// archives

Archive for July, 2012

Listen: Hit-Boy – “Old School Caddy (feat. Kid Cudi)”

By ⋅ July 30, 2012 ⋅ One comment

Hit-Boy‘s second song as a rapper is the long-awaited, often-teased “Old School Caddy” collaboration with G.O.O.D. Music fam Kid Cudi. This time, the producer-turned-rapper got behind the tables himself to churn out his own production, which fits perfectly with Kid Cudi’s energetic Man On The Moon/A Kid Named Cudi era flow. Cudi is actually only on the song for about 36 seconds (one short verse after Hit-Boy spits his two), but his presence is huge, especially since Hit-Boy still sounds like he’s trying to find his voice and lane as a rapper. I’ve heard criticisms about Hit-Boy’s laid-back flow and voice inflection since he appears a bit lazy at times, but I think it works much better on “Old School Caddy” than on his debut “Jay-Z Interview”. The song title is certainly better.

You can download “Old School Caddy” for free below, courtesy of Hit-Boy himself. What do you think? Can Hit-Boy follow in his mentor Kanye‘s shoes or should he just stick to production? On a side note, how about Cudi’s return to rap?

 

Live Review: Blink-182 @ London, England’s Brixton Academy (07/25)

By ⋅ July 26, 2012 ⋅ Post a comment

Band: Blink-182
Location: London, England’s Brixton Academy
Date: July 25, 2012

The sun certainly made Blink feel welcome to London, as it looked more like Coronado Beach than Brixton last night for their last gig in the UK this tour. The fans were out in the skimpiest of summer clothing as this is the first real week of summer London has yet to see; vests, shorts and converse were the most popular combo, but the ladies were not afraid to show a bit of flesh even during the proceedings of the gig. The boys, touching late 30’s were still happy to see that the females were as eager to show a bit of under-garment as they did back in the late 90’s when the band were busting out tunes like “All The Small Things” for the first time.

Brixton Academy certainly looked at its finest last night with a set up that you’d presume a relatively new band would be gracing the stage with, but no, they just want to show the fans a good time and that’s exactly what happened, with the band been no less than 20ft away from the front row. The venue was rammed and it was time for the support slot to come on; Watford born boys Lower than Atlantis gave it a shot and to be fair to the boys, they did pretty damn well. I mean, it’s not gonna be easy supporting any big band when you’re the only support slot on, but having to warm the crowd up for Blink, I have to give them a pat on the back, frontman ‘Mike Duce’ certainly gave it his all and then some. At one point even trying out a classic ‘Hulk Hogan’ ear salute to the crowd, and when it failed replying, “That was a tad Butlins wasn’t it?” and a lot of people had time for that kind of banter. Although, their actual playing and performance didn’t meet up to the mark and I would have liked to see someone more tight and professional filling that 30 minute slot they luckily received from God knows where. LTA seem like a great bunch of guys, but come on promoters, supporting Blink, wake up and listening to the great bands out there that deserve this instead of putting some FAD on that won’t last more than three years from now.

So it was time for Blink to come on as the black curtain of excitement drops, everyone’s screams simmer into the pits of their stomach where the butterflies have been dwelling, waiting to burst out full throttle back and forth across the room. Get ready for action, “Feeling This” opens the set and fans automatically charge towards the front, crowd surfing along the 5000 people venue. The atmosphere was never tainted with any negativity as everyone was enthralled with the spectacular and legendary pop punk band stood before them. It just got bigger and better for fans as they did not stop playing hit after of hit with classics such as; “All The Small Things”, “What’s My Age Again?”, and “Man Overboard”. They even intervened with an acoustic set of four songs including “Going Away To College” and “Roller Coaster”, which was a new experiment for Blink to try out this tour and they knocked it out the park and had fans dancing throughout. Travis even played “Can a Drummer Get Some?” off of his own debut solo album which had fans going wild throughout the venue.

Mark, Tom and Travis’ relationship seemed like it was better than ever. Mark was the most talkative of the bunch and often spoke to the crowd getting them warmed up even more so than needed. Tom and Travis had a little mix up during the set, as timing was of the essence; luckily it was just during “The Blowjob Song”. Tom went on to say on twitter last night; “I think this is the best time of Blink 182’s career, and we will be carrying on doing great things in the near future.” I hope they do as this is band that will never get old even with the next generation of music lovers to come. I’m happy I got to see this band during this point of this career.

