Keeping It Fresh

Today I am changing it up a little bit and featuring music that was made for films. This first song is from a movie that seemed to be an indie movie that became a sensation with the right crowd.Now this song that I chose is the one song that I know almost everyone has heard. This song comes from the movie Get On Up: The James Brown Story. Now, I am a huge fan of James Brown. Talk about a guy who knew how to sing and put on a show and prove to the world that everything is possible. I have not seen this movie yet but I am dying to see it! This movie is a biography, but like the kind of music it features, this film has funk and soul. There is so much more to this film than being a typical historic film. This song features so many incredible song renditions and Chadwick Boseman sounds so phenomenal as James Brown. Now in the movie, he did perform the songs, but the Godfather of Soul's voice was dubbed over the Chadwick Boseman's voice. But just from this scene alone, I can feel the...

Hey guys, sorry for not posting yesterday. I returned to Austin for a few days and got a little caught up in seeing the squad. But today I am back with some music for you! This song is by an artist who is really underground and also happens to be a solo artist. Olivver the Kid who also goes by just Olivver the Kid has a very interesting sound to his specific path of music. He likes to describe himself as an alternative kind of R&B artist, and this is a description I completely agree with. Olivver the Kid has a very soulful and sweet voice that is accompanied by guitars and synthesized percussion. The beat pattern he uses in his music, and in this song, in particular, are slower and larger in a sense. The drumbeat is the most prominent instrumental sound we hear in this song. Of course in the bridges, we get a beautiful background of keyboards and melodic synth sounds, but otherwise, we really get this full and heavy beat th...

Today I have a remix for you by an artist who absolutely killed it with this. R3hab is normally a more house oriented DJ, with explosive choruses and high energy songs. But his remix of Rihanna's song is one of the best remixes I have heard. I love the way he took this song and made it something completely different. From the tone of the song to stylistic elements, to even parts of the melody, there is an originality to this remix that I have not heard from any of the other remixes of this song. Plus, this version has an incredibly good sound, one that is pleasing to the ears and almost dangerously addictive. What I find very interesting is how R3hab still manages to make this song something that is seductive despite the fact that it kind of steps away from the R&B vibe of the original song. The original version of the song definitely has a seductive sound to it, but the remix that R3hab has done is a sensual version of the song. He has turned the song into a strange mix of bei...

Today I have some new music for you by the electronic duo known as Snakehips.This song is a very good one, and is also an extremely important one for the guest vocalist, Zayn Malik. This is the song that really establishes Zayn Malik as a solo artist. With his debut album, we get to hear him perform his own style of music and get a taste of his solo career, but this song is one that established his place in a broader spectrum of genres. This song is what establishes him as more than just an album singer, but one who can adapt and work with other styles, artists, and genres. Now this song by Snakehips is pretty congruent with their normal vibe of music. There is a more chilled out vibe to the song, something that definitely has a more European dance sound to it. A weird combination to think of at first, but somehow Snakehips makes this mash of genres really fun to listen to. The song starts with a slower paced verse by Zayn Malik, and a slightly melancholy one at that. And then we are b...

Today I have some music for you by a rapper who saw quite a bit of popularity a few years back. Mac Miller surfaced from the underground to become a rather popular artist, and has since, kind of gone down back into the underground scene. This song is actually such a great symbol of that! To start off, this song is straight chill hop. I mean there isn't a "super" rap vibe to this song whatsoever. The beats aren't heavy and the bass is not strong at all. However, there is such a funky and groovy sound to the song and that is pretty fun! This song also features work by Anderson Paak, an artist who is an incredibly talented and gifted creative genius. Anderson Paak seems to be a huge influence for this song because the vibe has his name written all over it. This song has a good amount of synth work, but there is also a good amount fo percussion work with the drums and cymbals. There is an inherently bubbly sound to this song that is legitimately just infectious energy. Th...

Today I have music from a band out of Texas called Seryn. This song definitely has its folksy sound, but it also has something that really makes it stand out from many other folk sounding bands. There is an element of more off beat drum work and the pulse of the song is something different. I love how there is an indie flare to the song, and I think this is a band worth looking deeper into. As a whole, the band's strength and musical power comes from the vast musical abilities and instrumental talents. The understanding of how to harmonize and create a song that has a dynamism rooted in a commonality is part of the graceful beauty the song has. What makes this song vocally dynamic is the splendid array of harmonies throughout. Each voice is so important to making the song flow the way it needs to. One voice is no less than another, nor is one voice more important than another. While this song starts out as something folksy, it turns into this wall of sound that is incredibly euphon...

Today I have a nice and fun, genre bending song for you by REMI. What I love about this song, is how unconventional the song is. This is a style of hip hop that does not conform to the normal standards of radio hip hop. This is a style that we see quite a bit from the underground community, but also on the more "freelancing" side of music. A lot of times with hip hop, we find artists that don't necessarily fit the underground vibe, but they also don't conform to the radio hits either. This in between style of hip hop is starting to show its colors more and more. We are starting to hear this kind of music in more places and randomly. But having that unconscious presence in the music world is what makes this kind of music work. Now with this song specifically, there are quite a few things that are pretty awesome about it. For one, this song has such a smooth vibe to it and completely embraces a more funky sound. And to top it off, this is still such a chilled out track....