[MP3] Oberhofer – “Heart”

by Brandon on January 27, 2012

i don’t know what you think while you’re sleeping, i hope soon i’ll dream with you

♫ Oberhofer – Heart

  • Who: Brad’s the name, Oberhofer’s the game. But its actually also his name.
  • What: Indie crooner rock, kinda like Local Natives, Throw Me The Statue
  • Where: NYC via Tacoma + Facebook / Amazon
  • When: Debut LP Timecapsules II is out 4/13/12.
  • Why: Oberhofer continues to release fantastic songs as the release date of his debut approaches. This one builds magically, with the kind of payoff I imagine Time Capsules II will feel like. All signs point to a pretty stellar album.

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The 20 Best ALBUMS of 2011

by Brandon on January 27, 2012

We all know I hate Best of Lists that come out before the year is over so nearly 4 weeks into 2012 I finally present my best albums of 2011! (Still a day faster than last year!) Below are the top 10 albums from my 2011 followed by 10 honorable mentions. The list was compiled by weighing total play counts along with longevity. Not only did I listen to it a lot, but was I still reaching for it months after the honeymoon phase. These are those albums.

Since I can’t be bothered to rank these bad boys I went for alphabetical. That coupled with my attempts at some sort of pleasing visual design ended up pairing these albums in pretty interesting ways. Enjoy, and of course, drop your thoughts in the comments. Hearing your agreements/disagreements is always the most fun part of these lists!

♫ = Click to play & right-click to download

Click album titles to see original review

Das Racist – Relax

♫ Das Racist – Rainbow in the Dark

When they want to these guys can be amazing. Unlike anything else out there.

Drake – Take Care

♫  Drake – Take Care (Feat. Rihanna)

This album is still growing on me more and more.  The man in onto something special here.

Frank Ocean – Nostalgia, Ultra

♫ Frank Ocean – Songs for Women

Heart and soul. And damn catchy hooks.

Holy Ghost! – Holy Ghost!

♫ Holy Ghost! – Wait & See

This one just kept getting better and better. Each listen uncovers a new favorite.

Hooded Fang – Album

♫ Hooded Fang – Straight Up The Dial

I don’t care that it came out in 2010. It made my 2011. An insanely delightful album that any sane person should love.

Jhameel – The Human Condition

♫ Jhameel – Bernal Heights

The sound on an amazing artist getting even better.

Motopony – Motopony

♫ Motopony – Wait For Me

Tender hearts never sounded this good.

Penguin Prison – Penguin Prison

♫ Penguin Prison – The Worse It Gets

The long wait could have turned out sour but instead  we got an album that blew away all my expectations.

Walk The Moon - I Want! I Want!

♫ Walk The Moon – Lisa Baby

From an awesome single to an awesome live shot to an awesome album, 2011 the year of Walk The Moon. Every song is perfect.

Wildlife – Strike Hard Young Diamond

♫ Wildlife – Stand in the Water

Is anyone else out there loving this as much as me!? This album has it all! Stellar.

HONORABLE MENTION

ANR – Stay Kids / ♫ ANR – Stay Kids

Civil Civic - Rules / ♫ Civil Civic – Street Trap

Gotye – Making Mirrors / ♫ Gotye – Eyes Wide Open

James Blake – James Blake / ♫ James Blake – The Wilhelm Scream

Jay Z & Kanye West – Watch The Throne / ♫ Jay Z & Kanye West – Niggas In Paris

Generationals – Actor-Caster / ♫ Generationals – Ten-Twenty-Ten

Monarchy – Monarchy / ♫ Monarchy – Gold In The Fire

Peter Bjorn & John – Gimme Some / ♫ Peter Bjorn and John – May Seem Macabre

The Weeknd – House of Balloons / ♫ The Weeknd – House Of Balloons/Glass Table Girls

When Saints Go Machine – Konkylie / ♫ When Saints Go Machine – Kelly

~ ~ ~

Artwork by Jacob Youngblood Ziegler

Be sure to catch all the 2010 “best of” lists!

