Wale Out With New Mixtape: Back to the Feature

Coming off one of the best albums of 2008, The Mixtape About Nothing, Wale has released another pop culture referencing mixtape. Only heard a couple tracks, but it sounds like it’s full of steam:

DOWNLOAD WALE’S BACK TO THE FEATURE MIXTAPE

It’s worth checking out merely for the N.A.S.A.-like number of collaborators on the album: Lady Gaga, Mark Ronson, Duffy, Beanie Sigel, Black Thought, Talib Kweli, and many more.

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Some Quick Updates From the Break

During the brief hiatus this blog has just experienced, music has seen some significant moves.  Spoon’s got a new song out, Beck is channeling his inner-Lou-Reed, and of course…MJ. Check out the details below:

Spoon

No album details here, but web sites and blogs have got their dirty paws on a new track from the band. The song is an immediate stand-out, like “The Underdog” was when first leaked from Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga. The more plays this one gets, however, the more you can begin to recognize the grooviness of the sounds they combine here: subtle ’70s guitar riffs played against shoe-gazing guitars that create a uniquely dissident sound, plunking and driving keys that have given Spoon nice weight in the past, and Brit Daniel’s half-rebelious, half-hopeless voice singing about having “nuffin to lose.”

MP3: Spoon-Got Nuffin

Beck

Beck, the man who has more genres than Joseph has colors in his coat, has taken up a new project called The Record Club. In this exercise, Beck and his bandmates get together and record a cover of an entire album in one day’s time.  Then, they slowly post the videos onto the internet, one song at a time. Their first effort has produced some beautiful results, as they have been working releasing their work covering 1967’s revolutionary work, The Velvet Underground and Nico, the Andy Warhol-produced debut album from The Velvet Underground. Thus far, Beck has unveiled three tracks: the opening track “Sunday Morning,” the Harlem/drug dealer-inspired “I’m Waiting for the Man,” and the song Warhol asked Lou Reed to write about Factory Girl Edie Sedwick “Femme Fatale.”  All three are worth repeated listens, and I am very excited to see how this is released in some sort of purchaseable/downloadable format once the entire project is released.

MP3: Beck-Sunday Morning (Velvet Underground cover)

MP3: Beck-I’m Waiting for My Main (Velvet Underground cover)

MJ

Too much has been said already. Just enjoy the video, and if that isn’t cathartic enough, head over to NME to vote for your favorite MJ songs.

MP3: Jackson 5-I Want You Back

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St. Vincent…

St. Vincent’s second album, Actor, is pretty darn good. She’s also a goddess… and is on tour. We’ll be seeing her in a couple weeks in SF and you should see her, too. Dare you not to fall in love.

5/5: Virgin Megastore, New York
5/20: Webster Hall, New York
5/27: Bimbo’s 365, San Francisco
6/4: First Avenue, Minneapolis

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New Music: Bob Dylan-Beyond Here Lies Nothin’

The man is unstoppable.  Surprising folks even close to him with the announcement of an upcoming album release next month, he debuted the magic today on his web site with a free download of “Beyond Here Lies Nothin’.”  To me this sounds a little more like Love and Theft than his last album, Modern Times, with a little southwestern ramble thrown in the mix.

And did I mention? You do not have to enter your e-mail, birthdate, mailing address, credit card number, first spouse’s name, or ANYTHING to get the mp3.  Classy, Bob.

For the free song, visit www.bobdylan.com

While listening to the tune, check out his visit to Pitchfork’s “Echo Chamber.”  Nice quote, and great advice.

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Prince on Leno…watch the bootleg video while it lasts!

Prince is doing a few nights on Leno in promotion for his recently released double album set with protege Bria Valente, available only through Target stores nationwide.

MP3: Prince-Ol’ Skool Company (Live on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno) via the Culture Bully

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Ingrid Michaelson sings about…Twitter?

Ingrid Michaelson has released an impromptu song, via her blog, about the (social-networking?) site Twitter. It is entitled, appropriately, “Twitter Song.”

MP3: Ingrid Michaelson-Twitter Song

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New Music: Dent May

Dent May fell onto our radar screen recently, and the group has put together some interesting tunes.  The guy apparently plays with a ukelele and has a clear, distinct tenor voice that floats over his loungey songs. He has put together an impressive touring calendar, hitting classic venues such as Minneapolis’ 400 Bar, Chicago’s Schubas, and New York’s Bowery Ballroom.  Additionally, he is making appearances at important music festivals South by Southwest and Sasquatch.  The icing on the cake may be who he is traveling with: hitting the Northeast U.S. with A.C. Newman and the U.K. with Animal Collective.

Oh, did I mention he also does a great Prince cover? See below:

MP3: Dent May-When You Were Mine

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Artist: Olga Bell

Bell tearing it up at Pianos in March '08

“Moscow-born, Alaskan-raised and Brooklyn-based…”

I first heard of Olga Bell through a coworker. She’s got a clear, confident voice… and is touring with Asobi Seksu. Just listen to the cover of Bjork’s “It’s Oh So Quiet”, linked below! Blew my mind.

She’s coming to your town soon. Check her out.
3/7, 7th Street Entry: Minneapolis
3/13, The Independent: San Francisco
4/27, Mercury Lounge: New York

MP3: Olga Bell, \”It\’s Oh So Quiet\”

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Stream New Neko Case Album

National Public Radio (known in some secret circles as NPR) has a really great music site with many live concerts, album reviews, and obscure lists.  I recommend adding it to your computer’s bookmarks section.

Currently they are streaming the entire new Neko Case album: Middle Cyclone. Early listens are coming back with some very positive findings.  Hear for yourself.

MP3: Neko Case-Prison Girls

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The Dream and Kanye Go ’80s

The Dream features Kanye on his new Michael Jackson throwback, Walking on the Moon.  Play the song or download from the mixtape maestro.

MP3: The Dream (ft. Kanye West)-Walking on the Moon

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