Sasquatch, Godzilla, King Kong, Loch Ness...

It seems that the video clip for Kanye's epic track has leaked, and here it is:



Not sure if this is the final product but it's pretty swish. Rick Ross doesn't even attempt to mime, Kanye looks smug as usual, Jigga looks as sharp as possible and Niki Minaj gets freaky with herself... kinda disappointed that they left Bon Iver out though.

R. Hunter

Merry Christmas

The Pogues - Fairytale of New York (1987)

I may have lied before when I said that these Christmas songs weren't in order of preference because this one is easily number one in my book. A perfect mix of story telling, vocals and instrumentals. This is/was a staple song for Christmas in the Hunter household and everytime I listen to it I can picture the family singing along and swinging their arms to the music. Merry Christmas everyone... Enjoy

The Pogues - Fairytale of New York feat. Kirsty MacColl


R. Hunter

Remix: Local Natives

One of my favourite songs from one of my favourite bands from 2010 has just received a generous remix treatment. Almost at this exact time last year the Local Natives came on the scene and had one of the best albums, and one of the best live shows of the year. And now with this remix it gives the track a whole new edge. Fools Gold has turned this airy, light, acoustic track into some sort of grimey, electro-rap banger... Enjoy

Local Natives - Wide Eyes (Fools Gold Remix) Feat. Aristotle Pop-A-Bottle


R. Hunter

So this is Christmas? (day 6)

Nat King Cole - The Christmas Song (1946)

This one's really a no-brainer. THE classic Christmas song. Just look at all the Christmas cheer that a young Nat King Cole is about to spread... he's got his new Christmas sweater on, sitting in a comfy chair, about to wrap up that teddy bear and give it to someone less fortunate, I can just tell... Enjoy

Nat King Cole - The Christmas Song


R. Hunter

So this is Christmas? (day 5)

Today I'm going against traditional posts and posting something without music, however I wish I could translate Jimmy Stewart's Christmas joy into a song... that's some intense spreading of Christmas cheer. SPOILER ALERT: this is the last 9 minutes of the movie "It's A Wonderful Life", if you want a quick injection of Christmas then watch on... or you could just watch the whole movie for the full effect... Enjoy



R. Hunter

So this is Christmas? (day 4)

Sufjan Stevens - Sister Winter (2006)

Sufjan Stevens rarely does things the conventional way, which is kinda why I like his music so much. So when he decided to release a 5 disc Christmas CD pack I was very interested to see what he would serve up. This track is my favourite out of the lot, and I love the fact that you don't really know that it's a Christmas song until the final lines of the song where he triumphantly wants to 'wish you a happy Christmas!'... Enjoy

Sufjan Stevens - Sister Winter


R. Hunter

So this is Christmas? (day 3)

Jackson 5 - Santa Clause Is Coming To Town (1970)

Thought I'd add a song into the mix that was a little bit more upbeat. You can almost hear just how excited a young Michael Jackson was about Santa Clause visiting his town, his voice is so passionate and enthusiastic it's hard not to get all caught up in the moment... Enjoy

Jackson 5 - Santa Clause Is Coming To Town


R. Hunter

So this is Christmas? (day 2)

John Lennon - Happy Xmas (War Is Over) (1971)

This one could be a little cliche but it's a classic. Along with 'Auld Lang Syne' it is the perfect bookend to a year, as it raps it all up and prepares for a fresh start. The effect of this song intensifies as it nears the end due to the harmonies inreasing to a near soprano level. And did I mention that it was a classic... Enjoy

John Lennon - Merry Xmas (War Is Over)


R. Hunter

So this is Christmas?

I'll admit that I'm not the most festive person in the world, and generally dislike the regular Christmas playlists that get blasted out in department stores all throughout November and December... however I felt compelled to put together some of my favourite Christmas songs for the last 7 days before Christmas. These aren't necessarily classics, nor am I ranking them in any order, but they are some of the songs that I will remember as unique to Christmas time.

