"You are now in the midst of a real MC"

I’ve been introducing myself to hoards of new people recently, and when the conversation inevitably broaches the subject of music, people often say, “you have fantastic taste, not to mention you’re brilliant and irresistibly handsome, you should write for a music blog.” Perhaps I embellished that conversation a tad, but only the part about my music taste, everything else was embellished a lot. Anyway, it’s always embarrassing to admit that while I already do write for a blog, I haven’t posted in months. Apparently ladies aren’t as impressed by lethargy as I had hoped.

Like Edward Ruler of the Polar Bears, I too have been unimpressed by the majority of summer releases. There have certainly been gems among the crap, but the ratio of Sir Lucious Left Foot to everything else is less than favorable. That said, my life-changing experiences at Lollapalooza should have amassed a three-part series of Pulitzer-worthy journalism, but again, I plead inertia.

As I often do on articles ending a hiatus, I’ll keep the words to a minimum and just deliver three of my favorite recently played songs. The first is “Good Friday,” one of the greatest Yeezy beats of all-time, and unlike its peer “Runaway,” this one does not feature the lyrics “find pictures in my email/ sent this girl a picture of my dick.” “Good Friday” is the best of a surprisingly strong (with the major exception of “Runaway”), batch of Good Friday releases; welcome back Ye. Next is the breakout hit off the latest Das Racist mixtape, Sit Down, Man. The track “hahahaha jk?” proves the incredible lyrical prowess of these Wesleyan alums and dfjacobs favorite. The apotheosis of their lyrical adroitness is without a doubt, “call me Dwight Schrute the way that I eat beats.” Finally, I leave you with the 2nd single off the Glitter & Bones’ eponymous debut. A song that has tons of “Top Gun” eighties flavor despite being created by a kid born in ’92. Think Tunnel of Love meets the Ivy League, mostly because it’s Adrian of the Ivy League’s new project.

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Good Friday (feat. Common, Pusha T, KiD CuDi, Big Sean & Charlie Wilson) – Kanye West (YSI)

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hahahaha jk? – Das Racist (YSI)

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Summer Boys – Glitter & Bones (YSI)

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I apologize, I couldn’t resist the brainless pun, but isn’t it better than “Goodbye Cruel World?” (Don’t ask why those are your only two options, my creativity knows bounds). In terms of an answer, it is most certainly the end of something (the exact title of front man Ramesh Srivastava’s announcement). For those of you still ignorant to the premise of this article, I’m referring to the disintegration of the once (blog) celebrated group, Voxtrot. Their incendiary rise and inevitable fall were not without their glorious moments though. The tremendous hype affixed to the group was not born out of thin air, but rather the quite justifiable excitement generated by their brief yet explosive debut EP’s. A mastery of lyrics, a self-aware yet superb vocal performance, perfectly harmonious guitar and bass lines, and brilliant percussion, are all prevailing features of their early releases. Mothers, Sisters, Daughters and Wives narrowly edges out Raised By Wolves EP for my favorite of their oeuvre, but both are incredible examples of everything there is to love about Voxtrot.

Raised By Wolves EP features one of the top 5 most earnest and vulnerable love songs of all-time, “The Start of Something.” There are certain things that you cannot control about songs, state of mind when you first heard it, people you associate with it and such, but all those things only add to my intense affinity for the song. To me it perfectly captures budding love, the intense rapture and vulnerability of feeling enthralled by another. And while I have heard “Come by and see me, I’m a love letter away” and “If I die clutching your photograph, don’t call me boring, It’s just ’cause I like you” mocked, I rank each among the likes of “losing love is like a window in your heart, everybody sees you’re blown apart, everybody sees the wind blow,” as some of my favorite lyrics ever written. Not to mention that the melody is simply power pop perfection.

Ultimately the hype of those EP’s, and comparisons to the likes of The Smiths, Belle & Sebastian, and The Cure, led to Voxtrot, their first full-length LP and one of the first harbingers of their end. While certainly not a disaster, their full-length LP does not hold a candle to their previous releases. Tracks “Kid Gloves” and “Firecracker” are great power pop songs, but their successes are inconsistently replicated on the rest of the album. Voxtrot waited so long to release their full-length album, that the expectations were implausibly lofty. The reaction to Voxtrot was critical condemnation and artistic stasis.

