JamandaHalf | A Blog Dedicated To Finding The World's Best Music

The Roots feat. Big K.R.I.T.-Make My

2012-01-31T00:46:00.000+01:00

There are few things better musically than a rap song that takes its time to drop. My favorite song of all time, "Elevators" by Outkast, knows that good things come to those to wait, and "Make My" by The Roots and Big K.R.I.T. follows that legacy to a T.

I didn't do a "best-of" list for last year, but if I had, Undun by The Roots would have been very very near the top. Today's jamandahalf is a clear standout on that brilliant album, and it truly is an album in the purest sense of the word. Featuring a verse by longtime favorite Big K.R.I.T., The Roots know they have earned the right to ride out for as long as they want to, and that's what they do. Other than said verse by KRIT and a reflective banger by Black Thought, the thing that is most notable about the track is how expansive it sounds. At the beginning of the album, but at the tail end of the life of Redford Stephens, the central character to the story of Undun, both verses focus on taking one final look back on a life of both good and bad before Redford's subsequent suicide. Although the dark lyrics do weigh the song down, there is some glimmer of the triumphant hidden in there somewhere. Finishing an album-long story with a serious dose of class, The Roots give Stephens a proper farewell.

Click here to download

&amp;amp;lt;a href="http://soundowl.com/track/2pej/the-roots-make-my-feat-big-krit-dice-raw"&amp;amp;gt;Download The Roots Make My (feat. Big K.R.I.T &amp;amp;amp;amp; Dice Raw)&amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;gt;
Download The Roots Make My (feat. Big K.R.I.T & Dice Raw)

69 Boyz & Quad City DJ's-What I Want For Christmas

2012-01-30T22:37:00.000+01:00

Christmas 2011 is rapidly retreating into the rearview window of 2012, but it's never too early to start celebrating Christmas 2012, right? Kidding there, but Christmas more than anything is all about traditions. My family has done pretty much the same thing for every Christmas since I can remember no matter where we are, of course with a little tweak here or there. One thing that never changes is our Christmas music. My oldest sister starts blasting Christina Aguilera's My Kind of Christmas as early as possible and that is gradually joined by the Three Tenors and some traditional Finnish jams. This year a newcomer hopped on our Xmas Jam scene, on that isn't likely to leave for many many Christmases to come.

The 69 Boys and the Quad City DJ's were among the kings of 90's Southern hiphop and this song took me all the way back to 1st grade when our teacher used to make break out funky dance moves to leave class. The two supergroups take an enternal Christmas class-The Twelve Days of Christmas-and revolutionize it. Featuring dope lyrics such as "I ain't got no chocolate chips/To go along with no glass of milk/But I got some chips and dip baby!/Kool-aid to sip baby!" and "Christmas day the birth of Christ/no doubt/That's what it's all about/Lemme go head stop the beat for a sec.../Show some respect," both verses manage to combine the divine and the absurd over a beat using the best sleigh bells loop ever. So put this on, start getting pumped, because Santa Claus will eventually be coming to town again (And to think, this isn't even the greatest Christmas song ever. This is).

Click here to download

Rodrigo y Gabriela (feat. C.U.B.A and Anoushka Shankar)-Ixtapa

2012-01-28T00:22:00.000+01:00

The best online music "recommend-er" would be the equivalent of a good buddy-aware of all of your music tastes along with your personality; able to think of how the nuances in who you are which would match up perfectly with X new band or Y new rapper. That's why no Pandora will be as good at giving great music recommendations than friends. Luckily one of Moo's buddies passed us an album by this unique Mexican duo named Rodrigo y Gabriela way back sophomore year. Since then I've seen them twice (both times sharing a magical high five with Gabriela) and have consumed their live albums and studio tapes.

