Videos : Dizzee Rascal ft. Robbie Williams : Goin' Crazy

It's nothing new to point out that Dizzee Rascal has embraced pop in a way nobody could have predicted. His last album proper – 2009's 'Tongue N' Cheek' – produced massive smashes including 'Bonkers', 'Holiday' and 'Dance Wiv Me', the latter of which saw him collaborate with Calvin Harris waaaay before Rihanna did. But indulge us as we employ some hindsight for just a moment. Thinking back a decade to 2003, when the grime prodigy was gearing up to release first single 'I Luv U', kickstarting a year in which he would win the Mercury Prize, you do wonder what the then 18-year-old would think of the 2013 version of Dizzee. 'Goin’ Crazy' is his most radio-friendly hit yet, the first taste from his forthcoming fifth album. Love it or hate it, over three and a half minutes, the boy from Bow solidifies his position at the top of the pop game. But then his new friend Robbie does know a bit about writing big hits.

The song itself mines the same territory as 'Tongue N' Cheek'. Dizzee's verses skip by quickly as a catchy chorus from Robbie dominates. Talk about the past all you like, as Dizzee Rascal in 2013 says: 'Middle finger in the air, don't give a care, goin' full throttle'. Proof, if any were needed, that Dizzee belongs to the masses.


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Sources : Dizzee Rascal & Robbie Williams Photo | Goin' Crazy Video | Dizzee Rascal Article

Singles : Dustin Lynch : Wild In Your Smile

Listen To Dustin Lynch : Wild In Your Smile

Who is Dustin Lynch?
“Shhh!” The note on the Bluebird Café’s Facebook page says it all: customers who visit the Nashville songwriters club – instrumental in the development of Garth Brooks, Faith Hill and Kathy Mattea – are expected to keep quiet and listen to the words from some of Music City’s most influential composers.

Listening has an added benefit – it gives the listener a chance to learn.

That’s how singer-songwriter Dustin Lynch used the Bluebird. And he used it intensely. He rented an apartment behind the venue’s back parking lot and literally walked to the Bluebird several times a week to listen and learn about the mysterious art of creating songs from some of Nashville’s most important writers. Don Schlitz (“The Gambler”), Tony Arata (“The Dance”), Paul Overstreet (“Forever And Ever, Amen”) – all are mainstays of the Bluebird legend, and it was at their proverbial feet that he picked up key insights about the writing process.

“I was soaking it in, trying to be a sponge,” Lynch says. “I was mainly trying to hear the story behind the song, how it came about, what it’s really about. There’s something about understanding the songwriter’s realm. You get a little more grip on the way it was written and why it was written and how they got to the finished product.”

That education paid off in a big way for Lynch. He signed with Broken Bow Records – the home of Jason Aldean and sister label to Stoney Creek Records (home to Thompson Square) – and is working with producer Brett Beavers (known for his work with Dierks Bentley) and engineer Luke Wooten (Brad Paisley, Sunny Sweeney) on his debut album with a backlog of his own songs. He’s written that material with a bundle of Music City’s top writers – Dallas Davidson (“Just A Kiss”), Tim Nichols (“Live Like You Were Dying”), Casey Beathard (“Don’t Blink”), Phil O’Donnell (“Back When I Knew It All”) and Steve Bogard (“Prayin’ For Daylight”), to name a few.

But it all goes back to the Bluebird for Lynch, a native of Tullahoma, Tennessee. Influenced in his youth by such stalwart country singers as Alan Jackson, Garth Brooks and Clint Black, Lynch knew the importance of the Bluebird, and he chose his college – David Lipscomb University – in part because it was less than two miles from the club, which proved immensely important in his development.

Lynch auditioned on a Saturday morning for a chance to play its open-mic night the following day. He passed the audition and impressed host Barbara Cloyd so much that she chased him into the parking lot and offered to help him get some footing in the community.

As he began to establish himself at the Bluebird, Lynch got a call from Pete Hartung – manager for singer-songwriter Justin Moore – who had found Dustin’s MySpace page and wanted to get involved. Within weeks, Lynch had a publishing deal, and he made the most of it, writing a staggering 200+ songs in less than two years.

“I’m a workaholic,” he says. “I was getting paid to write songs, so that’s what I did. That’s just the guy I am, if I’m not doing something I get bored, so I was trying to write the best record possible and decided to just get after it as hard as I can.”

Even as a Bluebird visitor, Lynch had made an impression. After he signed his publishing deal, one of the company’s executives persuaded Phil O’Donnell and Casey Beathard to book a co-writing session with the new writer, even though they’d never even heard his name. As soon as he walked through the door, they exploded: “Holy crap, Dustin! We know you!”

But it’s not just physical recognition that Lynch has achieved with his studious approach to songwriting. He combined his fascination with words and melodies with concert skills he developed in high-school bands and playing the southeastern club circuit. That combination has made him one of country’s artists to watch, a performer who’s written his own mix of party songs and ballads with a unique perspective. It’s his own viewpoint, honed from watching the world, and watching the experts.

It’s all there, waiting for anyone else willing to…

Listen.


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Sources : Dustin Lynch Photo | Listen To Wild In Your Smile | Dustin Lynch Biography

Videos : Glass Candy : Beautiful Object

Who is Glass Candy?
Glass Candy is an American electronic music duo from Portland, Oregon, formed in 1996. The band consists of Ida No (vocals) and producer Johnny Jewel (synthesizers, guitar, general production). While the band's early work blends elements of No Wave and glam rock, their later work incorporates Italo disco.

The band is known for evolving through the years since their original collaboration, and experimenting with various musical genres. They have released a number of albums since the early 2000s, their most recent being the compilation album Deep Gems (2008).

Glass Candy's third studio album, Body Work, is set to be released sometime in the future.

Glass Candy was formed by Ida No, from Vancouver, Washington, and Johnny Jewel (born John Padgett), from Austin, Texas, in 1996. The two met the year before when No went to the Fred Meyer grocery store where Jewel worked in Portland, Oregon. They soon began producing music under the name Glass Candy and the Shattered Theatre.

No describes their early work as "droney and weird." Nonetheless, their early releases show a heavy glam and New Wave influence, as evidenced in their self-released first three singles, "Brittle Women" (1999), "Metal Gods" (2001) and a cover of Josie Cotton's "Johnny Are You Queer" (2002). They toured with The Convocation Of... in 2001, and released a live album that year on Vermin Scum.

Their debut studio album, Love Love Love, was issued on Troubleman Unlimited Records in 2003. In 2006, Jewel founded Italians Do It Better with Mike Simonetti as a subsidiary of Troubleman. In November 2007, Glass Candy released their second studio album B/E/A/T/B/O/X on Italians Do It Better to considerable critical praise. A compilation album titled Deep Gems was released in late 2008, containing rarities, B-sides and remixes. In a review of Deep Gems, Spin magazine referred to the band as an "eccentric Portland pair" that "spook the dance floor".

Glass Candy's songs were used for a Chloé runway show, as well as used by Karl Lagerfeld for the Spring/Summer '08 Chanel Haute Couture fashion show and the Fall/Winter show of '08/'09.

Glass Candy's song "Digital Versicolor" was featured prominently in Nicolas Winding Refn's 2008 film Bronson, partially in a pair of scenes, and in full over the closing credits. A music video was made for the song in 2005 and starred Australian actress Rose Byrne.

