I Hope Your Ears Bleed » kanye west

The Best Music from the Super Bowl XLVI Commercials

Nathan — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 11:26:47 +0000

The commercials from this year’s super bowl may not have been very funny, but they did have some pretty good music. Here is a short list I put together of my favorite songs found in a commercial featured during this year’s super bowl. This list is in no significant order, other than starting with my favorite, the first single from the new Fun. album.

Fun. – “We Are Young (feat. Janelle Monáe)”

FUN. – We Are Young (Radio Edit) by MMMusic

Mat Kearney – “Ships In The Night”

Mat Kearney – Ships In The Night (Radio Edit) by MMMusic

The Darkness – “I Believe In A Thing Called Love”

Ray Charles – What’d I Say

Kanye West – Runaway [Explicit]

Blame It On the Pop

Nathan — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 02:55:12 +0000

Another year in music has come and gone. And once again DJ Earworm has given us a mash-up that says it all. He has taken the Top 25 hits of 2009, according to Billboard and arranged and mashed them all into one 4 and 1/2 minute song. And I have to say I am pretty impressed that this can be done and made into a reasonably enjoyable song. It even has a bit of a theme and a decent song structure.

But what does that say about the state of pop music, that all of these songs are similar enough to mashed up into one singular song? I don’t think this a completely untalented group of artists. I actually enjoyed a fair amount of these songs this year. But I think it goes to show how much the labels and producers are controlling the sound on these records. It’s no wonder we eat these songs up and then make ourselves so sick of them that we never want to hear them again. Because we’re essentially listening to the same song over and over again. What do you guys think?

Here’s a list of all of the songs included in this year’s mash-up.

The Black Eyed Peas – BOOM BOOM POW
Lady Gaga – POKER FACE
Lady Gaga Featuring Colby O’Donis – JUST DANCE
The Black Eyed Peas – I GOTTA FEELING
Taylor Swift – LOVE STORY
Flo Rida – RIGHT ROUND
Jason Mraz – I’M YOURS
Beyonce – SINGLE LADIES (PUT A RING ON IT)
Kanye West – HEARTLESS
The All-American Rejects – GIVES YOU HELL
Taylor Swift – YOU BELONG WITH ME
T.I. Featuring Justin Timberlake – DEAD AND GONE
The Fray – YOU FOUND ME
Kings Of Leon – USE SOMEBODY
Keri Hilson Featuring Kanye West & Ne-Yo – KNOCK YOU DOWN
Jamie Foxx Featuring T-Pain – BLAME IT
Pitbull – I KNOW YOU WANT ME (CALLE OCHO)
T.I. Featuring Rihanna – LIVE YOUR LIFE
Soulja Boy Tell ‘em Featuring Sammie – KISS ME THRU THE PHONE
Jay Sean Featuring Lil Wayne – DOWN
Miley Cyrus – THE CLIMB
Drake – BEST I EVER HAD
Kelly Clarkson – MY LIFE WOULD SUCK WITHOUT YOU
Beyonce – HALO
Katy Perry – HOT N COLD

RW: Cult Logic Forever

Cody — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 14:15:13 +0000

There’s a popular mashup sloshing it’s way around the good ol’ web right now combining the talents of indie-electronic rocker Miike Snow and rapper Drake.

Lemme map out what was changed here.

(Miike Snows‘s “Cult Logic” – Vocals) + (Drake‘s “Forever” – Music ) – Eminem = The Hood Internet‘s “Cult Logic Forever“

Incase mathematic symbols cause your head to spin, I just said that the mashup is the base track of Cult Logic with the vocal part of Forever, minus the Eminem section.

If anything, I’m just going to treat this song as something that helped bring Miike Snow to my attention. I’m huge on electronic-pop and this guy delivers.

So I hope that you find something of worth on this fine remix day. I hope your ears are satiated. Ω

William Fitzsimmons Covers Kanye West

Nathan — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 03:36:47 +0000

I know that it has become somewhat trendy to take a pop song and strip it down to nothing but a voice and an acoustic guitar. But this isn’t just another guy trying bank off of the fad of the day. This song is legit. It works for the same reason that it worked for Sam Beam’s “Such Great Heights”, or Jose Gonzalez’ “Heartbeats.” It’s very real and it’s no stretch of the imagination. I feel like this could fit right in with any of his albums so far, and that is what I love about. And as usual, for a cover to work, the original has to be a solid track. This right here is a reminder that as ridiculous as Wests actions may be while he is in the public eye, his music is still very relevant.

