Keeping It Fresh

Today I have music for you that is hot off the record. Now I know I blogged about Zayn Malik earlier this month, but I had to talk abut his debut single. It dropped today, and dear lord I was satisfied. So, let's do a little bit of a breakdown of it! First I really want to congratulate Zayn Malik on his new single and praise the song because it really is fantastic. This song went exactly the way I thought it would and needed to go, so I am over the moon about that. From the first few notes, I knew this was going to be a pretty big song. Second, let's talk about his voice. This man is like a South Asian/British Chris Brown. I mean this is a guy who can not only sing at a higher pitch than a lot of guys, but has also mastered the falsetto. And for a soulful song like this, being able to transition without a hitch is something that is very important. That transition is trademark to the genre and is a great way to turn the song into something more full of lust and sensation and sex...

Today I have music for you by the California duo known as XYLO. This is dark pop at its finest, a song that is slow and calculated. Every beat and chord has been purposefully chosen and placed. everything strategically put together so that we get something that is ethereal and dark and spectacularly somber. This is a track that is incredibly well rounded, and is a fantastic way to debut XYLO's sounds. Their production is way beyond that which we would expect from and indie band. The music and instrumentals serve as the perfect harmonies to the vocals, and the layering of these synth notes gives the song a lot more musical depth and complexity. And that combination between the music and the vocals, is what really capitalizes on this dark pop kind of sound. The vocals are haunting and strong, but they don't boom with power and robust vibration. The song drips in this dark melancholy, something that makes that gloomy indie sound burst forth. The whole song is just created in overc...

Today I have music for you by an artist that has some absolutely incredible and moving music. Aquilo is a musical duo out of London, and they are kind of new to the music scene. While they have been making music together for about two years now, they didn't drop a debut album till recently. I think Aquilo is one of the music industry's best kept secrets. Their underground nature and lesser known status, keeps them open to creating the kind of music that they do create. And finding artists who are good at created this kind of emotional and haunting and soulful music is so hard to find. But Aquilo pulls it off with ease and grace, giving us something that sounds like magic. If there were an award given out for the saddest songs of the year, this song would most definitely take a high ranking spot on that list. Aquilo uses electronic percussion and dreamy synths, something to amplify the somber atmosphere and the shadows that seem to hang over everything. This song also features a...

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. There aren't many popular rappers out there now who rap about the struggles of everyday living, the struggles that aren't necessarily about race or gender, but more about the human condition. Professor Green takes a very hushed up topic, and expands on its impact in his own life with this song. The lyrical content of this song is personal and so close to his heart, that you cannot simply compare it to any other artist out there. And that history, that wealth of emotional buildup and pain and recovery is what makes this such a...

Today I have some rock music for you, because it has been entirely too long since I have brought that to the table. And naturally, I have to talk about one of my favorite bands of all time, the band that got me into music in the first place. Anberlin will always have such a special place in my heart because of how their music changed my life. The first time I heard their music, I had to keep listening. I went back for more and more and before I knew it, I had fallen in love with them. Which led me to falling in love with rock music in general. Which led me to exploring all genres and kinds of music, leading me to where I am today. The evolution of my musical taste is quite interesting, but one constant is Anberlin. What makes this band so different from so many other rock bands, is that they sound like anyone else. Their musical style is very particular to them, and they have a common motif through every album and song. Anberlin tends to not be a heavy guitar rock band. They have such ...

Today I have some jazz music for you! But this is a special kind of sound because this song features your traditional swing and jazz,  mixed with some R&B and modern beats. Jeff Bernat is a really low key and more unknown artist, but I think his music is very creative and edgy and cool. The song itself is really cute and sweet, but the whole idea of the how it sounds and what the style of the song is, that is what really drew me to this song. When the song first starts out, it sounds like your traditional jazz song. The nice kind of piano jazz that you hear when you walk into a fancy hotel or go ballroom dancing. But then that gives way to this modern and contemporary beat, something that clearly has a little bit of R&B influence in the way the percusison sounds. And to top it off, Jeff Bernat has a voice that is as rich and smooth as some of our favorite R&B and soul singers out there. While this is combination I have seen before, this is the song that has perfected th...

Today I have some really fun music for you guys. Tonight was the night I finally got to see Morgan Page. After years, I finally got to see one of my DJ idols and house gods. And of course, it was one hell of a show! He played his own music, remixes, and did some improvised work as well, and nailed it every time! He played my favorites, played the songs that have become Morgan Page anthems, and just killed it with everything he played. It was so nice to be able to go to a concert after so long, and Morgan Page was possibly one of the best shows to go to for that rejuvenation. So naturally, I have to have one of his songs as a musical choice. This song is one that is newer, but is also a fantastically good one. One of the great things about Morgan Page is that a lot of his music features vocalists, which is something I really enjoy. I have noticed that the EDM world has some of the best vocalists, and those vocals are so hard to find outside of the genre. This song is a really great one,...