The band's third studio album Body Work is scheduled for release sometime in the future. It was preceded by the single "Warm in the Winter" on September 1, 2011, containing the B-side "Beautiful Object". The song's music video was released on November 6, 2011. "Warm in the Winter" was used in Balenciaga's Fall/Winter 2012/2013 fashion show, as well as in advertising campaigns and short films for companies such as Lucky Brand Jeans and Red Bull. A video for the track "Halloween", another teaser from the album, premiered on October 28, 2011, and is a homage to John Carpenter's 1978 film of the same name.

On November 20, 2012, Glass Candy was invited to perform at a private Chanel party in Berlin to celebrate the release of Karl Lagerfeld's book The Little Black Jacket. Symmetry, Jewel's instrumental project with Nat Walker, opened the evening with an atmospheric 80-minute set leading up to Lagerfeld's arrival.

No's vocals have been likened to '60s German singer Nico and "a frightened Debbie Harry or a pissed-off Lene Lovich in a haunted disco". Their work as of 2008 borrows from Italo disco, freestyle music, Krautrock, hip hop, and New Wave.

Jewel has cited Marilyn Monroe films, 1980s cop show soundtracks, Goblin, and John Carpenter soundtracks as inspirational. All music tracks are produced by basic analog equipment, without the use of computers. Critics have also compared the group to Nina Hagen, The Shirelles, David Bowie, James Chance, and Jarboe. Glass Candy has covered songs by James "Sugar Boy" Crawford, Kraftwerk, Roxy Music, Belle Epoque, Dark Day, The Rolling Stones, and Queen. The group has also said that stores could appropriately file their music "between Olivia Newton-John, Suicide and Schoolly D".


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Sources : Glass Candy Photo | Beautiful Object Video | Glass Candy Biography

Albums : The National : Trouble Will Find Me

Listen To The National : Trouble Will Find Me

Who is The National?
TROUBLE WILL FIND ME, the most self-assured collection of songs produced by the National in its 14-year career, is a tribute to fully evolved artistic vision—and, somewhat less mystically, to sleep deprivation. Last January, following a twenty-two month tour to promote the band’s previous record, HIGH VIOLET, guitarist Aaron Dessner returned home to Brooklyn, where the fitfulness of his newborn daughter threw Aaron into a more or less sustained fugue state—“sleepless and up all the time,” as he puts it. Punch-drunk, he shuffled into the band’s studio (situated in Aaron’s backyard), where he amused himself writing musical fragments that he then sent over to vocalist Matt Berninger. Recalls Matt of Aaron, “He’d be so tired while he was playing his guitar and working on ideas that he wouldn’t intellectualize anything. In the past, he and Aaron’s twin brother, Bryce would be reluctant to send me things that weren’t in their opinion musically interesting—which I respected, but often those would be hard for me to connect to emotionally. This time around, they sent me sketch after sketch that immediately got me on a visceral level.”

In truth, the band, which includes bassist Scott Devendorf and his brother Bryan on drums, hadn’t planned on recording new music for at least another year or two. The HIGH VIOLET tour represented a quantum leap in The National’s trajectory; the venues got bigger and bigger, and the band felt the pressure to deliver the shows to larger crowds. Matt says, “We enjoyed it, but it was never easy. We always reminded ourselves that all of this is really fragile—that if we don’t deliver in, say, some festival show in Europe somewhere, we could start to slide.” Nor was returning to the studio likely to be cathartic, given the fact that The National’s last two recording sessions have been emotional high-wire acts in which the perfectionism of the five members—particularly Aaron and Matt—sometimes made for a tense time all around.

That didn’t happen this time. The post-HIGH VIOLET sound Matt was seeking, says Aaron, “was more airy, less uptight and anxious. He sent me a lot of Cat Stevens, Neil Young, Dylan and David Bowie. And Bryce and I wanted a more relaxed and open sound too. We’d been getting deeper into the world of composed music in the last few years and developing more of an interest in classic songwriting.” The Dessner twins’ pursuits dovetailed with that of Matt, who says, “I went through a big Roy Orbison phase. I listened to a lot of him. His song structures are innovative, unconventional, yet somehow still effortless.” The Devendorf brothers then supplied their insistent, intricate backbeats, and what emerged was a series of distinctly timeless musical narratives.

This isn’t to suggest that the songs The National wrote and recorded last winter at Clubhouse studios in Rhinebeck, New York qualify as simple. In addition to the self-lacerating impressionistic scattershots that are Matt’s lyrical stock in trade, they feature time signatures, mixed meter and melody frameworks more challenging than anything the band has previously attempted. Still, TROUBLE WILL FIND ME possesses a directness, a coherency and—dare it be said about such an unpredictable band—an approachability that suggests The National has at long last located its emotional target.

It’s strange that a band like this would be feeling insecure. Few groups have sustained such credibility—with audiences as well as critics—as authors of a sound that is simultaneously original, witty, moving and unforgettable. After the success of their fourth record, BOXER, The National sealed their artistic reputation in 2010 with the widely acclaimed HIGH VIOLET and spent the next two years delivering sellout performances around the world. Along the way, Aaron and Bryce continued their individual side projects (Aaron producing records for such bands as Sharon Van Etten and Local Natives, Bryce composing for Kronos Quartet and the Brooklyn Youth Chorus, among others) while the band as a whole devoted work to Tibet House, Red Hot and other charities. During the 2012 campaign cycle, The National performed at several get-out-the-vote concerts in Ohio and warmed up an Iowa rally for President Obama. Adding a new creative wrinkle, Matt’s younger brother Tom Berninger filmed “Mistaken for Strangers”—a hilarious and affecting documentary of Tom’s less-than-successful stint as the band’s assistant tour manager during the HIGH VIOLET tour—which will open the Tribeca Film Festival in New York this April.

But, Matt confesses, “I feel like for the past ten years we’d been chasing something, wanting to prove something. Early on we were labeled as alt-country, sleepy miserablists, and that stung, especially because it was partly true. So for a long time, we were motivated in our songwriting to prove that wrong. We had a lot of chips on our shoulders. And this chase was about trying to disprove our own insecurities. After touring HIGH VIOLET, I think we felt like we’d finally gotten there. Now we could relax—not in terms of our own expectations, but we didn’t have to prove our identity any longer.”

From beginning to end, TROUBLE WILL FIND ME possesses the effortless and unself-conscious groove of a downstream swimmer. It’s at times lush and at others austere, suffused with insomniacal preoccupations that skirt despair without succumbing to it. There are alluring melodies, and the murderously deft undercurrent supplied by the Devendorfs. There are songs that seem (for Matt anyway) overtly sentimental—among them, the Simon & Garfunkel-esque “Fireproof,” “I Need My Girl” (with Matt’s unforgettable if throwaway reference to a party “full of punks and cannonballers”) and “I Should Live In Salt” (which Aaron composed as a send-up to the Kinks and which Matt wrote about his brother). While a recognition of mortality looms in these numbers, they’re buoyed by a kind of emotional resoluteness—“We’ll all arrive in heaven alive”—that will surprise devotees of Matt’s customary wry fatalism. Then there are the songs that Aaron describes as “songs you could dance to—more fun, or at least The National’s version of fun.” These include “Demons”—a mordant romp in 7/4, proof that bleakness can actually be rousing—and the haunting “Humiliation,” in which the insistent locomotion of Bryan’s snarebeat is offset by Matt’s semi-detached gallows rumination: “If I die this instant/taken from a distance/they will probably list it down among other things around town.”