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Remix Party Playlist Vol. 59 – 1.27.2012 [Capital Cities, Dada Life, Mord Fustang, Chiddy Bang, and more...]

by Joel on January 27, 2012

Its been awhile since I released a Remix Roundup. Yeah, I know blah blah…  What if i told you that I have one in the batters box and another on deck… just waiting there patiently, ready to slap you in the face with this waffle here (Baseball reference in 2012- check).  BTW, this waffle is made of plastic and it might hurt.

Tis Friday folks.

Nurd On.

For more jams or by any of these artists use the ‘tags’ links at the bottom of the post!  Follow @JoelAlbers on Twitter for updates on remixes, dubstep and all things Nurdy.

♫ Capital Cities – Safe and Sound (d’Anconia Remix) / First off, this original tune was one of my 2011 favorites and I really enjoyed the Discotech remix just recently released…  BUT, this version is so tough that I almost want to slap someone.  If this jam doesn’t top Hype, then I’ll be personally pissed.  Check d’Anconia on Facebook.

♫ Notorious B.I.G. – Going Back to Cali (Viceroy _Jet Life_ Remix) / Its not summer, but Vicerory will fill your speakers with those sunny good vibes.  Do yourself a favor..  go grab some CapriSun and enjoy this one.

[click for more!]

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[MP3/LIVE] The Good Natured – “Video Voyeur” (+ recent LA shows)

by Brandon on January 26, 2012

just give me what i want, don’t leave me hanging til the morning light

♫ The Good Natured – Video Voyeur

Try to contain your jealous rage when you hear that I got to catch The Good Natured live this week… and last week. Yeah, pretty radical. And the fact that they absolutely smashed both shows doesn’t hurt either. New stand-alone single “Video Voyeur” opened their set both times, kicking things off tight and right. An audio freight heading for partyville. The trio rocked hard, with Sarah alternating between jaunts into the heart of the audience for “Be My Animal” and wailing on a big drum for “Skeleton.” Hot. What she didn’t alternate doing was having some of the finest legs to ever grace a stage. I guess “flaut ‘em if you got ‘em” goes for jams and gams. Nice.

Check out more photos of Monday’s School Night show (which also featured Evan Voytas and Har Mar Superstar) here.

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[MP3/VIDEO] Electric Guest – “American Daydream”

by Brandon on January 26, 2012

after it all it’s still repairable, i know that i forgot my history

♫ Electric Guest – American Daydream

  • Who: Asa Taccone & Matthew Compton
  • What: Ghost-pop, like Motopony, Dead Man’s Bones, Broken Bells
  • Where: Los Angeles + Facebook / Soundcloud / Bandcamp / Amazon
  • When: Debut LP Mondo is out 3/24.
  • Why: Having Loney Island’s Jorma Taccone as your brother and Danger Mouse as your album producer are both great things but neither are worth a damn if you cant write haunting funk fog like “American Daydream” and then set it to a delightfully off-kilter video like this. Although I bet if I listened to this song in a dark room on repeat for a day I could end up like that guy. At least the voice in my head would be smooth as butter.
  • Wrap the fuzzy twist of their newest track “This Head I Hold” around your ears as you wait for their probably-going-to-be-awesome LP Mono.

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[MP3] Donnis – “Gimme” ft. BDBD

by Brandon on January 26, 2012

or maybe you should stay here, exchanging sexual favors until you’re waking up the neighbors

♫ Donnis – Gimme feat. BSBD

  • Who: LaDonnis Crump, the guy from that awesome DJ Hotsauce remix
  • What: Chill-hop, kinda like Drake, or other rappers who get mellow.
  • Where: Hotlanta + Facebook / Soundcloud / Amazon
  • When: Donnis’ Snack Pack series are dropping about every 2 weeks.
  • Why: Much has been made here at TBE about the epic DJ Hotsauce remix of Donnis’ jam “Ring My Bell” but I never really considered tracking down the guy’s original stuff. Well, he just started dropping these free Snack Packs with two songs each and “Gimme” immediately caught my ear. Donnis keeps his rhymes quick and tight over the song’s minimal melancholy groove and delicate female backing vocals. It just works. If this guy can keep the big-label polish off his collar he just may do something interesting. Snack pack Vol. 2 just dropped today. Get at it.