Kid Cudi’s “Moon” Mixes Fear with Zeal

Brady — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 14:30:31 +0000

Cleveland’s Kid Cudi scored a massive crossover hit with “Day ‘N’ Nite,” a song that had every club-hopper and hipster singing about being stoned and lonely. It’s a song that personifies everything about the rapper, most importantly the fear and isolation brought about by his creativity.

Man on the Moon: The End of Day is a concept album, first and foremost. This is Cudi’s quest to shape his slippery, subjective thought life into a singular piece of art and his self-conscious bid for a unique hip-hop masterpiece.

On one hand, Cudi’s sincerity is refreshing. He is Kanye West’s protégé, and the emotional tactics are similar: front a big game, but constantly admit insecurities. Conversely, Cudi’s humility sometimes rings false. On “My World,” he details his former fear of women before sneering to them, “this will be my world. I told you so.”

Melodrama abounds. On “Heart of a Lion (Kid Cudi Theme Music),” he croons, “Hide and seek within a dream I seem to glide above my horror, though I feel I’ll never be complete inside the dark I borrow.” Someone’s been listening to 808s & Heartbreak.

Actually, Cudi helped write some of that album’s better songs, including “Heartless” and “RoboCop.” The production of 808s left critics and fans cold but in hindsight, the album transformed Auto-Tune from gimmicky tool to artistic statement. West reassured rappers they could sing.

Cudi obviously took the sentiment to heart, as he demonstrates repeatedly on Moon. His voice is a crude instrument; it sounds like Q-Tip’s nasal delivery shifted down a few octaves and zapped of its giddy.

His songs are better when kept light and airy, as with “Simple As…” and the hit, “Make Her Say.” In fact, much like Kanye West, Cudi’s best work blurs the line between pop and hip-hop, and “Day ‘N’ Nite” is proof.

Moon does not live up to Cudi’s grand vision, but in reality, how could it? It does reward the listener willing to follow more than a few rabbit trails, though. It’s a strange, charming and divisive record, making it the hip-hop Sgt. Pepper’s of 2009.

80’s Life, pt. 1: The Music

Brady — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 12:07:05 +0000

It’s plastic synthesizers, neon pinks and greens and all things huge and tasteless. The decade of decadence is governing our culture, music especially, selling nostalgia to the middle-aged and novelty to their children.

The death of Michael Jackson, no doubt the most affecting music story of the year, has created an outpour of covers, tributes and endless video montages, not to mention an ungodly number of CD sales. But while the King of Pop’s death may have supplemented the resurgence of the 1980s, the era’s influence reappeared long before June 25.

Observe two of pop’s biggest stars of the moment: Kanye West and Lady GaGa. With his shutter shades and self-professed Star status, West is the figurehead of the revival. Lady GaGa’s career thus far has been aping that of Madonna’s, though, like West, she’s found success in the rhythms and pastel synths of the 1980s.

But the era’s influence on the world of pop is not so recent, as 80s stars have laid claim to concert ticket sales for the latter half of the decade. Before last year was half over, Bon Jovi, Bruce Springsteen and Van Halen had grossed $133.9 million in concert tours alone, according to Pollstar.

Barbra Streisand struck concert gold in 2006 and Tina Turner, another 80s icon, grossed $83.5 million from January through July of 2009. Bands from The Police to U2 (well, obviously) recently enjoyed a lucrative reunion tour, according to the trade magazine.

Consumers continue to pour out money for concert tickets to win back a piece of their romanticized youth, to relive corners of their lives that have long been darkened. But it’s bigger than that.

At the moment, the U.S. is on the brink: of forfeiting our decadent way of life, of joining the ranks of the unemployed, of losing ourselves in political correctness. Everything is exaggerated and merged. As in the 1980s, huge change is coming quickly and, as in the 1980s, pop is filled with big, loud character.

Perhaps artists like West and GaGa aren’t as proactive as they think they are, since they’re essentially reacting to the world around them. They aren’t producing culture as much as transmitting it. The message here is underscored by its means of delivery: LOUD is back.

