Drake's “Take Care” Billboard

If you live in Toronto and happen to drive down the Gardener Expressway, look out for this billboard promoting the November 15th release of Drake's sophomore record, Take Care.

Thanks to a pile of paperwork which involve clearing sample tracks, the album's unveiling had been pushed back from his original birthday release on October 24. But thankfully, November 15th isn't too far in the distant future that we should all be able to hold off for just a couple more weeks. Earlier this month, Drake shared that the album is to include 19 songs (17 on the physical edition and 2 on bonus) which he created in his hometown of Toronto. Here's hoping these tracks are reminiscent of his So Far Gone days...

Drake Drops Take Care Artwork

Drake recently took to his blog, October's Very Own to share the cover art for his sophomore record, Take Care. A more mature-looking Drake sits solemnly surrounded by a golden chalice, owl and candle stick. Not sure what that means, but I'm sure he has his reasons. Out October 24, Take Care is one of my most anticipated albums of the year. I'm looking forward to seeing what Drizzy brings to the table after Thank Me Later, his over-hyped debut, failed to excite just about everyone. 

He has been self-releasing song after song and it's not gaurenteed what we can find on the album just yet, but here's hoping "Trust Issues" makes the cut.


Drake - "Trust Issues"

JT Buys MySpace + Chris Brown Remixes “Marvin's Room”

It was announced yesterday that former N*Sync curly-haired crooner, Justin Timberlake bought MySpace for $35 million. He and advertising agency Specific Media plan to refocus the website on entertainment and want "a place where fans can go to interact with their favorite entertainers, listen to music, watch videos, share and discover cool stuff." Read more about it here. Perhaps his role in The Social Network influenced him to buy the social network (HA!).

There have been tons of people remixing Drake's brooding track “Marvin's Room.” Chris Brown is one of the latest to join the pack. What he did however was take on the perspective of the man the girl is currently with. Interesting spin on the song, even though all he's really doing is throwing it in Drake's face that said girl is better off with him. Original is still better. Listen below.

Chris Brown: "Marvin's Room"

And for those of you living in The Great White North (which actually isn't white and covered in snow because it's summer!): HAPPY CANADA DAY! Enjoy the sunshine, the fireworks and party hard!

Watch Drake's New Video & Listen To New Coldplay + Arcade Fire's Scenes From the Suburbs

Let me start off with an apology for my lack of posts in the last few days; sorry!

Drake posted a video for “Marvin's Room” on his October's Very Own blog yesterday. In the clip, we see the hip hop crooner drowning his sorrows to ease the pain of unrequited love. Watch below.

In addition to “Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall,” Coldplay have debuted two new tracks to be included on their still-untitled album to be released this fall. I was surprised with the sound of these songs. Where “Every Teardrop” is quite reminiscent of their previous work, “Major Minus” and “Moving To Mars” seem to take the Brits in a new direction. “Major Minus” has a echo effect layered over some fuzzy guitar, while “Moving To Mars” starts with Chris Martin singing in super low baritone over the piano, it then transforms with synths and twinkling guitar work. Listen below.

Coldplay: "Major Minus"


Coldplay: "Moving To Mars"

The Suburbs, Arcade Fire's Grammy winning record, tells the story of a dystopian neighbourhood, home to people who have become heartless and hopeless. In the video for the album's title track we saw teenagers bike riding through the streets while some sort of military attack was underway. The clip played as a trailer to a short film the band promised fans would be released in the near future. Well the Spike Jonze directed piece is finally available for your viewing pleasure. Scenes From the Suburbs is a 30-minute mini-movie which debuted at the Berlin International Film Festival in February. You should be able to watch it here, but if you live in the U.S, Canada or Germany, some strange restrictions apply. Do not Fear! The film will be on the band's deluxe edition of The Suburbs hitting stores in August, or if you patiently wait, I'm sure someone will have it floating about online shortly. The deluxe edition will feature two new tracks: “Culture War” and “Speaking in Tongues” featuring David Byrne.

Watch Metronomy's “The Bay” + Jojo remixes Drake?!

Metronomy have unveiled the new video for their stellar track, “The Bay.” It was shot in Torquay, England and from what I understand, is the location that inspired the song. The clip is complete with choreographed poses, sunglasses, gorgeous shots of the bay and leggy models. Enjoy!

So.... remember this little number?

