The Witzard

" Acéphale is proud to announce the debut album by Korallreven , An Album By Korallreven . * To celebrate, we asked Marcus and Daniel to complete their "Dream Trilogy" of mixtapes and what they delivered is a perfect joy. More ambitious than their previous mixes, ** the pair revisit and remix some of their favourite songs from the past year. The result is not [so much] a farewell to summer, more of a wistful glance over the shoulder. However, we're never quite satisfied... So, we asked [ Korallreven ] to present the tracks in their individual forms as well. Look forward to the first single from the album ( "As Young As Yesterday" ) coming soon. Enjoy the long weekend!" - Acéphale Records * If you've enjoyed this mix[tape], "The Truest Faith," and/or "Honey Mine" - Head on over to Acéphale to pre-order either a CD or vinyl LP copy of Korallreven 's upcoming debut full-length; An Album By Korallreven...

In this current day and age, the once urgent message strewn across "Fall Back" holds absolutely no social relevancy. But let us re-tread a tad bit here... in order to give the track a fair dosage rhyme and reason: 2008 was an ever so crucial time-span for politics in the USA. The catchy, chorus-like refrain at the track's heart, [ "We all know you ain't gonna win. Time to throw the towel in. Get your head out your ass and fall back ." ] was in fact directed at one Secretary Hillary Clinton ... during the height of her 2008 Presidential campaign . The [guilty] parties involved with the creation of "Fall Back" include: Talib Kweli, Res, Graph Nobel , and D.A. Wallach Together, the first 3 musicians are "Idle Warship" - a Brooklyn-based Alternative Hip-Hop/Soul group. Coincidentally formed in 2008, the members had previously worked together in various facets on their solo ventures. After unleashing a string of tracks and remixes to t...

Bearing the numerical title "4," Beyoncé 's Knowles most recent album-length collection is truly an eclectic, varied affair. Attached track genre styles range from Hip-Hop/Dancehall to Pop -tinged R&B crooners. What can be assumed to be the album's next featured single ( "Love On Top" ) is a specific piece of note; Instantaneously reminiscent of classic R&B artists like Stevie Wonder , Whitney Houston, and Michael Jackson , "Love On Top" is a simple, up-tempo ditty... accented by [ Retro-Soul ] finger snaps, horns, and backing harmonies. Credit for the song's early success is due in part to Terius "The-Dream" Nash (songwriter), Shea Taylor (producer-songwriter, alto sax), and Etta James - without a doubt, a pivotal source of initial inspiration for Mrs. Carter .

I have to admit, when Wavves first broke onto "the scene" in 2008-09, I really wasn't digging his output [ Wavves & Wavvves ] and didn't see the reason for all the attached media "hoopla." But with the addition of Zach Hill (Hella) Bill Hayes and Stephen Pope of Jay Reatard's "The Reatards," my view of the band slowly but surely changed. During this transition phase, frontman Nathan Williams seems to have gradually grown out of his initial messy, Noise Rock sound... and thank [Indie] God(s) , quickly ditched that "I'm cool/arrogant" shtick. This incarnation of Wavves subsequently laid down the tracks compiled on King of The Beach (2010); Included within are note-worthy Pop -based Surf Rock hits like: "Post Acid," "King of The Beach," and "Mickey Mouse." Bill Hayes has since been replaced by Jacob Cooper - former drummer of California's own The Mae Shi . Feel free to mosey...

* Steve Keene - "Remixed" Cover Art When it comes down to true feelings about music, strippers , and/or pizza... I feel like I'm a pretty "honest, fair" kind of guy. With that said, I have a soft spot for exotic dancers and SM 's last 2 records: Face the Truth (2005) and Real Emotional Trash (2008) were solid collections! So, if my personal opinion holds any sort of credence ["cred"], then SM & The Jicks' new album will indeed be a true "winner" of a record selection. Although I've only actually heard 2 tracks from Mirror Traffic thusfar -- "Senator" and "No One Is (As Are I Be)" -- I'm positive that the Beck -produced album will most definitely warrant repeat listens. The pair of 90's Alternative/Indie Rock heroes reportedly laid down the majority of the 15-track collection in 2010. Then temporarily shelved due to Pavement 's "Reunion Tour" and Beck 's covers initiati...

