Eric Turner’s Youtube channel mentions Turner’s “stadium sound“, and that’s a rather accurate description. I’ve had this song on repeat ever since it was released a short while ago, and it’s stadium pop style is a big reason for that, making for an uplifting and engaging listen that feels suited to any listening environment.
Eric’s been involved in some big tracks with both artists in the past, as Indi’s already covered in the audio review, and their inclusion makes for a big duo of co-signs. I’m a fan of Lupe’s verse on this, with his speed and timing sliding in nicely with the production, whilst Tinie’s contribution is surprisingly enjoyable, alongside the huge Eric Turner vocals which are an excellent listen that really anchor the track.
The video has a likeable spray paint effect throughout, as the respective performers are visualised in an exciting, perpetually-moving art style that adds an unpredictability and uniqueness to the visual, in a relatively simple manner. Decent watch that brings the audio to life.
Bad Girls premieres exclusively on Noisey, VICE’s new music channel on YouTube. Noisey will offer music fans the most extensive slate of original online music programming to date.
It’s almost frightening how a video can entirely alter your perspective on a song, and in one of the biggest turnarounds in music history, I can say that my opinion on M.I.A.’s latest single has improved considerably after this effort. Even the best are wiling to have their views challenged!
The Morroco setting for the video is perfect for the Eastern flavour in the production, and really brings out its finer points which went missing amongst the disappointing audio, whilst the general level of energy, excitement (those sideways cars are ridiculous!) and intensity of the scenes adds the depth that the track desperately needed. The fusion of Morrocan culture with M.I.A.’s own leftfield style comes off well here, and whilst the argument can be made that the easily-digestable nature of the video is somewhat ‘crowd-friendly’, overly-complicated videos tend to be frustrating for everyone so this works for me. Whilst I might not give the audio too many spins, I’ll certainly give this video a few more watches.
The news that these two were collaborating on an EP together still hasn’t sunk in yet for me; Yelawolf is one of my favourite emcees at the moment! Not sure how this came about, but I’m sure these two will deliver the goods.
On the left here you can check out the trailer for their upcoming EP, The Slumdon Bridge, which features some behind the scenes footage of them working together (always refreshing to see!). The track being played in the video is different to the one that was released (click here to get the one they did let loose), and it has a more self-reflective vibe to it, which is precisely what I like. No release date for the EP as of yet, but it’s definitely one I’m looking forward to.
After that NY Times article, I must admit it’s quite difficult to view M.I.A. in that same light anymore, and whilst I’m sure the hipster crowd won’t waver in their support, a lot of her rebellious, ‘all about the people’ aura has worn off slightly for me.
With that perspective, this watered-down offering from her upcoming album seems to fall on the wrong side of the alt-cool/pretentious borderline that her style treads. Whilst the production is decent here, it’s very pop by its nature and hence the whole track (much like XXXO) has a ‘paint by numbers’ structure that she’s been mostly removed from throughout her career. As a result, the vocal and lyrical work reduces her ‘cool swagger’ to a seemingly contrived attempt at being different. I’ll probably not be giving this one too many plays.
MeLo-X is a name you often come across (mostly in association with Mickey Factz and Jesse Boykins III), and you probably have a few of his songs and/or remixes but have never really quite known who he is. I certainly fall into that category, so hopefully this track from his upcoming Fewture album will help us all get more familiar.
I’ll not lie here: it was the title that made me initially give this a go, but the quality of the track is what’s kept me repeating it over the last 24 hours. Genre-wise, it’s mostly grounded in a chillout electronic style, with light lashings of other genres mixed in, and Melo proves himself as an excellent producer of progressive, ambient instrumental music full of intrigue and atmosphere at every turn. Opening with soft electronic samples and airy synths, the track slowly reveals itself with more lively elements thrown into the mix, with the final third of the track having a real epic film score feel about it, and credit goes to mellow for producing a track with such a wonderful depth of layers. An unmissable slice of instrumental excellence.
A one-off track with these two would be enough of a surprise, but when accompanied by the news they’re working on a full EP together, the level of surprise escalates quite considerably! Some are reporting the rest of the EP isn’t with Yela-as far as I’m aware that’s not the case, and this is from an upcoming Ed/Yela free EP, Slumdon Bridge.
The track is a good all-rounder, with Ed once again utilising his rap-esque delivery, blending his naturally smooth voice with a speedy delivery that both works in tandem with and in contrast to Yela’s own pacey, but more shrill style. The production has a magnetising minimalism, made up mostly of a light percussion and soft synth, and the combination works to spotlight the lyrical work of both artists. Worth a listen for sure.
Eric Turner’s worked with both Tinie Tempah and Lupe Fiasco on separate tracks in the past, so it’s only natural these three come together for a big collaboration (keeping with the theme of transatlantic-ism!).
If you’ve heard any of Eric Turner’s collabos with urban artists from both sides of the Atlantic, then you’ll know what to expect: Very addictive vocals from Eric with a banger of a beat to match. Lupe and Tinie both come through with decent verses, but would it be fair to say that Tinie’s verse is the better of the two? These are controversial times we live in. Download below.
It still confuses me why Theophilus isn’t a mainstream favourite already. He’s signed to a major, has a very diverse, mainstream-friendly sound, is a little eclectic with his fashion, and generally has a good knack of making catchy, easy-to-digest music.
This one is from the upcoming Lovers Holiday II project, and combines an upbeat core with a laidback sensibility that makes for a very replayable alternative/R&B/hip-hop hybrid. Thick and bassy electro synths create a thumping backdrop, whilst the soft vocal mellows things slightly, and an ever-changing percussion keeps the track a little unpredictable. The combination is effective, and the progressive nature underpinning the whole thing gives the track a feelgood vibe that will find favour with many mainstream fans. A very good hybrid effort from an underrated talent.
A rare blast of official material from Frank, accompanied by the statement that “i just listened to this a few times for myself. figured maybe some else needed to hear it. it’s called ‘4 tears’.”
It’s only a short effort at just under 2 minutes but is full of the originality and verve that makes Frank’s tracks so irresistably unique. Of course, that’s largely down to his superb command over melodies, and here he injects a raw, emotional style into the simple, open lyricism that makes for a passionate blend, without ever straying far from his naturally laidback nature. An enjoyable burst of music, and Frank Ocean fans will love this.
Much like its predecessors, the final part of The Weeknd’s trilogy arrives completely unexpectedly to close off what’s been a huge year for the singer.
I was a little disappointed with Thursday, and whilst there were a couple of excellent tracks, it lacked the cohesiveness that made House of Balloons such a great listen. Early signs suggest Echoes is an improvement in that sense, and hopefully his recent exposure to pastures new by featuring on one of the year’s best selling albums will see further evolution stylistically. With the trilogy now closed off, it’s fair to assume he’ll now be focusing on his official debut album, with which I’m sure he’ll experience much success in 2012. For now, grab Echoes of Silence below.
I’m glad it does, as Gambino fan Jason Yang takes the time out to put his to great use with a fantastic cover of Heartbeat. From the offset, it’s clear we’re in for an excellent treat as the soft vocals of the intro are covered smoothly by the violin work, before the cover really explodes into life as the original does. The first ‘verse’ has a couple of moments where the string work goes ever so slightly offbeat, but Yang recovers it instantly and brings his best once again on the hook.
A very sharp, original take on Heartbeat and certainly worth a watch for fans (and really, who isn’t?) of the original. Read a review of Childish Gambino’s Camp here, stream the album here, and buy it here.
Along with Frank Ocean, The Internet (at this stage) looks like the next entity to emerge from OFWGKTA with some genuine longevity about them. Their music boasts a much wider, more mature and probabaly more lucrative appeal than the violent Odd Future raps, and we’re now treated to a trailer for their upcoming Purple Naked Ladies album, set to be released on 20th December.
One of my favourite elements about The Internet is Matt Martian’s continuation of the atmospheric, slightly trippy style he utilised heavily on The Jet Age of Tomorrow’s Journey to the 5th Echelon, and it certainly lends itself to the soft, soulful vocals of Syd the Kyd. This trailer captures both factors well, opening with a lovely ambience, and closing with mellow yet vibrant vocals that synergise excellently with the production. Very excited for this album, and hopefully it matches the quality of their previous two releases.
My love of ‘winter music’ has been far from secret here on OTU, and several discussions with music fans of various tastes have led me to believe many OTU readers share that appreciation.
We’re all about satisfying the fans, so welcome to our new 5-part feature. Each edition features a selection of tracks that are taior made for the dark winter period, and in keeping with OTU’s diversity code, expect some old tracks, some modern tracks, with a vast range of genres represented (in no particular order either; for example, Vol. 1 doesn’t necessarily have all of the best tracks!)
