The High Road

Broken Bells | MySpace Music Videos

Bro­ken Bells “The High Road,” di­rect­ed by the ac­claimed So­phie Muller. If that voice sounds familiar to you, it’s because it should be. It’s James Mercer, the lead vocalist and guitarist from The Shins. James came together with producer Danger Mouse to form the young Broken Bells. And by young, I mean the pair first officially announced the project in late September 09.

Catch the self-titled de­but al­bum avail­able March 9, 2010. Find out more here.

It’s the underground world that served as inspiration for Subway Silence, the debut album of Amsterdam based singer Giovanca Ostiana. She observed passengers in the subways of Amsterdam, Paris, and New York. What did she see? That every station brings a new atmosphere, every minute a new emotion, that everything changes constantly, even our perception of ourselves…In one song she places life above love, in the other she begs her lover never to leave her. Contradictory? She prefers calling it realistic. There is always more to what we see and even what we hear. And somewhere in between is the realm in which Giovanca moves.

In her own words: “I was born in the 70s and grew up with the warm sounds of Dionne Warwick and Minnie Riperton, in the 80s supplemented with a solid dose of pop, while in the 90s I completely lost my heart to hip hop.“

I love this girl’s sound. Download Giovanca’s album, Subway Silence, and others now on iTunes.

Check out her MySpace or visit her website.

I like this song and this video a lot. I’ve always appreciated Eminem’s serious side. This is the 3rd official single from his album Relapse. It samples “Reaching Out,” originally written by Rock Therapy (catch the video after the jump). Em began writing the track while he was in rehab and then finished it off when he was sober. This would explain the change in mood in the lyrics, from a state of depression to one of motivation.

Download Eminem – Beautiful here.

An introduction to Nederhop:

Rotterdam, or Roffa in street slang, has always been the hip hop capital of the Netherlands.
When hip-hop culture first crossed the Atlantic from New York, it was in Rotterdam that it found fertile soil. Winne was 18-months-old when his parents moved from the Surinam capital of Paramaribo to the ‘Old West’ neighbourhood in Rotterdam. When he was in primary school, his dad gave him a cassette tape with music by Public Enemy and Ice-T.

To Winne it seemed natural for Rotterdam to embrace hip-hop. The city doesn’t just look like New York; it also resembles it in character, he says. “This is a fast city, where many nationalities live together.” (Link it)

Today’s Teacher: Winnie

Winston Bergwijn, better known as Winne, is a dutch rapper from Rotterdam. He is signed to the Dutch hip-hop label Top Notch. After his EP Onoverwinnelijk he dropped his debut album Winne Zonder Strijd recently (download the EP after the jump). In the summer of 2005, Winnie’s song “Top 3 MC” was released on the Internet by Kapitein Mo and Winne gained a much wider audience.

Link it.

Download Winnie’s EP – Onoverwinnelijk here.

Keep checking back for some more Nederhop talents to come.

More Than Love is off Amerie’s latest In Love & War album, which you can download off iTunes. This is a great video, especially the beginning when she is talking before the music cuts in. Trust is an element so vital to the health of a relationship. I know you can’t speak until you’ve walked in someone’s shoes, but if you can’t trust him, get out! It’s that simple. Even if he pulls a Benz in your face…. Are you really going to fall for that?

Link it.

Love is complicated! Falling in love may be easy, but maintaining a relationship takes a good dose of willingness and genuine effort. But if you find it, don’t let go!

Love I hope you have an appetite, cus we’re going to McDonalds!
… You can’t buy class like this.

But on a real note, I think that you’re all that. You pick up where I lack.

Warning: Do not take advice to heart from this video. I repeat, do NOT take your date to McDonalds… Unless you’re looking to get rid of her.

Major Lazer- “Keep It Goin Louder” from trunk animation on Vimeo.

Download this track here.

A round of applause for Radical Friend, the creators of the music video.

Love this video…

I’m a few days late posting this release! I love the color scheme and and slow motion camera work. Minus the champagne wash down…. I would say it’s a success. Good job, Cudi.