The Audio Exchange

Better Late Than Never

2010-09-19T15:38:00.000-07:00

I'm going to theorize that one of the traits of really good music is its ability to transcend the time at which it's originally released. This may seem fairly obvious, but what I'm referring to is specifically an album that you may be apathetic to or even dislike after a first listen, but then revisit a few years later and love it. Maybe the mood or the message doesn't speak to you at that point in your life. I've noticed several albums getting consistent play by me in 2010 and have been contemplating why I didn't take to them earlier

For Emma, Forever Ago (2008)

Bon Iver

I specifically remember being annoyed by this album when it first came out because I couldn't figure out why people liked it so much. What a depressingly slow and whining set! I've probably listened to this album more in 2010 than any other.

Boxer (2007)

The National

I imagine I was put off at first by the lazy, mumbling tone in the vocals. It's taken me three years to really appreciate the craft and musicality present here.

Moondance (1970)

Van Morrison

Not sure how this one slipped by, but the vocal performance on this album is astounding.

Only Built 4 Cuban Linx Pt. II (2009)

Raekwon

I returned to this album because I was curious about all of the critical acclaim, a rarity in recent years for a non-mainstream hip hop effort. The stories and subject matter of these songs couldn't be further away from my life and experience, yet it's hard not to get sucked in. It's a relentless and grungy return to the storytelling that has separated the great hip hop albums of the last three decades stand above all.

Merriweather Post Pavilion (2009)

Animal Collective

The complexity of what seems like dozens of instruments and vocals present on so many tracks gives this album an epic cinematic quality that just took time for me to warm up to.

_Michael

What's Your Price?

2010-07-01T11:39:00.000-07:00

Amoeba Music

You'd be hard-pressed to find someone who's music buying habits have not been affected by the "napster revolution". Personally, I've slowly migrated from the CD to Napster to torrent to digital stores with no shortage of frustration and mixed emotions. At this stage of the game, I am finding myself more and more willing to pay for music just to have some control over the reliability of the tracks and their bitrate. Here are just a few of the issues effectively muddying up the industry:

1. The corporate music industry is easy to villainize. High album prices, minimal percentages to the artist, pushing mainstream trends, the Ticketmaster/Live Nation merger, the Payola scandal.

2. Itunes is an Apple product. In a lot of areas, Apple just doesn't feel the need to compete. Consequently, you get painfully subpar products catered to a general audience. Not only is Itunes highly limited in its customization, selection and pricing, but has been one of the last providers to release DRM-free, high bitrate songs. For ages, Itunes felt it was fine to offer 128 bit, copy-protected music. This meant that if you weren't using a product starting with "i" you were going to be frustrated.

3. Pirated music is illegal. Although readily available, it's kind of like buying a watch from a crackhead on the street. There's about an equal chance of it being fake as it is a Rolex. Plus, he'll most likely try and slip in some porn with the deal. Such is the case with downloading music online. It's a seedy world. Try and download an album and you'll being tossing the dice as to what bitrate you'll end up with, how complete the album art is and how reliable the tracklist is. Plus, most likely the embedded mp3 data is full of some eastern European websites and promos.

With all that said, there are interesting trends developing. The onset of legitimate streaming services (i.e. Pandora, Hype Machine, Grooveshark, Mog) coupled with an explosion of online MP3 sales have slowly paved the way for a purely digital music industry. The consumer will see benefits as the industry evolves. One sign of life is Amazon's recent introduction of $5 Albums, which change on a monthly basis. A few standouts in August include:

Mumford & Sons - Sigh No More

LCD Soundsystem - This Is Happening

Rick Ross - Teflon Don

Lady Gaga - The Fame Monster

The Roots - How I Got Over

Lauryn Hill - The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill

Ray Lamontagne - Trouble

Radiohead - OK Computer

Robyn - Body Talk Pt. 1

Outkast - Stankonia

Grizzly Bear - Beckatimest

Boston - Boston

Coconut Records - Nighttiming

Miles Davis - Birth Of The Cool

Blu & Exile - Below The Heavens

Basement Jaxx - Rooty

The Bug - London Zoo

How much would you pay for legality?

_Michael

Drake Vs. Art Of Noise

2010-06-06T13:15:00.000-07:00

Well, we're about a week out from Drake's "Thank Me Later". It'll be interesting come June 15th to see how the album is received. Although a lot of singles have been released over the past few months and the full album being leaked about a week ago, I'm gonna hold out till that Tuesday to give it a proper listen.

I was sorting through a number of tracks in preparation for a new mix and keep coming back to this Caspa remix of an old Art Of Noise song, Moments In Love. I only recently found out that this track was originally released in the early 80's and that blew my mind. The synthpop group from London has elements of hip-hop and industrial electronic that had me assuming that this was a current group when I first heard it. Unbelievable.

The Caspa remix only very subtly changes from the original and shortens the 10 minute opus a bit; however it's still repetitive and over 5 minutes long. I love the duality of the quiet droning reflective half interrupted throughout by the epic industrial thumping sections. This was really a perfect backdrop for Drake's single, Over, where his loud rhythmic braggadocio verses are tempered with a reflective, sloppy chorus inside of his head. Hope you enjoy!

Drake - Art Of Over (Thriller Phil Remix)

Warning: Explicit Lyrics

_Michael

Distant Relatives

2010-05-23T13:47:00.000-07:00

Queens rap legend Nas teams up with the youngest son of Bob Marley, Damian "Jr. Gong" Marley for the cultural mashup album, Distant Relatives. Envisioned as tribute of sorts to Africa and its threads in music, arts and education, the tracks are rooted in Caribbean, jazz and hip-hop with samples from traditional African beats. Marley's dubstep/dancehall/roots production and raspy melodies lay the framework for Nas' introspective rhymes.

