Mountain Music...Tunes to Ride to!

   What's the good word everyone?!? I realized as I wrote that, that there probably aren't many, considering it's a cold, dreary monday, and there's been talk of another 14-20 inches of snowfall by mid-week...yuck! But at the very least, I hope you had an awesome weekend like I did!
   Among other awesome things that happened this weekend, I went snowboarding for the first time in about 7 years or so. (Check me out!)

   Ha! I wish...but that's kinda what it felt like. But at any rate, Me & Justin (& Gabby & Alex & Karen & Jackie & Jonathan) went up to Pat's Peak in Henniker, NH for some night boarding on Saturday. I'd never heard of Pat's Peak before, and was half expecting to show up at some "northern redneck's" house on the side of an uncleared mountain, and for him to be like, "Hey, I'm Pat. Gimme 40 bucks, and /I'll pull you up top on my snowmobile..." or some such sketchiness. But thankfully, we finally arrived to find this...

to which I was very excited! After getting my legs under me (which surprisingly took about 5 minutes) I was totally ready for the big slopes. Within the hour, I thought I was a teenager again, and was totally trying some dumb shit out on the trails (jumps & tricks & such...) which ended in something exactly like this...

only during the night time...and not in Germany. I fell so hard and so fast off that jump, that I landed on my ass, and still had enough momentum to hit my back and knock the wind out of me (still quietly suffering the effects from that one.)
   So at this point, you might be asking yourself, "That's cool Johnny...but what the hell does any of this have to do with music?" Well loyal viewer, I'll tell you. I was stupid enough to forget to bring gloves, but what I DID remember to bring, was an iPod!!! I was thinking to myself as I was jamming to some tunes early that morning, "Wow, I bet it'd be really cool to snowboard to this track...Oh wait! I could totally make that happen!"So I set about making a playlist, specifically for my adventure in the snow.
   So what follows are some of the highlights of my iPod playlist, "Mountain Music"

[Breakage - Fighting Fires (Loadstar remix)]

[Netsky - The Lotus Symphony]

[Cutline - Die for You (J Majik & Wickaman remix)]

[Talib Qweli - Gutter Rainbows]

[Mutt - Saturdays] <---how appropriate?

[Deadmau5 - Faxing Berlin (Grifta remix)]

[Crissy Chris & Youngman - Kick Snare VIP (Drumstep mix)]

   Some others that I've already posted, (all titles hyperlinked to original posts) were A Lil' Glimma by me & sophmore, Quitter's Raga by Gold Panda, Bones by Data Romance, Shellshock by Noisia (#16), Innocence by Nero (#1), as well as my three DJ sets, Winter Chill(step), Dirty Birthday, & Kristall 48 (<---soundcloud links)

   I hope this gives you some awesome new tunes to jam out to the next time you find yourself on the side of a mountain...or on a bus...or at your place. Can't wait to do this again...this was a lot of fun (both the riding, and the writing) Catch you tomorrow! Peace.

Artist Spotlight: Girl Talk

   Hey everyone! Friday's finally here, and I hope you're all as psyched for the weekend as I am! (if everything goes to plan, it should be an awesome time!) Being Friday, you know what that means here at SCM, another awesome Artist Spotlight!

   Today I'm going to be featuring one, Gregg Gillis, better known to the music world as Girl Talk. Now if you've been anywhere near the music scene, and especially the electronic music scene, in the past few years you may have heard of him, or some of his amazing mash-ups.
   Girl Talk has been releasing albums of mash-ups about every two years since 2002. His style could be described as a pop culture mosaic, or a top 40 collage, as he takes a dozen or more recognizable songs from all genres and musical eras, and sticks them in "the blender" to create something new and very unique. He doesn't so much create tracks as he does entire albums. The only reason any of his five albums have been split into "tracks" is for easy access to later parts of the mix. When you see what goes into making a "track" like he makes, you can hardly blame him for taking two years per album, all the while (till 07) trying to hold down a job as a biomedical engineer. Check out his process...

