Keeping It Fresh

It's been almost 2 weeks since my last post. And to be honest the reason I haven't I just haven't been feeling any inspiration. There hasn't been a song that has compelled me to write or an artist that makes me want to share their music the past couple of weeks. And it's not because there isn't any good music out there, we all know that there's plenty of good music. But it just felt kind of like a dry spell, until I came across this song. Now, I know the Hamilton mixtape was all the rage when it came out. And now that I have listened to it in full, I can definitely see why. This mixtape is such a beautiful piece of art because it attacks so many different issues across so many levels and does so in a way that is so incredibly relatable and catchy. One of the best parts of this mixtape though is that it features artists from so many different heritages. And this song specifically features work by rappers from various ethnic backgrounds. And what makes i...

Today I have some music from the ever exciting and moving city, Los Angeles. This duo likes to go by the name MIKNNA, and they are shaking up the underground music scene one track at a time. Fusing retro sounds with hip-hop and some electronic work, MIKKNA gives us music to bounce to. MIKNNA is made up of two very important components - a producer and a vocalist. One member brings the instrumental and musical skills to the table. In fact, the producer, Ken Nana is a talented musician and plays multiple instruments. The vocalist, Mike B, also serves as the rapper of the duo and brings words to the song. The two of them together are able to breathe life into tracks like this, giving the song body and filling it with sensation. MIKKNA's sound could be described as "electro-soul," a gorgeous blend of an older style with a newer one. This song is definitely on the slower side, but that doesn't mean the song lacks funk or groove. This song can hold its own when it come...

I wanted to go ahead and use the beginning of this post to get a little personal. I haven't been posting as much or as frequently as I used to. For years, I had written posts daily, without fail. Even if it meant staying up late to put music out there, I would do it. And within the past few months, my frequency of writing and posting has decreased dramatically. With so many things going on, I found it hard to continue to post every day, and it got to a point where I just didn't care to. But things have changed, and I am back to writing as much as possible. And even though I won't be posting content every day, I will try to do so a few times a week. And that being said, let's get to today's music. I recently heard this song and was captivated by it quickly. Everything about this song has a vibe that you cannot help but enjoy. This song is a joint effort of the band known as The Strike and rapper, SiDizen King. This doesn't seem like the likeliest of duos, but ...

Today I have some smooth and groovy music for you by the duo known as The Electric Sons. What I find so interesting about this duo, is that neither of them really started out in music. In fact, both of the members have backgrounds in design and illustration. One of them even went so far as to be an illustrator for the ever popular show Archer. But now we have two guys who have come together to make music, and my word is it good. The Electric Sons tends to be more of an alternative and electronic group. Their melodies aren't of the pop variety and they certainly don't fit into the world of EDM. Their music tends to have a more indie and alternative melody and energy while utilizing the electronic instruments available to them. We hear this style of music a lot nowadays. The beautiful and seductive blend of electronic and R&B, soul, and even jazz elements has become a popular direction for musicians and artists. And I understand why! This style of music allows artists like...

Today I have a nice and fun, genre-bending song for you by REMI.  Now I know it has been a while since my last post, and I will hopefully be able to start posting more frequently. But since it has been so long, I thought it would be fun to kickstart it with a song like this. What I love about this song, is how unconventional of a track it is. This is a style of hip-hop that does not conform to the normal standards of radio style and urban hip-hop. This is a style that we see quite a bit from the underground community since it is more on the "freelancing" side of music. A lot of times with hip-hop, we find artists that carve out their own niche style and sound. These artists don't necessarily fit the underground vibe, but they also don't conform to the radio either. And these in-between styles of hip-hop are starting to show their colors more and more. We are starting to hear this kind of music in more places, whether on streaming platforms, commercials, movies, and...

Today I wanted to bring up some music by one of the greatest voices of our time. Jessie J is such a powerhouse, and I find that her music is either underappreciated or underwhelmed by the radio. But I wanted to take today's post to chat about how incredible she is, not only as a vocalist but as a lyricist as well. The British singer has an incredible amount of talent and pedigree to her name. One of the things I love about Jessie J, is that her musical and performance style is rather unconventional. She has this incredible way of blending soul, contemporary, R&B, hip-hop, pop, and electro-pop all into one song. Her music has is a unique blend of so many genres, yet somehow, she is able to pull it off and do so with fantastic amounts of style and power.  In this track, we hear Jessie J tackle a mix of contemporary, soul, and some 90s styled hip hop beats. While this may seem like an odd combination, Jessie J has brought them together in a way to make all the sounds mesh ...

Today we are continuing with the African themed music. But today's artist is a British-born Nigerian artist by the name of Maleek Berry. One of the reasons I find his music so intriguing is because despite growing up in England, Maleek Berry has been able to grab hold of that contagious Afro-pop energy, and has harnessed it to create music which is so rooted in his Nigerian roots. There are a lot of artists out there who are able to do that, but for some reason, it really struck me with Maleek Berry's work. Not only is the instrumentation and soundscape reminiscent of African pop, but he even sings in that pidgin style of speaking which is found in Nigeria. The first thing you tend to notice with Maleek Berry's music is the beat. He takes it straight from the world of Afrobeats, giving way to more traditional and African leaning percussion to set the tone of the song. He gets us prepared for the style and sound he is trying to accomplish, from those initial beats. And it...

