JayeL Audio

I’ve told anyone I’ve seen over the past month or so about The White Panda‘s mash-up album, Versus, but haven’t brought it up here. Tom Evans (aka Procrast) and Dan Griffith (aka DJ Griffi) are collectively known as The White Panda. Based on Versus, they certainly rank up there with E-603 and The Hood Internet when it comes to possible Girl Talk heirs. Versus showcases many pop/hip-hop seamless blends, not quite as layered as E-603 and Mr. Gillis, but perfect your next party.

The White Panda has been mostly releasing full portions of tracks from Versus to many fans appreciation, but they’ve also continued working on new material. Their latest, “Intergalactic Spell” brings together Beastie Boys and the under-appreciated Alphabeat (how was “Fascination” be ignored stateside?). Be sure to check The White Panda’s site for more new material.

Intergalactic Spell by whitepandamusic

and one of my favorites:
Throw Some Tik On That Tok by whitepandamusic

Download The White Panda – Versus here.

Speaking of mash-ups, I should probably get started on Mashed-Up Vol. 4.

There really aren’t words to describe this. I probably wouldn’t even know about this, if it weren’t for the fact that the ladies from work sing “Pants On the Ground” multiple times daily. Anyways, if I were this guy, I’d be pretty flattered that a hip-hop legend sampled his “song”.

Bun B – Pants On The Ground (courtesy of 2dopeboyz)

Pretty much anytime I find new Detroit music I wouldn’t normally hear about or hilarious, sarcastic commentary I would never imagine, its via JRC & Jasper at Eat This City. Lettercamp is another great find.

Lettercamp is a 5 piece indie pop band currently based in Ferndale, MI. The band will be subbing in a new drummer and bass player in the new year and with a “tentative” debut in Spring. They only have a couple tracks available on their MySpace, but they are both amazingly catchy. Both “I Know” and “Fool For Long” document annoyances associated with dating amid pop stylings. The first time I heard “Fool For Long”, I was somewhat reminded of An Horse, but lead singer Liz Whittman’s voice is even more enchanting and Lettercamp’s music is more fun.

Liz was nice enough to pass along their first 2 tracks, “I Know” and “Fool For Long” via mp3.

Lettercamp – I Know
Lettercamp – Fool For Long

Look for a lot more from Lettercamp in 2010!

Their most recent studio album, Brighter Than Dark’s Creation, was my favorite album of 2008, so its only right to give an update on Drive-by Truckers. Patterson Hood & crew will be releasing their eighth (!) effort, The Big To Do on March 16th. It will be their first album on ATO Records and is being touted by the band as “Very melodic and more rocking than anything we’ve done since disc 2 of Southern Rock Opera.” Sounds good to me. The first single and tour dates are below.

Drive-by Truckers – This Fucking Job

I’ll be out of town for the two March shows at Variety Playhouse, but I would highly suggest getting tickets early for these shows. These Athens, GA natives sell out venues fast. UPDATE: Tix are on sale now for the Variety Playhouse shows.

All of that plus a Drive-By Truckers documentary? Thats right, the band’s site says The Secret to a Happy Ending “encompasses three critical years of touring and recording as the band struggles to overcome trauma and survives a near breakup, in a persistent search for a happy ending.” It was playing at the Tara Cinemas in Atlanta last weekend, hopefully it will be around in the near future.