Which brings us to the present. After two final shows of the “Goodbye Cruel World” tour at Bowery Ballroom last weekend, Voxtrot is now defunct. They gave a passionate and surprisingly tight performance. They remain extremely impressive and fun to watch, with Mr. Srivastava’s funky, almost swimming-like dance moves and his coordinated jumps with bassist Jason Chronis. In response to “Voxtrot forever!” chants, he joked, “What’s that expression? It’s better not to fade away but to… burn in a fiery inferno.” And while Voxtrot may become one of music’s biggest “what ifs,” I’d rather rejoice in their numerous accomplishments than dwell on what could have been. They’re certainly not the greatest band to grace the earth, but they were outstanding, and made an impact on many lives (or at least iTunes libraries… same thing?) Mr. Srivastava’s impressive lyrical adroitness manifested itself one last time Friday night as he ended “Your Biggest Fan” by crooning “I used to be your biggest fan, I used to be your biggest fan, I used to be… in a band.”

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Rise Up in the Dirt – Voxtrot (YSI)

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Soft & Warm – Voxtrot (YSI)

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Raised by Wolves – Voxtrot (YSI)

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The Start of Something- Voxtrot (YSI)

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Your Biggest Fan – Voxtrot (YSI)

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Quick Quiz: Press Play Dee Jays or Frat Boys Posing?

The Animal Show literally figuratively gets millions of emails a day. Beneath the countless love letters and autograph requests, further down still beneath the multitude of emails my mother sends Edward berating him for giving me a platform to reach the world, are the emails aspiring acts send along hoping for the famous “Animal Show bounce” (or a spot on hype machine, your call). And while some of it is crap (you can stop sending us your GarageBand demos, Kenny G), every so often something comes along that renews my faith in the efficacy of the internet.

The group I am currently referring to is Press Play Dee Jays. The hardcore readership will remember their presence in my monumental (and oft-quoted) “Will Heartbeats Ever Flatline?” Although I was pretty hard on them for removing Eminem’s disgusting (this usage of “disgusting” means incredible, mom) flow on “Forever,” the Aussie duo recently contacted The Show with news of their new mash “Culture Shots.” This is a far more sophisticated and technically sound mash, and not just because they incorporated classical music. They build intensity right out of the gate and let Lil’ Jon and LMFAO rail on Wolfgang Gartner’s “Wolfgang’s 5th Symphony.” Wolfgang Gartner created an extraordinary remix of “Symphony No. 5 (Beethoven),” and Press Play Dee Jays develop the mix even further with the addition of “Shots.” While the mash may make Beethoven roll over in his grave, it will induce many more rolls on the dance floor.

The other two songs were not really sent in, but they continue the theme of fantastic mashes. The first throws D.C.’s anthem over one of the top 5 greatest beats of all-time, from you guessed it, “Paper Planes.” Brand-x does a stellar job to make Wale and Gaga sound right at home over M.I.A.’s immortal number (oh no, please don’t give out my phone number for this.). For those of you looking for more Brand-x, check out their track “MilkShake da Floor (Kelis vs. Major Lazer),” it’s as tantalizing as its parts would suggest. The final mash of the day is the latest from The White Panda, “The Next StarF*cker.” The White Panda continue their dominance in the genre, flexing their muscle with Dre and Snoop atop the hypnotic sounds of Starf*cker. “The Next StarF*cker” is a brilliant mash, and hopefully characteristic of what’s to come on their summer release, Rematch. With that, enjoy the mashes, and keep the emails coming…

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Culture Shots – Press Play Dee Jays (YSI)

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Chillin on the Plane L (M.I.A. x Wale x Lady Gaga) – Brand-x (YSI)

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The Next StarF*cker – The White Panda (YSI)

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1. A New Post, A Big Tree, A Big Van. Oh, and music.

As I busted out some of the best moves ever seen on this side of the Mason Dixon line, the sweat poured down the pleasantly plump gentleman on my right. To be fair, I was similarly perspiring, amidst a sea of what can only be described as Bro Montana and his Navabro brethren. The location: Terminal 5 for Brobible.com’s Revelation Summer Kick-Off. While I am neither a reader of the site, nor a fan of notoriously brolific events, the brommunity created a lineup worth weathering the Charles Broakleys and Bronald Reagans (by the way, I’m two “bros” away from tying a non brobible.com and DMB fan site record for most bro references in a single article). The pinney clad crew managed to gather Chiddy Bang, RJD2, Pretty Lights and almost every club level lacrosse player in the country, certainly no small feat.

To start the night, the sample heavy duo from Philly brought the thunder. Working within the constraints of a thirty-minute set, Chiddy and Xaphoon played crowd pleasers “Truth,” “The Opposite of Adults,” “Never” and “All Things Go.” While they killed each aforementioned Swelly Express track, the highlight of their performance was indubitably Chiddy’s freestyle. After taking suggestions from the highly inebriated audience, Chiddy rattled off a startlingly sharp freestyle atop a classically tight Xaphoon beat. My only complaint of the set was absence of “Hey London.” Although I understand that we were on the other side of the Atlantic, the Air Swell track transcends its geographic ties.

