What do women want? Perhaps Don Juan knows, or Simone de Beauvoir. Maybe Mel Gibson.
In 2011, UK producer, vocalist, and dubstep artist James Blake gave an interview—on the heels of the release of his genre-bending and critically acclaimed eponymous debut LP—in which he disparaged much of the dubstep throbbing around in America as “a pissing contest,” one which producers try to “make the dirtiest, filthiest bass sound.” Read More »
Six and a half years ago, Justin Timberlake featured Three 6 Mafia on “Chop Me Up,” the eighth track on FutureSex/LoveSounds. “Chop Me Up” mixes a punch-drunk Timbaland beat with DJ Screw-inspired pitched down ab-libs. The song is both menacing and coy—a “Big Poppa” by an ex-Mickey-Mouse-Clubber. The song is terrific. Read More »
This week, the US Department of Transportation ordered the Fung Wah Bus Transportation line to discontinue servies after a number of its buses failed a series of recent safety inspections. The bus line got you from between New York and Boston for the small price of $15. Like true punk rockers, the Fung Wa Bus Transportation company gave the Man the finger and hired a group of third party buses to continue ferrying passengers between Beantown and the Big Apple. Read More »
This week in the industry: Bonnarroo’s incredible lineup, Harlem Shake, FLOTUS, and so much more. Read More »
At its core, Auto-Tune is pitch correction. Someone who can’t hit a high C can use Auto-Tune to hit high C. Of course, the more correction one uses, the less human he/she will sound.
Music as an art form is never easy and straightforward to quantify. You could go by record sales, but in contemporary times, with the explosion of social media and the implosion of the record company, such a statistic is just about meaningless (to listeners at least). You could gauge which songs are most popular amongst your friends and extended community, but this ignores the greater musical and cultural landscape. I’ve heard it said that music is the universal language. This is completely ludicrous, as so much of the music I adore is not loved by my family or friends, much less Joe Schmo half the world away. Probably the only common denominator among all humans—besides our inevitable demise—is the smile. I have yet to meet someone who couldn’t help but smile when I share with them “The Walk” the lead single on Mayer Hawthorne’s newly released How Do You Do.
A musical artist makes a very bold statement when he (or she) names his musical act after himself. He not only chooses to be the seen as the sole creative force behind the music, but also ties the personal identity of his person with the nature of the music. It is because of this dynamic that the most powerful tool of the singer-songwriter is the ability to cultivate intimacy, and the easiest way to access the creative and artistic inklings of another human is through the human voice.
It is apparent from “Freeclouds’” first track that Carter Tanton can sing. The former songwriter, guitarist, and lead singer of the now defunct act Tulsa has a voice which is effortlessly expansive yet manages to remain tender and softly intimate. Listening to Tanton sing on “Murderous Joy:” “I need just a little time, to sing you a line, you won’t soon forget,” you can’t help but wonder how Tanton manages to make his skinny, reedy voice sound so big. Read More »
First impressions can either be of great importance, or of none at all. A terrific first track can go a long way in cultivating your enjoyment of an artist or an album. Yet, some first tracks don’t really matter at all. For each “Gimme Shelter” or “What’s Going On,” there are countless first tracks which would sound the same and fulfill the same purpose in either the 7th or 10th spot. And then there are those hip hop intros which drag on forever and only sound fresh and invigorating the very first time—every other time you play that record you skip right on through Biggie’s “Intro” or Mos Def’s “Fear Not of Men.”
“I feel unique. Not yet complete.”
These are the first words on Coastal Grooves, Dev Hynes’ first work under the moniker Blood Orange. Hynes, formerly Lightspeed Champion, has written for Florence and the Machine and the Chemical Brothers, and sings these words in a voice brimming with depth, flavor, and intimate longing. Hynes draws on the vocals of R&B, funk, and pop, amalgamating them into a delivery and timbre which sound very much like Prince. And like the King of Purple, the Artist Formerly Known as Lightspeed Champion is at his best when singing about love, desire, and sex. Read More »