   Completely awesome! I first saw this video clip in the documentary "RIP: A Remix Manifesto," a documentary about copyright and intellectual property law, surrounding particularly, Girl Talk, and the Disney corporation. Incredible film! If you get a chance, it'd be well worth your time to check it out.
   As one could guess, Girl Talk is highly scrutinized for his extreme usage of samples, especially by record companies, who feel like they should be getting payed for every use, of every sample they own the rights to. No legal action has been taken against Gregg, due to his claim of usage under fair use law. And what do the artists that have been sampled generally think about Girl Talk using them in his albums? Generally speaking, they love it! Several of the artists sampled on his latest album, "All Day" put up posts on they're own websites telling people to check out the new Girl Talk album.
   Under free use, Girl Talk released his first four albums (Secret Diary, Unstoppable, Night Ripper, & Feed the Animals) through illegal-art.net, for a "pay a price you'd like." His latest release, All Day, is available on illegal art absolutely free! So go grab yourself a copy HERE <---click there

   So here's a few fan made videos to give you an idea of what Girl Talk is all about. (These are off the album Feed the Animals)

(No Pause)

(Like This)

(Give Me a Beat)

   I've been a huge Girl Talk fan for a few years now, and can't wait to see what's next. He was the driving force behind Sophmore and I coming together on the mash-ups we've been doing. I also can't wait to go check out a Girl Talk live show (I've heard they tend to turn into drunken "pants-off dance-offs"), and hopefully I can grab myself a ticket for the February 23 show at the House of Blues!
   Well I hope you've enjoyed my little spotlight on Girl Talk, and I hope you have a wonderful weekend! Till next week everybody...Peace.

Random and Funny: 50, Video Games, & Pizza

    Hey everyone! I hope you're recovering from all that shoveling. (stupid snow!) I think I speak for almost everyone when I say, I've had enough damn snow for one year.
   Well today on F&R I have a few awesome videos I've collected over the week that I'd love to share with you.
   First up is a video by a kid named Keenan Cahill. Mr. Cahill likes to dance around and do impressions of his favorite pop musicians in front of his web cam. This video is of him doing "Put It Down On Me" by Jeremih, when he gets a special guest appearance. Check it...

Had me dyin' the first time I saw this...totally thought he was CG till he put the chain on him.
  
   Next up is a video by The Knife Show. I thought this was an incredible blend of hip-hop, video game music, and extreme sports. Really amazing looking video too. Graphics are awesome!

Dope! Loved the 8-bit game sounds injected in the video.
 
   Lastly, we come to my favorite video of the week. This is original video from the short lived Mary Kate & Ashley show in the 90s, only slightly altered. It so amazing how something so terrible can turn that corner onto awesome street with something as little as a tempo change. Love it...

Kinda scary, but mostly hilarious. (BTW, that girl with the short hair and the purple vest really creeps me out.) I love how they turned from a group of 6 year old girls to 30 something year old men by slowing it down...this video had me crackin' up.

   Well I hope this brightened your cold and gloomy day as much as it did for me. Catch you later. Peace.

Music To Your Ears: Earbuds

   Hey everyone! Welcome to another edition of Music To Your Ears. Today, I'll be featuring in-ear headphones, or as most of us know them, earbuds.
   Wikipedia has informed me, that there is a difference between buds and in-ear or canal phones. The in-ear monitors, or IEMs, actually sit in the ear canal which deliver sound directly to the ear drum, where as the earbuds sit outside the canal. Because of this, you will more often hear ambient noise with buds, even though earbuds typically output at higher volumes, which increase the risk of ear drum damage and hearing loss.
   These days, even more so than headphones, you can get the perfect pair to fit your apperience/ lifestyle/ musical needs, in tons of shapes, sizes, colors, & designs.  I saw a little girl rockin' these the other day...

   Had I not seen these for sale at Newbury Comics earlier I might have thought, "Hmmm...interesting place to keep your snacks!" I am kinda curious as to how dubstep sounds coming out of candy though.
   Like I was saying, there's a company out there that absolutely makes a pair that fit you and your style sense (or lack there of...) like these jeweled, Lady Gaga designed, earbuds...

   Not even close to my style, but as they are made by Monster, I'm sure they sound amazing. And the über glam ruby red color will go perfect with your bloody meat dress....weirdo...
   But back to the task at hand. I'm going to give you  a quick run-down of the buds I've know, have tried, and heard good and bad things about.

(Sony MDR-J10)

($8-15)

   Chances are you've run across something like these before. They were hugely popular to bundle with portable music players (mostly pre-mp3) back in the day, and they're still around and kickin'. Well, they never really kicked anything, they were mostly terrible quality, and if you had weirdly shaped ears like me, the loops were uncomfortable, and they never stayed on right. Best suggestion, leave those to the past...

(Apple iPod earbuds)

1st Gen.

2nd Gen.

3rd Gen.

