Category Archives: Music

Kid Cudi decides to make next album a sequel, changes its title

Music, News, , ,

Cudder and the Revolution of Evolution is no more.  Sadly.  What an awesome title, right?  In an unsurprising move, rapper Kid Cudi recently had a change of heart and decided to take a whole new direction with the album.  It will be called Man on the Moon II: The Legend of Mr. Rager.  He made the announcement on his blog:

i started making this project like a collab album, filled with fun and upbeat records that for the most part left you with jack shit when you were finished listening. i took a step back, went on tour, and realized im where im at because of the type of songs i write. every time i read a comment from someone saying ive touched their lives in some way is what made me want to stop fucking around and continue pouring my life into my music.  MOTM2 is dark by nature and instead of bringing you into my dreams like my first album, im bringing you into my reality.  good and bad. it will explain more of who iam aswell as pushing the envelope musically. this project will focus on many dark, fun, and ignorant moments in my life since ive been kid cudi in a exciting and cinematic nature continuing the MOTM theme.

Right off the bat, I’m not diggin’ the name change since the first title was so awesome; it just rolls off the tongue, you know?  Hopefully he’ll save it for album #3.  Anyway, making his sophomore album a sequel to Man on the Moon makes sense due to its content.  The first album brought us inside Cudi’s dreams and nightmares.  MOTM2 will venture us into his “reality.”  If it’s anything like the first go-around, which it promises to exceed, expect greatness.

[Via DatNewCudi; KidCudiBlog]

Kid Cudi college concert @ Bucknell University [video + pictures]

[experience-it-all], Images, Music, Video, , , , , ,

On April 9 Kid Cudi visited Bucknell University in Pennsylvania, another stop on his nationwide college tour.  I was there, so naturally I took videos and pictures to share with you.  Cudder knows how to put on a concert.  He really draws in the entire crowd and interacts with some of them.  He feels the music when he’s performing and you can tell; that’s a special quality only few artists have.  If you get the opportunity to see him live, don’t miss out.

Cudi performed 17 songs total, including tracks from his debut album Man on the Moon: The End of Day and his mixtape A Kid Named Cudi.  He also performed Groovin’, an unreleased track he said we’ll find on his next album tentatively titled Cudder and the Revolution of Evolution.

The video below is Part 1 of 3; look after the break for Parts 2 & 3.  Or you can visit my YouTube page.  While you’re there, check out my coverage from this year’s Consumer Electronics Show at Las Vegas.  In June I’ll be traveling to Los Angeles to cover E3, the biggest video games trade show in the world, so be on the lookout for that.

1 2 3

Continue reading Kid Cudi college concert @ Bucknell University →

DJ transforms Nike running shoes into musical instruments

Design, Music, Video, , , ,

DJ Daito Manabe was hired by Nike to create this viral video to promote Nike’s new Free Run+ running shoes.  Daito and crew effectively turned the shoes into controllers and used them to create slick beats and alter sounds by tapping, bending, and twisting them in all sorts of ways.  How’d they do it?  In an interview Daito said “he used flex sensors and accelerometers to make the shoes interactive.  He then processed the control signal and converted it to sound using the modular visual programming environment Max/MSP and Ableton’s Max for Live.”  The result is what you see in the video above.  Freakin’ awesome.

[Via CreateDigitalMusic; Engadget]

Lin Yu Chun belts out Whitney Houston, is this guy for real?

Music, Video, ,

Lin Yu Chun was a contestant on Super Star Avenue, a Taiwanese talent show.  People call him the next Susan Boyle; he’s got that same “how is that voice coming from that body” experience that Boyle shared with the world on Britain’s Got Talent with “I Dreamed a Dream.”  Chun’s performance of Whitney Houston’s classic love song “I Will Always Love You” made this guy an Internet sensation.  I mean, just watch it!  (I am aware this is a few weeks old now, but I just couldn’t let it go unnoticed.)

Kanye West Foundation is back for another round

Music, Television, Video, , , ,

The Kanye West Foundation, created by Kanye’s late mother Donda West, is all about keeping kids in school.  As an incentive to keep kids in school, they are given this ultimatum: if they improve their grades, attendance, and behavior they are offered free tickets to see Kanye West perform at the Chicago Theatre at the end of the school year.  Last year more than 2,500 students improved their grades and attendance and were able to see Kanye perform live in a televised concert (broadcasted on FuseTV) in their honor.  Currently the Foundation focuses on public high schools in Chicago, Kanye’s hometown.

This trailer promotes the second annual performance by Kanye.  Ever since his “imma let you finish but” incident with Taylor Swift, Kanye has ducked out of the limelight and into the studio.  He’s currently working on his next album rumored to be called Good Ass Job.  With the goal of diminishing student dropouts in the Chicago area, his foundation spreads a good message that hopefully resonates with the rest of the nation.  Thing is, he might just have to go on a nationwide Foundation tour to give more kids the incentive to stay in school and improve themselves.  Or you can just be really smart and set goals for yourself, then watch the performance when it airs on FuseTV this June.

[Via KanyeBlog]

Eminem’s next album is not a sequel, it’s Recovery

Music, News, ,

After a five year haiutus, Eminem dropped Relapse into the world.  And I liked it.  Shortly after its release Em let it be know that during the recording sessions with producer Dr. Dre they had created so much new content that all of it couldn’t fit on a single CD.  Thus began the talk of a Relapse 2, a sequel to the 2009 album that would contain the rest of the tracks that didn’t make it the first go-around.  The Em came out and said this: “I had originally planned for Relapse 2 to come out last year.  But as I kept recording and working with new producers, the idea of a sequel to Relapse started to make less and less sense to me, and I wanted to make a completely new album.  The music on Recovery came out very different from Relapse, and I think it deserves its own title.”  Relapse 2 is no more.  Recovery is due out June 22.  Producers include Just Blaze, DJ Khalil, Jim Jonsin, and Boi-1da.

