Thursday, June 30, 2011

Video: Bon Iver - "I Can't Make You Love Me / Nick of Time" (Live in Studio)



I'm pretty sure Justin Vernon could take any song and immediately inject it with beautifully fragility. Here he steps up to a duo of Bonnie Raitt tunes and smacks them outta the park with that haunting falsetto.

Bon Iver is in stores now. If you haven't copped it yet, do so.



MySpace: Bon Iver

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Video: Drake - "Marvin's Room"



Slept on this song long enough that we've already got an official video for it. Drizzy hazily croon slides effortlessly into a cautionary tale about drunk dialing. The visuals get the sentiment across well, especially it's comprehension of the subtle darkness injected into the cut a la Ye's 808 & Heartbreaks. Only question is...who's Marvin?

With the hopes that this is included, Take Care is already shaping up well.

Drake ~ Marvins Room (Official Video) from OctobersVeryOwn on Vimeo.



Download: Drake - "Marvin's Room"

MySpace: Drake

Butch Walker and the Black Widows - "Summer of '89"



Butch Walker and his merry band of rockers popped their heads up to announce that their new LP The Spade will drop on August 30th and were inclined to share it's lead single as well. A self-described "scorcher", it's packed full of the same aw-shucks country twang and sugary pop chorus' that lined 2010's I Liked You Better When You Had No Heart. As for the references, I was only 8 months old in said time period, so I'll let Butch do the recollecting.



MySpace: Butch Walker and the Black Widows

Monday, June 27, 2011

Video: Arcade Fire - Scenes from the Suburbs (trailer)



So I was teased to actually believe I'd be able to watch the full 28 minutes of Spike Jonze's short film based on the Arcade Fire's The Suburbs. Too bad it's only viewable in every country except the U.S. and Canada. A bit ironic. So enjoy rest of the world, while everyone over here can watch an official trailer and sit on our hands until Scenes from the Suburbs DVD hits stores on some TBA date.

Bitter, but still excited.

Watch: Arcade Fire - Scenes from the Suburbs (trailer)

MySpace: Arcade Fire

Stream: Washed Out - Within and Without



Summer may be everyone's favorite season, so it's only fitting that Ernest Greene gives us another another collection of songs to serve as the soundtrack to crashing waves, bonfires, and the full spectrum of freedom and emotion. Yeah...the last one's a stretch, but don't try and tell me these songs don't move you.

Within and Without officially drops July 12th.

Stream: Washed Out - Within and Without
MySpace: Washed Out

Video: Kings of Leon - "Mi Amigo"/"McFearless" (Live at Slane Castle)



MTV has thrown up some video of Followill clan's epic performance at the 30th anniversary event for Slane Castle in Ireland. Considering Kings of Leon are just about the only group I listen to anymore, since pretty relevant. Below you'll see a gritty take on "Mi Amigo" off Come Around Sundown and a hypnotizing version of "McFearless" off Because of the Times, but hit it here to see eight other songs.





MySpace: Kings of Leon

Video: Moving Mountains - "Always Only For Me" (Live at AKP Studios)



MovMount dropped a second video from their APK session, this time performing the brooding "Always Only For Me". The instrumentation is again top notch and, while I still maintain that the melodic vocals are a bit tame, the screaming is absolutely crushing. Don't know what all those loose reels of tape are about, though. Must've been a vicious VCR somewhere in that loft.

Give this a look and then go grab Waves. It's for your own good.



MySpace: Moving Mountains

Saturday, June 25, 2011

Coldplay - "Moving to Mars"



I was going to come up with an elaborate excuse for why I didn't post anything about Coldplay's new single "Every Teardrop is a Waterfall" but, truth is, I just didn't have time. Hopefully this other new Coldplay cut, which shifts from a tender ballad into Pink Floyd territory (think "Time",) more than makes up for it.

Every Teardrop is a Waterfall
EP drops on July 26th.



MySpace: Coldplay

Video: Big Sean - Detroit Homecoming



Sean release a mini-documentary of his return to Detroit, laying down some great visuals over the equally superb "So Much More". For all the "boi"s and "I do it"s, the guy has some serious mic skills and seems like all around good dude.

Finally Famous officially drops June 28th.



MySpace: Big Sean

Video: Explosions in the Sky - "Last Known Surroundings"



Explosions in the Sky have never previously released an official music video for one of their songs. Now the poster boys of post-rock have snapped that streak and dropped a video for their song "Last Known Surroundings" off their excellent new LP Take Care, Take Care, Take Care. The video itself play out like the sweetest--and trippiest--Windows Media visualizer you've ever seen..props to Ptamark on the animation and illustrations.

Last Known Surroundings from Explosions in the Sky on Vimeo.



MySpace: Explosions in the Sky

The Weeknd - "Trust Issues"



The Weeknd hops on Drake's new single and beefs it up with some much needed backbone. This kid keeps on impressing me, can't wait to see other cards he's got up his sleeves.

Download: The Weeknd - "Trust Issues"

Friday, June 24, 2011

The Game - "Pot of Gold" (feat. Chris Brown)



Chris Brown continues his successful image rehabilitation tour by hopping on a hook for The Game's new single. Say what you will about the kid, but I'm not sure who else could make a metaphor about leprechauns sound as fucking catchy as C-Breezy.

Download: The Game - "Pot of Gold" (feat. Chris Brown)

MySpace: The Game

Mumford & Sons - "Below My Feet"



Not sure where this will end up, but regardless, it's new Mumford & Sons. While "Below My Feet" features the same dreamy, melodious folk stylings Marcus and Co. have used to captivate the globe, it's slow-building nature raises a few more goosebumps than their previous work. I have very little doubt these guys will keep doing big things.