"In the spirit of lyrical exercise, I figured I'd start a chain of freestyle releases entitled "The Penny Freestyle Series." As a kid, Penny Hardaway was my favorite basketball player, hands down. Labeled the "Second Coming," he took the mid-90's by storm! We all know [that] if his knees didn't give out, he'd be listed in the Top 50 of All Time, Hall of Fame , the works. So, what would have happened if Penny's knees DIDN'T go out on him? He would've [easily become] one of the greatest ever. Hence where I come in... For this week's Penny Freestyle Series , we conclude with "Wikipedia Rap" [Lupe Fiasco - "Failure" ]. This is the final entry in the Penny Series . I honestly had a blast knocking these out for y'all week by week. Click the cover for "Wikipedia Rap," and see the link below for the full collection, in case you missed any of the previous verses... The Penny Freestyle Series ...

With the continued success(es) of deep album cuts like "Dog Days Are Over" [2008], "You've Got the Love" [2009], and "Cosmic Love" [2010] - It's almost hard to believe that Florence + The Machine 's Lungs was originally released way back in July 2009! News of its currently "untitled" follow-up was announced just yesterday (Tuesday); Island will release it on Nov. 7th in the UK and on Universal Republic sometime later in the month in The States. Paired along with the announcement, came the "first taste" of the new album... "What the Water Gave Me." A Paul Epworth -produced cut, the track is adventurous yet restrained @ its core. Seemingly recorded in and around Florence 's studio set up, the accompanying music video features the backing of The Machine and a gospel choir in certain parts. More release details soon to come... In the meantime, head over to Pitchfork and check out Ryan Dombal 's r...

"Hi, readers of Stereogum ! My name is Tom Breihan , and I'm the older of the two new guys around here. A few Internet Eons ago, I wrote the "Status Ain't Hood" blog for The Village Voice . For the past couple of years, I've been a staff writer @ Pitchfork . And yes, that means Brandon and I just acted out our own 80's body-switching comedy. He's Judge Reinhold . I'm Fred Savage . A few things about me: I'm tall enough that complete strangers point and stare. I come from the beautiful town of Baltimore, Maryland ; Perhaps you've enjoyed our byzantine crime dramas on television. I'm a dad. This past weekend, I moved from Chicago to Virginia , which was not fun. I like dogs and nachos and professional wrestling . I really, really like Rap music , so you can expect to see some more of that around here." "For my first post, my new bosses here @ Stereogum have graciously allowed me to pick a new song to share. I...

On the heels of Thursday (mixtape), The Weeknd liberated the accompanying music video for "The Birds (Part 1)" earlier this morning (Monday). While the collection was reelased just a few days before the weekend, "The Birds" has been circulating around the inner-workings of The Web since roughly June 16th. Over the course of the day, R&B/Hip-Hop fans and music critics alike have been perplexed as to weather or not to dub the clip "official" or "unofficial." Both theories, in fact, have rhyme/reason and are highly possible... as like previously mentioned, "The Birds (Part 1)" has been out since mid-June. The logistics of whomever produced this Day-Glo dance clip don't really matter; An enjoyable track that's part of a larger enjoyable collection, Thursday can now be downloaded @ the-weeknd.com . Echoes of Silence... Part 3 of The Weeknd 's "Balloon Trilogy," is expected TBR in the Fall.

A good artist should always understand the system of supply and demand; Recently, I realized I wasn't supplying my supporters [with] as much as I use to. So, I decided to challenge myself by attempting to record an EP in one week! It actually worked out pretty good... I had the help of a few homies who came through! Shout-out to Ronn Logic, Shaun Li, Cologero Anello , Amir Patton, Markeisha Simpson, Luko, Willy J, Diahann Bowers, and Danny (DJ-DJ) ! I kind of kept this project on the low for the most part... a lot of my friends haven't even heard it! I wanted to make this joint as personal as possible, so that you emotionally feel my growth, potential, and lyrics. Of course, I could've [gone] into an actual "studio" to record this. But I [remembered] the hunger I had when creating A Perfect Change (from my bedroom). I wanted to create that same hunger within myself again and I actually think it worked ha! I documented a lot of the process to making "I...

On paper and in the mind of say... a white-collar record exec, the billing of "Matt & Kim, Soulja Boy & Andrew W.K." couldn't sound any more foreign. But in the eyes [ears] of a casual music fan like myself, it couldn't make any more sense! Just think about it for a minute: In essence, the trio is made up of 4 like-minded, happy-go-lucky PARTYING hit-makers and Pop Culture Icons . Forget the silly pre-assigned genre titles of Indie Rock, Hip-Hop, and Hard Rock/Metal ... because @ their cores, each individual act produces a continuous flow of simplistic, life-loving Pop ditties. Converse assisted with the task of getting the 3 artists in touch and is preparing to release "I'm a Goner" under their 3 Artists 1 Song umbrella; The imprint's back catalog consists of Best Coast, KiD CuDi & Rostam - "All Summer" (2010) and Pharrell, Julian Casablancas & Santigold - "My Drive-Thru" (2008). Various intervi...

