Music Spotlight – Dr. Rocket – February 2015

Up and coming rock/pop group Dr. Rocket have released their first single I Never Knew You Like That, a poppy infectious song. The duo from the Pacific Northwest, Nick Carver and Mason Kline, have tapped into a sound that is both fresh and nostalgic. It has its roots in the great pop music to come out of the U.K. in the 1960s (bands like the Beatles, the Zombies, the Kinks, and so on), but also offers a modern vibe both lyrically and musically.

Pop music is mostly concerned with the trials and tribulations of love – specifically when we first fall in love or when it all goes wrong, the thrill or the anguish. I Never Knew You Like That very well may be just another love song, but it feels as if its protagonist is trying to convey the entirety of the experience in a single song – from the dumbfounded goofy awkwardness of first meeting to the painful disassociation following a break-up (in which we wonder how we could ever have even been with a person like that) – an ambitious feat. The song is catchy, fun and a little deep. I cannot wait to hear more.

Follow Dr. Rocket on Twitter @xxDrRocketxx 

And, check out I Never Knew You Like That below:

Music Spotlight – New Music – Dr. Rocket – July 2014

Dr. Rocket, hard at work on their debut album, has dropped some new music for fans to download. Both songs are early recordings that should give listeners a taste of what the band is all about. Enjoy:

Also, check out Dr. Rocket’s website and Facebook page.

Music Spotlight – Exciting New Artist – Dr. Rocket – June 2014

Exciting New Artist: Dr.Rocket, a 1960s’ influenced rock/pop band out of Portland, Oregon.

Dr. Rocket explodes out of the speakers with a charming blend of classic pop sensibility and modern arrangements. It is equally ambitious as it is accessible. The man behind the rocket, Nick Carver, pulls in his listeners with raw, emotional lyrics seemingly disguised by poppy riffs -- listeners can happily bounce around or engage on a deeper level.

Dr. Rocket is in the process of recording his first album, which is scheduled for release later this Summer.

Like:
www.facebook.com/drrocketband

Listen:
www.soundcloud.com/drrocket

Watch:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yh-bqQ631NA

Music Spotlight – Favorite Music of 2013: Part 5

Talib Kweli – It Only Gets Better

It Only Gets Better is off of Talib Kweli’s album Prisoner of Consciousness. It features Marsha Ambrosius and is produced by J. Cole. The song quickly kicks off to a great start with Cole’s infectious production, while Ambrosius is fantastic on the hook. Kweli, too, is in top form as his verses feature his usual social consciousness and word play. Kweli continues to be a vital part of hip hop’s social and political voice, and this track proves that he is still a relevant member of hip hop’s current sound as well (which seems to have mostly shifted to more mainstream artists). Available for download: here

Tegan and Sara – Closer

Closer is off Tegan and Sara’s new album Heartthrob, and it is produced by Greg Kurstin. The Quin Sisters have always firmly had a foot placed in pop music, but with Closer they seem to have fully jumped into radio-friendly pop music (and not in a bad way). The song just explodes with noxious pop fun from the beginning. It has that great quality (mostly exhibited in 1980s’ pop classics) by which its listener immediately finds themselves in a good move, and more than that ready to just gleefully bounce around. Available for download: here  

Thee Oh Sees – Toe Cutter – Thumb Buster

Toe Cutter – Thumb Buster is off of Thee Oh Sees’ album Floating Coffin. What stands out right away about the song is the wonderful heavy distortion on the guitar. It is all-consuming and takes us back to our fond memories of grunge. But, the song is not very grunge-like when the distortion cuts out and we are left with a much more psychedelic comedown, content to merely frolic in the clouds. On a side note, the album cover is terrifying and oddly engaging. It is weird, but I love it. Available for download: here

Wampire – The Hearse

The Hearse is off of Wampire’s debut album Curiosity. The Portland, Oregon, duo delivers a fun and fantastic indie rock/pop song with a horror theme. The song is very catchy with its pop sensibilities but also has a nice creepy vibe and texture to it. Speaking of album covers. I am not sure if Wampire has 2013’s best or worst. It is brilliantly tacky. Available for download: here

