Glare (Mixtape)

CAUTION: Don't stare at the album art for too long without eye protection.

I've had this playlist ready for quite a while, but I'm just now getting around to sharing it with everyone.  I named it Glare, and it's a collection of songs with that summertime feel.  I realize the season is winding down, that's why I felt like I should release it to bring a little brightness to your days.  Put it on for your morning run, a barbecue with friends, or for a drive through your city with the windows down.  The breeze will be blowing in as the tunes are flowing out.  You get the picture; I'm sure I really don't need to tell you how to enjoy yourself.

I noticed that not as many blogs posted summer playlists this year so hopefully some of you were aching for one and this hits the spot.  I was initially hesitant to share the songs I had chosen, but I think this playlist came out really well.  As always, peep the tracklist after the jump, and enjoy!

Download.

I know that I've been slackin on my pimpin with the music posts.  I promise I'll be sharing things more regularly in the future.  I'm sitting on a lot of great music that I'm dying to spread the word about.  Keep yours eyes (and ears) open, but for now I've really gotta stop looking at the Glare cover.

Muffins (Mixtape)

I baked up a couple dozen tasty treats for ya.  This was supposed to come out yesterday, but I've been busy/lazy.  Also, Blogger changed a lot since the last time I posted so it's taking some getting used to.

Muffins.

I didn't add any chocolate chips, but I still think it's a sweet list of chill songs to play while relaxing.  I've tried to gather tracks from some of the more obscure artists in my library.  Also, a lot of these are recent releases.  Hopefully, you can find something new that you really like in here.

Jump...

23

-AV

I turned 23 today.  It feels really old, but I know it's not.  I've got way more ahead of me than I've left behind, and I'll need everything I've learned so far to help me get to where I need to be in the future.  I'm old enough to know how to get what I want, but I don't always know what that is to begin with.  I spend a lot more time alone with my thoughts than ever before.  I am confident that there are two things that truly aid me in relaxing and clearing my head: listening to music and sleeping.

I like to fall asleep with music on, but sometimes that gets counterproductive.  I'll become so absorbed in my listening experience that I won't go to sleep.  Even if I feel tired and it's really late at night, I'll still lie in bed awake wanting to hear just one more track.  I call it inSONGnia (no I don't), but it is a real affliction of mine.  In fact, it's happening right now.  I suppose there's something about the dead of night that makes it such an appealing listening time for me.  The darkness and quiet remove any outside disruptions.  The moment right before drifting off to sleep forms the junction between the conclusion of the previous day and the anticipation of the next.  Hence, the songs I listen to tend to be focused on instrumentals, have soft vocals or slower rapping, and are downtempo.  Repetition is a common theme, whether it be the lyrics or the chord progressions.  Cycles in music must elicit calming and soothing sensations that comfortably lull me toward sleep, yet entrance me in a way that makes them difficult to turn off.  The music is cathartic and provides a release which prepares the mind to dream.

These are my songs: Download.

Continue reading for the full tracklist, as usual.

Chuck Inglish - WRKING. (Mixtape)

Chuck Inglish released a beat tape the other day.  He was hyping it up a few hours before the release, but it was New Year's Eve so I was out already by the time he posted it (he was working on West Coast time).  I forgot about it until today, so I'm assuming a lot of other people also lost it in the shuffle over the weekend.

Download the whole tape from his Tumblr.

Fans of Chuck should recognize quite a few beats on WRKING from his previous output.  There's no rapping, but I guess it's supposed to be more like background music to have playing while you power through whatever the hell it is you do with your time (for me, writing this post).

For those who don't know, Chuck is one half of the duo The Cool Kids.  I've posted about his partner, Mikey, before.  They're one of my personal favorite groups, and I had the pleasure of seeing them perform three different times last year.  For 2012 I resolve to take advantage of as many opportunities to see live music as my time and money will allow.

These guys broke out a few years back right as the rap scene was going through a transition phase.  The change is still happening so listen up, kids.  So rap came along in the late 70's when people like DJ Kool Herc at disco and funk parties started rhyming at the crowds to get them pumped for the dance break beats.  Then came Grandmaster Flash and others like him who took the technique known as 'scratching' and made it an art form and staple of the hip-hop sound.

