Stephen Marley - Mind Control 6.1.11-6.7.11

After seeing Stephen Marley perform at a Reggae festival in 2007, I went out and bought this album. Tracks 1, 2, 4, and 8 are my favorites, but the entire album is impressive (I didn't upload the talking interludes). Each track is unique from the next. I mean, lets be honest with our-music snob-selves, most reggae sounds pretty similar, but this album adds new melodies and instruments to traditional reggae. It has been in constant rotation in my CD player for years.

A little background on Stephen: He is the fourth son of Bob Marley (who's Wikipedia page I highly recommend checking out again). Until he came out this album, he spent most of his career producing and collaborating on the albums being released by his other brothers, Ziggy, the oldest Marley brother, and Damien, the youngest and most hip/hop. I read that Stephen greatly contributed to Damien's "Welcome to Jamrock" album--another seriously good album that you should check out if you dig this.

Last week, Stephen released his second album, Revelation Part 1: The Root of Life. I've liked what Ive heard so far, so I included the first single in the Dropbox folder. Its called "No Cigarette Smoking in My Room".

So light it up and take a puff and enjoy the Mind Control....

Burning Spear - Marcus Garvey 5.24.11-5.31.11

From Reality I Just Can't Drift: Exploring Reggae

This is the first of what will hopefully be many wanderings into the fog of assorted music genres.

In search of some of the most influential and highly regarded reggae albums of all time, Burning Spears' "Marcus Garvey" made appearances on nearly every top ten list. Burning Spear has been nominated for 12 Best Reggae Album of the Year Grammys, including 2 wins. Even though this album didn't win the award, it is regarded as Burning Spear's most influential album.

The album is named after famed Jamaican journalist and philosopher Marcus Garvey, founder of Garveyism. "The fundamental focus of Garveyism is the complete, total and never ending redemption of the continent of Africa by people of African ancestry, at home and abroad. It is rooted in one basic idea: 'whatsoever things common to man that man has done, man can do'. Therefore, Africa can become as glorious and profoundly advanced in the scientific and technological realm as any, when Africans will it to be." Sick.

The Tallest Man on Earth - The Wild Hunt 5.16-5.22

I'd like to start by saying thank you to everyone that has uploaded stuff and to hopefully everyone is enjoying expanding their musical spectrum. This week I introduce a man from Sweden, Kristian Matsson with a band name of The Tallest Man on Earth. This album, The Wild Hunt, is his second album and in my limited experience with Bob Dylan, his voice immediately reminds me of him. There is some banjo and piano and a voice that is fairly astounding. For some reason, I find that the Swedish accent of English is fantastic. That's all I'm going to say about this.

Please, enjoy.

tUne-yArDs - WHOKILL 5.3.11 - 5.9.11

Before delving into WHOKILL, i apologize for uploading the album onto our main page, and not into the folder. hopefully some magical internet gnome fixes that.

anyway

tUne-yArDs!

Its power, rocks me, inside, like a lullaby. Roughly quoted from "Powa", I believe this line conveys what an intoxicating and invigorating listen this album is. The rhythms, tone, and energy supplied by these tracks have made it a daily listen for me since I got the album. The passion and depth of her voice creates a wonderfully full and lush sound. Although the instrumentation is somewhat simple, the mix of percussion, horns, and her voice create more than enough for a listener to latch on. It was almost a shock to find out that this was a white woman from New England (thanks Wikipedia), and not a group traversing the world spreading some type of afro-infused jazz pop (sidenote: for the Portland show she had her face painted and had brightly colored feathers in her hair. I think you can get a pretty good grasp on her influences through all this). Although some might think that is a derisive statement, it is really a testament to the thought, soul and energy put into every song; its difficult to not be singing and humming along, or at least tapping your foot along with the beat.

Equally amazing is who tune-yards( i'm done with that random capitalization) is. They are two people (who by the assessment of my roommate, "are probably dating"): a bass player and a lead singer who plays the ukelele while creating tracks on a loop machine. Together they also do their own percussion with drumsticks and cleaned out vegetable cans (at least in the performance I saw). They sometimes add horn players and additional percussionists (thank you youtube), but the result is always the same: a tight, bouncy, and refreshing. I hope everyone can enjoy this album as much as I am. Enjoy! U-S-A!

Parov Stelar - Coco 4.26.11 - 3.5.11

Sometimes it's easy to dismiss an entire album after only listening a track or two. That usually happens to me. I have a short attention span, you see. Anyone who knows me can attest to the fact that I leave most books half read and most video games half played because they have not been able to satisfy my stringent psuedo-ADHD needs. This annoying habit, when applied to my selection of music, has led to dismiss me some hidden gems. Fear not, however, after months of iTunes on shuffle I finally realised how bloody amazing this album was.

This week, I bring you Parov Stelar of Linz, Austria, widely known as the creator of the genre of music known as "Electroswing", and his album Coco. This über-cool mix of modern house beats and early 20th century American swing-jazz will hopefully awaken your tired self and induce a bout of frenzied dancing. Perhaps you may even look as brilliant as this guy.

Notable tracks: The Mojo Radio Gang (Radio Version), Libella Swing, Catgroove

Sheldon

Dirty Projectors- Bitte Orca 4.19.11 - 4.25.11

Where to even begin. Definitely meant to get this in yesterday so everyone could have something nice to melt their minds to, but, here we are now, and here is something, well, a little different. Dirty Projectors have a style that, I think, is quite unlike anything else. The tracks on this album will fill your soundscape with aural colors unimaginable, they will take you, wide-eyed (eared) and filled with wonder, in so many new and different directions.. and yet somehow, at the end, all the things that had once diverged will come back together. Interesting rhythms from all angles, vocal feats that would impress even the King himself, and then, what! look! a wild melody appears! I think some of you might know this album already, but I really hope you all enjoy listening to Dirty Projectors' 8th release: Bitte Orca. It's fun!


Sarah

James Brown - Live at the Apollo 4.11.11 - 4.17.11

Yo soul children,

You down for something new? We're gonna kick it smooth and creamy old school with a completely new change of pace. Recorded in 1963 at the launchpad of many a soul and R&B career at the infamous Apollo Theater in NYC, "Live at the Apollo" is widely renowned as one of the best if not the best live albums of all time. Energy and excitement ooze out the speakers during this groin-grabbingly translucent performance by one of the best live performers in music history.

He's been called The Hardest Working Man in Show Business, The Chocolate Badger (I just made that one up) and Soul Brother Number One-- give it up for The Godfather of Soul, Mr. James Brown.


micah

Rockin' The Suburbs, 4.4.11 - 4.11.11.

After a surprising Grammy win, The Suburbs gained some of the popular attention it always deserved. Much the same way Paul identified The National's lyrics as highly applicable, Arcade Fire's epic, beautiful third chapter spins a yarn about suburbia that ditches the romanticized white-picket-fences and replaces fantasy with reality. The result is a really fantastic album; an American story from a Canadian band. I'll save the rest of my limitless love for the comments and let everyone render their judgments.