Greg Brown

Been a minute, eh? The good people at BamaLoveSoul put together this mix of Steve Spacek tunes and I’m loving it. Spacek is inimitable, as this hour-long set proves. The BLS background writeup and a tracklist is below.

Like most, I found out about Spacek when their single Eve first hit the US in 2001. Their sound was completely unlike anything I heard before; left field, yet soulful electronic sounds anchored by the sexy, smoky vocals of Steve Smith aka Steve Spacek who I assumed was the only member of the group. Spacek was is actually a 3 man collective including guitarist, Edmund Cavill and drummer, Morgan Zarate who has gone on to do some pleasant production respectively. Together they released 2 albums but the volume of their work, including solo albums, remixes, production and features is vast. This is our Love Letter to the brothers Spacek delivered with hopes that there will be a new collaborative album sometime soon. Thanks for the great music Spacek. We love y’all!

George Duke – Feel (spacek Mix)
Stephanie Mckay – Tell It Like It Is (Morgan Spacek Remix)
Troubleman – Without You feat Steve Spacek
Katalyst – How Bout Us feat Steve Spacek
Space Invadas – Imaginist
Spacek – Porno feat Vikter Duplaix
Kingsbread – It’s Alright
The Underwolves – Under Your Sky (spacek Remix)
GB – Simply So (Instrumental) feat Spacek
Morgan Spacek – Welcome Beat
Black Pocket – Other Magic
Spacek – Getaway (Osunlade Remix)
Steve Spacek – Dolla (Up Hygh Remix)
Platinum Pied Pipers – No worries feat Steve Spacek
Black Pocket – Thank You and Credits
Harmonic 313 – Falling Away feat Steve Spacek
K-Kruz – Look Honest feat Steve Spacek
Chamade Beat – U&I (Jr Eakee Remix) feat Steve Spacek
Morgan – iiiiii feat Steve Spacek
Pete Philly & Perquisite – Mellow (Morgan Spacek Remix)
Cro Magnon – Time Flies feat Steve Spacek
Steve Spacek – Reversible Top
Steve Spacek – The Hills
sweet Robots Against the Machine – Wake Up (Spacek Remix)
Steve & I – Come Get Me
Africa Hi Tech – Don’t Fight it
Black Pocket – Al Softly
Steve Spacek – Peep Live Show

‘Think Twice’ by J Dilla ft. Dwele
#DillaMonth Bought “Welcome 2 Detroit” in ‘02 without knowing much about it… sounds incredible to this day.

Ariya Astrobeat Arkestra - “New Frontier” (First Word Records, 2012)

Whoaaaaaaa. Awesome vibe-out track by Leeds 9-piece Afrobeat group Ariya Astrobeat Arkestra.

I highliy recommend buying their 2012 album, Towards Other Worlds.

Robert Glasper - “Dillatude #2” (Blue Note, 2012)

The live instrument covers, tributes, odes, and Dilla-themed tracks from the likes of The Roots and Robert Glasper never cease to amaze me… super heavy, deep stuff. Here’s a new, extended Glasper/Dilla jams and it rides out so nice. A magical medley of breathtaking stuff.

Hit the 2:45 mark as Glasper and Co. break into a rendition of the Stereolab/”Come Play In the Milky Night”-sampled beat that Dilla gave to Busta Rhymes, “Show Me What You Got.” Straight-up goosebump/chills kind of stuff.

Koreless - “50 Mil to the Woman Who Makes Me Feel Alive Again”

Whoa. Interesting direction for Koreless… just a one-off or is an indication of more things to come? Yay, baseless speculation.

thefader:

FEATURE: TAME IMPALA IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE

“I let this album nearly drive me insane,” Kevin Parker says. “I’ve never experienced that before—music actually sending you around the bend. I actually thought this album was going to kill me, which sounds really stupid. For a while, I had this weird insomnia. I couldn’t get to sleep until like 10 in the morning because I was thinking about how many choruses are back-to-back in this particular song and the chord change…I started getting vertigo, I kept thinking I was going to fall over. I was really unhealthy. I’d been a vegetarian for five years and I started eating meat because I was like, What the fuck’s wrong with me?”