The Black Family - First Christmas (1989)

I remember dad playing many of the Black Family CDs full volume in his office regularly when I was growing up, particularly around Christmas time. The singers have such a rich Irish accent that I always found amusing. This song was always one that stuck with me throughout the years because I remember as a child thinking 'how could anyone spend Christmas away from home?' Now as an adult I realise that it is not only possible, but has happened to me already, and it will happen again in a week. I know this isn't the most uplifting Christmas song but it's one of my favourites, and I know my dad would appreciate me saying so... Enjoy

The Black Family - First Christmas


R. Hunter

Arcade Fire Covered

UK songman Benjamin Francis Leftwich recently covered an Arcade Fire track from their 2004 album 'Funeral'. This man has good taste in his selections for covering, and this track is a very different and solid acoustic rendition of a great track... Enjoy

Benjamin Francis Leftwich - Rebellion (Lies)


R. Hunter

New John Farnham...?

I never thought I'd be writing about John Farnham... ever. But just yesterday an American friend of mine told me about this amazing movie soundtrack that had all of these inspirational 80s rock songs in it... I was curious. He tells me about this movie called RAD, an against-the-odds story about a young paperboy that takes on the best BMX riders in his city (think BMX Bandits crossed with The Karate Kid) starring Lori Loughlin (that hottie Becky from Full House). It turned out that all the songs my friend was talking about were by our very own Whispering Jack! Somehow in 1986, just before releasing his mega-hit 'You're The Voice' Johnny had a little bit of time on his hands to rock the shit out of this soundtrack to a little-known teen film. Needless to say the movie, and the songs, are pure genius. You can check out the trailer to the movie (sorry about the poor quality) and the rare John Farnham tunes below... Enjoy


My favourite part: the amazing ginger kid at 0:40

John Farnham - Break The Ice


John Farnham - Thunder In Your Heart


R. Hunter

Oh land

When I first heard Oh Land's 'Wolf and I', I figuratively and almost literally shat my pants. Sorry, that's disgusting but yes, this song is THAT good. Not to mention when I watched this video...

Oh Land- Wolf & I (Live) from Oh Land Music on Vimeo.

...and realised I now have the biggest girl crush of all time.

Can't wait for the album. Enjoy 'Wolf and I' below, you can thank me later. Dubby, chilled out awsomeness.

C x

Thought I could add a little something to this one. Oh Land popped up on my radar when Yuksek decided to contribute a remix to one of her tracks... Enjoy

Oh Land - Son Of A Gun (Yuksek Remix)

R. Hunter

The KDMS is funky

This track has been described as a "slowdisco bomb", and I would have to agree. It combines the perfect laid-back 70's disco tunes with the sexy lounge singer female vocals, and it has definitely been stuck in my head for the last couple of days... Enjoy

The KDMS - High Wire


R. Hunter

Daft Punk does Tron Soundtrack

Daft Punk seem to be an obvious choice to create the original score for the new Tron film (due out December 17th in the States). The two French DJs have created a dark and ominous collection of tracks that will fit perfectly in the film. After one complete listen through I can tentatively break the Soundtrack down into a simple musically mathematical equation:

Terminator + Inception + a pinch of Batman + some French electro = Tron: Legacy Soundtrack

You can sample some of the tracks below... Enjoy

Daft Punk - Recognizer


Daft Punk - The Game Has Changed


R. Hunter

New J. Cole

The first person signed to the Roc Nation label has just released a very good hip hop cd... not much more I can say about it. In the shadows of Kanye's big release it's comforting to know that there are other highly talented rappers out there that aren't slightly crazy, all over the media headlines doing stupid shit, or ranting at their concerts. Any way you look at it, J. Cole's newest outing is a solid hip hop CD, and you can check out my favourite 2 tracks below... Enjoy

J. Cole - Before I'm Gone


J. Cole - You Got It


Also, you should really check out J. Cole's verse on one of Jay-Z's tracks from the Blueprint 3. It was the first time I had heard him, and it's very rare that Jay gets upstaged on his own track.