The Weeknd – Kiss Land

Kiss Land is off The Weeknd’s debut studio album Kiss Land (following up three brilliant mixtapes). Like the song above, Kiss Land has a very creepy vibe to it, as Able Tesfaye sings about being on the road forever and being intoxicated for most of it (which is warping his perception of the world). Silkky Johnson’s production is both inviting and alienating – this is because in moments it pulls in the listener with engaging drums but then starts to create a feeling of uneasiness, as the music seems to spiral (as if the listener too is trapped in a constant state of drunkenness, past the point of elation). Available for download: here

Music Spotlight – Favorite Music of 2013: Part 4

London Grammar – Strong

Strong is off of London Grammar’s debut album If You Wait. It is produced by the band as well as Tim Bran and Roy Kerr. The song feels ethereal, finding great heights thanks to Hannah Reid’s big and powerful voice (which is really the band’s greatest attribute). The track is inviting with its easy listening vibe, but Reid’s siren-like vocals create a much more involving experience than merely a song just happily playing in the background. Available for download: here

Mikal Cronin – Weight

Weight is off of Mikal Cronin’s second album MCII. The San Francisco indie rocker finds a great sound with the song (and album); equal parts rock and pop with sort of a slight punk edge. The song is catchy but never feels commercial (which is refreshing). It is a bit softer than his past work, but I think that might be a welcomed change. Available for download: here

MØ – Waste of Time

Waste of Time is off MØ’s debut album No Mythologies to Follow (due February 24, 2014). The Danish singer finds a good balance between electronically influenced pop and her own sound (in a marketplace flooded with similar artists). What works so well for the track is that it feels like a lot of genres sort of forced to cohabitate in the same space, but instead of sounding noisy and chaotic it all comes together. Available for download: here

Pusha T – Nosetalgia

Nosetalgia is off of Pusha T’s solo debut album My Name Is My Name. It features Kendrick Lamar and is produced by Nottz and Kanye West. The beat is a great minimalist track with a shrill guitar lick, but really it is the verses from Pusha and Kendrick that make this song pop. Pusha goes in about his past as a cocaine dealer and how that shaped his life, only to have Kendrick follow up with how his father was a junkie and how that shaped his childhood. The juxtaposition is fantastic and something new. It is one of the best hip hop tracks of 2013. Available for download: here

Sundays – World We Own

World We Own is off of Sundays’ debut EP Of Eros And I. Sundays present a sound that is both sort of celestial and poppy. It feels vast, but you can also dance to it (and it is catchy in a sly sort of way; it just creeps up on you). Available for download: here; Music Video: here

Music Spotlight – Favorite Music of 2013: Part 3

Justin Timberlake – Mirrors

Mirros is off of Justin Timberlake’s massive double album The 20/20 Experience (it is on part 1). The track is produced by Timberlake, Timbaland, and J-Roc. The 20/20 Experience is mostly overly bloated and self-indulgent, but there are some fantastic moments and songs too. Mirrors is probably the best track on the album. It feels like classic JT while still exploring his new stylistic genre mixing (though, all with a pop sensibility). Available for download: here

Kanye West – I’m In It

I’m In It is off of Kanye West’s brilliant new album Yeezus, and is produced by West. Yeezus is 2013’s most ambitious and artistically exciting album, boasting many great tracks (like: Black Skinheads, New Slaves, Blood on the Leaves, Send It Up, and Bound 2). I just like I’m In It the most. It has the same dark, angry feel as the album, but more so than any other song it has a hypnotic aspect to it as well juxtaposed to a very aggressive energy. It is a compelling listen aesthetically. Available for download: here

Kilo Kish – Creepwave

Creepwave is off Kilo Kish’s mixtape K+. The song features the Flatbush ZOMBIES and is produced by Cronos. It is a very creepy track (fitting to its name) capitalizing on a great an eerie sound. The whole thing feels like something lurking in the shadows, yet it has a way about it, pulling the listener in. Kish sings as if in a trance, but also with urgency in her voice as if in a muted panic. It is an interesting song. Available for download: here

Kurt Vile – Wakin On A Pretty Day

Wakin On A Pretty Day is off of Kurt Vile’s fifth album Wakin On A Pretty Daze (his most commercially accessible to date). The song is produced by Kurt Vile & the Violators and John Agnello. It has a fantastic lo-fi sound, seemingly working best as a song to put on to chill out. Vile’s a strong songwriter, as his simple guitar strums carry the song perfectly for over nine minutes – the track never feeling too long or overextended. There might not be a better soft rock song released in 2013. Available for download: here

