Sam Spiegel of the production duo N.A.S.A teamed up with Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs to cover Bob Marley’s “I Shot The Sheriff”. Debuted via a Sonos commercial on the Grammy’s.
Category Archives: Whoa!
Listen: Bad Things – “Anybody”
LA rock band Bad Things – that consists of front man/lead singer Davis LeDuke, bass player Jared Palomar (formerly of Augustana), guitarist Anthony Sanudo, drummer Lena Zawaideh and lead guitarist Shaun White (professional snowboarder/skateboarder) will be releasing their debut, self-titled album January 21st on Warner Bros. Records. The lead single “Anybody, ” a “chugging rock anthem heavy with choirboy backing harmonies” according to Rolling Stone, is now for sale at iTunes and streaming on YouTube and Soundcloud.
Listen: Bad Things – “Anybody”
Right on the heels of Bad Things‘ release, NBC is set to air “Shaun White: Russia Calling” on January 25th. The special gives an inside look at how the gold-medal-winning snowboarder prepped for the Winter Olympics in Sochi next month in addition to juggling his other commitments, including Bad Things.
Get a taste of what Bad Things are all about live, check out this video (below) from Lollapalooza of the band covering Iggy And The Stooges’ “Search And Destroy” as well as a clip of “Anybody.” Bad Things completed a North American tour of the country last fall that included festival stops at Lollapalooza in Chicago, Osheaga Festival in Montreal and Voodoo Music and Art Experience in New Orleans, which earned the band much deserved acclaim.
Bad Things earned their undeniable chemistry through sheer persistence and – in the case of Zawaideh, guitarist Anthony Sanudo, and lead guitarist Shaun White – a friendship forged in their San Diego hometown that dates back to their teens. In 2014 Bad Things is ready to share their electrifying sound and moving lyrics with the world.With the upcoming self-titled debut release, it’s only the beginning. “Music is what we do,” Sanudo says. “It is all we can do and all we ever want to do. Though obviously Shaun is pretty good at a couple of other things.”
Filed under Check 'em Out!, listen, Whoa!
Stream: The New Royales – Freedom’s For The Brave
“ …adding in big beats, subtracting the scuzzy guitars, smoothing out the chorus, and having Alcock give his best Jack-White-yelping impression.” – NYLON
“…a sticky indie edit of the old-school, feel-groovy joint.” – VIBE
The New Royales have a background as interesting as the music they create together. The band has released Freedom’s For The Brave – an album of covers featuring some of their various influences, including tracks by Depeche Mode, The Zombies, Jefferson Airplane & more.
The band previously unveiled their interpretation of The Monks’ classic, “Drugs In My Pocket“ and their irresistible take on The White Stripes’ “Fell In Love With A Girl.” Now, they release Freedom’s For The Brave and the full album is streaming for your listening pleasure!!!
Stream: The New Royales – Freedom’s For The Brave
The New Royales’ Liz Rodrigues recently lent her voice to Eminem’s latest hit, “Survival.” 2-time GRAMMY winning (4-time nominated) producer, DJ Khalil, has worked with the likes of Jay Z, Dr. Dre, Drake & Kendrick Lamar. In addition, DJ Khalil and Liz, along with Canadian multi-instrumentalists and vocalists Erik Alcock & Chin Injeti, have co-written with Pink on her 5 million albums sold, The Truth About Love, Pitbull’s Can’t Stop Me Now & Eminem‘s hit record Marshall Mathers LP 2 (“Survival”), which debuted at #1 on the iTunes album chart.
Hailing from separate parts of the world; Liz, Erik, Chin & DJ Khalil, The New Royales’ diverse makeup lends a hand in the uniqueness of their sound, pushing their own musical boundaries whilst still remaining a cohesive unit.
Their diverse backgrounds and unifying passion and respect for music has led to a sound that is eclectic and futuristic with a twist of the past.
Filed under Awesome, listen, new albums, Whoa!
Greg Laswell Remakes His Own Songs AND Was Going To Be An Astronaut!
