Sunset in the Rearview

Lupe Fiasco – Around My Way (Freedom Ain’t Free)

Jordan — Mon, 21 May 2012 23:41:18 +0000

Wasalu and I are on a first name basis, so if you see me say Wasalu instead of Lupe Fiasco, that’s why. He’s the best lyricist.

Wasalu drops his first single off of Food & Liquor 2. THANK GOD.

I’ve been missing this guy and this sounds more like his music rather than Atlantic’s bull shit. Song is available on iTunes at midnight.

The first sense I get from Around My Way (Freedom Ain’t Free) is that he’s retracing his steps back to his “The Cool” & “Food & Liquor” days, and putting Lasers in the past. Thank. Fucking. God. This is an excellent start and I’m eager to see what else he has in store for us after watching this, specifically, Form Follows Function (refer to video).

There’s two artist I’ll always be with through thick and thin (pause). Wasalu and Scott Mescudi. All hail Wasalu!

[Video & MP3] Carousel – Let’s Go Home

Jordan — Mon, 21 May 2012 18:57:49 +0000

Carousel has graced us with a brand new track, and visuals for it!

This is a brand new track called Let’s Go Home and this marks yet another consistent release from them. At this point, they’ve carved out their sound and it’s evident, so if you have yet to check these guys out, you’re craaazzzaaaaay maaaynnneeee.

Carousel – Let’s Go Home

Check out their SoundCloud for previous releases.

Sid Sriram ft. Sonny Shotz – Elevate

Jordan — Fri, 18 May 2012 12:22:02 +0000

After the first few listens, I wasn’t too sure what to make out of the new song Sid Sriram has with Sonny Shotz of The Dean’s List. Wasn’t sure if I liked it, or I absolutely hated it. Just a few more listens, and I’ve come to the conclusion that I love it.

The reason I love it is because of Sonny Shotz. I think he’s really stepped his game up this year and he flourishes on these darker beats (another example here).

This marks the second song in the recent months that Sid Sriram & Sonny have linked up for and I think they made quite the duo. Peep it below!

MS MR – Hurricane [VIDEO]

Lydia — Thu, 17 May 2012 21:23:06 +0000

Apparently Sunset is all about some explosive music. I never liked guns or explosives or any of that stuff too much, maybe because I’m a girl. I don’t know. But I really do like explosive music. It’s not crashes or bangs or anything, it’s just BIG. Powerful. It leaves a mark. Yeah, that’s what this song “Hurricane” by MS MR does for me. Apparently that’s not all that much — MS MR is saying it can induce popilepsy. I don’t know much about popilepsy, but as a former epileptic, I think I can dig it. Ya, I’m down.

Download “Hurricane” over at MS MR’s site.

[via Pitchfork]

Foxes – Let Go for Tonight

Arjun — Thu, 17 May 2012 13:57:19 +0000

Louisa Rose Allen, also known as Foxes, released one of the most under-appreciated tracks of last year. I have compared her sound to that of Florence and the Machine. And guess what? Foxes is now working with frequent Florence collaborator Kid Harpoon (co-wrote “Shake It Out,” “Never Let Me Go,” and “Leave My Body” from the new album). The demo below was co-written by Harpoon and is simply explosive.

MP3: “Let Go for Tonight” – Foxes

Foxes’ debut Warrior EP will be released on July 3rd.

Follow @THEArjunGrover

Childish Gambino – We Ain’t Them

Arjun — Wed, 16 May 2012 22:26:53 +0000

So Donald took to Twitter about half an hour ago and just started a Kanye-esque rant. Well okay, “rant” is a harsh word. Donald basically felt the need to explain himself–what’s he’s doing with his rap career, how he’s trying to improve, why he goes out of his way to mention kids like Trayvon Martin, and much more. The fact that he feels like he has to defend himself is ridiculous, but the things he said were insightful into the mind of one of the most talented young artists around today. He is ambitious, but he doesn’t think he’s the best (even when he says it all the time). He’s grateful for the many good things that have happened in his life but also remembers the bullshit he had to grow up with. A lot of people don’t realize that he’s paid his dues; he’s faced the same sort of hardships that many iconic rappers have faced. He’s just as “hood” as they are. After talking about how Childish Gambino started as an inside joke and has now become a legitimate rap career and how he has accepted that, he dropped the link to his newly redesigned site, featuring the picture above and the realest Big Ghost review of it. “We Ain’t Them” was first heard live at The Switch, which streamed online late last month. My favorite part of the song is when Gambino talks of reminiscing about Whitney Houston with Questlove. That’s royalty.

MP3: “We Ain’t Them” – Childish Gambino

Bonus!

This one dropped yesterday on Funkmaster Flex. I hate radio tags but love the song and the Schoolboy Q feature.

MP3: “Unnecessary (Radio Rip) (ft. Schoolboy Q)” – Childish Gambino

We don’t wife ‘em like Khalifa, we just party then we leave ‘em

Follow @THEArjunGrover

Win Free Vinyl Records!

Lydia — Wed, 16 May 2012 22:10:31 +0000

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]

Lydia — Wed, 16 May 2012 21:57:05 +0000

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

Lydia — Wed, 16 May 2012 21:42:41 +0000

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.

[Brenton Duvall Remix] The Knocks – All We Got ft. One Room & Kardinal Offishall

Jordan — Wed, 16 May 2012 15:00:54 +0000

Our guy Brenton drops this brand new joint, remixing The Knocks song with Kardinal Offishall, All We Got (original), and he adds in one of our favorites, One Room.

Two favorites in one song? Yeah, we’re kind of excited about this drop. Lydia should be too. Two people in this song crush on her! Chris (of One Room) and Brenton…I see you both!

Kardinal Offishall used to be my shit back in the day.

Brenton Duvall – All We Got Remix ft. The Knocks, One Room & Kardinal Offishall