Lady Lamb the Beekeeper – Bird Balloons

Bird Balloons is off Lady Lamb the Beekeeper’s first studio album Ripely Pine. Lady Lamb the Beekeeper is folk and indie rock artist who dabbles in lots of instruments and sounds. Bird Balloons has an edge to it, as Aly Spaltro’s guitar and vocals rage with a palpable raw energy (something not often found in folk music – simply, the song rocks). Musically, it is ambitious and feels a bit like a carnival ride. Available for download: here

Music Spotlight – Favorite Music of 2013: Part 2

Drake – Hold On, We’re Going Home

Hold On, We’re Going Home is off of Drake’s third album Nothing Was the Same. Produced by Nineteen85 and Majid Jordan (who also features on the track), the song sizzles as a great upbeat pop crossover. It is the only song that solely features Drake singing and is also probably the most radio friendly, but it is just so catchy and inviting – you just want to get on the dance floor. Available for download: here

Ellie Goulding – Burn

Burn is off Ellie Goulding’s reissuing of her Halcyon album called Halcyon Days. It is produced by Greg Kurstin. Like all of Goulding’s work, the song succeeds on the strength and uniqueness of her voice. It also features an uplifting message of strength and empowerment when a lot of today’s pop music is just generic nonsense. Available for download: here

Haim – The Wire

The Wire is off Haim’s fantastic debut album Days Are Gone. It is produced by the Haim Sisters and Ariel Rechtshaid. The song capitalizes on the energy and vocal talent of all three sisters (who each have sections of the song, though Danielle is the lead), perfectly balancing both rock and pop ambitions. The track rocks, has an interesting narrative, and is (like the best pop songs) very catchy. Available for download: here

J. Cole – Power Trip

Power Trip, featuring Miguel and produced by J. Cole, is off Cole’s second studio album Born Sinner. It has a raw energy, maybe even bordering on angry. Cole definitely wants to prove that he belongs among the best in hip hop, and Power Trip is does that as one of the year’s best tracks in the genre. Miguel’s part is also really good, elevating the hook. Fans can continue to expect great things from Cole. Available for download: here

John Legend – We Loved It

We Loved It is a bonus track off of John Legend’s Love in the Future. Featuring Seal, it is produced by Kanye West and Jeff Bhasker. With Love in the Future, Legend set out to make a new kind of R&B album. This song accomplishes that. It is compellingly dark, yet soulful. Legend and Seal’s voices accompany each other very well (Seal especially invites the listener into the darkness). West and Bhasker’s beat features a great complexity and grandness, though also held back – as if one were looking at a faded masterpiece painting. Available for download: here

Music Spotlight – Favorite Music of 2013: Part 1

Beyonce – Drunk in Love

Drunk in Love is off Beyonce’s surprise album BEYONCE (which she dropped in December without anyone knowing about it ahead of time – quite an accomplishment).  The track is produced by Detail and Beyonce herself and features Jay-Z. It is one of the standout songs off her new album, as it captures a good balance between Beyonce’s powerful vocals and a fresh, energetic modern R&B/pop track. And, Beyonce is fantastic on the hook. Available for download: here

Big Eyes – Being Unkind

Being Unkind is off Big Eyes’s album Almost Famous. It is a fun and infectious pop-rock song. It has a very upbeat driving force with sort of a 1980s punk sound. Though coming out in May, it has remained a mainstay on my iPhone playlist ever since. Available for download: here

Bleached – Next Stop

Next Stop is off Bleached’s album Ride Your Heart. Like the song above, it is a very fun pop-rock track that too feels influenced by the 1980s punk sound. It is very simple in its construction, but also very catchy. Once heard, it is almost impossible to not continually revisit it. Available for download: here

CHVRCHES – Lies

Lies is off CHVRCHES’s debut album The Bones of What You Believe (my favorite album of 2013 along with Kanye West’s Yeezus). The electronic synthpop track is so very catchy and powerful. Singer Lauren Mayberry’s voice is sweet, yet enchanting. Everything about the song works. CHVRCHES is my favorite new band of the year, and this is my favorite of their songs so far. Available for download: here