($10-20; but mostly, free with purchase of iPod)

   Another pair of earbuds you're probably familiar with...the iconic iPod buds. I remember the 1st gens I got with the very first iPod (THE BRICK!) weren't bad...except for the fact they would literally shock my inner ear whenever I would listen too loud, which was...always. That and the quality wasn't too great, but I didn't care, cause the iPod was so awesome back then. The 2nd gens were more of the same, except they didn't shock me, which was nice. They also fell apart on me pretty quick. I probably went through 3 or 4 pairs in a year. The 3rd gens were solid, but the quality was still never there. Same with these:

The "upgraded" iPod earbuds, despite being like 40 bucks more than the originals, I never thought were much of an upgrade. A little better quality was a good step, but they never liked to stay in my ears. Not cool.

 But despite all the negatives, we dealt with them...why? Mostly cause they were solid white and really cool looking...and we wanted to look like the guy/girls in the iPod commercials. (If only I looked like my shadow, and my background was always brightly mono-colored)

(iLuv i301)

($5...ish)

   I had to pick up a pair of these during an airport layover in South Carolina a few years ago. You know how they like to charge whateverinthehell they want at airports...ya, payed $25 for these crappy buds. Very pissed when I came home and saw them for 10, and now online for 5. What can I say...I packed my good ones away, and I was dyin' for some tunes. General rule; Off brand = terrible.

(Skull Candy inked)

($15-20)

   These are the "back-up" pair I currently have. For 15 bucks, these things are awesome! They have really great quality, though you might have to mess with your EQ on your music player to get them to sound just right (I find them to be a bit bass heavy, which is really weird for me to say) This, plus for an extra 5 spot, you can get the inked earbuds with an in-line mic for use with your smartphone. And a always, they're Skull Candys, so they come in more flavors than skittles (who I'm sure make earbuds too, judging by the M&M ones above.)

(Sony MDR-EX56LP)

($40)

   These Sony's are really really good. They've been coming out with these (or a model just like them) for at least 7 years now. They are constantly one of my favorite buds out there due to they're sleek minimal design, durability, and great quality. I had a pair very recently which I gave to Jr, cause his pair that he had had for over 6 years were falling apart (but they were still working!) If you feel like having great sounding buds, but don't have too much cash to drop on a pair...these are one of your best bets.

(Bose In-ear buds)

($70)

   These are my primary pair of buds, and they are awesome! This is the second generation of these that I've owned. My one big problem with the original was fixed with this new version, which was that the interchangeable clear buds would fall off at the slightest touch (and being clear, would be super hard to find.) They're extra comfy, sound brilliant, and now that they've dropped considerably in price ($125 when I got them), I would highly recommend these to anyone.  There's also an even newer version out with these weird looking buds that hold themselves against the structures of your ear to make sure they stay in place. Sounds weird, looks cool, and it's Bose, so I trust they know what they're doing... 

(Skull Candy FMJ)

($70)

   I've heard nothing but good things for these Candy's. One would assume that the FMJ stands for "Full Metal Jackets"due to they're solid metal casings. I've been told they have super clear sound, and they are without a doubt...Blingtastic. I've had my eye on these for a while...

(iBeats by Dr. Dre)

($100)

   The iBeats, are the "into level" Beats earbuds. I really liked the sound out of these, even better than out of the "intro level" Beats headphones that cost 70 or 80 bucks more. These will certainly make your tunes sound proper...properly loud too. These things bump!

(Skull Candy Holua)

($100)

   I don't know terribly much about these Skull Candy Holuas, except their housings are made of wood. Wood! How cool is that? And they make them in different types of wood too. Probably don't sound too bad either...but who really cares? Who else do you know is going to have wooden earbuds? Got major cool points from me on that one SK.

(Harman Kardon 730)

($125)

   Harman Kardon earbuds are great. HK sound in general is great. Not really in love with the style of these, but the performance is undeniable. The triple silcon bud design makes sure no other sound is going to interrupt your musical experience, while they inject the music straight into your brain case. Good stuff. I approve.

(Monster "Diddy Beats")

($150)

   These P. Diddy (a.k.a. Diddy/Puff Daddy/Shawn Combs/Puffy the Vampire Slayer) designed earbuds by Monster are, I'm sure, really awesome sounding. But like the Gaga ones above, the issue I have with these is not the sound. It's simply, how is someone who sees you wearing these on the street going to know they are "Diddy Beats"? Oh! The giant DB on the side you say? Oh ya! I'm not going to immediately think, "Wow, even that guy's headphones think he's a douche bag!"Look, I'm just saying, if I want something on my head to say, "Douche Bag"I'm not going to spend 150 bucks on it...I'll just wear a Kanye West hat! Ohhhh!

