Listen To This: Knock On Wood

This song is from Tuesday, but I decided to hold off posting so more people would listen to Chiddy Bang.  In hindsight, I think I should have just released this one. It is just too sick, and probably tops my list of best J. Cole songs.  He delivers some scorchers over Kanye and John Mayer's "Go!" beat off of Common's Finding Forever.  If you haven't really given J. Cole a chance or have already written him off, this song might open/change your mind.

J. Cole- Knock On Wood

via 2dopeboyz

Listen To This: Stylo (rmx.)

With their EP dropping on Monday, Chiddy Bang decided to release their remix of the relatively weak Stylo, the first single from The Gorillaz Plastic Beach (I'll probably review that one, but I'm not expecting much after listening to the original version of Stylo).

 

Stylo (rmx.)- Chiddy Bang

 via PMA

Something I Like: The Opposite Of Adults (Kids) -Yes, I realize how creepy that sounds.

As college students, hip hop duo Chiddy Bang have not been around that long. However, in that short time they have coupled exemplary production and nice vocals to create some sick tunes, and recently released a new alternate video for their incredible remix of MGMT's Kids (I discovered them last summer via Pretty Much Amazing, which is basically the music blog I wish this blog could be).  If you like one song I post this year, it will probably be this one.  The video is pretty cool, and is a great excuse for me to plug their awesome mixtape and their first EP, which drops next Monday.

Click here to download "The Opposite of Adults" on Chiddy Bangs' mixtape, The Swelly Express

via KanYe Universecity

BONUS: Chiddy Bang producer Xaphoon Jones' also mixes and remixes songs on the side (I spent all day trying to come up with something even remotely close to this with no success).

Find this song and many more sick mixes on The Xaphoon Jones Mixtape Vol. 1

History Lesson: Hallelujah

I'm pretty sure everyone has already heard this song, so I'm not gonna act like it's anything new.  I'm just using the opening ceremonies as an excuse to post one of my favorite songs of all time.  Orignally by Leonard Cohen, the song Hallelujah has been covered countless times, most recently by k.d. lang at the aforementioned opening ceremonies.  You may know it as "that song from Shrek".  My favorite version, however, definitely would have to be Jeff Buckley's haunting, emotional, and beautiful masterpiece of a cover.  Enjoy.

Jeff Buckley

Hallelujah

Grace (1994)

BONUS: This post kind of had to do with the Olympics, and so does this awesome new Nike commercial (the song is Ali in the Jungle by The Hours).

Also, this is my 69th post...ladies (shout out to winkdaddy.blogspot.com)

Listen To This: 2/11/10

There hasn't been much new music lately, which is why I haven't been posting (also I'm lazy).  There were two new songs, a new cut by B.o.B to celebrate the release date of his album being moved up to April 27th and a remix by Kid Cudi, which I figured I'm obliged to post. The B.o.B one is pretty good, but I'm not really feeling the new Cudi joint.

B.o.B- Down For Y'all 

 

 Riot Song (rmx.)- Johnny Polygon ft. Kid Cudi

via 2dopeboyz and  Dat New 'Cudi'

I Didn't Like It: We Are The World 2010

Those of you who tuned in before the Olympics Saturday probably caught the remake of Michael Jackson's We Are The World. The song was just supposed to make a bunch of money for Haiti, so I'll cut it a little slack, but seriously?  Justin Bieber got the first solo?  And really, Wyclef Jean?  You and the song lost all credibility as soon as that weird wailing came out of your mouth.  Yes, there were some good singers, but they all were brought down by autotuned Lil' Wayne, T-Pain, and Akon.  The part with Kanye and Will.i.am was sick, but by that point in the song I was already laughing too hard at Wyclef's THIRD solo and all the rappers yelling in unison (sounded like Kidz Bop).  We Are The World is a timeless classic which really didn't need to be remade. I'm sure no one will even remember this version in 6 months.  Next time, write a new song instead of doing a terrible cover of an classic.

Something I Like: Symphonies (rmx) Video

I was forced to take down my link for KiD CuDi's remix of Dan Black's Symphonies, but here is the video, which is actually an updated version of the original Symphonies video. It's a pretty cool concept, so you should definitely take a look.

DatNewCudi.com: Dan Black Feat. Kid Cudi - Symphonies Remix from DP on Vimeo.

BONUS: David Guetta ft. Kid Cudi- Memories video

DatNewCudi.com: Memories - David Guetta Feat. Kid Cudi from DP on Vimeo.