2010 Drive-by Truckers Tour
01-28 Huntsville, AL – Crossroads Music Hall
01-29 Mobile, AL – Soul Kitchen
01-30 Tuscaloosa, AL – Jupiter Bar & Grill
02-11 Greenville, SC – Handlebar
02-12 Raleigh, NC – Lincoln Theatre
02-13 Raleigh, NC – Lincoln Theatre
02-14 Knoxville, TN – Bijou Theatre
02-25 Charlotte, NC – Neighborhood Theatre
02-26 Charlottesville, VA – Jefferson Theatre
02-27 Charlottesville, VA – Jefferson Theatre
03-04 Wilmington, NC – Rox Nightclub
03-06 Augusta, GA – Sky City
03-12 Atlanta, GA – Variety Playhouse
03-13 Atlanta, GA – Variety Playhouse
03-18 Austin, TX – SXSW
03-19 New Orleans, LA – Tipitinas
03-20 New Orleans, LA – Tipitinas
04-01 New York, NY – Webster Hall
04-02 Boston, MA – House of Blues
04-03 Philadelphia, PA – Electric Factory
04-06 Toronto, Ontario – Lee’s Palace
04-07 Toronto, Ontario – Lee’s Palace
04-08 Detroit, MI – St. Andrews Hall
04-09 Chicago, IL – The Vic Theatre
04-10 Lexington, KY – Buster’s Billiards and Backroom
04-11 Cleveland, OH – Beachland Ballroom and Tavern
04-14 Towson, MD – Recher Theatre
04-15 Norfolk, VA – The Norva
04-16 Asheville, NC – The Orange Peel
04-17 Asheville, NC – The Orange Peel
04-30 Nashville, TN – Cannery Ballroom
05-07 Los Angeles, CA – Avalon
05-08 San Francisco, CA – The Fillmore Auditorium

I hadn’t made it to the first 2 rounds of Rothbury Music Festival in western Michigan, but I heard many great things about this new fest. Not only was it another multi-day music event for Mid-westerners to choose from, but it brought tourists to a beautiful part of my home state. In a statement from fest organizers, AEG Live, Rothbury 2010 was cancelled because they were “not able to move forward with the integrity and high standards that we demand.”

Jen of one of my favorite blogs, Talkin’ Bout My Jeneration, was naturally bummed about the absence of Rothbury this summer:

I think it’s a huge bummer for Midwesterns that don’t want to add two days to their festival travel to get down to TN for bonnaroo or CA for Coachella. i also think rothbury was a breathe of fresh air for jam festivals. Jam festivals like 10,000 lakes and summer camp pull in the same lineup every year (umphreys mcgee, moe). rothbury had some variety, like thievery corporation and michael franti.

I heard that they canceled because they couldn’t put together a cutting-edge enough lineup to compete with other festivals. i guess its good to not just saturate the festival circuit if you don’t have anything different to offer…i worry more that bands aren’t doing as many festivals this summer and if they have to say no to one they’re going to say no to the youngest one….should be interesting as line-ups roll out. so far i think coachella is a clusterfuck of whoever needs the publicity the most (at least the headliners….)

Be sure to check out Jen’s 2008 adventure at the inaugural Rothbury here.

The AEG Live statement further reads, “Despite the 2010 postponement, we intend to move toward continuing Rothbury in 2011.” Lets hope so.

See below for a great video from friend Adam Bradway’s experience at Rothbury 2008. His own track “Wetware” provides the epic backing at what looks like a surreal event. Look for a post featuring Adam’s music soon, until then check out his other music here.

UPDATE: 10,000 Lakes festival is also on “hiatus” for this summer. Is this a case of festival saturation?

It might be the fact that I like songs titled “Good Morning” (see Kanye West and Chamillionaire‘s tracks for reference), but its most likely because I’ve been dying for some new Rogue Wave. Their last album Asleep At Heaven’s Gate easliy won me over with the band’s brand of melodic indie rock. Stand out track “Lake Michigan” even was selected for a Zune ad and more recently for “Up In The Air” commercials (I still need to see that movie).

In anticipation of Rogue Wave’s new album, Permalight, the band let loose the first single, “Good Morning (The Future)”. The effort is much different that material from …Heaven’s Gate in that its relatively danceable, electro-pop. The new wave elements added are a welcome addition and signal the growth of the band.

Rogue Wave – Good Morning (The Future) (courtesy of largehearted boy)

What do you think? Do you like the new Rogue Wave sound?

If you’re in Atlanta, GA on March 8th, you can see Zach Rogue and company at The Loft for $14. After seeing their great set at Lollapalooza ’08, I’m hopeful that I can attend as well.

Pre-order Rogue Wave – Permalight here. For some reason, vinyl is a dollar cheaper.