(Monster Turbine)

($150)

   Instead of spending 150 bucks on Monster douche bag earbuds, why don't you spend 150 bucks on some other Monster buds, like these ones. And these ones look like jet turbines! (hence the name I guess.) I've read outstanding reviews of these, calling them, "almost perfect" The only negative feedback I've heard is a slight lack of definition in the highs. Nothing spending more money won't solve. If these are too cheap for you, you can always opt for the Pro model, that start at $280 for the Pro gold turbines. 

(Turbine Pro Gold)

(Turbine Pro Copper)

(Turbine Pro Mile Davis)

It keeps on going too, with the Pro copper signature model going for $380 and the Miles Davis signature model going for $400! At least with the Miles edition ones you get 3 CDs of Mr. Davis to listen to, since you'll most likely be too broke to afford any music for a while...

(Beats Pro)

($170)

   More of the same from the Beats. The Pro model are stunning quality, and are the bud equivalent of the Studio Pro headphones. For...you know...mixing your next platinum selling on your iPad while on the road. Or something like that. I don't claim to know what you do on tour...

(Shure SE530PTH)

($450)

   Shure makes some awesome sound happen. I've heard good things from this model, and in particular, it's "Push-To-Hear" control. This feature, that is exclusive to Shure (as far as I know) is a button on the back of one of the buds, that when pushed, lowers the volume of your music and activates the tiny microphones on the outside. These allows you to hear everything around you in crystal clarity without having to take your earbuds out. Really cool stuff Shure...450 bucks tho?!? I'll wait for that feature to come out on other models, thanks.

(Sony MDR_EX1000) 

($500)

    These are apparently the ultimate Sony in-ear monitors. So futuristic, that they're not even out yet. Literally, from the future! No one but Sony R&D know how these sound, but from all the space-age magnets and composite materials that they were talking about using on they're site, I'm sure it'll sound like the future. So if you have the extra half grand to drop on earbuds, and don't mind waiting till they come out, you'll literally be the only kid on your block with them. Sony's currently taking pre-orders...for the future.

   I hope this was informative...or at the very least, minimally entertaining. Gotta go gear up for ANOTHER snow storm. Catch you tomorrow people. Peace.

New DJ Set: Kristall 48 Mix

   Hey everyone! I'll keep this one kinda brief, cause I'm a little out of it today. Just wanted to put up the link to my soundcloud account, cause I posted a new mix I did last night.
   It's a 20 minute, one take. high energy, (semi-drunken) drum and bass mix I did around 1 in the morning. It was a lot of fun, and I hope you like it...I plan on redoing it sometime soon to tighten up a few things.
   Why Kristall 48 you might ask? Cause I was drinkin' Weihenstephan Kristall Weisbier & Sam Adams Latitude 48 IPA, of course!...I thought that would have been obvious. Catch you tomorrow. Peace.

Kristall 48 mix <---click there

New Mash-Ups...Dirty South Meets UK

   Hey all! I hope where ever you are, you're staying warm. The weather in New England is totally exaggerating right now...way way way too cold!
   So among other things I did this weekend, I went over to Street Light Studios, to sit in on a beta phase recording session with "the cousinz." There's some really cool sounding tracks forming, so expect to hear some great stuff in the near future.
   On the home front, I was going to spin a jump up, high energy drum & bass mix, but couldn't get out of my head enough to press record, so I plan on doing that during the coming snow storm, (damnit! again?!?) So instead, I went back to some good old fashioned mash-ups, and while it was busy being -5 degrees out (-27 with the wind chill) I came up with 5 new mash ups! 3 of which I'm proud enough to share with you today.
   The running theme of these is, Dirty South Rap over UK Drum & Bass. I think the two were separated at birth. They just sound so damn good together!
   I had forgot to tell you before, but with all of the videos I've uploaded to youtube, you're going to want to play them in 720HD. It REALLY does make a difference with the sound quality. Check it.

(A Lil' Glimma)

(International Storm Clouds Anthem)

(Moonwalker Snap)

   Hope you've enjoyed the new additions. Hopefully I can bring you "Wild Beef" & "Sitting On Energy" in the near future. Your comments are always awesome, and your time is appreciated. See you tomorrow. Peace.

Artist Spotlight: Gold Panda

   Happy Friday everyone!!! The weekend's just about here. I can almost taste it! Very excited, even though it's suppose to be like 0 degrees in Boston...that seems a bit odd.

