Odd Soul

I can't emphasize this enough. MUTEMATH is the band that everyone MUST see before they die!

The musicianship of the band tremendous and quite frankly, mind-blowing. For those that were fortunate enough to see the band live, they will understand what I'm talking about. On top of that, there is something the way they create music. Somehow, they are light years away from many of the bands that exists today. More importantly, it's the spirit daring adventurism that they bring on stage is what makes they truly remarkable. If you ask me, MUTEMATH is the band of the future (read my entry entitled The Future of Alternative Rock and my live review of the band)

For the past year, the band is hard at work on their their studio album, Odd Soul. I received the album a few days ago and I must say, it was quite a different listening experience. From what I noticed, the album is more driven by guitars rather than keyboards and synths. Although Greg Hill left the band early in 2010, Roy Mitchell-Cardenas really stepped up to the plate in playing both bass and guitars parts for the new record. The drumming by Darren King is superb like always as he continues to find new innovative ways to play the instrument. Finally, Paul Meany, the legendary keytarist and dynamic frontman outdid himself on Odd Soul and provided quality vocals once again.

The band has already started promoting the new record by releasing two music videos. The first one is for the title track while the other one is for "Blood Pressure". Their videos are amazing and I love their use of stop motion. It really shows their just as innovative visually as well as musically.

Visual Representation

I've been a fan of Explosions In The Sky for a long time, but it never occurred to me that they had never made a music video.

But now, after 12 years of being a band and with 6 albums under their belt, the Texas instrumental rock band have finally made their first music video. The video is for their single, "Last Known Surroundings" off their latest creation, Take Care, Take Care, Take Care. If looked closely, the animation is very similar to the Heavy Metal film back in 1981. I looked up the director behind the video and it turns out it's not just one person. The people who made the gorgeous music video are known as PTARMAK (pronounced "tar-mack"). They are a designery company that are involved in motion graphics and animation as well as many other things. To know more about PTARMAK, visit their website. All I can say is that they did an amazing job.

It's great to see Explosion In The Sky's music showcased in a whole new medium. Now our eyes and ears can be mesmerized by their glorious music.

In The Dirt

Recently, S. Carey, the lead singer of Bon Iver has released the music video for the song, "In The Dirt" off his debut record All We Grow. The music begins with a child getting ready to go outside in the snow as incredible cinematography captures the child's adventure in many different angles. It is a pleasant and lovely concept, which displays a strong sense of playfulness and innocence. Take a few minutes of your time and watch this gorgeous video. You won't regret it.

The Bedlam In Goliath

For a fan of The Mars Volta, I barely write anything about the band. So far, I have not come across any news of a new album, but I'm pretty sure something is in the works. Usually they are 2 or 3 albums ahead of their current release. Still, it would be nice to post something about them. Then I remembered when they were promoting their album, The Bedlam In Goliath, they released 5 music videos for the songs, "Wax Simulacra", "Aberinkula", "Goliath", "Askepios" and "Ilyena". Aside from "Wax Simulacra", which only contains live footage from their previous tours, all the videos have strange and interesting concepts. It's nice to take a look back on their bizarre and outrageous creations.

Robyn Is Back

Despite the content of my blog being majority alternative rock, indie rock and electronica, it does not mean that I will only cater to those particular genres. Their are many kinds of music that I enjoy listening to such as hip-hop, classic R&B and even pop. Speaking of pop, this next piece is about Swede pop star Robyn.

The other day, my girlfriend was watching the music video for the song "Hang On Me" by Robyn. Immediately it caught my attention and I was digging on the song. For some of you, you are probably already aware of who Robyn is. In fact, some of you might be dusting off your copy of her classic album, Robyn Is Here. Back then, she was known for her classic singles, "Do You Know What It Takes" and "Show Me Love". Then somehow, she disappeared from the music scene and I never heard from her again. But here's the real story. In 1997, she returned home to Sweden to recover from exhaustion due to excessive touring. She then released two other albums, My Truth and Don't Stop The Music, but did not receive an international release. Then it 2002, she released her album, Robyn, which was the beginning of Robyn's hand in synth pop. She citied that her influences were The Knife and Teddybears, which are both electronic acts from Sweden. Then in 2009, she began to release a collection of EP's known as the Body Talk series (Part 1and Part 2) which eventually led to the release of the full length Body Talk record. The album displays Robyn's pop finese combined with the dynamics of synth pop and electronica. As a result, Robyn has crafted the perfect pop album of 2010, filled with innovative melodies, cutting edge beats and graceful lyrics.

From the looks of it, there is not stopping this pop star after more than 15 years in the music scene. Expect big things from here in the future, but not in the too far distant future. Rumor has it she may be release another album sometime next year. That's something to definitely look forward to.

