Duck... and Cover

The Duck...

and the Cover

Mumford & Sons- Cousins (Vampire Weekend Cover)

(via The World in a Paper Cup Blog)

Feature: Electric Valentine

Photo Credit: Orland Welsh (link http://www.myspace.com/drunklando)

The last couple of months have been pretty eventful for Lauren Baird, Chris Qualls, and Liam O'Neill, aka Electric Valentine. The electro pop band dropped their debut album, Automatic and started a street team. Eventually they started giving out their debut for free. Then, in one of the most atrocious examples reverse karma, their Huntington Beach studio was broken into and everything was taken. Lost were studio equipment, computers, hard drives, and 100 million dollars in cash and bonds. (One of those things was not stolen, I'm not saying which) Even though the band has a lot of prep work to do before they drop their Body To Body Remixes and start a stint of shows later this month, Chris was willing to take some time and answer a couple of questions.

To start off with the most generic rookie blog question ever: Where did you get the name?
Our last band was called a kiss could be deadly and we had a lot of problems with that name. We were a disco/punk type of band but everyone assumed we were a metal or post-hardcore band because of the name. With this new project we wanted people to know right away that it was a dance pop band. We liked the idea of using electric as the first word and wanted something feminine for the second word to go with the little boy/girl dichotomy we had going on. Lauren came up with the valentine and we were both sold on it right away.

I’ve seen “A Night With You” credited as the start of the band. How did you first start collaborating and when did you write that song?
I wrote A Night With You as a song for our last band but the other members didn't really fit with our style. Lauren and I really liked it and didn't want to see it go to waste, so we discussed the idea of a side project. The two of us were approached to be part of a backing band for an artist going on a European tour. I finished up the first version of a night with you in a London hotel room on the first night of tour. The next day I played it in sound check just to check the mix on big club speakers. I didn't realize it but the headliner was listening and invited us to perform the song during the show. We went back to the hotel after the check and started the EV myspace. The song went over really well and we passed out flyers with the new myspace URL and within a few days we were getting a thousand plays of day from kids spreading the link through word of mouth.

“I feel we can adapt and restructure as we write. It makes it easier to do what's best for the song.”

How has the writing process or recording process changed since you first started?
For the most part, our recording process for EV is the same as when it started. Because we have our own studio and engineer our own stuff, it makes it really easy to record as we write. All my previous punk rock bands had songs completely written and arranged before we started the recording process. I like the way we do it now because I feel we can adapt and restructure as we write. It makes it easier to do what's best for the song.

This picture actually has nothing to do with any question, nor do I know what context it was taken

Your debut album, “Automatic” is available in stores like Hot Topic, in your merch store, and even on iTunes. So what’s the reasoning for suddenly deciding to give it out for free?
We're really proud of the album and just want people to hear it. The music scene has changed drastically and we try to embrace the new digital revolution. Kids get music for free regardless and if we make it as simple as clicking on a link on our website then we have a better chance of turning random Internet traffic until actual fans. If people like it they can come to a show to support, or pick up the physical cd which comes with a special bracelet.

Unfortunately, thieves recently broke in to your studio and stole your gear and even your computer and back up hard drives that had all of your files and music. That must be devastating but what is the game plan now?
Yeah, it was pretty devasting at first but I've always believed everything happens for a reason. Now I'm more determined than ever to make the best music I can. We've gotten a lot of donations from fans and it's really inspiring to see how much people care about this band. It really helped me realize that this is bigger than the two of us.

Is there any way that our readership can help you guys out with your current situation?
We are accepting paypal donations. You can send them to Evdanceparty@gmail.com Also go pick up our album for free on our myspace page. Help us spread the word about the band

You can pick up their excellent album on their myspace and give them a listen. Also for those of you who want to support them, you can buy the album or visit their merch shop. Just picked up picked up a sweet package on sale for a shirt, tour poster, and 5 song download for $20.00. Thanks again to Chris and Electric Valentine and looking forward to your follow up record.

Links
EV's Myspace
Paypal address: EVDanceParty@gmail.com
EV's Merch Store
EV on Twitter

Album Review: Late Registration (2005)

Coming off of College Dropout, Mr. West was faced with the task of defying the typical sophomore slump. However the back packer known for religiously rockin’ Louis Vuitton changed up his sound. Of course, the soul that his... well… soul beats made famous was still intact but he enlisted aid from Jon Brion. Prior to this album, I personally didn’t know much about the instrumentalist and producer. However listening to his work, I am amazed almost anytime Brion is attached to a project, whether its his work with Fiona Apple to the music featured in movies such as I Heart Huckabees and Eternal Sunshine of A Spotless Mind.