   At any rate, I'm staying nice and warm, and I plan on keeping busy by bringing you yet another artist spotlight!

   This week I'll be featuring a guy who goes by the name of Gold Panda. This UK producer, named Derwin Panda, has been producing beautiful minimal/dancey/glitch/electro/world/hiphop tracks since 2009. He self released several eps in 09 and went on to get signed to Ghostly International records and Notown records late that year. If Gold Panda sounds a bit familiar, it might be because he made my second favorite album of 2010, Lucky Shiner (list of 2010 top ten albums here)

   

   I first heard Gold Panda at the Paradise Rock Club in Boston, late last year, at the Bonobo concert I went to. You by G.P. came on, and the majority of the room got to dancin'. Much to my suprise, Shazam on my iPhone came to my rescue, and told me exactly what this amazing music was (Thanks Shazam!)

   I was very interested to hear in an interview with Gold Panda, that he doesn't like most of the music he comes up with, and it's only later that he goes back to it, and realizes what awesomeness he's created. When asked what his musical process is, he replied, "Basically I'll listen to loads of gangster rap and get really excited. Then I'll make some crappy twinkly sounding track instead." (you can read his full interview with Illegal Tender Magazine here <--click there)

   He does recognize that he's got some serious musical talent in the sampling department, sifting through record bins and samples for hours on end to make just the right tones. In addition to his original material, he has done loads of amazing remixes for the likes of, Bloc Party, Caribou, and Telepathe. 

   Looking toward the future, he was asked what he sees in store. Gold Panda replied, "Hopefully a live set and some releases. A tape. 7". Do an album. More remixing and more tea. Write a book. Grow a cat up. Buy a plant. That kind of thing." I look forward to all of that. 

   At any rate, I bring you Gold Panda. Check it out.

(You)

(Quitter's Raga)

(Snow & Taxis)

(Back Home)

   If you happen to be in Europe over the next few months he'll be touring around Germany till mid March, with a few stops off in the Czech Republic, and the UK. If you're state side, and happen to be in Austin, Texas the 15th through the 19th of March, so will he. So check him out, and let me know how it was. 

   I hope you've enjoyed Gold Panda. I sure know I have. Be sure to check out all his social media outlets below. Have a great weekend everyone. Peace.

Here <-- YouTube Channel

Here <-- Facebook Page

Here <-- Myspace Page


UPDATE: Gold Panda has set more dates in North America (including the east coast!) and Europe. Check out the link to the post on pitchfork.com - Panda dates <---click there

Random and Funny: A Normal Guy and A Normal Jeep

   Happy Thursday everyone! I thought I'd take today to share some funny music related videos I've found in my search though the vastness of youtube. 

   The first video I have for you today, Everyday Normal Guy, I came across on his channel last year after a friend showed me his video "The WTF Collective" (<--also hilarious link). Musician/comedian Jon Lajoie, is just a normal guy, and he just wants to tell you about his everyday. And he tells it like it is...

   The next video is another one I came across last year. Techno Jeep, by Julian Smith, took over 7 hours of filming to get one perfect 2 minute shot. Incredible what 9 people, an old Jeep Grand Cherokee, and some sound and film equipment can do. All sounds in this video are from the Jeep...keep that in mind.

   I hope you liked these. Be sure to check out both Jon and Julian's channels below. Till tomorrow people. Peace.

Jon Lajoie's Channel - Click Here

Julian Smith's Channel - Click Here

Original Material: Sly Orchestra

   Hey everyone! Happy hump day! I hope you're having a great time, staying warm, and celebrating something awesome! I have many great reasons to currently celebrate. The week long festivities that are my birthday. The 8 month anniversary of my last cigarette. The joy of living a better, healthier life. And of course, music!
   One of the reasons music is so great, is that it can be so many very different things. It can be a travel companion, an amazing story, or the dynamic backdrop to the life around us. It can express the entire spectrum of human emotions, and in my case it's an incredible stress reliever, mood lifter, and creative outlet.
   Which brings me to an other reason to celebrate today. I've just been putting the finishing touches on a new track I've been working on!
   The working title is called Sly Orchestra. I'm really enjoying this track. It's been putting me in a great mood (as you could probably tell.) I started work on this track over the weekend at Street Light Studios in Logic. I brought it back to my place, dropped it in Ableton, and a few hours later I came out with this. Anyways, I hope you'll enjoy, and that it puts you in a good mood too.