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[MP3] Evian Christ – “Thrown Like Jacks”

by Brandon on January 25, 2012

get you thrown like some jacks

♫ Evian Christ – Thrown Like Jacks

  • Who: Some guy possibly named Evian Christ
  • What: Trip-step, kinda like The xx, James Blake
  • Where: Somewhere in The UK + YouTube
  • When: Just 8 YouTube videos for now
  • Why: Music this minimal is rarely this interesting. Christ takes the Jamie XX approach of letting the negative space do the talking, resulting in a sound that grabs your ear despite not really being there. Apparently “Thrown Like Jacks” uses a sample from some Tyga song I don’t know called “Snapbacks Back.” There are 7 more Christ gems at his YouTube that probably also use samples I don’t know but that is quite OK. Some are better than others but there are enough of them to dig through to keep me busy until more info surfaces on this guy.

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[LP] Sky White Tiger – ELECTRA (w/ “Awaiting Instruction” & “It Flows”)

by Brandon on January 25, 2012

the flames we
have framed with our burning reaction, the planes stuck in planes we’re fighting for action

♫ Sky White Tiger – Awaiting Instruction

  • Who: A former member of The Polyphonic Spree and his bandmates.
  • What: Dreamy indie rock-scapes, kinda like David Bowie, Rufus Wainright
  • Where: Brooklyn + Facebook / Bandcamp / Amazon
  • When: Debut LP Electra is out now.
  • Why: When you are invited to a friend of your friend’s girlfriend’s show in some venue you have never heard of it doesn’t always turn out so well. But sometimes it does! Guess which one this story is about? You got it! Sky White Tiger, their all-white ensemble, and tripped out projections wormed their way into my ear holes and I’ve been chewing on Electra ever since. Opening track “Awaiting Instruction”welcomes us to the album with a meandering musical tale that serves a perfect introduction to band’s sound. “It Flows” takes the reign a few tracks later for a slow burner that brings me back to the 90s in some way. The gravelly vocals and melancholy grooves evoke some of that decades signature alternative rock but I would hesitate to put them in that genre. Hints of psychedelic rock keep giving their music flashes of color and an off edge that sets it apart. Did I mention they are good live?

♫ Sky White Tiger – It Flows

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[MP3] Lady Danville – “Operating”

by Brandon on January 24, 2012

i wish you could believe i meant it all for you to know

♫ Lady Danville – Operating

  • Who: Michael, Dan, & Matthew
  • What: Vocal piano pop, kinda like Local Natives, Ben Folds, Jack’s Mannequin
  • Where: Los Angeles + Facebook / Soundcloud / Amazon
  • When: The Operating EP is out February 14th. Aww…
  • Why: You may remember Lady Danville from their fantastic “Kids” cover from almost 3 years ago (below). They have been keeping us waiting since then but finally just returned in a big way with “Operating.” The vocals are huge and the hooks even bigger, the whole thing forcing me to sing along at top volumes. Their sound has evolved in remarkable ways, leaving few traces of the band we knew. I’ve heard the rest of the EP and it’s arena-sized sing alongs built for thousands. Gone are the days of twee-pop singer-songwriter soft-serve in place of a sound like Death Cab and Local Natives having a sleepover pillow-fight at the Hollywood Bowl. I guess a near death tour van wreck will do that to a band (see the for-reals album art). Now I’m not saying that they should get in more wrecks but if this is the music that comes out, then… well… just maybe.

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[MP3] The 2 Bears – “Work”

by Brandon on January 24, 2012

to do what i’m doing right now i really must be blessed

♫ The 2 Bears – Work (Radio Edit)

  • Who: Joe Goddard from Hot Chip and some guy called Raf Rundell
  • What: Key driven spazz funk, like Hot Chip, Hot Chip, Hot Chip
  • Where: London + Facebook / Amazon
  • When: Debut LP Be Strong is out Jan 30th.
  • Why: Apparently while Joe Goddard was stealthily making sweet jams under his own name, he was also making slightly less secretive tracks as one of The 2 Bears. Their remix of Death Cab (below) made the rounds earlier last year and now their single “Work” is geting bodies moving worldwide. I don’t know why Goddard is such a side-project slut but if all the illegitimate musical love babies sound this good then do it, Joe.

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