Finally there are songs—like “Pink Rabbits” and the lilting “Slipped” (the latter termed by Aaron “the kind of song we’ve always wanted to write”)—that aspire to be classics, with Orbison-like melodic geometry. In these songs, as well as in “Heavenfaced,” Matt emerges from his self-described “comfort zone of chant-rock” and glides into a sonorous high register of unexpected gorgeousness. The results are simultaneously breakthrough and oddly familiar, the culmination of an artistic journey that has led The National both to a new crest and, somehow, back to their beginnings—when, says Aaron, “our ideas would immediately click with each other. It’s free-wheeling again. The songs on one level are our most complex, and on another they’re our most simple and human. It just feels like we’ve embraced the chemistry we have.”

Trouble Will Find Me
Most people attribute the National’s escalating popularity to their reliability: They write songs about existential dread and the real pressures that result when others are depending on you to have your shit together. And while that steadiness is certainly important, it gives short shrift to how the Brooklyn-via-Cincinnati band’s career fulfills a fantasy. Though their self-titled 2001 debut is all but written out of their history, every National album since has been more ambitious, accomplished, and successful than the one that came before it. They are strivers, and their place in the indie rock world suggests that life can be a series of upward promotions and self-improvement. But hard work is often a cover for repressed frustration, as was clear on 2010’s High Violet, an album whose wrought arrangements and violent lyrics underscored every story about what a tremendous pain in the ass it was to make. The question they ask on Trouble Will Find Me is both relatable and fantastical: When do we get a break from shooting up the ladder?

The National may find it impossible ever to relax, but they have learned to stop struggling on Trouble Will Find Me, their leanest and most aerodynamic record yet. Most descriptors of the National’s musicianship-- the exacting performances, Matt Berninger’s oaken baritone, the allegiances with the equally finicky St. Vincent and Sufjan Stevens-- can double as evidence for self-serving arguments about how they’re “boring.” The only term that’s dogged the National more than that one is “grower,” a slightly backhanded remark implying that enjoying them requires an inordinate investment, or that it’s more cerebral than physical. While the National never lacked confidence or craft, Trouble is an easily accessible and self-assured work, largely because it focuses on the visceral power of Berninger’s vocals and Bryan Devendorf’s inventive drumming. It's a sign of trust that they can convey all of their ornate and rich melancholy without every sad note being underlined by a bassoon.

It’s been eight years since Berninger screamed on record, and now that act appears to have served as some kind of exfoliant. (He also quit smoking in 2011.) His vocals are deeper and richer than ever, as well as more tuneful and elegant. The National's dirty secret is that for all of the Dessner brothers’ orchestral ambitions, these songs are simple things: Instantly memorable melodies and minimal chord progressions become familiar after one listen, and then there’s a pivot, usually undetectable the first time around, that takes the National towards one of their proprietary grand finales. The greatness lies in when the listener connects the two and realizes they're part of the same song.

“Graceless” perfects the kind of fist-pumping victory lap featured on “Abel” or “Bloodbuzz Ohio”, and subsequent spins reveal how expertly the build is structured. Ditto for “Sea of Love”, which incrementally wells up to a cathartic call and response that extends a hand to a slipping friend with both empathy (“tell me how to reach you”) and dark humor (“what did Harvard teach you?”). There are plenty of great little moments as well; the fractious time signatures of “I Should Live In Salt” and “Demons” pushing against Berninger’s burly vocals, a tiny, chromatic guitar figure setting “Humiliation” on a new trajectory, “I Need My Girl” expressing its nervy claustrophobia through frilly filigrees. You never lose sight of Trouble Will Find Me being the result of a meticulous process conducted by professionals, though like surgeons, chefs, or interior decorators, they trust themselves to know when to put the tools down.

That’s mostly true of Berninger’s lyrics as well. Trouble Will Find Me doesn't contain his sharpest writing-- in particular, “Fireproof” and “Slipped” cross over to being a bit pro forma-- but in ditching the obtuse metaphors and playing with and against type, it’s his funniest. “I am secretly in love with everyone I grew up with,” he gravely intones on “Demons”, hinting at the dominant theme of how the self-image and relationships formed during his younger, angsty years figure in to his present reality. He brings the stakes down to a tangible level, where he’s invited to nice dinners, punk parties, and meet-and-greets, only to wind up calling his wife, feeling like his presence there is all somehow a giant mistake. “When I walk into a room, I do not light it up... FUCK,” Berninger stresses in an exasperated tone as a minor chord inversion takes away the mock scare quotes during the final chorus of “Demons”, revealing the deep-set despair at the source of all this self-deprecation.

As usual, he’s not alone on Trouble Will Find Me. Within this elemental music, compulsions towards substances, sex, and depression are likened to swamps, oceans, and agricultural decay-- natural events tentatively contained by human will. The characters are medicated, missing, and incapable of justifying their hangovers, let alone glorifying them. On Alligator, Berninger’s sociopathic tendencies felt defiant, and some may miss that; during “All The Wine”, he drank from bottomless goblets, claiming “God is on my side.” Conversely, the narrators of Trouble Will Find Me are creatures of habit attending to dull aches; a perfunctory anti-romance is consecrated with “Tylenol and beer”, and by the next song, Berninger mutters, “God loves everybody, don’t remind me.” Where he once fancied himself a cold-blooded heat-seeker and a “birthday candle in a circle of black girls,” the isolation he now feels renders him as unique as “a white girl in a crowd of white girls in a park.”

Considering the National can no longer be compared to anyone besides themselves, it’s fitting Trouble Will Find Me is their most self-referential album. Sometimes, they’re alluding to their image as the definitive yuppie band: Berninger calls himself “a 45 percenter,” “a television version of a person with a broken heart.” They’re also putting their own work up against the canon because they’re big enough to do it: Let It Be and Nevermind serve as paragons of stability on “Don’t Swallow the Cap”, Elliott Smith’s despondent “Needle in the Hay” contrasts with the pokerfaced “Fireproof”. Bona Drag plays during the luxurious piano mope of “Pink Rabbits”, LA Woman and Guns N' Roses are given malaprop name-checks on “Humiliation”.

Of all the references, the most powerful serves as the final line on Trouble Will Find Me: “they can all just kiss off into the air.” On a song which bemoans the futility of living in the past, here’s a band often mocked for aging with their music quoting a band often mocked for music that’s stuck in a permanent state of teenhood. It could be the funniest or the most heartbreaking moment on a record full of instances of both, a reminder that when Berninger sings “I was trying not to crack up” on the previous song, there’s two ways of reading it. On a similar topic, Ezra Koenig recently opined, “wisdom’s a gift but you’d trade it for youth,” and “Hard to Find” is a similar thought taken from a different angle. People stay down with their demons wishing for that trade to be a realistic possibility, and in the clearest terms his medium-sized American heart can muster, Berninger expresses his means of finding serenity when trouble tries to find him-- “there's a lot that I've not forgotten/but I let go of other things." As a culmination and refinement of everything the National have done over the past decade, Trouble Will Find Me couldn’t be granted a more fitting mission statement.