Their newest release Area 52 is perhaps not the long-awaited album of new material some of us were looking forward to; but maybe it's something even bolder. RodGab collaborated with a group of young Cuban musicians along with some other noted artists to essentially recreate some of their most loved jams. From the looks of it, the recording sessions must have just been sublime jam sessions, and the new album is simply incredible-fusing the intense flamenco/metal guitars of Rodrigo and Gabriela with the inclusion of a whole host of new sounds and flavors. This version of "Ixtapa" is a rollercoaster eight-minute long monster of a track that wears many different hats and wears them all incredibly well. Featuring a sitar solo by Ravi Shankar's daughter Anoushka, this song really shows that the duo aren't afraid to share their music with others. In the end, bringing the crew along just makes their music that much sweeter.

Buy Area 52

Click here to download "Ixtapa"

<a href="http://soundowl.com/track/2or4/rodrigo-y-gabriela-ixtapa-feat-cuba">Download Rodrigo Y Gabriela Ixtapa (Feat. C.U.B.A.)</a>
Download Rodrigo Y Gabriela Ixtapa (Feat. C.U.B.A.)

AraabMuzik-Lost In A Maze & Underground Stream

2012-01-27T01:24:00.001+01:00

AraabMuzik's music is best listened to at high volumes-not in your favorite club or on big speakers, but on your best pair of headphones. Why? Because there is something about his grimy debit album Electronic Dream that's kind of like a untold secret-its music that you don't necessarily want to share with others.

This past weekend on a trip up north I tried to sneak in some Araab on the roadtrip mix. I think a death metal/polka mashup would have gone over better in that Citroen. Adding the sonical equivalent of a black hoody on top of some of the best electronic jams of the past few years, Araab puts out an album that is surprising if nothing else-he used to be best known for producing beats for dipset and videos like this one. On Electronic Dream he flirts with shadows without coming off as too over the top, never falling into the ridiculous depths that dubstep often ventures into. Instead he takes a little bit of that edge and injects it into house, creating a sublime mix. I loved it on the first listen, let me know what you think.

Click here to download "Lost In A Maze"

<a href="http://soundowl.com/track/2oep/araabmuzik-lost-in-a-maze">Download Araabmuzik Lost In A Maze</a>
Download Araabmuzik Lost In A Maze

Click here to download "Underground Stream"

<a href="http://soundowl.com/track/2oel/araabmuzik-underground-stream">Download Araabmuzik Underground Stream</a>
Download Araabmuzik Underground Stream

Hello, Again

2012-01-25T18:44:00.002+01:00

It's been a looonnngggg....a long time coming but I knowwwww...it's about damn time for a new post.

Sorry for the wait blogosphere. I've been abusing my duties here, and it's time to hop back on this horse. Why the drought? First of all, music stopped sounding good. I know that might sound kind of strange coming from a music lover, but nothing was exciting me anymore. With a couple gems I picked up from a few end-of-the-year lists, that's changed. I also have to thank going to work for getting me back in the writing mood. What? you might ask. Going to work gave me a fixed amount of time where it was just me, the music, and a bunch of strangers headed to who knows where. Starting back work after Xmas break has definitely gotten me in the mood to write about this music that makes my daily metro drudgery a little brighter. Also, and by far the biggest thing that's happened to JamandaHalf.com in the last month or so, my good buddy Stan and his start-up released a music app for iOS that's been getting nothing but love and features a music list (or "playground") from this humble blog. Download it here and check out some of the best tunes we've written about from the last two years. Lastly, the video below put a huge smile on my face. The Black Stars of Ghana are among the favorites to win this year's African Nations Cup. What do they do to relieve the stress? Have a jam session.

To get out of this drought I'm going to take some advice that a good buddy of mine passed on to me many moons ago: swing away. I'll be swinging away with posts for the next couple days/weeks and so look out for a string of jams coming your way. As always, if you ever feel the urge, your posts are more than welcome. Thanks for coming back.

