Rihanna’s back with another music video coming off her latest album Loud. Whips, chains, bananas, and Perez Hilton all make extended appearences in the colorfully vibrant video for “S&M.” And as usual, Rihanna brings sexy back. Videos for “Only Girl (In the World)” and “What’s My Name” are also available for your viewing pleasure.
Category Archives: Music
Kid Cudi joins Twitter (again), says new mixtape coming this summer
In December 2009, shortly after Kid Cudi dropped his debut album Man on the Moon: The End of Day, he stated, “I will never get back on Twitter or Facebook. I’m getting my blog back together and that will be the only way to stay connected with me.” So much for that. Today Cudder joined Twitter again, and you can follow him @wizardcud. Why the change of heart? “i really only got back on twitter becuz i heard will smith tweeted about a fresh prince reunion and i wanted to post my response to that…” he joked. Only hours after reintroducing himself (“yes, its true. its me, the real wizard”), Cudi dropped an explosion of headlines.
First he announced that his upcoming rock-themed album Wizard is expected to release this summer. Cudi will serve as producer and he says every track will feature his guitar talents, while collaborator Dot Da Genius is currently learning the bass. He also spilled that the long lost “Dose of Dopeness” will be a bonus track on the album. He describes Wizard in a tweet: “Wizard is a rock album, no raps, just singing. brand new thing. flavor.”
What else, what else. He mentions the “Maniac” music video/short film is still under construction; Cudder, Cage, and video director Shia LaBeouf are holding back on dropping it until “everything [is] just right…i need the proper time for scoring…the edit must be epic.”
Last, Cudi drops this exciting bombshell: he’s releasing a brand new mixtape this summer called A Man Named Scott, the followup to 2008’s A Kid Named Cudi. Of the mixtape he says, “for all those who fucks with my raps, this is for u since ima be all rocked out with the wizard shit. also its free! yes!” In other words, since Wizard is going to be all about Cudder crooning, he wants to hold over his rap fans with the mixtape until the true successor of Man on the Moon II: The Legend of Mr. Rager releases presumably later this year.
He concluded all these hot tweets with this: “man im really happy to FINALLY get all that good news out there. more to come, not even close.” And the man’s not lying; in between all this news he revealed that he’s been working with Kanye West and Jay-Z, almost definitely on their collab album Watch the Throne so you can expect a Cudi feature there. He also shared that HBO’s How To Make It In America starts filming its second season in March and he’s excited to reprise his true-to-life character Domingo Dean.
[Via @wizardcud]
Kanye West tweets new album coming this summer!?
Over the weekend Kanye West jumped back onto Twitter and made some surprising and exiting announcements. Whether or not they pan out is up for discussion, but what he exclaimed in caps remains newsworthy nonetheless. He mentioned his collab album with Jay-Z and shouted, “WATCH THE THRONE COMING IN 2 MONTHS!!!!!!!!!!” That makes for a March drop date which nicely supports the early spring release date speculation. Next up he shared, “ALL THE LIGHTS VIDEO IN 1 WEEK!!!!!!” This will be the second music video to come out of My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy; the “Power” painting dropped in August and the “Monster” video is MIA. And finally he spilled, “I’ll be back this SUMMER!!!!!!!!!!!”; he then followed this up with another tweet: “MY NEW ALBUM COMING THIS SUMMER.” Are ‘Ye fans expected to anticipate Watch the Throne to come this March and the Twisted Fantasy followup LP this summer? Hellz yes. My guess is that West created so much content for Dark Fantasy that he has enough to carry over the unreleased tracks (“Mama’s Boyfriend”?) onto an entirely new album, much like Eminem was planning on doing with Relapse 2 before Recovery took hold.
[Via @kanyewest]
Discover new music: The Glitch Mob
So I was flipping through the channels the other day and was mesmerized by a commercial for a GoPro HD camera. To be more specific, I was not so much attracted to the product being marketed but rather the song playing in the background. After some swift investigation I discovered the song was called “Animus Vox” performed by The Glitch Mob. I found a link to the full song on YouTube (it’s embedded above) and instantly I became a fan of the three-piece electronic group known as The Glitch Mob.
The LA-based group was formed back in 2006 and today consists of Ed Ma (AKA edIT), Justin Boreta (AKA Boreta), and Josh Mayer (AKA Ooah). They’ve been touring around the country carrying along equipment that makes tracks like “Animus Vox” sound so very awesome–laptops (with Ableton Live loaded), MIDI controllers, electronic drums and keyboards. In an interview with Electronic Musician, the band shared their synth-making process. Ma: “A day of songwriting, like from scratch, would generally start with us loading up a basic kick and snare at a tempo that we wanted, and then laying down a very basic kick and snare as the backbone of what the rhythm would be like. And then we’d just play everything in. Synth parts, bass parts.” … “Essentially, all the songs [on new album Drink the Sea] were written to a point where they were almost like demo tapes. The first phase of our album was like a 10-track album that all sounded like it was made in [Apple] GarageBand. And then when we were done with those 10 songs, we’d go back and redesign the songs. And once the redesigning was done, we went back and we mixed the entire album. So kind of in this multistep stage.” Transitioning their sound from live performances to recorded music was an important step in the process. “Almost every melody that you hear on the album has been sampled note for note [for the live show]. That was the only way that we could get the actual sounds of the record to translate live,” shares Ma. “We really tried to reproduce the record, note for note and percussion sound for percussion sound, as close as humanly possible.” The result? Electronic Musician describes Drink the Sea as “mainly [an] instrumental electronic effort that features heavily layered synths, mixed with real bass and guitar, and bolstered by bombastic, cinematic-sounding drums and simple, yet effective melodies.”
