Kanye West & Jay-Z – That’s My B*tch (Prod. By Q-Tip)
I wake up this morning to this track in my inbox and what a way to start your day. Apparently the track is a leak from the upcoming Kanye and Jay-Z album Watch The Throne. I can't confirm it but I'm pretty sure Elly Jackson aka La Roux is singing the hook on this track. The track is about being a famous entertainer and having love interest, the complications that come with it, the fun, the realities, etc.
Girl, it's easy to love me now..." - 50 Cent
To say the least, money and fame change the way people approach you and ...
I Blame Coco – Only Love Can Break Your Heart
Coco Summer is 20 years old but sounds like a veteran singer with 5 albums under her belt. She also happens to be Stings daughter and her sound is heavily crafted by a bunch of Swedish legends responsible for some of our most beloved artists. Her lead single called Ceasar not only features Robyn but has already been remixed by Diplo and Miike Snow...
Where do we go from here? Least you could have done was give me a warning. - Drake
But this is no typical celebrity daughter hype, the music is pretty damn good and you can bet your ...
Alexander – Truth
My favorite song right now and the lyrics say everything I want to say...
Truth
The truth is that I never shook my shadow
Every day it's trying to trick me into doing battle
Calling out "faker" only get me rattled
Want to pull me back behind the fence with the cattle
Building your lenses
Digging your trenches
Put me on the front line
Leave me with a dumb mine
With no defenses
But your defenses
If you can't stand to feel the pain then you are senseless
Since this
I've grown up some
Different kind of fighter
And when the darkness come let it inside you
Your darkness is shining
My darkness is shining
Have faith in myself
Truth
I've ...
Le Miel du Mois by Steph Lund: The Lost Tape
With high expectations, rebel citizens of the millennial generation leave the tired and corporate ruled world of radio to begin a new life in music blogs...
Raid the radio!Cause we’re tired of hearing the same old song.We’re gonna change the dial to something new.Bring some truth to this town." - General Electriks
However, the Recording Industry of America gains great military powers and soon ceases control of one music blog after another, in the name of justice and peace.
The year is 2009, the space age. In a move to counter The Industries tyranny, rebel citizens of the Et Musique Pour Tous faction ...
Alicia Keys – Empire State of Mind (Part II)
Some folks like to get away, Take a holiday from the neighborhood
Hop a flight to Miami Beach Or to Hollywood
But I'm taking a Greyhound On the Hudson River Line
I'm in a New York state of mind." - Billy Joel
I love the holidays, of course for all the traditional reasons but also for the simple fact that for those two or three days before and after Christmas New York City empties out and all you get is the city and that all too unfamiliar feeling of solely being around old school New Yorkers. I've been a hundred miles and running this entire year, ...
Florence + The Machine – Rabbit Heart/Raise It Up (Switch Remix)
How important is a producer to an artist? Well, the Michael Jackson sound we all love wouldn't really exist without Quincy Jones. The psychedelic pop genius of Oracle Spectacular wouldn't be nearly as adventurous without the vision and direction of producer Dave Fridmann. Would there even be Snoop Dogg without Dr. Dre? M.I.A. without Diplo? I mean the list goes on and on. Don't get me wrong making music is a collaborative effort, one which like any successful relationship requires compromise and love so it's silly to say that one person is solely responsible for anything. However, I believe in giving ...
Generationals – When We They Fight, They Fight
I don't know where all these new school vintage bands are coming from but I'm loving everyone of them. My latest muse is the workings of Ted Joyner and Grant Widmer who along with their New Orleans based band are making a sun-drenched life-is-good sound I can't get enough of.
When they fight, they fight & when they come at night they say - I love you baby."
I have a lot of friends in New York City, most of them who are currently overwhelmed by the non-stop nature of this city so I thought I'd post something to help you guys ...
