Happy Birthday Bob Marley

Happy Birthday Bob!

The reggae icon would have been 67 today. Lets all raise a glass in his honor! 

...Or other things if you prefer. 

Bob Marley - "Is This Love"

M.I.A; "Bad Girls"

"Live fast / Die young / Bad girls do it well"

M.I.A will release her followup to the otherwise difficult listen Maya later this year (I hate myself for saying that, but the majority of the album was just a lot of unconnected noise. Sorry girl, I still love you!) So I am really excited to see that the British rapper has returned to the sound of her previous albums. The first single off her forthcoming as-yet-untitled record is "Bad Girls," a catchy rework first found on her Vicki Leekx  EP.

The video is an Arabian-Tokyo Drift of sorts. Lots of matching, sparkly jumpsuits, hip-hop choreo in the desert and bizarre car-riding, among other tricks. Watch.

Sleigh Bells; "Born To Lose" + "Comeback Kid"

If you're like me, highly anticipating the release of Sleigh Bells' Reign of Terror, then these two tracks off the upcoming record should tide you over until February 14th, or Valentine's Day for all the lovers out there. Sticking with the formula we found on their debut Treats, we hear lots of heavy riffs, cooed and shouted vocals and drum machine beats, which all create the illusion that you've blown your speakers.

"Born To Lose," is probably my favorite of the two, which is a little darker then we've heard from the electro-dance-punk duo in the past. But "Comeback Kid" is nearly as good and its video features an epic mustard bottle toss that is not to be missed! Check it out.

"Born To Lose" - Sleigh Bells


"Comeback Kid" - Sleigh Bells

Listen to This: Santigold - Big Mouth

After releasing "Go!" last year, Miss Santi White, better known as the new wave hip-hopper Santigold, left a lot of her fans wondering when they would be graced with a new record. Better hold on to your seats! "Big Mouth," the dancehall-influenced track produced by the electro-kuduro DJ's Buraka Som Sistema, is the first single off Master of My Make Believe, Santi's followup to 2008's smash breakthrough Santogold. You'll have to wait a few more months until the album's full release this spring, but watch the clip below to get a taste of what she has in store.



Visit Santi's official website and grab the mp3 in exchange for your email.

Welcome Blue Ivy Carter! + Listen to Jay-Z's "Glory"

Last summer word broke that superstar couple Beyonce and Jay-Z were expecting a little one. I'm not really one to care about celebrity babies, but this news even had me excited! After a decade together, many people wondered when the secretive couple would reproduce a mini superstar. Well as of last Saturday night, Beyonce gave birth to Blue Ivy Carter. Interesting name...

Speculation found on every celeb gossip site mentions that the couple went with the name "Ivy" because of the significance of the number 4 or "IV" in their relationship.  Beyonce's birthday is September 4th, Jay-Z's is December 4th and they were married on April 4th. They also have matching "IV" tattoos on their wedding fingers, not to mention Beyonce's most recent record is named 4. Many are assuming that "Blue" derives from Jay-Z's series of records titled The Blueprint. What happens if they choose to have another child?

I bet it will be a long time coming before anyone knows what she looks like, but it shouldn't be hard to figure out she's probably incredibly adorable. Her mom is a goddess after all. And her dad... well he's Jay-Z. Who, might I add, was already at work creating a song about the new joy in his life. Today, the rap mogul posted a new track to his website Life + Times, titled "Glory" featuring none-other then Blue Ivy Carter herself. Two days old and already in a track with one of the self-proclaimed greatest rappers alive. Listen below; it'll pull on your heart strings.

"Glory" - Jay-Z feat. Blue Ivy Carter

Album Review: The Black Keys - El Camino

The Black Keys - El Camino
9/10 

Who said Rock n' Roll is dead?

Clearly whoever thought so wasn't anticipating the release of The Black Keys' El Camino.

The first thing that came to mind when I finished my first listen of the blues-rock duo's seventh album was: "Holy shit, this is a damn good record." Not only is it the catchiest Black Keys I've ever heard, but it truly is a foot-stomping good time throughout. Co-produced by Danger Mouse, El Camino is much glitzier then the reserved garage-rock of Attack & Release (also produced by Danger Mouse back in 2008) and amplifies the ballsy alt rock we heard on 2010's Brothers, the gold-certified, Grammy-winning charmer that catapulted the Ohio boys into stardom. Their newest collection of tracks is sure to keep them on the right path... or camino if you will.

The irresistible opener "Lonely Boy" sets the the perfect tone; immediately you feel like you're at a good ol' rock show or a rundown bar in the South, slugging back beers with burly beard-growers and pool players--whichever, both seem fun.

We head right into “Dead and Gone” and it's here you'll realize this record isn't of the one-hot-track variety. Dan Auerbach's twangy guitar thrusts cowboy glam through your speakers, while Patrick Carney's bass drum is heavily at work. Mix in some sparkly keyboards and you get an uptempo Keys record that is bound to have ads beckoning for its tunes (Victoria's Secret, Subaru, American Express and Zales...they truly understood commercial success in the past. I don't think it will end any time soon). Although some tracks can become a little repetitive, they do make for great sing-alongs, so really no complaints there.

Highlights include the dirty rock gem “Gold on the Ceiling,” “Run Right Back,” the foot-stomping “Hell of a Season” and the sexy “Mind Eraser” which I choose to play on loop.

A lot is said about an album when you don't feel the need to skip a single track. Cheers to The Black Keys for a job well done. 

The Black Keys - "Gold on the Ceiling"