Video: The Strokes - "Taken For a Fool" (Live on Letterman)

The Strokes trotted out a full-bodied performance of their excellently chosen second single off Angles. I'm not sure I've ever seen a band that is so captivating whilst looking so distant. And Julian Casablanca is off the fuckin' wall. Gotta love it.



MySpace: The Strokes

Mixtape: The Weeknd - House of Balloons

Drake dapped fellow Torontonian Abel Tesfay a.k.a. The Weeknd by posting his debut mixtape on his October's Very Own blog. Filled with dark atmospherics, smooth-as-hell vocals, and a bit of Drizzy's personal flavor, this is one of the more enjoyable R&B mixtapes I've heard in a looong time.

Word is he'll be partnering with Drake and beatmaker Noah "40" Shebib in the near future, but as The Weeknd croons himself, "you wanna be high for this."

Download: The Weeknd - House of Balloons

John Legend - "Rolling in the Deep" (Adele cover)

John Legend rolled out an impressive acapella take on Adele's bluesy single "Rolling in the Deep". Injecting a smooth soulfulness that only the most clean-cut member of the G.O.O.D. family could, it's the closest anyone will come to touching the British songbird's jaw-dropping vocals.

Download: John Legend - "Rolling in the Deep" (Adele cover)

MySpace: John Legend

Lil' Wayne - "If I Die" (feat. Rick Ross)

New Weezy off the Tha Carter IV. Figures that Rick Rossay would get a spot considering this beat is just his own "I'm Not a Star". Glad to hear Wayne on some official shiiiiit. We missed you.

Download: Lil' Wayne - "If I Die" (feat. Rick Ross)

MySpace: Lil' Wayne

Video: Anthony Green - Live From the Purvolume House @ SXSW

1) Didn't know Anthony Green's upcoming LP had a title (Beautiful Things) or glamor shots taken his senior year (see: above picture.)
2) Even more excited for it after hearing him let his vocals soar in a solo set chocked full of older cuts at SXSW. Set list includes: "Plays Ugly For Daddy" and "Miracle Sun".

I can fucks with it.

Watch: Anthony Green - Live From the Purevolume House

MySpace: Anthony Green

Video: Big Sean - "My Last"

Yeah, it's got all the trappings of a cliche hip-hop video. Coming from Sean, it's pretty authentic. Love the way he splices in clips of him back-in-the-day. C-breezy brings his bleach-blond, GMA wreckin' mug onto the scene for some of the worst lip syncing I've ever seen.

Can't hate on this song at all. Huge track...might finally be put Sean's name on the map.

Finally Famous, boi.



MySpace: Big Sean

Common - "Follow Me"

What's with today and unreleased hip-hop cuts bumping a reggae vibe? This one comes from the Be sessions, one of my personal favorite Common records, so you know it's on point.

Don't see it very often, but in this extremely random and self-created matchup, I got the score at Common: 1, Nas: 0.

Download: Common - "Follow Me"

MySpace: Common

Nas - "Anybody Test"

Unreleased cut sees Nasir going hard, and slightly dutty, over a twinkling piano line. Not my favorite Nas jaunt, but that's like saying Blake Lively isn't that hot next to Scarlett Johansson. Feel me?

Download: Nas - "Anybody Test"

MySpace: Nas

Lil' Wayne - "All of the Lights" (feat. Big Sean and Drake)

Better late than never. Three of the hottest MCs in the game take on what I ranked as the second-best song of 2010. Sean's verse: nice. Wayne's verse: nicer. Drizzy's verse: off the charts.

This one's going to be a favorite for a looooooong time.

MySpace: Lil' Wayne

Stream: The Dangerous Summer - An Acoustic Performance of Reach For the Sun

Reach For the Sun is one of my all-time favorite pop-punk records. So naturally an acoustic rendition of the entire album would be equally welcome.

Gone getcha some thanks to Absolutepunk.

Stream: The Dangerous Summer - An Acoustic Performance of Reach For the Sun

MySpace: The Dangerous Summer

The Game - "Red Nation" (feat. Lil' Wayne)

First official single off The R.E.D Album. I think Charles Hamilton already had a go at this and, while his instrumental was more ferocious, I'm still putting my money on Game and Weezy's bars.