Steve Aoki feat. Rivers Cuomo-Earthquakey People (The Sequel) (Original Mix)

2011-12-10T17:53:00.001+01:00

The picture is of an awesome Aoki shirt featured on Breaking Bad

Steve Aoki's live shows are famous across the EDM universe for, well, being alive. Hot, sweaty people, mixing with Aoki's trademark champagne showers all fueled by his relentless music are quickly becoming the stuff of legends, stories told the day after with a big grin. "Earthquakey People" is the perfect example of the fuel that Aoki uses to get his parties going, as well as the musical Red Bull you can use to get your night going on this fine December day, wherever you may be. Like the best roller coasters, Aoki knows that most of the fun comes from anticipation, and like his best songs do, this continues to build and build before deciding it's finally time to let ya get funky. Though Aoki's music isn't everyday stuff, when it works, it's undeniable. Hope this one gets your Saturday night going on the right foot.

Click here to download

<a href="http://soundowl.com/track/2d2x/steve-aoki-feat-rivers-cuomo-earthquakey-people-the-sequel-original-mix">Download Steve Aoki feat. Rivers Cuomo Earthquakey People (The Sequel) (Original Mix)</a>
Steve Aoki feat. Rivers Cuomo Earthquakey People (The Sequel) (Original Mix)

Anthem-Freek'n You

2011-12-01T01:38:00.000+01:00

Anthm (previously known as Anthem) seems to be at an inflection point of his young career. Along with a recent name change (apparently due to paperwork; luckily he'll be easier to find on Google now), Anthem's online presence continues to blossom and he recently twice hit the #1 track on the Hype Machine's Twitter chart beating out much more entrenched artists like Avicii. Musically he also has been experimenting with different styles, subjects, and has been getting away from the "mold" which he fit so well in the tracks up to now. Before if I was listening to a new Anthm track (still doesn't feel right without the e) I pretty much knew what to expect (in a good way). Anthm would spit a couple of hot, smart, verses over a great beat. With Anthm's current streak of new songs leading up to the debut of his new EP (Joy&Pain coming soon!), he has lived up to what he touched on in the last interview we had. His new music continues to show off different facets of who he is, but like he told me half a year ago, "Everything that I do has to be an accurate reflection of some dimension of who I am." Check out a couple of his newer tracks below that show off different aspects of the man (along with the brand new "Freek'n You"), his first major video and into to the EP, and follow him on Twitter here

Anthm Set by jamand1/2

Anthem - Fortuna from AMG Esquires on Vimeo.

Black Keys-Run Right Back and Little Black Submarine

2011-11-29T19:05:00.001+01:00

Back to it. After a blip in the music universe where I wasn't really feeling anything and was revisiting old Outkast (always pleasantly surprised to hear Dre on each song) and A Tribe Called Quest albums, it's back to some new stuff. And this one is brand new, as in leaked to the blogosphere yesterday new. The Black Keys set an extremely high water mark for themselves with 2010's Brothers, which found itself near the top of almost every end of the year Best Albums list. El Camino, to be released in a week, might just sneak on a list too if it has its way. Though a shake less blues and a smidgen more soul than Brothers, El Camino still had my ears beaming this morning on my ever threateningly cold commute to work. Two standouts are "Run Right Back" and "Little Black Submarine." The former tells the tried and true story of running back to an old flame on top of fiery guitar licks and an edge missing from some of the other songs on the album. The latter starts off like a mellow campside jam session (including a tambourine from that buddy who always brings it, just in case) and wraps up with some White Stripes-esque guitar licks sure to fill up the bigger arenas that duo are packing these days. Check out these two choice cuts, buy the album here, and enjoy.

Click here to download "Run Right Back"

<a href="http://soundowl.com/track/29so/the-black-keys-run-right-back">Download The Black Keys Run Right Back</a>
The Black Keys Run Right Back

Click here to download "Little Black Submarine"

<a href="http://soundowl.com/track/29sm/the-black-keys-little-black-submarines">Download The Black Keys Little Black Submarines</a>
The Black Keys Little Black Submarines

