Eryn Allen Kane

You know how every once in awhile you stumble across a rare talent that you CAN'T HELP but to fall in love with instantly...... Well Eryn Allen Kane has won my heart and soul!! And apparently I'm not the only one.  

I like to think that great minds think alike and for her to get high praises and artist validation from such an influential artist as PRINCE let's me know we're onto something here.  In an interview Eryn did with Essence she revealed that Prince is some what of a mentor to her now and that he has been following her work.  As a result of his appreciation for her artistry, they connected.  And he has continued to play a major role in her success.  They even did a collaborative project together called "Baltimore" to shed light on the recent events of police brutality and shootings.  But on a summer trip to Australia is where Eryn believes she connected with her passion for Music.  She realized she wasn't living up to her full potential and decided it was time to get to work.  

Her new EP is just a small dose of her amazing talents and songs she's written and composed herself over the years. Have a listen fo yo' selves. Lol.

WTF!!!

Missy is BACK!!! And I've been rockin to this video Faithfully!!! We can always count on her musical genius to inspire us, provide amazing artistic visuals, showcase new dance moves, premiere new styles and fashion, and just down right make us have a good time!!! She is a visionary in her own right and who better to collab with than Mr. Skateboard P himself!!! 2015 has been an awesome year for music and this is just another monumental moment to add to the roster. This video also has a special cameo appearances from one of Missy's artist "Sharaya J" (who y'all should also check out when you get a chance) dancing sensation "Phoenix Lil'Mini" (more features to come) and established french dancing phenom "Les Twins".  We love you Missy and we always Thank You for providing Good, Quality Music!!!

Missy Elliott's new single "WTF (Where They From)" ft. Pharrell Williams available now! Download: http://smarturl.it/WTFdownload Stream: http://smarturl.it/WTF_spotify Directed by: Dave Meyers & Missy Elliott Missy Elliott - "WTF (Where They From)" ft.

The Flatbush Effect

I live in between two extremes that usually never meet. Growing up in The Bronx meant that my childhood was spent waiting for a new DJ Clue tape to drop. I’d be bopping my head and singing along to DMX in my car seat as my dad drove me home from school. As I grew, my music taste did too. I experimented with weird things like Marilyn Manson and System Of A Down at a very young age. I loved the guitars and chaos and ran with that. So when an artist came along who merged those two VERY different worlds for me, I automatically worshipped them. Someone who was innovative enough to marry two cultures that live on the broadest ends of the music spectrum. That title belongs to rap group Flatbush Zombies.

They manage to break the mold of a genre. The group consists of Juice, Meech, and Eric Arc Elliot. Their sounds come out of Brooklyn, reppin' their hood hard by putting it right in their name. And if you’re born and raised in the rotten apple, your hood is your name. They have that 90’s feel that takes me back to that car seat thanks to their smooth beats and raw lyrics. Eric is responsible for a majority of their production. They don’t care about making club music or radio songs. Their art is focused on letting you know the struggle of growing up in the hood, being different, and not giving a fuck about it. And of course, drugs.

I truly give them credit for this new wave of psychedelic and horror trends flowing through hip hop lately. They’ve been having spooking beats and acid raps since the beginning of this decade. It’s now starting to catch on and drip into mainstream radio music, an example being Rihanna’s BBHMM beat. The real tipping point for me was when they sampled SOAD on their joint mixtape with The Underachievers.  It was like someone tapped me on the shoulder and said, “You’re not the only metal head in the hood kid, we got you covered”. Lines like “my radiator hiss like my Amy Whine vinyl” shake the soul. If you know the reference all too well, that hiss means another winter in your NYC apartment has begun. Intertwining the sleeping princess Amy is just the cherry on top. Their alliteration and ability to ride one beat all together is timeless. To be three kids who self produced all their own music to a power group touring Europe and shooting in Japan is amazing. To further prove their work ethic, they don’t belong to a major label. They are self-propelled and have a cult following. If you bump the Zombies it’s because you heavily bang with their movement.

The most beautiful thing is whom they bring together with their music. No fan looks alike. Some are hood, some are suburban. Some are goth, some are skaters, while all just love hip hop. All different shades of hands are in the air at their shows. And every single mouth is singing along from front to back. The chaos on stage and off is comparable to the madness at Oz fest. Crowd surfing, mosh pits, and stage diving galore. The beauty of it all is just what anyone who relates to these words needs. From wrestling to serial killer references, its like the weird kids finally have their three wise men that came bearing more than myrrh. 

