Drake-So Far Gone

So children, to review.

Fall-T.I.

Winter- Jay-Z

Spring- Kanye West

Summer- Lil Wayne

That's the natural order, and It works. Alas, there may be a new rapper out there to fill in the cracks in time, and his name is Drake. Just as I have my seasonal rappers, they all have their own unique aspect that appeals to me. T.I. has got this ferocity to his music, like a bomb that could explode at the slightest insult. Jay-Z is like the Mother Willow. He has the most creative metaphors and vivid imagery than any one in "the game", and he has the aura that he knows what he and the rest of the rap world is doing. Kanye has the ego, but he is monster in the production room. He knows a good sound when he hears it. Lil Wayne has the swagger. He is just cool. He makes some hot music, that naturally fits with the summer heat. Thankfully, Drake isn't competing for a seasonal spot. Drake is music i can listen to at night, during anytime of the year.

Drake started his climb to fame playing little Jimmy Brooks on Degrassi: The Next Generation, a show next to no one watched on stations like Noggin, and Discovery Kid. I have seen one episode with him, and he was a basketball star to be that was shot in a Columbine-esque school shooting, and found his love for comic art. Compelling stuff here. Anywho, the Ontario released some mix-tapes ehy, and was featured as one of the coveted "Joints of the Week" on BET's 106th & Park, a spot previously held by greats such as Elvis, Sinatra, and Tom Waits. The song got the man some hype and started popping up on all sorts of mix-tapes and singles with the likes of Yeezy, Weezy, and Jay-Zeezy which propelled him into fame quicker than Mr. Pants on the Ground. Drake got two Grammy nominations for his hit single "Best I Ever Had", which is from the EP So Far Gone released on Universal Motown, which is from Drakes mixtape with the same name.

Also, the collaboration "Forever" with Kanye, Lil Wayne, and Eminem, is awesome.

Drake pulls a lot of inspiration from the cool sultry sounds of Marvin Gaye, and updates them for todays marketability. That's not to say that he would have it any other way (he does love his sleazy lyrics), it just happens to be what the rap scene is mostly about today. The high aspiring "Successful" shows what Drake is, unmasked, even if it is not intended. " I want the money, money and the cars, cars and the clothes, the hoes. I just wanna be, I just wanna be successful." What sticks this track out from other greed anthems is the glimmer of depression that is only felt through the music.

The real kicker for the mix-tape is its unconventional use of sounds that might not be anywhere near a rap album. Drake is an open supporter of Grizzly Bear, and has been spotted at several other "indie" bands. "Unstoppable" features super awesome/crazy Santo Gold, who adds her trip hop vocals to the track, which you won't hear in the most obscure rap albums. The song I would like to think is the standout track "Say Whats Real" consists of no more than Drake, a church choir, and blips and bleeps in time with the music, which allows Drake to be the only thing to show off, and he raps sooooo well on this. Not many rap songs hook me with lyrics alone, but that's all there is to hook you with. Plus, there is a weird genius in the backing choir, with its dark ominous droning, and the split second of a major chord, like the silver lining. "Lets Call It Off" is the most unusual song, as it is essentially an echoey 80's track, very similar to Flock of Seagulls. Tinny guitars, roving bass beats, and a singer who is channelling everything 80's singing ever was make the song the most non-rap/rap song I've ever heard. I know I like a song, when it takes me twenty minutes to find the words to explain it.

Going back to the smooth sounds, there is not a single song that doesn't have a smoky sultry atmosphere. "Lust For Life", "Houstalantavegas", "A Night Off", "The Calm", and "Brand New" all have the same ethereal sphere surrounding the sweeping voices, but every song brings something new to the table. I have designated this mix-tape to be heard best when listened to around 12-2 in the morning. Yea, I know its weird, but trust me. It is a late night, wind-down cd. Frank Sinatra put out a record that went the same way. "In The Wee Small Hours" is the best late-night album ever, but Drake is pushing Old Blue Eyes around for the spot. From the looks of it Drake's going to be pushing things around for a long time to come.