During the 80's, hip-hop became an established musical genre after the mainstream success of groups like Run D.M.C.  After finding its foothold in the public's attention, hip-hop began to branch naturally into a variety of sub-genres.  Political rap was pioneered by Public Enemy, the Native Tongues collective and their affiliates produced conscious and alternative hip-hop, and the infamous gangsta rap genre was brought to the world by groups like N.W.A.  This diversification all occurred in the late 80's and early 90's and paved the way for the Pacs and Biggies of the world to enjoy massive success during the mid 90's (and beyond).

Hip-hop continued to grow and mature into the new millennium, and while it found a place among all the other genres, the creativity involved still lacked the same respect.  The Roots were, of course, well aware of this travesty even way back in 1996.  Listen to the very end of their Intro track from Illadelph Halflife: The Roots - Intro.  It might be hard to hear, but what he said was

Hip-hop records are treated as though they are disposable.  They're not maximized as product even, you know, not to mention as art.

Every hip-hop artist can trace his or her influences back to one, a few, or all of the people that I've mentioned.  What is interesting about today's emerging artists is that they are exactly the same age as modern hip-hop; they grew up together, and so, like any childhood pals, they have an innate understanding of each other.  Just as Nas and Jay-Z didn't have to convince people to listen to scratching on an album because their predecessors had already done that, musicians today are free to build off of previous artists' innovations and can begin building their own styles and sounds.

For The Cool Kids, it was great listening to older rappers exclaiming "Fight The Power!", "Fuck Tha Police!", and "Can I Kick It?" but when they started making music in their late teens, none of those sentiments were part of their world.  So they did all they could do: emulate the style and passion of their favorite artists but use their own experiences as source material.  Hence, we get songs about bicycles, and lines like

Eating a bowl of them fruity pebbles, fruity pebbles, fruity pebbles.  How gangsta is that? - A Little Bit Cooler

And there is nothing wrong with that.  I think it's great to see hip-hop come of age and have artists like Chuck who are ready and willing to experiment with their sound and rhymes to see what wrks and is cool.  Props to the kids of Generation Hip-Hop.

Push Up Ya Lighter

Today is the first birthday of Push Up Ya Lighter.  One year ago to the day I finally got around to starting a blog and sharing exciting and interesting music.  Did you get me a present?  No?  Dammit.  Oh well, in the spirit of Christmas I guess it's fine if I do some giving.  Here's ten of the coolest songs from the past year.  All of these artists really made their mark in 2011, and I'm definitely looking forward to more in 2012.  Most of them are emerging artists that first gained public attention this year, so it's exciting to have them on my radar as they grow and mature.  Enjoy!

Download.

Hit the jump for the full tracklist.

Pogo - Wishery

It's no secret that I love music.  I wouldn't have my own blog devoted to it if I didn't.  Music is magic.  It can evoke feelings from the entire spectrum of human emotions in a matter of minutes.  Of all the senses, only hearing has this power.  Yes, happiness and pleasure can be derived from any type of sensation, but it's a bit harder to eat or touch something that stirs real melancholy.  In addition, I would argue that our reactions to stimuli for sight and smell are regulated by the individual.  We will react how we have been conditioned to react to certain things.  Sounds seem to transcend these constraints, however, especially when arranged into music.  It can operate and influence one's feelings at the subconscious level.  Music can be invigorating or calming, angst-filled or cathartic.  It's wonderful.

I think what truly amazes me is the creative process that goes into making music.  All music evolves out of simple, and intangible thoughts by an artist.  To think that there are people who can imagine random melodies and then turn them into wildly popular or meaningful works of aural art is incredible.

With the ease of access to media and media editing tools these days, it's no surprise that a mass emergence of new musicians is occurring.  Consequently, there also come many critics.  The boundaries of originality inevitably enter the conversation whenever someone samples another artist's work.  Most people are okay with artists using small portions of other songs in their music, but issues arise when a large part of the instrumental are seemingly copied.  It is a gray area, with no definite answer, but I believe any true musician should be able to effectively take a sample and make it their own.

My case in point is Pogo.  He is a young man from Perth, named Nick Bertke, that has taken sampling to a place it's never been before.  He uses sound bits from movies to create unique pieces of music.  Have a listen.

Download.

The video can only depict a small portion of what is going on here.  Nearly every sound that this track is comprised of originated in the Snow White movie.  All the 'drum hits' and 'instruments' are individual sounds from the film's audio that Pogo hand-picked to construct his song.

