Posts

[LIVE] The Cold War Kids – “Miracle Mile” + KCRW Berkeley St. Sessions

/1 Comment/in , /by

nate-sings-vert-by-Jeremiah-Garcia_06-sm

The Cold War Kids haven’t given me much to write about since their awesome 3rd LP Mine Is Yours came out over 2 years ago. Thank goodness then for their new single “Miracle Mile,” a raucous piano-led ode their hometown of LA that gets stuck right in your head. Get acquainted above and then dive into the fantastic Berkeley St Session they did with KCRW that aired this morning. I was privileged enough to be there and it was a damn pleasure to watch these pros tear up the intimate stage setting.

If you have never caught one of KCRW’s intimate Berkeley St Sessions then this is a great time to start. Recorded live at Apogee’s exquisite Berkeley Street Studio in Santa Monica, bands are given an intimate setting to showcase new work as well as sit down for some conversation with a KCRW DJ. Jason Bentley did his best to get some stories out of the guys but frontman Nate’s mind was clearly more focused on the music. I think its always fascinating when such a powerful stage presence doesn’t translate to interview persona. But never mind all that because it’s immediately forgotten when the band is tearing through old favorites like “Audience” and new hits like “Tuxedo” or “Miracle Mile.” Watch the whole video here, catch some great photos here, and then get excited for new LP Dear Miss Lonely Hearts, out April 2.

[PLAYLIST] The Best REMIXES of 2011 – Part 1 (Jan-June)

/37 Comments/in , , , /by

Strap on your shufflin’ shoes and make sure to stretch ’cause this list is an unmerciful messenger delivering jams of the highest quality. Some of these remixes have been banned by certain unenlightened governments for igniting dance parties and group high-fives so share with care.

This edition is chock full of TBE Remix alums and a few newbies shaking things up. Everyone’s favorite, Passion Pit, nab two spots while newbie Star Slinger clinches two more. In a massive non-surprise, RAC takes a heavy slice of this pie with a full 5 slots. Hey, it’s not my fault the guy is a genius. Stay tuned to the number 1 spot to see which brand-newcomers got the number 1 spot and then make sure to leave your thoughts and additions in the comments.

25 – ♫ Britney Spears – Till The World Ends (DOCTOR ROSEN ROSEN Remix) / This isn’t so much “Till The World Ends” but more “After The World Ended.” The Britney comeback party starter gets a post-apocalyptic haunted castle treatment with the “oooh oooh”s providing a completely different effect..

24 – ♫ Miami Horror – Holidays (Butcher Blades Recreational Disaster Remix) / Best name for a remix.

23 – ♫ Jump Jump Dance Dance – Modern Eyes (Vindata Remix) / Why doesn’t this remix have it’s own video of Read more

[MIX] SPRING, MY BELLE! /// A TBE Mix For Exploding Into Springtime

/8 Comments/in , /by

After months of gazing out the window and cursing the wintery grey sky we have finally been blessed with the warmth that thaws the bones in a most electric way. This is a mix for celebrating that moment that you open your front door and are slammed with the blinding sunshine that sparks your insides and makes you want to skip all the way to wherever you are going. I’ve kept in lean and mean at under an hour so add your own tracks as needed. Enjoy with reckless abandon. Read more

Brandon’s TBE Digest 22 [4.10.2011] New Jams, Remixes, Mashups & Covers!

/9 Comments/in , , , /by

Watch out! ITS A BIG ONE! Bold is gold.

For more jams by any of these artists use the ‘tags’ links at the bottom of the post!

NEW RELEVENT JAMS

♫ Jamaica – 1324 Jericho / New Jamaica track from their debut album I’ve yet to be inspired to listen to. Anyone heard it? This one is kinda basic but fun.

♫ Operator Please – Catapult / Australia’s Operator Please dropped a couple super-fun jams a few years back. Their latest has some spunk to it too.

♫ TV On The Radio – Caffeinated Consciousness / Well, it’s certainly no “Wolf Like Me.” New album is Read more

[LP] COLD WAR KIDS are not exactly LOUDER THAN EVER, per se, but they are still rocking

/5 Comments/in , , /by

all my stones become your pearls, all of my trials are your treasures

♫ Cold War Kids – Louder Than Ever

After being pretty stoked on Cold War Kids’ 2010 EP and it’s standout track “Audience of One” I was a bit let down by “Royal Blue” the first taste of their latest LP, Mine Is Yours. 2nd taste “Louder Than Ever” didn’t do much for me either. Then came Passion Pit’s remix of the title track and I was stopped dead. It is a stunning track that while clearly bearing many marks of The Pit, hinted at solid base material. And so I dove into Mine Is Yours with renewed hopes, as well as a better appreciation for both “Royal Blue” and “Louder Than Ever” which had both grown on me over time.

Cold War Kids – Mine Is Yours

So it turns out that Mine Is Yours is kind of a funny album. My trouble in pinning it down is why it’s taken me this long to post on it. On the one hand, I really like it. Tracks like “Mine Is Yours,” “Bulldozer,” and “Broken Open” are snippets of the band exploring new sounds and taking me right along with them. On the other hand, the album clearly lacks the ramshackle urgency of the debut LP that won everybody’s hearts. Considering that most of you have already heard the album and formed your own opinions I’ll keep this brief. Dig into these tracks and if they strike your fancy then just stream 90 second clips of every song right here. I think this album is one everyone will have to figure out for themselves.

Bury your face in MySpace /// eMusic /// Amazon too

Brandon’s TBE Digest 19 – 2.3.2011 [Peter Bjorn and John, Cold War Kids, Passion Pit, Lykke Li, Joy Formidable, Adele, …]

/13 Comments/in , , , , /by

Careful when you lift the lid on this pot o’ gold. A lot of steamy hot jams ready to jump out and burn you if aren’t careful.

For more jams by any of these artists use the ‘tags’ links at the bottom of the post!

NEW RELEVENT JAMS

♫ Peter Bjorn & John – Breaker Breaker / PBnJ are back and wielding way more buzzsaw like-ability than on their last sleeping pill! Wooo! Second taste “Second Chance” is also a jam! Gimmie Some is out 3/29.

♫ The Forms – Fire To The Ground [ft. Matt Berninger] / A little more Read more

Brandon’s TBE Digest 15 – 11.10.2010 [Kanye West, Cold War Kids, Two Door Cinema Club, The Drums, Twin Shadow, Mark Ronson, etc]

/16 Comments/in , , , , /by

Loosen those belts because this Digest is quite the spread and you’re gonna need some breathing room to get through all 18 of these morsels. Bear with me because, save for the last two, this is all great stuff and there are a few “Best ___ of 2010” shoe-ins lurking below. Once again, the jams are broken into “courses” for your convenience. Enjoy!

For more jams or by any of these artists use the ‘tags’ links at the bottom of the post!

NEW ORIGINAL FRESHNESS

♫ Kanye West – All of the Lights (Ft. John Legend, The-Dream, Ryan Leslie, Tony Williams, Charlie Wilson, Elly Jackson, Alicia Keys, Fergie, Kid Cudi, Rihanna, & Elton John) – Besides all the gems at in Kanye’s GOOD Fridays free mp3 program, this guest-crazy jam from the forthcoming My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy also dropped recently. It’s a memorable moment from the “Runaway” film and sure to be a centerpiece of the album.

♫ Trophy Wife – Microlite (acoustic) / Trophy Wife’s latest single “Microlite” may be even better than “Take This Night” and it definitely has a Read more

COLD WAR KIDS have come back to their AUDIENCE, OF which I am definitely ONE.

/4 Comments/in /by

CWK Behave Yourself

one gets all of you, two’s jealous

♫ Cold War Kids – Audience Of One

Cold War Kids are back!! Hell yeah! Their debut album, Robbers And Cowards, is one of the most solid rock albums of recent years and then they done fell off with Loyalty To Loyalty. “Audience Of One” is a solid return to the wobbly blues rock of their heyday. It’s not as raucous as we have heard them before but is still classic CWK. And watching their EP teaser video at their MySpace gets me pretty damn excited for January 19th. That’s the day to wait for, kids. Get in line behind me.

Bury your face in MySpace /// eMusic too