BochiCrew

Most everyone knows Beirut, but most do not know about Zach Condon's first project, The Joys of Losing Weight which he recorder under the name of Realpeople. The soundscape of The Joys of Losing Weight resembles a less refined edition of his more recent release, The March of the Zapotec . Amazingly, The Joys of Losing Weight were a bedroom recording project of the 15 year-old Condon. Very chilled out compared with Beirut's other work and in some of the tracks from the album some elements of instrumental post-rock can be found. This may be stretching it, but the young Condon seems ahead of the game, sounding a bit like the artist we previously blogged, Shlohmo . Most interestingly, Beirut has a massive following in Brazil which has spawned a number of Beirut cover bands referred to as Beirutando. Untitled 1 Untitled 7

Based out of South London ( I know, two in one week but deal ) hip hop artist ML or Mickey Lightfoot recently released his new track 'Way Before.' The track begins with quiet keys before building into a chorus dripping in swag and melody. Upon first listen the track doesn't stick but give it three or four more tries and it will come along. More info on ML

It's hard to imagine this track not resonating every 18-35 year old American male: the pop-punk days of our youth allow songs like these to take us back more than we assume. I'm sure I missed this one while living abroad in the far-east, but it's as catchy as they come. Never heard it before, but it remains quite the nostalgia-inducer. SUPERCHUNK - Digging For Something

Composed of Kate Tempest, Archie Marsh, and Ferry Lawrenson, Sound of Rum is a alternative hip hop group based out of the U.K identifiable by their distinctive flow and simple backing guitar and drum riffs. "Icarus" takes on the task of keeping up the transmission of the classic myth of Icarus who flew to close to the sun. I distinctly remember Icarus more than anything other myth I learned in my childhood thanks in large part to PBS's Wishbone. Fond memories. Kate Tempest has quite the talent for the spoken word and her lyrics continue to put her American counterparts like lil' Weezy to shame. Check Balance out.

Bout to be a short post cause I had trouble anything about these tunes, not even really sure who the artist is. Stumbled upon this one browsing Radio Milwaukee's website and then dug up a remix after some further search engine exploration. From what I gather Cumbia Sonidera is a spin off of Cumbia, a Colombian musical style that was birthed as native Colombians, slaves from Africa, and the Spanish all crossed paths. There has been a resurgence of the genre as of late especially with the spin off of Cumbia Sonidera which originated in Mexico City. There have been a number of other spin offs of Cumbia including Chicha, the Peruvian take on it. Enjoy the traditional and remixed versions of "Chumbacu"

It's been a long day, but luckily I've got the perfect song to kick back to. Shlohmo is an Electro artist out of LA who has developed some beats that are chill to the bone. Shlohmo - Places

While that last post has spun me into a country/southern rock tailspin, I will move away from the genre for those of you who are not as inclined towards it. Today sure as hell dragged on like a Monday though and with all the storms outside, seems like a good day for T-Bone Walkers "Call it Stormy Monday." Decided to throw in some Howlin' Wolf for good measure. "Killing Floor" is a personal favorite and I remember my friends and I freshmen year of high school attempting to create a Howlin' Wolf cover band and falling flat on our face. Enjoy and be thankful it is not us. On another note, the blog is finally starting to get some traffic so if you have been checking it keep checking and tell some friends!

This post comes at the request of a friend from home.Another Athens, Georgia based artist and former member of the Drive-By Truckers, Jason Isbell, is always a welcome listen. "Codeine" has all the hallmarks of Isbell's normal work, especially the gritty vocals and gritty content.

Based out of South London, Bastille is an incredibly creative band. They do a wide range of covers including City High's "What Would You Do" while still producing their own quality tracks. If you get the chance check out their website where you will be greeted with a chilling video to their newest song "Bad Blood." Also noteworthy is their song "Love Don't Live Here" which makes use of Outkast's "Ms. Jackson."

In some ways a laid back version of the Alabama Shakes, The Futurebirds prove to be infinitely relaxed with a bit of southern grit mixed in. A distinctive, bright guitar tone is present throughout their music that contrasts interestingly with the hushed, throaty vocals reminiscent of Band of Horses, especially the track "Wild Heart." The band calls Athens, GA home along with R.E.M, the B-52s and The Drive-By Truckers. Hampton's Lullaby is available to for free streaming from their website but I posted it here for your convenience. Have to thank one of my friends for steering me towards the Futurebirds.