Brazilian Girls – Pussy
CMJ has me at 100 miles and runnin' so I thought it would be nice to take it back to 2005 and kick it to one of my favorite reggae inspired Brazilian Girls songs. Most of you will be distracted by this songs chorus which simply repeats the words pussy and marijuana. At first listen yes, it is ridiculous but once you get past that you'll find that it's just a metaphor for meeting someone who simply won't leave your mind, much like the aforementioned subjects. It's not exactly your typical roses are red metaphor but that's what makes it ...
The NOISEttes – Never Forget You
Mark Ronson look what you done started boy!
This song was released back in January and is the follow-up single to their UK hit Don't Upset The Rhythm (Go Baby Go). The first thing you'll notice is the Phil Spector/Motown vibe reminiscent of Amy Winehouse and Adelle. However, you will quickly forget all preconceptions when you get to the hook which out of nowhere introduces heavily distorted guitars that make the song explode into an entirely new experience - fresh. Seems like the older I get the more friends I have who are losing all their faith when it comes to ...
Mark Ronson – Toxic (Feat. Ol’ Dirty Bastard and Tiggers)
I'm taking it way back today, back to a time when not even twitter existed - 2007. It was in that ancient time when Mark Ronson released a cover album called Version. The last track I posted from that album was Lily Allen's amazing cover of the Kaiser Chiefs' Oh My God, if you're new around these parts, do a quick search on the blog and check it out, it's well worth the listen. This time around I'm posting Ronson's rendition Britney's infectious hit Toxic. Ronson adds some NYC to it by including hip hops grittiest rapper, the late Ol' ...
For today’s Indaba weekly, here’s a fun trance/electro-pop banger for your Saturday night.
Dimibo is a new act consisting of Brennan Loney (21) and Filip Pankovcin (20) from Seattle, Washington. Dimibo patiently build “Marathon” around strong melodies by adding more and more layers of intensity, until it erupts in the later half of the track. “Marathon” is able to blend elements of house and trance in a tasteful way that never loses site of the core rhythmic and melodic elements.
I saw this photo earlier in the week and I’ve been thinking about it ever since. Well, not thinking about it, per se. More just rolling it around in my head. Considering the meaning of it. This is one of those photos you see in the “Best Of’ year end retrospectives but for those of you unwilling to spare an extra click, I’ll describe. The shot is of John Isner, a tennis player competing in the U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championship. The picture was taken with Isner is in motion, his feet lifting off the ground, about to follow through on his serve. Thing is, this information is only suggested. We don’t see Isner staring across the net at his opponent. We can’t see the sweat off his brow, and there’s no way to judge his form. The only part of Isner that’s visible is his ankles and feet. The real action lies along the clay and chalk. The photographer, Eric Gay, focused on Isner’s silhouette, a crooked but surprisingly detailed visual account of movement and form. The shadow tells the story.
The abstraction, the suggestion, the shift in focus. Once the point of reference is repurposed, new stories and fresh meanings begin to emerge. A new narrative, spun from the same cloth.
Flume’s work on Hermitude’s HyperParadise hit me in much the same way as that photograph. I’ve seen tennis being played before, even played a bit in my youth. That said I’m not well versed in the sport and I have no opinion of Isner as a player. To compare: Hermitude is an Australian hip-hop/electronic production cooperative. I’ve spent a lot of time listening to hip-hop and electronic music but I’ve never heard any of their stuff before.
This is the kind of track that grabs you quick and pulls you along. Some familiar elements create a persuasive, enticing foundation. It’s lavish and skewed something new. A few of the different synth parts sound lush and full bodied. But Flume never eases back. The tempo is fluid, picking up and building at one point to a drop with little suggestion but to lasting affection. The vocals are pitched and chopped to bits. I can only pick up one line for certain.
Never had to worry, never had to worry.”
This could’ve played out in so many ways. This is the only way it could be.