Next up were the equally impressive beats of Rjd2. The temperate Ramble John Krohn sauntered on stage, said, “Hi, my name is RJ,” and proceeded to unleash his famed instrumentals. While I’m not usually partial to strictly instrumental performances, Rjd2’s beats and accompanying visuals allowed for a surprisingly impressive set. For those of you unfamiliar with Rjd2, check out the track at the bottom, something tells me your affinity for all things Don Draper and Sterling Cooper is about to be tickled.

Headlining the evening was Pretty Lights. While I had enjoyed their remixes and mashes (that are free via their website), I was unsure about how they’d translate into a live setting. Little did I know that producer Derek Vincent Smith, accompanied by drummer Cory Eberhard, would be able to provoke unbridled enthusiasm from the jammed packed crowd. Their remixes, samples and mashes continue to amaze me, and the concurrent light show (hence their name) only intensified their performance. The duo rocked the crowd for a venerable two hours and ended with one of the most amazing mashes the world has ever heard. While its become common place for artists to end New York shows with their rendition of “Empire State of Mind” (see LCD Soundsystem), Smith threw both “Juicy” and “Hello Brooklyn” atop Jigga’s Marcy Project anthem. I wish I could reencounter the unforgettable mash and share its magic with you, but for now I’ll have to leave you with the Tuckahoe mash of Pretty Light’s favorite “The Time Has Come” and Weezy’s “Stuntin’ Like My Daddy.”

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Hey London – Chiddy Bang (YSI)

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A Beautiful Mine – Rjd2 (YSI)

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Stuntin’ Pretty – Tuckahoe (YSI)

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1. Welcome to the New Site!

In the last fortnight, I humorlessly lowered the musical pulse of The Show. Now I’m not retracting my overwhelming endorsement of The Tallest Man on Earth and Mumford & Sons, because their greatness has not wavered. However, after three Snapple Peach Ice Teas and a pack of Sour Patch Kids, I’m ready to rave like a MDMA champion. And this may just be the booze talking (read: sugar high), but dancing to the Swedish “giant” doesn’t bring the thunder like say, dancing to a MSTRKRFT vs. Bieber mashup. “What?!” you ask, could such a raucous and remarkable combination exist? Well, thanks to the wonder woman of DJs, CJ Milli, the tween sex magnet has had his music morphed into a track that will destroy clubs he’s not even old enough to enter. CJ Milli mixes the track startlingly well and she should definitely be watched in the coming months (and no, not just because of her surprisingly good looks.)

Next up on our Beenie Man playlist is Them Jeans remix of “Pursuit of Happiness.” Them Jeans, or Jason Stewart (an actual giant standing at 6’8’’), speeds up the introspective Cudi ballad promoting crazier dancing and less head nodding. The addition of thumping bass and substitution of synthesizers in place of piano makes this track an instant explosion versus the original’s slow burn.

Finally, rounding out this stunning threesome is a deep cut. This song will not promote boogie nights as well as its predecessors, but I have been searching for an opportunity to promote this track for an annoyingly long time, and it will certainly get you moving. Released back in a trivial time void of the Double Down (November ‘09), this K-OS track samples Phantom Planet’s “California” (The O.C. theme song). As if this wasn’t incentive enough to give it a listen, K-OS tears this track a new one. “I Wish I Knew Natalie Portman” is an infectious Hip-Hop track that with major label support would be a mainstream radio destroyer. Now stop reading and go dance the hell out of these tracks, you can thank me later.

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Heartbreaker Baby (CJ Milli Mix) – Justin Bieber x MSTRKRFT (YSI)

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Pursuit of Happiness (Them Jeans Remix) – Kid Cudi (YSI)

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I Wish I Knew Natalie Portman – K-OS (YSI)

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1. Turn the Beat Around… Again

It’s been more than a year since we last checked in with Alfredo Lapuz Jr, or, as he’s known on the streets, Immuzikation. His absurd skills have surprisingly only managed to improve with time. To say that he’s thumpin’ out the hits is an outrageous understatement. While none of these tracks are iPad new, the thought of you not having them in your iTunes kept me up last night, well, that and the cocaine. How he was able to blend the tremendous hits “Ambling Alp” and “Giving Up the Gun” so seamlessly that it actually sounds like one song, I’ll never know. Immuzikation is truly a master of his craft, and an artist who should absolutely be watched. With his abundance of talent, no one can be certain what Mr. Lapuz will do next, but I can promise you it will be miraculous. And thus endeth another installment of “Mailing It In” with your host, David Jacobs.