Straight from Milwaukee, WI, Eric and Magill represent a refreshing and soothing sound. Infinitely relaxed, the group sounds at times like Jukebox the Ghost and at others like another Wisconsinite native, Bon Iver. The latter due collaborations with Collections of Colonies of Bees, a Milwaukee group that collaborated with Justin Vernon (Bon Iver)to create Volcano Choir. Eric Osterman and Ryan Weber originally played together in the group Camden. In the period since Camden, much has happened including Weber volunteering for a year in the Republic of Armenia. While abroad, Weber began laying the foundation and collaborating with Osterman for the eventual album "All Those I Know." The lush soundscape of the title track brings to mind summer nights cruising around with friends then roaming the city at night. Lets hope these guys keep kickin and continue with some more great work.

Have to say I have been blowing through Latin American artists as of late. This post brings in a variety of artists and a variety of styles ranging from folk to shoe gaze. Starters, Algodón Egipcio is a side project of Cheky from Jóvenes y Sexys. Perhaps best known for his prolific fro, Cheky hails from Caracas, Venezuela and continues to mesh together unique and memorable pieces. "La Espina del Cardenche" perhaps is the best representation. The next track is by Javiera Mena. Mena is a young artist hailing from Chile where she has enjoyed great success including honors at Sundance for the soundtrack of the award winning film "Young and Wild." The featured track below is a cover of the above mentioned band, "Jóvenes y Sexys." Next, young Venezuelan female artist Violeta Castillo representing more of the indie/chillwave end of the spectrum. Don't know much about Violeta but her bandcamp is definitely worth checking out on her bandcamp where sh...

Next up is a track by King Tuff, a Rock & Roll outfit that clearly are living the dream. Kyle Thomas, the band's frontman, oozes stardom, and these guys likely aren't from it--They've already toured with Matt and Kim, and are currently touring the west as we speak. As put best in an LARecord inteview : Interviewer:   What would a King Tuff date night be like in L.A.? King Tuff: Probably take her to Pink’s and let her watch me eat some chili dogs. King Tuff, "Bad Thing"  <--Free Download off of Soundcloud!!

Heartfelt and endlessly appealing, this Canadian songstress is primed for serious airtime with this new track. She's been swooning Canada for quite some time now, and her talent has been validated through winning the 'Emerging Artist Award' at the Verge Music Awards (much less playing for the Canadian prime minister). She's a hit with our northern brethren, and will soon be one in the lower 48 if we give her a listen. I know this is not my co-blogger's favorite genre, but its a track that's hard not to enjoy. Check it out errybody!! Hannah Georgas - Enemies Check out Georgas' Soundcloud with a free download of another great track,  Drive !

photo accredited to pitchfork On stage he's a mixture of the hilarious, the weird, the absurd--and his life offstage has been even more eventful as of late. King Khan and his bandmates The Shrines are a psychedelic soul band hailing from Berlin, and have quite a few tracks worth listening to. Much of their appeal is their insanity, literally--King Khan was put into an insane asylum a few years ago during his time with King Khan and the BBQ (Khan's previous band, who you should also check out!)! But all is well now: he's living and touring happily with his wife and two kids! Buy his work, or better yet, check out a show! King Khan & the Shrines - Bite My Tongue  --download straight off of soundcloud! Here's an interview off of Rollo & Grady that encapsulates the King Khan experience fully!

Houndmouth, out of Albany, Indiana, sound fantastic in that honest way you're always surprised by. They keep it simple, and lay it down hard. Living on your homestead next to the creek, with your beautiful wife and kids, listening to this song--doesn't sound too bad, does it? Houndmouth - Penitentiary Listen to more off their soundcloud here, or check out the free download of this track from  Tbonescafe!

It's hard not to jam out to a song like this. Darius is a French house artist who's new Velour EP is out. Listen to Maliblue below, but not before you fly to Kokomo and crack open a Grolsch with your new Carribean lovely. Maliblue by Darius (Official) Check out a few more great tracks by Darius via Vacaywave , or buy the EP  Here  on I-tunes

And we're starting this blog running HARD with this new track by Angel Haze, an up-an-coming rapper  from Virginia, who seems to be well on her way to some serious air play, is straight filthy. The title of her newest EP,  Reservation, alludes to her Native American heritage. Girl's good, and she knows it.   Angel Haze - Werkin' Girls Stream the rest of her EP on this  Spin article , and download one of her new tracks for off of Rolling Stone  here.

In an age of seemingly unlimited access to music of the globe, discovering new music can be overwhelming. A friend and I have been scouring the bowels of the blogosphere and listening to it all--the good and the bad, for quite some time now. We've decided to start a blog to record these musical adventures, to both share with the world and keep a record of what we've been listening to. We don't agree on much, but we do agree on the goal of this blog: to post a little something for everyone. Enjoy!