Here's a little something that I am certain my fellow studious music-lovers have heard a thousand times over (even if only on the radio!): the ever-popular classic from The Eagles called Hotel California. Whether or not you like it, this song seems to be just around every corner, revered as an epitomizing example of music -- and, if you ask me, rightfully so!
Often, I mention that I study for my college classes by listening to more upbeat, faster electronic music, but I'm afraid that they all lose out to such great rock as Hotel California. This student gives The Eagles an A+ for this one!
Give it a listen, and check for more info on the song after the skip:
Mmm, I love this one. For all of those who might be interested (and who don't know already, despite the song's popularity), today's choice for the spotlight is Centipede by Knife Party.
I know that I have been posting quite a bit of dubstep lately (well, electronic music in general, from dance to techno to trance), but that's just what us college kids listen to these days, I'm afraid. :P To try to mix it up for you peeps, though, I'll be sure to try something rock next time. ;D
Take a listen to the song if you haven't (hell, take a listen even if you have!) and let me know what you think of it in the comments. See ya there. B]
In the year 1998, long before anyone had even conceived of the television series House (which uses a portion of this song as its opening theme), the already-popular British band Massive Attack released the album Mezzanine. The song peaked at the #10 spot on the UK Singles Chart.
The popularity of Teardrop led to its usage in many shows and films, most notably that of House (as I mentioned before). The heartbeat-rhythm bass drum beat at the opening and closing of the song make it into the House opening theme, and the rest is history.
You can catch some vocals in the song from Elizabeth Fraser, who sang with the Cocteau Twins. Check it out below, and if you like it, then bookmark it. I did so myself so that I can listen to this while I'm studying for my college classes, but you can use it for just about anything!
I believe that I have featured Metallica before on this blog, but let me just make one thing clear: Metallica is one of the best in the genre, as so many fans have attested to. So why not give them a listen, and even more, to one of their best songs? I know I have given up my fair share of listening time for Metallica.
I digress: Master of Puppets has been called the best album of the group's long history by some fans, and is even well-received by the rest.With a deluge of songs we now recognize as classic Metallica, Master of Puppets brought thrash metal to a whole new level. I remember listening to this album over and over while studying long nights for some of my exams and papers (though, playing thrash metal as I studied for my classes doesn't make me the best college student).
Below, you can find an unofficial music video on YouTube for Metallica's Master of Puppets:
I know that I have featured Skrillex in the past, but I gotta say that he has made some interesting little pieces during his reign as the modern, de facto king of dubstep, ruler of college parties. Whether it be the combative Santa in Ruffneck or the pedophile being stomped by a shadow in First of the Year, this student gives Skrillex a big thumbs-up.
While certainly not his best (I think that title may be reserved for the popular Scary Monster and Nice Sprites), Bangarang is definitely worth the watch (and the listen!) for all fans of Skrillex. In my personal index, it ranks in this student's Top Five, up there with the songs mentioned in this very post.
If you like Bangarang, then check out some more of Skrillex's catchy dubstep tunes with First of the Year (Equinox) or Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites, both of which I'm sure you can find on YouTube with a cursory search.
I remember on the radio quite frequently as a child the lyrics, "You and me, baby, ain't nothing but mammals..." I hadn't really thought of it in years, but once I did I had to listen to it again and revisit this silly song, and a radio favorite for a short while (at least, where I am from). Here I am, so many years later in my college years, and I am just remembering it now!
Here is The Bad Touch by the Bloodhound Gang, a quirky, odd group headed by a guy that looks a lot like Elijah Wood for some reason:
If you thought that was any good, then you might be wondering what the lyrics are (considering the way they put them down so fast and without hesitation). Good luck trying to sing to it for a while; you'll barely be able to catch your breath!
I'm not quite sure if I've posted anything by deadmau5 in the past (though I have a strong feeling that I have), but here is a particularly excellent song by the electronic artist that goes by the name of Sofi Needs a Ladder, and it is quite impressive if you ask me.
Give it a listen and let me know what you think down below in the comments. ;D
Check out this excellent electronic song by R/D (and also featuring Nadine Risha) called "Face of God." If it weren't enough for you that this song is just ridiculously good, the music video created to accompany this piece is also quite visually enthralling.
