OK, I know this is the second month in a row I’m posting a mixtape after the month is over, but you’re just going to have to deal with it. And while you’re dealing with it, tickle my balls.
Some great stuff in here, a couple oldies too. I packed this one really full. Make sure you check the Music Pixx page for this new section called “what’s stuck in my head”, as I will be updating that often and separate from official Music Pixx. Suck on it…
What’s brown, glittery, and likes the dark? If you said, “Santi White” aka Santogold, then you’re right. (Even though no one said it, I’ll still give you the gold star).
This Philidelphia-based singer/producer dropped her self-titled debut earlier in 2008 — a cool mix of dance-hall indie electronica with some hip hop sprinkled on top. It’s like the Yeah Yeah Yeahs or M.I.A., only better and less annoying.
Gotta be honest, I’m not a Killers fan. The debut album from these methed-out Las Vegas synth-heads was amazing, but since then, meh. Plus, I saw them perform a couple years ago, and it was a garbage fest with tweeny-boppers.
But this new song from their latest try Day and Age is at least worth a listen. Even if it’s a unenthusiastic one.
Yes, the year is almost over (just two days left!! Make sure you do a lot of bad things before your “new years resolution”), and as I look back on this year, I have to say something that I haven’t said in a long time: this was a REALLY good year for music.
A lot of cool, innovative stuff came out this year — from both new and old, American and import, indie and mainstream. And as they say, the best music comes from pain, poverty, and suffering, so 2009 looks like it should be even better than ever. Recession, here we come!!
Without further ado, I give you my Top 10 albums of 2008….
10. Weezer - “Red Album”
I should first put an *asterisk on this pick by saying that it’s only a top 10 album if you count the 4 bonus tracks that you had to pay extra for (shame on you Weezer). Half of my favorite songs on the album (Mrs. Sweeny and King) were buried on the back end, in the bonus section. For this 6th studio album, Rivers Cuomo has clearly been listening to a lot of gangster rap (Tupac, I’m looking at you), which is painfully obvious in the pompous and shitty lyrics. But trivial lyrics aside, Weezer rocks as hard as ever, and the album stands up as a solid effort. Why it’s awesome: I Am The Greatest Man That Ever Lived. This was my unofficial anthem for 2008 — and Weezer’s Bohemian Rhapsody, if you will. It showed an epic side of the band that has yet to be seen. Tracks to Listen For: Mrs. Sweeney, Greatest Man That Ever Lived, Dreamin’, Pig
Put this CD on and close you’re eyes, and you’ll swear you’re at ‘73 Pink Floyd concert with a head full of acid. This LA local band is one you’ve probably never heard of before, but that just adds to their allure (I’ll make sure to trash-talk them when they blow up and say they “sold out”). Why it’s awesome: 70s rock n roll is not dead. The Beatles, Pink Floyd, My Bloody Valentine — all clearly huge influences — would all be proud as a peacock at the airy vocals, epic guitar builds, and old-school rockin’ put forth in “2“. This one is a surprise stunna. Tracks to listen for:Talking Words, Two Ways Out, Northern Soul, Pale Sun
If you ever drink beer, go to parties, or like to bob your head, this might be your kryponite. This Pittsburgh-based DJ blew up this year — his specialty: the hotness, otherwise known as “sample-based remixes”. Basically, he takes samples from about 15 different songs and mashes them up into one huge, f**king awesome “new” track. This is an amazing party CD; also great for killing time at work, or for making your heart race (drink some Red Bull with it). Why it’s awesome: Two reasons: 1) He samples and mashes up everything. Beats, hooks, riffs — no music or genre is safe from the epicly rad dance mashups. 2) It’s FREE. Because he samples about 1000 artists in these 12 tracks, the music is technically “illegal”. So you can still click here and pay $00.00. So you have no excuse to not get it. Tracks to listen for: They all blend into one huge mash-up, so just pick one and see where it takes you.