Read on for some more examples and explanations.

Sol - Dear Friends, Vol. III (Mixtape)

Sol first came onto my radar during the fall of last year when his single, So Damn High, hit number one on the Hype Machine charts.  While it was obviously not a deeply metaphorical song, it was so damn catchy and well crafted that I became a fan.  That track was off of the second installment in his Dear Friends trilogy.  I had some trouble finding an mp3 download, which surprised me because, considering how good the song was, I figured more blogs would have picked up on it sooner.

I hadn't heard much from old Solzilla until a few weeks ago when his collabo with DJ Jacks Green, This Shit, came out.  Again, Sol delivered with a perfect chill out song for the summer.  The concluding EP was released today, and it's a great listen.  The production is refreshingly light and electronic, but Sol is a rapper at heart, and he spits his lines with an impressive confidence and ease.  Download Vol. III from his website, here.

Sol hails from Seattle, and my hope is that this young man can align himself with the burgeoning Pacific Northwest hip-hop scene.  I'll leave the words to my personal favorites from the region, Blue Scholars...  Quality alternative hip-hop deserves a home in every corner of our nation.

Be sure to treat ya self to all of Sol's Dear Friends EPs for free here.  Sol seems like a genuine guy, who truly cares about his fans.  There was a post on his Facebook page tonight from a fan who said he had commented somewhere that he simply wished that Vol. III would be released before he took a flight abroad and away from an Internet connection.  Apparently, Sol personally messaged the man a download link late last night in time before he left.  That shows true dedication to one's craft and respect for the people who make an artist's career possible, the fans.  Very impressive, Sol, that's one way to really make us feel like dear friends.

Tyler, The Creator - Summer Camp Mix 2011

Tyler, The Creator posted this over at the Odd Future tumblr a few days ago.  Apparently, he's bored and one-legged on tour and decided to put together a playlist of his personal favorite summertime songs.  This mix is by no means reflective of the standard Odd Future music we have come to know.  None of the violent and bizarre themes that are usually to be expected from an OFWGKTA release are found in this collection.

Don't be scared, have a listen.

Tyler, the Creator - Summer Camp Mix 2011 by Hypetrak

I thought that this list provided an interesting insight into the mind behind the often misjudged OF collective, and helped to solidify Tyler as a legitimate artist in my opinion.

If you pay any attention to current hip-hop, then you have no doubt come across something involving Odd Future.  It may have been some blogger fawning over them because of their rebelliousness.  Maybe it was some hip-hop snob scoffing at their weak production and cheap rhymes.  Their fan base was probably exuding vehement cries of "KILL THEM ALL" or "DON'T GIVE A FUCK".  Their haters were likely condemning the lyrical themes of rape and murder.  Whatever the sentiment, Odd Future has had a lot of buzz surrounding them.  For anyone who truly cares about music and the state of hip-hop, the only question should be: How long will the attention last?  It will be interesting to see if they can remain relevant and true to themselves at the same time.

A year ago, my summer playlists were full of fun, party songs by up-and-comers like Sam Adams and Wiz Khalifa.  I haven't heard anything new in a long time from Sam, and Wiz has rocketed into the mainstream spotlight, but has seemingly drifted away from the style that first appealed to me.  The heavy stream of traffic on the new music highway today makes it increasingly difficult to stay original and well-liked.

I have not previously posted any Odd Future music for a couple of reasons.  Firstly, my intention with this blog is to expose cool music that I feel is worth talking about, and the OF crew was doing just fine in terms of exposure without my help.  Secondly, I honestly have not been overly impressed with any of their material.  I listen to it, and I do like most of it, but nothing was strong enough for me to want to share.  In fact, this mix only has a couple of actual OF features on it.  The remainder is comprised of relaxing indie songs and Pharrell produced hip-hop tracks.  Tyler sprinkles in his own colorful commentary as his new alter ego, DJ Stank Daddy, and screws what can be assumed to be his most favorite songs down into his own deep toned voice.