Rogue Wave Tour Dates:
03-01 Boston, MA – Paradise Rock Club
03-02 Brooklyn, NY – Music Hall of Williamsburg
03-03 New York, NY – Bowery Ballroom
03-04 Philadelphia, PA – First Unitarian Church Sanctuary
03-05 Washington, DC – 9:30 Club
03-06 Carrboro, NC – Cat’s Cradle
03-08 Atlanta, GA – The Loft (Buy Tix)
03-09 Nashville, TN – Mercy Lounge
03-10 Birmingham, AL – Bottletree
03-13 Orlando, FL – The Social
03-15 New Orleans, LA – One Eyed Jacks
03-16 Houston, TX – Warehouse Live
03-17 Dallas, TX – The Loft
04-07 Santa Cruz, CA – Rio Theatre
04-09 Portland, OR – Wonder Ballroom
04-10 Seattle, WA – Neumo’s
04-13 Boulder, CO – Fox Theatre
04-14 Lawrence, KS – The Bottleneck
04-15 Minneapolis, MN – Fine Line Café
04-16 Madison, WI – High Noon Saloon
04-17 Chicago, IL – Lincoln Hall
04-20 Columbia, MO – Mojo’s
04-21 Tulsa, OK – Bobs at Cain’s
04-23 Albuquerque, NM – Launchpad
04-24 Tucson, AZ – Club Congress
04-27 Solana Beach, CA – Belly Up
04-29 Los Angeles, CA – El Rey Theatre
04-30 San Francisco, CA – Fillmore

What: Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival
When: April 16 – April 18
Where: Indio, CA
Headliners: Jay-Z, Muse, Gorillaz
Line-Up Highlights: LCD Soundsystem, Faith No More, Thom Yorke & ??????, DeadMau5, Sly and the Family Stone
Tickets: 3 Day Pass is $269; VIP $339
Accommodations: Camping $55 per site, which will allow for cars to be parked next to your campsite for the first time. “Ready to Go” and RV Camping passes are also available. A Hotel Shuttle pass is a ridiculous $79.
My Take: Quite a way to start the 2010 music festival season. The headliners aren’t the best, but the rest of the line-up makes up for it. I have no argument with Jay-Z as a headliner (in fact, I prefer it), but Muse and Gorillaz aren’t on the same level as past grand entertainers like Paul McCartney, The Cure and Killers.

The real draw of Coachella this year will lie in the smaller type on the poster. There is basically a “Who’s Who” of ’09 blog favorites with appearances by Passion Pit, Phoenix, Grizzly Bear, The Dead Weather, The Big Pink, and Florence and the Machine. Others will likely be showing of new material, like MGMT, Yeasayer, She and Him, LCD Soundsystem and Charlotte Gainsbourg.

Dance music fans will be ecstatic with deadmau5, Benny Benassi, Major Lazer and the Glitch Mob. Saturday should be a light show specatble with heavyweights Tiesto and David Guetta (not to mention Z-Trip).

Festivals are also great for reunions and nostalgia. No doubt, fans of Faith No More, Sunny Day Real Estate, De La Soul, Devo and Pavement have to be excited. People are already buzzing with who Thom York will be showing up with (not likely his Radiohead bandmates).

Coachella certainly set the tone early for 2010 festival season. However, I still expect Bonnaroo and Lollapalooza will match, if not surpass, this line-up. Indio, CA is in its own little world on the West Coast, where-as Manchester, TN and Chicago are much more driveable.

I also imagine acts like Mayer Hawthorne, the xx and B.o.B. aka Bobby Ray gain stronger followings with multiple festival outings, starting at Coachella.

For anyone who has or hasn’t been to Coachella before, what do you think of the line-up? Comments are welcome below.

One last list…and here we go. I saw a few shows in 2009, not as many as the previous year, but don’t think I wasn’t tempted. I still say Detroit has better overall venues, but Atlanta draws better names (1st Quarter of 2010 looks ridiculous too). Below are 4 shows I saw worth writing about (I’m sure he could be great, but I’m not going to relive the Dan Deacon “experience” here). Notice, I didn’t attend one Girl Talk show or a festival in 2009. I certainly hope that will change this year.