Well, this remix is definitely a surprise. Michael Jackson vibes with Nero’s dubstep almost seamlessly. I love it when I come across a remix that’s completely out of the realm of the original track’s genre. Like Florence + The Machine, her sound is so distinctively her, but the Calvin Harris remixes of “Spectrum” or The Weeknd’s edit of “Shake It Out” are flawless. Her voice gels with the heavy bass and pounding synths. Jackson’s high pitched “ooh’s” and all around brilliance keeps up with the driving electronic production speeding beneath him. Nero has turned the tune into an electro-goth-opus, the organ and engine revving lend to the track’s badass factor. It’s 80′s, it’s 90′s, it’s the 00′s, it’s the future all wrapped up in one four minute track.
I was beginning the PM slump before this track came on, but after listening to this a couple of times, I’m going to ditch the coffee break and let the energy of Nero’s track revive me. I could go without the caffeine headache, anyway.
On a very basic level, let me just say that this song speaks to me. On a musical and dancing level, it’s perfect and happy. But I’m saying, this was the first song I listened to on my run yesterday. For anyone that is in New York, you’ll understand why this was such a big deal. The sun was out and the sky was perfectly blue all day long. The evening was just as beautiful, as you look up to find a rare amount of stars in the sky. One of those days. So maybe you can understand why I’m so stoked that this was the first song I decided to listen to as I got myself geared up for a good run. As I was about to indulge in an exercise that makes me really happy already, this song was a huge A-HA! moment for me.
There’s something really appealing about a song that talks about any sort of act that we shouldn’t do. Something that we know is bad for us, but we indulge anyway. I guess I’m talking about indulgences in general. You’re no good for me, speaks to my life on so many levels right now. And for some reason, hearing that and feeling like I’m at a dance show on a Saturday night with a dude that I know is just bad but in the best way possible, feels…kinda sexy. Like you know you shouldn’t but you’re totally going to dance all up in it tonight, and no one is going to stop you. There’s also the classic part of the chorus that incorporates the ah’s, ooh’s and uh’s, which never fail to please an audience. I mean, they’re overused a lot in a music these days, but not in this song at least.
Damnit, this song is really one of those that you dance to alone and suddenly realize that you’re a fricken incredible dancer. Or at least I did. And then I got really frustrated because I couldn’t understand where these moves go when I’m trying to dance with other people. Not that I’m not a good dancer in public, I think I am. Major Lazer has always had a way of tapping into my instinctual dance. And instincts bring out the sexy, so your hips are doing things you don’t really understand but feel pretty cool about.
I’m going to stop talking about dancing because I can go on forever. I’m just going to let you guys love this like I do, and guess what? It’s Thursday and this just happens to be my week’s jam, so all is good in the world.
There’s nothing better than waking up with your alarm unalarmed. The freshness of the day is captured in those first waking minutes. Your eyes adjust to the light, your sheets feel extra comfy, and the tiny cocoon you’ve carved yourself through the night begins to hatch. Whatever dreams you were dreaming slip away as you try to remember them, and the reality of the new day sets in. It’s comforting, really. Your morning rituals lie just beyond the boundaries of your bed and the hours ahead of you don’t seem too scary. No matter how pleasant your morning may be, though, the world will test you. This is something I’m convinced of; the more confident you are, the more the world will find a way to strip you of it. This isn’t some cynical conviction, though. It’s more of a challenge. If you understand that the world works in contrasts, you’ll know that with each boost of self-assurance, the thicker your armor must be. Prep for battle — that’s really what getting ready is in the morning. Our clothes, what we project into the world is our chain mail, metal helmet, and sword.
Then there are some mornings where confidence isn’t enough and the hours eventually become too much. That’s where songs like Swedish badass Elionor Olovosdotter’s “Down On Life” come into play. This is a track that could easily be your pregame jam, the song you go to when a case of the mean reds comes along, or you just need an extra bit of swag in your step while walking through the city. There’s a trifecta of Swedish girls on the rise, and Olovosdotter’sElliphant project is easily the brattiest of the group. Icona Pop and Niki & The Dove put out blissful dance-pop tunes (with the former making tracks you can cry to while getting down on the floor), but Elliphant is packing the spoiled, middle-finger-to-the-world chops. “Down On Life” is actually an innuendo She’s not talking about feeling down, if you catch my drift. She’s saying, “Hey, I’m going to take whatever’s trying to bring me down and dominate it, make it mine.” This is all set to some sick dub-influenced, island-y, Euro underground production. Plug in, press play, and turn this track up. Sway with it, lean with it, rock with it, do whatever you want to it.