Alright, well, I'm just gonna go right ahead and cut to the chase, 'cause we're all friends here: KREAYSHAWN will one day soon be re-christened "Mrs. Natassia Gail Zolot Horowitz." After directing a string of well-recieved "BASED Music Videos" for Lil B , KREAYSHAWN then slowly started to carve out her own unique career path. Maintaining a solid foundation of musical/film activity throughout her childhood, KREAYSHAWN attended [and subsequently dropped out of] Berkley Film School . Experimenting in and quickly growing tired with the fields of: " Director , Cinematographer, Editor, DJ, Pixel Artist, Swag Assassin , and Under-cat;" KREAYSHAWN then kick-started her pursuit of a Hip-Hop career around 2008. Once break-out hit, "Gucci Gucci" started garnering record-breaking amounts of YouTube views ( 12,265,453+ since May)... the label execs. imminently started a-calling with signing packages. The track below - "Bumpin...

The Witzard x K-Murdock Interview (Questions) First off, just wanted to say, "Thanks!" for doing this interview, Kyle . Publishing artist interviews seems like it'll be a fresh, new thing for the blog... and it's always cool to talk to like-minded, hard-working people. Shout-out to Jamie at Blinding Sun Records in Frederick, MD for hooking up the initial line of communication! LET'S GO! (1.) This would be a tough one for me, too. So, take your time... But what are your Top 5 Hip-Hop albums? - Paul's Boutique, 36 Chambers, [Kanye] & Seven's Travels (Atmosphere) are definitely included in mine. Top 5 (in particular order): A Tribe Called Quest - Midnight Marauders, A Tribe Called Quest - The Low End Theory, The Roots - Do You Want More, De La Soul - Stakes Is High, Outkast - ATLiens. (2.) Do you draw influence from any other [non-Hip-Hop] genres? And if so, what particular artists from said genres inspire you? Indeed, more than ever now as ...

"Curl of The Burl" is the third and most recent in a string of Mastodon singles... leading up to the Fall release of The Hunter . In comparison to it's recently-released predecessors ( "Black Tongue" and "Deathbound" ), the promo clip for "Curl of The Burl" is a little more subdued and mildly creepy. Reportedly constructed from "found footage" that Mastodon somehow managed to discover and compile. While this preliminary edit was directed by Aaron Hymes ... the official music video will seemingly be released as the Sept. 27th release date grows nearer. Fans can now reserve 1 of 3 select The Hunter pre-order packages; BLABBERMOUTH has a run-down of the further specs. for each option and its included "goodies."

To be TOTALLY "frank," Chromeo is without a doubt one of my favourite up-and-coming, original bands. The Montreal -based Electro-Funk duo made up of childhood friends, Dave 1 & P-Thugg ... was kick-started into [musical] motion around 2004. After honing their craft on She's In Control (2004), Chromeo finally managed to break into the mainstream with their sophomore effort, Fancy Footwork . Note-worthy singles from this album include: "Tenderoni," "Bonafide Lovin' (Tough Guys)," "Fancy Footwork," "Momma's Boy," and "My Girl Is Calling Me (A Liar)." Heading back into the studio for another 3 years, Chromeo managed to self-produced and release Business Casual by late 2010. Since the collection's Sept. roll out, a string of 3 singles have been released, "Night By Night," "Don't Turn the Lights On," and "Hot Mess." Just yesterday morning (August 16th), the music...

(1.) I believe I heard that your mom sings-raps on one of the mixtape's tracks... Tell me a little but about how that collaboration came to be? I've been bothering my mom about that for a while now, actually. I've always wanted her on a joint and finally persuaded her. We freestyle all the time when [I] hang out with her. (2.) How did you manage to get in touch with Jonathon Lowell, the album's sole producer? I met Jonathan Lowell through Twitter. I was looking for production at the time and he was the only person he didn't bullshit and actually sent over some work. (3.) Is there any sort of running concept/theme behind Be Cool? The whole theme behind Be Cool was me being myself. I wrote the project around the time I was going through a lot of changes and just finding myself as an artist. The theme simply is just in many given situations, we don't always make sound decisions. So, a lot of the tape was just given situations and ...