Jon Brion showing his musical genius

Jay Electronica spitting over Brion’s soundtrack of Eternal Sunshine of A Spotless Mind (minus speech in front)

I contend that if the formation of the two into a musical Voltron isn’t already considered legendary, it should be. Stories of the two listening and deconstructing old Jackson 5 records to the early morning are things that music lovers dream of. From a production standpoint, every dollar of the alleged 2 million that was spent can be accounted for in the final sound. Samples range from legendary artists like Etta James and Ray Charles to musicians I’d never heard of such as the Whatnauts. One aspect of following a producer like Kanye’s discography that has always kept me interested is the eclectic music taste he has. Without Kanye’s production, I would have never listened to songs like Max Romeo’s I Chase the Devil, which was featured on Lucifer from Jay-Z Black Album In many cases, a Kanye album is lesson plan.

Amazing compilation of Kanye Samples

From the dreary flow and beat of Drive Slow to the haunting production of Diamonds from Sierra Leone, the album is technically less soulful but definitely more impactful. I literally get goose bumps listening to Roses, a narrative of how his grandmother gets sick and the family comes to the hospital in support.

Roses

The album actually has my favorite track… ever, Gone featuring Consequence and Cam’ron. From the keys to the drums and to the string, everything in the production is perfect. What people often criticize rap for is its unoriginality. I’ve heard many say that all producers do is loop a top 40 hit and put rhymes over it. When I first heard N.Y. State of Mind from Nas’ legendary Illmatic, I was amazed a how the verses were laid out on top of the beat relentlessly creating a feeling of thicknesses, dessness, even massiveness. It made me rethink rap. This song made me rethink rap songs in that way through the production. The keys and strings are constantly progressing through the song and they completely take over after Consequence and Cam’ron’s verses. By the time Kanye puts down his final verse the strings are battling for attention creating what Kanye is has always strived for, drama.

Gone featuring Consequence and Cam’ron

Kind of Blue

And now for something completely different. Kind of Blue is an album that has something for everyone. There’s a reason it’s the greatest selling jazz album of all time. This is an album that grabbed me after the first listen. I don’t know if it was the catchy solos, the grooves, or the confidence of the musicians, but this album would not let go.

This album is a landmark album. It contains some of the greatest jazz musicians of all time. Miles Davis on trumpet, Coltrane on tenor sax, Cannonball Adderley on soprano, Bill Evans on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Jimmy Cobb on drums. Recorded in 2 days, this album contains some of the musicians’ most memorable work. It launched the careers of everyone in the group. It also launched my love for jazz.

Since buying Kind of Blue around a year ago, I have around 10 great albums that I never would have bought if it were not for this album. I try to get into each album instead of buying a ton and burning out.

Anyways, if jazz seems completely foreign and the idea of jumping into a new genre seems daunting, pick up this album. If you only buy one jazz album in your life, make it this one.

Posted by Mark Riddlebarger

Music Spotlight: ISIS - Panopticon

ISIS is a band that I hated when I first heard them a few years ago. Like many of my favorite albums, I put this one aside for a few months and came back to it. And I am glad I did. Panopticon is a beast of an album. It is one of the most crushing albums I’ve heard, but the atmospheric moments are what made me return.

I first heard about ISIS when they toured with Tool in the winter of 2006. Tool was one of my favorite bands at the time so I decided to check out their opening act. My brother had recently bought ISIS’s newest album, In the Absence of Truth. I liked everything about it, the dynamics, the crushing atmosphere, the almost tribal-like drumming-except for the vocals. The vocals were a definite turn-off.

So when I decided to buy Panopticon, I thought I had made a mistake. Where Aaron Turner mixes singing in with hardcore vocals on In the Absence of Truth, Panopticon contained almost all hardcore vocals. So I put it back on the shelf, angry that I had wasted $10. When I picked up the album a few months later, something had changed. The vocals didn’t bother me at all. I actually enjoyed them. I began to see them as simply another instrument.