Jay-Z feat J. Cole - A Star Is Born

"Cold as the shoulders of gold-diggin hoes when a broke n***a approaches"

R. Hunter

Alex B in Vail, Colorado

I happened to be flipping through the local Vail newspaper yesterday and to my (pleasant) surprise I saw that Alex B was playing at the Samana Lounge in Vail. You may remember back in August that I was first introduced to Alex B's music and loved it, so after a great day of snowboarding I set off with my latest toy (a Flip Ultra HD video camera) to nod my head to some of Alex's beats. Interestingly enough he played the entire gig off a program on his iPad. I'm not sure how I felt about that due to the fact that I prefer to see some turntables and drum pads but hey, the times are a changing. You can check out some of the highlights from the gig in the videos below... Enjoy





R. Hunter

Classic: Da Dip

Heard this recently whilst watching the new Forum snowboard DVD called 'F*** It'. The year was 1997, the jeans were worn high above the hip, and I challenge you not to nod your head to this one... Enjoy



R. Hunter

New: In Gratitude EP

I was trolling through the Hype Machine blog the other day and thought I'd give something new a chance. Really glad I clicked on this track. This UK four piece impressed me from the first listen and after checking out their debut EP 'Only In Youth' I'm still interested. What intrigues me most is that the lead singer is actually a guy. I remember when I first listened to Beach House I thought that the lead singer was a man, and now the opposite happens. Either way the music is good and you should definitely check it out and download the entire EP for free by clicking right here ... Enjoy

In Gratitude - Always


R. Hunter

Gorillaz Cover The xx

1/4 of The Gorillaz live band recently stepped into the BBC Live Lounge to perform some stuff off their latest album. Here they perform a great, low-key cover of The xx hit 'Crystalised' which you can check out below... Enjoy



R. Hunter

New: Jay Electronica

Jay Electronica hasn't released much music in his time behind the mic but what he has released have been pretty tasty. Jay Electronica's rapping kinda reminds me of Theophilus London, and he uses a very in-depth, story telling style which I like. He's the latest signee to Jay-Z's Roc Nation, he has a baby girl with Erykah Badu, and he has a new single that you can listen to here... Enjoy

Jay Electronica feat. Jay-Z and The-Dream - Shiny Suit Theory


R. Hunter

New Girl Talk

Girl Talk is back with his ADHD-infused musical stylings, and if you've enjoyed his stuff in the past then you know what to expect. Favourite part has to be the opening with Black Sabbath's 'War Pigs' spliced with Ludacris rolling over the Empire State of Mind beat... genius. You can download it for free by using the following link... Enjoy

Girl Talk - All Day

R. Hunter

New Kanye

Kanye has been keeping himself very busy lately with a vast array of creative projects including; 'moving artwork' to promote his single Power, his weekly G.O.O.D Friday track releases on his blog, his endless lists of collaborations and now a 35 minute long mini film that seems to be a medley of his tracks from the upcoming album 'My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy' (that you can purchase from iTunes right now)

His latest offering is titled 'All Of The Lights' and contains a plethora of supporting artists the likes of John Legend, Kid Cudi, Fergie, Rihanna, Alicia Keys, Charlie Wilson, The Dream, Ryan Leslie, La Roux and apparently Elton John... however I can only really pick out a couple of them. Rumours are that this is not in fact the final cut of the track and no doubt it will be improved upon when the official release date rolls around on November 22nd. For now you can check out the track and also his beautifully constructed epic, yet somewhat pointless and self indulgent, short film to the song 'Runaway'... Enjoy

Kanye West - All Of The Lights




R. Hunter

New: Matt and Kim

Brooklynites Matt and Kim have just released a new album titled 'Sidewalks' and the single track 'Cameras' was released back in late August. To be perfectly honest I haven't had a chance to check out the whole CD yet but if it's anything like their first single then it should be worth a look... Enjoy

Matt and Kim - Cameras


R. Hunter

New York I Love You But...