Here, we have a BRAND NEW track of unknown origins from Bobby Ray [B.o.B.] - "High Life." Aside from the fact that that The Aristrocrats produced the beat... and Motion Family filmed the video, little else is known. Seemingly filmed @ the tail-end of B.o.B.'s Asian Tour jaunt, "High Life" fully embodies "The Life & Times of a Baller." The majority of B.o.B. 's latest was filmed atop one of Singapore 's finest hotel/clubs... in one of those "never-ending pools" sporting a pair of Asian hunnies on either side.

Right out of the gates, starting with the all too familiar refrain: "Straight up, now tell me - Do you really wanna love me forever? (oh, oh, oh)... or is it just a hit and run?" J. Cole then proceeds to layer rhyme schemes between a mashed-up beat constructed from Paula Abdul - "Straight Up" (1988) and Kanye - "The New Workout Plan" (2004). "Work Out" will reportedly serve as the lead single from Jermaine Cole 's long-awaited Roc Nation [Jay-Z] debut full-length. The accompanying clip was in fact the second fully-orchestrated visual set created for "Work Out;" A rough cut of music video #1 ( Los Angeles ) was leaked and subsequently scrapped back in late July. J. Cole & crew then relocated the shoot to Brooklyn ... ultimately filming a completely new music video. The re-shot "Work Out" footage was soon edited into a music video, which was then released as part of "Any Given Sunday, Vol. 3" ...

The mask-bearing man behind SBTRKT is widely believed to in fact be one Aaron Jerome . Prior to adopting the "Rocket" moniker, the London -based beatsmith managed to release an album's-worth of Jazz/ Hip-Hop /Electronic/ Soul-Funk tracks under his birth name: Time to Re-arrange (2007). Nearly 4 months after its initial release, the lead single from SBTRKT ("Wildfire") is still gaining steam; Due in part to 2 remixes - Laced by the likes of Drake & Shabazz Palaces [Palaceer Lazaro] . The latter was released earlier today, August 15th, and was re-mixed by Memphis , Tennessee's own Drumma Boy . It should also be of note that both the original and remixed versions of "Wildfire" feature the vocal stylings of Little Dragon [Yukimi Nagano] .

Assuming the moniker "Omar-S," Detroit native Alex O. Smith has been fine-tuning batches of Hip-Hop -tinged Dance beats since about 2003. For the most part, Omar-S has gone the DIY route; Releasing white label 7-12" LP's, custom CD-R mixes, assorted "Omar-S Ice Trays," and WAV files @ his own FXHE Records website for $5-11. Also of note are Smith's 2 long-players: Just Ask the Lonely (2005) and It Can Be Done, But Only I Can Do It (August 2011). The final product is generally classified as either Techno-Dance, Deep House , * or within additional closely related sub-genres. Omar-S' latest concoction has been oh so eloquently dubbed "High School Graffiti EP." The 5-track collection was liberated by Toyota's Scion A/V imprint on August 9th. Did anyone else even know that Scion had a functioning "label?" Sounds kinda like a watered down, cheap rip-off of Green Label Sound (Mountain Dew) . But in some odd percepti...

Thus far, the upcoming Fright Night re-make seems as though it will stay pretty true to its 1985 "Cult Classic" status-achieving predecessors, Fright Night 1-2 ; A rough, general synopsis just might go a little something like this... While at first, it seems to be a sheer coincidence when a string of high schoolers go missing [dead] and a mysterious new-comer moves into a quaint, rural town - That soon proves not to be the case. Charley Brewster, a local teenager soon becomes weary that his shady, new neighbor Jerry (Colin Farrell) might be the "vampire" in question. But when no one believes his theory, Charley decides to take matters into his own hands. Therefore, KiD CuDi & Dot da Genius' "No One Believes Me" will serve as a theme song, of sorts. Together, collectively christened WiZard 2 Be Continuum , the pair who previously crafted "Day N Night," are currently chipping away @ a Rock album. Its title and release dat...

"After headlining Lollapalooza last weekend, British hit-makers Coldplay have announced a release date and title for their fifth studio album: Mylo Xyloto will arrive October 24-25th. While there's no word as to what the title actually means, graffiti has a major conceptual influence here -- the cover features a collage of various street art -- and it's something they've mentioned in interviews (and espoused in the video for lead single "Every Teardrop Is a Waterfall." ) Additionally, a special limited edition [pressing] of the album will include a graffiti-style pop-up book designed by David A. Carter . No tracklisting was revealed, but the band's been playing a handful of new material in live shows this summer, like "Charlie Brown," which they performed on Jimmy Kimmel , "Us Against the World," "Hurts Like Heaven," and "Major Minus," which they rolled out in Germany, and the aforementioned "Waterfa...