Jojo is all grown up and will soon be releasing Jumping Trains, her third and most mature album this coming fall. Why am I blogging about Jojo? Well, she caught my attention with a remix of Drake's recently leaked brooding track, “Marvin's Room.” She placed a female spin on it and reworked its angle. I was shocked for a number of reasons. One thing, she swears. And sings about sex, well, more forwardly then she did in her teeny pop days. Maybe it's because in my mind, I still picture her as that 14 year-old doe-eyed girl complaining about a boy while leaning against her locker. And wearing a “boys stink” tank-top. But the biggest shock of all, I didn't expect to like it. Her version is nearly as raw, emotional and addictive as the original. Listen below and see for yourself.

Jojo - "Marvin's Room" (Can't Do Better) Remix"

I also came across “In The Dark” which she released on a mixtape last year. Is the world ready for a grownup, sexy Jojo?!

Listen to New Singles from Drake & Beirut + Watch Friendly Fires on Kimmel

It's been announced that Drake's next record Take Care will be released on October 24 (which is also his birthday!). “Marvin's Room” is somewhat of a gloomy track set to a slower pace, but don't let that mislead you. I think I've listened to it about five times in a row now. Drake has reportedly been in the studio with fellow Toronto rapper The Weeknd, which makes sense because this single is heavily influenced by him. So far, it sounds like Take Care is on the right track. Visit Pitchfork to give it a listen.

Beirut, everyone's favouorite Balkan folk group, will be returning with their third record The Rip Tide, due out August 30. The album, including single “East Harlem,” will be released on frontman Zach Condon's own label, Pomepeii Records. Listen to the track below!



Last night, dance-punk trio Friendly Fires stopped by for a live performance of “Blue Cassette” on Jimmy Kimmel Live! They were awesome, of course, which is why I thought I'd share it. Also, Ed's shirt brings a smile to my face. I love that he has a tropical-themed shirt on while singing a song off a tropical-themed album. Consistency, I like it!

In the News: Juno Highlights, Radiohead's Free Paper + What to Expect on Record Store Day

The 2011 Juno Awards took place in Toronto last night and surprisingly, it wasn't a total disaster. A jam-packed Air Canada Centre, full of fans and artists alike, were entertained by a number of great performances and the slick hosting ability of Toronto's own rap superstar, Drake. While the Juno's are often regarded as a total snoozefest, with hosts that tell jokes that are barely laughable, this year's event was actually presented very well and didn't feel like a complete waste of time. I feel like I'm being really harsh here, but I know that's what everyone thinks! I swear I'm not a horrible person.

Arcade Fire cleaned up house having won four awards; Best Album of the Year, Group Of The Year, Best Alternative Album Of The Year, and Songwriter Of The Year. Rock legend Niel Young took home a Juno for Artist of the Year while the Biebz received awards for Pop Album of the Year and the Juno Fan Choice Award. It was definitely surprising to see Drake, who was nominated in six different categories leave empty handed. He did however leave a smile on peoples' faces having done a couple of pretty funny sketches such as the one below. Who needs Young Money when you got Old Money?!



There were a number of great performances from the likes of Tokyo Police Club (“Bambi”), Chromeo (“Hot Mess”), Hedley (“Perfect”) and Arcade Fire (“Rococo”). There was also a great tribute to Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, Gordon Lightfoot and The Band performed by several artists including Dallas Green, Sarah Harmer and Jim Cuddy. All in all, it was probably the best Juno Awards I've seen.

In other news, Radiohead published their very own newspaper entitled The Universal Sigh. The free paper began being distributed today in various locations worldwide to celebrate the release of their latest album The King of Limbs in its physical format. The paper features lyrics, stories, poems and artwork from the band. Visit the paper's website to find out if you can still grab yourself a copy. For those of you in North America, The Universal Sigh will be available starting tomorrow while supplies last. However, if you're like me and will be stuck at work, you can checkout the .pdf version right here. Below see frontman Thom Yorke distributing copies of The Universal Sigh in London this morning.

Record Store Day will be taking place on April 16 and to commemorate the event, a number of different artists will be releasing 7-inch vinyl singles. The Beastie Boys will drop their track “Make Some Noise,” off their upcoming album, as well as singles from Tinie Tempah, Gorillaz, Danger Mouse and Jack White. The Twilight collabo featuring Beck and Bat For Lashes will also be released, with a Bat For Lashes b-side demo track titled “Dark Time.”

Song Pick of the Week!

In honour of the 40^th Annual Juno Awards taking place in Toronto tonight, I've chosen a few different tracks by some pretty awesome Canadian talent.

First up: Drake. The homegrown, former Degrassi star will be hosting tonight's event. So to celebrate that fact, I've posted my favourite Drake song, “The Best I Ever Had.” Not only did this particular track put him on the map, but it also brings back a lot of awesome summer memories. 