   As always, creative feed back is completely awesome. I love the stuff! So hit up in the comments, or drop me a line on facebook, or youtube, or soundcloud, or shoot me a text...or if you see me on the street, tell me there. Whatever works for you.
   Again, I want to send a big shout out, and thank you to all the people that made my birthday so special this year. See you back here tomorrow for more fun and excitement. Keep celebrating! Peace.

Dirty Birthday Mix...and dJay for the iPad.

   Hey cyberspace people! It just turned into Tuesday while I was spinnin' this new mix for you! Not normally a favorite day of my'n, but I'll make an exception in this case cause it's my Birthday! Yaaaayyy! It's a very off year, so nothing over the top, just a quiet dinner out with moms, then some drinks and dancin' with people at Wonderbar in Alston later on. Feel free to come join the festivities!
   So I have to admit, I was going to get this mix done much earlier in the day, but I'm still recovering from a crazy weekend. Went with Dynamic & Seti to a show out in Lowell on Friday, where they were opening for M-Dot. Dope show. Drank a lot.  Went to Tavern at the End of the World in Charlestown Saturday, for Counterpoint: Chicken Sizzoup for the Sizzoul. Dick Winters & Da Moth killed it! Danced my face off. Drank a whole lot more. Went to my friend Dave's for Thanksgiving in January on Sunday. Ate a lot of amazing food. Bus boys killed it at beer pong...and I drank a lot...So my apologies for being a little late on this post.
   But back to the task at hand. New mix! Very much inspired by Da Moth this weekend. He was spinning some seriously filthy dubstep. Like dirty, dirty, gross, nasty stuff...I mean like pure pornography, hide your kids (hide you wife) kinda filth. So I felt like getting down and a bit dirty, as a stark contrast from the last mini mix.
   I hope you enjoy...and bring a change of pants...

Dirty Birthday Mix  <---click there

   Before you head off to hit the showers, I gotta show you the new app I got for the iPad over the weekend.

(dJay)

   This app is damn near the same thing as my whole Scratch Live set-up. Sure, it only lets you set one cue (start) point, instead of five. Sure, it's all touch screen, so record manipulation is a little tricky. And ya, it's crashed on me a couple times in the middle of the set. But it doesn't weight over a hundred pounds, it does my whole itunes library, does auto beat recognition and syncing, and it only cost $20! And for like 3 or 4 bucks you can do this...

which means it does headphone pre-cueing. So sick! I'll be waiting for an update that addresses the crashing issues before I try and record a full set, but for the money, I'm in love. I can't wait to go for a walk, pull out my ipad, headphone, and portable speakers and spin a full mix out in the woods or something once it warms up. It's going to be so dope!

Have a wonderful Tuesday everyone! Catch you on hump day!

Artist Spotlight: Data Romance

   Happy Friday! The weekend is almost here people! Just a few more hours to hold on. And in the mean time, I'd like to welcome you to another edition of Artist Spotlight. This week I'm featuring what's fast becoming one of my favorite bands out there. Data Romance.
   So who are these Data Romances? Data Romance is comprised of two members, Ajay Bhattacharyya, the beats, and Amy Kirkpatrick, the voice. There sound? To quote another fan of theirs,  "It's like 2-step and Trance got married and had two hot babies." To take that a step farther, one of the kids is a electronic music savant, and the other, has the voice of an angel. They both live and work in Vancouver, British Columbia.

   I originally came across Data Romance, known then as Names, a couple years back on thesixtyone.com, which is a wonderful site to find great new music of all genres. They only had, 3 tracks posted at the time, but as soon as I heard them, I was hooked, and I needed more. Their track La Da Da was one of the most gorgeous tracks I'd ever heard. Fast forward about a year, and I go back to thesixtyone to hear that beautiful track again, and low and behold, there was a new band in the place of Names. A quick search on youtube, and the net, led me to all the wonderful things they'd been doing in the past year.
   Last year, they worked with Stance Films to create the soundtrack to the movie Life Cycles, a movie about mountain biking, shot in over the top 10,080i HD. The visuals are so good looking in just the trailer alone, the BBC needs to hire these people. Data Romance's score of swelling orchestrals, and hard hitting industrials serves as the perfect backdrop. Here's the trailer:

   So if you happen to hear my chillstep mix earlier this week (if not click here) you'll probably recognize this first track of Data's. This is their absolutely beautiful cover of the christmas classic, Little Drummer Boy, which they did in just this one take I might add...check it.