Wow, it has been some time since my last post. It feels odd to not write for so long! But I'm back again today and have some really fun and interesting music for you. I know I have spent ample time discussing music from around the world, especially focusing on Indian, Korean, and Latin music. And a travesty for us all, I haven't spent a lot of time discussing music from Africa. Now, this seems such a shame since there is so much music today which has taken influence from African music. But this week, I wanted to talk specifically about artists who are from Africa and have gained their popularity there. And so, today I am starting with an artist out of Nigeria who goes by the name Mr. Eazi. Now I really wanted to talk about African artists, because this group represents up and coming artist. African music has been the source of inspiration for so many musical movements, and most notably, the Afrobeat movement. The profile of African artists has started to skyrocket within the...

Today I have some music for you which comes from the world of Vine. Now, I have to admit, this was one of my favorite platforms for a little while. You can't go wrong with funny! But it is so cool to see how we have seen many artists and singer come about because of vine. In fact, today's artist comes from the world of vine. And you may know him from his popular cleaning + WOP videos. Trey Kennedy has been a very low key singer since the inception of vine. Recently, there have been some singing videos which have popped up with him in it, and that eventually led to him creating and releasing his own music. This track is an absolute bop. The energy is level headed and has a fantastic vibe associated with it. Overall, this track is a great one to just relax and lounge around to, just soaking in the atmosphere and sounds. It's cool to hear this song and how influenced by the early 00's it is. The grooviness that we hear in the track, is partially attributed to the use ...

One of the highlights of SXSW was to see the plethora of hip hop artists from around the world. And this was quite a shift for SXSW considering there is usually a heavier focus on rock music or related genres. But this shift in music content for SXSW only reflects a shift in the way we listen to music in the US. And one of the cool things about the music festival this year, is that we got to hear hip hop and rap from all around the world. Previously I spoke about a group of rappers out of China. Well today, we are shifting to another part of the world. Today is all about Korean-American rapper, Junoflo. Junoflo started out on the South Korean rap show called Show Me The Money. Now I have to admit, I think this is one of the coolest things ever. We have shows like The Voice and American Idol, which focus primarily on singing capabilities. But Show Me The Money is all about whether or not you can spit bars, and if you can, how well can you do it. Needless to say, Junoflo is a man who ...

Today I have music for you by another artist I had the opportunity to watch at SXSW. Marco McKinnis is an artist who has taken R&B to new levels of seductive and creates music that is incredibly refreshing. This track is a dangerously sultry one. Marco McKinnis pulls us in with his vocals prowess and delivers an R&B ballad which proves that he really is in his element. The song is effortlessly smooth, drenched in a seductive soul and passion. I love that we can hear the old school soul influences throughout the track. The way Marco McKinnis holds his voice tells us how sure he is about his sound and style. There is a confidence there which makes this song sound and feel organic and natural. His voice is silky smooth, with the texture, richness, and sweetness of molasses. Marco McKinnis immerses this track in his deeply soulful and yearning voice. There is tantalizing tease in his voice, yearning and arms outstretched to welcome us into the embrace of his music. Marco McKinni...

Well, I'm back! It's been about a week or so since my last post, but I am so pleased about the music I am bringing to you going forward. This past week was South by Southwest, SXSW, which is a huge festival in Austin. For a week, we get to celebrate the most innovative and exciting new things coming up in technology, film, and music. I had the incredible opportunity to attend some of the SXSW Music events, and my goodness, it was spectacular. I've seen so many new artists and I am very excited to share these new players with you. So start off this exposé, we have an artist from New Zealand. Noah Slee is an artist who has been on my radar for a while, and I couldn't believe that he came to SXSW! Unfortunately, I was unable to see him perform, but that won't stop me from talking about his music. Noah Slee brought his cool soul to the SXSW stage, and I have to admit that Austin is so much better off by knowing his name. His musical style is not unfamiliar to us. N...

Today, I want to talk about an artist who has really captured my ears and attention. Bazzi has spent a lot of time under the radar, writing and performing his tracks with a magnificent and seductive gentleness. From the first few moments of listening to Bazzi, I knew I was absolutely in love with his voice, and just had to talk about him here. So Bazzi is a singer-songwriter out of Michigan, and is one of the most exciting new talents that I have come across. He is on the younger end of the talent pool, but you can already start to hear his versatility and potential. I have been impressed by all of Bazzi's work so far. He brings a seductive charisma to his music, making the tracks have different kinds of intimacy. I actually found this to be a very interesting concept. Personally, I feel like there is a sense of intimacy present in all of Bazzi's tracks. But the kinds of intimacy, and way he portrays that intimacy, vary from song to song. For some tracks, we get a more roman...

