On Repeat: Tracks of the Week

There are certain songs, like the ones that follow that you wish would never end. Once you find such a song, you can't just listen to it once. The beats, the riffs, the melody, and vocals can create an amalgamation that has a truly hypnotizing effect on the mind... leaving you wanting more as soon as it's over and resulting in complete contentment. In that moment in time at least, you're free from all cares or concerns of this life. 

Here's a small sample of what I've been listening to recently, hope you enjoy as much as I have!

Up & Coming Artists: The 1975

The 1975

It's only a matter of time before a band like The 1975 gets the same kind of attention and adoration it has already earned from the United Kingdom. The British natives certainly have what takes to appeal to a wide-ranging audience, as evidenced by what they've released so far.

While their debut album is expected to drop in September, their singles have been sufficient enough to gain quite a following in England.

Album Preview: Daft Punk's 'Random Access Memories'

If there's one highly-anticipated album this year that almost everyone can agree on, it's Daft Punk's first original release in 8 years. There was that soundtrack they did for Disney's Tron in 2010, which was also fantastic to say the least. May 21 is finally approaching, and Columbia Records has gone to great lengths so far to make sure Random Access Memories doesn't leak. In the mean time however, we have this record-breaking single to hold us over until then. 

Playlist-Genre: Ambiance/Meditation/Sleep

If you are stressed out, irritable, or suffering from insomnia... I have put together this playlist specifically for you. What follows are 75 songs by 21 artists that represent the ultimate in relaxation. I encourage you to do more research on all of these groups, this is just a starting point for each of them. 

Artists You Should Know: Clams Casino

One of my favorite DJ's isn't really a typical DJ at all. You may not have heard of him yet, but Clams Casino (Mike Volpe of New Jersey) is a beat producer for up and coming rappers like A$AP Rocky, Mac Miller, Squadda B and Lil B. They all owe him a debt of gratitude for their recent successes, especially A$AP.

Lucky for us, Volpe has shared all of his instrumental work online for free!

Technically, he only has one official studio album on Spotify and iTunes, but his mixtapes are incredible works of addictive art. He has quite a unique gift for remixing and looping beats with vocals. There is something so relaxing and invigorating about it at the same time, hard to explain... just check it out for yourself.

Memorable Music Videos

What makes a good music video? An awesome song obviously, but a visual component has been added- thereby making the visuals more important than the audio itself. 

Visual creativity is a much different form of artistic expression altogether, but the meshing of the two can be one of the most gratifying and mesmerizing experiences that exists (for cheap). Movies and trailers wouldn't nearly be as moving without the complement of music.

I will never understand why anyone would resort to filming a live performance, but I guess they're all entitled to at least one of those... as long as it's stylistically edited. What I truly appreciate is an artist who is willing to reach out to graphic designers and visionary filmmakers in order to make something that is truly original and imaginative.

I've compiled a list of some of the videos that have impressed me the most... in alphabetical order-