A great ode (and a great video clip) to a great city that I will be saying goodbye to as I head out west for the winter. To be honest I'm not the biggest LCD Soundsystem fan, but this is one is a little different to their regular jams... Enjoy (and thanks to cousin Glenn for the dedication)


R. Hunter

Autumn Feel

Autumn has just about set in here in NYC and sometimes you come across a song that really fits that chilly, lazy, Autumn afternoon feel. I fired up the internet radio station Pandora today and created a playlist using Antony and the Johnsons as inspiration. About 5 songs in this gem pops up; a band that I had previously not heard anything from covering a great Neil Young track... and it just fit the mood perfectly. So grab a cup of cocoa, wrap yourself up in a warm blanket and... Enjoy

Needle - Helpless


And here's the original for good measure

Neil Young - Helpless


R. Hunter

New: How To Dress Well

Germany-based DJ Thomas Krell, a.k.a How To Dress Well, released an album last month titled 'Love Remains' and it has crept up on me as a recent favourite on my iPod playlist. Great lo-fi, R & B style instrumentals with Thomas' piercing, and frequently distorted, falsetto vocal layered over the top. Perfect for escaping into headphone land on a long subway trip or for a low-key Sunday recovery session. You can check out his first single from the album below... Enjoy

How To Dress Well - Ready For The World


R. Hunter

What's Golden?

Gold Panda

This UK DJ came onto my musical radar late last year when I read about him being one of BBC's 'ones to watch in 2010' and I immediately warmed to his track 'Quitter's Raga' (which was a painfully good 1 min 55 second long teaser trailer of things to come). Flash forward about 10 months and Gold Panda is set to release his debut full-length album titled 'Lucky Shiner'.

The CD is full of quality productions, musical influences from exotic countries, glitches, tasty beats, and an overall very atmospheric sound. You can check out his first single, Snow & Taxis, below as well as a cute 'digital bonus' track called Casio Daisy... Enjoy

Gold Panda - Snow & Taxis


Gold Panda - Casio Daisy


R. Hunter

Starring: New York City

Duck Sauce (the collaboration between the DJs Armand Van Helden and A-Trak)have recently released the video for the first single off their upcoming October release titled 'Barbra Streisand'. It's hard to pick all of the cameo appearances but it is quite clear that these two guys have many friends in high places. I spotted Questlove, DJ Premier, Santogold, Pharrell, Kanye, Chromeo, and even a cameo by A-Trak himself as a 15 year old winning a DMC title in 1997. I'm sure I missed a whole lot more significant cameo appearances but it's so fun that it's guaranteed I'm gonna watch it many times over... Enjoy

'New York is the place of opportunities'

R. Hunter

Das Ist Gut

'we're not joking, just joking we are joking, just joking we're not joking'

You know when a comedic actor totally switches up his style and stars in a dramatic movie and makes you sit up and realise that this guy can act and should be taken seriously... well Das Racist seem to be the hip hop version of Jim Carrey from the movie Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind with this latest release. The trio from Brooklyn, who have recently released a song named 'Combination Pizza Hut And Taco Bell', seemed destined for the 'joke rapper' label. Despite the fact that their new album 'Sit Down, Man' still retains some of the good humoured rapping style it actually stands up as a quality hip hop album. With some great production, some solid featuring artists, and lyrics laden with social commentary this is good music that doesn't take itself too seriously. You can listen to some of my favourite tracks below... Enjoy

Das Racist - Hahaha Jk_

Das Racist - Fashion Party feat. Chairlift


Das Racist - Rappin 2 U feat. Lakutis (this track uses a great and obscure sample from a Japanese artist Minmi used on a compilation CD for the cult Japanese anime show Samurai Champloo... you can check out the original here)


R. Hunter

Ra Ra Remix

Ra Ra Riot released their sophomore album, The Orchard, this year and to be honest it's nothing to write home about. A little too pop orientated and fluffy for my liking. However, this RAC mix of their first single 'Boy' is a definite improvement on the original, and if you are looking for a tasty little pop treat then this one is for you... Enjoy

Ra Ra Riot - Boy (RAC mix)


R. Hunter

I hope I'm the first to tell you about...