F i l m S o u n d

So when I assigned myself the task to write a series of articles on ‘Film and Music’, I really neglected to think about how utterly VAST a topic that was, and what exactly my approach would be. Do I devote an entire piece to the history of silent film music moving into the first “talkies”? Do I write about why movie musicals never really connect to audiences? Perhaps those are still to come, but the idea behind this website is to celebrate the culture of music and it’s impact on society. Largely, the site is about collaboration, so it is with that in mind that I wanted start by reflecting on some of the most influential Director/Composer Relationships. This is not a ranked list, nor is it a Top 10 reasons ‘Avatar’ DIDN’T suck type format. Let’s leave that to the sites that have already mastered it. SO without further adieu, the previously mentioned partnerships:

Alfred Hitchcock and Bernard Herrmann:

You may not know Bernard Herrmann by name, but you’ve whistled that tune from “Kill Bill” or hummed the “Twilight Zone” theme. Everyone and their baby sister can shriek the string section of the Psycho Theme. It’s so ingrained in our culture it’s become the international symbol for knife-wielding-death. Try to imagine the shower scene without sound, a muted chase scene in “North by Northwest”.  The two are so married it’s nearly impossible. Hitchcock is renowned for his tempered suspense and often reeling revelations but, truly none of it would be possible without Herrmann’s orchestrations. They add the sense of urgency almost exclusively. As a point of interest, Herrmann demanded to have creative control, or he wouldn’t do the score. He would often visit Hitchcock’s sets to time the music to the scene, and in some cases he’d get such a grandiose idea he’d have Hitchcock trim or add to a scene’s length to suit the music. Largely Hitchcock allowed him the space to do this, but the two had a falling out in the early 70’s on the set of the film ‘Tom Curtain”. (Which I’ll admit I’d never heard of until researching this article) When Hitch tried to make his score more pop oriented to reflect the time Herrmann outright refused, but his longstanding contributions stand out as classics.

"Scene d’Amor” in which Stewart’s character has been chasing a woman he’s convinced he saw die. Could it be her? “What’s real and am I crazy?” The swelling romantic paranoia is completely due to Herrmann’s score.

John Williams and the Hollywood Blockbuster:

How do you even summarize genius? Whether it’s with Spielberg or Lucas, or anyone else, John Williams MAKES movies.  All it takes is two notes and you have a menacing shark. That’s what makes an icon. John Williams IS adventure. He IS romance. He IS suspense.  He’s a villain in Darth Vader. (*Note, John Williams is NOT your Father). He’s a reluctant hero in Indiana Jones. And lets not forget how effortlessly he captured the majesty (and terror) of dinosaurs. He’s the pulse of the action- each films beating heart. The man’s resume is too long (and obvious) to list, but he is perhaps the most influential artist mentioned in this article.  So without further adieu let’s just enjoy what is, in my opinion, his most perfect composition of heart and adventure- the climax of the film “E.T.”

 I mean…how much proof do you need?

Henry Mancini and Blake Edwards:

SO. There used to be this thing called lounge music... Sly. Chill. Sleek. Refreshing. The age of tiki torches and giant mixed drinks. Part Jazz-swing, part easy listening-all groove. It was everywhere, at every party from the mid-fifties to the late sixties. Cinematically speaking ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s’ is a prime example of style and culture meeting in harmony. This party had everything, so let’s play “How Many things can you Spot”. If the film is to be believed, every raging party should have a cat, horn-dog bleached blonde nerd, man with an eye-patch, a cigarette holder longer than Harry Potter’s wand, a racial-stereotype-of-a-neighbor character played by a hack comedian, a Zebra Skin rug, oh and tons and tons of sloshed people. A party so epic it gets broken up by the cops; even in 1961.

A scene I like to call “Not Since Gatsby”. 

Henry Mancini is the most accessible composer of this music in film. Some of his most recognizable work can be found in the Pink Panther films, The Peter Gunn theme, and the Soundtrack to Breakfast at Tiffany’s (including the more mellow toned “Moon River”). As a director, Edwards was a fan of the physical comedy found in silent films (as is evidenced by Peter Sellers’ comedic style in the Pink Panther films) so coupling that with Mancini’s light and breezy arrangements, proved so fruitful and effortless that they collaborated on 30 films.

