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Showing posts from February, 2013

Vanessa Elisha - "Home to Me" (prod. Jrdn Gxnius)

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Australia's Vanessa Elisha put out a follow-up to "Blur" earlier this week. "Home to Me" chronicles a heartbreak and the accompanying search for steady ground. Elisha's newest stays true to her previous release with silky, spacious vocals shining through. To the benefit of the listener, Elisha teamed up for a second time with producer Jrdn Gxnius for "Home to Me."

Dan Croll - "Compliment Your Soul"

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Dan Croll stirred up some considerable noise when he released "From Nowhere." Hopefully we will see the same with "Compliment Your Soul" and the upcoming 5 track From Nowhere EP. "Compliment Your Soul" is a lighter, and slightly less driven track than "From Nowhere" but just as accessible. Refreshing and relieving to see that Croll didn't become complacent with his first success. I think many great things will be forthcoming from the 22 year-old scouser. Catch him at SXSW as well as around the US this March.

Cajoline

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Want to dance? So do we. I was lucky enough to catch Moroccan-Dutch DJ, R3hab at Theatro in Marrakech last night. Needless to say a killer club and a killer show that left me plenty sore. If you haven't heard of R3hab check out his set at Tomorrowland and a clip from a recent Panama City show . When I got home I found Cajoline's infectious remix of Autostrada's "You and I" sitting in my inbox. Cajoline's remix has got me pushing through the soreness and movin'. The summer feels a little bit closer, and the night a little longer with "You and I." Lastly, being the group that they are, Cajoline recently put together a mix to appease the appetite of those wanting more. For good measure I am throwing in a bonus track I found in a mix put together by Kajko that also featured Cajoline.

Kat Dahlia

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Thanks to reader GlamDreamer for directing me towards Kat Dahlia. Fierce and fierce are the only words to describe the Floridian. Clearly a not impressed by "gangstas", Kat Dahlia puts her feelings out there for all to see. Mad flow, and mad spirit.

Postcards IX

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Tree The grittiness and simplicity of Tree is what gets me. This isn't to say however that Tree is unpolished or basic. What I am getting at is there aren't any excesses in their music. Tree's new release Splitting Branches reflects a deliberateness applied to every aspect of their sound. I enjoy the rough around the edge quality that accents Nickell's voice and artful verse recitation. Go listen to "Pieces of What" by MGMT after Tree if you don't get what I am talking about. Now for some background. Tree is the moniker of 19 year old bay artist, Oliver Nickell. Showing some ambition Nickell put together Tree Collaborations, a rotating art collective based out of San Francisco. Tree Collaborations bridges the fields of music, art, film, animation, and even fashion. Hit up their website . A testament to the the collectives creativity is the music video for "Tully" below. In the future look for a Splitting Branches remix compilation.

Chilled and Ready to Serve

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Boys Get Hurt One of Bochi Crew's first posts highlighted the talented Hannah Georgas and her track "Enemies." Over the summer my speakers were bumping "Enemies" nearly everyday when I returned home from work. Boys Get Hurt are a duo based out of Tokyo set on recapturing the fleeting days of summer. Supposedly they have thrown some sick dance parties in Tokyo called "Summer House." Great tune. Cleindl Like Boys Get Hurt, Cleindl hails from Tokyo. A friend of mine actually went to high school and is good friends with Cleindl. Hardly a track meet went by last spring where Cleindl's remix of "People Help the People" wasn't on the pre-race playlist. Posted below is his most recent release, "Hold Me Close" as well as a rework of Chris Brown's "Don't Wake Me Up." LAKIM Philadelphia's LAKIM makes some drastic changes to A$AP's "Long Live A$AP," with great results. LAKIM'