Mental Wealth

Chris Cunningham is one of my favorite music video film directors. He began his career working on the Stanley Kubrick film, A.I., in which he worked on the robotic designs for the film. After his work on A.I., he pursued making music videos for many artists. Some artists include Bjork, Aphex Twin, Portishead and Squarepusher. Chris Cunningham has also made commercials which included Playstation (see Mental Wealth) and Gucci (see Gucci Flora). I love how he utilized dark elements in his videos. Some of his videos features distorted looking characters, dark rooms and even strange transformations. But despite the bleak nature of the videos, there is a obvious beauty that can be found if looked at more closely. I wish I could post all of his videos, but I narrowed it down to three of my favorites. The first one is "All Is Full of Love" by Bjork. The second one is "Come On My Selector" by Squarepusher. The third one is "Frozen" by Madonna. Take a look at these videos. If you have a Chris Cunningham video, please share it.

A Softer Side

Metal bands follow simple formula: the heavier, the better. These bands have a reputation for making very heavy music. Melodic parts are usually sacrificed for heavy riffs and gruesome breakdowns. So what makes the Deftones standout out among all the other metal acts is that they are not afraid to embrace their softer side. Unlike their metal counterparts, the Deftones are known for using intricate song structures and complex melodies. At the same time, strong experimentation and exploration is conducted to expand their sound. Some of the genres that the Deftones incorporate into their sound are dream pop, electronica and new wave. In doing this, the band has successfully merged massive and grace into one completely unique sound. A great example of this would be their latest video, "Sextape" off their record Diamond Eyes. The video was directed by ZFCL (Zak Forrest and Chad Liebenguth). The directors were able to capture Deftone's vision of dream world full of color and wonder.


So word of advice to metal bands out there. Take a page from Deftones' book and don't be afraid to show your softer side.

One Night Only

Emma Watson (I'm not going to lie) is one of the most beautiful women on the face of the planet. Maybe it's her long hair, her hypnotizing eyes or her irresistible accent that makes guys fall in love with the beautiful starlet. Or it could be the fact that she plays the intelligent and headstrong, Hermione Grainger from the Harry Potter series that gets guys (and wizards alike) to take a second look. But sorry to break your hearts, fellas, but the lovely Miss Watson is no longer on the market. No, she's not seeing Ron Weasley if that's what you are thinking. Like her character Hermione, her boyfriend is a Muggle and he happens to be in a rock band.

Emma is dating lead singer/guitarist George Craig, from the UK band One Night Only. The band was formed in 2003 and since then, the band has recorded two albums, Started a Fire (2008) and their One Night Only (2010). Similar to the stylings of Jet and Oasis, One Night Only plays straightforward rock with pop undertones. It's fun and catchy without losing it's edge. Their recent video, "Say You Don't Want To" features the cute couple walking around the streets of New York. Look out for the surprise twist in the very end.

So how did this particular rocker land someone as beautiful as Emma Watson? It must be magic, I guess.

Sex Appeal

 I love how Maroon 5 is not your traditional rock band. I mean, of course they play "rock" music, but that's not all they play. They also play with other genres such as pop, funk, R&B, jazz and even soul. Combining all these different genres into one cohesive sound, they not only established their own original sound, but they also succeeded in creating a sound that has a strong sex appeal. According to Adam Levine, the frontman of the band, he channels particular artists for each of their records. For instance, with Songs About Jane their sensational debut, he incorporates his love of Stevie Wonder into his music while It Won't Be Soon Before Long invokes his inner Prince and The Police. So now it makes me wonder (pun intended), who the band will invoke for their long awaited third album, Hands All Over. One thing is for sure though, one way or the other, their sound is going to still be sexy. How do I know? Well, look at the cover art for Hands All Over.



After you pick up your jaw from the ground and stuff your eyes back into your eye sockets, listen up. The cover art features a beautiful half naked woman (if anyone knows who this woman is, please let me know) with her arms wrapped around her. At the same time, another pair of arms are also wrapped around her at the same time creating the illusion that she has multiple arms. The picture has a very strong sex appeal and it reflects Maroon 5's sound. The cover art was taken by Rosie Hardy, a 19 year old photographer from Derbyshire, UK. If you want to know more about Rosie Hardy and her incredible work, go to her official website.


The first single off Hands All Over is the song "Misery". In the music video, Adam Levine totally gets man-handled by this one beautiful girl. The things she does to Levine are so harsh, but oddly enough, it's kind of sexy.