Just in time for Valentine’s Day, singer/songwriter Greg Laswell has penned a love letter of sorts to his fans with his forthcoming album I Was Going to Be an Astronaut to be released on February 11, 2014 and available for pre-order now. For this special 11-track collection, he’s re-made, re-imagined, and re-recorded some of his – and his fans – favorite songs throughout his career.
Laswell explains, “I’d been playing alternate versions of some of these songs at my shows over the past few years and every time people would come up afterwards and ask if there was ever going to be any recorded versions of those songs. It happened enough times that I decided to do it. Another reason for doing this is because when I slow down a song or sing it a different way than when originally recorded, the meaning tends to change.”
Fans will be thrilled to learn that the alternate versions of “How the Day Sounds” and “What a Day” are among the tracks included on the CD. The album also features a cover of Sparklehorse’s “It’s a Wonderful Life,” which Laswell says is his favorite song on the album. His favorite remake of his own, however, is the new version of “December,” which was a song that didn’t make his critically acclaimed debut, 2006‘s Through Toledo. Of all the tracks on the record, the artist says “December” and “How the Day Sounds” are the songs that changed the most from their original versions.
This collection wouldn’t be complete without one of his most popular songs, “Comes and Goes (In Waves),” which was his breakout hit from 2008’s Three Flights from Alto Nido. The single garnered more than 6 million plays on YouTube, 3 million Spotify streams, 100,000 digital downloads via SoundScan, and multiple placements in music and TV, including True Blood, NCIS and Grey’s Anatomy. Adding to his accolades is the fact that 100 new Greg Laswell stations are created every day on Pandora.
Of stripping “Comes and Goes (In Waves)” down for the album, Laswell says, “I was nervous about it. It was one of the first songs I tried to record and I couldn’t do it. I wanted to be mindful to not take away what people loved of the original. I tried to choose songs that I thought I could put a new spin on while not getting in the way of what I already did.”
Listen: Greg Laswell – “Comes and Goes In Waves” (2013 Remake)
As for the album’s curious title, I Was Going To Be an Astronaut, it’s Laswell’s favorite line from “December.” He explains the lyric’s significance to him: “It’s saying the more I try to plan for things, the more other things happen – personally and professionally. I feel like when I sing that song now it’s more of a celebration of that fact rather than the mystery of this crazy life that we’re all living. Whereas when I first wrote it, it was a little bit more out of despair. I really, really enjoyed coming back and doing that song from the perspective of where I am now,” he says.
I Was Going To Be an Astronaut Track Listing:
1. I Don’t Believe It’s Through (2013 Remake)
2. It’s a Wonderful Life (Sparklehorse cover)
3. Comes and Goes (In Waves) (2013 Remake)
4. What a Day (2013 Remake)
5. How the Day Sounds (2013 Remake)
6. December (2013 Remake)
7. Off I Go (2013 Remake)
8. Take Everything (2013 Remake)
9. Embrace Me (2013 Remake)
10. High and Low (2013 Remake)
11. And Then You (2013 Remake)
Tour Dates:
February 11th: LeStat’s / San Diego, CA
February 12th: Troubadour / Los Angeles, CA
February 14th: The Chapel/ San Francisco , CA
February 16th: Mississippi Studios / Portland, OR
February 17th: The Triple Door / Seattle, WA
February 21st: David Friend Recital Hall / Boston, MA
February 22nd: Johnny Brenda’s / Philadelphia, PA
February 27th: Joe’s Pub / New York, NY
February 28th: U Street Music Hall / Washington, DC
March 4th: Space / Chicago, IL
Filed under Awesome, Highly Anticipated, Holy Freaking Crap!, listen, new albums, Shows, Whoa!
Video: Akon – “So Blue”
Akon is officially back with the worldwide release of his new single “So Blue”. The multi-platinum superstar, producer, and entrepreneur debuts the music video for “So Blue” exclusively on VEVO. The track serves as a prelude to his forthcoming fourth full-length album set for release early 2014 via Republic Records.
With over 12 million albums sold worldwide, five Grammy Award nominations, and 45 Billboard Hot 100 songs under his belt, Akon is simply unstoppable. His soulful voice and addictive lyrics have propelled countless hits across genres—from pop and R&B to hip hop and dance. In addition to his own chart-dominating singles, Akon has made a staggering 300 guest appearances for icons including Michael Jackson, Lady Gaga, Gwen Stefani, Lil Wayne, R. Kelly, and Eminem.
