Study Album #1 comes to us today all the way from Norway! Orange Crush is the sobriquet of Norwegian native Karl Endreson. Orange Crush is signed with the label Archaic Horizons, a net label that promotes independent musicians. The album, Autumn Reflections, is great study music when you are looking for some simple naturey background instrumentals.
It's a simple album that flows really well together (Low Beats + Synthesizer = Autumn Reflections). You won't realize you've left the first song until you hear the last song end.
The album is available for free at their website here: Archaic Horizons
I hope everyone is a having a great time with family and friends today.
I, like countless other students, have spent a portion of my day at my desk studying for finals. As everyone starts the study rush, I thought it'd be appropriate to post some new study friendly music for all the law students (and anyone else) cramped in a study cubicle, drinking an inordinate amount of coffee and red bull. When I study, I like to listen to Post-Rock. So the music posted will mostly be in the post rock genre. I will try to get out a new study album (or playlist) every once in a while for ya'll to find and enjoy while working into the wee hours of the morning.
It's been a rough year for you. We all know that. You lost your Mum, the whole Taylor Swift Fiasco, South Park, Obama calling you a jackass and as you so eloquently put it on Gorgeous "I will never ever let you live this down". But despite all this you still came back and put together this new album and GOD DAMN. When I downloaded this album from Amazon this morning (for only 4 dollars!) I was kind of worried it would be like 808 and Heartbreak, a decent album but really not that memorable. But from the moment Dark Fantasy began I had to keep looking down at my Ipod to make sure this was actually Kanye West.
The lead song Dark Fantasy fucking. brilliant. Nicki Minaj begins with a mini monologue:
"You might think you've picked a scene But you haven't The real ones far to mean The watered down one, The one you know Was made up centuries ago It made it sound all wack and corny Yes, it's all full blasted boring Twisted fiction, Sick addiction Well gather round children Zip it listen!"
This part of the song lasts only seconds, but in my opinion is the perfect intro to this album. After spending years in the background producing for other artists and being passed over by Roc-a-fella cause he didn't appear "hard" enough, Kanye has finally had the chance to produce his masterpiece. After defining himself in The College Dropout, Late Registration, Graduation and 808 and Heartbreak as well as a number of tracks accompanying other artists Kanye has established himself at the top of the hip-hop game. However, nothing he has done compares to what he has put together on My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. The monologue ends with a zip it! as to tell the audience to ignore everything else he's done and just listen to the music. Dark Fantasy asks "Can we get much higher?" and after hearing the lead song, you might wonder if he actually can. A beautiful choral harmony leads into Kanye's first verse on the album. It's fresh and intelligent and sets the stage for the entire album.
The album is EXTREMELY cocky, but I would expect nothing else from Kanye at this point in his career. The second song, Gorgeous lashes back at South Park with "Choke a South Park writer with a fish stick". Power takes on SNL "Fuck SNL and the whole cast. Tell 'em Yeezy said they can kiss my whole ass". These are only samples of the many retorts to negative press he's been gotten scattered throughout this album. This isn't just a diss album though, its incredibly well put together and as Kanye says "I know damn well ya'll feeling this shit".
However Kanye does know where he needs to humble himself a little, in Power he spits out "they say I was the abomination of Obamanation of Obama's nation; well that's a pretty bad way to start the conversation". Not really an apology, but as close as you'll get on this album.
So Appalled features Jay-Z, Pusha T, Prynce Cy Hi, Swizz Beats, and the RZA. This is a solid kinda generic hip-hop track. Jay-Z asks "How should I begin this; I'm just so offended; How am I even mentioned by all these fuckin beginners? I'm so appalled I might buy the mall just to show niggas how much more I have in store".The song is a familiar message from the top of the hip-hop community that they're up on top and "that shit is fucking ridiculous". While not the most original song on the album, it will still stick with you.
The album lacks the amount of skits that made up a major part of The College Dropout, but there is a brief skit on The Blame Game. I laughed out loud on this track (it get's a little more graphic then I want this blog to be) but its hilarious. Let's leave it at that.
So "Let's have a toast to the Douchebag's, to the Assholes" and a toast to Kanye West. This album is fantastic and I cannot recommend it enough. I know all the reviews are feeling this album real hard (a 10 from pitchfork, 5 stars from rolling stone, 9/10 on Spin etc.) But it's for good reason, this album is intelligent, cocky, catchy, and extremely well put together.
Kanye aspires to be the next Michael Jackson, a lofty goal but this latest album brings him one step closer to achieving that dream.
Favorite Track: Power
Grab your can's with the best bass and "Zip it, Listen!"
Today marks the day that the new Kanye Album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy is finally released. After spending quite a bit of time sticking his foot in his mouth, Kanye finally sat down and tinkered together a new album (when the President calls you a Jackass, I think you put your life in perspective). I haven't had a chance to listen to the whole thing yet, but I wanted to let you all know that the album is only 3.99 for the Amazon digital download.
I don't judge anybody who gets their music by unscrupulous methods but at only 4 dollars this is an expenditure you can (probably) afford to make. When artists try to work with people by putting out their albums at low prices instead of charging the regular 13+ for their albums, we should encourage the practice.
If you've been following Kanye's twitter (I don't, I just don't get twitter) you've probably already got a taste of what this album has to offer. For those of you that haven't I've only heard good things about Kanye's newest musical adventure. So instead of that Caramel Mocha Latte this morning, take the time to visit Amazon and purchase the latest Kanye album.
If there is one thing I love more than music, its free music. Last week Girl Talk released his newest album All Day for FREE! If you haven't had a chance to download it yet you can still find it here:
http://illegal-art.net/allday/
It's probably a lot easier to download now then it was on the release day.
Gregg Michael Gillis, the mastermind behind Girl Talk, is a solo DJ that creates songs in a "mashup" style. For those of you unfamiliar with mashups (i don't know who you are though, havent you been wathing glee?) mashups blend together different songs by overlaying different tracks from various artists. Girl Talk has mastered this newly emerging art form and has released five albums made up of a litany of other songs. On this latest iteration Gillis takes music from all over the Top 40 and beyond and finds ways to make them fit together seamlessly (who would have thought Ante Up + Party in the USA would be so damn catchy?)
On the site to download the album, Gillis encourages his listeners to listen to the album start to finish. I recommend the same, it only gets better as it goes on. From Black Sabbath to John Lennon and everything in-between this album is truly masterful.
I doubt many (any) people come back and check this bad boy out, The Hiatus went on a little longer then I planned. My B.
But anyway, I am going to do a bit of "reorganization" of this blog. As much as I loved spending hours on end listening to new tunes and giving full reviews, I don't have the free time I wish I did to continue that format. So I am just gonna start sharing music that I am currently enjoying. From time to time I might slip back into my old ways and give a score to an album; but I can't do it all the time cause of the "studying" (remember I am a reluctant law student).
I'll try to throw together some grooveshark playlists every once in a while to share with you loyal fans so you can keep on grooving.
I hope you enjoy the new open ended format and again, sorry for the extended hiatus!
Study Album #1 comes to us today all the way from Norway! Orange Crush is the sobriquet of Norwegian native Karl Endreson. Orange Crush is signed with the label Archaic Horizons, a net label that promotes independent musicians. The album, Autumn Reflections, is great study music when you are looking for some simple naturey background instrumentals.