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Sources : The National Photo | Listen To Trouble Will Find Me | The National Biography | Trouble Will Find Me Review

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Videos : Tamar Braxton : The One

Calling all Tamartians. With summer just around the corner, mom-to-be Tamar Braxton delivers the fun and flirty video for her summertime anthem “The One.” The pregnant “Braxton Family Values” star dances on the Santa Monica Pier and plays carnival games with her hunky co-star in the feel-good clip, directed by Gil Green.

“The concept of the video is just a summer throwback,” Tamar told Rap-Up TV. “It kinda gives you that feeling when you was in high school and you was with your boyfriend or your girlfriend and you go to the park and you hang out and you get all cutie, and it’s just funners.”

“The One,” which samples the Notorious B.I.G.’s classic “Juicy,” is the second single off Tamar’s album Love and War, due this fall on Epic/Streamline.

Watch the premiere above.


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Singles : The Black Dahlia Murder : Goat of Departure

Listen To The Black Dahlia Murder : Goat of Departure

Who is The Black Dahlia Murder?
The Black Dahlia Murder is an American metal band from Waterford, Michigan, formed in 2000. Their name is derived from the 1947 unsolved murder of Elizabeth Short, often referred to as Black Dahlia. The band comprises vocalist Trevor Strnad, guitarists Brian Eschbach and Ryan Knight, and bassist Max Lavelle. Out of their five studio albums, the latest four of them charted on the US Billboard 200, with 2009's Deflorate peaking at No. 43 and their latest album Ritual reaching No. 31.

The Black Dahlia Murder began its inception during late 2000 and gained the final band line-up in January 2001. The group released their demo entitled What a Horrible Night to Have a Curse, and a four-track EP, A Cold-Blooded Epitaph, the latter of which the group released on Lovelost Records. After appearing in concerts such as the Milwaukee Metal Fest, The Black Dahlia Murder signed to Metal Blade Records in 2003.

Current bassist Ryan "Bart" Williams left his former band, Detroit's Today I Wait, to tour with the Black Dahlia Murder. After touring with the band on their co-headlining gig with Throwdown and their European dates with Liar, he joined the group full-time, replacing former bassist David Lock. Frontman Trevor Strnad said that Lock was fired for incompetency. Williams was one of two engineers (the other being Walls of Jericho's Mike Hasty) on the band's first full-length album, Unhallowed.

The band's second album Miasma was released on July 12, 2005 and peaked at No. 118 on the Billboard 200. After touring for Miasma, drummer Zach Gibson left the band along with Pierre Langlois. While Gibson went on to join Abigail Williams, Langlois left the band for a more secure lifestyle, and the band finished their search for a replacement drummer when they found former All That Remains drummer, Shannon Lucas. The group played at Ozzfest 2005.

Their third album, entitled Nocturnal, was released on September 18, 2007. The album debuted at No. 72 on the Billboard 200. The Black Dahlia Murder announced via their MySpace profile that they were going on a U.S. tour with Cannibal Corpse to promote their new album Nocturnal and celebrate the 25 years that Metal Blade Records had been in business. They were joined by label-mates The Red Chord, Aeon, The Absence, and Goatwhore.

In January/February 2008, the band embarked on a U.S. headlining tour with 3 Inches of Blood, Hate Eternal, and Decrepit Birth, followed by another alongside Brain Drill and Animosity. They were on Hot Topic's "Summer Slaughter Tour" with Kataklysm, Cryptopsy, Vader, Whitechapel, and Despised Icon.

Their long-time guitarist, John K has left the band and was replaced by Ryan Knight during the beginning of 2009. In May 2009, The Black Dahlia Murder released their first DVD, "Majesty". The DVD contains a documentary and live footage from the Summer Slaughter tour and their tour supporting Children of Bodom in late 2008. The DVD also contains all of their music videos and behind the scenes footage.

The Black Dahlia Murder released Deflorate on September 15, 2009 via Metal Blade Records. The album sold 12,000 copies in the United States in the first week of the release, debuted at position No. 43 Billboard's Top 200 charts, No. 5 on Billboard's Independent Albums chart, No. 4 on Billboard's Top Hard Music Albums chart, and No. 50 on HITS Top 50 Albums chart. They toured with Children of Bodom and Skeletonwitch in support of the album. After their 2010 headlining tour with Goatwhore and Arkaik, the band began writing and recording their next full-length album.

In February 2011, The Black Dahlia Murder completed the songwriting process for the their fifth studio album, entitled Ritual. It was released on June 21, 2011 in North America. The band supported Amon Amarth on their May 2011 European tour, as well as headlined the 2011 Summer Slaughter tour, both in support of Ritual. Before the record's release, the track "Moonlight Equilibrium" was posted to the Metal Blade Records website on April 29, 2011 to critical and fan acclaim. A music video for "Moonlight Equilibrium" was released on February 20, 2012. On April 2012 during the New England Metal and Hardcore Festival on the first night performance, Trevor Strnad officially welcomed new bassist Max Lavelle into the band after former bassist Ryan Williams parted ways. On November 7, Shannon Lucas announced via a YouTube video that he would be stepping down as drummer of The Black Dahlia Murder to pursue other aspirations. Alan Cassidy is filling-in for Shannon on the current tour.

In early 2013, despite the news of the departure of two band members (drummer Shannon Lucas and bass player Bart Williams), plans were announced for an upcoming album release, to be entitled "Everblack". Tentative plans estimated its release to be early summer 2013; likely June. On April 10, 2013, the iTunes Store was updated with official release and availability information, including cover art, a full tracklisting, and an official U.S. release date of June 11, 2013. The album will have 10 tracks total. On the same day, the band's first single from "Everblack" was made available for purchase and download, titled "Into The Everblack".

The Black Dahlia Murder headlined the 2008 Summer Slaughter Tour with Kataklysm, Vader, Cryptopsy, The Faceless, Despised Icon, Aborted, Born of Osiris, Psycroptic, and Whitechapel. In late 2008, they joined a US tour with Finland's Children of Bodom and Raleigh, NC's Between the Buried and Me. They were initially announced as "...with special guests" at the start of the tour, though it has since been confirmed by Revolver Magazine that they are on tour. They appeared on the Hot Topic Stage in the 2009 Rockstar Energy Mayhem Festival. In late 2009, they embarked on a US tour with Finland's Children of Bodom and Skeletonwitch. The band headlined the Bonecrusher Fest tour of Europe in Spring 2010 alongside 3 Inches of Blood, Necrophobic, Obscura, The Faceless, Carnifex and Ingested. In August 2010 they played at the Hevy Music Festival near Folkestone, UK.

They will be playing the entire Warped Tour 2013.

The Black Dahlia Murder have been stated to play within the genres of melodic death metal, metalcore, and deathcore. The band's music makes use of the melodic death metal sound, but containing high speeds, blast beats and occasional growled vocals. Influences for the band include groups such as Carcass, At the Gates, Darkane, Dissection, Darkthrone, Morbid Angel, The Haunted, In Flames, Dimension Zero, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Metallica, Pantera and Megadeth. Vocalist, Trevor Strnad has cited on many occasions that he primarily influenced by Carcass in vocalizing technique.