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Giving Up the Alp (Vampire Weekend vs. Yeasayer) – Immuzikation (YSI)

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One More Time to Pretend (MGMT vs Daft Punk) – Immuzikation (YSI)

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Sleepydream – Immuzikation (YSI)

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I promised myself I would never do this. I would never let the Show take over my life. I would do things like venture outside, leave my room, or even saunter into the kitchen. And I am going to do all those things, as soon as I just post this song. Although I feel like an addict asking for one more hit, please indulge me. It’s hot. So freaking hot. So hot I gotta make sure the 5 0 didn’t follow me hot. I found this track last night, and frantically dug through hype machine only to find that it wasn’t there (all the more evidence that I’m an addict, Edward my mother thanks you). This track is so fresh that I had no choice but to make it rain. That’s right; grab an umbrella. This is the latest track off Talib Kweli and Hi Tek’s collaboration Revolutions Per Second. Out May 18th, this track features Estelle in all her retro glory. While I’m here I may as well post another yesteryear sounding track, the Wallpaper remix to Donwill’s “Love Junkie.” Expect a post about the entire LP Don Cusack in High Fidelity, a concept album from the point of view of Championship Vinyl’s own Rob Gordon (played by Cusack but if you didn’t know that get the hell off our site, please still read our site). Both tracks are perfect jams for your outdoor spring activities (hopefully mine too). So with that, enjoy, and I’m gonna try to go farther than 10 feet from my keyboard.

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Midnight Hour (feat. Estelle) – Talib Kweli (YSI)

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Love Junkie (Wallpaper Remix) [feat. The Park & Ca$he] – Donwill (YSI)

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"Best movie since Drumline"- DFJacobs, The Animal Show

In honor of the upcoming “Date Night” starring Steve Carrell, Tina Fey, Mark Wahlberg and Common that hits theaters everywhere on April 9th, I thought I’d write an article about everyone’s most dreaded bonanza of uncomfortable interactions (No, unfortunately 20th Century Fox is not currently paying me for this unabashed pandering, but clearly I’m for sale). So here are a few tracks covering all aspects of the ulcer inducing evening, from the kicks to the entertainment to the encore (in your dreams).

While you may not have reached for a pair of Pumas since 5th grade, according to five-man Canadian hip-hop outfit The Lytics, they’re back and fresher than ever. According to the hot fire spit by either Andrew “A-nice” Sannie, Mungala “Munga” Londe or Anthony “Ashy” Sannie (if anyone familiar with these cool cats could tell me which I’d be damn grateful), “I like my shoes athletic/cause I’m so kinetic” but also when girls ask “how the hell do I stay so cool? What’s my secret?” he confesses, “It’s my shoes, it’s my shoes.” Beneath the clever rhymes is a club ready beat that may or may not have been made on GarageBand. While “Checkin’ On My Pumas” is not overwhelmingly profound or insightful, it is a party starter that will get your heart racing even before you lay eyes on your date.

Now that we’re all sporting our fly Pumas, let’s move on to the entertainment. The concept single “24 Frames (Movie Night),” from T.Shirt’s new Tan Face Children EP, features lyrics composed entirely of strung together movie titles. Behind the 120 titles is a synthesizer and snare beat that the discerning listeners among us will recognize as “Polite Dance Song” from the 7th best record of 2009, The Bird and the Bee’s Ray Guns Are Not Only Just Future. Beyond it’s awe-inspiring creativity, the track will also produce head-nodding and foot-tapping aplenty. Though T.Shirt insists that the lyrics actually tell his life story, I think he should just be content to call it a concept track in the same vein as  Jay Stay Paid favorite “Reality T.V. (feat. Black Thought).”

On the off chance that your date actually asks, “can I have an encore?” and is looking to “cook it raw with the Brooklyn boys,” you should have this mashup at the ready. Not only does it feature the Hova hit “Encore,” but it also includes Edward’s old wake-up favorite (don’t ask why I know this) “I’m Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How To Dance With You (The Twelves Remix).” The catchy “Not Gonna Encore” is a fantastic combination of Jigga in all his Black Album glory, and the dance inducing Black Kids anthem. And even if your evening becomes the disaster you feared it would, at least there’s “Date Night,” which again will obliterate theaters everywhere April 9th.