It’s not summer yet, but thank goodness we have music that can take us to a summery place. I don’t know why this song does that for me, but I’ll try to explain. First, Penguin Prison has a way of channeling ocean vibes. Does that sound funny? It is kind of funny I guess, I think I mean that there’s a swiftness to what he does to music. EMPT loves Penguin Prison so it comes as no surprise to you guys that I take pleasure in praising the man behind the music, otherwise known as Chris Glover. There’s also a casual quality to this song that made it easy to overlook when I first downloaded it. Not because it was boring at all, but because it wasn’t invasive and demanding. It’s one of those songs that requires some time and an open ear. Plus, the female vocals are really something else that make me swoon.
The chorus has something that I really like. It’s a certain urgency to it, which can probably be attributed to the combination of notes that make it minor. I don’t know how to explain urgency without making a literary reference, or in my case, a writing reference. I’m in the middle of writing my thesis, so my mind is constantly asking, “What’s at stake? Where is the urgency?” so excuse me for a minute while I indulge in this geeky literary comparison. When a piece has something at stake, there’s an urgency to the subject matter, which makes the story that much more important. If a song has that same quality, it might sound something like this one. And the fact that the chorus repeats, “You want me to change, change, change, you want me to change,” only further adds to that notion.
It’s a stretch. I hope you guys followed that. Sorry for the nerd-talk. On a less complicated, more straightforward note, I love the subject matter of this song. It’s something that we all run away from — change. I mean, despite the fact that we’re constantly in a state of flux, our minds somehow like to convince us that our situation will always stay the same, and the second it is threatened or actually changed, we go into completely panic mode. I hate that so much. I wish it wasn’t the case. I especially hate it because I’m dealing with it so much not only day in and day out with my life, but with the people that I encounter every day who ask me what I’m going to do with my life after graduating from college. I keep telling them that I’m stoked and that I’ll probably become a citizen of the world, just to screw with their heads. It’s so weird because everyone who asks that question knows that they went through the same point in their life, the point where the room for change was in their hands and they had every right to choose whatever direction they wanted to go in.
I could go on and on about this, but I will refrain. Change is beautiful and crucial all at once. Welcome it as you may welcome this song.
If by now you have not heard of The Weeknd (XO), then you should at least learn the lyrics to this tune before you listen to Dillon‘s incredibly beautiful cover of his song titled: “Echoes of Silence“.
Talk to me baby Tell me what you’re feeling You say you don’t need to go Don’t you pretend you didn’t know
How all of this would end up Girl I saw it in your eyes And baby I can read your mind And expectations were not in sight
You knew that talking dirty to me on the phone would get me here Cause we both wanted to do this but I could tell that you were scared Cause you thought there was more to us but you knew how this would end It’s gonna end how you expected girl you’re such a masochist and I ask why
And you reply… I like the thrill Nothing’s gonna make me feel this real So baby don’t go home I don’t wanna spend tonight alone
Baby please Would you end your night with me Don’t you leave me all behind Don’t you leave my little life
No no no no no.”
Before I dive into some of my personal thoughts on this song and their meanings, I want to “big-up” Dillon for a superiorly superb job on this killer minimalistic cover. Her vocals, and the sweet diversity of well controlled pitches and sounds that she belts out throughout the duration of the song, are simply—phenomenal. Dillon manages to give the lyrics as much emotion on her cover, if not more, than the original. What she manages to do on her rendition is almost as profound as the deeper meaning to the female species that is found in all of The Weeknd‘s works. And, if that doesn’t make any sense to you from reading the lyrics and listening to this cover, well then maybe it will make some sense after I explain a few things, seen through my eyes and heard through my ears, to you.