Good Ass Job

The thing that I love about Kanye West is how creative his videos are. Every video that i've seen from him leaves a strong impression. His latest one is no exception. Kanye’s newest video is for the single “Power” off his up incoming fifth studio album, Dark Twisted Fantasy (originally titled as Good Ass Job). The concept reminds me of paintings you see on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, work of art brought to life. Surrounded by his worshipers and majestic beings, Kanye reigned over like the deity . The video is strong and powerful and the vibe matched perfectly with the song. The slow but steady movements were added for dramatic effect. It was a colossal and epic feat. Unfortunately, the video only lasted a little more than a minute, which meant that it was only a snippet of the actual song. Still, in any case, Dark Twisted Fantasy is definitely something to look forward to in the months to come. But to be honest, maybe Kanye should reconsider changing the name back to Good Ass Job because I think he outdid himself once again.




Fun Fact: Kanye recorded this track in Hawaii. I'm not sure which studio exactly, but I guess it must be a secret spot of his...

Jam-Ear-Oh-Kwai

It turns out that after all these years, I have been pronouncing the name completely wrong. I don't know why it took so long for me to figure it out. I went to FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) section of the band's website and it turns out that the band's name is pronounced "jam-EAR-oh-Kwai". I'm sure by now you know that I'm talking about Jamiroquai (read the last sentence if you still don't know how to pronounce it). Hailing from England, the band which consists of core members Jay Kay (vocalist/songwriter) and Derrick McKenzie (drummer). Although, there are two members of the band, Jay Kay remains as the focus of the band and appears in all of their music videos. They are mainly a acid jazz/jazz funk band that dabbles in pop, rock and electronica. The one thing that I love about his music is that whenever I listen to his music, I always feel like dancing. For some reason, when his music comes on, I just get up on my chair and start moving my feet.

One of my favorite albums from the band is A Funk Odyssey. This album represents the departure of Jamiroquai's traditional acid jazz sound and concentrates more on the pop, dance and electronic aspect of the bands' sound. It was a bold change, but a good one. The album had spawned hits like "You Give Me Something", "Love Foolosophy" and my personal favorite, "Little L", which you can watch the video below. I love this video because the concept was inspired by dance clubs back in the 70's with little cosmic twist to it. It has everything color tiles on the floor, bright lights, people dancing and of course, a disco ball. Absolutely awesome. If you have never heard of Jamiroquai, check out their immpresive catalog. I suggest start out with Travelling Without Moving (spawned highly-acclaimed single, "Virtual Insanity") and The Return of the Space Cowboy and then built your way toward A Funk Odyssey. One way or the other, I guarantee it will make you want to dance.

On one final note, can you tell me how you pronounce his name again? You should know by now...

Behold, Sir Luscious Left Foot

Spin has compiled a list of the 25 albums to watch out for in the next few months. I was checking it out and I got excited to see some of the selections they have made. One of them in particular is Big Boi from Outkast. This will be marked as his second solo record since Outkast's Speakerboxxx/The Love Below, which was a double album feature of solo records from him and his musical counterpart, Andre 3000 The new album, which will be released on July 6th will be entitled Sir Lusicious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty. The title is a reference to one of his alias (Sir Luscious Left Foot) and to his late father (Chico Dusty). I did not get a chance to hear any of the tracks off the new album except for one. On Worldstarhiphop.com, they premiered the music video for the track, "Shutterbug" off the new record. Not only is the video amazing, but the track alone is sheer brilliant. I would not be surprised if that single blows up on all the radio station in the next few weeks before the release of the record. In the meantime, you deserve yourself to check out the new video. For more information on Big Boi and to hear some of the tracks off the soon-to-be released album, click HERE and HERE. To read the Spin feature on Big Boi, click HERE.

Vocals Ripping In Half

In honor of the release of Circa Survive's third album, Blue Sky Noise, I have decided to post their video for this single off that album, "Get Out". The video was shot in a simplistic fashion and features clips of the band during recording and other random situations. From the guitars to the drums, the instrumentation on the track is absolutely stellar. The band has come a long way from their Juturna days and the band just keeps getting better and better. The track's biggest strength, however, comes from none other than the band's frontman, Anthony Green. The first time I heard this track, it literally sounded like Green's vocals was going to rip the track in half. From high-pitched wails while switching off to his signature almost falsetto-like singing, this really shows Green's versatility as a vocalist. From the impression I got from listening to "Get Out", I can only imagine what the rest of Blue Sky Noise will sound like. Already I am excited over the release and I can't wait to pick up the album. If you have not gotten a chance to listen to the new track by Circa Survive, check out the video below. Also, Blue Sky Noise is out today in stores so don't forget to pick it up at your nearest record store.

