Keeping It Fresh

I recently had the opportunity and pleasure to see one of the greatest composers of our time, perform some of his greatest hits. We all know Hans Zimmer as one of the most magical music makers of our generation, giving us classic music scores that will last a lifetime. Even now, his scores from over 20 years ago are coveted and loved by so many generations. Witnessing live performances of these popular music scores is something that I will never forget. There is something so much more powerful and different about hearing these pieces performed live. And while the compositions are easily recognized when being performed live, Hans Zimmer does what every great artist does. He remakes the pieces as the moment dictates. There is always something a little different about each performance, some kind of new personalization and improvisation that occurs. And this is a reminder that each composition is a living piece of music. There will be infinite versions of the same piece, and each int...

Today I have some music for you by a cover artist by the name of Rajiv Dhall. He has done covers of a lot of different songs and a lot of different genres. But this has to be one of my favorite covers by him. This song is one of Rihanna's most popular hits from the last year, and while I didn't initially become obsessed with it, the song did grow on me. Why? Because of this cover to be honest. This one is a really great slow jam version of her song, a grittier and sensual version of her song. This cover is such a well-done cover because Rajiv Dhall covers both the singing vocals as well as Drake's rap verse. He layers his own melodies and harmonies, which not only gives this song a lot of body but also gives it more originality as a cover. You can clearly hear his style, giving the song more of and R&B and soul flair, rather than making it a reggae redo. There is something so pleasing about an R&B styled track. The smooth vocals, the slower beats, the more soul th...

Today I have music for you by a band called The Summer Set. This song is like a breath of fresh air in the world of punk rock. This song is a great song to call the vacation anthem or summer anthem. This song is just bursting with energy and a fun feeling to it. I think this song is so appropriate for summer not only because it has that fun  feel  to it, but the lyrics talk about passion and love and freedom and excitement, all things that define how summer and vacationing is. It captures the feeling of driving around town while standing up out of the sun roof of the car. It brings that feeling of basking in the sun and playing in the surf. Now when it comes to the vocals of this song, I think it is brilliant. The vocals are incredible! There is a softness to these vocals that remind me of The Cab's lead singer. When it needs to be rougher and more intense, it can be. But in these instances with a pumped  up  beat and a riveting sound, the softer and higher pitch...

Today I have music for you by the British rapper known as Professor Green. In a way, he is kind of like the British version of Eminem. But the ability to rap is pretty much where this comparison ends. Professor Green is a rapper who has an incredibly dark and hard past, something that he has turned into the music he produces today. This is a song that has the ability to leave you so speechless because of the depth of the song and the meaning of the lyrics. Recently we have seen a surge in more meaningful rap lyrics, about life and humanity and society. Previously though, this wasn't common. There weren't many popular rappers out there who rapped about the struggles of everyday living. The struggles that aren't necessarily always about race or gender, which are hot button topics, but more about the human condition. Professor Green takes a very hushed up topic, and expands on its impact on his own life with this song. The lyrical content of this song is personal and so clos...

Today I have some new music for you by the artist known as Vaski. I am going to be totally honest, I have no idea how to even begin classifying his music because there are elements from a lot of different styles in this song. What I can tell you is that Vaski has really pushed his sound barriers far out to carry and express those subtle complexities and nuances. That is something I can definitely appreciate in a producer because it most certainly is not an easy feat. This is a super laid back approach to EDM production, and that is pretty darn okay with me. Vaski is an artist who has drifted a lot towards crazy dubstep and heavy electronic songs, but this was a nice change. The song is a great step away from that stylistic sound, towards something completely different and very laid back. This song has a lot of R&B influences in it, something that has recently become a trend we see. It works really well in this song though because the beats themselves follow the R&B style, w...

Guess who's back, back again? What's up everyone, I know it has been a while since I last posted any music. I've been doing a bit of traveling and didn't get a chance to write for a few days. But back again and definitely still trying to make sure I get a post in everyday or at least every other day. So today we are kicking it off with some electrifying music. I have some amazing dance music for you by an artist known as Paolo Ortelli. I hadn't heard of him till last year, and honestly it was a happy accident which brought me to his music. But I am so glad that I did because this song is absolutely amazing! This is such a vibrant and lively song, one that definitely belongs in clubs and underground dance scenes. This is definitely one of your normal sounding house and EDM songs. The way the song is put together is pretty standard, I won't lie. But the song itself is pretty freaking great! There is this carefree and light heartedness to the song, a kind of fe...

I feel like it has been such a long time since I have talked about some hardcore rock music. So today I have some heavy rock music for you all. This song just started playing in my head earlier in the evening, and it feels like a nice throwback to the time when rock music was full of this grit and grunge. Breaking Benjamin  I know it was for me, especially because this song definitely seemed to capture my mood for part of the day. This is one of the my favorite songs by the band Breaking Benjamin. A lot of people have heard this song, and many have fallen in love with it. For me, it is easy to see why this would be so popular among all age groups. Breaking Benjamin creates music that is very raw. Each song has a depth to it which we can all appreciate because we have been there. And that rawness is something to be commended. Now one of the reasons Breaking Benjamin isn't what we would call main stream rock, is due to their stylistic elements. One of the most prominent (and my a...