The R.E.D. Album's release date is still TBA, but tentatively expect it around mid-to-late 2011.

MySpace: The Game

Wiz Khalifa - "The Race"

Wiz has dethroned Kid Cudi as the leader of the stoner hip-hop movement and this might as well be one of the genre's national anthems. The instrumental and hook are winners. But while this isn't the worst example--I actually can get with it hard--dude's pedestrian bars are getting old quick.

We'll see what's what when Rolling Papers drops on Mar. 29.

MySpace: Wiz Khalifa

Explosions in the Sky - "Trembling Hands"

At 3:31 run time, it's definitely understandable if anyone is wondering if this is that Explosions in the Sky. Well, from the ambrosial guitar lines to the thunderous percussion, I can confirm that it is indeed the kings of epic instrumental jams and their reign is still going strong.

Take Care, Take Care, Take Care drops Apr. 26.

MySpace: Explosions in the Sky

Lil' Wayne - "We Back Soon"

Not sure where this jaunt will land, but it's vintage oddball Wayne. Scratch soon, Weezy is back now.

MySpace: Lil' Wayne

Broken Bells - "Windows"

Broken Bells announced they would release a new four-song EP entitled Meyrin Fields on Mar. 29. "Windows" is the first-take off it--delivering the familiar sound of James Mercer's teeming falsetto and jazzy drum fills, with the more unexpected jagged riffs and peppy tempo.

Listen: Broken Bells - "Windows"

MySpace: Broken Bells

Video: Atmosphere - "Just For Show"

Atmosphere drop their first video off The Family Sign that's plot is an eloquent mix of existentialism, Toy Story 3, and the children's book Noisy Nora.

This song is groovy as fuck too.



MySpace: Atmosphere

Gatsby's American Dream - "Modern Man"

I wasn't sure we'd see the day when Gatsby's American Dream reunited, but it has come. Here's the first taste of their second go-round and it's nothing short of breathtaking. The biting, social-conscious lyrics; multiple time-signature changes; and Nic Newsham's vocals sound noticeably smoother.

Gettin' REAL hyped.

Download: Gatsby's American Dream - "Modern Man"

MySpace: Gatsby's American Dream

Video: Lupe Fiasco - "The Show Goes On" (Live on Jimmy Fallon)

Gospel choirs, The Roots, and Andy from Parks and Recreation? I thought Lasers was pretty tame, but Lu did this one right and there is no denying the enormity of this single.



MySpace: Lupe Fiasco

Moving Mountains - "Where Two Bodies Lie"

Moving Mountains one-upped a plethora of information surfacing about their new LP by also dropping one of the cuts off it. While it's not what I expected--much more straight-forward than their lengthy instrumental musings--I'm still digging it...I'd like to think of it as more condensed sound than a thinned one.

Waves, dropping May 10th, cannot come soon enough.

Download: Moving Mountains - "Where Two Bodies Lie"

MySpace: Moving Mountains

Video: Lil' Wayne - "6 Foot 7 Foot" (feat. Corey Gunz)

Wanye plays some word association games while mimicking Inception. Had everyone opportunity to be dumb as hell, but Mr. Carter did what it does on this one. Love this shit.

Lil Wayne - Music - More Music Videos

MySpace: Lil' Wayne

Video: Lykke Li - "Get Some" (Live on Jimmy Fallon)

I'm not sure about the do' or Jimmy Fallon's pronunciation, but this was an attitude-packed performance. Although Wounded Rhymes didn't click with me as quickly as I expected, I'm not writing it off yet.



MySpace: Lykke Li

Video: Bruno Mars - "Liquor Store Blues" (feat. Damien Marley)

Bruno Mars and Damien Marley team up on this awesomely hazy, psychedelic trip. This song is great, makes me really curious about what Bruno could do covering Sublime...think the results would be A+.