DOUBLE BONUS: Original version of Dan Black's Symphonies, HYPNTZ (Cover of Notorious B.I.G's Hypnotize

Something I Like: thesixtyone

Thesixtyone is a great site shown to me by my friend Michael.  Geared toward those always looking to discover new music, this website contains countless artists, and adds a little bit of fun through "quests" and a leveling system. Countless new artists post their song there, so anyone who wants a good way to open up to new bands will love it.  If you join, be sure to put mcmb03 or tannertheblog as the referrer. Click here to go there now.

thesixtyone

Listen To This: Lean

Old unreleased Lupe Fiasco song, check it out.

Lupe Fiasco- Lean (Unreleased)

via 2dopeboyz

Something I Like: How To Make It In America

How To Make It In America is the newest HBO comedy created by Entourage producer Mark Wahlberg.  Don't think of it as an East coast Entourage though, as it trades the glamor of living the high life in LA for the grind of trying to make a living in New York.  The pilot, available free on youtube, has promise.  It should also be noted that Scott Mescudi (Kid Cudi) stars in the series, though his role in the pilot is more like a cameo.  It's tough for those of us who don't have HBO to catch up on shows like this and Entourage, so I recommend checking out casttv.com, which has almost every show on TV available to stream.

BONUS- How To Make In America: The Mixtape (facebook link)- If there's one thing this show nailed for sure, it was the music.  This is a nice compilation of music. (Alternate link)

Listen To This: Victory

First of all, I'm gonna need someone to explain to me exactly what DJ Khaled does, because as far as I can see, he does absolutely nothing besides yell at the beginning of a track and put his name on albums which other people produce and big name rappers rap on.  Hopefully, I'm not the only one who wonders this (I googled "what does DJ Khaled do" and got over 600 hits). With that said, this is a nice track by Nas and John Legend with DJ Khaled yelling at the beginning.  I was more excited for this track when I thought Kanye was going to be on it, but Nas is an adequate replacement.

 

Victory- DJ Khaled ft. Nas and John Legend

via 2dopeboyz 

Listen To This: Run This Town (Super Bowl Intro Mix)

I missed the first quarter of the Super Bowl due to a soccer game, and haven't had a chance to see the commercials I missed. However, I have had the chance to go back and watch Jay-Z and Rihanna team up with orchestral group E.S. Posthumus perform an epic new version of their hit single to introduce the big game.

Run This Town (Super Bowl Intro Mix)- Jay-Z, Rhianna, and ES Posthumus

BONUS: Heart of the City (Who Dat)- Anyone cheering for the Saints last night will appreciate this song commemorating their victory.

I Didn't Like It: The Grammys

The Grammys were on Sunday, and left me disappointed.  I'm gonna start off by listing winners I agreed with (only in fields I am familiar with), and then move on to ones I disagreed with, and finally wrap it up by sharing a little bit about my views on music today.  This is one of the few times where a post will take on a more negative tone.  If you have a problem with other people's opinions or do not like having your views challenged (some would argue this describes me), then I would recommend not reading.  If you agree or disagree with anything I have to say, I would love for you to comment and let me know (there's been a total of like 5 comments total, which isn't bad considering how few people read the blog, but still).

Alright, on to the winners I liked (note that I agree with these in the context of the other songs nominated in that category), followed by any personal commentary.


Record of the Year-"Use Somebody" – Kings of Leon - I guess so...better than the other nominees.


Song of the Year- "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" – Beyoncé- What's the difference between Record of the Year and Song of the Year? Anyone?

Best Hard Rock Performance- "War Machine" - AC/DC- I mean seriously, Nickelback was nominated in this one.

Best Rock Instrumental Performance-"A Day in the Life" - Jeff Beck- A simply fantastic Beatles cover.

Best Alternative Music Album-Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix - Phoenix- I would have been really really worried had Phoenix not won.  This eclectic and exuberant album blew me away from start to finish.
Best Rap/Sung Collaboration- "Run This Town" - Jay-Z, Rihanna & Kanye West- I don't disagree with this selection, it's a nice song, but it's tought to say that it was better than Knock You Down or Dead & Gone.  The Grammys also used this category to let everyone know that they don't give a shit about hip-hop at all, as evidenced by the nomination of I'm On A Boat (a fun song, but  clearly a parody of a bad T-Pain song which shouldn't have even crossed the mind of people who selected the nominees).

Best Rap Song-"Run This Town" - Jay-Z, Rihanna & Kanye West- Again, all of the nominees were equally above average, so I don't mind Hov takin home another. I would have liked to see Cudi or Drake get one though. 

Best Rap Solo Performance-"D.O.A. (Death Of Auto-Tune)" - Jay-Z- See comments on Best Rap Song.


