Preview “Fresh” by 23

 

Update: 23 has finally released the entire track, which you can download here. If you want to listen to it on Youtube, check out this link. Enjoy!

Listen to a preview of “Fresh” by dubstep artist 23. “Fresh” is used in the commercial for VBlast which features NBA player Tyreke Evans. He will be releasing the full track later today and I will update when links are up.Watch the commercial and listen to the preview of the sick track below.

LITS’s Top 25 Albums Of 2011

2011 was a great year for music and if one thing’s for certain, it’s the fact that there is always a constant stream of new artists and new music to listen to. In fact, if I had to give 2011 a tagline, it’d be “The Year of the Newcomer,” a title that’s also quite fitting for our list of the top albums of the year. Our list, as voted by our editorial staff, is full of new artists that surprised us with their craft, some of which was actually self-released for free through outlets like Bandcamp. It’s crazy to think that in an age that is so densely packed with new releases and new information, so many of our favorites come from such humble origins. It almost makes you feel like you’re lost… lost in the sound. And that’s something I’m completely okay with.

Here are our favorite albums from 2011. We hope you find something you enjoy just as much as we have over the past twelve months.

25. St. Vincent – Strange Mercy

24. Moon Duo – Mazes

23. Owen – Ghost Town

22. Beau Navire – Hours

21. Caroline – Verdugo Hills

20. Wilco – The Whole Love

19. Death in Vegas – Trans-Love Energies

18. Belong – Common Era

17. SBTRKT – SBTRKT

16. Leann Grimes – Leann Grimes

15. M83 – Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming

14. The Roots – Undun

13. Radiohead – The King of Limbs

12. ASAP Rocky – LiveLoveA$AP

11. The Horrible Crowes – Elsie

10. Arrange – Plantation

09. Fleet Foxes – Helplessness Blues

08. The Wonder Years – Suburbia I’ve Given You All and Now I’m Nothing

07. Beach Boys – The Smile Sessions

06. The Rosebuds – Loud Planes Fly Low

05. James Blake – James Blake

04. Kendrick Lamar – Section.80

03. Drake – Take Care

02. Bon Iver – Bon Iver

01. The Weeknd – House of Balloons

 

Mixtape: Clams Casino – Instrumentals (Mastered)

I’m a few days late on this one, but here’s a Christmas gift from standout producer Clams Casino. In 2011, Clams went from being Lil B‘s best producer to becoming one of the most talented producers in the game today, period. To thank all of his fans for getting to him to where he is today, Clams released a completely remastered, high-quality (320kbps) version of his mixtape, Instrumentals, one of my personal favorite releases this year. If you haven’t heard it already, or even if you own the old version, make sure to download the mixtape below.

DOWNLOAD: Clams Casino – Instrumentals (Mastered)

Interview: Baby Giraffe

As the modern day music scene develops, it’s becoming more and more common for people to self produce all of their music. As we take a look inside the mind of Baby Giraffe, we see how beautifully crafted melodies can lie behind a bedroom door just as often as they do inside of a professional studio. From an independent and unsigned artist, we can also see large differences in their perspective of the music scene.

What is your name and band name?

Baby Giraffe: My name’s Michael and I’ve been recording under the moniker Baby Giraffe since the mid 2000’s.

Can you explain the reasoning to why you chose the name “Baby Giraffe” and what it means to you?

Baby Giraffe: It was a name that was associated with me when sme old roommates of mine were playing a game of “what animal do you look like.” I’m fairly tall, gangly, docile and my hair used to naturally tuft a bit at the top so I figured it was appropriate.

 What is the music scene like in Ontario, Canada?

Baby Giraffe: Being from the largest city in Canada, we have quite an amazing scene. A lot of acts have broke through from here in the last decade in one incarnation or another. It’s important to note that there’s at least a handful of good, accessible venues if you’re not already an established act to build from. Places like the Rancho Relaxo, the Garrison, the Silver Dollar, etc., are all venues you can find some great young artists at. No pay-to-play bullshit, although the city does have some of those promoters as well. Continue reading

Listen: The xx – Open Eyes (Demo)

Following a critically acclaimed debut album and a fantastic year for their percussionist/beatmaker Jamie Smith (Jamie xx), The xx have finally returned to the studio to work on their second currently untitled album, and have released a demo for “Open Eyes” and a video with it for Christmas. The song, which you can check out on their blog or below, features singer Romy Madley Croft over an atmospheric and hazy backdrop. Although not much information on their sophomore album has been released yet, it should presumably be out mid 2012.

MP3: The xx – Open Eyes (Demo)