Muchachito Bombo Infierno-Siempre Que Quiera

2011-11-22T18:59:00.001+01:00

You can't go to every show. That's the harsh reality (amazing situation) I'm finding out this year living in Madrid. Last year was a long hike through a musical Sahara; this year is finding myself in a oasis. If I try and drink all this delicious spring water, I'll probably drown. Over the past few weeks I've been lucky enough to see Aloe Blacc, Washed Out, and Rodrigo y Gabriela, but unfortunately had to skip this great band. Hailing from Barcelona, this at times 10 piece band kicks the theory that "most new Spanish music is pretty crap" right in the face. A blend of salsa, flamenco influences, rock and some other styles thrown in, Muchachito made a true jamandahalf with this track off of their debut Vamos Que Nos Vamos. Make sure you stick around for the superfunkybreakitdown right at the end. Check it out.

Click here to download

<a href="http://soundowl.com/track/27rn/muchachito-bombo-infierno-siempre-que-quiera">Download Muchachito Bombo Infierno Siempre Que Quiera</a>
Muchachito Bombo Infierno Siempre Que Quiera

Coeur de Pirate-Blonde (Album Review)

2011-11-17T15:10:00.001+01:00

The past few months in the music world have been defined by mega releases (think Carter IV, Watch The Throne, Mylo Xyloto, Take Care, etc). Released after months of speculation and hype, these albums will dominate the charts leading up to Xmas, though their actual qualities vary from "Ehh" to "Not Bad." A very quiet release from a diminutive French-Canadian artist, in my opinion, tops them all. Big personal favorite Coeur de Pirate (real name Beatrice Martin) recently released her second full album entitled Blonde. Martin pulls off something that lots of bands are trying to do these days-capture a sound from a bygone decade. With influences ranging from 1960's French Pop to western ballads, Beatrice seems to distance herself from the mainly mellow piano backed jams of her first, self-titled, album. Though nothing has the instant catchiness of "Comme Des Enfants," Blonde is a more mature, more nuanced album. Playing it the past few days reminded me somehow of a great, focused, soundtrack, much like the ones behind Drive and Amelie. In this case, Blonde sounds like the soundtrack to a simpler era. Though not flashy, bereft of big name producers, and probably not the springboard to a nationwide arena tour, Coeur has stealthily released what I consider to be one of the best album of 2011, so far.

Buy Blonde here

Click here to download "Cap Diamant"

<a href="http://soundowl.com/track/266b/coeur-de-pirate-cap-diamant">Download Coeur de pirate Cap Diamant</a>
Coeur de pirate Cap Diamant

Click here to download "Adieu"

<a href="http://soundowl.com/track/266a/coeur-de-pirate-adieu">Download Coeur de pirate Adieu</a>
Coeur de pirate Adieu

Bob Dylan-Don't Think Twice, It's Alright Live Town Hall NYC 1963

2011-11-14T23:42:00.001+01:00

Some rare Bob Dylan recordings were recently put up on Youtube, and we're better for it. This one is of Dylan's incredible "Don't Think Twice, It's Alright" sung live at the Town Hall of NYC in 1963. Probably my favorite Dylan song, his bitterness is truly highlighted in this version. Sung in all his nasally glory, the young Dylan sounds pretty damn down, though with that heartbreak comes a true sense of liberation. The video comes with pictures of Dylan with his ex-girlfriend (and inspiration for this song) Suze Rotolo. Apparently a profound influence on Dylan's music, Suze moved on and left Dylan to study in Italy. Dylan was left with a broken heart, and we were left with this song.

Pretty Lights-Finally Moving

2011-11-11T14:37:00.001+01:00

This is the ultimate warm, lazy summer afternoon jam. Unfortunately, seeing as I'm in the midst of a rainy Fall here in Madrid, I'll have to wait a little before I can test out my theory that this is the ultimate lazy summer jam. But in the mean time, I thought I should post it for all of you out there enjoying lazy summer afternoons (southern hemisphere stand up!). Pretty Lights has crafted a gorgeous, layered walk through the park with this one. Pretty much begging for your favorite rapper to lay a verse on it, "Finally Moving" lets you think a lot by not saying a lot, giving you ample space to breath while it meanders along through flutes, scratches, and funky sound effects. All in all a winner. Check it out.