4. Asher Roth/Kid Cudi – Tabernacle – August 2, 2009
I don’t know what fans who came to see Asher Roth thought, but as a Kid Cudi fan, I couldn’t have been happier. Walking into the Tabernacle to the sounds of “Down n Out” was a perfect way to start the festivities (its helps that is samples OutKast’s “Chonkyfire”). Flanked by bright digital screens, Cudi was lifted on the short, but sweet “Sky High”. “Day n Nite” was damn near classic with the original and later the dance-ready Crookers remix. Six months later, it blows my mind that he had such a good performance without using any of his best album tracks from Man On The Moon: The End of Day or “Memories”. How was he that good with a couple singles and mixtape cuts?? My favorite quote of any concert I’ve been to also happened that night. Courtesy of Laura: “Do rappers normally smile this much?” I imagine he’ll be smiling more next time.
As for Asher Roth, meh. I have high hopes for his next album, but I’ll skip the show.

3. Vonnegutt – The Loft – November 6, 2009

I’ve seen Vonnegutt three times in 2009 and I’m pretty sure they just get better each time. This time they opened for Heavy Mojo and I’m pretty sure Kyle and co. stole the show. The numerous hits from the Vice Nine EP sounded even better with tighter practice time. The previews of new tracks from Falling Up The Stairs (especially “The Ode To Whats Left of Hope”) gave encouraging signs for their debut album. And lets not forget the arsenal of covers (“The Seed 2.0″, “Heartless”) that they seemed destined to do. “Bright Eyes” continues to get fans as hyped as can be and should be at a venue near you in 2010.

2. Black Kids – The Loft – May 1, 2009
I’ve seen more shows at The Loft in Atlanta, GA than any other venue in the city. At this point, its my favorite too. Reggie Youngblood and crew had the sell out crowd eating up every indie-pop chorus the band sang. Kevin Snow’s drums had the place pulsing with the perfect opener, “Listen To Your Body Tonight”. On the keys/organs the ladies of Black Kids, Ali Watley and Ali Youngblood were equally engrossing on “Love Me Already” and “I’m Not Gonna Teach…”. Reggie was a sight to see though. Arms flailing, floppy afro and pouring all his emotion into “Hurricane Jane” was emphatic way to close the show.

1. Neko Case – Variety Playhouse – April 2, 2009

I expressed my admiration for the talents of Ms. Case many times over that past few years and wrote a lengthy post about this concert in particular. I’m still amazed at what a great performance I witnessed. Neko Case is a veteran performer, so it shouldn’t have been a surprised how attentive her fans were. There were epic story-telling (“Margaret vs Pauline”, “Hold On, Hold On”), vibrantly swaying vocals (“Red Tide”, “Middle Cyclone”) and spirited band work throughout (“That Teenage Feeling”, “This Tornado Loves You”). I was basically in a trance for the entire set.

Similar to last year, this may only interest me, but maybe I’ll look at these lists years from now and say one of these things:
A)You were ahead of your time in purchasing “XX” album
B)What a waste of money
C)You used to buy compact discs?
Either way, the record companies can’t say I don’t “invest” in the industry.
Below are the CD’s, Mp3′s and vinyl albums/EPs/singles I purchased in the last year.

Compact Discs
Kyle Andrews – Real Blasty
Vonnegutt – Vice Nine EP
Emmy the Great – First Love
K’naan – Troubadour
Neko Case – Middle Cyclone
Dan Deacon – Bromst
K-OS – Yes!
Chester French – Love the Future
The Hard Lessons – Arms Forest
Deastro – Moondagger
Jay-Z – Blueprint 3
KiD CuDi – Man On The Moon: End Of Day
Clipse – Til The Casket Drops
Raekwon – Only Built For Cuban Linx II