TOTALLY WORTH IT. THANKS KP. YOUR INSANITY PAID OFF.

Hey y’all! Are you on App.net? Really?! Me too! Follow me and I’ll follow you, etc. It’s a pretty neat little place.

256 characters! A burgeoning developer scene! Some really sweet apps! You should be on it! OK! Exclamation point!

Yeah, bro. I’m gettin’ pretty hungry.

Tame Impala - “Music to Walk Home By” (Modular Recordings, 2012)

Music from the new Tame Impala album!

Man, these guys are just so sweet. I’m giving Lonerism its first listen and… I dunno… Tame Impala just kind of rules, right? I’ve wanted to post each successive song since starting the album…

Andrew Ashong - “Flowers” (produced by Theo Parrish)

What a chill little groove from Andrew Ashong, produced by the one and only Theo Parrish. Out now on Sound Signature.

postdubstep:

Disclosure - Latch (ft. Sam Smith)

Boom, etc.

ERIMAJ - “Nothing Like This” (Don’t Cry Recordings, 2012)

NYC-based ERIMAJ does a real nice cover of J Dilla’s “Nothing Like This”. Led by drummer Jamire Williams, the group ERIJAM (Jamire spelled backwards - get it?) consists of some real dope musicians including Vicente Archer (Robert Glasper) and Chris Turner (Bilal). Watch out for Jamire, the ERIJAM sound, and the the soon-to-be released album Conflict of a Man.

Xxxy – Live at RBMA x Sónar Festival 2012

90 minutes of non-stop bangers.

Kenny Dope - April Weekend “Hip Hop Funk Soul Funk Breaks 2012 Mix” (Soundcloud, 2012)

The inimitable Kenny Dope has put out several totally rad mixes on his Soundcloud, all of them worth checking out. I’ve been head nodding to this one today, comprised of vinyl 45s and LPs.

Tracklist:

1.Change Ft. Craig G-Silent Someone (Realphresh)
2.Cross My Heart-Billy Stewart (Chess)
3.You’re Gonna Need Me-Dionne Warwick (Warner Bros.)
4.Ressurection-Rasheed Chappell (Ill Friction)
5.Mayor In The Ghost Town-DJ Format (Project Blue Book)
6.Girma’s Lament-Karl Hector & The Malcouns (Now Again)
7.Like A Ship-Pastor T.L. Barrett (Light In The Attic)
8.In The Forest Pt.2-The Original Black Sheep Of The Family (Kay-Dee)
9.Charlie’s Theme-Jimi Entley (Espionage)
10.The Telephone Song-Charles Bradley (Dunham)
11.Substitution-Ub’s (First Cut)
12.Make The Road By Walking-Menahan Street Band
13.Take Two-Will Sessions (Fat Beats)
14.Sister Funk/Inst-Thomas East (True Soul)
15.10 Bricks-Raekwon (Ice H20)
16.Az Madlib Remix-Medicine Show 12 
17.Maybe So Maybe No-New Holidays (Soulhawk)

Pastor T.L. Barrett and the Youth for Christ Choir - “Like A Ship… (Without A Sail)” (1971)

Magic.

“Warn Iron?” Warn my iron about what? WHY ARE YOU ASKING ME TO TALK TO MY IRON? (Taken with Instagram)

iwishicouldapparate:

Brighton formed KINS bring a heart wrenching simplicity with “Absblurd.” I can’t help but smile as the song slowly begins to build- glass case of emotions, KINS? It begins with nothing more than what appears to be drumsticks on a stool and striking male vocals-I’m sold. 

There is a sense of neediness within their music- intensity that only playing can fulfill. A clambering of readiness almost reminiscent of band’s first time on stage. 

Sprightly, springy instrumentation mixed with forlorn lyrics make this band one to watch. I just can’t get enough of it. 

