creates a new refreshing sound. If you had to define their songs you would have to image The Beatles rapping over a punk song made by Bob Marley. Their remix of Semisonic's Closing Time combines solid lyrics and great instrumentals over a classic 90's song which creates a song you'll listen to over and over again. Check out another one of their great songs called Pasa De Kaka below.