My two favorite songs bookend the album, tracks 1 and 13. High energy to start, reflective ballad to end. Go check out the full album as part of the proceeds go to charity programs in Africa.

Nas & Damian "Jr. Gong" Marley - As We Enter

Nas & Damian "Jr. Gong" Marley - Africa Must Wake Up (ft. K'naan)

_Michael

Next Episode Remix

2010-05-16T17:04:00.000-07:00

Wow, what a stressful/busy past few days (see above).

Spent some time on planes and in a quiet beach house and subsequently got the chance to play with a few new beats. Pull out your boombox or headphones with the most bass and enjoy this mellow re-imagining of a Dre classic. Peace from VA & NC

Dr. Dre - The Next Episode (DJBN Remix)

_Michael

Find Your Love

2010-05-02T14:42:00.000-07:00

Drake's second single is out from his upcoming June 15th debut, "Thank Me Later". Produced by Kanye West, the track showcases the R&B half of Drake roaming around the industrial thumping we've come to know from West ala "808's & Heartbreaks". The two were reportedly working together in Hawaii recently and Drake then went on to Jamaica to shoot the video. Reactions?

Drake - Find Your Love

As a bonus, I've included an obscure Drake track from a few years ago that features Dwele and Little Brother... can't really lose with a lineup like that.

Drake - Don't You Have a Man ft. Dwele & Little Brother

_Michael

B.o.B

2010-04-27T21:36:00.000-07:00

As previously written, I've been looking forward to B.o.B's major-label debut for most of the last year. At only 21, this rapper/producer/singer/instrumentalist out of ATL has been releasing mixtapes and building buzz since 2006. For the past two years he has been consistently labeled as one of hip-hop's promising young talents, but what has been fascinating for me is the clinic he and Grand Hustle / Atlantic Records have been putting on in patience and timing with his exposure.

After six mixtapes, there is little doubt that Bobby Ray has talent. Working up to major-label, his 4th and 5th mixtapes established his credential in the underground community while his 6th served to promote his upcoming LP (similar to J. Cole). What we start to see is a few singles helping to break the ice into the hip-hop charts and a calculated new single to expand exposure. Apparently, the single "Nothin' on You" was originally written for Lupe Fiasco but turned down. B.o.B. and his label jumped on it and built a track that has exploded. Not only is it a purposeful cross-over track, most likely building off of the huge recent success of genre-blending acts like Drake, but it was released at the perfect time a number of months before the LP release. This blend of pop, rap, rock, etc. is a picture of the array of genres found on the LP and peaked a few days before the release at #1 on billboard.

B.o.B - The Kids (feat. Janelle Monáe)

After a few listens, the album "B.o.B Presents: The Adventures of Bobby Ray" is a lot of fun. The prime complaints are that the eclectic mix of styles may be a bit off-putting for some, and none of the styles are done in a particularly innovative or ground-breaking way. That said, there are some really great tracks including the opening "Don't Let Me Fall" where Bobby spaces out about the dangers of a rise to fame. "Bet I" is no-nonsense braggadocio about the ability to flow on a beat with an overall great homage to the ATL and cameos from T.I. and Playboy Tre. "Kids" is probably the most interesting track on the album where he teams up with Janelle Monae to reinvent the Vampire Weekend track and "Airplanes" tracks bookend the album with an Eminem feature where, in typical fashion on his features, he goes hard on the verse.

It's a bit of fresh air for the hip-hop community and a mainstream release that is something that I put my money behind. Look for him in San Francisco May 4th and 5th touring with Lupe Fiasco.

_Michael

91.9

2010-03-30T10:00:00.000-07:00

I've loved hip hop ever since I can remember having enough money to buy my own music. I think my first CD was Hootie and the Blowfish... but my second CD was definitely Blackstreet - Another Level. That album is crazy cheesy and I'm still blown away by the fact that an unedited version of No Diggity actually does not exist. Still, I may have all of the lyrics memorized to all of those songs and I will always keep that album on my ipod.

During the late 90's, I went through middle school and high school with a pretty solid routine. My first major life purchase was a big Sony stereo system that had about 3 foot high speakers and a gangsta five disc changer. I had a bedroom in the basement and I ended almost every night laying in bed listening to the local college radio station, 91.9 FM. Starting at 9pm, they played solely hip hop and, amazingly, starting at 11pm it was uncensored. Growing up in small-town Kansas doesn't afford much exposure, so I owe most of my early hip hop education to that station. Along with the mainstream, there was a huge amount of underground and local playtime. Minus the seriously painful airing of Tech Nine, I was hooked.

A couple of songs that I specifically recall are by Canibus and Big Pun. I remember not being able to get the "It's been a long time..." line out of my head from the 2000-BC song. I also went digging through my old CDs tonight looking for Big Pun's - Capital Punishment but came up empty. Such a hard album. On the Superlyrical track is Black Thought of the Roots, which reminded me of Slum Village: Probably one of the early groups that introduced me to a heavy jazz-infused hip hop sound that I now give preference to. At the time, I had no idea that the J Dilla sound would so heavily influence me towards groups such as A Tribe Called Quest, The Roots, The Pharcyde and De La Soul.

Warning: Explicit Lyrics

Canibus - 2000 BC

Big Punisher - Super Lyrical (ft. Black Thought)

Slum Village - Fall In Love

Phantom Kicks Remix

2010-03-29T20:25:00.000-07:00

I've played around with basic remixing in the past. Nothing too invasive or serious, mostly pairing an instrumental of a popular song with the vocals of another. Usually open up my mixes with track like this (RJD2 + Outkast, DJ Mujava + Amanda Blank, Kanye West + Nas).