This is London in the sun.

The soundtrack to The Great Gatsby, Baz Luhrmann’s latest high-end refurbishing of a lived-in classic, doesn’t try to re-imagine Jazz Age tunes in a modern context. Instead, it attempts to transplant the sensibility of the 1920s to the hip-hop era, with genre-busting collaborations overseen by Jay-Z.

Very cool.

late night treat?

Ron Contour & Factor - Wondrous Things

Ron Contour, aka Moka Only, aka Daniel Denton, has done a lot. He was a member of Swollen Members (pun intended unfortunately), as well as the 90’s one-hit wonder band Len and that’s not to mention his extensive solo works. He has released sixty-three albums since 1995. Sixty-three. I definitely haven’t heard even close to all of them but if “Wondrous Things” is any indication, there may be some gold to be found in that mountainous pile.

A beautiful Janis Ian sample coupled with Contour’s smooth vocals make for a surreal, sun-washed two and half minutes. The video, filmed in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, only adds to the effect. The song reminds me that summer just around the corner. Papaya.

This guest post was written by Max. Thanks!

unsettledgap:

This semester, I’ve spent much time studying to the sounds of Passion Pit’s Gossamer album. It’s one of those albums I can listen to straight through without skipping any tracks. Though I like all the songs on Gossamer, “Constant Conversations” is my favorite. What can I say? I’m a sucker for bittersweet lyrics, vocal harmonies and playful electronic distortions. 

Passion Pit - Constant Conversations (by majesticcasual)

Late night videos:

Trippy electric folk pop. It’s how I’d describe this song, “We Got So High” by jiggabits.

Thanks to jiggabits for her submission. She is a singer and producer from from San Francisco, CA. Her EP,  ”We Got So High” is available to stream on soundcloud.  

Saturday afternoon treat!

John Grant – Queen Of Denmark

John Grant, former front-man for the alternative rock band The Czars, launched is solo career almost three years ago. This song, Queen Of Denmark, from his first album of the same name, was released in April of 2010.

I love the uniqueness of Grant here. I love his cleverness. The lyrics are funny but poetic, salacious but facetious. And the puns! So many puns. And you can see all of that in the first verse alone.

I wanted to change the world

But I could not even change my underwear

And when the shit got really, really out of hand

I had it all the way up to my hairline

Which keeps receding like my self-confidence

His tongue is planted firmly in his cheek and that plays off beautifully with the full, folk-orchestra sound of the song. Despite the genre, it’s so easy to sing along. The song’s structure, the build (you don’t hit the chorus until 1:48), even the ironic lyrics, remind me of Rufus Wainwright’s “Oh What a World.”

I enjoy Queen Of Denmark as much for the sound as I do the lyrics and I can’t say about many songs.

I really don’t know who the fuck you think you are

Can I please see your license and your registration?

 Vampire Weekend  - Step

Yes, it’s true: Vampire Weekend; after keeping hopeful fans at bay for a full three years, has written and recorded a third album. Now, if you are like me and have kept off your waiting pains by keeping their last album in near constant rotation, then you may have approached this news with trepidation. After all, what if Vampire Weekend changed their sound to cater to changing tastes, or what if they simply lost the magic of Contra? With these concerns and more I approached the singles (so far) from Modern Vampires Of The City.

“Step” begins smoothly with Ezra Koenig’s voice softly oozing over a simple bass line, and as soon as the drums hit you can tell that Vampire Weekend’s sound isn’t changing for anyone. While “Step” does not have the raucous charm of “A-Punk” or “Cousins”, listeners will find it reminiscent of their softer tracks, such as “Taxi Cab.”

While “Stay” steers away from the synthesizer fills and African beats of previous tracks, it does maintain the heart and flow that Vampire Weekend has become known for, as well as a few mainstays for the band. Such as Koenig’s delightfully off-tempo delivery and the trills of a harpsichord in the background. Unlike “Diane Young”, the first single whose keyboardless energy steers somewhat away from previous VW efforts, “Step” proves the band’s capabilities to make excellent, quirky, vibrant music remain unchanged.