Just to really drive those frosty vibes home, we’ll even provide you with fresh, original artwork for each ‘EP’ for you to download at your pleasure and finish off those playlists. Kind aren’t we? Without further ado, click below for 5 tracks to get your winter started. → Continue Reading OTU Presents The Winter EP: Volume 1
Difficult to believe considering his popularity, but these are the first official visuals from The Weeknd, aptly set to the opening track on his first mixtape. He’s opted to debut in style with a mini-movie, and though this may be unpopular with his new mainstream fans, I suspect the earlier followers (who I’m assuming to be a little more artsy) may enjoy it.
The video is undoubtedly a little bizarre, but patience and focused viewing reveals it to be a good visualisation of the dark, ethereal nature of the audio. The video centres around the The Weeknd and a female who once shared a ‘world’, with the subsequent seperation causing The Weeknd’s world to to crumble. The female then steals his heart and unsuccessfully attempts to crush it, ending with her world then beginning to crumble, and a satisfying bit of closure as he finally ‘lets go’.
The visual effects used throughout are excellent, with the 2D ‘Jankyvision’ creating a mixture of realism and animation that adds surrealness to the apocalyptic scenes, whilst the space setting adds a real sense of importance and atmosphere, and the dark colour palette enhances the unsettling vibe around certain scenes. The often-subtle pointers toward the lyrics of the song are a nice touch, infusing a touch of regularity to counter-balance the unusual goings on throughout. One that needs to be viewed properly for full effect, and an enjoyable watch once you’ve done so. Grab this track on his House of Balloons mixtape here.
One of my favourite songs from their thoroughly-excellent Neighborhoods album, and certainly one of the more mainstream-ready tracks.
The video is comprised of live show and backstage footage, much like the last video, and though it’s disappointing to not have a ‘real’ video, there’s no doubt that this still captures the essence of the track. Full of action and energy, there’s plenty of performance shots alongside the customary funny moments (there’s lots of crotch thrusting), packed around the vibrancy of the live crowds. Unfortunately (and annoyingly), they’ve not made it available for embedding, so you’ll have to click below and head over to get182.com to watch the clip.
Blink-182-Wishing Well Video
It’s been a very long time coming, but finally J*Davey have come through with their first full album, and have (sort of) made it available for free. To elaborate, all you need to do is buy The Liner Notes digital booklet from the below link and the album comes for free: considering the grand total is $2.99, it’s a very small price to pay for music from one of the most diverse, genre-bending duos in the music game.
There are a couple of tracks that mildly dedicated followers will be familiar with, including the excellent Mama’s Back, the recent duo of Whatchalookin@ and Kill 4 Fun, and a couple of others. I’ve got no doubts that there will be a few more gems on this album, and I’m thoroughly excited to give it a go. Grab it for yourself below.
Sampling The Roots’ excellent A Piece of Light interlude from their How I Got Over album, Blue grabs hold of the soft, soulful production to let loose his first slice of solo material, and does a solid job throughout. A barrage of honest raps ensues, and whilst inevitably many will search for any shots or references to his former bandmates, credit should be given to some good introspection and insight, solid wordplay and a steady, consistent flow. The gentle production contrasts nicely with the raps, and the melodic vocals towards the end add a nice flash of diversity to the track, making this an easy listen that will slide onto many playlists.
Several people have recommended this song to me today, so it only seemed right to give it a listen and see what all the fuss was about. Frankly, I’m not really buying into the hype.
It’s not a bad song by any means, but truthfully I’m struggling to distinguish the sound from the myriad other hipster ‘indie-folk’ favourites doing the rounds, and ultimately it sounds like yet another band singing high notes in a bittersweet song. Again, that doesn’t make it a bad song as that’s generally a pretty engaging combination by all accounts, and credit goes to the instrumentation which has a powerful progression that infuses a little energy and intensity to the track, blending well with the passionate vocals.
The video is simple and effective too, having a stripped back yet vibrant style that puts lots of emphasis on organic elements, with various eyes, nudity and so forth shown. Worth a listen for the more ardent alternative fans, but those who just loosely flirt with the genre won’t find much to shout about here.
Benji and Joel Madden of Good Charlotte fame appear to be branching out and have enlisted the services of many upcoming and established hip-hop acts for a mixtape that could end up being a half-decent listen, assuming the Maddens don’t start rapping.