There are a ton of electronic groups out there, but The Glitch Mob definitely stands out on its own and is worth a listen; it’s hard not to get hooked to their masterful and sophisticated synths and beats.
Since 2006 they’ve released a number of mixtapes and remixes. Last summer they dropped their first full-length album; Drink the Sea contains 10 tracks, including “Animus Vox.” You can preview the entire album, as well as listen to a bunch of their other releases and download free content, at their official website. While you’re there, be sure to check out their Video section which includes music video remixes and a smattering of live performances. After the break, I’ve posted two of my favorites: an experimental live performance called “Beyond Monday” that features the band using their equipment and the Tron: Legacy trailer infused with “Animus Vox.”
This kid can rap…FAST
This kid named George Watsky can rap. He’s pretty incredible. This might have turned into a viral hit (it’s currently at 3 million views and counting), but Watsky is no one-hit wonder. He happens to be a professional performer and an extremely talented poet. He was the 2006 Youth Speaks Grand Slam Poetry Champion and was later featured on HBO’s Russell Simmons Presents Def Poetry. Jump after the break to watch him perform an epic poem about kids who stutter.
[Thanks, Rob M.] Continue reading This kid can rap…FAST
The music video that takes you into the making of a music video
META ALERT! This visually splendid music video directed by Mathieu Wothke is unlike any other you’ve seen because it puts you into the director’s head and takes you on a journey through the process of making a music video. In other words, the music video gets put together in the music video. Have you given you a headache yet? Just watch the video and you’ll see what I mean.
Oh, right. The song is “Very Busy People” by The Limousines but in honesty you’re watching for the behind-the-scenes magic, not the music itself. Unless of course this is your cup of tea…
[Via Gizmodo]
Cee-Lo’s “F–k You”, the ASL version
For her final in a college level sign language class, student Anna put together this adorable rendition of Cee-Lo Green’s catchy tune “F–k You.” Girl’s got skillz, yo. (Warning: Contains NSFW language)
[Via @kpereira]
Beatles music sells like hotcakes on iTunes
In mid-November, Apple Inc. and Apple Corps. put their differences aside and finally agreed to put the entire Beatles music collection onto iTunes, the #1 retailer of music. Now that some time has passed, it’s time to take a look at the sales figures, and boy are they mighty impressive. Let’s do some comparing. During its very first week on iTunes, record company EMI reported that 2 million songs and 450,000 albums were sold. And now about two months later, Apple says iTunes customers have purchased 5 million songs and 1 million albums in total. For music that’s over 40 years old, these numbers are certainly staggering but expected; Beatles music rocks and now people have an easily accessible way to get their hands on it. Can you guess what the most popular song and album is? Well here’s your answer: “Here Comes the Sun” and Abbey Road, respectively.
[Via EW-MusicMix]
Single: Kanye West & Jay-Z – “H•A•M”
It’s here. The first single from the Kanye West/Jay-Z collab album Watch the Throne has arrived. Kanye delivered on his promise, posting the Lex Lugar produced track on the official Watch the Throne Facebook page at midnight Tuesday morning. The track can be previewed there, or save a click and listen to it right here:
[audio: Kanye West & Jay-Z – H.A.M.mp3]Want to know what “H•A•M” stands for? You’ll have to listen to the phenomenal track to find out. Watch the Throne is expected to drop in March.
Update: Download link: Kanye West & Jay-Z – “H•A•M” [Via MissInfoTV]
Actor Bryan Greenberg’s album releases next week, ‘How To Make It In America’ season 2 in production [Update: Stream single here]
Bryan Greenberg, the star of HBO’s How To Make It In America, is about to drop his debut album. It’s called We Don’t Have To Wait Forever and it releases January 18. It’s being described as “a fresh collection of introspective narratives and soulful ballads” and it features a track called “You Can Run” that features Kid Cudi. Back in June Cudder dropped by a live Greenberg performance and laid down a freestyle and joined in on the chorus. In an interview with Complex Magazine Greenberg shares the story:
“I did have one [song] in mind for him and he did it live. He came to my show like a year ago in New York, when I was on tour. He jumped on stage for a little freestyle. When he heard the song he was like, “I really like it and that’s why I’m going to do it.” I was really honored by that. I thought he was going to rap, but he sang. It was cool. He’s really a true artist.”