Vampire Weekend is seemingly still dedicated to producing sing song anthems for lovelorn city wanderers, and if that’s your thing, be sure to check out Modern Vampires Of The City. when it drops in mid-May.

This guest post was beautifully written by owlien. Thanks, owlien!

Grimes - Oblivion

Grimes is juxtaposition and contradiction. A classically trained ballerina, a signed electronic musician who’d rather make music at home. The music she constructs is surreal but rooted in very real influences and metaphors. Her lyrics and undertone are often aggressive, ironically placated and exaggerated by her small stature and doe eyes.

Oblivion, off of her first album on a label, came out last year. I love the spookiness of the base track against the sweetness of her voice, I love the danceability against the darkness of her lyrics. 

Grimes’ sound is familiar and yet strange. and so, if I had one tip for this one, I’d say give it two listens before passing judgement. 

Yes and if need be, we will reformat the submission and upload/stream/etc the appropriate mp3.

Head on over to tuneage.tumblr.com/submit

And remember: nicer the formatting, the happier the mod.

1. Independent musicians are always welcome to share their music with us.
2. We’ve turned on our ask box.

We’re looking for new, regular contributors to tuneage.

We admit, woefully, that our posting has not been as frequent as we would like it to be. That’s why we’re looking to our amazing followers for help.

So, if you love music and have a propensity for good writing, try coming up with a review of a song and submitting it to us.

If we like your stuff, we’ll publish it to our 300,000 strong audience and invite you to write another review. And if we really like your stuff, you could be invited to join as a contributor of the tuneage team.

p.s. if you don’t want to write regularly for us but you do know of some great tunes, always let us know.

Bootleg remix of the day

Stay by Rihanna (remixed by Branchez)

Remixes don’t tend to be something we feature here much on tuneage, but we just couldn’t resist sharing this one. It is an inexplicably enjoyable remix of Rihanna’s Stay.

Click through to SoundCloud for a free download link of the song.

nprmusic:

Surfer Blood fans still have to wait a few months to hear its second album, Pythons, but the Florida band gave a preview of the record during shows at SXSW this year. Watch the group perform “Demon Dance” at the Warner Sound party at the Belmont in Austin, Texas.

pupfresh:

Stream The Strokes’ new song “One Way Trigger” below.

Read More

I kind of dig it but what do you guys think?

WWTB

Release the hounds!

• Foxygen - We Are the 21st Century… (buy the CD/buy the MP3s)
• Nightlands - Oak Island (buy the CD/buy the MP3s)
• Ra Ra Riot - Beta Love (buy the CD/buy the MP3s)
• The Joy Formidable - Wolf’s Law (buy the CD/buy the MP3s)
• Toro y Moi - Anything in Return (buy the CD/buy the MP3s)

WWTB

A new year, a new round of new releases for your listening enjoyment.

• A$AP Rocky - LongLiveA$AP (buy the CDs/buy the MP3s)
• Yo La Tengo - Fade (buy the CDs/buy the MP3s)

 Summit by Skrillex (ft. Ellie Goulding)

Something about this video is perfect for the late nights in the early days of a new year.

Sta Hi Brothas ft. Porter - rump pa pump pum

Happy Holidays from all of us here at Tuneage! Rather than post another tired Christmas cover, I wanted to share this awesome song by Sta Hi Brothers (a duo of Seattle based rappers, Vitamin D & Maineack). “rump pa pump pum” takes on a whole new musical perspective on The Little Drummer Boy.

I can’t find much information about Sta Hi Brothers but I love this song. It’s is filled with retro vibes, it’s sleek and it’s infectious (even if the lyrics are pretty explicit).

“rump pa pump pum” was released as a part of the rap duos 2011 Christmas album, Christmas Trees.

Special thanks to Danny Brito for introducing me to this song.