Talk about goin’ waaaaaaaaaay back. MC Breed’s “Ain’t No Future” was a staple growing up. Now that Flint town finally has a solid up and coming emcee in Jon Connor, its only right for this classic to come back. Its definitely cool to see some of the Flint landmarks and memories in this video. Hell, Davison even gets a shout out at the end. Nostalgia.
R.I.P. MC Breed. 
Pick up Jon Connor’s Salvation now.
Boom Box tee designed by Alex Solis available at Threadless
Whoops. Sorry for the music overload, but a lot has happened since those 4th of July mixtapes. M83 decided to drop their glowing first single from Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming, Calvin Harris figured he wanted to continue making people groove and Mumford & Sons and Bon Iver opted to take over the cover game with renditions of Bonnie Rait & The National cuts. The pace may be slightly more laid back than Tuesday’s mixtape, but no less stunning. Icelandic gypsy folk collective Of Monsters and Men make harmonious music together, while Toro y Moi and Ralphael Saadiq offer up midtempo jams of their own. My favorite track so far though is Luke Temple’s strumming ode to a lady he just can’t have “Ophelia”. Interesting name and even better song. If someone explains Iron & Wine’s “Monkeys Uptown” though, it may be the frontrunner.
JayeL Audio 7-29-11 – DOWNLOAD (.rar)
1. Fair Ohs – Baldessari
2. Jack Beauregard – Hollywood
3. Bombay Bicycle Club – Shuffle
4. M83 – Midnight City
5. Of Monsters and Men – From Finner
6. Handsome Furs – Memories of the Future
7. The Tallest Man On Earth – Weather of a Killing Kind
8. Alex Winston – Velvet Elvis
9. Blitzen Trapper – American Goldwing
10. Gardens & Villa – Thorn Castles
11. Calvin Harris – Feel So Close
12. Hoodie Allen – The Chase Is On
13. Iron & Wine – Monkeys Uptown
14. Outasight – Setting Sun
15. Luke Temple – Ophelia
16. St Lucia – All Eyes On You
17. Raphael Saadiq – Just Don’t ft Yukimi Nagano (of Little Dragon)
18. Toro y Moi – Still Sound
19. Mumford & Sons – England (The National cover)
20. Bon Iver – I Can’t Make You Love Me/Nick Of Time (Bonnie Rait Cover)
Get after it in the comments.
Happy Wednesday peoples. Hoodie Allen‘s last mixtape Pep Rally dropped last September, but seems so long ago. With tracks like “Dreams Up” and “Look At What We Started”, Leap Year has a lot to live up to.
Luckily, the first single “The Chase Is On” continues Hoodie’s laid back pop culture-filled wordplay over a summer bounce beat and catchy hook. Get both “The Chase Is On” and the Leap Year mixtape below. Gotta love the Leisure Dive inspired album artwork.
Hoodie Allen – Chase Is On (.mp3 or support on iTunes!)
Hoodie Allen – Leap Year (.zip)
Hoodie is really looking for feedback his latest effort, so let me know your thoughts on the mixtape and I’ll relay.
photo via Joakim Johnson and available for purchase at Threadless.
New music time. It may only be July, but this edition may have one of my favorite tracks of the year in Gotye’s “Somebody That I Used To Know”. Go ahead and try to ignore the chemistry with Kimbra and the chorus that will somehow inch into your mind multiple times a day. Aside from that bombshell, Wilco, Mumford & Sons, The Drums and Real Estate show off wares from their next efforts. Tennis and She & Him showcase female driven throwback covers and Fair Ohs continue on their threat to own summer of 2011. Later, Heavy Roc artist Samuel gets his Postal Service on in honorable fashion and The Knux come up with a summer anthem with the help of Scott Mescudi. Last but not least, GA’s own Turf War comes up with their most potent offering yet in “Cheers To The Years.” Ask Laura, I haven’t stopped listening to it for two weeks.