Music Meanderings

I had a musical exploration with my cousin Blaine tonight, and I felt it was worth sharing to the public,because we blazed through some fantastic music.

Blaine started out the night sending me this...

Which I then stated sounded kind of like a rip off of this...

Which he slightly retorted, but then showed me this...

Which is another band on the same label as the first guy. Then he

showed me this...

Upon which I showed him this (for the bass playing, though you never see her actually playing)...

And it ended there. It was fun while it lasted. Anyways, i'll be back

sometime this week with a review on Drake's mix-tape So Far Gone.

Until then, stay classy internet.

Elbow-The Seldom Seen Kid

As a singer, I've had the chance to sing in numerous honors choir through-out my "musical career", highlighted by two choirs in specific; All-East and All-State. These groups consist of kids who audition from all over East Tennessee for a spot in All-East, and the top bit of this choir advances on to All-State in Nashville. Now, I enjoy singing the songs and learning the music in such a solely focused environment, and I really love most of the pieces I've performed due to their usual complexity and musicality, but there is one type of song that send chills up my arms. I like to call these the Scare The Hell Out Of You Songs. The term is used quite literally, as the songs are usually sacred texts or gospel pieces, intended to scare the hell out, and the Jesus in. In order for a song to win this illustrious title, it must have a significant section which is intensely quite or pretty. The song lulls you into this trance that can easily stick the listener in a boredom induced sleep, and everything is floating along so nicely when BAM! A sound equivalent to an A-Bomb dropping in on a Megadeth concert shoots from the choirs mouth. The reactions are astounding; jaws drop, roofs melt, babies fly. There's even a gratifying moment of panic where everyone in the room thinks that a T-Rex entered the building. I freakin' live for those moments.

Starlings is a Scare The Hell Out Of You Song. Theres a moment of transcendent orchestral drones and a galloping percussive thump in the background for minutes before a sheer wall of sound falls from the sky and catches the world by surprise. This song was the song that surprised me into Elbow.

Elbow is an elaborate guitar-rock band out of Manchester led by lead singer Guy Garvey. The band met in the early 90's during college, but didn't get picked up by a steady label until the signed with Manchester's independent Uglyman. Elbow released two EP's with the label that gained some respect from the music world. The band ended up with V2. Since signing with V2 the band has released 4 albums since 2001.

An important aspect of this band is the Mercury Prize. You probably haven't heard of the Mercury Prize because you most likely live in the music deprived US of A. The prize goes to the best album out of England each year. Voted on by a select panel of musical artists, managers, journalists, and others of prominence, the prize includes 20,000 pounds and a sky-rocket in recognition, catapulting many bands from their garages to the number one slot in the charts. Elbow was on the shortlist for the award in 2001 with Asleep In The Back and won the award in 2008 with the phenomenal The Seldom Seen Kid. With the prize money, the band released a cover of the album with the BBC Concert Orchestra, which should be outstanding, but its $40 is a little out of my price range.

After the initial wake up call, the album fares into all kinds of waters, exploring multiple musical landscapes with unabashed fervor. The second track on The Seldom Seen Kid sounds like an irish drinking song on acid, with a rhythmic waltz and tinny acoustic guitars following the lead of Guy Garvey. Guy's voice is very uncommon in todays music scene, with the strain of Matthew Followil, The rasp of Ray Lamontagne, and the presence of Thom York. The voice fills in Elbows sound perfectly. Two tracks later, Elbow is tackling a monstrous ground pounder in "Grounds For Divorce", a heavy hitting super distorted jam with the slightest hint of "Woody Guthrie let em know it how it is" atmosphere that sounds like it came straight out of a montage of Samuel L Jackson, Clint Eastwood, and King Leonitus killing everything they see in slow motion. The lead guitarist, Mark Potter, establishes one of the roughest guitar sounds i've ever heard. It's like his Les Paul is being scraped between concrete and a bulldozer. It's really hard to describe that song well. Elbow continues to show off there plethora of musical capabilities, crooning with Richard Hawley himself with a mysterious orchestra of piano, brush drums, and high nasally falsetto on "The Fix".

