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THROWBACK SATURDAYS: 2Pac – California Love (Rusko Remix)

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Rusko takes the 2Pac/Dr. Dre classic and scuffs it up a touch.

2Pac – California Love (Rusko Remix)
purchase

reviewed by
11-06-10

The Portland Cello Project – Dazed and Confused (Feat. Laura Gibson) / Thom Yorke x Jeff Buckley – You & I, Analyse (Daniel Johnson Mix) / Yuck – The Wall

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This cello-backed cover of “Dazed and Confused” comes to us via the From the Land of the Ice and Snow: The Songs of Led Zeppelin compilation out now on Jealous Butcher records. The compliation also features Laura Veirs, The Long Winters, and Chris Walla but this Portland Cello Project collab w also PDX based Laura Gibson really got our attention. Give it a listen below. The Cellos really light up the track and Gibson’s vocal compliments them quite well.

The Portland Cello Project – Dazed and Confused (Feat. Laura Gibson)
purchase / info

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Ol’ One Eye aka frontperson for the world’s biggest band is linked up here by mix man Daniel Johnson to his biggest vocal influence, Jeff Buckley. Hat tip to Rollo & Grady on the track.

Thom Yorke x Jeff Buckley – You & I, Analyse (Daniel Johnson Mix)
purchase / purchase

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Featured by Zane Lowe earlier this week as part of his Hottest Records in the World series, The Wall is new from UK band Yuck.

Yuck – The Wall
band blog / band myspace

reviewed by
11-05-10

Theophilus London – Life of a Lover (Remix) (Feat. Jesse Boykins III & Blu)

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Mr. Theophilus is back in your chiropract with this “Life of a Lover” remix jam. As is your typical Theophilus London track, the song comes locked w a nice beat (buttery smooth here) and dope features (Jesse Boykins vox and Blu rhymes). Get live below.

Theophilus London – Life of a Lover (Remix) (Feat. Jesse Boykins III & Blu)
Theophilus London site / Theophilus London blog

rating: 8.4

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reviewed by
11-04-10

The Streets – 4 O’Clock

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Our bloke Mike Skinner returns with the track for “4 O’Clock”. It’s good news to us that The Streets dude is back on his b.i. and releasing music. We’re banking serious pounds sterling on “4 O’Clock” being only a first in lengthy series of quality material.

The Streets – 4 O’Clock
Mike Skinner Twitter / Buy

rating: 8.1

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reviewed by
11-04-10

Cee-Lo Green – Its OK

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OK? seriously, Cee-Lo, my man, OK? OK?! This song is way more than OK! It’s freaking awesome! If our excitement for Cee-Lo’s new Lady Killer LP to drop could grow anymore, It’s OK just knocked that shit straight off the meter. The Lady Killer is in stores Nov. 9.

Cee-Lo Green – It’s OK
purchase / info

rating: 8.7

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reviewed by
11-04-10

Far East Movement – Rocketeer (Feat. Ryan Tedder)

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FEM link up w OneRepublic dude Ryan Tedder for this follow-up to the their breakthrough Like a G6 #1. For what the song lacks in lyrical imagery, it makes up for on Tedder’s sick chorus hook. There’s sort of a breed of these anthemic chorus/compressed beat rap verse tunes hammering at the charts right now. Think Nothing on You, Love the Way You Lie, Airplanes, etc. Is Rocketeer the best of breed? Prob not. But it is a really solid ’10 pop song and a servicable follow-up for a band that may struggle to stay relevant after Like a G6 has slid from the charts.

Far East Movement – Rocketeer (Feat. Ryan Tedder)
purchase / info

rating: 8.1

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reviewed by
11-03-10

MONA x2

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Nashville’s MONA are one of our fav new bands. Not only do they bring the serious guitar heat and smooth melodies.. but we also hear they make a killer batch of “chocolate chip cookies”. Hot new band + Serious cookie skillz. That’s some serious fire right there. Toast with us to the nascient career of these guys cause that glass of 2 buck chuck we’re raising to you now will be that Dom Perignon shit by the close of 2011. Mark It.

MONA – Walk in the Park (Beach House Cover)

Mona – Trouble on the Way

band site / purchase

reviewed by
11-03-10

Verbal and Yoon – Cherry Bomb (Video)

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Verbal & Yoon drop some dope visuals for their cover of The Runaways classic jam “Cherry Bomb”. We were pretty stoked on the track when we reviewed it last month. And the vid pretty much takes it all the way there. So yeah we won’t front, we’ve been pretty psyched on this Dr. Martens Covers Series. We featured The Raveonettes killer Stones Roses cover a couple months ago and feel like this track for Cherry Bomb is right on level w it. Our connects at Dr. Martens HQ have pssst secreted to us that The Noisettes (who do awesome covers!) and N.A.S.A. (yeah! outer space!) are among the artist features! Hello Mom, Hello Dad, It’s b-b-b-b-b-b3sci!

rating: 8.0
brown8

reviewed by
11-03-10

Florence + the Machine, Live @ House of Blues, Boston 10/31/10

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The place was electric. It was Halloween. “This is the start of our American tour and I can’t think of a better way to start than in Boston.”, said Ms. Welch at the close of the opening set’s penultimate song. HOB roared. Florence was so over.

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Florence + the Machine are massive. If for only the sold out House of Blues crowd; but every face knew every word to everyone of those songs. It was an hour long reverie. For the set and encore’s approximate 60 minutes duration, Florence stood before the faithful, her gathered masses. She had the attention of the congregation.

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And from the vestments (The band wore skeleton suits. Florence, the dress of a flame-haired corpse girl.) of the assembled Machine, to the performance of Florence Welch (arms waved, arms reaching out, hands held high) to the set’s subject matter (as remarked by Florence herself) “hell. coffins. blindness. werewolves.” It felt almost religious, something between ritual and ceremony. And it was Halloween.

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“Dog Days Are Over” sounded enormous, “Cosmic Love” towered and soared, and “Kiss with a Fist” straight knocked us out.

Florence is a star. The UK knows. The US soon will. This larger venue North American tour (NY’s Terminal 5, LA’s Wiltern) should help.

Florence + the Machine – You’ve Got the Love (HaHaHa Remix)

Florence + the Machine – Dog Days Are Over (Killabit DnB Remix)

Florence + the Machine – My Boy Builds Coffins (Demo)

reviewed by
11-02-10

Darwin Deez – Constellations (Xaphoon Jones Bootleg)

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xaphoon picks up the deez on this bootleg of the track for constellations. the chiddy bang man flips a good tune to a great one on this mix. check it! hat tip to skoa on the track.

Darwin Deez – Constellations (Xaphoon Jones Bootleg)
purchase / info

rating: 8.2

brown8

reviewed by
11-02-10

She Keeps Bees – New Seed

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if we could marry jessica larrabee’s voice we would.

She Keeps Bees – New Seed
purchase / info

rating: 8.9

brown9

reviewed by
11-02-10

Body Language – Falling Out

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falling out this new soul jam from bk-based band body language. the track does have that soul, funk, early disco feel at its heart but comes locked w so much more; so many disparate yet complimentary ideas and influences boiled down, simmered, then jamified into one killer track. body language have a four song EP available for stream on their bandcamp page. get into it below.

Body Language – Falling Out
bandcamp / myspace

rating: 8.5

brown9

reviewed by
11-02-10