Click here to download

<a href="http://soundowl.com/track/24su/pretty-lights-finally-moving">Download Pretty Lights Finally Moving</a>
Pretty Lights Finally Moving

Aloe Blacc Concert Review

2011-11-10T18:29:00.001+01:00

Aloe Blacc started off his magical concert on Monday night by reminding us of some of the greats of soul music: Green, Gaye, Wonder, Brown, clearly hoping that one day another name will be among that illustrious list-Blacc. If the show was any indication, it won't be too long before his hopes become a reality.

Throughout the hour and a half long concert that I went to with my girlfriend and a couple of buddies, Blacc seemed to be systematically working through a list of things which a great soul artist needs to have: a great voice, charisma, funky dance moves, glances that make girls swoon, a sense of joie de vivre. Playing largely hits from his most recent album Good Things, Blacc did all that and more. Although of course rehearsed a million times, Blacc gave off the impression that the crowd was witnessing something that had never been seen before, and the Madrileño crowd (not an easy one by a long shot) was loving it. Blacc was pitch perfect, sounding just at home on his slower tracks ("If I") as with his more upbeat ones ("Good Things"). He made sure that we all had a damn good time, at one point getting the crowd to split into two while urging us to start a "SoulTrain" dance line down the middle-turning random fellow concert goers into boogie partners. It was a great moment, but one soon eclipsed by him and his band playing "I Need A Dollar," a song that I have heard/taught/jammed to more than probably any other song. Real special moment for myself (thought I wish the battery on my phone would have realized what was going on and not have kooked out on me).

It was a night that started off with a surprise-walking in to the theater I saw none other than Exile warming up the crowd with the funkiest of DJ sets, playing nothing but old school funk and soul. Exile and Blacc had once formed a hiphop group (more on that to come), and Exile spent most of the concert recording everything from the side of the stage with a huge grin on his face. Luckily I got to meet him post-concert, pretty much telling him that he was the man. From the surprise warm up act to the vibrant main show, it was a helluva night for the crowd, for Madrid's music scene, and for soul. Luckily, Blacc will continue to grow as an artist and we can only assume will continue to knock on the door of the upper echelon of Soul.

Lucky Dube-Slave

2011-11-09T23:57:00.001+01:00

Some artists personify the dreams of an entire nation. Unofficial spokespeople of millions, they come to represent the hopes and feelings of a people at a certain period of time. And although I am by no means an expert on this, the music of Lucky Dube seemed to be that exact outlet for the majority of South Africans I met last summer.

Dube (pronouned doo-beh) got into reggae after releasing four albums in mbaqanga, Zulu pop music. Finding similarities in the political undertones of Jamaican reggae with the day-to-day oppression he noticed all around him in apartheid South Africa, Dube moved to reggae as the outlet of his messages. Quickly becoming wildly popular in South Africa, Lucky then went on to become one of the most beloved reggae artists in the world, breaking into the world music scene just as the apartheid system fell. While travelling around South Africa, we were told by almost everyone we met to check out his music. Although most of his songs couldn't quite meet the vast expectations we had by then, this song did and more. Perhaps it's the rocksteady beat, perhaps the vibrant steel drum. Might be the uplifting chorus. Whatever it is, this is a powerful jamandahalf, reflecting Dube's mindset, and by extension, that of many South Africans during that dark period of South African history.

Click here to download

<a href="http://soundowl.com/track/24a4/lucky-dube-slave-south-africa">Download Lucky Dube Slave (South Africa)</a>
Lucky Dube Slave (South Africa)