Tyler and the rest of Odd Future have long maintained that they are not trying to please anyone, and are only set on making music that they would want to hear.  If others do too, so be it, but they DGAF. What is important about this tape is that it lets us hear an artist's influences, which help to create a transparency between the artist's process and the final product.  Yonkers isn't nearly as baffling nor as terrifying with the knowledge that Tyler enjoys kicking back on a summer day to some toro y moi or Jill Scott.  Knowing Tyler has diverse musical tastes tells us that he can't be as angry and serious as he may seem.  This fact, therefore, increases the artistic value of his output.  If he can so convincingly portray such an appalling character, we have to applaud his efforts instead of dismissing them as trite.  In addition, Summer Camp does have underlying consistencies in production that do evoke a summer vibe and can be felt upon relistening to Odd Future songs.

Tyler and his merry band of troublemakers aren't just a group of menaces to society, despite their public persona.  They are a tightly-knit group with a common resolve to make quality music that they can be proud of and enjoy.  Even with the odds and critics stacked against them, those qualities place them ahead of the curve on the path to lengthy careers.

Save yourself some time looking up songs and peep the whole tracklist and another download link here.

Blu - Everything'sOK (ft. Jack Davey) (prod. by Flying Lotus)

Ahh fruition.  It's always nice when a plan comes together perfectly in the end.  In this case, it took me several months to finally bring you the total presentation I had imagined, but here it is.

For a while now, I have been pleasantly surprised by the steady stream of talent coming out of the west coast music scene.  I've found myself developing favorites from the Pacific Northwest, the Bay area, and Los Angeles.  As a bit of background, I had originally been intending to dedicate a single post to several L.A. artists that have captured my attention over the past couple years.  Those artists were Blu, J*Davey, and Flying Lotus.  Each one of them has impressed me in different ways recently, and have demonstrated the health of that local music underground.  As I was contemplating how to feature them all at once, an answer dropped into my lap.  Sometime in March, Blu let a tweet fly that contained a download link to a song done by himself, and with the assistance of none other than Miss Jack Davey and FlyLo.  It was a Godsend.  I knew then that I had to devote a post to each individual musician in order to properly culminate with the excitement of this release.

So here we are.   I have shown you the lyrical skills of Blu.  You have heard the distinct voice of Jack Davey. Flying Lotus's video game-like production is instantly recognizable.  This track is off Blu's forthcoming No York! album.  Enjoy.

Listen/Download at Okayplayer.

SBTRKT - Wildfire (ft. Yukimi Nagano of Little Dragon)

I've had this song on repeat for a good 24 hours now.  It has literally consumed my music listening like a wildfire.

Listen at Live For The Funk.

The track is by SBTRKT (as in 'subtract') and features the lead vocalist of the band Little Dragon.  SBTRKT is an enigmatic British artist who specializes in drum and bass (DnB) and U.K. style dubstep music.

It's education time for all you triggas and snitches.  Dubstep isn't defined by face melting bass drops.  It can be traced to London producers during the mid 90's blending features of Jamaican dub, drum and bass, and British 2-Step into a new, creative style of music.  This is one of the earliest examples of dub music.  It has a sparse drum line; instead, the song's bass line drives the track.  Ultimately, dub gave rise to DnB music which is much more up-tempo and frantic.  A prime example of this style is seen in the opening scene of Ali G in da House.  Classic.  And finally, 2-Step garage music grew out of DnB, and is more or less dubstep's cousin.  Here is a sample of 2-Step that displays an increased use of electronica as well as more vocals.  It should be apparent by now how we arrive at music like that from SBTRKT.

Still reading?  Then you're also probably still playing 'Wildfire'.  SBTRKT has really shown us why less is more both in a name and in music.  The light drum beats, heavy bass melody, and nice topping of female vocals make a simple, yet perfectly constructed song.  He has said that he is a fan of FlyLo's Cosmogramma album, and those influences are obvious in his production.

Apart from deleting vowels, SBTRKT shares several more similarities with Toronto based singer The Weeknd (seriously, if you don't have his mixtape yet, you might be homeless).  They both inspire this sort of late night swagger and confidence that is difficult to put into words, but easy to feel when listening to their music.  Drizzy Drake has placed his approval on both artists, if that means anything to you.  His tweets were partially responsible for the buzz around The Weeknd and he was so kind as to drop some bars on 'Wildfire'.  Also, for all the secrecy surrounding The Weeknd's identity, at least we know his name is Abel Tesfaye.  SBTRKT may or may not be multiple people, and he only performs publicly while wearing a signature tribal mask.  To be honest, I didn't notice the eyes behind the mask when I first saw the picture above.  It kind of freaked me out when I realized it, and made the song that much more haunting, but awesome.