When asked to describe what kind of music the band plays, Strnad commented: "I've always said that we're melodic death metal. We are mostly influenced by Swedish bands and Carcass. The heavy end of our sound is the American style creeping in, with some Floridian influences like Morbid Angel, Malevolent Creation and that kind of stuff. We've been labeled more often because of our look than our sound, which is dumb, and speaks volumes about what kind of geniuses are out there!" However, in an interview with Uranium Magazine, Strnad also stated, "Some bands that get labeled as metalcore are actually good, like Between the Buried and Me or The Red Chord. Metal is what I grew up with, and then I learned about punk and hardcore. But a lot of our ethics, the way we carry ourselves, is more punk...I like that hardcore has a sense of community without the competition you see in metal."


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Sources : The Black Dahlia Murder Photo | Listen To Goat Of Departure | The Black Dahlia Murder Biography

Videos : Snoop Lion ft. Miley Cyrus : Ashtrays and Heartbreaks

Fans are entitled to their feelings on Snoop Dogg's reggae transformation into Snoop Lion. On the same token, you can't deny that his resulting album, Reincarnated, featured a few quality records. Today, the Long Beach rapper debuts a visual for a standout track titled "Ashtrays and Heartbreaks" — an unlikely collab with Miley Cyrus.

For a good portion of the video, neither artists appear in the flesh. Instead, Snoop and Cyrus are reflections in glass who watch what's going on in society.

The duo could possibly be guardian angels looking to save individuals from themselves. That is never made clear.

We can tell you that "Ashtrays and Heartbreaks" is a quintessential feel good song that you'll be chanting in no time, though.

If you like what you hear, that and more can be found on Snoop's Reincarnated LP. See the legendary MC and the actress/singer give off good vibes in the treatment above.


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News : Blake Shelton Comes ‘Home’ at ‘Healing in the Heartland’ With Help From Usher

There was no Team Blake or Team Usher on NBC tonight. Instead, the two ‘The Voice‘ coaches — currently locked in the heat of battle on their reality singing show — closed the Blake Shelton-organized ‘Healing in the Heartland’ benefit for the victims of the tornado that swept through Oklahoma nine days ago with an emotionally resonant performance of Shelton’s ‘Home.’

Shelton began the song seated and playing guitar, with R&B superstar Usher making his way to the stage at the top of the second verse. It was a pairing that might raise eyebrows on paper, but the execution was flawless, since Usher is a terrific crooner and his voice was the perfect foil for Shelton’s more gruff and gravelly tones.

“Is there anybody in the world cooler than Usher?” Shelton asked the crowd mid-song, causing his collaborator to smile from ear to ear and cheers to rise from the audience.

Shelton added, “I want to thank all my friends who helped out tonight.” He also took care to thank the viewers for taking time out of their lives to watch and support this event, which miraculously came together in less than 10 days and caused the donation phone lines to light up, even jamming at times.

Shelton and Usher wrapped ‘Healing in the Heartland’ with a hug, and the show closed with the deafening screams of fans and Oklahoma in our hearts.


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Sources : Blake Shelton Comes ‘Home’ at ‘Healing in the Heartland’ With Help From Usher Photo | Usher and Blake Shelton - Home - Healing in the Heartland Video | Blake Shelton Comes ‘Home’ at ‘Healing in the Heartland’ With Help From Usher Article

Videos : Mariah Carey ft. Miguel : #Beautiful (Explicit Version)

If you thought the original version of Mariah Carey’s “#Beautiful” video was awkward then just wait until you see the new explicit cut. Ditching scenes of her motorcycle and country road hot pants, the quirky diva simply prances in an empty barn as her collaborator, Miguel, looks on in glee.

Already position in the Bilboard Hot 100 top 20, “#Beautiful” will appear on Carey’s upcoming studio album, due for release by the first week of July. Carey previously performed the song on Good Morning America last week and was greeted by lip-syncing allegations during the climax of the tune as she faked hit her signature high notes.

Carey is expected to headline the Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks Spectacular with Tim McGraw on July 4th from 8pm to 10pm ET. The show will air via NBC. Until that time, watch Carey’s new “#Beautiful” video above.


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Sources : Mariah Carey & Miguel Photo | #Beautiful (Explicit Version) Video | Mariah Carey Article

Singles : Johnny Jewel : Mirage / Let's Kiss

Listen To Johnny Jewel : Mirage / Let's Kiss

The second installment of Italians Do It Better's After Dark compilation was announced nearly a year ago, and was initially scheduled for release last fall. It looks like it's finally arriving-- it'll be out this Friday, apparently. And it's 78 minutes and 16 seconds long.

In the meantime, Chromatics/Glass Candy/Symmetry mastermind Johnny Jewel has shared one of the tracks, Mirage's "Let's Kiss". Listen above and read the lyrics here.


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Sources : Johnny Jewel Photo | Listen To Mirage / Let's Kiss | Johnny Jewel Article

Videos : K. Michelle : V.S.O.P (Official Lyric Video)

Who is K. Michelle?
Anyone whose had the pleasure of knowing singer, business woman, songwriter pianist, reality television star and Memphis native, K. Michelle since her childhood is aware that she was destined to be the woman she is today. Gymnastic, swimming and piano courses kept her inquisitive spirit busy until age nine, when the time arrived for her to begin vocal lessons with renowned children’s vocal coach Bob Westbrook (Justin Timberlake, Brittany Spears etc). A lifelong affinity for country music (The Judds are a personal favorite), lead to Michelle earning a scholarship to Florida A&M for yodeling.

With Michelle’s second and final season of L&HHA’s beginning this spring, it couldn’t be a more fitting time for the release of her debut album, Rebellious Soul. For the millions of fans who have watched the no-nonsense cutie fight for what she feels is right on television every week, her album title is most apropos. “I’m a rebel, a firecracker,” she tells. “I do what I want to do. My music is like that as well. I rebel against anything that society tries to use to keep us boxed in––racism, judgment, anything that makes you feel inferior as a woman.” The result is what she describes as an “old-school” but “aggressive and urgent” music feel. Expect the guest list of vocalists to include Elle Varner and Michelle’s mentor R. Kelly, who will also embrace some maestro duties.

After years of professional and personal lows but mostly highs, it’s time for the once diamond in the rough to be recognized for the true gem that she is. The stars are aligning for Tennessee’s daughter, and she couldn’t be more pleased. “I’m really at a point in my life where I wanna work on myself and just be happy,” she says. “I don’t want any drama. I just want to create that music that makes you feel so so good.”


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Sources : K. Michelle Photo | V.S.O.P (Official Lyric Video) | K. Michelle Biography

Albums : Vampire Weekend : Modern Vampires Of The City

Listen To Vampire Weekend : Modern Vampires Of The City

Who is Vampire Weekend?
Vampire Weekend is an American rock band from New York City, formed in 2006. They are currently signed to XL Recordings. The band consists of four members: lead vocalist and guitarist Ezra Koenig, guitarist/keyboardist and backing vocalist Rostam Batmanglij, drummer and percussionist Chris Tomson, and bassist and backing vocalist Chris Baio. The band released its first album Vampire Weekend in 2008, which produced the singles "Mansard Roof", "A-Punk", "Oxford Comma", "Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa", and "The Kids Don't Stand a Chance". The band's second album, Contra, was released in 2010. Their third studio album, Modern Vampires of the City, was released on May 14, 2013.