This past weekend, I took a track from a friend's new band Phantom Kicks and played with it a bit. I enjoy the original, but thought it would be a good challenge to introduce some new elements to shift the tone a bit. Check out these photos I took of the band this last year and don't miss them at Hotel Utah on April 22.

Phantom Kicks - Cut From A Different Clay

Phantom Kicks - Cut From A Different Clay (DJBN Remix)

Phantogram

2010-03-04T22:16:00.000-08:00

Went to a show last night with Tanner and Phil of Phantom Kicks and had a great time. Tanner was looking to guest contribute to a local concert blog and asked that I attempt some concert photos for him. It was a new challenge and stretched the limits of my entry level dSLR and lenses but I'm happy with a handful of the photos that I got.

The headliner, Phantogram, is a duo out of Saratoga Springs, New York and has a great blend of a dreamy pop/electronic/dance. It was a lot of fun and they were sharp in their instrumentation and producing a full sound with various looping, synthesizing, sampling techniques. Sarah was also a visual arts major, so they've incorporated some artsy video backdrops which help to accentuate the "dreamy" aspects of their rhythmic pulse. They just released a new album and I took a quick listen today. Although it was enjoyable, I think I'm still a bit in the concert hangover, because I think the energy of the live show took the music to a significantly different level than the album did for me. Have a listen for yourself though

_Michael

Up N Coming

2010-02-21T22:18:00.000-08:00

A few artists that have struck a chord with me in some way amidst the vast number of indie/underground hip hop mixtapes that are released. I really feel that any of these sing/songwriter/producer/rappers could get a big breakthrough in 2010.

Bobby Ray aka B.o.B. is well on his way to mainstream success at the age of 22. Releasing several successful mixtapes is building hype for his debut under T.I.'s Grand Hustle label. He has a fantastic flow and a voice that's easily recognizable and memorable. Check out his last couple of mixtapes and get excited for the potential of this Atlanta rapper/producer's April 27th release.

Novel is a proven talent in songwriting/producing/singing. Although having written for multiple stars including Talib Kweli, he's not attained much solo success. I've really enjoyed listens of his recent mixtapes "Suspended Animation" and collaboration with Joell Ortiz, "Defying the Predictable". Look out for his upcoming release, "The Audiobiography".

"Soon You'll Understand" is a mixtape by L.A. hip hop artist, Diz Gibran. This is a solid, under the radar release that caught me by surprise and has stayed in my itunes library while other mixtapes have faded to the trash. I love the production work by Moonshine and Diz has a passion for the music that is obvious in the tracks.

Chiddy Bang is a duo of college friends from Philadelphia with a pretty entertaining mixtape that has samples from all sorts of wild places such as Sufjan Stevens and Mary Poppins. Check out their recently released video for "Opposite of Adults". Love it.

Midlake

2010-02-10T21:03:00.000-08:00

Let's try something different. I heard a song today by the Denton, Texas band, Midlake and was really struck by it. I have high hopes for their new album, Courage of Others so I thought I'd share the album with everyone and listen simultaneous to you. What do you think? If we like it, it looks like they'll be in San Francisco at the Great American Music Hall on March 4th.

_Michael

February 2010 Mix

2010-02-04T18:52:00.000-08:00

It's the first mix of 2010. I've never been one to make resolutions, but I am not afraid of new years optimism. Each year seems to get better and brings new experiences and opportunities. Just good old-fashioned happy. For this blog, a new year goes hand in hand with new music and the opportunity for me to share what's blasting on my headphones at all hours of the day as I roam around this city.

Not all new, but still tracks I was not afraid to spend a bit of time with in this compilation. Plus, a short ode to the late MJ to start us off on the ridiculous.

Setlist:
Mr. Flash - Dirty Bossa Nova
Private - My Secret Lover (Diplo Remix)
RJD2 - All For U (DJBN Atliens Remix)
Breakbot - Baby I'm Yours (ft. Irfane)
Miike Snow - Animal
Yelle - Ce' Jeu (The Twelves Remix)
Dangerous Muse - I Want It All
Boys Noize - Oh! (A-Trak Remix)
Leno Lovecraft - Space Fighter
Mika - We Are Golden (Calvin Harris Remix)
Calvin Harris - Merrymaking at My Place (Deadmau5 Remix)
Groove Armada - Paper Romance (Urchins Remix)
Rihanna - Hard (Chew Fu Remix)
The XX - Shelter (Death To The Throne Remix)
Dada Life - Let's Get Bleeped Tonight
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Heads Will Roll (A-Trak Remix)

Nick Drake

2010-01-20T23:14:00.000-08:00

This is a comfort album to me; one that I've heard for many years now and enjoy when I stumble upon it now and again. You know there's that music that never really leaves you. For whatever reason it doesn't get old, you just may get excited about something shiny and new, but it waits patiently for your return. Nick Drake will be happy to sit with you in all sorts of situations; I'd recommend a long scenic road trip with this album, Way to Blue.

_Michael

Pains of Being Pure at Heart

2010-01-17T14:05:00.000-08:00

Although maybe one of the most cringe-worthy band names I've ever encountered, I can't help but enjoy this album. It's poppy, trebly, and something I imagine skinny kids working in record stores in the 90s would be all over. Can't you imagine a scene in a movie like Empire Records or High Fidelity where one of the nerdy workers puts this on the store sound system and explains, while looking through his bangs at the ground that "Pains of Being Pure at Heart" changed his life?