Mp3 Albums
Futurecop! – The Lost City of Avagorth EP
Bon Iver – Blood Bank EP (Amazon Daily Deal)
Cursive – Mama, I’m Swollen
Chris Cornell – Scream (Amazon Daily Deal)
Neko Case – Fox Confessor Brings the Flood (Amazon Daily Deal)
Great Lake Swimmers – Lost Channels (Amazon Daily Deal)
Ben Harper & Relentless7 – White Lies For Dark Times (Amazon Daily Deal)
Explosions In The Sky – How Strange, Innocence (Amazon Daily Deal)
Kyle Lucas & Captain Midnite – I Brought Dead Flowers To A Funeral EP
Heartless Bastards – The Mountain (Amazon Daily Deal)
Coconut Records – Davy (Amazon Daily Deal)
Discovery – LP (Amazon Daily Deal)
Portugal. The Man (Amazon Daily Deal)
The Dodos – Time To Die (Amazon Daily Deal)
Burns – Teknique EP
Weezer – Raditude (Amazon Daily Deal)
Phoenix – Its Never Been Like That (Amazon Daily Deal)
Heavy Mojo – Choice Cuts EP
Rodrigo y Gabriela – 11:11
Kings of Leon – Only By The Night (Amazon Daily Deal)
Daft Punk – Musique Vol. 1 (Amazon Daily Deal)

MP3 Singles
CLP – Superconfidential ft Tunde Olaniran (single)
Blak Jak – $500 (Ball Out) (single)
Yung Wun – Tear It Up (single)
Ruff Ryders – WWIII ft Jadakiss, Snoop Dogg, Scarface, Yung Wun (single)
Burns – Hearbeats single

Vinyl
Santogold
Arcade Fire – Neon Bible
Passion Pit – Manners
Jay-Z – Blueprint
Girl Talk – Night Ripper

I only bought 25 albums in 2008 and nearly doubled that number at 40 this year. Enjoying a multitude of musical genres isn’t so nice on the wallet. But as you can see, I’ve been taking advantage of Amazon’s Daily Music Deal (15 times actually). Nearly all the mp3 albums/EP’s I purchased were $3.99 or less and all were via Amazon and DRM-Free. Some of the deals were good enough that I upgraded copies of old albums (Neko Case, Kings of Leon). Until iTunes prices their DRM-free mp3′s like Amazon, I don’t see myself switching back.

The increase in vinyl purchases can be attributed to the artwork adorning my kitchen wall and unearthing an old record player from home. I still need a working needle for it, but I’m shopping on it. Besides, when it only costs $2 more for a record, I’d rather have vinyl with its larger artwork and free download coupon. I have a feeling this will increase in 2010.

What were your musical purchases last year? 5? 20? None?

I probably shouldn’t even list these as “top hip-hop tracks” because I really haven’t heard everything in the world of hip-hop this year. Drake caused every rapper to want to do a decent mixtape, or put out a song a week or whatever. There were a lot of new artists in the rap game this year. Some were covered here, but I’ve missed a lot I’m sure. These are my favorites of the mass amounts of hip-hop/rap I did hear though. Feel free to let me know what I missed (again, apologies to Brother Ali and Wale).

13. Asher Roth – As I Em
You knew Mr. Roth would get the inevitbale Marshall Mathers comparisons just by looking at him. Then you hear the similar tone of voice and multiply the correlations by 1000. Either way, “I Love College” aside, I believe Asher Roth can spit. “As I Em” addresses the elephant in the room directly with poignancy and head-nodding manner. The Chester French feature was a nice touch as well.

12. Drake – Uptown ft Bun B & Lil’ Wayne
Was there a grimier beat than this in hip-hop in ’09? I’m not sure there was. The southern bounce that emitted from “Uptown” was part Houston screw and part New Orleans bayoo, so its only fitting that Lil’ Wayne and Bun B help out newcomer Drake. Plenty of quotables here, but my favorite might be from Bun B: “I wrote this on my iPhone/so let me drop this ibomb, I palm/The game like it’s a spalding ball and take flight/From the free-throw line and slam it down like I’m the great Mike.”

11. Killer Mike – I’m A Fool
This might be a little biased based hearing this song at that start of my first summer in Atlanta. But there is something about driving thru Mid-town at night while listening to this bass heavy track. Killer Mike (or whatever hes called these days) might never be one of my favorite emcees, but he and Big Kuntry King drop slick, down south flavored rhymes on Nard & B’s grimy production.