Members of the band met while matriculating at Columbia University in New York City, beginning with a rap collaboration between Koenig and Tomson. They bonded over a shared love of punk rock and African music, and Koenig toured with The Dirty Projectors during a period of experimentation with African music, inspiring the band to incorporate world sounds into their earliest work. The band chose the name "Vampire Weekend" from the title of a short film project Koenig worked on during the summer between freshman and sophomore years in college. While home for the summer, Koenig watched a 1980s vampire film and was inspired to make a Northeastern version of the film in which a man named Walcot travels to Cape Cod to warn the mayor that vampires are attacking the United States. Koenig abandoned the project after two days. The band began playing shows around Columbia University, starting with a battle of the bands at Lerner Hall. After graduating from college, the band self-produced their debut album while simultaneously working full-time jobs, Tomson as a music archivist and Koenig as a middle school English teacher.

In 2007, Vampire Weekend's song "Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa" was ranked 4th on Rolling Stone's list of the "100 Best Songs of the Year." In November 2007, they toured the UK with The Shins. The now common form of blog hype and internet buzz played a role in their success and led to a large prerelease following, which in fact enabled them to go on three full tours before their debut album dropped. They were declared "The Year's Best New Band" by Spin magazine in the March 2008 issue, and were the first band to be shot for the cover of the magazine before releasing their debut album. Four songs from the band's first album also made the Triple J Hottest 100, 2008. The internet hype had its backlash, however, as critics reacted against a perceived image of Vampire Weekend as privileged, upper-class Ivy League graduates stealing from foreign musicians. One critic went so far as to call Vampire Weekend the "whitest band in the world," to which they took exception, given their Ukrainian, Persian, Italian, and Hungarian heritages. Koenig responded in a November 2009 interview by saying, "Nobody in our band is a WASP." Furthermore, the backlash involving their social backgrounds was largely unfounded, as Koenig explained in the interview that the band members got into Columbia on scholarship and used student loans; he himself was still paying off student loans in 2009.

The band's first album Vampire Weekend was released January 29, 2008. A success in the US and UK, it peaked at number 15 on the UK Albums Chart and number 17 on the Billboard 200. Four singles were released from the album; while "A-Punk" peaked at number 25 on the Billboard Modern rock chart and number 55 on the UK Singles Chart, "Oxford Comma" peaked at number 38 in the UK. "A-Punk" was ranked the 4th on Rolling Stone's list of Best Songs in 2008. "A-Punk" was also used to open the Will Ferrell/John C. Reilly feature Step Brothers, and featured in the UK television show, The Inbetweeners, and the video games Guitar Hero 5, Just Dance 2 and Lego Rock Band.

The band's second album, Contra, was released on January 11, 2010 in the UK and the following day in the US. On January 12, 2010, "Horchata" was released as a free download on the band's website. The album's first single, "Cousins", was released on November 17, 2009. Initial copies of the CD and LP sold at independent records stores in the US include a 3-track bonus CD containing two "melts", which featured bits of album tracks and a remix. Contra was the band's first album to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard 200.

On January 9, 2010 the band did an acoustic show for MTV Unplugged. The following month, the band toured Europe and Canada with Canadian electro duo Fan Death as their support. The video for their next single "Giving Up the Gun" was also released on February 18, 2010 which included cameos from Joe Jonas, Lil Jon, RZA and Jake Gyllenhaal.

They also played festivals across the USA such as Coachella, Bonnaroo, Austin City Limits Music Festival, and All Points West, as well as the Groovin' The Moo festival in Australia. Their third single, "Holiday", was released on June 7, 2010.

On June 25, 2010, the band played the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury Festival, in Pilton, Somerset, UK. The band were also on the main stage at T in the Park 2010 at Balado Kinross, Scotland, on June 8, and played the Oxegen Festival in Kildare, Ireland on July 9. They also headlined the Latitude Festival in Suffolk, UK on July 18. On 16 July the band headlined the Main Stage at the Festival Internacional de Benicàssim. In the summer of 2010 the band played at the Utopia stage on Peace and Love, Sweden's biggest Festival. On July 30, 2010, the band played at Jisan Valley Rock Festival in South Korea.

In 2010, Vampire Weekend embarked on a North American tour with Beach House and Dum Dum Girls. The tour started off on August 27, 2010, in Vancouver, British Columbia at the Malkin Bowl. Koenig mentioned to the audience that before this concert, the band had the longest "vacation period" that they have had in a while.

Contra was nominated for a Grammy for Best Alternative Music Album, but lost to The Black Keys's Brothers.

On November 11, 2011, it was revealed that Vampire Weekend had been in the studio, writing and recording material for their third album. On April 26, 2012, Rolling Stone reported that the new album could be released by the end of the year. Koenig said, "We do have a ton of stuff. It would be cool if it was released this year...We just never want to be in a position where when we put out something, we feel could've benefited from more time." Until its release, members have been decidedly discreet about the details of the next album, stating that a band "can give a bunch of interviews when they're working on stuff" but they "don't want something they said six months ago to influence how people hear it when it's done."

On February 4, 2013, the band tweeted from their official twitter account "NYT Classifieds...", where, under the Notices & Lost and Found Section, five lines read "Modern Vampires of the City May 7, 2013". The release date would later get pushed back to May 14 in US, and May 13 in UK, with an official announcement coming from the band's Facebook page.

Modern Vampires of the City was written and recorded in various locations including: SlowDeath Studios in New York, Echo Park "Back House" in Los Angeles, Vox Recording Studios in Hollywood, Rostam Batmanglij's New York apartment and a guest house on Martha's Vineyard. The album was co-produced by Batmanglij and Ariel Rechtshaid. After Batmanglij produced the first two albums himself, this marked the first time the band worked with an outside producer on any of their records.

In an interview for the February 2013 edition of Q (released in mid-January), Koenig described the upcoming album as "darker and more organic" and "very much the last of a trilogy". The album was recorded and co-produced by Ariel Rechtshaid in his Los Angeles Studio (alongside Batmanglij). The band discussed the album with The FADER and appeared on the cover of the magazine's 84th issue.

On March 16, 2013, the band played the closing show at Stubbs on the last day of the SXSW festival in Austin, Texas. In the show they played two new songs from the upcoming album: "Diane Young" and "Ya Hey". On March 18, 2013, Vampire Weekend released a double-sided single, "Diane Young"/"Step".

On May 11, 2013, Vampire Weekend were featured as the musical guest on Saturday Night Live with Kristen Wiig hosting. They performed "Diane Young" and "Unbelievers", both singles from their latest album Modern Vampires of the City. This marked their third stint as musical guests on the show.

Modern Vampires Of The City Review
At this point, it's hard to write anything about Vampire Weekend's endlessly dissected self titled 2008 debut besides noting that most of its detractors focused on the band's preppy Ivy League references and "appropriation" of afro-beat sounds rather than the quality of the music itself, which had more pop power in a four-song run ("Oxford Comma" through "M79") than most bands can muster in a career.

. 2010's Contra was transitional, tilting away from the Graceland-inspired backbeat and lead man Ezra Koenig's notoriously clean guitar tone towards a more synthetic sound. There were also more moments of honest introspection, particularly on standout album closer "I Think Ur a Contra," which, underneath its nonsense name, left Koenig more vulnerable than ever ("Never pick sides/Never choose between two/But I just wanted you/I just wanted you").