JayeL Audio 7-26-11 – DOWNLOAD (.rar)
1. Wilco – I Might
2. She & Him – Oh Boy (Buddy Holly cover)
3. Turf War – Cheers to the Years
4. Gotye – Somebody That I Used To Know ft Kimbra
5. Mumford & Sons – Home (live on KBCO)
6. me&LP – La Belle Tocade
7. Jonquil – Get Up
8. Swimsuit – Sunlight (.mp3)
9. Acid House Kings – Under water
10. My Morning Jacket – Holdin On To Black Metal
11. Real Estate – Its Real
12. Fair Ohs – Everything is Dancing
13. Sean Bones – If You Hear A Knock
14. The Knux – Run ft Kid Cudi
15. Fitz & the Tantrums – Dear Mr. President
16. The Drums – Money
17. Samuel – Say Goodbye (.mp3)
18. Atlas Genius – Trojans (.mp3)
19. Theophilus London – I Stand Alone
20. Radical Something – Long Hair Don’t Care
21. Chromeo – When The Night Falls ft Solange (Breakbot Remix)
22. Tennis – Is It True (Brenda Lee Cover)
23. Trails – Animal (Miike Snow cover)
Let me know your favorites in the comments. Seriously.
photo via Dave Vann/Jambase
If you ask me who my favorite acts were at The Hangout Music Festival, Big Gigantic would certainly have been in the top 5. And to think, if I wouldn’t have snuck into the Pretty Lights late show, it wouldn’t have happened (yea, I still need to write that festival recap). The duo’s flavorful blend of live instrumentation (drum and sax) with dub-step ready beats was a breath of fresh air at the jam heavy event.
Still touring the country like maniac’s, Big Gigantic recently let loose a couple remixes of hip-hop classics. The fluctuating bass and reverberating drum make Yeezy and Biggie sound like you’ve never heard them before.
Get Em High (Big Gigantic Remix) by BigGigantic
Notorious Thugs (Big Gigantic Remix) by BigGigantic
Big Gigantic Tour:
July 28 – Party in the Park – Rochester, NY
July 29 – The Big Up 2011 – Sunnyview Farm : Ghent, NY
July 30 – Bele Chere Festival – Asheville, NC
August 10 – MontBleu Resort Showroom w/ LOTUS – Lake Tahoe, NV
August 13 – Royal Family Affair – Bondville, VT
August 24 – George’s Majestic Lounge – Fayetteville, AR
August 25 – Cain’s Ballroom – Tulsa, OK
August 26 – The Granada – Lawrence, KS
August 27 – Summerdance @ Nelson Ledges Quarry Park – Garrettsville, OH
September 2 – NCMF Official After Party w/ STS9 @ Congress Theater – Chicago, IL
September 3 – North Coast Music Festival – Union Park – Chicago, IL
September 4 – Electric Zoo Festival – Randall’s Island Park, NYC
September 7 – Sunshine Theater w/ Bassnectar – Albuquerque, NM
September 8 – Marquee Theatre w/ Bassnectar – Tempe, AZ
September 9 – Hollywood Palladium w/ Bassnectar – Los Angeles, CA
September 10 – Rimac Arena w/ Bassnectar – San Diego, CA
September 14 – Silver State Pavilion w/ Bassnectar – Reno, NV
September 15 – Valdez Hall w/ Bassnectar – Fresno, CA
September 16 – Avila Beach Resort w/ Bassnectar – San Luis Obispo, CA
September 17 – Bill Graham Civic Auditorium w/ Bassnectar – San Francisco, CA
September 20 – Asheville Civic Center w/ Pretty Lights – Asheville, NC
September 21 – nTelos Wireless Pavilion w/ Pretty Lights – Charlottesville, VA
September 23 – Bank of America Pavilion w/ Pretty Lights – Boston, MA
September 24 – Powellapalooza – Page, AZ
September 25 – The Colisee w/ Pretty Lights – Lewiston, ME
September 27 – Burlington Memorial Auditorium w/ Pretty Lights – Burlington, VT
September 29 – Rombello Cruise – Tampa to Cozumel
October 11 – Lyric Theatre w/ Pretty Lights – Oxford, MS
October 12 – Lyric Theatre w/ Pretty Lights – Oxford, MS
October 13 – Tuscaloosa Amphitheater w/ Pretty Lights – Tuscaloosa, AL
October 14 – Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre w/ Bassnectar & Pretty Lights – Alpharetta, GA
October 29 – Verizon Arena w/ Pretty Lights – Little Rock, AR
November 12 – Bear Creek Music Festival – Live Oak, FL
Special Guest post by Mike Ponke
Finally after a year of postponement, U2 brought its hugely successful 360° Tour to Spartan Stadium. This is only the second time U2 has played in East Lansing with the previous show happening at Dooley’s (now Harper’s) back in 1981. This show marked their 98th concert of the Tour which began in Barcelona, Spain back in June of 2009. The Tour has spanned 5 continents and will wrap up in Moncton, Canada at the end of July.
