Raging Contagion
Music so good it will make you sick!
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Tame Impala – Mind Mischief
December 26, 2012
Sounds Similar to: The Beatles, The Cardigans, Toro Y Moi
Hi there, Whuzzerface here,
With Christmas having just passed us a mere few hours ago, it’s time to start thinking about New Years already. And what word is synonymous with New Years: MISCHIEF (or mischief managed for you HP geeks)! As far as the referenced “Mind Mischief” though, I supposed New Years midnight kisses could create plenty of this afterwards. I am sure everyone has gone through the whole hullaballoo with misreading another persons actions and interpreting them as positive signals. Here’s an excerpt:
How optimism led me astray,
Two hundred things I took the wrong way.
But I saw her love gauge running low,
I tried to fill but it overflowed.
Yeah, been there, done that. Never will again…I hope!
Enough of that though, let’s talk about the sounds! Seriously, this song is incredible Beatle-esque via the “Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” era with it’s psychedelic rock. Interestingly enough though, the album that “Mind Mischief” is on is named “Lonerism”. Similarities there?? What I love most about this song, and there are a lot of them to begin with, is the beat. The drums really kick the song up a notch! Tame Impala – they got the beat!!
Foster The People – Helena Beat
December 13, 2012
Sounds similar to: MGMT, Two Door Cinema Club, Phoenix
Hi there, Whuzzerface here.
Hey now, don’t you be rollin’ your eyes at me! Be honest, you loved Foster The People’s “Pumped Up Kicks”. Don’t even act like you’re one of those “I liked it until…” because I bet you STILL do, you just won’t ever admit to it until your collection of deep v-neck shirts is being held captive for ransom of said admission. Truth be told, I actually heard this tune first and loved it, but didn’t understand why it got eclipsed. Granted, today is only a Thursday, but let’s pretend it’s Friday because this is the kind of song that makes Fridays incredible.
Lest you forget, lead man Mark Foster did a heavy collab with A-Trak and Kimbra back in April that was nothing short of awesomeness especially since the video was chock-full of luchadors. Check it out here.
Foster The People – Amazon MP3
Foster The People – Official Site
Big Boi Feat. Little Dragon – Mama Told Me (FREE DOWNLOAD)
December 11, 2012
Sounds similar to: Prince, Outkast &….Little Dragon!
Hi there, Whuzzerface here,
I love brilliant collaborations. I love Outkast. I love Little Dragon. All of these loves together, when I found out about this song, “love” was an understatement for my feelings. Sadly, this song got help up in some legal mumbo jumbo. Big Boi however, in his benevolence, released the song for everyone to have and hold and cherish. What a great Christmas present this is!
Late Night Alumni – Eros
December 6, 2012
Here’s something a little different. Late Night Alumni is a house group from Salt Lake City formed in 2004, and is composed of 4 members; perhaps one of the most well-known is Ryan Raddon, aka big-time DJ and producer Kaskade. Eros is from their first album “Empty Streets” released in 2005. The soft vocals give the song a very ethereal feel, which suits the title Eros. I think the lyrics are interesting. For those who don’t know, Eros was the Greek god of love, especially lust. You might recognize him by his name in Roman mythology: Cupid. He would make people fall in love with either of his two arrows (for two different types of love). Once you understand that, you may be able to determine the meaning of the rest of the lyrics on your own. I think it’s basically talking about a fading love, one that was built on the “idol Eros,” i.e. a superficial love. Now that Eros is gone (the initial attraction), the love is falling apart because they didn’t build it on anything that really matters. Some food for thought. Anyway, enough of talk about lyrics! Listen and enjoy!
– cheerlubber
Late Night Alumni Official Website
(you can buy from their website; I don’t think Amazon has a downloadable MP3 of Eros)
Jupiter One – Simple Stones
November 30, 2012
Today I present you with a mellow, head-bobbing tune with some echo-y vocals. Jupiter One is an indie-rock band from Brooklyn formed in 2007, and they also toured with Regina Spektor once. This song was released on their second album “Sunshower” released in 2009, and is my favorite from the album. I think the greatest part about this song is the descending bass line (of course accompanied by claps–can’t go wrong with claps). Dat bass line, man. I love it. So you should too. Take a listen!!
– cheerlubber
Black Light Dinner Party – Gold Chain
November 27, 2012
— 1 Comment
Sounds similar to: Ghost Beach, Superhumanoids, AnR
Hi there, Whuzzerface here.