Setlist:

  1. Feeling This
  2. Up All Night
  3. The Rock Show
  4. What’s My Age Again?
  5. Down
  6. I Miss You
  7. Wishing Well
  8. Dumpweed
  9. Always
  10. Violence
  11. After Midnight
  12. First Date
  13. Blow Job
  14. Heart’s All Gone
  15. Blow Job
  16. Man Overboard
  17. Fuck a Dog
  18. Ghost on the Dancefloor
  19. All the Small Things
  20. Josie

Acoustic set:

  1. Reckless Abandon
  2. Going Away To College
  3. Dick Lips
  4. All of This (without Robert Smith)

Encore:

  1. Can a Drummer Get Some? (Travis Barker drum solo)
  2. Carousel
  3. Dammit
  4. Family Reunion
  5. Call Me Maybe (Carly Rae Jepsen cover)

Soapbox: Wild Nothing – Nocturne

By ⋅ July 25, 2012 ⋅ Post a comment

Now I’ve never been one to jump on new albums the second they come out. That’s mostly because I’m fairly lazy and don’t keep track of when certain things are actually being released. Wild Nothing somewhat recently released their second album Nocturne under Captured Tracks. I wasn’t too excited to jump right on this album because I can still groove to their first album Gemini released in 2010. So often, new albums ruin the band for me and I can just never dig the new music as much because the sound has always shifted. Yet at the same time I get frustrated when I see bands that don’t know how to change their sound one bit and basically reproduce the same song over and over. Clearly the way I look at music is logical. Yet either way, I was positive that Wild Nothing would bring some chill nostalgic vibes just like they did in songs like “Summer Holiday” and “Chinatown” from their first LP.

Gemini had some great stand out songs but as all together it lacked the beautiful flow that these guys have now brought into Nocturne. After several listens to the new album, no song specifically stands out as being better than the rest; every song is solid. The songs are still incredibly catchy beats that are perfect for summer days.  And the album isn’t one hit surrounded by a bunch of filler trash either — it’s an experience of hip synth vibes and again, a really strong beat with the drums. That’s one thing that I notice the most in Wild Nothing: the presence in the drums becomes quite dominant, all of the beats are put together beautifully; they give the song it’s originality. You have to greatly appreciate the instrumental structure to their songs. Incredibly impressive are the variations of sound in songs like “The Blue Dress”, which feel so much heavier but never out of place on their album.

These guys have been recently touring with Diiv, who also recently released a new album that is worth checking out.

Check out the song “The Blue Dress” below, from their new album.

Nocturne Tracklist:
01) Shadow
02) Midnight Song
03) Nocturne
04) Through The Grass
05) Only Heather
06) This Chain Won’t Break
07) Disappear Always
08) Paradise
09) Counting Days
10) The Blue Dress
11) Rheya

Listen: PORTALS Summer Mixtape 2012

By ⋅ July 22, 2012 ⋅ Post a comment

PORTALS, a music community that produces a “Monthly Mixtape Series” have teamed up with Chill Mega Chill Records to produce a summer mixtape created through submissions from their community in limited edition cassette form. It is available both in cassette and mp3 form from both PORTALS’ and Chill Mega Chill’s bandcamps (here and here, respectively).

PORTALS “is a refuge for emerging talent, for the young artist who may have no other place to be heard, for music that is better than its ability to seem cool.” The mixtape is full of phenomenal indie, lo-fi, and experimental artists thus, this mixtape is a perfect accompany for a relaxed, ‘chill mega chill’ Summer. Stream it below.

Giveaway: Sir Elton John’s New Memoir Love Is The Cure

By ⋅ July 17, 2012 ⋅ Post a comment

Over the past five decades, Sir Elton John has inspired and entertained millions with his songs and performances, selling over 250 million records worldwide. He’s received countless Grammy Awards, knighthood from the Queen of England, been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and to this day, still owns the record for the best-selling single in Billboard history with “Candle In The Wind 1997”. Today marks the start of a new chapter in the celebrated artist’s career with his new memoir Love Is The Cure‘s publishing through Little, Brown and Company. In it, Elton discusses very personal details about his life and his struggles with fame, drugs, and most importantly, his ongoing quest to fight AIDS.

Today, I’m also very glad to announce a special giveaway between Lost In The Sound and Little, Brown and Company. To support Elton and his organization, the Elton John AIDS Foundation, we are giving away three copies of the new book to readers from either the US or Canada (sorry, no PO boxes!).

We’ll be doing a random drawing in two weeks (July 31, 2012) to decide on three winners who will receive one copy each. How do you enter?

  1. Like us on Facebook for one entry.
  2. Follow us on Twitter for one entry. You can enter the contest twice by liking us on Facebook AND following us on Twitter.
  3. THEN send an email to giveaway@lostinthesound.com with a link to your Facebook or Twitter so that we can match you. If you do not want to enter using Facebook or Twitter, you can simply email giveaway@lostinthesound.com and you will be given one entry.
  4. On July 31, three winners will be emailed to obtain mailing information. Winners must be in the US or Canada and cannot have a PO box.

You can read more about the book below via press release.

—

For the first time ever Elton John tells his own intensely personal story. Filled with exclusive details about his relationships with famous friends like Elizabeth Taylor, Freddie Mercury and Princess Diana, LOVE IS THE CURE (Little, Brown and Company/July 17, 2012/ISBN: ) is a truly revelatory look at one of the world’s most beloved singers and songwriters.   LOVE IS THE CURE is a deeply personal account of his life during the era of AIDS and an inspiring look at what we must do to bring the epidemic to an end.