Twin Shadow

This guy just seems to encapsulate the essential 'hipster' vibe that is running wild in Brooklyn at the moment. I can imagine him spending an equal amount of time on his moustache and his hair in front of the mirror every morning before slipping into a just-a-little-too-small sized plain white t-shirt and driving down Bedford Ave in a hotted up classic automobile. That being said, his album is intruigingly good and he sure has the new-generation business savvy to sell his music and tickets to his live shows (he is currently selling his debut album for $1 to those people that are lucky enough to live in the US here).

His sound isn't exactly fresh and unique but it's solid. At times his arrangements can sound very similar to Hot Chip, and at other times Twin Shadow seems to be attempting to channel Morrissey (especially on the track 'Slow'), but as I said before it is a solid first release that is reluctant to be conform to just one genre. You can listen to my favourite track off his debut album, titled 'Forget', below... Enjoy.

Twin Shadow - Castles In The Snow


www.myspace.com/thetwinshadow

R. Hunter

New: Baths

Baths is the alias for L.A. musicmaker Will Wiesenfeld, releasing his debut album 'Cerulean' under the new name after releasing a few albums as [Post-Foetus]. Awkward DJ names aside, what we have here is another solid beatmaker to come out of California, definitely taking some inspiration from Flying Lotus, Prefuse 73, Bibio... and sometimes even managing to sound a little like one of my favourite Japanese DJs 'Nujabes' (and if you haven't checked him out yet you really should). Baths released his CD is June this year and it has been on solid rotation on the iPod recently. It's a great debut with intricate beats, well timed glitches, unique and infrequent vocals (I'm convinced that the lead singer for Passion Pit is singing on track 12) and an overall perfect summer feel. Check out his single below, his myspace site, and look out for Baths in 2010... Enjoy.

Baths - Lovely Bloodflow

www.myspace.com/bathsmusic

R. Hunter

Shit hot track

The new Bag Raider's track has been doing the rounds on Triple J at the moment and I have to say, I'm kinda digging it. Dark, moody electro - just the way I like it. Their new self-titled album is due out in October and this track has gotten me all sorts of excited.

Way Back Home - Bag Raiders

C x

I hope I'm the first to tell you about...

Alex B

I saw this guy open for Jamie Lidell way back in July and don't know why it has taken me so long to write about him. He hails from Colorado and has recently produced a mix titled 'Brain Food' for Flying Lotus' Brainfeeder record label. Listening and watching this man perform you can definitely pick up on his attention to detail and love for the music he is producing, which is evident in the layering of his tracks and the way he moves when he is creating them.

With obvious influences including Flying Lotus and Jay Dilla, Alex B has put together his debut album titled 'Moments' (released in April) and according to his website: "The tracks on Moments are intricately crafted with painstaking care and attention to detail — a careful mix of analog and digital sounds elevated by imaginative samples and the insight of a classically trained musician. The result is a blend of timeless warmth and future beats that is as easily adaptable to introspective time with one’s headphones as it is to group mania on a mobbed dance floor."

I would have to agree. Here is one of the tracks off the 'Moments' CD... Enjoy

Alex B - You And I Both Know


Also, make sure that you visit his myspace page and download the 'Brain Food' mixtape for FREE at:

http://www.myspace.com/pnuma

R. Hunter

New: Lupe Fiasco

The latest of the tracks to get leaked in the lead up to releasing his latest album titled "Lasers". Anyone who had the chance to see Lupe live recently would have heard a few of the tracks that will be featured on the new album and should be suitably excited about what he has to offer up. The latest track is titled "Go To Sleep" and there is not much to say about it except that if you like Lupe, and if you like good hip hop, then you will like this... Enjoy

Lupe Fiasco - Go To Sleep


R. Hunter

I hope I'm the first to tell you about...