Today I have music for you by the artist Jay Hayden. It is very interesting that there is very little information out there about him. Jay Hayden is an artist who kind of popped up out of nowhere, or at least for me, this is a name I haven't seen around much. From what I have seen though, I think he started out on Vine which is pretty cool! In any case, the man can sing and definitely knows how to create some good music. Jay Hayden relies on a lot of synth work and keyboards for this track. There is a bit of an R&B element to this track, but there is also a really nice electronic influence as well. In a way, I would call this alternative R&B maybe. The entire vibe of the song is one that has energy but still maintains this seductive and sensual element. The synth pop nature of the song gives the track a bit of a bounce and a liveliness as well. But what is really nice, is that the song never feels overdone or over hyped. Nor does it feel overly sensual and sexy. There is...

Today I have some suave and dark music for you out of England. Everything is Recorded, is an artist pseudonym and project. The man behind Everything is Recorded goes by the name of Richard Russell, a producer, and owner of XL Recordings. His label was meant to produce and release original dance tracks. But somewhere along the way, the focus of XL Recordings changed and so did its artists. And as a result, we get amazing music and side projects, such as Everything Is Recorded. This song definitely has darker undertones.The invisible touch that Richard Russell provides is so noticeable in those darker moments and motifs of the song. As the composer and producer of the track, Richard Russell brings to life the song's heartbeat. He makes the song ebb and flows, crescendo and decrescendo into the seductively dark tones of the song. He makes this song tell a story through the music alone, a story filled with suspense and drama, maybe even tragedy. It's a story which involves pain ...

Today I have some music for you by a rapper who has made quite a name for himself despite being out of the spotlight. Vic Mensa has made some big waves in the music industry as a lyricist and performer. Now as a listener, I can wholeheartedly understand why he has been able to do so. Not only does Vic Mensa carry power in his words, but also in the delivery. There are a lot of rappers who lean towards one or the other, but Vic Mensa has found this incredibly sweet and saucy combination which leaves an impression on everyone who hears his music. Today's track is right up that alley. This song is a very interesting vibe, especially because it sounds very unlike a stereotypical rap track. Vic Mensa's debut track is an absolute jam, perfect for the club or a night out. He successfully blends deep house with a spillage of rap words which fall like dominoes. He carries a slick flow, seemingly removing spaces between words so that there is a smooth and continuous barrage of words. ...

Today I have an absolutely incredible song for you all. Often times we hear covers of songs get done, with multiple covers of popular songs. And a lot of these times, the covers a wonderful tribute to the original song. The notes are beautifully reached, the melodies a beautiful flow like the original track. But what the single dimensional covers do, is create an extremely similar rendition of the original song. And then we get some rare covers which are stunning pieces of work. These covers tend to be extremely non-conventional and can change everything about a song. Today's track does just that. The original version of this song is incredibly popular, the girls' anthem for all the 90's and 00's girls out there. TLC is a musical staple - everyone knows them and at least one of their songs. This one is their most popular and it has been covered by many people. But no one has been able to turn the original into a completely new work of art the way Unlike Pluto has. Te...

Alright, now that we have officially kicked off the new year, I wanted to talk about a throwback song. I know, I know, the new year should mean new music. But to be fair, we have had exactly one day of 2018. And I also wanted to kick off the new year with a song that had a fun and retro vibe. So here we go! This song first came out in 2002 and is by the British singer, Craig David. It's hard to imagine that 2002 was technically sixteen years ago! Oddly enough, it doesn't seem that far off. But songs like this have really defined the millennial generation. I mean, these are the songs that we grew up with! These are the kinds of songs we jammed out to, the songs we played at parties. These are the song of our not-so-distant-past childhoods.  And this song was an anthem for not only the dance floor but was the iconic song for some of the hottest toys out there. But that is beside the point, isn't it? This song is what we could call a "club banger. The early millennia...

Today I have some music for you out of South London by an incredible producer by the name Tom Misch. This is an artist who creates masterpieces of sound by blending hip-hop beats with dance and electronic music. Now to me, it seems like this style of music is becoming more popular, or at least more prevalent. But what I do enjoy, is that each artist has a distinct way of making that chilled-out hip-hop track. And Tom Misch makes some really good textured beats while also providing his own vocals. Stylistically, there are always so many ways artists can go when it comes to chill-hop or electronic hip-hop. In this track, we get a more upbeat and friendly sound. It is a bubblier track, with only feel good vibes flowing through. Tom Misch does an incredible job of capturing this carefree atmosphere through his production and composition. I think one of the reasons the song flows this well, is because there is a dynamic array of instruments. Not only do we get the synths and electroni...

Alright, today I have some groovy music for you all. Now this is a nice change of pace from the past few postings I have made (which I know, have been spread quite far apart.) So today, I would like to introduce you to the Haitian-Candian producer and DJ known as Kaytranada. I have only recently started listening to his music, and it has got me jamming so much. Kaytranada is an interesting DJ because his focus is on the genres and subgenres surrounding hip-hop. Normally, when we think of DJs, the people who come to mind are those who play giant festivals, with light shows and ravers galore. Kaytranada is a suave breath of fresh air because of his unique style. The beautiful production style that he uses brings together a variety of rising musicians, with backgrounds in so many different musical sounds. From funk to hip-hop to modern dance music, we get to hear how Kaytranada effortlessly blends and blurs the lines between genres and between being retro and modern. What is cool abou...