MySpace: Mumford & Sons

Video: Incubus - "Promises, Promises"




If Not Now, When
dropped completely unbeknownst to me so as I get on that, do yourself a favor and peep the newest video of the LP. The highlights include DJ Killmore on the electric piano, some cool backdrop work, and Brandon Boyd being Brandon Boyd to a song that's about as close as Incubus gets to doing a power ballad.

Incubus - Promises, Promises from microsite.ws on Vimeo.



MySpace: Incubus

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Washed Out - "Amor Fati"/"Echoes"



Within And Without is slated to drop on July 12th so Ernest Greene decided to debut two new songs off the disc. "Amor Fati" is the has the trademarked shimmery bounce Washed Out has made it's specialty, while "Echoes" boasts a more hypnotizing club vibe. Both good to bump on your way to the beach, which I'll subsequently be doing next weekend.

Stream: Washed Out - "Amor Fati"/"Echoes"

MySpace: Washed Out

The Horrible Crowes - "Black Betty & The Moon" (snippet)



The Horrible Crowes a.k.a. The Gaslight Anthem's frontman Brian Fallon and guitar tech Ian Perkins unveil their project's first audio bit. While it's only a snippet, the cut falls somewhere between Southern Accents-era Tom Petty and the mellower cuts off Gaslights last two releases. Translation for those of you who didn't understand the last sentence: me rikey the billboard.

Elsie drops Sept. 6.



MySpace: The Horrible Crowes

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Drake - "Trust Issues"



Drake takes the hook from his hot new DJ Khaled feature "I'm On One", slows it up, and melds it into one of his aqueous R&B joints. Not sure if this will show up on Take Care--there were tags for it attached to the single--but who really knows. Either way, Mr. Graham is staying on point as always.

Download: Drake - "Trust Issues"

MySpace: Drake

Video: Bon Iver - "Calgary" (Live on The Colbert Report)



Bon Iver's Justin Vernon stops by on the first night of Stephest Colbchella and takes part in a hilarious interview with Mr. Colbert himself--especially a killer joke about Vernon's college major/minor--and a stunning performance of the dreamy "Calgary" off Bon Iver's superb new self-titled LP.


bi on tcr by yardie4lifever2

MySpace: Bon Iver

The Cool Kids - "Swimsuits" (feat. Mayer Hawthorne)



Today marks the first official day of summer and what better way to celebrate than a new Cool Kids jam dedicated to everyone's favorite season. Throw a blue-eyed soul hook courtesy Mayer Hawthorne and you got yourself a bonafide anthem.

Download: The Cool Kids - "Swimsuits" (feat. Mayer Hawthorne)

MySpace: The Cool Kids

Video: The Antlers - "Every Night My Teeth Are Falling Out"



The Antlers go holographic in the night-timey video for their equally nocturnal "Every Night My Teeth Are Falling Out". It's odd to hear Pete Silberman's smooth falsetto set to the violent smashing of teeth, but it's that sweet-and-sour contrast that makes Burst Apart such an enjoyable listen.



MySpace: The Antlers

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Video: The Orphan, The Poet - "Invincible"



An epic video to match an equally unrelenting song. Not sure how I feel about the concept, but the visuals are slick and the band's performance was brimming with emotion. There's a lot of buzz surrounding these guys. Peep the video and check out their Translating EP--out now--for a first taste.

The Orphan, The Poet - "Invincible" (Official Music Video) from Nathan William on Vimeo.



MySpace: The Orphan, The Poet

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Video: Kanye West - "Monster" (feat. Rick Ross, Jay-Z, Nicki Minaj, Justin Vernon)



Here's the final cut for the "Monster" official video. Pretty much as expected: Jay is straight class, Nicki Minaj is out of her mind, and Yeezy is acting like he's in a mid-90s R&B video...well, if a mid-90s R&B had a campy horror movie vibe and a shitload of dead models.

Watch: Kanye West - "Monster" (feat. Rick Ross, Jay-Z, Nicki Minaj, Justin Vernon)

MySpace: Kanye West

Skyzoo - "Get Him to the Greek" (Prod. 9th Wonder)



Hard not to like a collab between Sky and 9th Wonder, especially when they freak out on the track like they just copped some Jeffrey. Sorry, had to.

The Great Debater dropped today and, word is, that it's Skyzoo's most lyrical effort yet. Silllllly.

Listen: Skyzoo - "Get Him to the Greek" (Prod. 9th Wonder)

MySpace: Skyzoo

Video: Moving Mountains - "The Cascade" (Live at AKP Studios)



I was expecting an official video when I stumbled upon this, but it's actually some hi-res footage of the band performing the song live at APK Studios in Brooklyn. While the vocals were spotty at some point, these guys are tighter than bfflz musically, with plenty of guitar throws to boot. I never really gave Waves the quality listens it deserved, so it's time to play catch up now.



MySpace: Moving Mountains

Monday, June 6, 2011

Video: Portugal. The Man. - Sleep Forever



The guys from Portugal. The Man. show off their Alaskan roots via a stunning short film entitled Sleep Forever. The visuals center on a dogsled musher gliding around their home state to two of the band's new songs--the Beatles-esque "Sleep Forever" and the peppy "Got It All (This Can't Be Living Now)"--off their upcoming In the Mountain, In the Cloud. The protagonist eventually loses his pups and is stranded in the wilderness to gory results, but these songs never stray from their poignancy.



MySpace: Portugal. The Man.