Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Pop-culture: R&Blectro

The (somewhat) recent trend for the pop music world has been to mash electro and R&B together. The result is basically every dance-y singy-songy track that has been hitting the clubs and charts hard as of the last year or so. Some examples would be Taio Cruz' Dynamite, Chris Brown's Yeahx3, and everything else you hear in the club and can sing along to.

So hear (haha) are some of the stuff I've found most recently:

100/100
"I have to take this job in Tokyo... (looks down) I know.."
Bwahaha. I love the beginning of this vid. Anyway, big up to FM for making it and flying sky high. This track features Ryan Tedder from One Republic of "Apologize" fame. Check out this feel good song for sure.
90somethingish/100
Haven't really made up my mind about this song, but it def is bumping. A good example of what I mean by R&Blectro.


100/100
Fell in love with this song the second the beat dropped. What do you think?


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Saturday, November 6, 2010

Lesson in Pop-Culture: Kylie Minogue

Kylie Minogue, simply put, is a cultural icon. This Aussie (adopted Brit) has been pushing the bar for other pop stars to follow, yet stayed true to her electro-pop core. And she's been doing it for decades. Now let's follow her music through the ages.

80/100 - circa 1987
Her break out hit!

90/100 - circa 1988
I didn't even know this was her song until recently. But I sure as hell recognized it right away!

Not a lot of superb commercial success during these years... but hey! Once the 2000's hit...

97/100 - circa 2000
Duet with Robbie Williams. Good ol times! The video screams late 90's early 2000's doesn't it... Especially the mirror room shot. Busta, Missy, Puff Daddy... etc etc etc all had similar types of scenes. I guess it was all the rage.

100/100 - circa 2000
This is where we start to really see the present Kylie, in this funky dance-pop tune! And yes... her body is amazing. And by body, I mean her ass, in those gold lamé booty shorts. Much respect.

100/100 - circa 2001 (From the album Fever)
This is really where Kylie became truly an international pop star in her own right, despite her success in her motherland (Australia) as well as in the UK. I remember bumping to this song and loving the choreography; It definitely kept me glued to MTV in hopes that it would come on.

100/100 - (Fever)
Easily one of my favorite songs to get my mood in an upswing. A fantastic feel-good uptempo dance track. I recommend giving it a listen and dare you to get up and dance around to this song. I can't help but move to this. I just can't.

100/100 - (Fever)
This gets me pumping, period. Click that link, you'll see why.

97/100 - circa 2003 (Body Language)
Kylie turns on her sexy to full blast in this video. Slash I would LOVE to be dancing with an amazing dancer in a club to this song. *That* would be too hawt to handle.

2005 - Kylie battles breast cancer!

95/100 - circa 2007 (X)
Fear not! She comes back with her 10th studio album X and another great single: Wow!

100/100 - circa 2010 (Aphrodite)
This song is really her comeback piece to me though. I love, Love, LOVE this song. Such a perfect dance-club song. I started dancing in spite of myself on my walk to work yesterday because of this song. It's good, I swear. Also, how old is Kylie? 42? Watch this princess of pop work it.
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Saturday, October 30, 2010

Pop-culture: Ke$ha

I don't care what you think, Ke$ha is awesome, obviously.

Apparently, she's smart? But her interviews tend to be fun and funny, and she does a good job of showing her sarcastic, witty humor.

Anyway, these are teh roxxorz:

100/100
This is one is sure to be a hammyjammy classic.
I don't see how this eletro-synth-pop sensation isn't going to take drunken college kids by a storm. I dedicate this one to Ankoor, who at first hated Tik Tok, but came around and we danced, and it was good.

98/100
This one goes heavy, unlike her other pop-tastic songs, but I love fat heavy beats, so booyah! Does this make anyone feel a sort of M.I.A meets Cool Kids vibe? Particularly, Fire Fire and Galang crossed with Jingling and One, Two. Slash, I just remembered how beast the Cool Kids are. Dirty.



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Monday, October 4, 2010

New Era Hip Hop Lyricists: Hoodie Allen and more

The sophistication and the depth of hip hop, in my opinion, has increased by leaps and bounds. Whether through sampling or witty subtlety, hip hop has progressed since its birth. I especially think that the recent school of hiphop heads, the college kids, are the most apt at presenting this. So without further ado, I present to you:

99/100
An internet (s)mash hit. Remix of the... well its kind of obvious, so yeah.

Hoodie Allen - You Are Not A Robot (feat. Marina & The Diamonds)

Bonus: The original. Trippy

100/100
Amazing track. I've been stuck on this son for a while. This one samples the Two Door Cinema Club song by the name Undercover Martyn. Since its an amazing song in of itself, you should definitely check it out.

100/100
I guess I somehow forgot to post this gem. But its a cool laidback beat with a cool flow. Another young'n. His mixtape is bomb so check that out.

100/100
I didn't get to post up his songs last time with Chiddy but this MC is straight ill. He ain't no newbie but he's fresh to death.

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Sunday, September 26, 2010

Combo Update: That New-new Pop-pop

No theme to this post other than its new stuff that is fun to listen to.

100/100
Can't wait to hear this one in the clubs.

Rihanna - Who's That Chick (Prod. by David Guetta)


100/100
I've been stuck on this Nicki track for the past two weeks. It's addictive as hell. I dare you to give a few spins; You'll have it playing on repeat soon enough.

Nicki Minaj Right Through Me



100/100
Drizzy Drake takes a sample from Nneka's Heartbeat, which I think I featured on this blog before? In any case, beast. All these hip hop acts are finally jumping on the dubstep janx, which is awesome.