Though all pieces of art are highly subjective, especially songs and their videos, I would like to venture a guess as to what this may have meant (and what I, personally, got from this video). The "Face of God" is supposed to be this perfect, infallible thing that would wow and amaze anyone who stared into it -- yet everyone in the video had an eccentric style not usually considered perfect.
Ignoring the metaphysical debates that seem bound to anything involving the topic of God (especially from college student redditors on r/atheism and the like, haha) I think this video shows excellently that the face of God may not be as "perfect" as you think -- especially since, after all, we are supposed to be modeled in his image. Something to chew on. ;]
Okay, so warning right off the bat: do not listen to this if you are the under of 18 years old. I cannot be held responsible for whatever young ears may fall on this song, as I have warned you beforehand. Continue with caution.
So this song is absolutely excellent, in my opinion. It adds so much depth from multiple genres to make a song that really resonates with each listen. This is the sign of a great song, regardless of the vulgarity or darkness that the song may harbor.
Sure, it is a bit rough and brash, and suuuure, it may not be appropriate even for most adults (imagine showing this song to your parents!) but if you are into more progressive, modern music like most liberal college / university students these days you may find this quite attractive to your aural senses.
"Californian producer Seven Lions
have given us an exclusive pre-release of their upcoming Polarized EP
dropping April 23rd on Beatport.com. The new track is called ‘Iris’
perhaps reference to the goddess of Ancient Egyptians, as feels to have a
middle eastern influences coming through." -The Music Ninja
Perhaps this little piece deserves being compared to a goddess, because my ears love it when I listen to Isis by Seven Lions. I found it on r/dubstep (reddit, if you don't already know, is basically a circlejerk for college students and liberals, of which I happily participate), and I have been listening almost non-stop since. Love it, hope you will, too.
Mac Miller's hit single "Frick Park Market" is an excellent indie hip-hop song that a fan of either genre would enjoy. Usually, this sort of style isn't my thing, but Frick Park Market is surprisingly well-done. The fantastic quality, editing, and choreography of the music video alone is enough to attest to the hard work put in.
The song refers to a food store in Miller's Pittsburgh hometown where he used to work (imagine it; one day you're some lowly student working a store job, the next you're a professional rapper and hip-hop singer). The market is near to the park referenced in the album title, Blue Slide Park (also known officially as Frick Park). The music video was filmed at the store itself, and that video reached well over 17 million views on YouTube.
Check out the video above to enjoy Mac Miller's Frick Park Market -- I promise you won't regret it.
What makes them think that? Well, looking back at the sort of music that has been coming out lately, it may be easy to jump to that conclusion. After all, Lady Gaga is not exactly what comes to mind first when we think of what we would like the future of music to remember us for. I know that I most certainly don't want to look back on my college days and see Justin Bieber.
Jack Black and Kyle Gass, members of Tenacious D for eighteen years now, intend to "fix" this issue by bringing back what they believe is more real music: hard rock. Their new album will be called "Rize of the Fenix," and is slated to come out tomorrow, Tuesday the 15th.
Though the album will feature a fair amount of comedy (considering that is what we know them best for), they intend to make at least one hit song with this album. They have consulted with Grohl of the Foo Fighters in what the secret is, but only time will tell if Kyle Gass and Jack Black have been good students of the music legend.
Rihanna to perform May 23 on American Idol season finale
For those of you who are not diehard Rihanna fans (such as myself), this will be the third time Rihanna will sing for the American Idol show. The first was back in April 2010, when she sang "Rockstar 101," followed by the April 2011 performance of "California King Bed."
May 23rd marks the season finale of Idol, where Rihanna will perform "Where Have You Been." She's not alone in celebrity Idol appearances, though; it seems that May 10 will see Jennifer Lopez on the other side of the desk. David Cook is also going to be appearing.
Excited? Then tune in to American Idol for their big performances May 10 and May 23.
Just when you thought Whitney Houston had taken considerable control of the charts with her "Greatest Hits" album posthumously nabbing the number two spot and seemingly rising, another popular female singer broke forward to challenge (and defeat) Houston in a another category in which she reigned supreme.
Keeping the top spot for the twenty-first week in a row, Adele's "21" album broke the record set by Whitney Houston for longest number-one album by a woman. Even Whitney Houston could not stop the juggernaut of music that is Adele, effectively allowing "21" to take number one for as many weeks as in the name of the album!