As excited as I was about seeing U2 live, I was equally nervous about getting to the stadium early enough to get a spot close to the stage. We entered the stadium and briskly walked to the south end of the field to get a spot as close as we could to the front. The stage (nicknamed “the Claw”) stood over 160 feet tall and had four legs descending down from a gigantic screen which could be seen from any angle. The stage itself was circular with two bridges on tracks that could swing around the stage and allowed the performers access to an outer ring which surrounded the stage. If you were looking at it from above it would probably look like a Target© symbol. It looked like much of the area inside the outer catwalk (aka the “inner circle”) had already been filled but we were still ecstatic as we got a spot center stage about 3 rows outside of the surrounding catwalk. The guy directly in front of me said he had been waiting in line since 1:00pm and I found it difficult to mask my jubilation as we took in our surroundings.
Logan (who will hereby be known as “the Mayor”) quickly made sure that we introduced ourselves and knew everyone by name within about a 15 foot radius of where we were standing. It was fun getting to know the fans around us and it also proved helpful as we were easily able to make our way back to our spots when we left to purchase sodas to mix our drinks or use the bathroom.
Florence and the Machine came on stage just after 7:00pm to a stadium that looked at about 75% capacity. Admittedly, I had only heard a few songs from the band but was pleasantly surprised as their soothing sounds resonated throughout the crowd. Florence wrapped up their set with their radio hit “Dog Days are Over” and the crowd applauded as lead singer, Florence Welch, belted out the lyrics.
At about 8:45pm, Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton, and Larry Mullen Jr. made their way through an entrance on the south side of the stadium while David Bowie’s “Space Oddity” played over the sound system. The band opened with “Even Better Than The Real Thing” and Bono got the crowd into it early by shouting “Go Green, Go White” and continued with three more songs from “Achtung Baby”, including “Mysterious Ways.”
The band followed by playing “Get On Your Boots” and “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” before playing “Beautiful Day” as the sun set and the stage illuminated Spartan Stadium. Bono played to the crowd talking about everything from current events to the Edge’s desire to buy a small cabin on Lake Michigan.
U2’s set list included songs new and old and spanned over three decades. Fans cheered loudly and danced during “Elevation” and “Vertigo” while singing along to more mellow tunes such as “Walk On”. At one point the massive circular screen descended from the top of the structure and extended all the way down to the stage to completely surround the band in an amazing light show. It seemed at times we were so memorized by the stage that we almost didn’t see the band members when they were out on the catwalk just 10 feet away from us.
Just before the encore we began making our way to the back of the crowd which allowed us to get a better view of the stage that lit up the sky. It really was amazing how it could turn a football stadium into a relatively intimate setting and it appeared that there really weren’t any bad seats in the venue.