I love it. Enjoy!

_Michael

Tops

2010-01-01T16:57:00.000-08:00

2009 was a really great music year for me. Amidst recording a handful of DJ mixes, I discovered a lot of great new music representing all genres. I haven't been this in love with my headphones and great albums since high school bus trips on the soccer team where I spent a lot of long hours on school nights traveling with my Sony Discman.

I've compiled a synopsis of my favorite albums that were released this last year and hope that you'll take time to enjoy them as well. I love perusing people's "album-of-the-year" lists and discovering new music and am excited to sit with band such as Animal Collective, Bat For Lashes, DJ /rupture, Jason Lytle, Neko Case, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, Raekwon, The Swell Season, Thieves Like Us, and Volcano Choir. All have released great albums in 2009 which I've either overlooked, need to give a second listen or are completely new to me.

Freelance Whales - Weathervanes

This band out of Queens has really excited me this last year. I was fortunate enough to get to see them live at the Rickshaw Stop and I'm so thankful. I don't know that I've ever seen a band so joyful, humble and thankful. At only ten bucks, I felt like I was almost stealing from them. Glad to report that they've just been signed with Frenchkiss/Mom & Pop Records.

Fanfarlo - Reservoir

I went to the ten buck concert to see the Freelance Whales and stumbled upon Fanfarlo! Really great surprise and I've been listening to their new album on repeat ever since. Although on the border of too "tortured, hipster" band, at least they're from London, so they dress different than the hipsters here.

Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix

2009 was the year of Phoenix for me. I got to catch them live at the Warfield, which although I was stuck in the rafters, was loud, flashy and full of aisle dancing. There new album is close to perfect and has also helped shoot this French band into the mainstream spotlight. Rock on, rock on.

Drake - So Far Gone

I've written in depth about Drake in the past and shared some of my excitement. I probably listened to this mixtape more than any other album this past year and am curious to see if he can capture that magic again in 2010 with his debut with Cash Money Records.

The Antlers - Hospice

I stumbled upon the Hospice album during my weekly NPR podcast listen and was haunted by it. This is a headphones album and I've enjoyed getting lost in this ode to the passing of a close friend. Downside: always come away a bit solemn.

Passion Pit - Manners

I've previously written about Passion Pit in my ode to painful vocalists. Manners ended up carrying through the months for me and It's a really comfortable blend of pop/rock/electronic that I tend to gravitate toward.

Great Lake Swimmers - Lost Channels

I thought no one had heard of the Great Lake Swimmers until I tried to go to a small show her in the city at a very low-key venue and got turned away by a sold out show. This album is beautiful in a spacey, folky sort of way. I wouldn't be surprised to see these guys show up at events like Hardly Strictly Bluegrass in coming years.

Wilco - Wilco (the album)

I've spent a lot of time with Yankee Hotel Foxtrot over the years, as have every college student, and this new album has got me re-excited about Wilco. Every time one of these songs plays I feel like Jeff Tweedy is sitting on my sofa singing, maybe even with his family as backup vocals.

Mistletones

2009-12-18T00:01:00.000-08:00

The wait is over! Brittany and I (Beautiful Notions) officially release our sophmore album today, December 18th, 2009. We've spent the past two months slaving away to ruin your favorite holiday songs, and I feel we've surpassed our wildest expectations. Luckily, no one else really has much in the way of expectations for Beautiful Notions, so we don't have to live up to anything.

Honestly, it was a lot of fun (which is really the point), and I greatly enjoy the creative process and re-connecting with Brittany. Never a dull moment and an unbelievable amount of laughter. We're looking forward to hosting a small holiday party tonight to drink some wassail, perform a song or two, warm ourselves by the fireplace DVD and toast to good friends. If you'd like a CD, please let us know. If you're in Hawaii, Brittany will be there for the holidays to give you your copy. If you're in Kansas/Missouri, I will be there for you to distribute copies out of a car trunk.

Best wishes!

_Michael

Stocking Stuffers

2009-11-15T22:44:00.000-08:00

Anyone who knows Brittany and I, knows about Beautiful Notions. Born out of an escape from the workload and frustrations of architecture school, we've been remaking/ruining perfectly good songs for four years now.

Now translated to the working architecture world about 1,700 miles away, we've rekindled our lo-fi hack-job approach to musical creation. Our next victims are of the holiday variety and we're excited to officially announce our latest project: the yet-to-be-title Christmas album. Keep your eyes open for a December "bad Christmas sweater CD release party" and enjoy this teaser:

_Michael

Lovely little morsels

2009-11-11T20:49:00.000-08:00

It's been a bit of a hiatus from the blog world. Not so much that I've been uninspired or uninterested, just a little busy. Luckily, I still get a daily listen into the music world (while doing other work) whether through following about 20 blogs, getting acquainted with the weeks new releases on tuesdays, or reading up in magazines. I really love finding new artists, albums and sounds. Unfortunately, for every enjoyable song I hear, I probably sit through at least portions of twenty truly terrible ones. Lucky for you, you won't find in this blog post any of those musical equivalents of a class of third graders learning "hot cross buns" on the recorder.

Recently I've been fortunate to stumble upon three new bands that I'm excited to share. First up: Free Energy out of Philly. I think they had a song featured on IMEEM at some point and it really struck me. This is that music that just feels good to me. It's fairly simple and playful and has those shades of Weezer accessibility that I remember first introducing me to a serious love of music when I was a young lad in Kansas. They recently had a west coast tour fall through but said they'll probably be in Cali in early 2010. Should be a fun show.