Best Compilation Soundtrack Album- Slumdog Millionaire - Various Artists, A. R. Rahman (producer)- The movie was fantastic, and the soundtrack fits the movie perfectly. Interestingly enough, I actually agree with the nomination for the Twilight soundtrack, which had a few decent songs and would have had a real shot at winning if Radiohead's 15 Step had made it on.

Alright, so that was the stuff I agreed with, or at least could live with. I also realized that I don't really mind Lady Gaga that much either, but I didn't know enough about the others in her category to know if she deserved her Grammys (plus she's batshit insane).  Keep in mind the only one I agree with unquestionably is Phoenix's album.  Did anyone see Jamie Foxx and T-Pain "perform" Blame It or the Black Eye Peas spaz around worse than Shakira during I Gotta Feelin?  I mean wow, really, I love these guys but they need to step up their acts. On that note, here's the not so nice stuff.

Best Short Form Music Video- "Boom Boom Pow" - The Black Eyed Peas- I liked the Boom Boom Pow video but I loved the video for Coldplay's Life In Technicolor II which  was really tons more creative and unique.

Best Rap Album- Relapse - Eminem- NO!! NO!! NO!! Eminem is a great rapper, but between the weird accents and nasty subject matter, this album was terrible. Mos Def and Q-Tip had much better albums. Also, how did Flo Rida get a nominated? Again, proof that the Grammys don't take hip-hop seriously.

Best Rap Performance By a Duo/Group- "Crack A Bottle" - Eminem, Dr. Dre & 50 Cent- Is this serious? Crack A Bottle was fun for like the first 3 listens, but the best group performance? Not even close.  Amazing, or even Make Her Say should've taken this one easily.


Best Rock Performance By a Duo/Group w/ Vocals"Use Somebody" - Kings of Leon- I like this song, but I think Life In Technicolor II or I'll Go Crazy If I  Don't Go Crazy Tonight were just as good or better. (same thing applies to Best Rock Song)

  
Best Rock Album- 21st Century Breakdown - Green Day- This concept album was well executed, but without much substance and pales in comparison to the soaring melodies of U2's No Line On The Horizon.


Best New Artist-Zac Brown Band- I don't know that much about the Zac Brown Band, but seriously, how do you not choose MGMT or Keri Hilson?


Album of the Year- Fearless – Taylor Swift - Taylor, Taylor, Taylor.  I understand your appeal, I really do.  You sing about your own personal problems, i.e. "she wears short skirts, I wear t-shirts" which tween girls all across the country can relate to. You've found your niche, and I respect that.  Singing about that cute boy in 7th period French or whatever  is good and all, and I admire that you at least one upped Miley Cyrus in that you write your own songs, but do you really think that's what it takes to deserve a Grammy? I don't know, maybe your album destroyed all the other country nominees, but really? Better than The Ecstatic? Better than 808s? Better than I Am Sasha Fierce? Better then (I cringe to say this) The Fame? Oracular Spectacular? Prospekt's March? No Line? 21st Century Breakdown? Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix?  The list goes on and on. I'm sorry, Grammy voters, but this one was a horrific miscue, not even taking into account the lack of hip-hop nominations in this category.

So, there it is. I know I've offended some of you. Today, I was even called an "elitist" who"thinks that anything popular is automatically bad."  To that I say this.  I'm not an elitist, my music is just better than yours.  Haha, but in all seriousness, here is my response. Of course, I like the music I listen to better than the music  I don't listen to, otherwise I wouldn't listen to it.  To say that I only like music that isn't popular is completely untrue.  Many of my favorite bands and artists (The Beatles, Jay-Z, Michael Jackson, Led Zeppelin, Kanye West, Coldplay, and Marvin Gaye are a few examples) are some of the most universally popular and loved bands of all time.  So that's that point proven wrong. "But Tanner," you say, "whenever a new song comes out on KISS FM you never like it." First of all, music to me is more about discovery than fitting in and liking what's popular. That's one reason I'm not very enthusiastic every time She Wolf comes on (ugh...She Wolf). I like to think about it like this: popular music is like fast food. Sometimes it's decent, and it may taste good, but in the end I'm unsatisfied. Why would you want something over-produced and over-processed when you could have something that the chef/artist put his heart and soul into (and unlike good food, good music doesn't even cost more and many times it's free), something that will make you marvel about the flavors and make you think? That's the difference to me.

Listen To This: Highs N Lows

Today we have a "new" KiD CuDi track.  I say "new" instead of new because this is the just released CD quality version of a track from his original demo. This is a great track, possibly one of my favorites from him, and I think you all will enjoy it. Also, I will probably put up my opinion on the Grammys tomorrow, so check that out.

