Wow.
James Blake – The Wilhelm Scream (Live from Maida Vale)Rating: 9.0
Fresco is NYC MC Matt Soares. “Purple” has really knocked out. Soares spits some pretty sick heat up and down an equally sick beat. Check out more fly shit from this talented MC on his soundcloud
Rating: 8.0
Sharp cover of the Cobain jam here by the soul pop tag team of J*DaVeY. via the Evil Christian Cop EP.
J*DaVeY – Smells Like Teen SpiritRating: 8.0
The Yonkers MC continues to impress with the new track for “Losing My Mind”. The jam is another notch up and step in the right direction for totally UNDER-rated artist. Seriously! This guy should be way bigger than he is; a little bit of arrangement help and “Losing My Mind” is totally a top 10 radio hit. Mark it.
Outasight – Losing My MindRating: 8.0
The Internet buzzband gets its mix-up come uppance here by slightly misspelled celeb remixer. The Cruise man brings the flash and pizazz in the clutch always and this “Castles in the Snow” remix is no different, equal parts flash, equal parts pizazz, 100% fresh. Get ripped below.
Twin Shadow – Castles in the Snow (Com Truise Remix)Rating: 8.2
The trip-hop duo remix the Black on Both Sides classic. From 2000. Banger.
Mos Def – Umi Says (Zero 7 Remix)
British Sea Power have dropped a new track courtesy of NME that ponders the answer to a question that we all really want to know.. “Who’s In Control” is previewed from their forthcoming Valhalla Dancehall, and really it’s a song strong as ever from these guys. Get into it.
British Sea Power – Who’s In Controlrating: 8.7
nevermind the sheer novelty and stamina of this track, but seriously how sick is this? the latest cut credited to the Smith dynasty gets a mighty touch from b3sci rainmaker Tinie Tempah. Hat tip to Keshia Bee…
Willow Smith – Whip My Hair Ft. Tinie Tempah (Remix)rating: 8.3
Various Cruelties ring in the New Year. Shouts to Rowan for a heads up on these indie rockers with one of (the) latest/hottest takes yet heard for blue-eyed soul. Seemingly, and for the most part off the radar till recently, these lads from the UK have released 3 tracks for us already this year. “Cold As You” is offered as 7″ with “Chemicals” and a near lilting “If It Wasn’t For You” are now available for download at their bandcamp site.
Various Cruelties – If It Wasn’t For You Various Cruelties – Cold As Yourating: 8.8
An Ode to Motown
Motown is feng shui music.
Haiku in its simplicity,
Zen in its transcendence.
So beautiful my ears have begun to bleed.
Motown is the alpha and omega of pop.
The marriage of lyric and melody.
The introduction of an eternal backbeat.
Our duty is to listen to these complete works.
Motown is three minute perfection.
The emotional nakedness
Lost to our technological revolution.
The new Library of Alexandria.
The Church of Holland-Dozier-Holland
Is these days little more than a pastiche
Of box-office soundtrack and Clear Channel radio.
I should’ve been born in a different age and time.
By Chris Gedos
Here’s our second glimpse of what’s to come on Beady Eye’s forthcoming Different Gear, Still Speeding debut which drops February 28 on the bands own label, Beady Eye Records Ltd. “Four Letter Word” sounds much more Oasis than it’s predecessor, “Bring The Light”, and minus a fab melody and apocalyptic themed guitar riff, the song’s lyrics are really what Liam’ify this track to the next level. The frontman himself has been quoted, “The tunes are as good as ‘Definitely Maybe’, if not better,” and while we dig the Beady Eye sound, and think Lillywhite has done them some justice, thus far we’re skeptical.
“Four Letter Word” comes in tow with a slick new psych-rock Julian House and Julian Gibbs directed music video that originally debuted on the NME. The track is available in a limited, heavy-weight, numbered 7″ which features the b-side, “World Outside My Room”. Score yours on the Beady Eye website here.
