ATMOSPHERE - 10 Tracks

I love hip hop. Some of my favorite hip hop artists include De La Soul, A Tribe Called Quest, Mos Def, RZA, Pharoahe Monch & MF Doom but, if I was forced to pick one all-time favorite, it'd have to be Atmosphere. I just can't get enough of Ant's beats. He uses a super creative variety of instruments & sound bites unlike anything else I've ever heard. Then there's Slug who I simply adore. His lyrics are quick, smart, honest & poetic. I've seen Atmosphere live 3 times & they never disappoint. I also like the fact they have released 10 albums since 1997 & don't seem to be slowing down anytime soon.

Here are 10 of my most beloved Atmosphere tracks (in no particular order):

Always Coming Back Home To You - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ESTSTSNwzQA

Smart Went Crazy - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-7mFP7gvcho

Jackpot/Swept Away - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XOeRV-QV6YQ

Guarantees - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g__iDW904_k

Yesterday - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qEHTTFOwsDs

The Muddy Reds, The Venus Illuminato & Seamonsters @ Silverlake Lounge - 12/28/09

The Muddy Reds put on yet another stellar show last night at The Silverlake Lounge on Sunset Boulevard & what made it even sweeter is the fact that the 2 bands opening for the Reds, The Venus Illuminato & Seamonsters, were both excellent too! I had an absolute blast at this terrific triple-header!

You need to join me on New Years Eve here:

Because of this:

Also, check out The Venus Illuminato, another local LA band, because they're extremely talented & the lead singer's hot:

East Coast based Seamonsters really impressed me too. This clip is from a different show but it will give you an idea of their style:

Zeph & Azeem - Come One Come All

Tightrope by Yeasayer

Tightrope by Yeasayer is one of my favorite songs of 2009. It's featured on the unbelievable 2-disc compilation album Dark Was The Night (see future post) & it's just beautiful. 





Yeasayer is playing at The Natural History Museum in Los Angeles on February 5, 2010 & I will most certainly be there :-)

Cannot Wait for Broken Bells!

Danger Mouse & James Mercer of the Shins have teamed up to form BROKEN BELLS & I couldn't be more excited! Their self-titled debut album's release date isn't until March 9, 2010 but, just today, they made the 1st single, The High Road, available as a free download for 24 hours only! It's SO good!

Unexpectedly Good Music on 3rd Street Promenade in Santa Monica

Sometimes you discover cool, new music where you least expect it. When I was shopping at Old Navy on 3rd Street Promenade in Santa Monica earlier this evening, I was literally drawn out of the store by the soulful, acoustic music I heard being played outside the store's entrance. That is where I found John West who, within minutes, had acquired a substantial-sized crowd of interested holiday shoppers.

John West, a Baton Rouge native, seems to have already started making a name for himself in the music industry. He's made several music videos, he has over 30,000 fans on Myspace (http://www.myspace.com/johnwestsongs) & he's played shows at popular Los Angeles venues like The El Rey Theater (my favorite LA indoor venue) & The Roxy Theatre on Sunset (where he has another show coming up on 1/23/10). Yet he still plays for free regularly on 3rd Street in Santa Monica because all this guy really seems to care about is spreading the joy of good music.

Check out some footage from one of John's springtime appearances on the Promenade:




If you like what you heard, go see John West at The Roxy Theatre on Sunset Boulevard on January 23, 2010:

If You Like TV on the Radio...

You'll love Kyp Malone's new side project, Rain Machine: