Summer Sounds

Esther likes her dubstep dirty.

Summer is upon us and that means one thing: the search for 2010′s essential summer jam is on. Summer is always the time where some of the most iconic, uplifting tracks surface: 2003 gave us “Crazy In Love”, 2007 was the year of “Stronger” and “Umbrella”, and last year we got “Lisztomania”. Below are three tracks that have the potential to sum up this summer completely, with the SoundCloud widgets lit up in nice bright blue to get you all hyped for the season. Check it out.

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Mark Ronson & The Business Int’l featuring MNDR & Q-Tip

Bang Bang Bang

Allido/Columbia

As I proclaimed in one of my most recent blog posts, Mark Ronson is back. But no, that just wasn’t enough. Mark Ronson is REALLY back. Instead of going for the obvious and delivering some bombastic, brassy number to signal his ‘comeback’, Ronson goes for the atypical: dishing up a chilled-out, fresh track that just oozes summer. I think they call it love at first listen. He’s enlisted rapper Q-Tip on the track, whose drowsy rhymes sound perfectly at home amongst the Frogger-esque thumps. And Ronson, who has a penchant for showing off new talent, brings in Yeah Yeah Yeahs keyboardist MNDR, who shows off her best Santigold in the hook (it’s in French) and cutely unrelenting ‘bang bang bang’s. This track is exactly what we needed; something unexpected from ‘the Ronson’, something simultaneously abrasive yet subdued, and something that will sound great blasted during every freakin’ day of the summer.

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Chase & Status featuring Dizzee Rascal

Heavy

Mercury

Now, for the past couple months, I’ve brushed off Chase & Status’ latest output. I guess you could call their collaborations with Rihanna interesting, but they were by no means groundbreaking. However, their latest, ‘Heavy’ with Dizzee Rascal, sees them take a shallow dive back into the underground in an effort to mix things up a bit. This track is everything I shouldn’t like– generic dubstep rhythm, obnoxiously overbearing bass, and nonstop sirens. But an opportunity to see Dizzee back in his element is the factor that makes everything else seem insignificant. Boy In Da Corner and even Maths + English are considered modern-day classics in my book, but the recent Dizzee-gone-pop has yielded mixed results. His latest single, “Dirtee Disco” could possibly be the most offensive thing I’ve heard all year. But as much as people can hate on this track (although it’s superficially smashing), it accomplishes one important thing: it exemplifies exactly what made Dizzee Dizzee and perfectly shows where he belongs in the music scene: nestled amongst dirty grime beats, and not channeling his inner Donna Summer.

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Robyn

Dancing On My Own

Konichiwa/Island

The female popstar ‘it’s okay to like’ is back with the first single from her new album “Body Talk, Pt. 1”…and it’s a banger. For the track, Robyn retires her brand of IKEA-gangster in exchange for a more emotionally charged persona, and the result is magical. From the first pounds of the lead synth riff, you’re hooked, and Robyn sings with such conviction you feel as if you’re right next to her in the tear-laden club. The product is the perfect combination of heart-wrenching and danceworthy, but most importantly, it’s still quintessentially Robyn. The video, directed by Max Vitali, is a somewhat simple affair, and showcases the stunning Swede at her most vulnerable, which dovetails perfectly with its soundtrack.

Music Doc: Favela On Blast

Photo: xlr8r.

Baile funk, locally known as carioca funk or favela funk, has been bubbling beneath the streets of Rio’s slums for the past twenty years, and now it’s finally been brought to a boil. Baile funk, a hybrid of 80s Miami bass, rapid samba drums, sexualized Portuguese rap and ubiquitous Brazilian flavor, has become the resident soundtrack of Rio de Janeiro’s infamous favelas; plagued by crime, violence, and poverty, these run-down neighborhoods have become some of the most infamous areas in the world. However, as the genre has grown in popularity, its subculture has also become a vital element to the Rio lifestyle, by molding the environment of the Brazilian youth and giving them something to dance to.

Baile funk has slowly been going international as well, and has been working its way into mainstream music outside of its native Brazil for the past decade or so. Mega producer Diplo famously sampled Deize Tigrona’s “Injeção” in M.I.A.’s 2005 anthem “Bucky Done Gun” (embedded below), and created his own take on the genre in his equally famous “Diplo Rhythm”. Diplo has since taken his love for the genre from the soundboard to behind the camera. Diplo, born Wesley Pentz, teamed up with Brazilian director Leandro HBL to create “Favela On Blast”, a documentary that digs deep into Rio’s baile funk scene to expose the roots of the culture and to give it the widespread recognition it deserves.

For the documentary, HBL and Pentz visited 60 favelas and performed over 100 interviews to get a one-hundred-percent authentic portrayal of the favela, its sound, and its subculture. Instead of showing just the musicians behind the movement, the directors sought out the heart of the baile funk circuit: the street party. Thousands of Brazilians come out late at night to revel in nights of non-stop hedonism, sending baile funk beats running through the streets of Rio, while subconsciously displaying what makes the movement so unique.

The documentary has been getting rave reviews since its initial release in 2008, but it will finally be out on DVD July 20 so that music fans everywhere can get their fix. While I still have yet to watch the documentary, I can’t wait to get my hands on it. I’ve probably watched the minute-long trailer around 20 times, and each time it gets my mouth watering for more. From the looks of it, it’s going to be one of the more interesting music documentaries produced in the past couple years. Check out the trailer below; even though it’s only a minute long, I guarantee you it’s going to get you excited for this documentary and what it has in store for us.

Favela On Blast will be available on DVD July 20, and exclusively available to stream on Pitchfork TV starting July 9.

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M.I.A., “Bucky Done Gun” (from Arular, 2005). One of the first mainstream records to utilize a baile funk sample.

Free Music: Downtown Music Sampler

Photo: Downtown Music

Everybody likes free stuff. And not just free in the “I don’t want it, but it’s free, so I’ll take it” sense. Not in ‘the guy across the street trying to flog an orange Bible on you with such desperation you’d think it was the latest Lil Wayne album’ kind of way. You actually need this. You actually want it. Ladies and gentlemen, it’s the 2010 Downtown Records music sampler.

Now, usually whenever I get a freebie email like this I immediately click delete, but somehow I accidentally opened this one and I’m really glad I did. I glanced at the roster of artists featured on the sampler and I could not believe how stacked it was. I totally forgot how many great artists Downtown Music have under their wing.

So here’s a brief review of two tracks on the sampler.

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Scissor Sisters, “Invisible Light”

Now I’ve never really been into the Scissor Sisters’ whole glam-rock thing. Yeah, “Laura” and their cover of “Comfortably Numb” are solid, but they’ve always seemed to be on the wrong side of kitsch for me. All of that aside though, this track is great. The pulsating synths throughout the song worm their way into your brain until you’re completely riveted. It builds and builds, layering Jake Shears’ distinct falsetto upon keyboard riffs and light-year-esque effects, until you’re hit with an interlude by Sir Ian McKellen. Exactly. Then around the 5:05 mark, all hell breaks loose and it turns into a full-blown electronic symphony. The track is enough of a departure from their usual sound — it’s brilliant, but it’s toned down a bit from the ‘in your face’ stuff they’re known for. But most importantly, it’s toned down enough for you to fully appreciate its quiet genius. The track was produced by Stuart Price, who also produced their entire upcoming album Night Work (out June 28). Even if you’re not into the Scissor Sisters, I’d give this a shot – I’m not really a fan at all but this track is undeniably exceptional.

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Rusko featuring Amber Coffman, “Hold On (Sub Focus Remix)”

The dubstep ‘man of the moment’, Rusko, has taken both his career and the genre to levels unheard of before. His album, OMG!– still can’t believe they actually pressed it with that title– was just released stateside on Mad Decent, and he has the honor of being the first dubstep musician to get a play on US radio. I actually talked about him for a second in my first blog post. Anyway, this track has been knocking around for a bit, but for some reason, every time I go back to it I feel no real connection. First of all, he’s gone in and replaced the vocals from the far superior original that features Ben Westbeech (I guess it got deleted from YouTube, but this remix is alright.) Secondly, this Sub Focus remix is all over the place. Everything Rusko comes out with nowadays feels so…plastic. It’s like these producers are in competition with each other just trying to make as much ruckus as humanly possible. But the result is nasty in all the wrong ways. It sounds so tinny, and it just makes you wonder what the purpose of this song could be. Where is it going? Of course, it might get a couple heads bobbing, but for replay value, it holds little to none.

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The sampler also includes great tracks from Cold War Kids, Mos Def & Talib Kweli, The Like, Miike Snow, and Fyfe Dangerfield (of the Guillemots).

You can download it right here in exchange for the usual stuff; a Facebook status, a Tweet, or your email address. You get to decide…how sweet of them. But this really is one of the better samplers I’ve come across; it features both new and mainstream acts to give you an accurate feel for what they offer, and they’re giving you a nice mix of singles and album cuts. Win-win. Try it.

Website: Downtown Music

Track: Mark Ronson ft. Ghostface Killah – Lose It (In The End)

Mark Ronson is back. No one can deny that this man is a master in crafting fantastic tunes. Heck, he even has a ‘Producer of the Year’ Grammy under his belt. His last album, “Version”, a set of jazz- and funk-driven covers, made sufficient waves overseas to send him up into the ranks with the most elite producers. For me, the album was more hit-and-miss; some of it struck me immediately as filler, but when the stuff was good, it was glorious. Ronson introduced most of us to Daniel Merriweather, who crooned his way through The Smiths’ “Stop Me”; Lily Allen’s take on the Kaiser Chiefs’ “Oh My God” has stood the test of time and still finds its way onto my iTunes playlists; and Amy Winehouse’s feature on “Valerie” became one of the biggest Euro hits of 2007.

All the steps to set one up for a great follow-up, right? Definitely. But for some reason, when I found out Ronson was back in the studio I approached it with a bit of skepticism. His standard of work is superb and his output since “Version” has been nothing short of great, so I knew it would be easy for him to further himself with this next album. But his signature sound has become weary over the past couple years. He brought the retro, big band brass sound back into public consciousness in 2006, most notably through his work with Amy Winehouse. But after about 2 years of the trend getting overdone, people were through with the doo-wop. Things just needed a bit of a spring clean, if you will.

So as a taster from the forthcoming album, Ronson premiered a cut on his East Village Radio show last Friday. The track, “Lose It (In The End)”, marks a reunion with his partner-in-crime Ghostface Killah, whose most significant appearance on a Ronson track was on 2003’s “Ooh Wee”, which is still a grade-A party smash. The track successfully splices together a dusty Ronson instrumental with a swift drum kick and chopped-up vocals, which have successfuly freshened things up a bit. And for the first time ever, Ronson takes his turn behind the microphone; the man doesn’t have soul, but the hook’s rawness is what attracts. Thankfully, he didn’t turn to the deadly autotune to mask his inadequacy, so I suppose it’s authentic in that sense as well. For me, this track is exactly what I needed to gain more faith in Ronson’s next offering. It appears he’s appropriately advanced his sound to the next level, and it looks like album is shaping up to be perfectly ripe for the picking.

Mark Ronson’s ‘Authentic Shit’ radio show airs Friday nights on East Village Radio. Great for podcasts.

The new LP, “Record Collection”, will be out in September.

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Let’s rewind the clocks for a sec, yeah? Legendary track.

And here’s the newbie, Mark Ronson ft. Ghostface Killah – Lose It (In The End). Radio rip.

Wordle: Most Popular Artists according to iTunes

– To view a larger version, click here.

For my interactive feature, I chose to do a Wordle on the most popular artists featured on the top 100 chart of ‘the holy grail’, iTunes. The more songs an artist has on the top 100, the larger their name will appear. I think the interesting thing that this visualization accomplishes is that it shows how monotonous popular music has become. There are probably no more than 70 artists listed in the wordle out of 100 songs. Many artists have 2 or more songs on the chart, so there is very little variation. If you want to go even deeper, most of the top artists you see up there share the same producers, so the songs sound the same even when they’re not by the same person. Sure, you hear everyone complaining about the radio stations playing the same songs over and over again — but you look at this and you see that there is a reason they’re doing that…because it’s what people are buying. This is by no means an accurate representation of the music that the whole of America is listening to, as the main demographic of iTunes is teenagers. Their numbers drastically drop off when it comes to college students and the 18-34 age group, which together are a huge chunk of the music-listening public. But I thought it was very interesting as a non-regular iTunes user to see what kind of music people are consuming, and this visualization perfectly displays that. People are completely content with more of the same, and while change is desired, it is hardly eaten up.

Upcoming: M.I.A., Big Boi

One quick glance at this summer’s release schedule and you immediately realize one thing: ‘tis the season of the comeback. While 2010 has been treating us with tons of great new musicians, many huge artists are stepping back into the limelight to deliver their latest works. Among the stacked list are artists such as the Chemical Brothers, Ratatat, Eminem, Scissor Sisters, and N.E.R.D. Today, I am going to profile M.I.A. and Big Boi, two artists I admire for both their individuality and creativity.

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M.I.A.

M.I.A.’s unique take on musicianship, performance art, and social perspective has made her one of the most captivating artists to follow. Unfortunately, to the general public she’s still known as “that one chick who sings ‘Paper Planes,’” a US No. 4 hit back in 2008. After scoring her first mainstream breakthrough record, ardent followers and casual fans alike have been waiting patiently to see what she’ll come up with next. Having such a high-profile song catapult you from underground queen into the spotlight must carry with it an extraordinary pressure for your next move. However, it appears that that pressure has turned into creative energy for Maya, who has spent the past year and a half running between the festival circuit and the recording studio. And in true M.I.A. fashion, she has failed to disappoint us with her latest output. Late last month, a new track called “Born Free”, a raucous, punk-rock romp, leaked onto the internet. It was accompanied by the overtly controversial 9-minute, Romain Gavras-directed clip which depicted the rounding up of red-haired men and the eventual murdering of them. Sure, the video was somewhat unnecessary, but at the same time it was exactly what M.I.A. needed; something to stir controversy, to send a message, and to help her stake her flag in this year’s pop music landscape. “Born Free” has been quietly followed by the official first single off the album, titled “XXXO”, which portrays M.I.A. in a more electropop-flavored environment save for the incredible beat. It’s fantastic, to put it simply, and it’s embedded below for your listening pleasure.

Her new album, titled /\/\/\Y/\ is due to be released July 13, and, according to Sony Music Japan, features productions by Blaqstarr, Diplo, Rusko, Switch & Derek E. Miller of Sleigh Bells. Looks like a dream come true if I’ve ever seen one. You’ll be able to find out more information about the album at her official website.

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Big Boi

After a long string of leaked tracks and hype singles, the chiller half of OutKast is finally ready to drop his first solo album. For this record entitled “Sir Luscious Leftfoot: The Son of Chico Dusty”, Big Boi has enlisted the likes of Scott Storch, DJ Toomp, and Boy-1da to supply him with the best possible beats for his solo outing. Although he has previously proved himself as a more-than-talented rapper on his own, he is often seen by some as the Robin to Andre 3000’s Batman. He and 3000 went their separate ways on 2003’s legendary “Speakerboxxx/The Love Below”, but this album will cement Big Boi’s status as a certified solo rapper by showcasing his ridiculously smooth flow. If the tracks we’ve heard so far are anything to go by, this album is set to be a genuine banger. The latest of the tracks, “Shutterbugg”, has been making its way around the blogosphere for the past month or so, and it has yet to get remotely tired. Give it a listen below.

After years and years of hard waiting, it feels surreal to know that this album is finally coming to fruition, and I can hardly wait to be holding a copy of the album of the summer in my hands.

Sir Luscious Leftfoot: The Son of Chico Dusty will be in shops July 6. You can check out his MySpace to keep up with all the latest developments. If you want a laugh, check out his recent interview on Martha Stewart’s daytime cooking show; you’ll see her compliment his ‘bling’, while he nicknames her Martha Macaroni. Television gold. Check it out at Pitchfork.

Popular California Music Festivals

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The Rebirth of the Music Video

VEVO, one of the largest music video streaming sites

With new artists pushing the envelope and reintroducing the art of the music video to the public, it seems that the age of lackluster videos is coming to an end. For years now, record labels have denied large sums to artists for their videos because, in their eyes, they’re not the most lucrative promotional tool out there.

But a savior came in the form of Lady Gaga’s ‘Bad Romance’, a creative masterpiece of a video that has forever raised her profile to a household name. The video has become the most viewed video ever on YouTube, amassing over 195 million views since its release in late November. However, the video has had much more of an impact on the industry than just an immediate surge in Lady Gaga’s record sales. It has awakened label execs and shown them that with just a little bit of dough, a top-notch video can take an artist much further than ever before. It has also forced other artists to step up their game, as mediocre videos will just not do anymore. An artist must grab their audience immediately as the video starts, as the viewer can easily click out of the YouTube window and watch something more visually appealing.

It’s been an interesting year or so watching artists attempt to make their videos more creative and out-there, with some tackling the challenge head-on, while others fail miserably. In the end, we’ve been served one of the best selections of music videos in years. But one thing musicians need to keep in mind is that a music video is about art; some are taking this newfound approach to the art and turning it into a celebration of egoism and eccentricity. It’s funny watching female popstars trying to make their wardrobe more outlandish to keep up with the current themes, grabbing their nearest frying pan and molding it into some sort of headpiece just to look ‘fashionable’. It’s all ridiculous, but hey. Underground and independent artists haven’t let mainstream mindsets get to their heads, and, for the most part, have continued their consistent output of excellent creative material.

All of this is testament to the fact that artists must stay true to themselves; they should not succumb to the fads circling society but instead draw inspiration from the world surrounding them to create something innovative and exciting. Here are a couple of my favorite music videos that have transcended the traditional meaning of ‘the music video’ and turned it into something inventive, even mind-blowing.

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Gnarls Barkley, Who’s Gonna Save My Soul? (2008)

This video perfectly captures the heart-wrenching essence of the song. The special effects are fantastic as well. Directed by Chris Milk.

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The Chemical Brothers, Star Guitar (2002)

For the first couple seconds, you might wonder what’s so great about this video. The view out a train window…awesome. And then it hits you. Pure genius hits you. One of my favorite songs as well. Directed by Michael Gondry — his body of work is one of the most impressive out there, including The White Stripes’ “Fell In Love With A Girl” and Kylie Minogue’s “Come Into My World”.

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Justice, D.A.N.C.E. (2007)

Although this video has become somewhat of a cliché due to its frequent appearances on ‘best music videos ever’ lists, it’s on there for a reason. You’ve probably even seen someone on the street sporting one of the shirts from the video. Even so, it really is one of the best videos ever; the animation is straight up ingenious. Directed by So-Me and Jonas & François, who have also directed Justice follow-up “DVNO”, Kanye West’s “Good Life”, and Jamaica’s “I Think I Like U 2″ which has featured previously on this blog.

A Guide to Summer 2010′s Festivals: Part Two

Yes, I know it’s been tough but the wait is officially over, guys — part 2 of my summer festival preview is here. Today I chose to profile one of my favorite festivals coming to you all the way from Denmark, and also a fairly new festival that was created by one of my favorite music websites. Hope you like.

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The Green Wheel at Roskilde. Photo: Stig Nygaard, flickr.

Roskilde Festival

Where: Roskilde, Denmark

When: July 1-4

Price: $297 for a 4-day pass (1675 kroner)

The Roskilde Festival has been one of the largest music festivals in Europe since its conception in 1971, and has effortlessly maintained its relevance through the years by offering cutting-edge performances from artists from all ends of the spectrum. The festival is a consciously international affair that presents artists from all around the globe, but also sticks to its roots by devoting a large part of its lineup to native Scandinavian performers. It also nurtures new talent by setting up two stages for the sole purpose of showcasing future stars. Like most things Scandinavian, Roskilde is extremely clean and environmentally friendly. In 1994, the festival introduced an intensive recycling system, and last year, 97% of all beverage cups distributed at the festival were returned to the deposit points. Impressive stuff.

If you want to learn more about Roskilde and want to try to navigate through the cryptic Danish website, check it out right here. (If you want to cheat, there’s a ‘change language’ button at the top.) But for real, Roskilde is one of the coolest festivals on the map today, and even though it’s all the way in Denmark, I recommend you check out some of the live feeds which will be available online during the event.

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Big Boi. Photo: Duncan Kinney, flickr.

Pitchfork Music Festival

Where: Union Park, Chicago

When: July 16-18

Price: $40 per day (awesome), tickets are on sale now.

What happens when one of the best music sites on the web and a music festival had a baby? You’re looking at it right now, readers. Pitchfork is one of the newest kids on the festival block, but after only 5 short years and widespread acclaim, it’s already making its way up the ranks to join the big guns. The fact that this year’s 3-day passes sold out within a week is evidence enough. The lineup typically keeps with Pitchfork’s (the website) indie fodder, but this year’s list is refreshingly varied. Headliners come in the form of Modest Mouse, LCD Soundsystem, and Pavement, while slots are also confirmed from Swedish pop queen Robyn, hip-hop deity Big Boi (pictured), and underground rap legend El-P.

For more information on the festival, you can check out the website right here. And if you haven’t before, check out the main Pitchfork website and kill some time; it’s one of the best resources for music news and the latest releases on the net today.

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I hope this preview of this year’s festivals has gotten you excited about what’s to come, so get out there, take advantage of the season, and enjoy some good live music!