Never content to rest on his laurels, Akon has recently turned his longtime dream of working in Hollywood into a reality. This summer, he landed his first major movie role and will appear alongside costars Adrien Brody, Hayden Christensen and Jordana Brewster in the upcoming indie action thriller “American Heist”, a remake of the 1959 Steve McQueen movie “The Great St. Louis Bank Robbery.” Akon made his acting debut in Jeta Amata’s stirring motion picture “Rise Up”; a fictionalized account of true events that tells the story of an educated Nigerian girl’s return to her rural community to become the leader of a local movement fighting against the polluting oil company. Akon joined a stellar cast including Mickey Rouke, Kim Bassinger, Anne Heche, and Vivica A. Fox. After a successful introduction on the international film festival circuit in 2012, Akon is currently in the studio scoring the soundtrack for the film’s U.S. theatrical release slated for spring 2014.
Filed under listen, new albums, video, Whoa!
Brand New: Lily Allen – “Hard Out Here”
At last!! Lily Allen has made a brand new solo track – “Hard Out Here” – and it will be available at all digital retailers on November 19. The track is the first new solo song from Lily since 2010. She continues to work on her third studio album which will be released next year. Oh, and she has a baggy p*ssy.
Filed under Holy Freaking Crap!, video, Whoa!
Listen: Lewis Watson – “Colorblind” (Ft. Hudson Taylor)
Years ago, I used to listen to the original of this song by The Counting Crows ALL of the time. Now, London-based Lewis Watson has brought his own version. Hot on the heels of his critically acclaimed Four More Songs EP and hitting the iTunes Top 10 with all four of his EPs, he will release his new Some Songs With Some Friends, December 17 via Warner Music.
Produced by Mike Crossey (The 1975, Arctic Monkeys, Foals, Jake Bugg) and Richard Wilkinson (Lianne La Havas, Adele), Some Songs With Some Friends features a re-recorded, re-mastered version of single “Even If.” The rest of the EP sees Lewis interpreting some of his favorite songs joined by friends Gabrielle Aplin, Kimberly Anne and Irish duo Hudson Taylor.
Teaming up with Dublin-based act Hudson Taylor, “Colorblind” is an ethereal track with powerful pop vocal harmonies and lush piano washing over gentle strings and echoing percussion. Check out “Colorblind” ft. Hudson Taylor below.
Listen: Lewis Watson – “Colorblind” (Ft. Hudson Taylor)
Lewis Watson has developed a thriving fan base in his young career, already hailed by BBC Radio 1 and The Independent. He grew his fanbase organically through sharing his original songs and heartfelt covers of Bombay Bicycle Club, Bon Iver, etc. He recently played to sold-out audiences in NYC and LA– stay tuned for more news from Lewis Watson coming soon!
Filed under Check 'em Out!, Holy Freaking Crap!, listen, Whoa!
Happy Halloween!
Here’s a Halloween “treat” for ya in the form of a free download! This spooky dubstep is perfect to add to your soundtrack. Dubkiller has had chart toppers on Beatport, as well as songs featured on award winning shows like Breaking Bad.
Download: Dubkiller – “She Scares Me”
Download: Dubkiller – “She Scares Me” (Instrumental Version)
Little Ghxst Part 2
And, just as I promised yesterday, here’s your Halloween treat from Little Ghxst
In the video, President Obama wishes everyone a Happy Halloween and then warns us of a leak at the Fukushima reactor that has caused mutations and a comet passing over the Earth that has rendered electronics useless! A fly with the head of Little Ghxst buzzes over the skyline only to get caught in the web of a Gucci spider. The ghosts of Marilyn Monroe, Biggie, Tupac, John Lennon, Kurt Cobain, and GG Allin all make appearances as Little Ghxst struggles.
Little Ghxst is Trouble Andrew‘s new solo project.
Related articles
- Little Ghxst (musicallyamusing.com)
Musically Amusing 