Kaskade-Eyes

2011-11-06T20:32:00.001+01:00

Not too long ago, being called the "Best American DJ" was kind of like being the "Best American Soccer Player." A great accolade no doubt, but yet one in something that most Americans don't care too much about. Things have changed. Despite the lists of top DJs still being dominated by Dutch, Swedes, and French, Americans like Diplo, Skrillex, and Steve Aoki have created a serious name for themselves and have opened up a space for their fellow Americans, just as American soccer players continue to make names for themselves in top European leagues. With the US continuing to be more and more of a fertile ground for EDM (Dirty South recently said it's his favorite country to play in), being the best American DJ is now a serious honor. Kaskade was recently voted the top American DJ, just in time for his latest release Fire & Ice and onn this new album is a banger which sounds like it's dying to be the song of Summer 2012. And like that guy who's early for the party (in this case many months early), it just wants to have a good time. "Eyes" has a throwback feel to it, devoid of any trace of dubstep. Instead it's pure electro goodness, with just enough sap to make it likable, and more than enough bang to make it an instant jamandahalf.

Click here to download

Girls-Just A Song and Honey Bunny

2011-11-05T19:01:00.003+01:00

Girls, the duo who make music much larger than seemingly possible for two people, have one of the surefire best albums of 2011 with Father, Son, Holy Ghost. A tapas meal of various sounds and influences ranging from Billie Holiday to the Beatles, Girls have something for everyone and do it all with two overwhelming qualities: an intense polish and a overwhelming sense of nostalgia. From the classic influences to the lyrics, Girls at times sounds as if they are alive in the wrong era and lead Christopher Owens' lyrics reflect that, at one point repeating "I wish it was yesterday." "Just A Song" and "Honey Bunny" reflect show different sides of Girls. The former is a dense, lush, sweeping seven minute jam that beautifully builds and fades. The former sounds like it would have the been the hottest twist jam of 1962, the one that you keep your best dance moves for. The myriad of influences are held together by the other quality which is so prevalent on the album-its polish. Each song is a perfectly crafted bite of sound and style, just like the best tapas are. Enjoy the songs and buy the album here.

Click here to download "Just A Song"

&amp;amp;lt;a href="http://soundowl.com/track/22sk/girls-just-a-song"&amp;amp;gt;Download Girls Just A Song&amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;gt;

Click here to download "Honey Bunny"

&amp;amp;lt;a href="http://soundowl.com/track/22si/girls-honey-bunny"&amp;amp;gt;Download Girls Honey Bunny&amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;gt;

Captain Cuts-Dancing With Avicii (Avicii vs. The Knocks)

2011-11-02T21:35:00.004+01:00

Waiting for a new Captain Cuts jam is a bit like waiting for a SuperSaver package from Amazon. You know it's on the way, you just don't know exactly when it's coming. And sometimes waiting just makes it that much better. Today's jamandahalf is a mix of Avicii's unstoppable jam "Levels" and The Knock's "Dancing With The DJ" by Captain Cuts, a group including my buddy Ryan McMahon. Although a bit "lazier" than other mixes by the Capitanos, the resulting mashup is a seamless blend that is sure to get ya feeling good. Captain Cuts continues to really bring a different sound to the at time over-saturated mashup genre. They are on a roll right now and I can't wait for their upcoming mixtape. Keep em coming fellas!

Click here to download

<a href="http://soundowl.com/track/21zn/captain-cuts-dancing-with-avicii-avicii-vs-the-knocks">Download Captain Cuts Dancing With Avicii (Avicii vs. The Knocks)</a>
Captain Cuts Dancing With Avicii (Avicii vs. The Knocks)

Florence + The Machine-Shake It Out

2011-11-01T18:36:00.002+01:00

Florence + The Machine's new album Ceremonials finds them in a very different place than their last EP Lungs. After conquering the indie world first then crossing slightly more into the mainstream with their star-making performance at the VMAs, there was some considerable pressure on the group (consisting of 25 year old (!) Florence Welch and an ensemble of band members). Luckily for us, songs like this jamandahalf follow step by step in the rich line of previous jams like "You've Got The Love" and "Dog Days Are Over." "Shake It Out" is nothing if not triumphant. Coming close to sonically encapsulating a primal fist pump, "Shake It Out" talks about an emergence from the dark, about putting the past behind you. Powerfully backing the lyrics, Florence's vocals are up for the test, and she positively sounds more alive then ever. I could go on and on, but I'll leave this one with a quote from Florence herself. Enjoy.

