Popped Tape? : Kev Brown

it’s not really fair to call this little segment popped tape since it’s not always music i’m playing out. it’s just as often stuff that i come across and think is interesting.

… like this video for kev brown’s “another random joint”. it’s beautifully shot and something about the deliverance is just charming. photographed by Apex and edited by Roddy Rod.

by way of filthy speaker addict.

Popped Tape: Little Dragon

While I’m on my music tip, it was recently brought to my attention that some people still have not had the immense aural pleasure of listening to Swedish band Little Dragon. I would be remiss to not share one of the best things happening in music right now. Listen to one of my favorite tracks, “Forever”, here.

Constant Surprises

Twice

In love yet?

Popped Tape: Gordon Voidwell

Ivy League Circus by Gordon Voidwell.

If someone knows a way for me to embed this w/o any upgrades, holla.

Popped Tape: Lykke Li

The CD that would be in heeaavvyyy rotation if it weren’t on my ipod (which just makes it “most played”) is Lykke Li’s debut album Youth Novels. This 23 year-old Stockholm native is charming the ears of listeners across the globe (plug, not getting paid for this). The sound is refreshingly clean, the lyrics surprisingly sad, and the draw undeniable. the production on the album, while high quality, is somewhat minimalist giving the tracks a sense of bareness that allows us to be pulled in by Lykke Li’s bittersweet poetic delivery and trance-inducing voice.

In tracks like “Breaking It Up,” what’s being said in the chorus is not 100% clear, leading us not only to peruse the CD booklet for the lyrics but also to appreciate music for the way that it sounds. something that i feel is sometimes underestimated. I always say i like music that sounds good. and that’s really my main criteria. One of the most upbeat songs on the album “Let It Fall” is about crying, and the hook is potentially deceiving because it sounds like she’s saying “so happy” when she is in fact saying “so i weep”. this kind of play between lyrics, sounds, and listener perception occurs throughout the album, making the entire thing well worth a solid listen. without further ado..

I couldn’t decide which video for “Breaking It Up” I like more. I like the sound on the alt. version muchh better (it’s incredibly impressive, esp for a live session) but i appreciate the aesthetic taste of the first.

“Breaking It Up”

“Breaking it Up” Alternate Video

“Time Flies”

Popped Tape: Drake

Needless to say… Drake has been in somewhat heavy rotation. The track off So Far Gone that I’m REALLY popping right now is this one. quality is so much better on the download though, so cop. here’s the single:

the “all up in your slot” line makes me cringe. he definitely should have thought that one through a little bit more. dude’s flow is strangely reminiscent of wayne’s (or is it the other way around..?), whose label Young Money he is “affiliated with”. of course i can’t really post this without mentioning that he’s on Degrassi. canada’s overly dramatic and ridiculously heavy soap opera for preteens. i’m down with that though, let me tell my little sister Jimmy’s on the come-up.

Popped Tape: P.O.S.

this tape isn’t quite popped yet but i think it’s worth putting out there. it was between this and slim thug’s wood grain wheel. a very close call i must say.

so it’s P.O.S. (pissed off stef), Minneapolis based emcee signed to Minnesota’s own Rhymesayers label. “Optimist (We Are Not For Them)” is the second video from his third album Never Better that was released in February.

His flow has a spoken word free style to it. I think I like it, minus the little bit of linkin park esque different-kind-of-hiphop-artist angst that he throws in there every now and then. thats not really my steez, but hey.
If you like what you hear, support. and can we please get into his album website for a minute? he’s on that next…

Popped Tape: thecocknbullkid

so, my goal is to have a weekly series that im calling ‘popped tape’ which refers to a song or artist that i’m playing out. it won’t always necessarily be new, but hopefully it’ll usually be something new for someone.

this week it’s thecocknbullkid. she’s giving me afro glam electro dance, and i.am.loving it.

madonna, boy george and grace jones all come together to birth janelle monae’s black sheep cousin — thecocknbullkid.