The band came back on stage for the encore and saved some of the best for last including “One”, “Where The Street’s Have No Name” and “With Or Without You”. We made our way out of the north tunnel exit during “Moment of Surrender”, the final song of the evening. It really was incredible how clearly you could still hear the music as we crossed the Red Cedar until the song finally ended as we reached Grand River.
Two days later, my ears were still had a little ringing in them. But I’d have to say it was well worth it. I’m not sure what U2 has in the works for their next tour, but they certainly set the bar high after this one.
If you want to get a closer look at the crowd, check out this link. http://www.u2.com/gigapixelfancam/110626
You’ll find me in the back waiting in line to use the bathroom. (I’m wearing a red shirt.)
Special thanks to Scott and Krista for the tickets and to Andy and Katie for the tailgating accommodations.
Set list
1. Even Better Than The Real Thing
2. The Fly
3. Mysterious Ways
4. Until The End Of The World
5. I Will Follow
6. Get On Your Boots
7. I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For
8. Stay
9. Beautiful Day
10. Elevation
11. Pride (In The Name Of Love)
12. Miss Sarajevo
13. Zooropa
14. City Of Blinding Lights
15. Vertigo
16. Crazy Remix/Discotheque
17. Sunday Bloody Sunday
18. Scarlet
19. Walk On
Encore
20. One
21. Where The Streets Have No Name
22. Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me
23. With Or Without You
24. Moment Of Surrender
photo via Spin/Alexandro Auler/Latincontent/Getty
One of the first acts I was enamored with when I decided to seek out music beyond the realm of hip-hop. Of course, the first track I heard Ms. Winehouse on was the “You Know I’m No Good” remix featuring Ghostface Killah. Mark Ronson and Winehouse essentially jump started the retro-pop/soul movement and paved the way for a number of acts (Duffy, Adele, Kate Nash, etc). Ronson had a particularly touching tweet yesterday that said:
she was my musical soulmate & like a sister to me. this is one of the saddest days of my life
Truly a talented woman who had some demons she just couldn’t shake. R.I.P. Amy Winehouse.
Stream a funky Organized Noize remix of “Tears Dry On Their Own” and M.I.A.’s tribute track “27″. Its truly insane when you look at the list of artists who passed at 27.
Amy Winehouse – “Tears Dry on their Own” (Organized Noize Dungeon Family Remix) by Big Boi
27 by _M_I_A_
Is it too early to classify 2011 as the return of the saxophone? The woodwind instrument used on hit albums from Bon Iver and Lady Gaga, while Big Gigantic uses it in interesting ways. On Heavy Roc Music artist St. Lucia‘s latest release “All Eyes On You”, the sax intertwines with a synth-friendly beat and a chorus guaranteed to circulate your skull for days.
All Eyes On You by St. Lucia
This week couldn’t possibly be longer, but at least it has been quite fantastic musically. Triumphant guitar, horn and drum accompany Alex Winston‘s unique pipes on her new single “Velvet Elvis”. What it means? According to Alex’s website, it deals with the idea of “objectum sexuality: where people have fallen in love with objects(!), often humansing them.” I’ll just take their word for it, but you’ve gotta love Winston’s unconventional song topics (see “Sister Wife”).
Alex Winston – Velvet Elvis by AlexWinstonOfficial
The Velvet Elvis EP drops on September 5th. Cop it!
Kyle Lucas and Captain Midnite offer up the next release from their EP The Sky is Falling And I’m Fine. Kyle called it “one of the most personal songs” hes ever written and it shows. Featuring singer Murder Dice, Kyle spits heartfelt lyrics about industry pressure, family, critics and anxiety with a little Auto-Tune. Pick up the EP on August 2nd and head over to Perry’s Stage at Lolla on August 7th for whats sure to be a great show.
Kyle Lucas & Captain Midnite ft. Murder Dice “Take It Apart” by favoritegentlemen