Echoes of Silence is the final chapter in The Weeknd‘s critically acclaimed “Trilogy” album. It is the last song, which should tell you a lot as you read the very last lyrics, and either listen to him, or Dillon, sing them away. It’s another subtle inception tactic that finds himself, humbling himself to his audience, yet, he manages to have someone else, in theory, create the inception for us. In reality, he’s begging every fan not to leave his little life, as it is the only thing that makes his art worthy of anything in it.
The Weeknd has received a ton of criticism for some of the lyrics in his art; most notable, the notion that his music and lyrics are somehow just a form of continuous unrepentant misogyny. But, something else happens, as we hear Dillon sing these lyrics we can instantly feel that there is a deeper meaning within them, but why does that have to change when a girl is singing it as opposed Mr. XO himself? Because society has a way of judging right away and casting stones before they know the truths. Guilty until proven innocent, we can say.
It is a little known, and even smaller accepted, fact that girls live in-the-moment better than men. Everything they do is in the moment. Let me explain a little of what I mean: A guy cheats because guys love trophies. From little, we are taught to win at everything, and the way you show off your wins, or the fact that you are a winner, is with a trophy. We get pressure from our friends and sometimes even family to date girls, find the most elite specimen of their species, and then we have to flaunt them to highlight our conquests. Am I not speaking the truth here? With girls, it’s a little different. They have been taught to search for the fantastical, and the romances that only exist in those lands.
I read somewhere that girls learn to fake things at the very same ages that boys learn to lie, and in a world where nothing is real, we all like to hold on to the things that feel the closest to reality than anything else we have ever known.
And you reply… I like the thrill Nothing’s gonna make me feel this real.”
While it may seem to the untrained heart and ears that the lyrics are promoting the neediness and foolishness of girls in situations like these, they are doing just exactly the quite opposite, highlighting the fact that girls are more capable of human emotion than boys. While we pretend to conquer the world and destroy all the beauty in it, girls make our worlds worth living in with: attachment, pain, and devotion—to the moments, ONLY, in front of them; for girls can be just as cold and as hurtful as boys outside of those moments…
It’s gonna end how you expected girl you’re such a masochist.”
I grew up in the immediate suburbs of DC. So immediate that many of my peers and myself would say that we were from DC, or the DC area, as a form of geographic shorthand. Most people don’t get it. Bigger city folk see it as cultural re-appropriation. Part of it is. Doesn’t change the connection I have to the area at large. It’s my de facto home city, seeing as my burb wouldn’t exist without it.
So the musical acculturation of the city is a bittersweet thing for me. Used to be that any contemporary music culture was imported. Go-go had been DC’s main musical contribution to the rest of the world. Most people don’t know what the hell go-go is. But now! Now things are absolutely popping off, thanks in part to electronic music’s growth in popularity over the past few years. And I’m not there to enjoy it!
Ah well. Thanks to this miraculous arrangement of cables, fiberoptics, servers, and chips we know as the internet, I can still enjoy the audio products of the city. Like this remix of BenZel’s Fallin’ Love by DC native Alex Young. Alas, DC can’t claim either Umi Takashi or Yoko Watanabe, the principals that comprise BenZel.
Ah well. Can’t win ‘em all. Besides, this song is a notch in the W column of life. It starts out sunny and funky before Young takes the reins. Then it turns into a straight clapper. This is the kind of song that puts its charms front and center. The hip-hop heart inspires syncopated head nodding. The bright synths and major key melody gives the one the feeling that your turned towards the sky and your hands are extended upwards, palms outstretched. Chill and uplifting. Not a bad way to be.
I can’t tell you how much I love a productive Sunday. Waking up early, getting a good run in, sitting for a while on a random bench in the park just staring at the sky, then eating fruits and yogurt for breakfast. It’s all a part of what I’m calling my new weekend regimen. Or at least Sunday regimen. I’ve spent so many Sundays in a less than ideal state of laziness, non-productivity, wiping off the weekend from my eyes until Monday rolls around. Sundays and summertime kind of go hand in hand for me, so I guess that’s why I’ve had a change of heart. This song has been playing on my speakers all morning and I’m so into the attitude of the guitars right here.