Saint Valentine

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So.... sort of forgot it was Valentines Day today when I posted earlier. Not sure how I managed it especially given that I went in on a secret santa Valentines Day with some friends. I know y'all don't want to read a long-winded explanation of what love means, but what you might want to hear is Miguel and Trails and Ways. I cannot think of two better songs right now to celebrate the red holiday. Miguel's "Do You" strikes the classic, slow romance jam not to mention the lovin' in the accompanying video. "Sure Thing" traces its roots back to Miguel but Trails and Ways gives it their own lyrical stamp. Perhaps some of the most inventive ways of saying "I'm Yours. I'll be there for you." I mean, come on just look at this opening verse: "If you be the Marx, I’ll be your Engels, babe. If you be the plot, I can be your ruse, boom. union baby I could be your dues. If I’m in prison baby you’re my tunnel loose." Get thes

Postcards VIII

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An opening disclaimer: All the creative juice has been sucked from my soul over the couple of days, and I have not felt particularly inclined to write much. I think this is owed to my exiting from the honey moon phase of my experiences in Morocco as I am realizing that the cultural differences are rather profound. Might also be owed to some nostalgic moments looking towards home while listening to my favorite childhood bands, Sum 41 and Blink 182. I have to say I have never loved these bands more than right now. With all of this said, the write-ups will be a bit shorter this week owing to my dearth of energy. The best submissions for this past week include The Underachievers, Eeleye, and An Escape Plan. The Underachievers Part of the Beast Coast movement, the Underachievers have enjoyed some recent success with "The Madhi" and their signing with the cross-coast Flying Lotus label. Part of the 17-track mixtape, Indigioism , "The Madhi" surprisingly i

Purity Ring - "Grammy"

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Spent last night re-watching the ski flick, All I Can . One of the memorable segments of the film features Purity Ring's "Lofticries" to the backdrop of sheer,snow-clad mountains and powdery descents. For all those looking for a means of procrastination, All I Can makes for an enjoyable time suck, sure to take you away from whatever you are doing. Great skiing, great music (features LCD Soundsystem as well) and worth some of the money in your wallet. Anyways, I have already lost the point of today's post. Purity Ring just dropped a cover of Soulja Boy's "Grammy." If you feel this track search out Swedish duo jj's transformations of Lil' Wayne and the recycling of some T.I. lyrics. Snatch those here and here ). Infectious, 'nough said. Purity Ring - "Grammy" Your browser does not support this audio format.

Ghost Beach - Faded (Summer Heart Remix)

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Ghost Beach has released a series of remixes and with it some west coast tour dates. "Faded" is among four other tracks that together constitute the Modern Tongues Remix EP . The EP includes remixes Chad Valley, Gigamesh, Summer Heart, Shook, and Penguin Prison. The Shook remix of "Been There Before" has already received significant airplay and love from the blogosphere, with "Faded" following suit. Let yourself drift with this one. For all those based out west or heading to SXSW, catch Ghost Beach at any of the below venues. Tour Dates: 2/7 San Francisco @ Rickshaw Stop (POPScene) 2/9 Los Angeles, CA @ Central Social Aid and Pleasure Club 2/11 Los Angeles, CA @ The Echo 2/13 Eugene, OR @ Univ Of Oregon 2/14 Vancouver, BC @ The Biltmore 2/15 Seattle, WA @ The Baltic Room 2/18 Los Angeles, CA @ The Satellite 2/21 San Diego, CA @ El Dorado 2/25 Los Angeles, CA @ The Bootleg 2/26 Los Angeles, CA @ Dim Mak Tuesdays (DJ Set) 2/28 Costa Me

Postcards VII

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One of the benefits of wintering in Morocco has been that I have avoided the recent re-glaciation of the Midwest. In hope of bringing some warmth to my friends back home and whoever else may be feeling the chill, I put together a mix of tropical, comfy, and dancable tracks for this week's postcard. If the songs themselves don't warm you up maybe the inevitable dancing that follows will. Hunker down with this weeks top three, make a fire, maybe even enjoy some Irish coffee, and glide into motion. Happy listening, stay warm my friends. Erol Sabadosh First off, I love Rihanna. I still consider the first time I saw the video for "We Found Love" to be one of my most formative moments in the last couple of years. Anything Rihanna nowadays catches my attention, and accordingly Erol Sabadosh's retake on "Stay" which shot straight to number one on Hypem held my gaze. When Erol contacted me I felt hesitant to re-post "Stay" as I try avoid redun