It’s difficult for anyone to claim to be a true Good Charlotte fan with a straight face, but they’ve occassionally shown flashes of quality, with The River in particular being an excellent song. It is on the quality of that track I hold hope that the project might be decent, and features from the likes of The Cool Kids, Wiz Khalifa, Kreayshawn, Casey Veggies and many more are also encouraging signs that this could be worth a listen. The 12-track tape is available to both stream and download for free below.
A welcome change of pace from the hip-hop domination of the last week!
Flow Machines are an upcoming group from Manchester who have recieved plenty of critical acclaim for past remix works, and are now set to break out on their own with this fusion of electronic, pop, alternative and dance into one cohesive sound.
The synth work really anchors this track, and constantly shifts the dynamic of the song into the various genres the group looks to incorporate, creating an almost freeform track that has a very unique style and appeal. Backed by additional melodies and a soft percussion, the production is an atmospheric listen that intertwines with the lonely, isolated vocals for a mellow, easygoing track that will quietly rack up a few plays for many. The video is a solid watch too, progressively incorporating more dramatic light and action to match the pacier style of the final third.
I’m absolutely obsessed with Florence Welch – in fact I think my love for Florence + the Machine is 76% percent about the music and 24% about her, and I challenge anyone not to have loved Lungs. So imagine my joy when I finally got my hands on Ceremonials, the follow-up album from this flame haired Amazonian (she’s a very impressive 6ft).
Florence has an unbridled talent that the vast majority of UK female ‘pop’ artists can only dream about, but she had some MASSIVE shoes to fill after Lungs. Ceremonials is certainly a lot ‘bigger’ than its predecessor – most of Lungs was recorded in a series of obscure locations, such as an empty swimming baths and a Synagogue, and I genuinely think that lent to the sound.
Ceremonials doesn’t feel as personal to the listener as their previous album – I’m Not Calling You a Liar felt like it was being sung in to your ear, and My Boy Builds Coffins was haunting.
Compared to these tracks, most of the songs on Ceremonials feel like Florence has been told to just ‘let go’. Gone are the whispered promises of her previous tracks – Florence means business and she’s giving it everything she’s got.
This is certainly not to say that I don’t like Ceremonials. I actually love it – it’s just different. Tracks to watch out for are Shake It Out, What The Water Gave Me, and Leave My Body – all are fantastic and totally encapsulate what this group are all about. I genuinely think that Shake It Out is possibly the best song that they have ever released. Yes, better than Rabbit Heart.
If anyone can deliver the ceremony and melodrama required to pull off these big, turbulent songs it’s Florence. I don’t think there’s any stopping this band, and I’ll be whipping this album out at every available opportunity over the coming months.
The first official video from their upcoming debut album, New Designer Drug, and we’re treated to that wonderfully-diverse J*Davey sound that’s just so difficult to pin down.
Whatchalookin@ opens in an atmospheric, harmonic style that evolves into an electronic soul track, with smooth vocals from Jack accompanied by sharp synths, hints of edgy, alternative elements and a steady percussion. The outcome is a well-rounded track that’s anchored by a catchy hook, and also a track that contrasts excellently with the more experimental Kill 4 Fun. It’s one that will throw a lot of people off with dominating synth and electronic pulses, whilst the free-form nature of the vocals adds further anarchy. It’s a track that matches the rebelliousness of its title, and whilst it isn’t as immediately listenable as Whatchalookin@, the video for it exhibits Jack’s charisma a little more and makes for more light-hearted viewing.
Looking forward to that debut album, and hopefully this is the start of more frequent material.
Following on from the superb DJ Premier and Berklee Symphony Orchestra track from a few days ago, the second track from the ReGeneration concept brings together a fantastic range of artists to infuse the wonderful New Orleans jazz style with a little hip-hop and soul.
Badu sounds as interested as I’ve heard her in a long time, as she comes through with a phenomenally addictive performance from start to finish, with vocals full of vibrancy and bounce that spans the range of genres to anchor them together in a cohesively funky sound. Zigaboo is relentless on the drums as he drives the track along, whilst Trombone Shorty provides energetic bursts of his horn that blend with the instrumentation brought by the Dap Kings to create a lovely feelgood vibe, with the overall combination proving a genuinely exceptional backdrop to Erykah’s vocals.
Another absolutely fantastic track from the ReGeneration project, and I hope this inspires more to try these styles out. In a music scene increasingly devoid of true character and worth to the music, the passion and purity of the music here makes for a brilliantly refreshing listen.