In the 1980s, Elton John saw friend after friend, loved one after loved one, perish needlessly from AIDS. In the midst of the plague he befriended Ryan White, a young Indiana boy ostracized by his town and his school because of the HIV infection he had contracted from a blood transfusion. Ryan’s inspiring life and devastating death led Elton to two realizations: His own life was a mess. And he had to do something to help stop the AIDS crisis.

Since then, Elton has dedicated himself to overcoming the stigma of AIDS and finding a cure. For the past 20 years he has done this through the Elton John AIDS Foundation, which has raised and donated $275 million to-date to fighting the disease worldwide. With powerful conviction and emotional force, Elton conveys the personal toll AIDS has taken on his life, and his infinite determination to stop its spread.

Elton John says, “This is a disease that must be cured not by a miraculous vaccine, but by changing hearts and minds, and through a collective effort to break down social barriers and to build bridges of compassion. Why are we not doing more? This is a question I have thought deeply about, and wish to answer-and help to change-by writing this book.”  Sir Elton John’s first book is a deeply personal account of his life during the era of AIDS and an inspiring look at what we must do to bring the epidemic to an end.

The sale of Love Is the Cure will benefit the Elton John AIDS Foundation. The Elton John AIDS Foundation (EJAF), founded in 1992, has raised $275 million to fight the AIDS epidemic and help those affected by it. EJAF has supported hundreds of projects focusing on marginalized, stigmatized, and at-risk populations in 55 countries. EJAF is one of the largest AIDS grant-making organizations in the world, and the largest in the UK.

Listen: The xx – “Angels”

By ⋅ July 16, 2012 ⋅ Post a comment

On September 11th, the xx will release their second studio album Coexist through Young Turks featuring eleven brand new tracks. On lead single “Angels”, which will be the opener to the new album, the Londoners channel their indie contemporaries Beach House for a beautiful and blissful three minutes. Producer Jamie xx has mentioned that the new album would be a bit more dance-oriented and with roots in club music, but “Angels” is missing out on that sound and instead (and perhaps more approriately), the song is dreamy and angelic. Judge for yourself below.

Coexist Tracklisting:
01 Angels
02 Chained
03 Fiction
04 Try
05 Reunion
06 Sunset
07 Missing
08 Tides
09 Unfold
10 Swept Away
11 Our Song

Listen: Dispatch – “Circles Around The Sun”

By ⋅ July 16, 2012 ⋅ Post a comment

Dispatch frontman Chad Urmston took to the band’s Facebook page to explain the story behind “Circles Around The Sun”, the band’s first single from their upcoming album of the same name. Circles Around The Sun, out August 21st, will be Dispatch’s first official studio album in over twelve years. Below, you can listen to the song and read Chad’s explanation.

“‘Circles Around The Sun’ is the legend of our friend Larry Perry, who passed away this past year. In the early 1960s the space race had captured America. Looking to outdo the Soviets without putting their necks on the line, NASA, in an unprecedented, controversial move, took a very disabled young man away from his family to ready him for space flight. Both the USSR and USA had sent dogs and chimps into space, but the USA wanted more. Larry cannot walk or speak but was in perfect health and, more importantly, in the eyes of the government, expendable. Unbeknownst to them, from a very young age, Larry had always been an adrenaline junkie and the scientists and government officials were actually fulfilling the biggest adventure he could ever dream – to be launched into space. To everyone’s surprise, Larry returns from space triumphant and smiling.” – Chad

Stream: Passion Pit – Gossamer

By ⋅ July 16, 2012 ⋅ Post a comment

It’s been a long wait for Passion Pit fans everywhere for the indie outfit’s follow-up to 2009’s Manners. Today, NPR’s First Listen gives us a full stream of Gossamer, which you can listen to below. You can probably imagine how difficult it is to top their breakthrough debut record, but somehow, the group manages to do so by being a little more reflective, a little less circumspect in their songwriting, and a whole lot more daring. Gossamer will see its official release on July 24th and if you preorder the record  on iTunes now, you’ll receive bonus material that won’t be available anywhere else.

PREORDER PASSION PIT’S GOSSAMER ON iTUNES

Listen: Kendrick Lamar – “Swimming Pools (Drank)”

By ⋅ July 15, 2012 ⋅ Post a comment

Can’t really complain when it comes to new music from Kendrick Lamar. To build up some more hype for his soon-to-be-released classic (fingers-crossed), good kid, m.A.A.d. city out on October 2nd, Kendrick let loose about his alcoholic past on some T-Minus crafted string and bass. As usual, the track is mixed by Ali from Top Dawg.

Video: Blur – “Under The Westway”

By ⋅ July 6, 2012 ⋅ Post a comment

Damon Albarn-fronted Blur are back with two new songs for the 2012 Summer Olympics, despite the fact that Albarn has repeatedly hinted that he won’t be making any new music with the band. The pair of songs, “Under The Westway” and “The Puritan”, will be released as a single on August 6th. Today, we get the official video of “Under The Westway”, which features footage of the band recording the song in the studio. Watch below.

«Previous —