At its core Modern Vampires of the City still has the clever hooks and effortless melodies that made the band blogosphere darlings in 2008, but underneath the gloss there's a less easy, more fatalistic worldview. Take "Unbelievers," a toe-tappable close cousin to Vampire Weekend's "Campus." In 2008 Koenig was musing on an aw-shucks collegiate romance gone awry, but here he's struggling with existential malaise, singing "I’m not excited but should I be?/Is this the fate that half of the world has planned for me?" On "Finger Back," a percussive, fast-paced pop tune, he's equally weighty, closing with "I don't want to live like this but I don't want to die."

Modern Vampires is a consistently interesting album - only the frantic "Worship You" sputters out on repeat listens - but there are three standouts. Opener "Obvious Bicycle," builds on mellow piano and synthetic percussion, before Koenig hits a soaring, gorgeous chorus coated with swirling backing vocals. "Hannah Hunt" slow-builds from a whisper of a start before a wistful Koenig hits a sweeping chorus ("If I can't trust you then damn it Hannah/There's no future, there's no answer") over a weeping guitar and reverb-drenched percussion. "Ya Hey" is marked by a strange marriage of synth-distorted vocals, hand claps and Koenig's musings on God (Through the fire and through the flames/You won't even say your name/Only 'I am that I am'), but still hits with a worthwhile melody at every turn.

According to Koenig, Modern Vampires marks the completion of a trilogy, and if that's the case, it's an impressive one. Having proven themselves a band that's more than lived up to the hype, and seems bent on perpetual motion, the prospects for these Ivy Leaguers have never looked better.


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Sources : Vampire Weekend Photo | Listen To Modern Vampires Of The City | Vampire Weekend Biography | Modern Vampires Of The City Review

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Videos : Vado : Off Hiatus

Vado released this track nearly a year ago. But now that he’s signed to We The Best, he’s getting back on track with the accompanying video.


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Singles : Disclosure : F For You

Listen To Disclosure : F For You

Earlier this month, we heard a live version of Disclosure's "F for You" recorded for BBC Radio One. Now the London duo (brothers Howard and Guy Lawrence) have released the studio version of the track that will appear on their hotly anticipated debut LP Settle, which is out June 4 in the U.S. via Cherrytree/Interscope (and one day earlier via PMR Records internationally.) Settle features guest vocals from Jessie Ware, AlunaGeorge's Aluna Francis, Sam Smith, Eliza Doolittle and others, but the lead vocals on "F for You" come courtesy of Howard Lawrence himself. Listen above.


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Videos : Talib Kweli ft. Miguel : Come Here

The Talib Kweli and Miguel collaboration "Come Here" was one of the stand out track off Kweli's recently released Prisoner of Conscious album. While most of us could have figured there would be a music video in the works for the song, it's unlikely anyone expected this type of treatment. Director Galen Pehrson throws fans a curveball with the official "Come Here" visuals by electing to go the animated route. Watch above and leave your thoughts on the video in the comment section below.


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News : Andre 3000′s Mother Passed Away In Atlanta Home

Several sources last night indicated that Andre 3000’s mother, Sharon Benjamin-Hodo, has passed away in her Rex, GA home.

Details on Benjamin-Hodo’s death are emerging as the story develops. Sources close to the situation have said they spoke to neighbors that found her unresponsive at home. This tragic news comes days after Andre 3000 celebrated his 38th birthday.

I just received a very disturbing phone call that Lady Sharon Benjamin Hodo passed away moments ago in her sleep.

— Jamil V. Willis (@JAMILVWILLIS) May 28, 2013

She is the wife of Pastor Robert Hodo... As destiny would have it She is also the mother of Andre Benjamin (Andre 3000) of OutKast.

— Jamil V. Willis (@JAMILVWILLIS) May 28, 2013

My Condolences And LOVE GO OUT TO 3000 ...WE ALL LOVED YOUR MOTHER MISS B..God got her NOW!!#DUNGEONFAMILY... Gipp

— GippGoodie...Zagga (@GippGoodie) May 28, 2013

Sending prayers up for my brother Andre 3000. Heard he lost his mother.

— Bun B (@BunBTrillOG) May 29, 2013

Benjamin-Hodo was the founder of The Starlight Camp, a church organization aimed to help underprivileged children. She ran the learning program out of the New Morning Light Missionary Baptist Church, which is the church of her husband Pastor Roberto Hobo, in Conley, GA.

XXL sends its condolences to the friends and family of Benjamin-Hodo. More on the story as it develops.


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Videos : Jessie J ft. Big Sean, Dizzee Rascal : WILD

A little earlier then expected, Jessie J releases her highly anticipated single 'Wild' featuring G.O.O.D. Music's Big Sean and British rapper Dizzee Rascal. The record will serve as the first single from Jessie's second studio album dropping later this year. 'Wild' really caters to a wide audience with plenty of different sounds infused and a catchy chorus to give it hit potential.

Fans of Jessie J will be happy to know the follow up album to her 2011 release 'Who Are You' is 98% finished, according to Producer Claude Kelly. Kelly didn't go into specifics when discussing the album but he did manage to speak on the direction a little bit: “All I’m saying is that Jessie’s doing something that, right now, is probably unheard of, in that she’s not apologizing for big vocals,” A lot of pop right now is making things simpler, so that people can sing along, rather than inspiration so that we can try to become it.”


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Videos : Major Lazer ft. Bruno Mars, 2 Chainz, Tyga & Mystic : Bubble Butt

Who is Major Lazer?
Major Lazer is a musical project by DJ/producer Diplo. Formerly a collaboration along with DJ/producer Switch, they parted ways in late 2011. Diplo has since enlisted producers/DJs Jillionaire and Walshy Fire (of Black Chiney) to help with the production and live shows.

Formerly made up of DJ Diplo and Switch, the two were introduced after working with M.I.A.. The duo's first album Guns Don't Kill People... Lazers Do was released on June 16, 2009, on Downtown Records. It was recorded in Jamaica at Tuff Gong Studios. Vocalists such as Santigold, Vybz Kartel, Ward 21, Busy Signal, Nina Sky, Amanda Blank, Mr. Vegas, Turbulence, Mapei, T.O.K, Prince Zimboo, Leftside and others contribute guest vocals to the album, as well as additional production from Afrojack and Crookers. This is the first release to come out of the label partnership between Downtown Records and Diplo's label Mad Decent. Major Lazer ended a US tour last summer. The album's first single was "Hold the Line", the video for which, directed by Ferry Gouw, was nominated for a MTV Video Award in the Breakthrough Video category. "Hold the Line" was also featured in the video game FIFA 10. The track "Zumbie" has a music video that features comedian Andy Milonakis. Music videos for the songs "Pon de Floor " and "Keep It Going Louder" were both directed by Eric Wareheim. Major Lazer performed at the Falls Music & Arts Festival (Lorne, Victoria, Australia) on the December 30, 2009, the Coachella Music Festival in April 2010 they also performed at the Pitchfork Music Festival in July 2010 and the Sasquatch Music Festival on Monday May 30, 2011. Live visuals were created by Pomp&Clout. Major Lazer performed at the 2011 Outside Lands festival in San Francisco. From February 2013 he is with the song "Get Free" in the Vodafone Germany TV advertisement.