Looking forward to the second season of HTMIIA? In that same interview Greenberg talked about what’s in store for Ben and Cam. “[The show] hasn’t reached the tipping point at all. I’m going back to L.A. next week and we’re going to do read-throughs of the first four episodes. I’m super excited. It’s going forward a couple of months and the business is growing…it’s like, how does this guy become Ralph Lauren? How does it happen? We take if from the street, like early, early sh– to like…that’s the goal, you know? It’s going to take years to develop.”
Preview the album’s lead single “Walk Away” in the video embedded above. How to Make It In America season 2 is currently in production and is expected to air this summer.
Update: The acoustic-based single “You Can Run” featuring Kid Cudi’s singing voice is now available to stream! Listen to it below and download it here.
Download: Bryan Greenberg – “You Can Run” (Featuring Kid Cudi)
[audio: Bryan Greenberg – You Can Run (Featuring Kid Cudi).mp3]Fun fact. The inspiration for the song actually stems from Greenberg’s character Ben from HTMIIA. “I was kind of writing from the point of view of Ben and being scorned by Rachel and that just being a reason to succeed in life,” he says. “I did notice that a lot of successful people in this world, they always say that it’s about the art or it’s about the work. But when it comes down to it, [what drives them is that] they were made fun of in high school. Or there was a girl that dumped them and they’re trying to get back at them. I was coming from that mentality.”
[Via DatNewCudi; Complex; EW; HipHopUpdate]
Kanye West: ‘Watch the Throne’ coming this week?; unreleased track “Eyes Closed” leaks; The Muppets sing “Monster”; and more
Ever since Kanye West’s magnificent album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy released on November 22, things have been pretty quiet on the West front. Besides downloading the holiday-themed G.O.O.D. Friday joint “Christmas In Harlem” and watching a leak of the upcoming “Monster” music video hitting the ‘Net, fans have been sitting idly by rocking out to “Dark Fantasy” in anticipation of another major release dubbed Watch the Throne. It’s a collaborative album between rap gods West and his mentor Jay-Z. Originally ‘Ye billed it as a 5-track EP but after time he admitted enough tracks would be made to consider it a full-length album. Sweet music to fans’ ears. So what’s all the hub-bub about it spreading around the Internets today? Well… at a New Years Eve party in Las Vegas West (drunkenly?) announced, “Watch the Throne, coming in one week!” So what does that mean? One of two things, in my humble opinion: (1) The album will come out this week (highly unlikely since Ye’s Def Jam record label has not even confirmed its existence); (2) West was referring to a possible lead single called “Watch the Throne” (highly more likely). I’ve heard whispers that case #2 is the winner, and the album is looking at a March drop. Whatever the case, though, something is going down soon so be ready.
Update (1/6): Looks like I was right. Today ‘Ye posted a Twitpic of the elaborately designed lead single artwork and it’s called “H-A-M.” The track will drop 1/11/11, that’s next Tuesday.
Side note: The New Years Eve party I mentioned earlier… it took place at Las Vegas’ Marquee Nightclub and so many celebrities made an appearance. Besides ‘Ye and Jay Z, Rihanna, Diddy, 50 Cent, J. Lo and many others enjoyed the night’s festivities. Click here to browse through a gallery of hi-res photos from the party. And look after the break to watch some videos from it (one includes ‘Ye screaming the “one week” announcement).
Next up is an unreleased track featuring vocals from West and John Legend. “Eyes Closed” made its rounds today, spreading like wildfire in an unfortunately tagged now tagless version. Sources say the track was originally intended to be included on Twisted Fantasy but in the end it didn’t make the cut. Rumor has it that the West-produced beat will be handed off to Snoop Dogg who will use it (with Legend in tact) for his upcoming record Doggumentary Music, due out March 8. Preview and download the track below. If the lyrics sound familiar to you that’s because you’ve heard that before in the BET Cypher video and West’s “Dark Fantasy” track.
Download: Kanye West – “Eyes Closed”
[audio: Kanye West – Eyes Closed.mp3]This news bit is short but sweet. Over at Amazon you’ll find a preorder page hyping a “G.O.O.D. Friday [Import]” audio CD. Is West prepping an album to publicize his free G.O.O.D. Friday tracks? There better be some bonus tracks or slick artwork and packaging or what’s the point?
Two more things. Today two video cropped out that are West-related must-sees. The first features classical vocalist Josh Groban belting out Kanye West tweets, and the other is a Muppets mashup of the Twisted Fantasy track “Monster”. Yes, Piggie Minaj makes an appearance. Watch the videos after the break. Continue reading Kanye West: ‘Watch the Throne’ coming this week?; unreleased track “Eyes Closed” leaks; The Muppets sing “Monster”; and more
Music video: Lupe Fiasco – “The Show Goes On”
Five months after Lupe Fiasco announced his new album was complete, Atlantic Records has finally confirmed a release date for the rapper’s oft-delayed third studio album Lasers: March 8, 2011. “The Show Goes On” is the lead single off the record, and the music video for it is embedded above. iTunes download right here. No word whether or not previously released tracks “Shining Down” and “I’m Beamin” will be included on Lasers.