Watch: Bruno Mars - "Liquor Store Blues" (feat. Damien Marley)

MySpace: Bruno Mars

Pusha T - "Cook It Down"

As Fear of God's March 21st drop off date draws closer and closer, Pusha is letting off more and more cuts. This one is his take of Drake/Bun B's "Put It Down"...his flow always seems to run at the same pace, but fortunately his bars also run with similar consistency.

Also: The single artwork is on. point.

Download: Pusha T - "Cook It Down"

MySpace: Pusha T

Video: The Strokes - "Under Cover of Darkness"

Julian Casablancas--up there for one of the best frontman names of all-time--steals the scene in the video for their newest single, playing the "fuck you" punk rocker to his cleaned up and classy band members. Theater is beautiful, song is even better.

Angles (out Mar. 22) is gonna be toight like a toiga.



MySpace: The Strokes

Death Cab For Cutie - "Codes and Keys/"When The Sun Goes Down on Your Street" (live)

Ben Gibbard gave an impromptu first-listen off some jaunts off DCFC's upcoming LP, including the piano-driven title-track and the tender folk strumming of "When the Sun Goes Down on Your Street", at San Francisco’s Noise Pop Festival. Death Cab have switched up their style a number of times--this particular record is rumored to have less focus on guitars--but I've loved everything they put out. This falls right in line.

Codes and Keys drops May 31st.

Stream: Death Cab For Cutie - "Codes and Keys/"When The Sun Goes Down on Your Street" (live)

MySpace: Death Cab For Cutie

Video: Blu - Interview with HardKnockTV

HardKnockTV gets some real talk outta Johnson Barnes. The highlights: NoYork!--his debut LP off Warner--a mixtape, and EP all coming soon. Also talk of a more personal record that will reunite him with soul partner Exile, but I'll hold my breathe til' it's sitting in my hand.



MySpace: Blu

Pusha T - "Lost in the World"

This one of the rare tracks I occasionally skip on MBDTF, but the beat is still bananas. Pusha graces it with a steady verse--nothing special, but I'm still stoked as hell for Fear of God.

Download: Pusha T - "Lost in the World"

MySpace: Pusha T

Manchester Orchestra - "Simple Math"

Manchester Orchestra debuted the lead single/title-track for their upcoming LP. Already loving it...maintains some of the jagged rocking from Mean Everything to Nothing, but makes good n it's promise of "monster riffs, vigorous string arrangements, and deep hooks." In other words, think Death Cab for Cutie jacked up on epicness.

Simple Math, a concept album involving "a 23-year old who questions everything from marriage to love to religion to sex," drops May 10.

Download: Manchester Orchestra - "Simple Math"

MySpace: Manchester Orchestra

Raekwon - "Rich and Black" (feat. Nas) (snippet)

Is there a better way to get stoked for Shaolin vs. Wu-Tang--out Mar. 8--than getting Nas and The Chef together? Didn't think so.

MySpace: Raekwon

Video: Wavves - "King of the Beach"

This is a pretty literal video featuring the things you expect to find in a Wavves video: plenty of weed paraphenelia, FIFA, Snacks the cat, and gold chains.

I'm eagerly awaiting the day that the warm weather arrives for good so I can bring King of the Beach and all my other favorite surf-rock records back from their hibernation.



MySpace: Wavves

Kanye West - "Impromptu Cypher at the Blue Note" (feat. Lupe Fiasco and Mos Def)

The Robert Glasper Experiment hit the stage at Blue Note in NYC this past weekend and brought along some big-name friends. While I'd rather hear their extended backing of some Lupe classics, a 7-minute freestyle feature Lu, Yeezy, and Mighty Mos is more that sufficient.

Download: Kanye West - "Impromptu Cypher at the Blue Note" (feat. Lupe Fiasco and Mos Def)

MySpace: Kanye West

Video: Lykke Li - "I Follow Rivers" (acoustic)

Lykke Li takes to a little shop of horrors for an acoustic rendition of what is currently my favorite jaunt off Wounded Rhymes, which drops today. Go naggle.

Lykke Li - I Follow Rivers from The Line Of Best Fit on Vimeo.

MySpace: Lykke Li