But never mind the punch in the guitars, this song is sexy. Like, come on, he just wants to hear your body scream. Is that so much to ask for?
Oh, you give me all you’ve got if you want some I’ll fight you on the floor if your mother walks in And give me all the love if you wanna Take me, fight me on the floor, I’ll give it to you.”
There’s a weird and awesome guilty pleasure thing going on here. It’s that suffering of not wanting to give in, maybe because the other person is just trouble. It’s that wanting from afar. But with a little cockiness, hence the guitar, which works so well. When girls say, “I don’t really know he’s not like super cute or anything but gosh he’s sexy.” This is the song they’re talking about. That voice, that confidence, that attitude.
Open the windows and let a little Robby Hunter Band into your ears and fantasies.
Misun has instantly become one of our favorites here on EMPT. The self proclaimed “Aquawave/Aqua-pop” sound they have been so carefully curating over each and every track is simply proving to be quite undeniable, and who are we to deny?
Misun, the three-piece band from D.C., releases another flavorfully eargasmic love child produced, once again, by their magic man: Nacey. The track features strong hip hop like bottoms, delightfully nutty electro synths, and a purely graceful, super hypnotic set of vocals delivered by Ms. Misun herself.
“Promise Me” is the kind of song that takes on as many faces as you wish it to. It’s the sort of song that can feel so good in the morning as you focus on the extremely solid and highly captivating production and overall sound of it, and then can so easily be that song at night that you reminisce to on past loves lone gone. At it’s very barest, it is a beautifully constructed love song that encompasses a little bit of what someone in the honeymoon phase is going through in their mind; those moments of bliss with that person you adore more than anything in life, and wishing them to last forever.
“Promise Me” is a wishful thought transcended through music that each and everyone of us can relate to. It’s a masterpiece that emanates a feeling and idea we have all wished could last forever. It is a song that we will most likely play on -”forever”.
marie: Your blog is absolutely amazing. I'm so excited for every single song, because they're always spot on.
nick: this is where i get all my music. thank you.
Rick: My one stop shop for amazing tunes...simples
cp13: music makes me high! -cp'13
Addison: Well, that was an exceptionally pleasing few minutes I put in reading your material, appreciate it.
Mila: You have such a good taste, thank you for what you're doing. Tu as le don de dénicher les sons qui transportent, j'ai découvert [...]
Mason: The concept of your blog is truly fresh!!!
Mark E: One of the writeups says you're in NYC...thought you moved out west?
Wednesday: I feel inspired by you! You have great taste in music
kirschmoney: you literally blog everysong/everthing I love. this is my favorite music blog by far and I aspire to be as great as this one day
Julian Lamadrid: EMPT is the greatest music blog ever.
Frédérick: EMPT Vous êtes les meilleurs !
Je vous aime !
Jane: I absolutely love this blog. Amazing stuff <3
charlotte beatrice: keep up the good work!
following this for a few years now and you're blog is awesome. xxxo
Peio: Awesome blog! Check out Long Forgotten Boy by Night Works I think you might love it! Cheers!
thetourist: i finally found the perfect girl. and your posts help me through everyday until i found her. life is fucking fantastic and you're apart of [...]
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Alex da Rosa: i just wanted to thank you for lighting up my everyday with your writing and excellent taste for music. Happy Thanksgiving!
Eric: What's going on in nyc this thanksgiving
luis marcelo: i was going to share the Clasixx post on my facebook wall, now I cant, Clasixx loss (i´m guessing he asked you to take it [...]
J Moya: great tunes! keep it up!
Elrojo: I think you need give a listen to Satin Jacket's "You Make Me Feel Good". When I heard it I immediately thought of this blog.
Gael: Great place to discover great music. Keep it up!
Hadders: Hi EMPT, I've been following EMPT for the last 2 years and my welfare depends deeply on your LMdM mixes. They're unbelievable. Can't wait for [...]
Akshay: My kind of music. Nice to find people with similar tastes.
