Category: Indie

[Commercials with Cool Music:] Microsoft Surface – The Salmon Sisters [Throwback to PS2’s Amplitude:] Garbage – Cherry Lips


[Alternative Rock/Pop:] Garbage – Cherry Lips

Go baby go go, (yeah we’re right behind you)
Go baby go go, (yeah we’re lookin’ at you)
Go baby go go, (oh, we’re right behind you)
Go baby, go baby, Yeah we’re right behind you!

Microsoft’s recent ad for the Surface Go has surfaced feelings of nostalgia in many people who heard the song featured in the ad, Garbage’s “Cherry Lips.” For me personally, I first heard the song on the Playstation 2 music game, Amplitude.

From the makers of Dance Central, the unconventional music game had you piloting a space ship that coasted along “tracks” of music. Each track had notes that you would blast and after getting through a “section” or “verse” with no misses the track would blast away and disappear and it’s element would continue to play for awhile. Each track was broken down into vocals, bass, drums, synths and FX, and basically the better you play the game the better the song would sound, you could also choose to completely ignore the vocals track to make an instrumental version, or only play the drums and bass for an acoustic/percussive “remix.”

It wasn’t until it resurfaced in the Microsoft ad that I found out more about Garbage and that the lead singer actually wasn’t Gwen Stefani (it sure sounded like it to me). Enjoy the ad and it’s original music video above and below take a look at what it was like playing the song in Amplitude.

 

[Throwbacks] [Intelligent/Meaningful Hip-Hop] Kanye West – Eyez Closed (feat. Snoop Dogg & John Legend) & Jaylib – Survival Test (J Dilla) // [Reggae / Punk / Summer:] Slightly Stoopid – The Fruits [Legalize Them]


Hey there cool kids, I’ve got some new throwbacks for ya today. First off we start in the genre of “real” meaningful hip-hop as I like to call it. You could say it’s as opposed to, whatever you think it is, everyone’s “definitions” of real hip-hop is different, regardless this soulful, never-realeased rare track from Kanye West featuring Snoop Dogg & John Legend is a perfect song to bring back for Summer2k15. With production from Kanye himself, the beat, melody and sample in the chorus are make an irresistibly groove-inducing song.

Next, though still dance-able, but much more conscious: this song could be seen as for dancers like b-boys, as a head-banger for the whip that increases your hardness as you vibe at the light and people think you’re a badass, or even just one you sit there not-moving still, taking in the rawness and lyrical prowess of Jaylib, the combination of underground hip-hop group Madlib and deceased, super-producer, J Dilla.

A tribal-sounding horn, hard beats and kicks accompanied by booming bass and a flute-like arpeggio make this a perfect listen (or beat to freestyle over, see the instrumental).

Finally to wrap up our series of summer-suitable throwbacks we have the absolutely chill, “Hey man, just be easy” relaxation inducing single “The Fruits” from Californian psychedelic rock / reggae band Slightly Stoopid. “The Fruits” is a great listen with its calming sounds that remind one of the ocean, the carefree rhythm and vocals the lead singer provides and its borderline no sensemaking, yet easily understandable lyrics emphasizing being free and happy in life. Check it out above!

[Booty Bass/Moombahton] Big Sean – I Don’t F*ck With U (feat. E-40) [Los XL Bootleg]


This bootleg comes to us from moombahton focused DJ, Los XL. For this take on Big Sean’s “IDFWU” XL emphasizes a moombahton beat blending smoothly with the catchy and repeating sample (the “yeah-ee-yeah-ee-yeah!”) that Kanye West added to the original track (his sample is fleshed out at the end of the original song as a sort of outro, which was also produced by West). The result is a dance-able track that lives up to its “booty-bass” genre. Check out Los XL at his Facebook page where he has several other moombahton tracks and remixes.

Los XL’s Facebook Page

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