Free Energy - Dream City

Free Energy - Free Energy

Oh man do I love this band this week. Even better is the fact that I have tickets to see them at the Rickshaw Stop on November 22 for a mere $10. Freelance Whales are out of Queens and put out a beautiful album, Weathervanes, recently. Chock full of songs influenced by the likes of Sufjan Stevens and The Postal Service and just a great listen.

Freelance Whales - Location

Freelance Whales - Generator ^ 2nd Floor

Quebec Antique released their debut album, The Abbey Tapes, and are relatively unknown out of Oregon, Texas. It's another really beautiful album, much sleepier and moody than the previous two, but check out the songs on their myspace page and I'm sure you'll really appreciate the build of their music and the swelling textures.

Quebec Antique - Right As Rain

_Michael

Folk-n-poke

2009-10-12T20:55:00.000-07:00

I recently learned that there is a sulfur hot water springs near San Luis Obispo that college students there affectionately refer to as the "soak-n-poke". While pondering what words may rhyme with "folk", I've struggled to think of anything else. Thanks a lot hot springs. Not surprisingly though, these two words could not be more opposite. Where there is folking, there's a good chance there's not a lot of poking, as many of the best folk artists tend to look like so:

I watched the movie Sugar last night and midway through I recognized a Spanish version of the song "Hallelujah" by Leonard Cohen. I don't know much about the man or his music, but remembered enjoying that song when I've heard it (although uncomfortable and confused as it played during a sex scene in Watchmen). This, along with last week's Strictly Bluegrass festival here in the city, got me thinking about my secret love for the genre.

Undoubtebly due to my parents, I've carried a fondness for folk music throughout my life. Consider this an intro to several upcoming posts on songs that I associate with my family, childhood and Kansas existence. As an adult, I've enjoyed the storytelling and moodiness of Neil Young and Mary Gauthier. It'll be interesting to look at the artists that my parents listen to and ultimately led me to find my own preferences in the folk genre.

(Papa Townsend in the tie and me trying to hide in the background on the far left)

If you like the following songs, I highly recommend the full albums on which they're found.

Neil Young - The Painter (from the album Prairie Wind)

Mary Gauthier - Mercy Now (from the album Mercy Now)

_Michael

The Return

2009-09-29T01:00:00.000-07:00

After a long hiatus, I've been hard at work on my latest mix, figuring I'd need something big to re-enter the blog scene with. A lot has transpired in the music world since my last post. Kanye managed to annoy Mr. Smooth himself, Obama, some killer albums have been released by major DJs and a whole slew of remixes and dance music have continued to fill up my Hype watchlist. The noticeable number of really great new songs with female vocals that I had begun to gather led me to focus on that theme, bringing you the best of lady-centric danceables mixed with some current electronic favorites including Deadmau5 and locals Thrill$ N Grillz.

Looking forward to co-hosting a big halloween party with the other half of DJBN, so mark your calendars. To get you revved up for the event, I give you the "GIRLS NIGHT OUT" Mix.

WARNING: EXPLICIT LYRICS

Download MP3

Setlist:

Everybody's Fancy - Mister Rogers

Duck N Cover (DJBN Vocal Edit) - Thrill$ N Grillz

Give It All You Got (ft. Kree) - Lil' Jon

Township Funk (Crazy P Remix)(DJBN Vocal Edit) - Mujava

I'm Not Your Toy (datA Remix) - La Roux

Shirley You Can't Be Serious? - Alex Metric

Right Hand Hi - Kid Sister

Poker Face (Paul Anthony & ZXX Remix)

Tick Tock - Kesha

Moar Ghosts N Whatever - Deadmau5

New In Town (A1 Bassline Remix) - Little Boots

Waking Up In Vegas (Calvin Harris Remix) - Katy Perry

Something Bigger, Something Better - Amanda Blank

Keep It Goin' Louder (ft. Nina Sky & Ricky Blaze) - Major Lazer

Shove It (ft. Spankrock) - Santogold

Bulletproof (Foamo Remix) - La Roux

_Michael

"Study" Abroad

2009-07-21T23:40:00.000-07:00

There's this lady I know that has a blog about travel. It's in its beginning stages, but is interesting and a good way for her to express, digest and discuss this quasi obsession of hers. I was thinking tonight about various great experiences I've had while traveling and also about certain memory triggers. Does your life unfold to a soundtrack?

A defining moment in my life on multiple levels was my four months studying abroad in Italy in 2005. It was an unbelievable experience and an immersion that was completely foreign to me in my life to that point. That semester brought with it powerful memories of food, cities, landscapes, trains, language, cultural events, wine, history and architecture, and great friends. Now, along with the collection of photos and storytelling, I have strong association of certain music to this events to trigger memories. A classmate and friend of mine, Mike Baskett, let me copy some albums from his laptop while we were studying in Castiglion Fiorentino and introduced me to Dntel and The Wrens (no, not the old R&B group).

As I'm sure most college students across the US at the time were, we had this little obsession with The Postal Service a few years prior and when I heard that James Scott Tamborello has earlier been involved in the solo project, Dntel, I was intrigued. As is common, Dntel strikes me as the experimental and more abstract origin of the Postal Service pop approachability. This was perfect for providing a spacey epic backdrop that kind of stutters and pops as it stumbles out of the headphones. I hear this and imagine myself sitting alone at Villa D'Este sketching, or taking a moment to soak it all in at the top of the mountain over Lake Como.