"So this song was kind of like, 'Shake yourself out of it, things will be OK,' " she continued. "[Because] sometimes I have to write songs for myself, reminding me to let it go. But then, the end refrain of 'What the hell' is really important as well, because you'll dance with the devil again at some point, and maybe it will be fun. I've heard he does a really good foxtrot."

Click here to download

<a href="http://soundowl.com/track/21o2/florence-and-the-machine-shake-it-out">Download Florence and The Machine Shake It Out</a>
Florence and The Machine Shake It Out

Youth Lagoon-Posters

2011-10-28T15:16:00.000+02:00

Youth Lagoon is about as minimalist as you can get. Following in the same vein as Washed Out, Youth Lagoon made his first album in his bedroom, and it's telling because The Year of Hibernation sounds like a voyeuristic peek inside his life. Dropping out of college and quitting his job, Trevor Powers has embarked on a new life to show the world Youth Lagoon, which he says is small yet important part of himself. "Posters" is a jam that you can get lost into. While clocking in at a little under four minutes, it has a repetitiveness that sounds like it lasts a lifetime. The other day working on a project I only realized after a half-hour that I had had it on repeat. Stopping it felt like waking up from a long nap, a welcome siesta that I had no idea I needed. And that's kind of how the album feels in general-something that you really didn't think you needed, but you do. Check out my favorite track below-

Click here to download

&amp;amp;lt;a href="http://soundowl.com/track/20ug/youth-lagoon-posters"&amp;amp;gt;Download Youth Lagoon Posters&amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;gt;
Youth Lagoon Posters

Juvenile-Ha

2011-10-26T09:35:00.000+02:00

I recently got my hands on The Definitive Collection, Cash Money's attempt to define their long reign on top of Southern rap. Like a lot of people who grew up in the South during the 90's, I would have changed a few songs here and there, but the collection definitely brought back some memories. It also reminded me of how dated most of their music sounds. Other than a few tracks which have stood the test of time ("Bling Bling" "Loud Pipes"), most of the tracks sound empty and simplistic-both lyrically and sonically. But one thing that they do remind us is that what Kanye and Jay-Z were doing with Watch The Throne wasn't new, it was just another step along the evolution of bravado rap for which Cash Money did more than most to advance (though that's not necessarily a good thing). Today's jamandahalf comes from Juvenile, the king of the 90's era group, and was the song that really brought Cash Money to the national spotlight. While the crew split up years ago, they left an inedible mark on rap and over the course of almost a decade also managed to drop a few jamandahalfs.

Click here to download

<a href="http://soundowl.com/track/20ck/juvenile-ha">Download Juvenile Ha</a>
Juvenile Ha

Mississippi Fred McDowell-Going Down The River

2011-10-25T19:05:00.001+02:00

Listening to old school Blues takes you back to a different era, to an era where music was recorded on front porches outside, with nothing between the artists and the recording device but sun-baked Mississippi air. Mississippi Fred McDowell (no relation to another favorite, Mississippi John Hurt) was discovered by Alan Lomax, a folklorist on a tour of the South, who was trying to find some of the old timey legends whose unadulterated music sounds ancient yet resonates clearly in this troubled and murky time. McDowell, a poor share cropper who had up to that point had a tough life bouncing around picking cotton and working in various mills, was immediately recorded on his front porch, with his wife and a friend sometimes joining in on the jam session. After the recordings were published they became a hit, and McDowell rode an up-swell of popularity for the Blues, touring around the country and even having the Rolling Stones cover a song of his covered ("You Gotta Move"). The original recordings were recently remastered and are as close as possible as most of us will ever get to hearing a master of Blues just doing his thing.