This has been one of the best albums I have reviewed on this site thus far. It honestly appeals to most everyone I know. Plus, England calls it the best album of 2008, and with the caliber music that country spits out, that is one of the biggest honors of all time.

Cover Of The Day-Money To Blow

From here one out I'm going to let remixes be included in the cover of the day's. I don't mean none of that techno-tized remix crap, dumbed down and sped up for the cast of Jersey Shore to fist pump and smush to. That's a whole new playlist on my iTunes. In order for a remix to land on my prestigious list (psych) it must be pretty intriguing. So hurs da remix of da day.

As I've said in an earlier post, Young Money is like a zoo full of rappers, and "Money To Blow" is like the art the elephants paint; not perfect, and overhyped, but at least it's not feces. The track is a hodge-podge of Birdman, Lil' Wayne, and Drake. The track doesn't really bring much of anything new to the table. It's got some dark spacious synth chords seering in the back ground the whole time, with a typical 5 word chorus that includes adding 12 syllables to the word blow (I'm going to try to look at it like an accomplishment, but I'm sure it's not). Despite it's mediocrity, it's got some substance. The rapping isn't bad and there is a pretty cool flute synth floating around quiet a bit; not to mention beats I've come to expect to be pretty good. It's listenable, but I hate when songs are just listenable.

A-Trak brings a whole new aspect to the song; fun. To quote Pitchfork where I found this track, "A-Trak and Drake share a sense of humor, celebrating the absurdities of club life, without making it sound any less fun." That really says it all. The song does have some simple techno moments, but in a way, it's alright, because A-Trak allows it, but never takes it all that seriously. It's like a fun Kanye West. Anyways, the remix has plenty of up-beat to it, and I can't get it out of my head.

Original

REREREREREMIIIIIIXXXXXXXX!X!X!X!X!X!X!

I can't get a widget for this so go to this site a read the original review I saw on it. The track is there too.

Vampire Weekend-Contra

Earlier this week I was skimming around Paste looking for some decent new artists who weren't so cool that I didn't understand them, and I stumbled upon this story. Is Indie Dead? Now, I would be thrilled if you all would read this article, but realistically, seeing as it is quiet lengthy, I'll sum things up for you. "Indie" is 1. Not what it ever was in the first place, and 2. The opposite of what it used to falsely be. Indie Started out as a technical term for any record released on an independent label, one of the Davids of the music industry, instead of the suit-wearing money-stalking executive Goliaths. If The Black Eyed Peas were released on some little label based out of Portland, they too would be "indie". HOWEVA, "indie" was morphed over years. Only a short time after "indie" had hit the playing field it meant something of a very different nature. Indie was now the uncool music. It started out as the punk rock movement, who made sure they were not at the status quo. The leather clad sons on anarchy would listen to anything that no one else would, leaving a very small following. But, over time, uncool has become cool. The nineties brought a lot of angst and revolt against everything right, and through this past decade, that angst has turned into quirk, at an extraordinary pace. We appear to be in this awkward puberty stage in music where discovery of the strangest sound is the next big thing. While the "indie" music has been great for music in general, it is no longer "indie". Indie is about as individual as a pseudo-suicidal emo in Hot Topic. It is dead, or at least, somewhat ironically, different.

Vampire Weekend is one of the primary "indie" bands on the scene. They are polo-clad Jewish New Yorkers who could rock out in a country club, and no-one would care. The band consists of the four Columbia grads Ezra Koenig, Chris Baio, Rostam Batmanglij, and Chris Tomsom. The band gained buzz around their college, playing for literary clubs, and recording EP's in their own dorms. The real peak of VW's train to fame was in 2007 when, like so many artists nowadays, their Myspace took them to places unprecedented in Columbia University band history. Ever since the release of their first self-titled album, The band has been busy recording this new album, Contra, and touring. If the planets align right, I'll get to see them myself in March.

