Portishead

So, I found this band yesterday. I had heard of them before, but only vaguely. Oh boy was I missing out! They're a trip-hop, fusion, jazz sound thing group that I don't really know how to properly classify. What I do know, is that they sound great!


This song, which I heard yesterday, will kick you in the ass. It's so good!

Glory Box


I'm listening to it right now, and I don't know that words can properly describe how wonderful it is. I hope you enjoy it like I am.

Later!

They look like ROBOTS!

Guess who is an international band? I certainly had no idea for a long time, but I guess it's because I simply didn't ask. Anyways, hailing from the Hexagon aka France, it's:



DAFT PUNK! Let's kick it off with a jam that everyone knows!



That is some amazing hand work!
The next song is one that's not as famous as some of the others you can find, but it's a personal favorite of mine.



And finally, we'll finish off with some new work. As many of you may or may not know, they did the soundtrack for Tron:Legacy, and they even made a cameo in the movie!



That's got a heavy sound, and apparently it's not on the actual soundtrack, but it kicks ass anyways!

Let your ear soak in that sexy goodness for a while. See ya on the flip side. Later!

Rammstein!!

Most of you have probably heard of, if not listened to, Rammstein at some point or another. But this morning, I heard this song:

Frühling in Paris (Spring in Paris)



I loved it. It's got a slower pace, but it's still got that heavy rock sound they're so famous for.

Here is what is arguably their most famous song, at least here in the States, and a supremely badass one at that:

Du hast (You have)



And one more that I found on Youtube, and just listened to for the first time:

Fueur Frie (Fire Free)




These guys are so full of win it's ridiculous and it makes me want to learn German more than ever. I was already planning on it, but this just motivates me more.

Citizen Cope

This guy has a unique, but amazing, sound. He's another American, but it's what I can think of off the top of my head at the moment, as I find myself with a few spare minutes. All of your comments were really kind, and this is the easiest blog to update, so I can do it quickly.

My favorite song of his, by far:



There is also a Santana remix, with Santana's guitar laid over it. Check it out, it's awesome.

Here is another great, and more upbeat, song by Citizen Cope:



He's got a really soulful sound. It's good stuff. He's also the guy who made that song "Let the Drummer Kick." You may have heard it around. I think it was used in some commercials and stuff.

Goodnight!

Change in plans...

Thank you all for reading and following and listening, but this is going to see a major slow down in posts. It's the smallest of my three blogs, and I've got so much to do coming up in the next few months that I just won't have the time to devote to it. I'll try and post videos when I find them, but maybe leave out the writing? It's just about time management at this point. I hope you understand, and I really do appreciate all your support.

Thanks again. :D

Adele- British Vocal Powerhouse

A fantastic young artist who has burst onto the scene the past couple of years is Adele, a lovely lady from Britain. She has rocketed to stardom with her album 19, and has continued her amazing vocals and classic style on her new album 21.

The first song I'm sharing is Hometown Glory, an anthem of what it means to experience the place that helped shape you into the person you've become. I'm giving you the live version, because you'll quickly realize that the beauty of her voice doesn't rely on studio enhancement.



The next track is a favorite of mine, called Set Fire to the Rain. It's from her new album, which is where you can find other amazing songs like Rolling in the Deep.



I hope you can come to appreciate these fantastic songs like I have, and see the beauty in an approach to music that stands apart in the modern music scene.

FIR- Female lead rock from Taiwan!

The next band I've got for you is another really well rounded band who is also pretty popular in Asia. FIR originate in Taiwan, and sing all their songs in Chinese. They've got a range of songs, from melancholy to fast and fun, but my personal favorite is a slower song called Wo Men De Ai (Our Love). Enjoy it.



Here is another one that you've GOTTA listen to! The music in this one is amazing, and is truly moving. I feel like I know exactly what's going on, even if I can't understand the words. You can ignore or enjoy the video, whichever you wish.



And here, since I said they were upbeat, is a song that is pretty much a dance rock song. Fun beat to groove to.



They've got multiple albums out, and plenty of other great songs. I suggest you browse around on Youtube, you might find a song you love! Thanks for checking these out, I hope you enjoy them.

Later!

Madsen and Killerpilze- German Alternative!

These two bands are what I would call Alternative Rock, and they hail from Germany! I learned of both bands from the previously mentioned IMF, and the first band, Madsen, is the band I personally prefer because of the fact that I've listened to and enjoyed more of their songs. However, both of the following songs, I really really enjoy.

Madsen- Du schreibst Geschichte (You write stories)


Another great song by Madsen to check out if your interested is Goodbye Logik, which is also quite good. It's got a great beat that gets you moving.