Drake - I'm Ready For You



100/100
Sammy Adams, the college kid from Bean Town, does it big on this HUUUUGE dubstep beat by Bassnectar.
Sick, sick, sick, sick, sicksicksicksick sicker than SARS.

Sam Adams - Bass Head [Prod. by Bassnectar]


100/100
Check it out! This one samples the Buggles "Video Killed the Radio Star" (but many of us probably recognize the version by Presidents of the United States) and yeah. So you'll recognize the Ow wah Ow. Def. As well as the keyboard in the back.


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Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Midweek Party: Chris Brown, Deadmau5, Shareefa, and some Dubstep

Tomorrow is a national holiday in Japan, and this calls for a midweek party! Obviously, if you are still in college, then you should be partying, too. Because its Tuesday Night Ice. Or if you catch this tomorrow, then its Wet Wednesday. And obviously, Thursday is the new Friday.

What's that? What is Friday, you ask? What the hell dude, its just Friday. Chill out!

100/100
This is just a snippet, but its bumping crazy. Should be a huge hit!

90/100
Not sure where Gaga is on this, but maybe she's on the vocals (chorus) and the beat? Anyway, kind of a cool, grimy sound. Though, I have to admit, the chorus doesn't go as hard as the rest of the song, which is a small disappointment.

96/100
Not sure how I slept on this one, but this is a great house track.
Hi Friend!

100/100
This isn't really a song, per se, and more of a performance, but if you have any appreciation for dubstep or turntablism, then this will blow your brain.

100/100
Dubstep is gonna take over. Imagine being at this gig.
Ugh. Filthy.

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Thursday, September 16, 2010

Slow Lovin' Tracks for the Soul

With the end of summer, also comes, at least for me, a little bit of sadness. A kind of light-hearted depression washes over me, but it feels, in a weird way, nice. It makes me calm down and look more introspectively, rather than hungering for adventure all the time. Obviously, the cloudy-rainy-ness of the last couple of days exaggerates this feeling, as well as Molly flying back home. It definitely makes my life here a lot more boring, but I'm sure there will be things to keep me busy soon enough.

In any case, I decided to put up some songs to fit this mood I am currently in!

98/100
Two weeks away,

100/100
Easily one of my favorite songs ever. Samples Joni Mitchell. Classic track.

99/100
"I want you to travel with me, lay loose and let your mind go free..."
Beautiful.

100/100
Amazing. If this doesn't hit you right in the chest, then I don't know what will.

Adele - Hometown Glory


100/100
It really seemed like there ain't no sunshine when she's gone.. But today the sun finally poked its head out again, so its all good.
Slow, downtrodden, dark. Perfection.
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Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Pop-culture: Katy Perry (Teenage Dream)

I love Katy Perry.
Thatisall
kthxbai.

Naw, I'm just kidding.
I'll never forget how someone described her as having Zooey Deschanel's face, with a porn star's body.
+
=

Zeeeeeoooowwwwwwwww

Anyway, I increasingly like her music for some reason, and the shit from her newest album is real addicting.

Right around now, most of you are probably getting tired of California Girls, but hell I keep going strong with a couple of remixes:

95/100
Feel good remix. Roof top party? Beach night chilling? You decide.

Katy Perry- California Gurls (Dave Edwards Remix)


94/100
As one song gets overplayed, another song prepares itself for overplay-ation. That song being Teenage Dream. In case you are already bored of the original, here is a remix. If you haven't heard the original, go listen to it.
100/100
This one might take a while to surface on the radio, but is AWESOMEpants.
I wish I were back at school to be screaming along to this song with random people I've become best friends with that night but will not know the next day.

I do realize that I skipped out on part 2 of the previous post, but hey, shit happens. I'll get back to that later.
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Monday, September 6, 2010

New Era Hip Hop Lyricists: Chiddy Bang and Mickey Factz Part 1

Real, raw beats.
Playful, ingenious samples.
Thoughtful, clever lyrics.

They're pretty much amazing.

Part one will be focused on Chiddy Bang, a duo that met as freshmen at Drexel U.
Chiddy on the vocals and Xaphoon Jones on the beats.

99/100
This one samples MGMT's "Kids".

Chiddy Bang - Opposite Of Adults


100/100
Hip hop most certainly is not dead. It can't possibly be. Not with songs like this.
"You think you got it tough just cuz you live in the hood?
Negative.
....
Yes I'm guilty of being privileged.
While I'm in the booth, my cousin is in the village."

100/100
Disgusting. Real.

Chiddy Bang - "Dream Chasin"


100/100
Chiddy Bang takes a shot at Tinie Tempah's "Pass Out" beat.
And kills it.
Several times over.
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Thursday, September 2, 2010

Lesson: Songs That Sound Like Ke$ha and stuff...

You know, I don't care what you say, Ke$ha is awesome. Honestly, if you can't rock out to Tik Tok, you're trying too hard. Loosen up you uptight son of a bitch and have some FUN for once! But, let's look at these songs... It's clear that Tik Tok has had a heavy impact on popular music. In a similar way, LMFAO and Far East Movement really led the way on this new wave of pop music.

94/100
(Sound familar? That's right... Tik Tok)

Remady Feat. Craig David - Do It On My Own


93/100

Obviously, its impossible to overemphasize the techno scene that really brought this era of pop. For instance, David Guetta's songs definitely have this sort of quality. Which is why Sexy Bitch was so successful. Hmmmm its interesting to trace some of these things back a little huh? I'm not claiming that that is the direct lineage but its hard not to hear the connections.
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