  Awesome! Next up is their new single named, Bones. You can download the single in it's entirety (Bones + three remixes, and a few B-sides) on their site for the price of a tweet on Twitter, or a status update on Facebook. Don't have either of those? To quote them, "What's that like?" Anyway, here's Bones:

   For the last track of Data Romance, I'd like to share with you, the track that started it all for me. La Da Da. Still just as amazing as when I first heard it. Hope you love it too.

   Love, love, love Data Romance. Can't wait to see what's next for them. They're currently working on new material, and preparing for live stuff. Really hope they make their way to the east coast when they start touring. Anyways, you can pick up the Names album Paint from the iTunes store. While you're there, you can pick up the OST to Life Cycles by Data Romanace, and don't forget to get the Bones single on the website. Check them out on all their social media outlets below.

Here <-- Website

Here <-- YouTube channel

Here <-- Facebook

Here <-- Vimeo

Here <-- Myspace

Enjoy your weekend everyone! See you all on Monday!

Random and Funny: Abwabwabwa (Beat Boxing Dog)

   So I thought since it's almost the end of the week, you might need a little laughter in your life to get you through till the weekend. So here's a video I came across just before the new year, that always gets a smile out of me. A pissed off Russian, "beat boxing" dog:

   Completely awesome! Now if you thought that was the end of it...you'd be sorely mistaken. Loads of remixes have been popping up all over youtube. One for everyone's genre of choice:

(Hip-Hop)

(House)

(Electro)

(Dubstep [fear. the OMG cat])

(Drum & Bass <---my fav)

   Hope that got a laugh or two out of you. Be looking for the Drum & Bass remix in my next DnB set that I plan to be recording soon. Abwabwabwa!

P&L,
J

Original Material: A Couple of Beta Beats

   Happy snow-covered wednesday people! I was just reading from one of my favorite online news outlets, that 49 out of 50 states have flakes somewhere in their boarders.  The lucky state? F*ckin' Florida! Ya, that's right. Even Hawaii has snow right now. So I'm lookin' at you Georgia...you see someone cross that state line from the south...nail 'em with a snow ball! It's on you.
   We're dealing with a good foot + on the ground here in Somerville. So what better to do on a cold winter's day, than stay in the house, keep nice and warm, and make some dope beats! So that's what I did...
   In fairness, neither of these were done entirely today, but I did put in some work on each of them before the power cut out for a few hours. They're both in their "beta" phases, so about 50-75% done. I finally got them uploaded to youtube after some reading, a nap, and the power kicked back on. Check 'em out.
   The first is a beat me and my cousin Dave made a few nights ago, after getting back into the swing of things. Really diggin' where this track is headed.
   We had tentatively titled it, "F*ck On Me" cause we were going to drop the sound clip from The Hangover, when the guy says, "You wanna f*ck on me!?!" That's still up in the air. So for right now it's called, "As of Yet (Untitled)"

   Dave and I are definitely back in the music, so expect to hear some new tracks, and mash-ups posted regularly...ish.

   The other one I got for you today, I've been working on for a little while. I started it a serveral weeks ago when I was hanging over at Street Light Studios. My cousin Luke and I were messin' around with some old records and I found this really weird one from a 70's electro rock/jazz band I'd never heard before. I skimmed through most of it and was just about to call it crap, which it is (no wonder I never heard of it,) when I came across the last 5 seconds of the last track on the LP. Weird orchestral finale..."I think I can work with that." Then Ultra beat in logic, and a few other hits and synths in Ableton, and this is what I have so far.
   Was going to call it D-licious, but I decided to drop the D.

   I hope you've enjoyed a little original material. Both Dave and I would love some feedback if you got it. Thanks. Stay warm.
P&L,
J

Music to Your Ears: Headphones

   Hey everyone! So this is an other semi-regular feature I'm calling, Music to Your Ears, where I'll be talking about one of the most crucial, yet over looked, parts of music. How these magical waves of sound travel into our ears. Today we'll be discussing cans, headsets, or stereophones. Most commonly known as headphones. But first, a very brief history lesson.
   The very first headphones, were believed to have been made by Nathaniel Baldwin. Handcrafted in his kitchen, he sold them to the US Navy as way to monitor audio signals before the invention of amplifiers. The first commercially used headphones were made by the Brandes company in 1919. Used widely in radio, these headphones offered zero comfort and had to attached to the users head with significant clamping force. In addition, they would often shock the user due, to the bare connections on the sides, and had terribly poor sound quality, because of it's construction of a moving iron driver and no sound dampening.