Mark Mothersbaugh and Wes Anderson:

Mothersbaugh, who you may know from the group DEVO, or his accomplished career as a visual artist, made his scoring debut with the film ‘Revenge of the Nerds II: Nerds in Paradise’. Yes, I know. He IS a boss. While he and Anderson by no means work exclusively together, they collaborated on Anderson’s first four films. As every good hipster knows, each of Anderson’s film invites you into its own world with style and whimsical platitudes, thanks in large part to Mothersbaugh’s scoring. As much as I hate to use the word whimsical, I think they’d both embrace the word as praise since they have announced plans to open a theme park. Anderson envisions “hundreds of animatronic characters and creatures, rides through vast, invented landscapes and buildings, extensive galleries of textiles and sculptures, plus an ongoing original music score piped-in everywhere…conceived and designed entirely" (by Mothersbaugh).

#Whimsical

Honorable mention: Tim Burton and Danny Elfman

 I mean…look. Guys. We get it. Move on. Diversify. However let’s take a moment to honor the fact that they gifted us with this:

"Anyone else looking forward to Pee-Wee’s Big Holiday?"

Indigo Life

It's always a pleasure to see creative individuals coming into their own - and creating lanes and pathways for themselves to thrive in!  And when you finally reach that level of realization within yourself no one can stop you!  Things can be achieved that only you can achieve.  Any and everything you do and touch turns to gold!  So this video for me is a personal reminder of that.  To stay true to who you are and a give a great big "fuck you" to anyone who thinks you're too different.  Dare to standout.  It's a new season. #Misfits

::MADE IN HEIGHTS::

If you're anything like me, you need a soundtrack for every occasion. My favorite kind of playlist, but also the hardest to make, is one you unwind to.  You get home after a long day, take your bra off (or male equivalent restraint....pants?), hit the couch and just recharge for a brief moment. If you've ever found yourself in this exact moment, MADE IN HEIGHTS needs to be in your queue.  This electropop duo consists of Singer Kelsey Bulkin and Producer/DJ Sabzi (who ACTUALLY scratches on the tracks).  They provide the tunes you'd associate with all types of moods.  If you're 4/20 friendly, they are who you want serenading your French inhales.

The sophomore album entitled Without My Enemy What Would I Do consists of angelic vocals and beats worthy of 16 bars. I won't be surprised if any artists sample this project soon. Their melodic beats and tempo changes are an MPC nerd's dream. A touch of hip hop peeks at you through the subtle 808's and bass hits. It's all wrapped tight with sweet synths and chimes to take you on a trip into the album's world, "like the universe is singing a song". On Murakami you get a taste of transient floating sounds leading to a bass drop that will get your wrists whipping, hard. Bulkin's luscious voice is mirrored by heavy chopped vocals, reminiscent of that sweet/salty combo that your tongue enjoys the confusion of.

Panther is a single off the album and is a very dreamy track. It pulls you in on first listen and keeps you there. If you're a sucker for instruments the violin on this one is for you. The way Bulkin rides this beat with her vocals is so clean that an A Capella of her could be a song with loads of rhythm in itself. Lines like "got nobody on my mind go and search my thoughts, only you on my riverbanks" are the feelings you know all too well when you're digging someone. You just wish you could let them in your head to explain what you can't get out in words. No worries, just play this track and let the music explain for you. From upbeat tracks like Forgiveness (mad synth!) and Pop It In 2 that you play while dolling up for a night out on the town, to tracks you curl up to a book with, MADE IN HEIGHTS offers a wide range of chill for your everyday needs. If you can feel the beat, then why the hell we talking baby?

Letlive and not die

Letlive. is a Post-Hardcore band hailing from Los Angeles Cali-forn-i-a. The word post means after, so take all those teens you knew in high school that wore really tight pants and listened to screaming music. You know, the ones everyone just dubbed “emo” (which is like calling all Asians Chinese. Just don’t, there’s levels to this shit). Well yeah, we grew up! And Post-Hardcore is born. We kept the screaming, moshing, and breakdowns, but it’s now bearable enough for everyone else to have a listen.  I wouldn’t call this third album junior at all, since the topics being brought up aren’t light or for the close-minded. On this album entitled The Blackest Beautiful, front man Jason Aalon Butler spits about the race issues we know so well here in America. I say spit because his poetic cadence sets him apart from most rock band singers. The album art doesn’t shy from the content, displaying a whitewashed American flag over a figure’s head and a noose tightened around its neck.

The track White America’s Beautiful Black Market opens with the conga drums you’d expect to hear at a reggae party or salsa festival, not on a rock album.  Fellow conscious and aware Americans can totally relate to lyrics like “Be sure that they will never cure you/You’re worth so much more diseased” and “Government sucking the dicks of corporations”. It’s great to see someone saying the things people need to hear, especially in a time where we need it most but get it the least. If you aren’t consciously aware, after spinning this album not only will you be, but you’ll be badass while doing it. The topics range from race to politics to that one time you fell in love and wanted to fight yourself about it. Did I mention rent control? With lyrics like “If home is where the heart is, it’s a crying shame we can't afford the rent”, EVERY New Yorker should own a Letlive. band tee.