Contra is a fresh twist on the same Afro-pop the band the band is so famous for. While most of the songs have the same sound, every track has a few things that have really been experimentally tweaked. For instance, "Holiday" contains distortion the you will not hear at all on the first album. The harpsichord in "M79" and "The Kids Don't Stand A Chance" has been replaced with acoustic guitar; a first for the band. One of the quirkiest changes is the auto-tune used in "California English". Were not talking "Shawty lemme smack that booty" auto-tune, it's just a slight little enhancer to the fluid drums and occasional chord spurt in the background. Vampire Weekend loves to reference pop culture from a distance, mentioning Lil' John and how boring English drama's are now, all in one song. The auto-tune, though very interesting and pleasant, could be the band's calling to the DOA(See Jay-Z's hit Death Of Auto-tune). Many critics think that the band is just trying to get that "indie" sound, but the great thing about bands are that, for the most part, their making music, not a stereo-type. Vampire Weekend doesn't care what they are. They won't take out their ska guitars and african beats to please people, and that in itself makes the band "cool" in my book.

Cover Of The Day-Dead Leaves And A Dirty Ground

Today's cover comes from a man whom I consider the greatest musician of the decade, and is translated by one of my favorite entertainers playing today. "Dead Leaves And A Dirty Ground" is the opening track to The White Stripes famous White Blood Cells. The lead guitarist, Jack White, wrote the song with a lot of influence from old blues singer Son House, which explains the grit in the crunchy guitar and the tremolo in Jack's voice. The song is essentially a hard-pressed blues jam, and it is a beautiful song, exploring all kinds of chord structures and distinct ragged sounds from the guitar and drums.

The cover comes from Chris Thile(pronounced Tee-lee, I think), a man I've seen live three times, once with Chris Thile and The How To Grow A Band, once more with the new moniker of the first band, The Punch Brothers, and once with Nickel Creek. I first heard Thile's super folksy Appalachian version of the song the first time I saw him in Knoxville. It really came off well on stage because they band just sped through it, while still nailing all sorts of intricate string solos. The song is a powerful song that has a touch of nostalgia in its old ragtime atmosphere. The track opens up Chris Thile and the How To Grow A Band's sole album, How To Grow A Woman From The Ground.

Cover Of The Day-London Calling/War

I haven't expressed my love of Bruce Springsteen yet, so I will now; I absolutely adore The Boss. There is not a performer in America that I respect more than this guy. He put on the best concert of my life back in November on the third to last show of a two year tour that included three hours and thirty songs of pure music magic. Bruce has recorded 269 songs, but he has played twice as many on stage throughout the years. See, the most intriguing thing about a Bruce Springsteen show is that he takes six or seven requests every show, and while you get your basic hits; Born To Run, Born In The USA, Thunder-road, you also get the deeper cuts; Rosalita, Thunder-crack, Growin Up, but must intriguing of all are the songs that Bruce has never played. It all started, as far as I know, with a fan bringing a sign with The Clash's famous hit "London Calling". Bruce brought it on stage, met with his band for about five minutes, and proceeded to bang it out cleaner than any normal musician should do. NO PRACTICE! That's carazay. He came back the next week and opened his show with the tune. Here's the result.

Original

I didn't realize that was a cover until just now so you get two covers today! FTW!

Anyways, for my show the boss got the call for a little ditty called "Ring of Fire" by a man named Johnny Cash. Nobody to big in Nashville or anything... The place blew up, and everybody sang along. I was entrances at how amazing it was without a single run through. I repeat. NO PRACTICE. THAT'S FREAKIN CARAZAY!

Now for today's song(number two!). The original song "War" was a grimly soulful plead to bring home the kids in Nam' from the heart of American soul singer Edwin Starr. The song was very catchy, but featured much more bouncy saxophones and jaunty trap set than the rugged Springsteen take. Bruce took the song and polished it down with his huge rock riffs and drums as loud as the guns in question. Accompanied with a tremendous story at the beginning, a skill Bruce is famous for, the song constructs the terrifying jungle with horns calling out like wild animals, drums exploding like a cannon, and a voice roaring orders of peace in same tone as the generals you see in the movies. The song has really stood the test of time, spreading a message that pertains now as much as it ever did in 1986. The song is on the Live from 75'-85' album, which is one of the best albums you can buy.