   But thankfully, in the past 90 years there has been significant progress in the field of sound technology. Imagine trying to jam out to your favorite tracks while rockin' a pair of Brandes? Yikes!
   Now a days, if you are in the market for a new set of "cans" you have literally hundreds of choices, in just about as many colors and flavors. Have a favorite hip-hop//rap/pop artist? They've probably got a pair out, or are currently working in collaboration with a sound company to make a pair.
   Another great thing, as with most "pro-sumer"products, they are whatever you'd like to spend on them. You have 50 bucks to drop on a new pair? Someone makes something decent. You have several hundred to spend? You can get a pair that feel like wearing cloud earmuffs, that sounds like angel whispers. But as with most things, more expensive, doesn't always mean better!
   So here's my quick little run down of the phones I've used,  have tried, and have heard good and bad things from:

(Sony MDR21blablablabla...)

($10ish)
   You know, you know 'em...you probably rocked a pair of these when they came with your walkman. They still sell these...but you know better. You just keep on walking, right? Your music and your ears will thank you later.

(Sony MDR-XD200)

($30)
   If looking for a good set of Sonys. Look no farther. For the money, these things are great. Big? Sure. Comfortable? Reasonably. But with good sound quality and a low price tag, these might be the one you could keep as your laptop phones.

(Panasonic RP-HTX7)

($50)
   These circumaural (around the ear) phones are what I'm rockin' at the moment. Very stylish, super comfortable, and not bad sound quality. It's missing some high end crispness and some bass, but that's the price you pay for fashion. And the phones don't swivel, so not the greatest for DJing. I still love 'em though.

 (Skullcandy G.I.)

($50-80)
   Skullcamdy is moving up in the world of sound. These G.I.s sound awesome, are very comfy over the ears, and come in half a million flavors. From denim, to brown stripe, to these slick black ones, you can definitely find one in your style. They also make them with a headset mic, so you can talk shit over X-Box 360. "You just got owned! And I heard it with crystal clarity!"

(Sennheiser PX 200-II)

($90)

  These supra-aural (on top of the ear) phones by Sennheiser have a nice very nice crisp sound to them. Really comfy on top of you head, but I've never been one for supra-aurals, as I'm not a fan of the pressure on my ears for a long period of time. Not as "deep" of a bass tone as I'd like either. Still good though. Quite functional.

(Bose AE2)

($140)

   Bose knows how to make some awesome sound. And the AE2s are no exception. Clarity is the name of the game here, and they're also really easy to wear for long periods of time. Not really made with the DJ in mind, but great for the listener who wants crisp sound. They're awesome, and they know it. 

(Skullcandy Pro Carbon)

($150)

   I have not tried these myself, but I've heard they are the beans! Great studio quality, made with and for DJs. Want a pair. And if/when I do, I'll probably never shut up about 'em.

(Beats Solo)

($180)

   When I tried these, I was honestly less than impressed. I almost feel like Dre, or Monster, or who ever, didn't want to make them close to the same level as the Beats Studio, so they "dumbed them down." I mean they're good...just not damn near $200 good.

(Beats Studio)

($300)

   The big brother of the Solos, the Studios are the real Dre headphones. Despite the $120 price jump, these one's are actually worth the money. Maybe not for listening to your iPod on your daily train ride in, (unless you're ballin' like that) but certainly for a long day in the studio recording your next multi-platinum selling album.

(Monster TRON T1)

($300)

   Another Pair of headphones from Monster, that I can only imagine sound amazing. And come on, who doesn't want to look like they stepped off the set of TRON, or are the missing third member of Daft Punk?

(AKG Q701 Quincy Jones Signature Series)

($400)

   Thtese headphones, co-produced by (or at least signed by) Mr. Quincy Jones are advertising a three dimensional sound. That, I'm very curious to actually hear, because isn't all sound 3D? At any rate, 400 bucks and you too can produce "We Are The World." Sign me up!

(Denon AH-A100)

($500)

   These 100th anniversary Denons mark quite an achievement. I do worry that the one review I read about these said they were lacking in quality in comparison to other pairs of Denons that cost up to $150 less. Maybe Denon's showing they're age?

(Sennheiser HD 800)

($1400)

   I've heard the quality is off...the...charts. It damn well better be for almost a grand and a half. I also hear they can be heard several rooms away. Yikes! So much for one of the big draws of over the ear headphones (privacy.)

   

   So I hope at the very least, this shows that (as with everything) spending more money, doesn't always mean better. Research is key people! Make sure with any big purchase, you're well informed, so you can get exactly what you want, and be the most happy with it for the the longest. 

   Next time on "Music to Your Ears" I'm doing earbuds. Stay tuned!

P&L,

J