“Smooth dream pop for smooth listening.” Mmmm, sounds like something tasty. And since we just are just getting back in the groove from Thanksgiving, this is a delicious tune that isn’t going to leave you overly full, unlike the 5 helpings of food we all had last week. Let us feast on “Gold Chain”!
Indie-tronica wonders Black Light Dinner Party have been hibernating and laying low while they collect some serious ammunition in the form of epic tunes. Well this power-packed tune is a poppy lament, sorry to break the news, but it’s said with such sweet feeling that it doesn’t feel like a loss. In fact, the singer himself says:
“But now I find
It hard to leave her
She has this power over me
I’ll stay inside my dreams
Where you still love me tight”
Living in a daydream to keep love lost alive. This man is not the first nor the last. My most FAVORITE part of the song happens at 1:09 where the synth and simple guitar lick kick of right before the epic onslaught of heavenly ascending keyboard sequences. It hits me right in the kisser every time and I almost lose my breath from the magnitude of that buildup. I know you’ll be able to appreciate it too. Enjoy! (by the way, how FUN would it be to have a dinner party in black light…)
Black Light Dinner Party Official Site
Black Light Dinner Party – Amazon MP3
POP ETC – Everything Is Gone – FREE DOWNLOAD
November 20, 2012
Sounds similar to: Atlas Genius, Vacationer, St. Lucia
Hi there, Dr. Whuzzerface here,
Formerly known as The Morning Benders, this band literally lives up to their new moniker by continually dishing out superb pop beats and hooks. Their album cover has these words on the front: rock, hip-hop, soul, funk, reggae, blues, techno, new age, punk, disco, folk, country, jazz, house, psych, R&B, POP ETC. I think that is a creative summation of their influences for sure.
“Everything Is Gone” is a prime example too of their musical diversity. While it may seem like a typical dance or “head-bob” tune on the surface, there are breaks at the end of every verse where the singer poses afterthoughts to the audience about the phenomena of “you don’t know what you got ’til it’s gone” moments. However, the initial feeling or description that I want to give this song is the following: anthemic bar song that is idyllic for roadtrips, specifically wide open spaces. That’s just the initial description I would give it. “Anthemic” because the keyboard melody gets stuck in your head and there’s an echoey feel to the over sound. “Bar Song” because this somehow reminds me greatly of Semisonics “Closing Time” with the piano and pop beat (maybe a little Ben Folds too). And what better to do while roadtripping through wide open spaces than sing anthemic bar songs!
I hope you have a happy Thanksgiving and you should be especially grateful that this is a FREE DOWNLOAD from their Soundcloud account and add them to your mp3 rotation.
Lana Del Rey – Blue Jeans (RAC Mix)
November 8, 2012
— 2 Comments
Lana Del Ray, the sultry songstress that seemingly popped 0ut of nowhere and captured many male hearts (especially with her song Video Games, which is the one that got her famous) with her crooning cabaret voice as she exudes 60s sex kitten. Although she could still use some work on her live performances, I actually quite like her songs and her style. The slow, melancholy Blue Jeans is probably one of my favorites of hers, but I also especially like when it’s remixed by RAC, whom we’ve introduced to you before with Hollywood ft. Penguin Prison. RAC always knows what he’s doing. He adds some drums, vibraphone, speeds it up, and…well I’m in a hurry so I don’t have time to keep telling you what’s so good about it, so you should just listen to it anyway because it’s great.
– cheerlubber
Chris Malinchak – Fuego
November 7, 2012
Sounds similar to: Ace of Base, Corona, Haddaway
It’s a 90’s flashback song! ‘Das right, if you loved the similar artists above and still dream of Milli Vanilli eye candy posters, you’re gonna just eat this song up. Chris Malinchak has been spinning out retro-rific tunes for a while now and when I heard this originally, I thought “I don’t remember this song from the 90’s”.
Chris Malinchak – Amazon MP3’s
Rob Cantor – Shia LaBeouf
October 30, 2012
Halloween is tomorrow. Your greatest fear? Michael Myers? Nay, something far more terrifying than him. It’s Shia LaBeouf. Yes, that’s right. Shia LaBeouf. Actual cannibal Shia LaBeouf. Don’t believe it? Take a listen to this song and the truth will come out; you will realize how frightening he really is. Whatever you do this Halloween, just be careful to stay away from Shia LaBeouf.
– cheerlubber
Buy Shia LaBeouf from Rob Cantor’s official site
Raging Contagion 