Posts by Lydia
Win Free Vinyl Records!
It’s been a little bit since we’ve done a giveaway on the site, so I’m here to announce a giveaway that we’re actually running through Facebook! Details below!
Enter to Win:
One of three free vinyl records. Winners will be selected at random.
- Bon Iver – For Emma, Forever Ago
- Reptar – Body Faucet
- Oliver Tank – Dreams EP
How to Enter:
Click here and “like” the Facebook page, then enter your information and click submit
Dates of Eligibility:
Today – May 22, 2012
ENTER NOW
Reptar – Three Shining Suns [Music Video]
Reptar‘s new album (Body Faucet) is phenomenal, but I think my favorite song from it is “Three Shining Suns.” It captured my attention from the first time I got to stream the album, and to this day it hasn’t lost one bit of its touch. I’m a bit late on this one, but the music video has been released, and though it’s a bit odd, what else can be expected from Reptar? It reminds me a lot of that scene in Now and Then when they went into the graveyard at night. That always scared the shit out of me when I was younger. This might even be scarier.
I don’t want to lose you, don’t want to let you go. We fit together so well, fold in to folds.
California Wives – Marianne
California Wives is a four-piece from Chicago (Joe O’Connor, Jayson Kramer, Dan Zima, and Graham Masell) who self-released an EP in 2010 entitled, Affair, which quickly garnered attention from the press. They just signed to Vagrant Records, which for any band these days, is likely a sign of rainbows, ice cream on summer days, sleds in the snow, and candy on Halloween. Okay, maybe that’s weird, but basically I’m trying to say it’s a good thing. Vagrant Records does an incredible job picking a lineup of artists that have incredible talent (think: Reptar, James Vincent McMorrow, Benjamin Francis Leftwich, Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros, and many more). From the sound of this song and the news of their new label, California Wives seems to have a very bright future.
ft. Celeste – A Monarchs Mixtape
I came across this mixtape in my inbox today called ft. Celeste by Monarchs. Celeste Griffin traditionally performs under the name Monarchs, but today she’s taken a path away from her typically alt-soul and folk-rock singing styles and instead toward hip-hop, a genre she loves. This tape features the results of Celeste writing, singing and rapping over hooks by some of today’s best hip-hop producers, including J. Dilla, Jake One, Reggie Coby, Javelin and MF Doom. Put together, we’re left with a 10-minute mixtape called ft. Celeste – a Monarchs Mixtape. I’m not sure I’m feeling the whole compilation, but am totally loving these two, “Loose in the Knees” and “Make Some.”
MP3: “Loose in the Knees” – Monarchs
Hit the jump for the link to listen to the whole mixtape.
ANTHM – Polaris (ft. Blu)
ANTHM sent me a preview of this track a couple months ago and I was sworn to secrecy about it and the feature on it. Listen to this song for yourself and keep in mind that Blu (one of my favorite rappers) is featured on a track with my buddy, and imagine having to keep that to yourself for a significant period of time. Oh, and it samples James Vincent McMorrow. Let’s just say shit was hard. And on that note, ANTHM and Blu both go hard. I absolutely love this track.
Shouts to 2DBZ for the premier!
Mashup Monday!
It’s been a while since I’ve found the inspiration to put together a Mashup Monday post, and I’m not sure whether I’m getting over mashups, or maybe there just haven’t been enough quality mashups to keep my attention. Either way, that’s all bullshit nonsense today, because I found some mashups that are more than worth your time. What does that make them? Shit, I don’t know. Just listen.
1. Say Hello vs. Because (Jay-Z x The Beatles) – The Melker Project
This is a rare Beatles acapella, and the two songs just sound so natural together. I love it.
2. The Mixtape Volume 6 – The Hood Internet
There’s no doubt about it: The Hood Internet are some of the best mashup artists of our time. It’s their ability to mash up indie hipster music with hip-hop or more mainstream stuff. It might be the only time hipster fuckers and mainstream fuckers get along. Download all songs here.
3. Bittersweet Donald (Mac Miller x The Verve) – The White Panda
I don’t know. This one isn’t as good as the Jay-Z x The Verve mashup, but it aint bad.
Bittersweet Donald (Mac Miller // The Verve) by whitepandamusic
4. Somebody That I Used To Know (Gotye x Kimbra x Drake x Rihanna x Adele x Bruno Mars) – Norwegian Recycling
This is pretty legit. Norwegian Recycling always goes the extra mile by creating a video to go with the mashup. So much talent. Download MP3 here.
Kishi Bashi – Tiny Desk Concert
Kishi Bashi is one of my favorite new artists. I have to thank Arjun for introducing me to his mastery of music. I believe Arjun had to work at convincing me that Kishi Bashi is actually an artist, not a type of cereal. It’s whatever, he got the job done, and now I’m obsessed.
Here’s a clip of Kishi Bashi performing at NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert series. This song is mostly an improvisation, and as you’ll see as you watch the performance, Kishi Bashi is a one-man show, combining his violin loops with layered vocals and even some beatboxing. With this much talent and such a beautiful voice, this is how you make a name for yourself these days.
Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros – Mother [VIDEO]
Edward Sharpe, known at birth as Alex Ebert, has one of the most magical, timeless voices of the singers of our day. I’ll stand behind the statement, and I think you will too as you listen to “Mother.” I introduced you guys to this song a couple weeks ago, but now the band has released a video to go with the vocal recording, and it’s beautiful as well. It features motherhood at multiple stages, and its rawness matches perfectly with Ebert’s voice. After Mother’s Day yesterday, I think it’s only fair to say that if you’re able, spend some time with your mother and thank her for all she’s done for you.
To refresh your memories, here’s a bit about “Mother.” “I wanted to explain to her that taking her for granted for so much of my life was less a function of my admitted selfishness and more a function of her unwavering love for me. Her unflinching steadiness I took to be immovable fact — I took her for ‘granite,’ as the poem goes, to make my stand upon. [...] As it stands it is one of my favorite pieces of ours, and I am very grateful that it has found a place to live and give in this album,” Ebert wrote.
Crystal Fighters – Earth Island
Guys. I’ve been sleeping on Crystal Fighters for too long now. I’ve seen email inboxes from one of my trusted press contacts and haven’t had time to get to them (that was my first mistake), but finally today got time to listen, and I’m obsessed. Because I couldn’t say this as well myself, I’m going to have to quote the press email to describe their sound: “melding techno, punk, electronic and dubstep with Basque country folklore and native Spanish instruments (txalaparta, danbolin, and txistu).”
Crystal Fighters released their Star of Love LP ON April 24th in the US, and this song, “Earth Island,” was the main single. I’m absolutely loving it. Such a great collection of unique sounds. These guys are diverse. I can see them matching up with the likes of Reptar, but also somebody like M.I.A. And I can’t say I had put Reptar and M.I.A. in the same sentence before. I’m typically not a big fan of dubstep, mainly because it’s not easy listening. But these guys add a catchy melody to the beats and, suddenly, I’m drooling.
Hit the jump for upcoming Crystal Fighters tour dates.
G-Eazy: On The iPod [Top 10 Songs]
Welcome to the 6th On The iPod feature. To refresh your memories, let me recap what this feature entails. We are asking people, be they artists, listeners, or fans, what they would do if they were stranded on an island with an iPod that held only 10 songs. Which songs would they pick and why? Up to bat: G-Eazy, one of Sunset’s favorite emerging hip-hop stars.
1. Nas – Halftime
Illmatic is probably one of my 3 favorite albums of all time. It’s hard for me to pick my favorite song off of it, because it’s really one of those I like to listen to top to bottom. But if i had to pick one song to have on my iPod, itd be halftime. He goes in so hard on this track, these verses never get old. His bar structures and rhyme schemes are so crazy.
2. Kanye West – Drive Slow
It’s really hard to pick a favorite Kanye song, but this one is a classic, it just never gets old. The story he tells is so vivid… And that beat, man… He flipped 2pacs “shorty wanna be a thug” and just made it sound so much better. It’s definitely one you can play over and over.
3. Outkast – Aquemini
4. Johnny Cash – Folsom Prison Blues
My grandpa and my mom both used to play Johnny Cash records all the time, so I heard them over and over again growing up, and I eventually got into his music on my own later on. He’s always been a staple on my iPod or iPhone or whatever.
5. Harry McClintock – Big Rock Candy Mountain
This is legitimately one of my favorite songs of all time. The story of a utopia told from the perspective of a hobo coming down the railroad tracks in those days is fuckin classic. Plus I’d need some of that to keep my spirits up.
6. 2Pac – Thugz Mansion
This is basically pac’s version of ‘big rock candy mountain’. If I was stranded on an island I would definitely need these records on my iPod, just so I could imagine being there.
7. The Beatles – Eleanor Rigby
8. The Beatles – Strawberry Fields Forever
9. Daft Punk – Something About Us
10. Lupe Fiasco – Day Dreamin’
I figure if I was stranded, I’d have plenty of time to lay around and kick it… this would be a perfect record. It’s also my favorite Lupe song.
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Low Moon Low – Slow Train
If Low Moon Low was a human, they’d be an infant. Not for lack of maturity, but because they are “brand spankin’ new” (yeah, I stole those words from them). They launched their Facebook page yesterday. It has 60 fans. If “Slow Train” is any indication of what they’ve got coming for us, I’m pretty confident that these London lads will be skipping grades soon. Reach for the Moon, fellows. You don’t have far to go. (Woah. Get it?)
G-Eazy – Marilyn [Video]
Our boy G-Eazy dropped the video for his 2012 single, “Marilyn” today. This is one of my favorite songs of the year so far. To say I was incredibly excited, on the verge of doing jumping jacks and somersaults at work, would be an understatement. Yep, understatement. Get on the G-Eazy train, if you’re not already. (And if that’s the case, where the hell have you been?) This dude is not fucking around.
These visuals are all too real, if you ask me. I love that they’ve made it into a short film, which is, I believe, what I always liked most about the song. It’s a story, and far too many of us understand it.