Next: Arcade Fire. These guys have had one hell of a year; performing and winning big at both the Grammys and The BRIT Awards. Not to mention their third album The Suburbs, was simply incredible and received universal acclaim. They will be performing at tonight's Juno Awards and I'm sure they will bring home some well deserved trophies as well. Below is one of my favourites, "Rococo," off said album which never fails to put me in a great mood.

Next: Chromeo. These Montreal natives combine the two very different worlds of electro and funk and mix them together so well, the end result is always a fun, dance-worthy track. Watch their quirky video for “Fancy Footwork” below!

And lastly: City and Colour. I should probably mention that I was completely infatuated with Dallas Green for a very long period of time. Through my entire high school career and some time in university, I pictured that we would one day be wed and he would serenade me on a daily basis. Didn't work out and I think I'm finally getting over it. Anyway, listen to him while he beautifully croons in “Sometimes (I Wish).”

  

Grammy Hangover; Surprises, Shockers, The Good & Bad

What can I say about the 53rd Annual Grammy Awards that took place in Los Angeles last night? Well, now that I've calmed down and placed my phone across the room so I can cease whatever is left of the Twitter attack I was having, I can clearly reflect on last night's events.

First of all, biggest surprise of the night; Arcade Fire wins Album of the Year for their masterpiece, The Suburbs. This was an incredible moment for not only the band, but for music. Like Kanye tweeted, maybe there is hope in the world. I was shocked. As a big fan of the band, of course I was cheering for them, but never expected an album that was released on an independent label to beat out the likes of Eminem, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry and Lady Antebellum. The seven-piece Canadian outfit was clearly shocked themselves. “What the hell?” exclaimed frontman Win Butler when he received the award. “Thank you to the Grammys, thank you everyone. We're so happy!” They then ended the night with an energized performance of “Ready to Start.” The band later tweeted this. I'm genuinely so happy for them.

Another surprise, Eminem, the one-expression-only rap superstar, was nominated for 10 awards, but only left with two. So much for the clean sweep everyone thought was going to happen.

The shockers don't end there. Jazz singer and instrumentalist, Esperanza Spalding took home the highly coveted award for Best New Artist. I think I speak for everyone when I say: “WTF?” How does someone who is relatively unknown in the world of mainstream music beat out huge contenders like Justin Bieber, Florence and the Machine, Drake, and Mumford and Sons? I'm all for recognizing new artists and sounds, but lets be fair here, everyone she was up against (including Bieber) contributed much to the industry as of recently and they hand over the award to the new kid? Voters got it wrong.

Yet another head-scratcher; the chart-topping country group Lady Antebellum won Grammys for both Record and Song of the Year, shutting out favored nominees Cee Lo Green and Eminem and Rihanna.

In the other top categories, Muse took home Best Rock Album for The Resistance, the deserving Black Keys won Best Alternative Album for Brothers, and Jay-Z and Alicia Keys received the Best Rap Song award for “Empire State of Mind.”

Awards aside, it was all about the performances. The night began with a tribute to Aretha Franklin (that went on for far too long) and featured Christina Aguilera, Martina McBride, Yolanda Adams, Jennifer Hudson and Florence Welch of Florence and the Machine (who was clearly the best vocalist of the bunch). A 67-year-old Mick Jagger also payed tribute, but to Solomon Burke instead and proved age clearly doesn't matter when he energetically danced across the stage in Nike sneakers.

Lady Gaga's debut performance of “Born This Way” was one of my favourites. Yes, she is crazy and weird and some of her artistic ideas seem out of the norm, but how boring would it be if every artist was the same? She offers us something different, a little entertainment while we listen to her beautifully crafted pop music. So haters need to leave her be; I'm looking at you Jason Segel. The pop star arrived at the ceremony enclosed in an egg, then hatched during her well choreographed performance and was born a hair-whipping, organ-playing demon-dinosaur! It was entertaining and I enjoyed it. Her outfits throughout the night were hilariously awesome; massive platforms, a superhero inspired leather ensemble which outlined fake butt cheeks and a hat that hid her face. Could we expect anything less?

Muse played their hit “Uprising” while standing on the three-piece stage they used for their last tour, as a riot took place beneath them. Bob Dylan joined Mumford and Sons and the Avett Brothers after they performed their folk singles and sang “Maggie's Farm.” Although Dylan is getting older and his voice isn't what it used to be, it was still a nice moment. Rihanna, Eminem and Maroon 5's Adam Levine teamed up for “Love the Way You Lie.” Then in his first television performance in over a decade, Dr. Dre joined Eminem in “I Need a Doctor.” It was great, but could have used a little more Dre.