Red Light Special

I was in the mood for some classic R&B music and I was watching some videos on Yahoo music the other day. I remember walking away from the computer for a few minutes and when I came back, the video that came on next was "Red Light Special" by TLC. I was very fond of listening to the TLC because it was one of my sister's favorite groups when we were young. I remembered she had the cassette for their album CrazySexyCool and she would always play it in her radio or walkman. That album had spawned many hit singles such as "Waterfalls", "Creep", "Diggin' On You" and of course "Red Light Special". For those that have never seen the video for "Red Light Special", all I can say is that it's very hot and steamy. Everything from the music, the lyrics and the theme brings a whole new meaning to the word "sexy". I especially love T-Boz's, who was my favorite member of TLC at the time, and her extremely seductive voice. Overall, it's a great video and TLC still remains as one of the sexiest female groups in R&B history. Check out the video below. Also I highly recommended their album, CrazySexyCool. It is one of the best albums of all time. Don't believe me? Ask Rolling Stone.

13th Witness

With the release of Deftone's latest single, "Rocket Skates" off of their highly anticipated album, Diamond Eyes, I am happy to announce that the Deftone's has officially released a video for that single. The video was directed by 13thWitness aka Timothy McGurr who is a videographer/photographer from New York. I'm not sure what the conceptual idea behind it is, but the cinematography and editing is amazing. Plus, I love the shots of the band performing because it really captures the raw energy and emotion of their live show. Overall, 13thWitness did an amazing job. You can watch the video below. Also, I'm not that familiar with his work, but if you want to know more about 13thWitness and the work that he does click HERE. You can also follow his twitter by clicking HERE.

Heartwarming Feeling

The first time I heard of Marie Digby, my girlfriend showed me her video "Say It Again". It was a really cute video and I love how sweet and heartwarming the song was. It's the kind of the song that you can't help but fall in love. I looked her up and it turns out she started out singing in night clubs sometime around 2005. It wasn't until she started posting videos of acoustic covers her Youtube page that she began to get recognized not only for her stunning beauty but also her undeniable talent in singing and songwriting. Since then she has gained worldwide popularity and has released two albums, Unfold (her debut album) and her new album, Breathing Underwater. Shown below is Marie Digby's new video, "Avalanche" and it showcases the maturity and depth of her new sound while still retaining that same heartwarming feeling listeners get when listening to her music. If you have never heard of her, please take a listen. I promise you won't regret it.

School Science Fair

With My Dinosaur Life coming out tomorrow on January 19th (that's tomorrow, folks), I can't help but feel ecstatic about the new Motion City Soundtrack record. I read a couple of sources already about the album and all of them have agreed that this is the band's best record to date. After listening to some of the tracks on their myspace, I couldn't agree more. Below is the music video for their song, "Her Words Destroyed My Planet". Not only the video is awesome, but Justin Pierre, singer and guitarist for MCS truly has a way of writing lyrics. Check out the below and don't forget to pick up their new record tomorrow.

Heads Will Roll

Just in case if you are wondering, this is not about the Yeah Yeah Yeahs' video "Heads Will Roll" but feel free to click the link above to check out their stellar video.

I am referring to Protest The Hero's video, "Bloodmeat". I love the pure and raw energy this video reaps. It is that particular quality that the director wanted to capture about the band. Check out the video below. Trust me, it will make heads roll...

Radio Christmas

Although, I don't really celebrate Christmas, I can't help but enjoy some Christmas music when it plays on the radio. There are a couple that I really enjoy.

The first one is "Christmas Time Is Here" by Vince Guaraldi. He is highly remembered for playing the music in the classic holiday movie, A Charlie Brown Christmas as well the other Peanuts movie.




Another one that I enjoy is "The Christmas Song", a classic song that is sung by Stacie Orrico, a popular Christian Pop artist. I admit when I had a crush on her when I first heard the song "Stuck".




The other one is a highly popular Christmas song and it happens to be a guilty pleasure of mine. This song is none other than Mariah Carey's classic, "All I Want For Christmas Is You".

Damn Swan Dress

One thing I tend to grumble about is that many people only remember Bjork because of the swan dress that she wore at the 2001 Oscars. Not many people realize what a talented and innovative singer/songwriter/musician she really is. She has released a brilliant catalog of albums throughout her career, but the one album that I feel is where she truly blossomed as an artist is the album, Homogenic. In her earlier works, she was known to make electronica influenced pop music, but this was the album where she started to experiment other genres which included trip hop, folk and ambient music. It is also the album that took upon a much darker atmosphere, which adds a whole new dimension to her music. Bjork is also known for making great music videos. Shown below is the music video for the song, "Hunter" from her album, Homogenic.