Killerpilze- Springt hoch (Jump high)



Killerpilze is a young band, and they've got a few other good songs. They have a sort of skater alternative sound, to me at least, and that's not exactly my favorite kind of music, so I don't enjoy it as much as Madsen. However, if you enjoy that kind of music, and Killerpilze appeals to you, definitely find more on Youtube. There is plenty there!

I hope you enjoyed these German bands, and got a taste of what the German language can do for music. I think it adds a wonderful dimension to it that proves that German is not the ugly language so many people label it to be.

Later!

Vexare- The next generation of dubstep?

I said world music mix, and I meant it. With that said, I won't purposely exclude American music if I think it's awesome. And I think this is at about Awesome x 2.



This is done by Vexare, who is 14! That's right, the kids barely outta puberty and he's making beats like this. Now, I don't generally listen to a lot of dubstep, but when someone makes a track like this, it's hard not to really appreciate what's happening. And I love that it's a person so young, getting actively involved in what he loves early in his life.



I love the way he weaves the instrumental sections together with the heavy dubstep sections. This is amazing stuff, and I hope you enjoy it.

Calle 13: Non-Reggaeton Reggaeton... a different path.

Calle 13 is a Puerto Rican band who I discovered through by hearing the following song:

Atreve-te-te!



It'll make you wanna shake your booty, or move your hips, or do some sort of movement. It's hard to sit still with this. It's got a bit of that Reggaeton sound, but not much. And that's what sets them apart for the most part. The way their instrumentals sound makes them different than most of that mass produced reggaeton that is coming out these days. A greater range of instruments and sounds changes the sound for the better.

If that first song is not for you, try this one. It's more eclectic, and I really enjoy it. For someone who generally doesn't enjoy Latin American music, this is like a breath of fresh air.

La girafa:


So, I hope you enjoyed the selections. I will be doing English songs from other countries as well, so don't worry. I've already got one in mind. Also, I am still going to do the Japanese pop post I promised yesterday, but I didn't want to load you down with Japanese music, lest you be overwhelmed.

Are there any countries you'd be interested in hearing music from? Don't hesitate to ask and I'll see what I can find and share with you all.

Thanks for reading, and listening, and I'll see you soon.

Girugamesh and Dir en Gray- Japanese Rock

Girugamesh!



Okay, so you may or may not know that 'Girugamesh' was an internet meme for a while, thanks to this guy:



Well, I got kind of tired of not knowing what the hell 'Girugamesh' meant, so I looked it up. Technically, Girugamesh is the Japanese way of saying 'Gilgamesh,' as in the ancient epic of Gilgamesh.

But I listened to a couple of songs, and this one stood out to me.



I've read that their music has become 'soft,' and that they lost their edge. I don't know for sure, because I haven't listened to their new stuff, but honestly, I am still able to enjoy one or two songs from time to time without being bothered by their musical progression.


I'd also like to introduce you to Dir en Grey!



These guys were part of the Visual Kei movement, but have toned down that aspect of their performance in recent years. They're a Japanse metal band, but these guys are really great. They've got some songs that don't sound at all like metal, and yet still manage not to sound out of place.

The video I'm going to give you is the one I discovered them through. It's the censored version of the video, because the original is pretty graphic. I know you can find it if you're interested.



I strongly encourage you to explore their music further, as you may really come to love it, like I have.

And I know some of you couldn't understand the Italian from the last post, and probably won't understand the Japanese from this post. I empathize completely, since I can't understand it either. However, the point of those whole endeavor, for me, is to show that music is a universal thing that transcends language and cultural barriers. I love the music, without necessarily having to understand what is being said.

I'll have a post later today about the more mainstream and pop Japanese music if you're interested, just to level the playing field. I'm going to do my best to pull music from all genres. Two is generally going to be the maximum videos in a post, because I don't want to overload you with things to listen to.

I hope you enjoy this, and I'll see you soon.

Fabri Fibra- Premier Italian Rap

Hey all!

This is a new blog I'm going to be doing. It's largely influenced by the old television station called IMF: International Music Feed. It was one of my favorites, but it was bought out by Ovation TV which I hate now. IMF introduced me to songs, genres, and artists from the global music scene that I'd never thought I'd experience. I'm hoping to give you all the same experience and explore the world music scene myself in the process. I hope you enjoy it!

The first song and artist I've got for you is Quorum by Fabri Fibra. He's an amazing Italian rapper, whose beats and music are always catchy and will stick with you for a long time.



This is a song from one of his newer albums, which was actually released online rather than in the stores. He's got 4 or 5 albums including this one, and he is one of, if not the highest selling musician in Italy. I encourage you to explore some of his other stuff his other albums, Controcultura, Qui Vuole Essere Fabri Fibra, Bugiardo, and Tradimento, in order of most recent release.

I think this is the last blog I'm going to start for a while, but I hope you all really enjoy this one as well. Thanks so much for your support.

See you soon!