Dntel - Anywhere Anyone

The Wrens appealed to me in a much more simple and irrational way. Living in New Jersey and with very little mainstream success, this group had just the right amount of obscurity and pep to keep me interested. I don't really remember falling in love with their 2002 album, The Meadowlands, but I do know that I played it over and over again. I even have a very distinct memory of listening to a song while walking up the hill in Castiglion to the bus stop some random morning. This is striking to me because I have a poor memory in general and retain very little unless it has an emotional or strong visual impact on me. I can't really explain that bust stop memory at all.

The Wrens - This Boy Is Exhausted

Thanks to Mike B!

_Michael T

Two friends, two shows

2009-07-20T10:23:00.000-07:00

If you're looking for a break from your routine. I have a couple of great options for you this week. Tomorrow night, Justin (Commodore 69) will be DJing at his monthly Laszlo show, Computer Rock. They've been known to play killer music, project nintendo on the wall, and generally keep you up past your bedtime on a school night. This month hosts a special birthday celebration for local NONEWYORK

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Thursday night at Hotel Utah, Tanner will destroy your eardrums as a part of the band Raised By Robots. Their shows are always energetic, loud and unpredictable including a recently added horn section. You can also check out their eclectic sound on muxtape. If you listen closely, you may just hear the subtle noises of stage diving.

_Michael

Live and in person

2009-07-13T09:23:00.000-07:00

The Ticketmaster / Live Nation merger, yet another bully monopoly move in the corporate world, has been on my mind lately after reading the lengthy article about ticket prices in a recent issue of Rolling Stone. As a consumer, I'm obviously unnerved by the fact that ticket price averages have tripled in the past 15 years (~$25 to $65) and Ticketmaster can easily be held responsible for that atypical percentage increase. It is also, to some degree, a reflection of the evolving business. Many artists make most of their money on live shows, where they get a big cut of the earnings, as opposed to the ever-increasing inconsistency in revenue from albums sales where the record companies reap most of the profit. I'd always rather the money go to the artist, but concert prices are increasingly making live shows less accessible to the average consumer.

Luckily, there are still options even in the most obscure of places. I have many fond memories of seeing live shows of small unknown bands at small unknown venues. I grew up driving to places like The Bottleneck in Lawrence, KS (among others) and was happy to see they still sell tickets independent of ticketmaster. Similarly, here in San Francisco, you can see amazing shows at The Independent for low prices and avoid the ticketmaster trap. Here are some upcoming shows I'm excited for:

July 16

Kanye West's DJ, A-Trak will rock the stage with opening acts from Theophilus London, Treasure Fingers, and I've heard rumors of Rye Rye.

August 25

Chicago/Portland band Fruit Bats will be on tour promoting their upcoming album under the killer label Sub Pop.

September 18

Out of Selkirk, Scotland and now in Glasgow, Frightened Rabbit are a great band who recorded a fantastic album with an even better title, Midnight Organ Fight.

September 19

Victoria Christina Hesketh, known as Little Boots out of the UK released the album Hands recently to provide you with even more 20 something girly "good time" pop music.

Follow the artist links and check out some of their tracks. Even more good news? All of these shows are under 20 bucks. What?!

_Michael

You know that one time when I said...

2009-07-12T19:26:00.000-07:00

If you know me well, you know that I often find myself complaining about vocals. It's safe to say that in general, whacked out vocal styles just don't do it for me. Don't whine, don't fake an accent, don't make your voice shudder.

--insert autotune debate here--

If I'm aware of some deeper artistic expression and/or rebellion, well okay I'm inclined to appreciate that, aka the punk movement. If, however, I feel like you're just trying to get a rise of your hipster fanbase, I'm done. Equally painful, but more at the level of sympathy, when a band has great instrumental and songwriting potential, but decides it's okay to let someone sing who obviously cannot. If your band's signature sound is not purpose-driven, but merely a result of a lack of talent, you've got to wonder.

All that said, I find myself regularly breaking my own rules. For reasons I cannot explain, I present to you three groups that I keep adding to my present listening rotation, despite their borderline painful shaky, nasally or awkward voices. So I eat my words, enjoy!

_Michael

Airborne Toxic Event - Sometime Around Midnight

Passion Pit - Little Secrets

Empire of the Sun - We Are the People

Mixtape to Milli

2009-06-30T21:38:00.000-07:00

Today, Drake finally signed to Lil Wayne's label, Young Money, as part of Universal. This deal, after a massive bidding war, is not only a milestone in his relatively young career, but a picture of the music industry today. In the past 3 years, this Canadian rapper has steadily built a successful underground following with his four mixtapes, culminating in this year's So Far Gone. An incredible mixtape, and one of my favorite albums of the year thus far, So Far Gone has helped launch him into almost unprecedented unsigned stardom. His current single, Best I Ever Had, could potentially become only the 2nd #1 song in history by an unsigned artist (he currently has songs at #3 and #10). So far this year, he's performed on various TV shows, awards shows and on tour, selling out shows all well before the release of his first studio full-length album.

The situation is unprecedented, but I foresee it becoming more and more common. With an increasing divergence from an upfront consumer exposure being controlled by corporate music industry, the underground indie artist is gaining power (albeit still relatively capped). This is evident in Drake's success with So Far Gone. As a free album, the buzz that it's generated and the opportunities that it's led to demonstrate the power of the listener to reward quality material as well as the true money-making potential for an artist in everything but album sales.

All that said, it's impossible to notice two things. Firstly, Drake was basically adopted by some powerfully mainstream mentors. Along with getting public praise and facetime with Jamie Foxx, Kanye West and Jay-Z, Lil' Wayne has been grooming him for success for several years now. This manifests itself in So Far Gone with four songs featuring Weezy himself. It's close to impossible to avoid success when your chummed up with the best-selling artist of last year. Most recently, the two performed two songs and sat together on the front row of the BET awards.