Deafheaven – The Pecan Tree

The Pecan Tree ends Deafheaven’s excellent sophomore album Sunbather. The song, like the album, is brutal exhibiting the raw power of black metal yet beautifully fragile with exquisite composition. It is a metal album with the ability to woo non-metal fans to the darkside. Available for download: here

Music Spotlight – Favorite Music of 2012: Part 5

ScHoolboy Q – There He Go

There He Go is off ScHoolboy Q’s album Habits & Contradictions. Producer Sounwave builds a fantastic beat off a sample of Menoema’s Wet and Rusting, and ScHoolboy Q’s flow is tonally a perfect match for it. It is an addictive track that is among the best from Q’s great album (another track to check out is Hands on the Wheel). Available for download: here

Sleigh Bells – Comeback Kid

Comeback Kid is off Sleigh Bells’ album Reign of Terror. The track mixes an abrasive (almost metal) Derek Miller beat made up of thrashing guitars and a kicking drum machine with Alexis Krauss’s tantalizingly sweet vocals. It is quite an aesthetically compelling combination (and something that has often been in Sleigh Bells’ favor). Available for download: here

TNGHT – Goooo

Goooo is off TNGHT’s debut EP TNGHT. Producers Lunice and Hudson Mowhawke have created a brazen sound, mixing electronic sensibilities and southern style hip hop 808 drums, which also has a clean precise sheen to it, while still feeling lush. Goooo jumps out of the speakers, and the listener knows they are in for something great when through heavy drums start hitting. Available for download: here

The Weeknd – Twenty Eight

Twenty Eight is off The Weeknd’s album Trilogy (as one of the bonus tracks). The Weeknd (Abel Tesfaye) was one of the great breakthrough artists of 2011. Twenty Eight (like most of his work on Trilogy) has a dark and regretful tone, while feeling very personal. Doc McKinney and Illangelo provide a simple backing beat, allowing Tesfaye’s vocals to shine (which at times remind me of Michael Jackson). Available for download: here

The xx – Angels

Angels is off The xx’s album Coexist. Jamie xx’s musical accompaniment has a quiet and somber tone, while Romy Madley Croft’s vocals are seductively intimate. The xx seem to use negative space to their advantage in creating an aesthetic environment of intimacy and gravity – as if this track were only for the ears of its listener. There is something very beguiling about it. Available for download: here

Music Spotlight – Favorite Music of 2012: Part 4

Kendrick Lamar – Cartoons & Cereal

Cartoons & Cereal features Gunplay, and is a song that Kendrick Lamar released for free online. While Lamar released maybe the best album of 2012 with good kid, m.A.A.d. city, Cartons & Cereal is even better. Producer THC provides the track with a bumping, sonically dark beat. Lamar and Gunplay seem like an odd pairing, but their sort of anti-social personas meld together exceptionally well (Gunplay’s verse is particularly wonderful). It is a wholly satisfying and utterly refreshing track (in a world of overly generic hip hop). Available for download: here

Purity Ring – Obedear

Obedear is off Purity Ring’s debut album Shrines. The Canadian duo of singer Megan James and producer Corin Roddick have created a haunting song with Obedear. James’s voice is manipulated to have a surreal and artificial sound, contrasting innocence and passion. Roddick’s electronic dream synth pop glimmers (and definitely has similarities to Crystal Castles and the Knife). Available for download: here

Pusha T – Exodus 23:1

Exodus 23: 1 features The-Dream, and is a song released by Pusha T for free online (as part of the G.O.O.D. Fridays ramp up to Cruel Summer). Rico Beats provides a dark, hypnotic track that samples Notorious B.I.G.’s What’s Beef (it is a phenomenal beat). Pusha T spits fire (and there is speculation that he is going after YMCMB). Regardless whether this is or is not a diss-track, it is a great rap song. Pusha T asserts himself as the best rapper signed to Kanye West’s G.O.O.D. Music. Available for download: here

REKS – Straight, No Chaser

Straight, No Chaser features Slaine and is off REKS’s album Straight, No Chaser. Working again with producer Statik Selektah, the Boston MC delivers a classic hip hop track – that actually has real lyrics (and not just throwaway ego strutting). REKS goes line-for-line with Slaine resulting in two great verses. Available for download: here