"Dude, I didn't get to go. I'm so pissed and kicking myself in the ass. Paul smoked a blunt with Chuck [The Cool Kids] on stage then got kicked out, went around back, and [saw] Asher Roth in a window. So, he threw a pebble at window... and Asher and Scooter Braun came down and bullshitted with him. Fuckin nuts! Paul's phone didn't work so Asher got Scooter to take the picture for him and emailed it to Paul." - Texts with Dylan Sutherland (Dollar) Let me attempt to bridge the gap here a mere bit: Nick Curio (Squid) heard about The Cool Kids' show @ Bam Margera's "The Note" in Westchester, PA , Thurs. evening. He then extended the invite to his Zombie Gang bandmates and a few close friends. Time wasn't exactly on their side and people had prior plans, as most people would on a Fri. afternoon/night... Pauly Patey , Angie Park & Jess DePalma ended up tagging along with Squid. Yesterday (August 11) was Asher Roth'...

Let's be real... By now, 3/4's of Internet Dwellers have most likely heard tell of Watch the Throne . Long-time collaborators, Kanye & Jay-Z ["The Throne"] have finally re-joined forces to craft a full-length album of cold, hard beats and rhymes. Crisp backing tracks were submitted from an array of All-Star Producers including but not limited to Q-Tip, The Neptunes, RZA , and Swizz Beatz ... Now for a collection of eloquently-laced words and numbers [stats]: - Unleashed to iTunes Mon. August 8th. - Subsequently reached #1 in some 23 countries world-wide. - EXCLUSIVELY sold @ Best Buy between August 12-22 . - Projected Week 1 sales: 400-500,000 units. - Standard CD: 12 tracks. Deluxe Edition: 16 - Traditional "Radio Singles:" 0 - Maybach -Motorenbau GmbH: $380,000 ( African Child donation) While most unsuspecting fans will take the "Watch the Throne" album title as a jab to up-and-coming rappers attempting to steal "T...

Over the course of the past few months, I've gotten in touch with California 's very own EdstanleY . Over the period of time since, I've also managed to establish a working relationship and friendship of sorts with Scott, Justin, and Dave . It's been one hell of an experience thus far, guys! Here, my friends, are the results of an emailed interview which together... we drafted, sent, and conducted: (1.) So, what are the band's origins? How did you guys meet? What drew you to each other? Scott and Dave actually met in college at Arizona State University... After graduating, Scott had realized that he didn't want to pursue the typical 9-5 life, so he packed his bags and moved to California to live with Dave on his kitchen floor in Huntington Beach, CA... while living a few blocks from the beach, Scott and Dave became friends with Justin who lived right next door... The three of us realized that we had a common passion for playing and creating music and d...

* Mr. Burt - "Kanye @ Coachella Illustrated" "Off Neako 's new forthcoming project, The NUMBER 23 . [This will be] the follow-up to Neako 's last critically-acclaimed mixtape, LOUDpackTREE . The release "LVL: 2 x 10," samples Kanye West - "Hell of a Life," and is co-produced by Neako and originally by Kanye. Neako chops the [ My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy ] record, adding his own instrumentation, creativity, and introspective lyrics... focused on his ascension and growth in his career the last couple years. The video, directed by Max Hliva captures Neako on a lone, deserted journey; All while displaying his usual artistic bravado." "LVL: 2 x 10" mp3 download now available over @ 2dopeboyz - compliments of "Shake."

Daniel Martin-McCormick skillfully and concurrently moonlights as Sex Worker , Ital, and Mi Ami ... All the while, actively working with group projects [bands] "LA Vampires Goes Ital" and Black Eyes . This latest project, Ital , is strongly rooted in Dance-House music... moreso than that of Martin-McCormick's past endeavors. Under the label direction of 100% Silk, Ital has released 3 limited edition [350] 12" EP's so far in 2011. Also of note, is his New Wave-y collaborative "Streetwise" 12" with label-head, Amanda "LA Vampires" Brown . "Only for Night" is the title cut/break-out "hit" from Silk #2 of 3 ; Released to vimeo on August 7th, its accompanying music video was directed by Aurora Halal, Luke Wyatt & Daniel Martin-McCormick . For all intensive purposes, "Dub Me for Night" is basically a cut-and-pasted reel of old, shitty VHS tapes... spliced between/against "bloody" Day-Glo ...