I'm excited to hear his upcoming major label debut, but I'm nervous. Part of what has made Drake so interesting for me thus far has revolved around his ability to speak openly and smartly. Amidst hints of the nonsense of a stereotypical hip hop extravagance, he always mixes in reflections on something of emotional depth. In the same verse that he talks about a freak-show tour bus, he details crying with his mother after he catches her trying to literally desert him as a young boy. This is all coupled with a great restraint in the musicality. Much of So Far Gone is slow and moody, finding ways to re-imagine popular indie songs from the likes of Lykke Li and Peter, Bjorn and John. I hope that his marriage to Lil' Wayne doesn't begin to corrode this style. Weezy, although somehow managing to make almost any song sell, has a tendency to digress into a cracked-out randomness in his lyrics in a way that bends more towards disturbing than metaphor to me. Insert "A Milli" here.

Can an artist really have a chance at consistent mainstream success without eventually being tied to a major label?

Drake - Say What's Real (Warning: Explicit Lyrics)

Drake - Successful (ft. Trey Sonz & Lil' Wayne)(Warning: Explicit Lyrics)

Sarah may be the coolest librarian ever.

2009-06-23T23:11:00.000-07:00

My sister requested a 15 min. mix as an intro to her preschoolers storytime at the public library in Norfolk, VA. The summer theme is "Alphabet" and I got a handful of suggested dance-worthy songs that she was looking for and took off from there. It was a lot of fun, not only to jump back and forth between all of these classic songs, but to insert little nuggets of "special" like the french alphabet (the language we both took in high school) and the kermit song (she's been known to appreciate muppets.) It also helps to invision an unruly mob of min-humans jumping around for 15 minutes getting excited for stories to come. Thanks for the opportunity Sarah!

_Michael

Download the MP3 here

Shake a leg

2009-06-17T23:30:00.000-07:00

I returned from a stunning vacation in the Grenadines with rejuvenation and a bit of a tan. At the time I knew that I wanted to record a new mix, but I was unsure which direction it would go. Fortunately or unfortunately, depending on your perspective, the influx of stress over the past few weeks helped me narrow focus and craft the playlist. While reaching for tracks that I very much enjoy as of late, often simple and catchy to give my mind a break, I began to notice a trend towards the grimey. So, without further ado, I'd like to share a new mini mix with you (albeit a tad louder and dirtier than usual). Enjoy!

_Michael

Download the MP3 here

Setlist:

Santigold - You'll Go Crazy ft. Young Jeezy

Phoenix - Listomania (Alex Metric Remix)

The Virgins - Rich Girls (The Twelves Remix)

Passion Pit - The Reeling (Calvin Harris Remix)

Boss in Drama - Favorite Song

Sébastien Tellier - Kilometer (A-Trak Remix)

Dragonette - Fixin' To Thrill (Don Diablo Remix)

Hot Chip - Touch Too Much (Fake Blood Remix)

MSTRKRFT - Click Click ft. E-40

Killa Queenz - Bitches (Zombie Disco Squad Remix)

Daft Punk - Harder Better Faster Stronger (Deadmau5 Edit)

Heads We Dance - When The Sirens Sound (Don Diablo Remix)

Empire Of The Sun - Walking On A Dream (Van She Tech Remix)

Flashback

2009-06-16T10:04:00.000-07:00

I'm mid-process of recording a new mix and should have it up in the next few days. This mix goes back to my interest in electronic/pop/indie dance music and you can get a little taste by listening to last November's mix. Enjoy and stay tuned!

Setlist:

CSS – Move (Cut Copy Remix)
Treasure Fingers – Cross The Dancefloor (Chromeo Remix)
Lykke Li – Dance, Dance, Dance (Data Life Remix)
Justice – Phantom Pt. 2 (Soulwax Remix)
Lykke Li – Breaking It Up (Punks Jump Up Remix)
MGMT – Kids (Soulwax Remix)
Thunderheist – Jerk It (Jokers Of The Scene Remix)
I Am Finn – I Love You (Van She Tech Remix)
Kap10kurt – Mission Complete (Moulinex Remix)
Chromeo – Fancy Footwork
MSTRKRFT – Bounce Ft. Nore (Felix Cartal Remix)
FnDannyBoy – Drop On The Dancefloor
Kid Cudi – Day-N-Nite (Crookers Remix)

Yikes

2009-05-13T10:25:00.000-07:00

So I just realized that unless you have an IMEEM account, you've been hearing mostly 30 second previews of these songs. You can still listen to the full song by clicking on "Listen to the full track" in the player, which will link you to IMEEM. I'll continue to look for other options in the meantime and sorry to those who were annoyed at a blog full of 30 second clips of songs.

Dance already

2009-05-11T22:56:00.000-07:00

A few new dance tracks I've been enjoying lately. Dig it. The first from Alex Metric, who cranks up a newly released track from French band, Phoenix. Secondly, Deadmau5 reinvents the classic Daft Punk track and finally, Don Diablo kills "When the Sirens Sound".

Not in Arizona

2009-05-03T19:13:00.000-07:00

Every once in a while I feel like I've struck gold with a musical find. Even when I'm not convinced that they're going to be the next big thing or that all of my friends need to listen to their music, I still feel obliged to share. I'm convinced that most people have some odd, unexplainable attraction to a very specific genre or sound. A tune that just makes them feel right.