10. Cam’Ron – I Hate My Job
I can’t believe that there will be 2 Cam’Ron appearances on this list, but my distaste for Mr. Giles was at an all time low in 2009. “I Hate My Job” showcased one of Harlem’s finest doing what he does best, spitting stories via stuttering and off the wall bars. Its kind of interesting to hear an emcee make a modern day hip-hop song for the working man. Troubles include background checks, lunch breaks and money troubles over a fitting piano-filled backing.

9. Drake – Forever ft Lil’ Wayne, Kanye West and Eminem
“Last name Greatest, first name ever”. I don’t know about that, but the best posse cut of 2009 came from Drake and co. I still say Eminem had the best verse. Why Relapse didn’t sound anything like the Marshall Mathers we heard here is beyond me.

7. Kyle Lucas & Captain Midnite – Here Today, Gone Tomorrow
Reason #5,087 that we need a Kyle Lucas solo LP. The lyrics on the most of the I Brought Dead Flowers To A Funeral EP sound heartfelt and emotion-filled, but this track might have the most pain attached. My appreciation for Captain Midnite‘s production also skyrocketed based of this song alone.

7. Mos Def – Auditorium ft Slick Rick
Its been awhile since I’ve heard anything memorable from the three parties involved: Mos Def, Slick Rick and Madlib. All three sound on point on this effort. Mos Def gives educated street poetry, while Slick Rick narrates the story of a soldier’s encounter with a local Iraqi bring two different views of the street together. Madlib’s shadow-filled beat is the perfect stage for these two artists’ wordplay.

6. Clipse – Popular Demand (Popeyes) ft Cam’ron
Its amazing how Pharrell can go from producing pop hits to some of the grittiest hip-hop tracks you’ll ever hear. Like I said before, “Popular Demand” sounds like a more polished “Grindin’”. Almost as if the accomplished hustlers came back to the block just to show that they made it. Even Cam’ron’s crazy ass gets in some slick lines with a retarded flow on this bass heavy track.

5. Royce Da 5’9″ – Shake This
DJ Premier and Royce Da 5’9″ link up again in masterful fashion. “Shake This” takes you through the rise, fall and re-birth of Mr. Nickel Nine. From birth to problems in Detroit to an unexpected jail sentence for DUI to a graphic and sometimes reflective 1st day out of the pen. Royce’s lyrcisms seems even more poignant over Preemo’s knack for digging in the soul crates.

4. Kid Cudi – Pursuit Of Happiness ft MGMT & Ratatat
When I saw “featuring MGMT and Ratatat” on the tracklisting for Man On The Moon: End of Day, I knew what would be one of my fav. songs of the year. Cudi party anthem lyrics sound celebratory on a first listen, but there is also anxious and leery words that most likely mirror his true worries about solitude with new fame. Ratatat’s moody production and brooding guitar punctuate the emotional tension of the track. There is defintely something for hip-hop and indie fans to like on this cut.

3. K-OS – 4,3,2,1
I couldn’t stop listening to “4,3,2,1″ when I first heard it. It subtly crept into my mind more times than I could count. Just uttering those numbers backward brought on the eerie voice sample, the scratching and midtempo bouncing beat. Thats not even counting K-OS’s stellar lyrics (first verse about a troubled relationship, second verse questions more violent encounters). I still don’t know why this guys hasn’t blown up worldwide.

2. Raekwon – House of Flying Daggers ft Inspectah Deck, Ghostface Killah and Method Man
Vintage Wu Tang cut that sounds like a a session from Enter the 36 Chambers. Everybody sounds focused on this JDilla produced beat (even Inspectah Deck!), but the way Ghostface destroys it sticks out in my mind.

1. Big Boi – Shine Blockas ft Gucci Mane
There is always someone who comes along and shakes up bloggers’ end of the year lists with a Q4 release. This year it was Big Boi’s turn. Much like “International Player’s Anthem” sold me on a soul-sample used to perfection in ’07, “Shine Blockas” did the same in ’09 (via Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes “I Miss You”). Now if we could just get his solo LP to drop, I’d be fine with re-organizing my best of hip-hop albums lists.