Now, Adele did not get this just for being the singer she has always been -- in fact, there is a pretty specific reason for why she held strong to number one. Her Grammy performance exposed her to so many people who would never have heard of her, or might have stopped listening. Their return to her music is evidenced in older albums of her own also taking strong rises in sales.
We've got a special treat for you, today, oh yeah.
Skrillex may be one of the single most famous dubstep artists ever -- if not THE most famous dubstep artist. AKA Sonny Moore, this guy has done more making electronic music than most have with their entire pop-culture music -- and even took MTV's EDM Artist of the Year, placing ahead of even deadmau5 (which is really saying something, considering).
His first true album as Skrillex is slated to come out this year, though the details are a bit foggy. We do know that it is called Voltage, as is the only single out from it so far. Though only caught in live performances, there have been studio, high quality versions of it on YouTube, and you can listen below:
Check it out, and tell us what you think in the comments! ;]
Yeah, I'm sure you have heard of them before. If you have not, then prepare to get some schooling on what is considered one of the greatest metal bands (or hard rock/thrash metal, depending on your views) to ever have graced the music world.
Metallica, which styles itself a heavy metal band, was formed in 1981 (yeah, way back then!) when vocalist James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich connected through an ad in the local newspaper posted by the latter. The band started in Los Angeles, California, and has been growing ever since. They have included quite the line-up of band members, and have played alongside huge names in metal since.
It is hard to choose just one song from this band -- after all, they have come out with so many that are considered some of their best work. Though not my personal, all-time favorite of Metallica, I think that Enter Sandman is one of the best known songs by the group.
Oh yeah, let's get some Noisia in here (can you tell that I am excited? ;P)! Noisia is one of my personal favorites, producing some songs that I find not only enjoyable, but absolutely fascinating. Today's song, Machine Gun, is definitely one of those songs, and the very one that got me into Noisia in the first place!
Check out Machine Gun below:
Noisia, which, when capitalized, is "VISION" rotated 180°, is composed of the Dutch members Nik Roos, Thijs de Vlieger, and Martijn van Sonderen. Their style moves from genre to genre, mostly in the electronic category. In total, they own three record labels (Vision, Division, and Invisible).
Drunk is originally a song by the recently popular Ed Sheeran, a British singer-songwriter whose song The A Team sent him skyrocketing in success, even debuting at number 3 on the UK Singles Chart. Considering how popular he has become, his songs are sure to be remixed -- and this brings us to today's featured song.
Doctor P, a.k.a. Shaun Brockhurst, is another famous British musician, though his music is in the electronic genre (more specifically, dubstep). He takes the song Drunk and tweaks it into something more suited for those of the electronic persuasion, and the results are amazing.
Time to move on back to the electronic category again! Rock, hip-hop, and even what some may consider rap has made its way onto this blog, so there is quite the variety -- but we can always return to our much loved genre of electronic music, starting it off with Sunlight by Modestep.
Modestep is a London-based British band, whose songs are in the dubstep (and general electronic) range. Though they are not profusely popular throughout the globe, they have definitely made a name for themselves in the UK scene, and even the American dubstep scene.
Here is a band that has been successfully releasing music for around sixteen years now: Chevelle. Yet, despite the band's age, many would still say they are in the game -- though, not quite hitting as hard as they used to. Their last two albums, while reaching a wide fanbase, did not make waves in the music world like their previous work had.
Speaking of their previous work, I think now is a good time to butt in with today's featured song, The Red. This song was a breakthrough single on their album Wonder What's Next, the album of which was certified Platinum by the RIAA. The Red is an excellent example of Chevelle's potential, as evidenced in the music video below:
I digress: Master of Puppets has been called the best album of the group's long history by some fans, and is even well-received by the rest.With a deluge of songs we now recognize as classic Metallica, Master of Puppets brought thrash metal to a whole new level. I remember listening to this album over and over while studying long nights for some of my exams and papers (though, playing thrash metal as I studied for my classes doesn't make me the best college student).
Keeping the top spot for the twenty-first week in a row, Adele's "21" album broke the record set by Whitney Houston for longest number-one album by a woman. Even Whitney Houston could not stop the juggernaut of music that is Adele, effectively allowing "21" to take number one for as many weeks as in the name of the album!