Click here to download "Going Down The River"

<a href="http://soundowl.com/track/1ztm/fred-mcdowell-going-down-the-river">Download Fred McDowell Going Down The River</a>
Fred McDowell Going Down The River

Click here to download "Worried Mind Blues"

<a href="http://soundowl.com/track/1ztq/fred-mcdowell-worried-mind">Download Fred McDowell Worried Mind</a>

BT & Adam K-Tomahawk

2011-10-22T00:11:00.000+02:00

Let this one be the official song of your Saturday night. BT & Adam K do a little bit of electro genre busting, mixing up a few different styles and creating a jam which flows like trance, bangs like house, and rages like dubstep. The dubstep drop at about 1:42 comes out of nowhere, busting in the doors of this jam. While it goes on a little too long for my tastes, the duo don't ever let it dominate, and the last minute rides out in a combination of house/trance goodness. This track is nothing less than surprising, and in a genre which seems to sometimes attempt to see who can be the "most" pure, it's definitely a welcome turn of events.

Click here to download

&amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://soundowl.com/track/1z2u/bt-adam-k-tomahawk"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Download BT &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp; Adam K Tomahawk&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;gt;
BT & Adam K Tomahawk

Kanye West Samples

2011-10-19T22:47:00.001+02:00

I can't believe I've never seen this before. This clip shows Kanye's samples throughout some of his greatest songs and though I've already highlighted two of my all time favorite samples he's used, seeing them chopped up in mixed together in this ratatouille style video really shows the breadth and depth of the samples Kanye has flipped. I've always wondered if he just has an insanely large music library or if he has all of his cousins' children listening to old _________ (any genre, any artist) all day long. Whatever it is, it's working. Check out the video below.

The Twelves Concert Review

2011-10-18T14:20:00.001+02:00

One of the greatest barometers in life is the Expected Joy&Happiness function whereby you rate the actual joy you got from seeing/witnessing/experiencing/watching something (with a simple 1-10 rating) and divide that by the expected joy that you thought you were going to get from seeing/witnessing/experiencing/watching something (continue the simple 1-10 rating). For example, my expected joy from watching an episode of How To Make It In America is about a 6 which, divided by the relative 6 joy I get from actually seeing it, means that How To Make It In America is batting a very solid 1.000. This rating takes into consideration that some of life's greatest joys come from being completely blown outta the water by something, while not discounting the feeling when an artist amazes you despite high expectations (Rodrigo y Gabriela were at a 9 for exceptions and a 10 for delivery).

Back to the review. I went to see The Twelves, an up and coming electro duo from Rio, who have been making some big waves on the blogocean recently and I was expecting something new, some edgy, something epic. My good buddy and trusted electroaficienado Brem had nothing but the best things to say about them and my expectations were soaring (a little naively perhaps) at an 8. What I got was about a 4, giving a pretty mediocre .500. Perhaps an off-night hit them at an unfortunate time for myself, but The Twelves were neither very dynamic nor very original. Songs rose and fell with lackluster transitions and none of the tropical spark that I was expecting. The Madrid crowd itself, which had put a great showing for itself the week before at Afrojack, seemed to be having a better time at the secondary DJ upstairs. With nary a raised head to check out the crowd, I was looking for a big slap-on-the-back type of night; unfortunately all I got was a weak handshake.

EJH Rating=.500 (mediocre)

Check out their BBC Essential Mix here

Phantogram x Anthem - Don't Move (Joy & Pain Mix)

2011-10-14T13:22:00.000+02:00

In the lead-up to him dropping his new EP Joy & Pain, Anthem keeps his growing base of fans happy by releasing something fresh. Over Phantogram's "Don't Move" Anthem gives us a taste of what's coming on his superdope new EP. Proving that he can really rap over anything and make it sound great, Ant seems to be musically living out this philosophy, continuously testing and pushing the limits of his talents. I've had the opportunity to listen to the EP and and it's safe to say that a lot of you are going to be blown away. Two songs on the six song EP gave me the shivers, and one features a sample that is going to surprise the hell outta you. Stay tuned for the full EP and in the mean time, check this jam out (and read an interview with the man here).

Phantogram x Anthem - Don't Move (Joy & Pain Mix) by AMGEsquires