I was really hesitant to pick this album up. Up to this point, I’d heard TVOTR a bunch of times before and I decalred it “too indie” for my pallet. But after hearing so much hoo-ha about Dear Science, I had to pick it up. And I’m really, really, really glad I did. It’s not that this isn’t still “indie” or “experimental”, because it is, but it’s a fully-realized, beautifully-done album. It goes from dance-floor-ready hooks on Dancing Choose to plucked-string ballads like Stork and Owl in the span of a few tracks. I will no longer look at these Brooklyn underground rockers with that indie-BS stigma anymore. Shame on me. Why it’s awesome: Best album with a drum kit. These guys have come up with a pretty dope mix between rap and dance and rock and experimental who-knows-what. Sure they use synthesizers and layer tracks like whoa, but rappers make note — this is how you make an interesting album. Tracks to listen for: Dancing Choose, Crying, Stork and Owl, Family Tree
Artist:
TV on the Radio
Song:
Dancing Choose
6. Cold War Kids - “Loyalty to Loyalty”
After the brilliance of their debut Robbers and Cowards, CWK came back swinging hard. Loyalty to Loyalty is chock full of percussion-heavy, tinny-guitared gold. I’ve never heard a group before that TRIES to make their songs sound like they’ve been recorded straight off of the radio with a tape recorder. And I had the pleasure of seeing these guys live in August — every band member plays at least two or three instruments, sings, and goes crazy. F-in’ great. Why it’s awesome: Because every track is so damn different and interesting. You can go from dance-floor ready Something is Not Right With Me to airy-and-emotional Every Man I Fall For, and others like Dreams Old Men Dream still give me goose-bumps. It’s definately one of those albums that grows on you and grows on you. Depending on your mood, you could love one song the first time you hear it, then a different the next time. Tracks to Listen For:Something Is Not Right With Me, I’ve Seen Enough, Dreams Old Men Dream, Every Valley Is Not a Lake
Just click on that little tasty pizza, and a small pop-out window will appear with a music player and start rocking the song. This way you can continue to browse, while the kick ass tunes melt away your boredom.
This is a tune from Cake’s B-Sides and Rarities album I just bought yesterday. And the tune, I believe, is a awesome cover of a Sesame Street song? Manamena! And if you’d like to borrow the track for a little while, you can still right click on song name and “Save Target As”. As long as you promise to return it or buy their shit.
That’s it! Enjoy the bejesus out of it. And ps, props to QuietColor Music for letting me steal their music player. They are the musical cutting edge.
This is a pretty rad mash-up. Coldplay just released a new 5 song EP of leftovers from Viva La Vida, called Prospekt’s March. Of course, they had to make it a totally separate release to try and swindle all you folks out of scrilla.
I’m not sure if this is a high point for Coldplay or a low point for Jay-Z, but it’s something. Play it up in the new PMPlayer below, and/or check out the sweet new video.
New York-based TV on the Radio — or TVotR as I call them — is one of those bands that you either love or hate. Their sound is experimental, at times eccentric and punkish, other times rock or electro. …Something a stoned college student can smoke a doobie to and “straight chill”. And I’m starting to like them more and more.
This is a hot track off of Dear Science, the band’s recent release. The song is cool, but this new PMPmusic Player is even cooler!! Try it out!
This song gets props from me because it could very well be a D2daP song. Funny and catchy is rare in rap — so kudos.
It comes of off Weezy’s album Tha Carter III (’08), and it’s actually the 5th single off that disc. Pretty impressive for a dude that always sounds like he’s on the verge of tears. But I gotta admit, his flow and catalogue have grown on me over this past year. Got me like…Wee-Ooh, weee-ooh, weee!
Lil Wayne ft Bobby Valentino - Mrs Officer/Comfortable
Akil and Chali 2na from Jurassic collaborated with DJ Format for this epic. One of the coolest music videos I’ve seen in a while. Tony the Tiger, eat your f***in heart out.