Rick Ross – Ten Jesus Pieces

Ten Jesus Pieces features Stalley and is off Rick Ross’s album God Forgives, I Don’t. The reflective track finds a laidback/redemptive Ross rapping over a luscious beat from J.U.S.T.I.C.E.  Leauge. While Ross seems to mostly go in on street bangers these days, I like is more soulful tracks a lot – and this is a wonderful example of how well his voice works with a more impassioned beat (Kanye West’s Devil in a New Dress is another). Available for download: here

Music Spotlight – Favorite Music of 2012: Part 3

Frank Ocean – Pyramids

Pyramids is off Frank Ocean’s major label debut channel ORANGE (following up his brilliant mixtape nostalgia, ULTRA). The epic modern R&B track produced by Malay has two parts, as it pulls together narratives about the famed Egyptian Queen Cleopatra and a dancer (of the same name) working at a club called the Pyramids, and has a fantastic sound and style. Frank Ocean took over R&B in 2012, thanks to his great album, this song, and Thinkin Bout You. Available for download: here

Grimes – Oblivion

Oblivion is off Grimes’s album Visions. Canadian electronic/synth pop artist Grimes (Claire Boucher) became somewhat of a household name in 2012 (well, households with good taste in music and the internet) with her two hits off Visions: Oblivion and Genesis. Oblivion is poppy, atmospheric, and even dark and creepy, with Boucher’s falsetto vocals. It also happens to have my favorite music video of the year. Available for download: here

Health – Tears

Tears is a song that Health recorded for the Max Payne 3 soundtrack. The Los Angeles noise rock group delivers a great electronic track that is hypnotic with its heavy droning loop-driven beat. Tears works both within the game and as a standalone release. Available for download: here

How to Dress Well – Cold Nites

Cold Nites is off How to Dress Well’s album Total Loss. Experimental pop producer and R&B artist How to Dress Well (Tom Krell) is known for his ethereal and sexy sound, and Cold Nites is no different, but it also has sort of an angry edge to it – stemming from Krell’s lyrics – and a chilling tone as well. The combination is utterly compelling. Available for download: here

Kanye West & Pusha T – New God Flow

New God Flow features Ghostface Killah and is off Kanye West’s group album Cruel Summer. The track, produced by West (and co-produced by Boogz & Tapez and Anthony Kilhoffer), just has a wonderful soul beat build on a gospel sample from the master of soul beats. West and Pusha T have very cocky, but engaging verses and guest Ghostface Killah reminds everyone that he is still one for the best in the game. Available for download: here

Music Spotlight – Favorite Music of 2012: Part 2

Crystal Castles – Wrath of God

Wrath of God is off Crystal Castles’ album Crystal Castles (III). The electronic track engages the listener enchanting them with its great driving danceable beat, courtesy of Ethan Kath. Alice Glass’s vocals also have a bewitching siren-like quality. Her lyrics carry a strong political message of cruelty in the world. Yet, even with bleak tone, the song is still beautiful as well. Available for download: here

Danny Brown – Grown Up

Grown Up is a non-album single. Danny Brown had a great 2012, appearing on a ton of other people’s albums (plus his album XXX has really started to catch on). He could very well be one of the top hip hop artists of 2013. Party Supplies provides the track with a fantastic beat that is very catchy and fun. In addition to the beat, Brown’s lyrics are strong as he raps about his youth in a very relatable manner (the song also has a brilliant music video, see above). Available for download: here

Dusted – Pale Light

Pale Light is off Dusted’s debut album Total Dust. The Canadian duo of songwriter Brian Borcherdt and producer Leon Taheny capture a wonderful sound with the track. It has a folk sensibility but played through an electronic echoy reverb that gives it a uniqueness and great aesthetic quality. Its soft manner seems to momentarily disguise its power and allure. Available for download: here

Ellie Goulding – Anything Could Happen

Anything Could Happen is off Ellie Goulding’s album Halcyon. Like a number of artists on this list, Goulding had a breakthrough year in 2012 – both with her new material and her chart climbing single Lights. Anything Could Happen (produced by Goulding and Jim Eliot), the lead single of Halcyon, is probably the best pop song of the year. It just grabs the listener right away, and Goulding’s singular voice just soars. Available for download: here