Although Panopticon isn’t the heaviest album I’ve heard, it is still crushing. But it’s also one of the only heavy albums I can listen to often. Panopticon is an album that is hard to describe sonically. It alternates crushing moments with droning atmospheres with clean guitars and long stretches without vocals. That’s one of the things that drew me back to this album. Listen to the first song, “So Did We” for example. It starts with distorted guitars and hardcore vocals. About a minute in, the song shifts completely. The vocals drop out leaving clean guitars that build and shift and complement each other. The album is filled with moments like this. It’s an album that I can put on in the background and zone out to, or listen intently. This is why it is one of my favorite albums. I’m glad I gave it a second chance.

Posted by Mark Riddlebarger

On the DL

We’re still not at the half-year point of the year but we’ve compiled a couple of mixtapes that are free but, most importantly, are great listens.

Air Swell
Chiddy Bang

It seems like they have been huge in the blogosphere since they dropped and one reason they stay fresh is the continuous drops. This mini-mixtape has Chiddy and Xaphoon doing work on tracks sampling the Gorillaz, Kate Nash, and Ellie Goulding.
Download (via Chiddy Bang’s myspace)

Potluck
Tae K

I first heard his mash ups on youtube and have now been enjoying his mixtapes for a couple of years. Soulmates one of his firsts tapes is still in heavy rotation in my car. In general, he picks some pretty perfect pairs, like Jay-Z on top of the Oceans 11 theme. Even more interesting is when he pulls off a song where Eminem is on top of a sample of a Mega-Man battle theme or the Wu-Tang Clan spitting on a Korean song his mom was listening to. He doesn't disappoint here sampling everyone from Drake to Muse.

Download from zshare (via TKRMX site)

Also check out…
Frequent Flyer Miles
Streets Buchanon

Download

The Red Room
Game

Download (via 2DopeBoyz)

The Notorious XX
Wait What (mixing Biggy rhymes on XX songs)

Download The original link was removed but some googling should do the trick

Feature: Hollywood Holt

Orginally posted on Misc Times in 2008

Coming from Chicago, Hollywood Holt is planning to take over the world. Starting to rap only a couple of years ago, Holt got big quick as he made his headline debut at Chicago's Fireside with friend, Mic Terror hyping him. With his unique style and flare for retro-fitted geat, Hollywood has gone on to work stages all around the country. His act is associated with the Phedz and Murder Club. The former consisting of Million $ Mano, Mic Terror, and Holt himself, while the latter which consists of well established rappers like the Phedz, GLC, Mikey Rocks and Inglish, of the Cool Kids, and anyone with a moped. He has his mixtape for free on his website (hollywoodholt.com) and has blown up on the internet with hits like "Throw a Kit" and "Caked Up."

In musical or lyrical terms, who would you say you learned the most from?
That's a big question but I take from all rappers, I try to master every style cause I like all styles of word play and how to flow on a track.

"...no one wants to watch someone in a bummy t-shirt..."

You once said that Hollywood Holt is flashy. Why is it important to be flashy whether on the records or when you're performing?
Well u have to remember that Hollywood Holt is a character, an exaggeration of my real self so I have to make sure he is entertaining in all aspects no one wants to watch someone in a bummy t-shirt or someone just stand there and rap lyrics you want to see a performance and I try to embody that with Hollywood Holt.
On your myspace, you talk about the 80's as an influence. How so?
Well I like the true form of hip hop when the DJ was the main focus and the emcee was a actual master of ceremony and he rocked fresh rhymes to a beat it was fun in the 80's no one had to prove anything they just rocked and had fun and that's what I try to do.

Holt and Mano on that 88 shit

In one feature with Mic Terror, another member of the Phedz, we briefly talked about Million $ Mano. When did you and Mano start working together and why do you think you two blend so well?
Me and Mano have been best friends for 14 years and real best friends never fought never been mad at each other for more then an hour were also first cousins are moms are sisters so we are very close we were with each other when we started everything so it's not us workin with each other we are workin with other people but we are one.

One of your songs with Mano is "Throw a Kit," which has been big on the Internet and talks about Murder Club. Why have you, and many other rappers, associated with mopeds?
I started a moped gang with Mano and Ramin Gibb's years ago because I love mopeds and I wanted to get all my friends into it so I can have people to ride with and to start something that has never existed an all black founded moped gang and it's a brotherhood of great guy's that follow a code of greatness.

What's next for Hollywood Holt? Next for me is keep making my music till I take over the media entirely.

Thanks again to Hollywood Holt. Treated!

-Robert Reyes

Links His website
Their Myspace