Just Blaze hypes the album: “As far as what’s going on in Detroit, a lot of good music is being made. He’s really back spitting. The wordplay is crazy, the metaphors are crazy. He’s really back on his game. He had his ups, he had his downs, he’s back way, way, way up. This is definitely going to be up there with the best of his albums, for sure, for sure. The fact that he’s branched out working with a lot of different people now, collaborating in a lot of different ways that he never has before, I think he’s going to surprise a lot of people.”

[Via RapRadar; MTV News]

Music video: Drake – “Over”

Music, Video, , ,

Here’s the music video for “Over”, the first single off Drake’s forthcoming album Thank Me Later.  It’s directed by Anthony Mandler.  This music video is starkly different from the Kanye West-directed video for “Best I Ever Had”, but that’s not necesssarily a bad thing.  No, you won’t find scantily clad, well-endowed women jumping up and down.  For most of the video Drake is in a bedroom with chaotic projected images flashing over him and the walls.  It’s enough to keep you hooked for four minutes, so check it out.  If you like the track, download it here for free.  Thank Me Later hits stores June 15.

[Via EW-MusicMix]

Glee club battle: Jimmy Fallon crew vs. Parks & Rec cast

Hilarity, Music, Television, Video, , , , ,

This is a must watch for Glee, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, and Parks & Recreation fans alike!  Last week on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy introduced a new segment he calls 6-Bee.  It’s a story that follows the LNWJF crew on the road to sectionals.  Clearly Fallon & co. are big fans of Glee (who isn’t?).  In this episode, Jimmy Fallon crew (including Jimmy, staffers, and SNL’s Abby Elliot) face off against the cast of Parks & Rec and The Roots in a Glee club battle of epic proportions.  A major amount of hilarity and musical genius ensues.

Look after the break for episode 1; Bon Jovi’s “Livin’ On a Prayer” is the song of choice. Continue reading Glee club battle: Jimmy Fallon crew vs. Parks & Rec cast →

Dr. Horrible shines in 8-bits [Update: Acts 1, 2 & 3 are up!]

Music, Technology, Video, Web Series, , ,

Calling all Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog fans!  Graphic designer Doctor Octoroc has put together the story of Dr. Horrible in old school 8-bit fashion.  He calls it “Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Game” and it plays out like an old Pokeman Nintendo GameBoy game.  Says the good doctor: “All music, sound effects, graphics and animation were created by me as a tribute to Dr. Horrible (Joss Whedon) and the NES.”  This really is a must-watch if you’re into the story and music of Dr. Horrible.  It’s quite brilliant, actually.

CLICK HERE to watch Act 1.  If you have troubles viewing it there, watch it on YouTube.  DocOc promises the next two acts are on their way.  (I will alert you when they’re available to watch.)

Update: Act 2 is now up in all its 8-bit glory!  CLICK HERE to access the homepage and click “Load Game” to select Act 2.  Or watch it on YouTube.  Act 3 is in the works…

Update 2: The final act is up!  Again, CLICK HERE to access the homepage and click “Load Game” and select Act 3.  Or opt for the YouTube page.

[Via Doctoroctoroc]

Discover new music: LIGHTS

Music, Video, , , , ,

Are you a fan of Owl City (aka Adam Young)?  If so, you will enjoy LIGHTS.  To put it another way, if Adam Young was reincarnated as a girl, he’d be LIGHTS.  Somehow, someway Young discovered LIGHTS, added her to his Spring Tour 2010 lineup, and she’s gained in popularity ever since.

Born Valerie Anne Poxleitner, LIGHTS legally changed her name to Lights Valerie Poxleitner and started her music career back in 2002.  She’s a 22-year-old Canadian singer-songwriter and has that same synth-pop vibe that Young so expressively gives off in his music.  She says her influences include Björk, Phil Collins, and ABBA.  She’s known to cover other artists like Coldplay, Architects, and Collins.

In 2008 she came out with her debut six-track EP called LIGHTS.  “Ice,” “Drive My Soul,” and “February Air” have music video counterparts, and they’re each embedded after the break.  One year later she released a second EP called Saviour.  It includes 4 tracks; two of them are remixes to the song “Saviour.”  That track also has a music video.  In 2009 she finally dropped her first album, The Listening.  The 16 track album contains mostly a combination of songs from the two EPs, plus a few new selections.  Later that year she dropped a third EP; The Ice Pack contains the album version plus six remixes of the song.

And that brings us to today.  Having met her musical soulmate in Adam Young while on tour with Owl City, what better way to celebrate their uniting than with a collaboration?  Yesterday her fourth EP found its way to iTunes; this version of Saviour includes the original track plus an Adam Young remix and a new music video to go along with it.  Listen to “Saviour (Adam Young remix)” below and check out the music video for it (and the others) after the break.

[audio: LIGHTS – Saviour (Adam Young Remix).mp3]

So, what do you think?  Does this world long for a female counterpart to Owl City?  I think it does.

Continue reading Discover new music: LIGHTS →

Music video: Aloe Blacc – “I Need A Dollar”

Music, Uncategorized, Video, , ,

Aloe Blacc just put out a music video for “I Need A Dollar,” the catchy tune I discovered watching the opening credits of HBO’s How To Make It In America.  This track is the first single off Blacc’s debut album Good Things, due out this summer.  The music video splits the screen in half; one side follows a hustler walking the city streets and the other features Blacc singing.  At 2:35 the video begins to play a part of his second single titled “Take Me Back.”  He’s got a great old-school soul sound, something that’s missing in mainstream music today.  I’m really looking forward to the album.