Music Is... Skateboarding - Nike SB Sardinie Tour, Brandon Biebel - Bangin'

Again I had to post a skate video. What can I tell you,  love em'. I don't know what band is playing the music here but it works well with this layout and these guys are talented. This is an IDOSK8 video for Nike SB.

Please enjoy.

IDOSK8.COM

Brandon Biebel - Bangin'

Love the display of talent here.

Music Is... Jamiroquai - Seven Days In Sunny June (video)

I find this to be a fun video. Anything with bubbles has to be good. Gorilla suit, dolphin suit, motor bikes. Hey, its all good.

Music Is... Calvin Harris: I Created Disco

The core reason I wanted to review this album was because of the commercial for Wii's current release "de Blob 2". The song used as part of the promotion is Calvin Harris's 'Colours' from his 2007 debut album "I Created Disco". Digging into Calvin’s history a bit lets us know that he produces, writes, DJ’s, and sings. That’s a nice combination. He began to engage in techno music in his teens and by 1999 he was making bedroom demos. Down the road 2006 saw his contract signing with EMI and Sony Records. He was born January 17, 1984 in Dumfries, Scotland. I’m not sure what the music scene was like in Scotland during the 80’s but I believe it made for some interesting inspiration.

Let’s just put this out there: “I Created Disco” is a triple solid mesh between that 1980’s techno, synthesized, pounding bass, disco sound and now. His accent makes itself very much at home on each song he sings and that’s especially noted on ‘Colours’ and ‘Neon Rocks’. The verses are not long at all but they’re exceedingly quirky and fun. The pace at witch the lyrics are set alongside the beat give way to a smooth tempo. ‘Love Souvenir’ is an instrumental with a simple structure that’s an easy head nodding, laid back type deal; truly nice.

The album as a whole creates an effortless transition from second to second, song to song. There’s a good balance between up-tempo and slower tracks that lends itself to more than one mask. Various “colours”.

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Music Is... Marsha Ambrosius: Late Nights & Early Mornings

I tell ya, I feel kinda behind sometimes. Only after looking up a little background info on her did I realize she was one half of the British duo Floetry. Hello!...Despite releasing a few mixtape albums, "Late Nights & Early Mornings" released March 1, 2011, is her first solo studio album. Just as a little backdrop, Floetry formed due to the love that both her and Natalie Stewart had for basketball. Through that competition they developed a friendship amongst each other. Both attended different colleges but remained in touch and music was always at the forefront of their conversations. 3 Plus 1, an all female poetry performance group founded by Stewart, began receiving some recognition throughout England. The group split due to reasons I'm not sure of, but Marsha and Natalie remained in tact. Followed through by an invitation to a spoken word night, Floetry was conceived.

Solo wise, Marsha has been featured on tracks with many artists, from Jamie Foxx to Earth, Wind & Fire. The styling of this album falls into a very neo-soul/Rn'B vibe. It's all about falling in and out of love, relationships and everything that they entail. Every song, from beginning to end speaks on these aspects very emotionally. Another thing I'll comment on is that none of the beats deviate your attention from the subject or her voice. Each track is really clean cut, with no overly complicated sounds. Simple, and straight to the point. Favoring a track early, I'd say I like 'Chasing Clouds'. This track has a nice off-set beat, something that's growing on me more and more. Moreover, as with every track, the beat and her vocals compliment each-other with drowning themselves out. With contributors such as Lauren Hill and Alicia Keys, her style shines through with no hesitation.

Overall, I say it's a solid album. Hopefully there's more to come.

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Music Is... Beyoncé - Ego

This is great. My favorite part, really, is the end where she's just dancing in the chair. I like to see people have a good time with a project. Looks like she definitely was.

Music Is... N.E.R.D - Sooner Or Later (video)

I love this video. A nice drop from there 08' album "Seeing Sounds".

Music Is... N.E.R.D

 

Chad Hugo, Pharrell Williams and Shae Haley. These three men combined create what is probably my favorite trio of all time. When I decided to discuss these guys, I initially wanted to give my opinion of there second drop 'Fly Or Die'. Then I started reasoning that speaking on one album alone is not going to justify the creative thinking that they generate. Therefore, for myself to give you a true introspective outlook towards this band, I had to deliver the culmination of my thoughts derived from what I know and feel.

N.E.R.D. From beginning to end, I hear constant originality and flavor. I'm a strong believer in that when music is really good, it doesn't matter when it was created. It doesn't matter what the individual or individuals look like; when its good it's great. These guys are just that. Rewind to 2004 and I never thought I'd be saying that about this group. 'Looser' from "The Neptunes Present... Clones", was the first track I ever heard. The mesh of alt rock/rap was something I wasn't entirely too familiar with. In my personal playlist at the time, I had been used to a certain commonality in what I was listening to. Not that I stuck to one genre, but I hadn't taken any risks as far as branching out towards anything really different. From that point onward, not only had I begun to incorporate various sounds but N.E.R.D. became a mainstay. Every remix that I could find, every video, and each album; I had to see and hear. I love just about EVERY song they've made. However I always have my favorites that I can go to anytime I want. 'Bobby James' is probably the main track I took a liking to. I like the hidden song at the end of this one. Reading up, I learned that Chad plays saxophone along with other instruments, so maybe that's him playing there. It's great nonetheless. I think about songs like 'Happy', 'Find My Way', 'The Way She Dances', 'Run To The Sun' and all the others. I find that now, in 2011, I'm never board.

Content doesn't surprise me, be it social change, relationships, love, hate, internal thoughts, past, present, future or something far out; its nothing new. The presentation grabs me. From "In Search Of" to "Nothing" and individual projects along the way, they always deliver what I've come to know. What have I come to know? That's seamless beats, complex backdrops, live instrumentation (you know I dote on that), "spacey" synthesized sound, percussion, piano, drums, guitar and just about everything of the sort. This is what they do. The brain, the red dog, spacemen, spaceships, simply a medley of many things and styles.

If by any chance you're unfamiliar with N.E.R.D., don't "front", "sooner or later" you will be.

Pick one or all...

Seeing Sounds - 2008

Samples

In Search Of - 2002

Samples

Fly Or Die - 2004

Samples

Nothing - 2010

Samples

The Neptunes Present... Clones - 2003

Samples

N*E*R*D*.com

Music Is... Use Somebody - Kings of Leon Guitar Cover

If I haven't let it be known, then I will now: I am sucker for some excellent guitar playing, especially acoustic. Truthfully you could be playing a song with lyrics about the phone-book and I would hooked for for life if it sounds good.

That leads me to this lady. I wouldn't have even known of her had she not decided to friend me. Much appreciated. Anyway, her name is Becky, she's 18 and she lives in Manchester UK. She learned to play simple chords at 11 years of age from her older brother and her father. She is primarily self taught apart from what was learned in her earlier years.

Here I chose a video she posted of herself performing 'Use Somebody' by Kings Of Leon. I love it. I think it's always nice to see a stripped down version of a song, listening to it in the raw. Nicely done.

Her page: becky8610's Channel

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'Use Somebody'

Kings Of Leon: Only By The Night