Excpected Different Gear, Still Speeding tracklisting:
Four Letter Word
Millionaire
The Roller
Beatles And Stones
Wind Up Dream
Bring The Light
For Anyone
Kill For A Dream
Standing On The Edge Of The Noise
Wigwam
Three Ring Circus
The Beat Goes On
The Morning Son
Beady Eye info / buy it / Pretty Green
Rating: 8
Compiling a year end Best of Songs list is not exactly the easiest ask. There are SO MANY great songs. And ‘the line’ between making one’s list a true Best of list vs. a Favorite songs of the year list can be quite the thin one. Here’s our best go at it. Also, if you’ve yet to check out our Top 50 Albums of 2010 list then you can get familiar HERE. Happy Holidays, and thanks for reading! We’ll see y’all in 2011…
01. Adele – Rolling in the Deep (Buy It)
02. Kanye West -Power (Buy It)
03. Cee-Lo Green – Fuck You (Buy It)
04. Aloe Blacc – I Need a Dollar (Buy It)
05. Tinie Tempah – Pass Out (Buy It)
06. Alicia Keys – Unthinkable (I’m Ready) (Buy It)
07. The Black Keys – Tighten’ Up (Buy It)
08. Beach House – Norway (Buy It)
09. Janelle Monae – Tightrope (Feat. Big Boi) (Buy It)
10. James Blake – CMYK (Buy It)
11. Far East Movement – Like a G6 (Feat. The Cataracts & Dev) (Buy It)
12. Drake – Fireworks (Feat. Alicia Keys) (Buy It)
13. B.o.B. – Airplanes (Feat. Hayley Williams) (Buy It)
14. Arcade Fire – Ready to Start (Buy It)
15. M.I.A. – Born Free (Buy It)
16. Swedish House Mafia – One (Feat. Pharrell) (Buy It)
17. Jose James – Made for Love (Buy It)
18. Ski Beatz – Cream of the Planet (Feat. Mos Def) (Buy It)
19. The Fresh and Onlys – Waterfall (Buy It)
20. Rick Ross – Super High (Feat. Ne-Yo) (Buy It)
21. Cassius – I Love You So (Buy It)
22. Gil Scott-Heron – New York Is Killing Me (Buy It)
23. The National – Terrible Love (Buy It)
24. Deadmau5 – Right This Second (Buy It)
25. Phantogram – As Far As I Can See (Buy It)
26. Washed Out – You and I (Feat. Carolyn Polachek) (Buy It)
27. Deerhunter – Helicopter (Buy It)
28. Erykah Badu – Window Seat (Buy It)
29. Wiz Khalifa – Black & Yellow (Buy It)
30. Big Boi – Shutterbugg (Feat. Cutty) (Buy It)
31. Katy B – Katy On A Mission (Prod. by Benga) (Buy It)
32. Mount Kimbie – Field (Buy It)
33. LCD Soundsystem – Oh You (Christmas Blues) (Buy It)
34. Jesse Rose – You Know It (Original Mix) (Buy It)
35. Band of Horses – Laredo (Buy It)
36. Kelis – 4th of July (Fireworks) (Buy It)
37. Funeral Party – Just Because (Buy It)
38. The Soft Pack – More or Less (Buy It)
39. Jeremy Messersmith – Tatooine (Buy It)
40. Klaxons – Echoes (Buy It)
41. Chapel Club – O Maybe I (Buy It)
42. King Reign – Money (Feat. Saukrates and Kardinal Offishall) (FREE Download)
43. Grinderman- Worm Tamer (Buy It)
44. Mona – Listen To Your Love (Buy It)
45. The Sand Band – Set Me Free (Buy It)
46. The Vaccines – Blow It Up (Buy It)
47. Beady Eye – Bring the Light (Buy It)
48. Lykke Li – Get Some (Buy It)
49. Shad – Yaa I Get It (Buy It)
50. Professor Green – Just Be Good To Green (Feat. Lily Allen) (Buy It)
Honorable Mentions:
Corinne Bailey Rae – Are You Here
Fat Joe – Ha Ha (Feat. Young Jeezy)
Chris Turner – Liquid Love
Flying Lotus – And The World Laughs With You (Feat. Thom Yorke)
Lissie – Record Collector
Crookers – Cooler Couleur
Dale Earnhardt jr jr – Simple Girl
J. Cole – Premeditated Murder
Cee Lo Green – I Want You (Demo)
Small Black – Weird Machines
NERD – Hypnotize You
Eliza Doolittle – Skinny Genes
Usher – OMG (Feat. Will.i.am.)
First Aid Kit – Ghost Town
Foals – Spanish Sahara
Nicos Gun – Dirty Girl
Flying Lotus – And the World Laughs With You (Feat. Thom Yorke)
Sia – Clap Your Hands
Taio Cruz – Dynamite
Flight Facilities – Crave You (Feat. Giselle)
Ciara – Ride the Beat (Feat. Ludacris)
Tinchy Stryder – Game Over (Feat. Giggs, Professor Green, Tinie Tempah, Example, Devlin, Chipmunk)
Crystal Castles – Celestica
Gayngs – The Gaudy Side of Town
Big K.R.I.T. – Country Shit
Two Door Cinema Club – What You Know
Everest – Let Go
E-Train – Never Love You
Breton – The Well
Arcade Fire – Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)
Badio – Kiss the Sky
Dylan LeBlanc – If Time Was for Wasting
Flux Pavilion – I Can’t Stop
Freddie Joachim – Transistors
Great Lake Swimmers – Gonna Make It Through This Year
Gorillaz – Empire Ants (Feat. Little Dragon)
Groove Armada – Paper Romance (Feat. Fenech-Soler)
Karen Elson – The Ghost Who Walks
Manic Street Preachers – I’m Leaving You For Solitude
Mark Ronson & The Business Int’l – Somebody to Love
PS I Love You – Facelove
Menomena – TAOS
Sleigh Bells – Kids
STS – Fuck A Hook (Prod. By Don Cannon)