Kid Cudi- Highs N Lows

via 2dopeboyz

Cudder fanatics, download the aforementioned original demo tape here

BONUS

NEW TDA MIX!!!

Listen To This: May 25th

Here is the newest mixtape from B.o.B, titled May 25th as a reminder of the release date of his debut studio album.  I'm pretty sure it's gonna be amazing.  DOWNLOAD THIS!!!

B.o.B.- May 25th

BONUS
Bun B- No Mixtape
Bed Rock Part II (Original Mix)- Drake, Lloyd, some other crappy rappers.

via 2dopeboyz

Listen To This: 1/30/10

I've been home and awake for about 20 minutes total today, and I'm falling asleep as I type, so I'll just post the links (which are kind of in order of how much I like them). Not a bad day music-wise, so I will probs go back and add some descriptions and stuff tomorrow.  Also, be sure to check back Monday for the link for B.o.B's new mixtape, May 25th.

B.o.B. ft. Asher Roth- F*#k The Money (prod. by Kanye West)

Tape Deck Apocalypse- TDA Quick Mix 2

Bun B- Pants On The Ground

Big Sean-Supa Dupa Lemonade:


UPDATE!!!-I was glow-bowling the night before I made this post, and Young (Yung?) Money's Bed Rock came on [my thoughts on the song: liked Drake, Lloyd killed the hook, Lil' Wayne was standard Lil' Wayne (bad), the other two were average/bad (one of them ended his verse with the words "grocery bag" completely out of context), and Nicki Minaj was gross and annoying].  However, I was thinking about that song, and realized that I had a Wale freestyle over that beat which somehow made it to my iPod but not the blog. So here it is, embarrassingly late.

Wale- Bedrock Freestyle

via 2dopeboyz

BONUS: Newest Kanye West  Rant 
Good stuff, Ye.

ANOTHER BONUS?!?!: Stross the Boss- Lemonade Freestyle

Something I Like: B.o.B

I've said it twice, and I'll keep on saying it.  This guy is gonna be big. I said it with Wale, I said it with KiD CuDi, and now I'm saying it about B.o.B. Listen to these mixtapes (and if you don't want to download them all, I recommend at least downloading B.o.B vs Bobby Ray and Who The F#*k is B.o.B?).  I hope you guys like him, because I do, and I'm gonna keep posting about him until you do like him or until you stop reading the blog (whichever comes first, hopefully the first option).

Click here for links to download all of B.o.B's mixtapes

Listen To This: The Crash

Here is a new track from Daft Punk (if you haven't heard of Daft Punk, I'm surprised you know how to turn your computer on and off) presumably from the soundtrack to Tron:Legacy.  The song is average for a Daft Punk, and a lot of it is more mood than music, if that makes sense.  The song gets going a little more around the 6 minute mark, but in my opinion there is still not much there.  Give it a listen, and decide for yourself.

Daft Punk- The Crash

via kanYe UniverseCity

BONUS: Tron: Legacy trailer. Looks sick.

Listen To This: Enter The Magical Mystery Chambers

Tonight we have a mashup album by British music teacher Tom Caruana, who combined vocals from the Wu Tang Clan with beats sampled from The Beatles, a concept extremely similar to DJ Danger Mouse's Gray Album, which did the same except with Jay-Z vocals.  I hadn't really listened to any Wu Tang before, but I'm really liking what I'm hearing as far as vocals, and the beats are all spot on.  Beatles devotees will have fun trying to place the samples, as they are all chopped up a great deal.  Also, you can now follow using your Facebook account, so all you have to do is go down on the side and click follow. Please invite some friends along too.

Wu Tang Clan vs. The Beatles- Enter The Magical Mystery Chambers

via kanYe's Blog

History Lesson: Major Tom (Coming Home)

The spacing, timing, and content of these segments will be completely random and unpredictable (if you are a new reader or have forgotten, this segment deals with older songs which I enjoy).  Most of the time, I will hear something somewhere which will remind me of an older song, prompting a post like this one.  In this case, I was inspired by a Lincoln MKZ commercial featuring a cover of tonight's song, Major Tom (Coming Home) by Peter Schilling, which I am sure all of you have heard at least once in your lives.  The haunting verses, backed by pounding drums and and a nice synth riff, give way to a simple unforgettable melody in the chorus.  I haven't heard this song since I was very young, but I still recognized the chorus immediately.  Don't forget to rate and comment.

 Major Tom (Coming Home)

Peter Schilling

Error in the System (1983)