My relatively new exposure to the French band, Phoenix, is giving me hints of that "right" feeling. Emerging from suburban Versailles (joining the ranks of Air and Daft Punk), this foursome has those ingredients of funk, indie rock, electronic and pop that seem to work for me.

Their first, self-titled album was released in 2000 and had some great, accessible songs such as this one:

Their next two albums, Alphabetical and It's Never Been Like That were released in 2004 and 2006 and further defined the bands sound, introducing more electronic. Check out "Long Distance Call" or "Run Run Run" alongside this one

Releasing at the end of this Month, Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix is looking promising with their first single "1901" released as a free MP3 and their latest, "Lisztomania". Look for them in San Francisco at the Regency Center on June 27.

Finally

2009-04-26T16:54:00.000-07:00

Hello to all of our kumquats! I have finally done what I said I would ages ago and recorded a mix. So enjoy the ViewMaster into my hip-hop world. This is the first of hopefully many recordings. If you love it, say so. If you hate it, keep to yourself.

Thanks,
Management (BMW)

Download the MP3

Setlist:
Little Brother - Life of the Party
The Cool Kids - Black Mags
De La Soul - Baby Phat
88 Keys - Stay Up! (ft. Kanye West)
Jay-Z - Jockin' Jay-Z
Pigeon John - Do The Pigeon
Ryan Leslie - Addiction (Remix ft. Cassie, Fabolous)
Q-Tip - Gettin' Up
Ron Brownz - Pop Champagne (ft. Jim Jones, Juelz Santana)
Jennifer Hudson - Pocketbook (ft. Ludacris)
Snoop Dogg - Candy (Drippin' Like Water) (Feat. E-40, MC Eiht, Goldie Loc, Daz & Kurupt)

Jamie Foxx - Blame It (Remix ft. Young Joc, T-Pain)

DJBN April 2009 Mini-Mix

2009-04-13T11:50:00.000-07:00

I recorded a new mini-mix this past weekend to satisfy all of our raving fans. Had a lot of fun with this one and was able to try a number of new technical things while sticking almost exclusively to hip/hop, both old and new. If you'd rather not stream it, the 35 minute MP3 can be downloaded by clicking on "DivShare".

I'd love to get some feedback, positive or negative. Enjoy!

_Michael

Setlist:

Kanye West - Heartless

Nas - If I Ruled the World (ft. Lauryn Hill)

A Tribe Called Quest - Award Tour

Souls of Mischief - 93' Till Infinity

Kevin Rudolf - Let it Rock (ft. Lil Wayne)

Beastie Boys - Body Movin'

Rick Ross - Magnificent (ft. John Legend)

Common - The Light

Erobique - Endorphinmachine

The Dream - Walking on the Moon (ft. Kanye West)

Gregor Salto - Mystery Baila

DJ Class - I'm the Shit (Remix ft. Lil John)

Black Eyed Peas - Boom Boom Pow

Buraka Som Sistema - Kalemba (ft. Pongo Love)

J*Davey

2009-04-10T18:41:00.000-07:00

I found J*Davey through a song of theirs called Mr. Mister and I found my way from there. I really enjoy this song because of its mellow yet jazz feel. They hail from LA and they dabble in a little bit of everything genre wise. They were introduced by a mutual friend in high school and have been a group ever since.

BMW-out this biatch

DiscoTech

2009-04-09T18:29:00.000-07:00

Consisting of Danny Daze, Joe Maz, and Gigamesh, this DJ trio is a remixing force to be reckoned with. Hailing from the Crooklyn Clan, DiscoTech sources from all genres of popular music (Coldplay, T.I., The Police, Rolling Stones, Kanye West, Foo Fighters, etc.) to create danceable hits. What seems most effective about them is their restraint, generally keeping much of what is recognizable to people intact while still introducing their own amplified beat production.

Blu

2009-04-07T21:14:00.000-07:00

I first ran across Blu at the Keys to the City concert at the Independent. Even thought U-N-I headlined and I love their music, Blu managed to steal the show. The confidence in which this guy delivers is incredible. It's nice to see a lyricist like this gain some recognition and I'm excited to see what comes of his major label debut. In the meantime, don't miss his Below The Heaven collaboration with producer Exile. The two are an incredible duo and I hope Exile works his way into the Warner Brothers deal. A few jazzed up tracks for your listening pleasure...

XV

2009-04-07T20:16:00.000-07:00

I heard the song "A.D.D." on another music blog and thought it was a lot of fun. I like the energy and after a little digging, I learned a little about XV and have linked up a few more songs.

I especially like the transition around the 3 minute mark of "Everything is Cool". Interesting to find out that this guy hails from Wichita, Kansas. Having grown up in Kansas, I know a few things are true: 1 - Tornado warning means go to the roof to watch 2 - We produce no good hip/hop (aka Tech N9ne from KCMO). I hope he can make a dent in the latter, so go ahead and keep an eye out for his upcoming album, "The Kid With the Green Backpack".

Q is for Queens

2009-03-29T15:01:00.000-07:00

Q-Tip
We Fight, We Love (Remix ft. Kanye West, Consequence)

Released this past year, Q-Tip's "The Renaissance" didn't hold my attention for very long, but it still managed to remind me of the things I loved about A Tribe Called Quest and the two times I've seen them live. Go ahead and enjoy this jazzed up beat.

Rootbeer

2009-03-21T18:15:00.000-07:00

Pigeon John and Flynn Adam
"MGMT injected with some N.E.R.D and A Tribe Called Quest"

I ran across Rootbeer and their new 5 track EP, Pink Limousine a few weeks ago when it was released. The track "Girlies" stood out to me and I enjoyed the little stutters and repeats that chop up the main vocals.