Fresh Tracks for February

February may have just dumped two feet of snow on Boston, but that’s not all the month has to offer. It’s barely a week in and already there’s tons of great new music to jam to.

James Blake’s haunting trance music makes a return to our ears with “Retrograde,” which was accompanied by this delightfully bizarre video featuring an asteroid attack on Earth. The synth in the background quietly builds to several points in which it truly lets loose, demanding my entire body to spasm with glee.

Scottish synth-pop group CHVRCHES burst onto the scene last year with the attention-grabbing “The Mother We Share,” but it was follow-up single “Recover” that really won me over to the band’s fandom. Lead vocalist Laura Mayberry stole my heart with the first time I heard the chorus and there’s no sign that she’s ever letting go (especially if I keep leaving the song on repeat).

“Before I Ever Met You” from LA-based artist Banks is emotional and honest and totally jam-worthy. I stumbled onto it on a blog early last week and I’ve been rocking out to it ever since.

That’s it for this week. Good luck getting to class on time with all the snow!

Josh

Alex Clare: Dubstep + Soul = Brilliance

The name ‘Alex Clare‘ may currently mean nothing to y’all, but be prepared for him to totally take over the world in the near future. I’m already bowing down.

He clearly doesn’t have the typical look of someone banging out badass dubstep, but that’s pretty much exactly what he does in combination with his unique brand of London soul. The result is something totally unique for today’s world of music. Check out this highlight from his summer debut, The Lateness of the Hour. “Too Close” is sure to blow your mind.

A few weeks ago he put out his own spin on the Etta James classic, “Damn Your Eyes,” and it gave me a ton of attention in the blogosphere. He even topped The Hype Machine for a few days and that’s what initially drew my attention to him. Give that legit track a listen below.

Have an awesome rest of the week!

- Josh

Come and Watch the Pretty Lights!

Ahh, Friday! For some, the end of a long and stressful week. For others, the beginning of a jam packed weekend. Either way, everyone should take some time to kick back and relax for a bit today. And I think I’ve got the perfect sound track for you! If you aren’t familiar with Pretty Lights already, you should be. His latest releases are super chill and should be listened to!

Through the course of their 2010 tour, the DJ/Drummer duo known as Pretty Lights (yes, I know Pretty Lights is really only one guy, but he has a drummer at live performances) have released a trilogy of free EP’s. Pretty Lights is best known for their samples of vintage soul and funk songs laid over glitchy hip-hop beats and synth bass lines. These three EP’s don’t disappoint: each of the three brings a unique style to the table that is sure to be enjoyed by all. Pretty Lights has something for everyone from the jazz enthusiast, to the rocker, to the electro fan.

The first EP, “Making Up A Changing Mind”, samples real life sounds such as people speaking, combines them with retro-funk horn riffs, and creates a perfect blend of funk and electro.

This is ‘Total Fascination’ from the first EP:

The second EP to come out, entitled “Spilling Over Every Side”, is a bit different from the first. This one still has the horn samples that Pretty Lights loves to use, but they have more of that low-end, dubstep feel to them.

The first track “High School Art Class” is my personal favorite:

The latest EP, released only a few weeks ago, is entitled “Glowing in the Darkest Night”. In true Pretty Lights fashion, it samples primarily soul, funk and hip-hop vocals and romantic, heart-wrenching instrumentals. This album has a much slower pace than the previous two. The title fits perfectly, as this album has a dark, and somewhat eerie mood.

Check out ‘Looking For Love (But Not So Sure)’

If you liked any of these songs, you can download all three EP’s completely for free from Pretty Lights’ website (prettylightsmusic.com/#/downloads). You do, however, have to provide an email address (You won’t get spammed, I promise).

Well, that’s all for this week kids!

See you next Friday,
Tim

To All My Dubsteppers

Ask anyone who knows me, and they’ll tell you that I’m all about techno music. At first, I was satisfied with just house / trance stuff… Anything by Benny Benassi, Dj Tiesto, or Deadmau5 were my go songs. It wasn’t until I first saw Rusko at Cochella last April that I got my first taste of dubstep. Ever since then, I’ve been hooked.

For the past few days, Rusko’s ‘Cockney Thug’ has been playing on a loop in my mind. It was first featured on the album FabricLive.37 by Rusko and fellow act Caspa. Although the original is great, I especially like the remix by Caspa. The bass is way heavier, which is always a plus for me. This is a great song to play if you want to make the floor rumble. Here’s the Caspa remix: (WARNING: EXPLICIT LYRICS!!!)

And in case you’re wondering, that quote in the beginning is from the movie Snatch, directed by the same guy who did Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels.

Be sure to check out Rusko when he comes to the Royal Nightclub (18+) next month; Tickets are only $25 on Ticketmaster!

‘Til next Friday,
Tim