Rihanna later returned with Drake for "What's My Name," another one of my favourite performances. The song took on a more tribal vibe and Rihanna's vocals seemed stronger. It probably wasn't completely live, which would explain it. Speaking of my faves of the night, Arcade Fire's seizure-inducing stobe light extravaganza for "Month of May," was simply awesome and consisted of guys on BMX bikes riding across the stage with cameras on their helmets so we could see what they see. Pretty cool.

Oscar winner Gwenyth Paltrow paired up with Cee Lo Green to sing “The song otherwise known as 'Forget You'” as the Grammys puts it. It was a colourful performance, complete with dancing Muppets, Cee Lo in a bird/knight costume and a piano-climbing Paltrow. Although it seemed like Cee Lo might have forgotten some of his own lyrics, he could have just been really into it. It was a fun few minutes after all. B.O.B, Bruno Mars and Janelle “Poof” Monae also came together during “Nothing On You,” “Grenade” and “Cold War.”


At the end of the day, it wasn't a complete waste of 3 and half hours. Until next year!

The 53rd Annual Grammy Award Winners:
Album of the Year: Arcade Fire, The Suburbs
Record of the Year: Lady Antebellum, “Need You Now”
Song of the Year: Lady Antebellum, “Need You Now”
Best New Artist: Esperanza Spalding
Best Rap Album: Eminem, Recovery
Best Pop Vocal Album: Lady Gaga, The Fame Monster
Best Alternative Music Album: The Black Keys, Brothers
Best Rock Album: Muse, The Resistance
Best Rap Song: Jay-Z and Alicia Keys, “Empire State of Mind”
Best Pop Performance by Duo or Group: Train, “Hey, Soul Sister (Live)”
Best Female Pop Vocal Performance: Lady Gaga, “Bad Romance”
Best Male Pop Vocal Performance: Bruno Mars, “Just the Way You Are”
Best Dance Recording: Rihanna, “Only Girl (In the World)”
Best Electronic Dance Album: La Roux, La Roux
Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group: Black Keys, “Tighten Up”
Best Hard Rock Performance: Them Crooked Vultures, “New Fang”
Best Metal Performance: Iron Maiden, “El Dorado”
Best Rock Song: Neil Young, “Angry World”
Best Rap Solo Performance: Eminem, “Not Afraid”
Best Rap Performance By a Duo or Group: Jay-Z and Swizz Beatz, “On to the Next One”
Best Rap/Sung Collaboration: Jay-Z and Alicia Keys, “Empire State of Mind”
Best R&B Song: John Legend and the Roots, “Shine”
Best Urban/Alternative Performance: Cee Lo, “F*** You”
Best R&B Album: John Legend and the Roots, Wake Up
Best Contemporary R&B Album: Usher, Raymond v Raymond
Producer of the Year, Non-Classical: Danger Mouse

In the News: Drake Takes an Indie Route, La Roux Seeks Help from Friends

Drake has already started working on his second album, Take Care, and has recruited the help of Jamie Smith from English new wave group, The xx. They are recording a single track to appear on the record. The Canadian rapper is also planning to collaborate with the almighty Florence Welch of Florence and the Machine for a song to be included on her next album. I'm excited to see how this turns out. Hopefully fusing artists from two genres works as well for Drake as it did for Kanye West. The hip-hop powerhouse included indie folk group Bon Iver on his latest release, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, which turned out to be a success. Check out Drake performing “Fireworks” at the Hammersmith Odeon in London, with Florence Welch replacing Alicia Keys, embedding lyrics from her dreamy track “Cosmic Love.”

La Roux is also currently working on her second effort. Elly Jackson, lead of the electropop group, told NME that she has been writing with friends from an established indie band. The rumour is that this “established” band is the dark and gloomy White Lies. Hmmm, another interesting match-up. White Lies are definitely talented, but I'm not sure how their writing style will work with the 80's synth-style pop artist.

In other news, Gucci Mane got a massive tattoo of an ice cream cone. On his face. It's planted for life across his cheek with “brrr” scripted on its side, complete with three scoops and red lightening bolts replacing maraschino cherries. Apparently, Gucci wanted to remind his fans that he's “cool as ice.” What would possess anyone to do something like this?! Well, he is fresh out of a mental health institution... You can check out a picture of his new tat and the Rolling Stone article about it here. 