S. Carey

As the story goes, S. Carey (or Sean Carey) approached Justin Vernon (Bon Iver) during one of his first shows and told him that he could play and sing all the songs on the album. They set about playing a few together and Sean got hired on the spot to join the band. If you have ever had the pleasure of seeing Bon Iver live you may recognise Sean from sitting behind the drumset or piano (apparently Chiara has met him and said he was a lovely guy). Sean has been slowly putting together a collection of his own songs over the last couple of years whilst touring with Bon Iver and it's clear that he has been heavily influenced by fellow muso Vernon (Bon), and also shades of Sufjan Stevens come through on a few tracks. The album is called "All We Grow" and it is due to be released on the 24th of August (pretty soon). All in all, and I hesitate to say, it's almost a spin-off CD from the regular Bon Iver catalogue. Like Joey did from the tv show 'Friends' except that this S. Carey album doesn't suck.

In fact it's pretty spot on for the genre, you know the music you want to listen to when you're feeling a little down, maybe taking a long train trip, maybe just broken up with a girlfriend/boyfriend, maybe you just want to chill on a rainy Sunday afternoon... this CD is perfect for that kinda stuff. I have selected two tracks that best represent this feeling, so check them out and then get the rest of the CD... Enjoy.

S. Carey - In The Dirt


S. Carey - Broken


R. Hunter

Kanye West's New Single Remixed

Kanye released his new single 'Power' back in June 2010 and I must admit that I completely missed it... It wasn't until I heard it today that I dug a little deeper and found the official remix that has only been around a couple of days since it was unveiled last Friday on the radio station Hot 97. Kanye is back doing what he does best: heavy beats, crisp rapping, teaming up with Jay-Z, and more importantly NO VOCODER! Check out the remix below and also the youtube 'teaser' clip featuring Kanye in a 'moving painting' with a massive gold chain, surrounded by semi naked god-like women. I must admit, it's been a while, but once again Kanye has impressed me... Enjoy.

Kanye West - Power (remix) feat. Jay Z & Swizz Beatz




R. Hunter

Get Funked...

'How long has this been going on?'

Some more funk for your trunk. This week I'm serving up some 60's funk, a slice of soul and some 70's rock... Enjoy

The Buckinghams - Mercy, Mercy, Mercy


Luther Ingram - (If Loving You Is Wrong) I Don't Wanna Be Right


Ace - How Long


R. Hunter

New: Sufjan Stevens

Very excited about this one! It's been a while since Sufjan has released a 'real' album as his last 3 have been: an outtakes and offcuts CD for Avalanche, a christmas CD, and an instrumental CD dedicated to the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway... it's safe to say that he is not your average musician, but I think that's what I like about him.

His latest EP contains 8 tracks that are built around 2 versions of the title track 'All Delighted People', and it has been available for digital download and streaming since August 23rd from here.

To really get a taste for it please listen to the title track in its absolutely epic, instrumental, 11 minute glory. Sit yourself down and take some time to enjoy Mr Stevens at his eccentric best. Oh, and see if you can spot Leonardo DiCaprio on the front cover... awesome.

Sufjan Stevens - All Delighted People (Original Version


R. Hunter

New: School of Seven Bells

This one has been on regular rotation for me this month. It is a slight departure from the feel of their debut album 'Alpinisims', released in 2008, as the group from NYC seems to shoot for a more upbeat, pop-ish, more radio-friendly sound. It's easy listening with some nice harmonies and simple backing instrumentals. There are a few tracks on the new CD that are just begging for a remix. Below you can check out their first single from that album, titled 'Disconnect From Desire"... Enjoy.

School of Seven Bells - Windstorm


www.myspace.com/schoolofsevenbells

R. Hunter

New: Ray LaMontagne

"Gotta get back up in the country, have a couple of drinks with the good ole boys"

The man with the golden voice is back, and this time around he has teamed up with the Pariah Dogs (kind of like Ben Harper did with the Innocent Criminals). His latest album is titled "God Willin The Creek Don't Rise" and from what I've heard of it's taking Ray down a more country-music path. And even if that's not your cup of tea rest assured that his vocals are just as breathtaking as his previous CDs. Below you can check out one of my favourite tracks from the CD (and quite appropriately named too)... Enjoy

Ray LaMontagne - New York City Is Killing Me


R. Hunter