Besides the poetics, musicianship is showcased throughout the album with great melodies, lively drums, and a bass guitar that rattles your gut.  Tracks like Empty Elvis are the ones you throw on in the morning when you need good fight music to get you through your morning commute on the 4 train. The group puts on a show that most seasoned rock fans would still find shocking. Butler enters a trance and lets the music use his body as a vessel to hang from rafters and throw himself around like a possessed rag doll, in a good way. Besides great showmanship, the group is very down to earth and doesn’t forget that they are humans that others idolize. Perfectly enough you can catch these super humans at the AfroPunk Fest in Brooklyn on August 22/23. See for yourself the show they put on and mosh away your frustration towards CNN. SONIC ANARCHY! 

Thile Blend

Think back to when you were five years old. Each new discovery you made became new mythology to build your universe around. Pulling all your influences together you blended each ingredient into a recipe totally your own. For those of us ‘creative types’, this is a typical, if not necessary practice. Synthesizing vast and various inputs into something we can focus through a single lens. But early on, it starts with a search for something to point at and say “That! That’s the thing! I can do THAT!” Each mystery revealed itself in unlikely places.  Such as plays performed in a town hall, a dance recital at a museum, and Bluegrass music in a pizza parlor. This is how Chris Thile discovered bluegrass music.

How likely is it for a five year old in California to pick up a mandolin and have ‘mastered’ it while still a tween?  How likely is it for him to have won two Grammy awards by his 21st birthday, or even have four to date?  Thile has recorded over twenty albums, many with his first band Nickel Creek. He has collaborated with Steve Martin, T Bone Burnett, and been featured on film soundtracks for ‘The Hunger Games’, and ‘This is 40’. In 2012 he was the recipient of the MacArthur Genius grant worth $500,000.

Thile’s most focused sound has been developed with his Brooklyn based band Punch Brothers.  This sound has spawned a new genre of music that some have dubbed ‘chamber bluegrass’ and whose creation is documented in the film “How to Grow a Band”. Thile could surely rest on his laurels for the rest of his career, but he knows there is more at stake and has been quoted as saying he’d die trying to make something new. For him and the Punch Brothers, evolution is the name of the game.

  “I do think its important for people who profess to really be interested in music to expose themselves to the width and breadth of the great music available to them- in this day an age that’s everything.”)   

The bands latest album ‘Phosphorescent Blues’, released in January of this year, goes even further in its focus on genre blending and themes of technology seeping into our day to day.

“…even with that thing [your phone] in your pocket you got one foot out of the circle at all times-we’re not coming from a position of righteousness- mine’s right there, even as I’m trying to describe this record I’m wondering if my wife texted. It’s a new melody that’s running through the song of life right now. It’s always there it’s always providing this weird often discordant counterpoint to everything. We have to figure out how to make it work for us and not to be content with working for it”.  

They are as influenced by Bach and Debussy as they are The Beatles and Thom Yorke.

“The banner that I march behind is that I really don’t feel that adhering to the aesthetic convention of various genres is creatively meaningful at all. The world being diffuse as it is right now-our art needs to reflect that.”

Thile is hip to the fact that it’s not his job to lecture, rather to help add to the conversation of exploration.  

 “The solution is not to unplug…every generation has experienced some sort of life changing gadget...the lightbulb on back to the wheel. …We have to figure out how to plop ourselves square back in the moment so we can live vibrant meaningful lives.” 

In addition to the music itself, there is a current flowing through Thile’s musicality that suggests a raised eyebrow and a glint in the eye. Each new song is either a call to adventure or a reflection of the journey just past. Thile’s vocals serve to enhance the storytelling in an almost tribal ‘gather around this fire here and I’ll tell you a story’. The passion and shear energy of the band is infectious and the use of rhythmic structure keeps you on the edge of your seat – if you’re still seated that is. You can tell that they have labored over each gift they present to you and they delight in the giving. Looking forward, Thile’s next major project will be taking over as the host of  ‘Prairie Home Companion’, the forty-one year tenured live radio variety show that is both a prime example of storytelling and hub for Americana and Folk Music. Thile is sure to bring all his vivacity to the role. On getting the job he said it was like “getting to be Luke Skywalker!” One thing is for certain- he certainly has the force.