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Checkin’ On My Pumas – The Lytics (YSI)

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24 Frames (Movie Night) – T.Shirt (YSI)

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Not Gonna Encore (Ha! Yes Mashup) – Jay-Z vs. Black Kids (YSI)

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I dare you to tell me you do not want that stache

Take a deep breath. Are you tired? Last week included three consecutive days of great music and even greater articles, but fear not, we’ve got another splendid cluster of days to look forward to. Clearly, among my best qualities an ability to create impossibly stupefying prose is approached only by my rugged pulchritude (modesty, for obvious reasons, did not make the list). However, as of now, I’m running a three-minute cyber mile everyday, a pace that those familiar with my physique know I cannot hope to maintain. So instead of another day of busting out the freshest tracks on the binary channels, I’m gonna give you three tracks that have been played on repeat in recent days. And, even if they’re not brand spanking new, they’re superlatively great.

The first is “Soft as Chalk” by Joanna Newsom, off of her recent release, Have One on Me (hence the name of the article). Ms. Newsom, the ass-kicking indie harpist, evokes shades of Joni Mitchell’s Blue while still creating her own distinct sound (see harp). The rule of thumb when searching for great Newsom tracks is quite simple: the longer the better. Case in point, “Soft as Chalk.”

The next tracks are “Ivory Road” and “We Didn’t Start the Fire” by the British (should be a sensation) King Charles. From his mustache and indescribable hairdo to his impudent yet brilliant lyricism, this monarch is everything that the hipster in me strives to be. In the interest of full disclosure, I converted “Ivory Road” into an mp3 from the Black Cab Sessions video because it simply needed to be on my iPod. The “We Didn’t Start the Fire” adaptation went through a similar conversion process. Again, I stress the necessity of my actions. From lyrics like “The Rolling Stones still play, we all know Tom Cruise is gay” to ”Twenty Virgins up in heaven was the cause of 9/11,” King Charles attempts to emulate Joel’s original defiant probing of contemporary pop culture, in an admittedly more provocative and British manner. Although he has yet to released a studio recording of either of the aforementioned tracks, his single “Time of Eternity” and b-side “Love Lust” are necessities for every music collection.

I wanted to conclude with The Morning Benders’ “Excuses” which has been blowing my mind ever since I heard the Daytrotter version from 7/16/08. However, due to it’s growing prominence, I’m instead going to round out this foursome with “The High Road” by Broken Bells; the first track off Danger Mouse and James Mercer’s (lead singer of the Shins) new project. While the album in its entirety does not equal the sum of its parts, this track is a slow groove that will keep you going for days.

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Soft as Chalk – Joanna Newsom (YSI)

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Ivory Road – King Charles (YSI)

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We Didn’t Start the Fire – King Charles (YSI)

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The High Road – Broken Bells (YSI)

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"How would you like to spend the next several nights wondering if your crazy, out-of-work, bum uncle will shave your head while you sleep? See you in the car."

So remember how your dad (Edward the Godfather of cool music) promised I would take you to the zoo every few weeks while he’s away; it turns out I did not remember. So after receiving an angry call from him complaining about your boredom, I sped my brake-less Prius over to your house like OJ. Yes, my Prius may or may not be the dangerous model, but that’s the fun of getting in the car with me, neither of us knows how it’ll turn out. Maybe we’ll disagree at first until you ultimately fall in love with me like John Candy and the Macaulay Culkster in Uncle Buck. Or we could all die momentously in a car crash because of my faulty Prius, and then your father will have to start procreating from scratch. Or I could just crash the car because I’m not a very good driver. Who knows!

In the interest of full disclosure, the reason for my absence from the Show is a vicious bout of Senioritis, which seems to affect even the most enjoyable aspects of my life. Regardless of my flakey excuse, never fear, I have not lost my ability to acquire the coolest music on the streets. That said, my ability to compose coherent and comically genius writing to accompany that chillsauce music may have suffered. For that reason, I’m going keep my writing to a minimum and just leave you with some music that has been shaking the Prius recently. I am not gonna throw up a track from Plastic Beach, but if you don’t have it, put some sweatpants on, go to the club and shoot yourself in the leg Plaxico-style. Then, go buy it immediately.

For all of our sakes, I’ll limit myself to a sentence (or two) about each fantastic track. First comes “Sole Brother,” the first single from Born Ruffians upcoming Say It, due out on May 31st. The second track is the Office theme song mashed with everyone’s favorite Riker’s Island prisoner, ‘nuff said. Finally I leave you with Trinity College rapper, Sam Adams (aka “Wiz”). As much as it pains me to promote a Bostonian, this guy is the next big thing (Go buy his new EP Boston’s Boy). And with that, I bid you all adieu, but I’m gonna be back a few times a week to check up on you, I promise.

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Sole Brother – Born Ruffians (YSI)

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Driving Me Crazy – Sam Adams (YSI)

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Office Musik – Clockwork (YSI)

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