Look, I realize we’re a 3rd of the way into December, but I simply couldn’t bare the thought of not giving you this delectable sampling from last month. Plus, my website was down for the last week in November, so I feel like I get a freebie.
The theme of this month: Feel good, bitch. The first track is like premature nut.
1. Conor Oberst (aka dude from Bright Eyes) - “NYC - Gone, Gone” >> PLAY
2. Franz Ferdinand - “Ulysses” >> PLAY
3. Good Shoes - “The Photos On My Wall” >> PLAY
4. Raphael Saadiq - “100 Yard Dash” >> PLAY
5. Vampire Weekend - “Oxford Comma” >> WATCH
6. Cold War Kids - “Every Valley Is Not a Lake” >> PLAY
7. Darker My Love - “Talking Words”>>PLAY
8. D2daP - “Murderous” >> PLAY
9. Lupe Fiasco - “The Coolest” >> PLAY
10. The Stills - “Being Here” >> WATCH
11. TV On The Radio - “Crying” >> PLAY
12. Kings of Leon -”Revelry”>> PLAY
13. Ra Ra Riot - “Can You Tell” >> PLAY
14. The Kooks - “Tick of Time” >> PLAY
15. Death Cab For Cutie - “Talking Bird” >> PLAY
So fresh, so clean, so long overdue. It’s about time that Franz Ferdinand dropped some new music knowledge on the world. And I do believe their new single delivers — it’s got that same bouncy funk from “Take Me Out” mixed with a little Eurthmix
Here’s their new single off their upcoming 3rd album Tonight: Franz Ferdinand due out in January ‘09. Play, download, enjoy!
OK, I know this is the second month in a row I’m posting a mixtape after the month is over, but you’re just going to have to deal with it. And while you’re dealing with it, tickle my balls.
I should first put an *asterisk on this pick by saying that it’s only a top 10 album if you count the 4 bonus tracks that you had to pay extra for (shame on you Weezer). Half of my favorite songs on the album (Mrs. Sweeny and King) were buried on the back end, in the bonus section. For this 6th studio album, Rivers Cuomo has clearly been listening to a lot of gangster rap (Tupac, I’m looking at you), which is painfully obvious in the pompous and shitty lyrics. But trivial lyrics aside, Weezer rocks as hard as ever, and the album stands up as a solid effort.
Put this CD on and close you’re eyes, and you’ll swear you’re at ‘73 Pink Floyd concert with a head full of acid. This LA local band is one you’ve probably never heard of before, but that just adds to their allure (I’ll make sure to trash-talk them when they blow up and say they “sold out”).
If you ever drink beer, go to parties, or like to bob your head, this might be your kryponite. This Pittsburgh-based DJ blew up this year — his specialty: the hotness, otherwise known as “sample-based remixes”. Basically, he takes samples from about 15 different songs and mashes them up into one huge, f**king awesome “new” track. This is an amazing party CD; also great for killing time at work, or for making your heart race (drink some Red Bull with it).
I was really hesitant to pick this album up. Up to this point, I’d heard TVOTR a bunch of times before and I decalred it “too indie” for my pallet. But after hearing so much hoo-ha about Dear Science, I had to pick it up. And I’m really, really, really glad I did. It’s not that this isn’t still “indie” or “experimental”, because it is, but it’s a fully-realized, beautifully-done album. It goes from dance-floor-ready hooks on Dancing Choose to plucked-string ballads like Stork and Owl in the span of a few tracks. I will no longer look at these Brooklyn underground rockers with that indie-BS stigma anymore. Shame on me.
After the brilliance of their debut Robbers and Cowards, CWK came back swinging hard. Loyalty to Loyalty is chock full of percussion-heavy, tinny-guitared gold. I’ve never heard a group before that TRIES to make their songs sound like they’ve been recorded straight off of the radio with a tape recorder. And I had the pleasure of seeing these guys live in August — every band member plays at least two or three instruments, sings, and goes crazy. F-in’ great.