A mixtape with La Roux entitled "Lazerproof" was made available for free download on May 26. Diplo posted cover art on his Twitpic. It is the character Major Lazer in War Machine's silver suit, Elly Jackson of La Roux in the signature Iron Man suit, and Whiplash, the villain in the Iron Man 2 movie. On June 20, 2010, the group released an EP titled "Lazers Never Die". It contained two new songs and three remixes, by Thom Yorke and others. Switch provided production for Beyoncé's "Run the World (Girls)", which heavily sampled "Pon de Floor".

Major Lazer's live shows previously included hype man Skerrit Bwoy although Skerrit Bwoy left the group in 2012 to pursue religion. In 2012, Major Lazer began working with Snoop Dogg to produce some tracks that are to be included on his new reggae project. Along with the project came his new alter ego persona known as "Snoop Lion". Switch has left the collaborative effort due to "creative differences" as claimed by Diplo. He departed in late 2011 and was replaced with DJ/Producer Jillionaire and Walshy Fire.

In September 2012, Major Lazer announced that its upcoming album, Free the Universe, would be released on March 12, 2013 on Mad Decent, but was postponed to April 15, 2013. They also announced Fall 2012 tour dates.

Major Lazer partly produced UK singer Rita Ora's debut album, Ora. Major Lazer worked with No Doubt for their sixth studio album, Push and Shove. The album's title track features producers Major Lazer and Jamaican reggae artist Busy Signal, and was released as a promotional single in August 2012.

Major Lazer launched their Fall Tour 2012 in October, with shows in Oakland, Washington, D.C., Boston, and New York City, amongst others.

In February 2013, Major Lazer signed with indie record label Secretly Canadian. At the same time, they announced the new release date, April 16, for their album Free the Universe. They also announced the Free the Universe 2013 World Tour, which will run all spring.


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Sources : Major Lazer Photo | Bubble Butt Video | Major Lazer Biography

Mixtapes : Lacey : FVREWELL

Listen To Lacey : FVREWELL

Who Is Lacey?
Walter "Lacey" Samuels Jr., (Born December 16th , 1991 in Boston, Massachusetts) is an Music Producer/Artist that's has Released 4 Mixtapes in 2011, HeartBreaks & RedRoses , Far from Perfect , Wonderland and his highly anticipated Mixtape of the End of the Year Overdose on Life which is considered one of the best mixtapes Lacey Released with 1,221 Views and 138 Downloads right Now Lacey is working on his 1st Mixtape of 2012 Titled "FVREWELL"(Farewell). He Has recently signed with Boston/New York/Los Angeles based Stay Grindin Music LLC and will be giving his listeners more music in the very near future.

Lacey has been around music since he was 2 years old following the foot steps of his father who is a well known Dj in Mattapan , Boston. as an infant , Lacey loved banging on pots and pans with spoons and pens simply because he loved the sounds.As a 13 year old Lacey realized that his love for music was a huge impact on his life so he decided to start making beats. it took allot of patience for Lacey because he had to practice and learn the fundamentals of Music. Watching his father make music truly inspired him to create his own form of sound.As years gone by Lacey started high school and everyday in class he would think of quotes and write them down.High School was like a big diary because Everyone had issues.Everything was going fine until Lacey started dating and got heartbroken ...with emotions and thoughts running through his head he decided to write about how he felt in his Notebook Of Thoughts. in 2009 Canadian Rapper Drake Released his Mixtape "So Far Gone" and with the stories Drake told was very exciting to Lacey because it was the same exact Vibe he was going through in his life.Lacey became a fan of his music and was Truly Inspired of becoming a Rapper. 2 years Later Lacey has Released 4 Mixtapes in one year and has got nothing but good reviews on his music from different people in different states. Music is in his Blood and without music there is no Lacey.


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Sources : Lacey Photo | Listen To FVREWELL | Lacey Biography

Videos : Ke$ha ft. Will.i.am : Crazy Kids

Diving headfirst into work/school/pretty much anything after a long holiday weekend is seriously rough. But leave it to Ke$ha to inject some major party vibes into our Tuesday evening with the WORLD PREMIERE of her "Crazy Kids ft. will.i.am" music video! The singer dropped the clip tonight during her MTV First, and needless to say, it went way beyond the Instagram snaps and sneak peeks she's been feeding us these past few days (which is really saying something!). She might only have a couple of outfit changes, but trust us—it's a whole lotta look. Think colored cornrows, an insane manicure, lots of bling, and a leotard literally dripping in gold. One part Riff Raff, one part Brooke Candy, and one part, well, just pure Ke$ha in her gold-grinned glory, the "Crazy Kids" video is enough to inspire ANYONE to go a little bit wild. Peep our complete fashion recap below!

FULL CIRCLE

The video opens with Ke$ha in a look we saw briefly during the preview earlier today, but now we can finally witness the entire outfit in all its seafoam green glory. She's piled on the layers, rocking a camisole, button-up, and embellished hoodie (hood up, hiding the cornrows). But come to think of it, the clothing itself is only the beginning here! The accessories really steal the show, from her "Crazy Kids" knuckle dusters to her necklace to her retro round glasses. One word: wow.

DOGS: THE ULTIMATE ACCESSORY?

Anyone else having some Lana Del Rey "Born to Die" flashbacks here? Sure, posing stoically flanked by two large animals might be the only similarity between Ke$ha and LDR, but nobody can deny that sitting alongside a pair of badass-looking animals is most definitely a THING. Also, now that her hoodie's gone, we can better see Ke$ha's pastel cornrows, along with her blouse (only the collar buttoned) and opaque white tights. Moving on...

METAL MOUTH

We used to think that Iggy Azalea wins bragging rights for best snarl ever, but Ke$ha is KILLING it here. I mean, she's mastered the ever-so-slightly upturned lip thing, which is no easy task. Not to mention, it perfectly allows that undeniable glimmering grill to peek through. Topped off with piles of gold jewelry, this is one image that's going to be forever burned into our memories, even after we finally get the addictive track out of our heads. In other words, it's going to be a while.

VIRTUAL WILL.I.AM

You didn't think we'd leave out will.i.am, did you? Her collaborator turns up briefly and virtually in a space suit-looking number. Yeah, don't ask... just accept that this is Ke$ha's world, and we're all just living in it.

GOING HOLLYWOOD

Whoa, talk about a complete 180! She's now traded the cornrows (RIP) for cascading waves, a beauty look that we're starting to see her sport more and more often on the red carpet. While her style may have switched, Ke$ha's at least keeping things semi-consistent in the accessories department with gold on gold and a massive metallic cuff.

FRINGE BENEFITS

Never one to miss a good dance number, here's Ke$ha working it out alongside some questionable-looking dudes in a black bustier leotard with gold fringe. It's in-your-face, bold, and requires some MAJOR confidence. Technically, sort of like the shirtless men next to her letting it ALL hang out? Except way more glamorous.

MONEY SHOT

We'll leave you with this final image of Ke$ha showing off the dollar sign emblazoned on the back of her hoodie. Seems weirdly appropriate, right? A statement-making exit, indeed.

What do you think about Ke$ha's "Crazy Kids ft. will.i.am" style?! Watch video below, and let us know!


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Sources : Ke$ha Photo | Crazy Kids Video | Ke$ha Article | FULL CIRCLE Photo | DOGS: THE ULTIMATE ACCESSORY? Photo | METAL MOUTH Photo | VIRTUAL WILL.I.AM Photo | GOING HOLLYWOOD Photo | FRINGE BENEFITS Photo | MONEY SHOT Photo