Family Band – Rest

Rest is off Family Band’s debut album Grace & Lies. The Brooklyn duo of visual artist Kim Krans and metal/thrash guitarist Jonny Ollsin make an unlikely pairing for such a sad, dark slow song. While Night Song is a better single, Rest just has a foreboding power to it that seems to entrance the listener. Krans’s voice is transfixing while Ollsin’s guitar is sheer and grim (and quiet). It is the kind of folk music that one might play after the world has ended – looking out across the wasteland. Available for download: here

Music Spotlight – Favorite Music of 2012: Part 1

Ab-Soul – ILLuminate

ILLuminate features Kendrick Lamar and is off Ab-Soul’s album Control System. Skhye Hutch’s beat grooves, while Ab-Soul and Kendrick lay down impressive verses. The hip hop track is infinitely listenable with a hypnotic quality to it. Three of Black Hippy’s four members are on this list – they are taking over the game. Available for download: here

Alicia Keys – Girl on Fire (Inferno Version)

Girl of Fire (Inferno Version) features Nicki Minaj and is off Alicia Keys’s album Girl on Fire. It may not be the kind of music that Keys’s more strictly R&B fans want, as it has a very modern poppy sound with Jeff Bhasker and Salaam Remi producing (in addition to Keys), but it is infectious and shows off her fantastic, powerful voice. Available for download: here

A$AP Rocky – Goldie

Goldie is off A$AP Rocky’s major label debut album LONG.LIVE.A$AP. What stands out immediately about this track is Hit-Boy’s brilliant beat (did any producer have a better 2012?). The hook is also addictive (I said it must be), subconsciously finding its way in and demanding the listener to sing along. Rocky’s verses announce him as one of hip hop’s great young talents, ready to rise. Available for download: here

Chairlift – Amanaemonesia

Amanaemonesia is off Chairlift’s album Something. While Chairlift’s other singles off Something are also great (Sidewalk Safari and Met Before), Amanaemonesia seems to perfectly capture the growing trend of dream pop groups making modern new wave music (a musical direction I am very much in favor of and enjoying). Producers Dan Carey and Alan Moulder give Chairlift a great sound. Available for download: here

Cold Cave – A Little Death to Laugh

A Little Death to Laugh is not off an album; rather it is just a standalone single. The track features Cold Cave’s (Wesley Eisold) brand of dark synth pop, but is much catchier than a lot of his more noise-art songs. One could even call it poppy – well if bleak can be poppy. It is the prevalent synthesizer that drives the song that just draws the listener in – it is wonderful (or again as wonderful as bleak can be). Available for download: here

Essential Songs of 2012: Part 9 – Music Spotlight – October 2012

Artist: Alicia Keys Song: Girl on Fire (Inferno Remix) Producer(s):  Jeff Bhasker and Salaam Remi Featuring: Nicki Minaj Album: Girl on Fire

Artist: Atoms for Peace Song: Default Producer(s): Thom Yorke Featuring: N/A Album: N/A

Artist: Ben Folds Five Song: Do It Anyway Producer(s): Joe Pisapia Featuring: N/A Album: The Sound of the Life of the Mind

Artist: Big Sean Song: 100 Producer(s): Don Cannon Featuring: Kendrick Lamar, Royce da 5’9” and James Fauntleroy Album: Detroit Mixtape

Artist: Calvin Harris Song: Sweet Nothing Producer(s): Calvin Harris Featuring: Florence Welch Album: 18 Months

Artist: Cassie Song: Balcony Producer(s): Rico Love Featuring: Young Jeezy Album: King of Hearts

Artist: Danny Brown Song: Grown Up Producer(s): Party Supplies Featuring: N/A Album: N/A

Artist: Kanye West Song: To the World Producer(s): Pop Wansel Featuring: R. Kelly Album: Cruel Summer

Artist: Mount Eerie Song: I Walked Home Beholding Producer(s): Phil Elverum Featuring: N/A Album: Ocean Roar

Artist: Rick Ross Song: 3 Kings Producer(s): Jake One Featuring: Dr. Dre and Jay Z Album: God Forgives, I Don’t