Looking Back: My Picks of 2010

 

Best Album of the year: Arcade Fire – The Suburbs: From start to finish, this album is fantastic. The Canuk group of eight put together a wonderfully crafted third album that is intense in both it's musicality as well as it's lyrics. Win Butler croons throughout the record about how heartless and hopeless we have all become, while assisted by pulsating bass lines, bursts of folk guitar and calming piano. The statement-making album tells an honest story leading us to believe that we have indeed forgotten where we come from. Therefore, a drive through the suburbs is exactly what we need. 

  

Best Break Out Act: Florence and the Machine: 2010 was certainly the year for Florence Welch and her backing band. Although the group was formed in 2007, it was last year when the London based band fully embraced mainstream success. Sold out tours, numerous television performances, songs featured in successful films, tons of radio play and of course, lots more fans. Her theatrical debut album, Lungs (and one of my personal favourites), sold over 100, 000 copies, which is pretty damn good, considering the state of sales in the music industry. Her awe-inspiring voice, which probably has the ability to crack a glass with one of her sweet, yet powerful croons, is what makes her such an outstanding artist. It's rare to come across singers who can sing as well as they have been recorded, which is why Welch deserves much applause. 

Biggest Surprise: It's a tie between the Klaxons and Foals.

Klaxons – Surfing the Void: The new rave, alternative band was forced by their label to return to the studio and rerecord their sophomore album after deeming previous efforts as “too experimental.” This made fans a little antsy, having to wait nearly 3 years since the release of their Mercury Prize winning album, Myths of the Near Future. Were they going to maintain their synthy-experimental sound or were they going to drastically reinvent themselves? It had me worried, but in truth, it was worth the wait and turned out to be amazing.

Foals – Total Life Forever: The quintet from Oxford, England returned last year with a completely different sound, which was a little hard to get accustomed to at first. Yet after a couple listens, I had the album on a continuous loop. Yes, TLF isn't nearly as dancey as Antitodes, but it's a gem nonetheless.

  

Biggest Letdown: Kings of Leon – Come Around Sundown: Kings of Leon were once a small band from Nashville who didn't care whatsoever about what anyone thought of their music. Their initial upbeat, southern blues sound generated a cult of devoted fans who would eventually see the group of brothers, plus cousin, transform into their polar opposite; a mainstream, arena rock band. With the more alternative-sounding Only By the Night, released in 2008, they gained North American success and prepared themselves for world domination. It was a different kind of KOL, one that even some of the band members didn't necessarily enjoy. In numerous interviews they mentioned how they wanted to return to their southern-indie sound with their fifth record. Sadly, I don't think they quite did that. CAS isn't a horrible album. I taught myself to enjoy it overtime, yet I was disappointed that despite how the band felt about their previous effort, they chose to maintain a more mainstream sound. I'll get over it someday. 

Most Over-hyped: Drake – Thank Me Later. Don't get me wrong, I love Drake. Homegrown talent who rose to fame having only released an EP and partaking in collaborations with some of hip-hop's best. But his first full length album did not live up to the intense hype it received. There were definitely some stellar tracks; all the singles plus another song or two are certainly worth the listen. However, the majority of the album was much too slow a pace and lacked the power he entered the game with.

Best Track: Kanye West – “Power”: Only Kanye could get away with a teaser for the first single on an upcoming album and have absolutely everyone intrigued. Although he spends the song telling us how awesome he is and crediting himself for being gifted and almighty powerful, he reclaims who he is as an artist after the controversial VMA moment that left a sour taste in people's mouths. If anything, he created a track that sounds like nothing found in most modern hip-hop.

Worst Track: Angelina Pivarnick – “I'm Hot.” Seriously? Her winning personality couldn't cut it on Jersey Shore, why even attempt to record a song about herself, and think people would actually like it? With the rapping help of some guy who I'm sure is the most awesome guido-gorilla-juicehead in town, Pivarnick's constant nasal tone is auto-tuned to add to the track's pop factor. “I take a shot. It hits the spot. Then dance a lot. Until I drop. I shop. I just can't stop.” These lyrics put all songwriters to shame. 

Best Album Cover: Klaxons – Surfing the Void. Who can seriously beat an astronaut cat?! Exactly.

 

Worst Album Cover: Interpol – Interpol. I felt somewhat ripped off by these New York City boys as they obviously put next to zero effort into the album cover. The black theme with jumbled, cement-styled letters spelling the band's name flowed throughout the rest of the artwork. A total bore. Album is great, artwork not so much. 

Honorable Mentions
Awesome Albums of 2010 I Couldn't/Can't Get Enough of:
Best Coast – Crazy For You
Kanye West – My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
Vampire Weekend – Contra
Sleigh Bells – Treats
Marina and the Diamonds – The Family Jewels
The Black Keys – Brothers
Surfer Blood – Astro Coast