Since our inception in 2009, it’s been no secret that OTU’s favourite band were DC quartet The Five One. An eclectic band of diverse influences, they were a great embodiment of the OTU mentality and it’s a real shame to announce they are a four-piece no longer.
However, from the ashes of bad news rises RDGLDGRN (Red, Gold & Green), intent on continuing the band’s style and success with the release of their wonderfully-titled single. The track kicks off with an instantly-memorable guitar riff, followed by crashing percussion and melodic work from Green with a singing/rapping hybrid, the overall result being a heavier punk influence than The Five One’s material, without sacrificing the hip-hop sensibility. Regardless of influence, the track boasts energy and enthusiasm, all grounded in bittersweet lyricism for a combination likely to win over those disappointed by the aforementioned breakup.
The video involves ladies having a little fun playing, singing and dancing along to the audio, interspersed with performance and personality shots of the band for a solid video. Much more to come soon, and let’s see how this new project develops. Grab the track for free here.
Yet another show of admirable diversity from Patrick Stump, as he stops by Billboard to cover Big Boi’s excellent Shutterbugg.
It’s a good take on the track, paying good homage to the fast-paced effort by managing to keep up the lively pace of the song, but with enough originality to make it quite distinguishable in its own right. Admittedly, the passionate vocals start to grate on you after hearing the same delivery style from 2/3 minutes, though it’s certainly better to hear too much of a good vocal rather than listening to someone stumble their way through, and credit needs to be given for managing to deliver the vocals at such a frenetic pace.
Patrick’s Soul Punk album was released this week, and hopefully it cements him as one of the leading talents in the pop/alternative world. Grab it here, or go here to watch the lead single.
When it comes to listening to albums, it often takes me a while due to a rather heavy backlog. On getting around to Ed’s debut LP last week, this was the first track I played and I’ve not listened to the rest of the album; this was so utterly outstanding, I’ve not stopped playing it since. Soft guitar melodies and wonderful vocals from Ed blend together exceptionally, each complimenting the other: The relaxing guitar strums enhance the soothing yet emotional vocal work, whilst the songwriting capitalises on the wistful nature of the production with an emotional, memorable set of lyrics. It’s a spectacular piece of alternative music by virtue of being so simple.
Fellow famous ginger Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley) plays the lead role in the video, filling in for Ed Sheeran in his regular daily routine of couch surfing, building Lego masterpieces, performing for hordes of fans and more, mirroring the audio by virtue of being such a simple concept. The video takes a darker twist halfway through as Rupert’s positive demeanour takes a negative turn, followed by the revelation that he’s in fact an obsessive follower of Ed’s, with the previous scenes of the video shown in a new perspective (both physically and metaphorically), making for a thoroughly excellent plot twist. The superb misdirection is held together by some excellent acting, and blends with the thoughtful audio for an incredibly engaging audio-visual experience. Absolutely worth a watch, and one of the better videos in recent months. Grab the audio on Ed’s album now.
Jamie xx and Quayola recently brought their creative vision to life, live in Shoreditch. Using two 15-metre HD screens, Quayola and his team, Abstract Birds, created live sound visualisations of Jamie xx’s set using their bespoke Partitura software.
A fantastic bit of technology here, and probably the closest thing I’ve ever seen to simulated synesthesia: you almost see the sounds come to life, as the visualisations have a very anthropomorphic quality in their movements and pulsations. It’s essentially the basic concept of a visualiser, but amplified via some very abstract thinking, and of course is aided by an excellent instrumental from the talented Jamie xx. Blending together soft bass hums, airy synths and a mixture of electronic sounds, Jamie creates a mellow and intricate production that only has one flaw: it’s far too short. Hopefully an extended version surfaces soon, but for now enjoy this unique audio-visual.
From a musical perspective, it has to be said that winter is the best season. Ambient, atmospheric music really comes into its own during the dark, cold months and it’s always a perfect synergy of environment and audio.
Odd Future’s latest collective arrived a week ago with a mellow effort that had a wonderful ethereal quality, and we’re now treated to another R&B/alternative/soul crossover. The production blends sharp percussion with soft synths and samples, making for an atmospheric yet lively backdrop, whilst Syd flexes her sultry vocals, with a soft, enchanting delivery that works the production well. Newcomer Tay Walker brings forth some good vocals of his own, crooning in a real classic R&B style that adds some diversity and contrasts nicely with Syd’s work. A fantastic effort that justifies the love for winter music.
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