Guilt By Association Round 2

Nathan — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 11:40:41 +0000

So I don’t know how I missed this project the first time around. This is exactly the kind of music that I love. I mean my Gnarls Barkley cover by Ray Lamontagne and that acoustic cover of Hey Ya have become two of the most played songs in my library. So in fact I am even upset that I didn’t discover this collection of covers til now. But not too upset. Because now I have lots of incredible new cover songs to love and cherish. I will let the music speak for itself. But first I want to complain a little about the title. Yeah it’s really clever and all, but I just really don’t like the idea of guilty pleasures. I mean why feel guilty about liking a song. So what if it’s not cool to like it. So what if there’s an Avril Lavigne song that you secretly love. Or that you listened to that One Republic collaboration with Timbaland over and over. Now I’m not saying that I’m about to start praising these artists and comparing them to The Beatles or any of the other greats. But I will freely admit to both of those confessions. Without guilt.

Anyway. Back to the matter at hand. Engine Room Recordings has announced the release of the second edition of the Guilt By Association cover series. The cd is set to hit stores on February 17th, but it has already been released for download on Itunes. But for those of you short on cash, you can go ahead and stream it over on the Engine Room Recordings web-site. Also here is My Brightest Diamond’s installment in the series. I know that I just wrote about here not too long ago and that I had thirteen others to choose from. But I was just so excited that she chose to record this song, because I actually saw her play this song when I saw her open for The Decemberists a couple years ago and it was seriously the highlight of the show. Shara Worden is an incredible performer, with one of the most amazing voices I have ever heard. I cannot recommend seeing her live enough. Or the Decemberists for that matter. Well to wrap things up, here is the tracklist for Guilt By Association Vol. 2. I hope your ears bleed (but not really).

1 My Brightest Diamond – Tainted Love (Gloria Jones/Soft Cell)

2 The Bloodsugars – Self-Control (Laura Branigan)

3 Robbers on High Street – Cool It Now (New Edition)

4 Frightened Rabbit – Set You Free (N-Trance)

5 Matt Pond PA – I’m Not Okay (My Chemical Romance)

6 Takka Takka – In the Air Tonight (Phil Collins)

7 Kaki King – I Think She Knows (Justin Timberlake)

8 Francis and the Lights – Can’t Tell Me Nothing (Kanye West)

9 Lowry – Africa (Toto)

10 The Forms – We Didn’t Start the Fire (Billy Joel)

11 Rafter – If You Leave (OMD)

12 Cassettes Won’t Listen – Need You Tonight (INXS)

13 Jukebox the Ghost – It’s a Beautiful Life (Ace of Base)

14 Max Vernon – I Kissed a Girl (Katy Perry)

New Releases From Kanye and Stephen Colbert

Nathan — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 12:07:22 +0000

So as you can tell I was kind of rushed putting together my post about this week’s notable releases and failed to mention two very big ones that came out this week. The first one was the foxtail sportin’ Kanye West with his new album 808s & Heartbreak. Never been a huge Kanye fan, in fact most of my feelings toward him stem from my annoyance at the stupid things he has done and said. But musically I’ve been pretty impartial. He’s definitely gotten me to move with the beat more than once, but I’ve never been impressed with any album as a whole. But I’ve been more impressed so far upon the first listen to Hearbreak than I have so far. Maybe that is because it isn’t your typical hip-hop record, nor is it typical Kanye. In no way can you refer to this as a rap album. West sings throughout the entire album using the Auto-Tune effect and a TR-808 drum machine on every track. It sounds much more like an 80′s post punk album than a hip-hop or R&B record, which may be why I am able to enjoy it more than his previous works. But I still hesitate to give the most egotistical artist of our time any sort of props. I seriously don’t understand how this guy has been able to consistently capture the attention of both the main-stream radio listeners and the indie music snobs.

Kanye West – Street Lights (removed 2/13/09)

Now with this other release that I foolishly overlooked, I am baffled at how more people have not fallen in love with this guy. For those of you who are not avid watchers of the Colbert Report, this past Tuesday night Stephen Colbert, the current host of the Colbert Report teamed up with an all-star cast of musicians to bring to us a A Colbert Christmas. With the help of Willie Nelson, John Legend, Feist, Toby Keith, and Elvis Costello, Colbert is in search of a Christmas miracle. And a miracle is what he brings to us, with the release of this absolutely hysterical that came out on Thanksgiving Day. I don’t want to say to much in fear of spoiling what was one of the best and funniest Christmas musicals I have ever seen. Beyond just creating something for us to sing along and laugh to this holiday season, Colbert is also bringing joy with to those who can’t even afford a tv with which to watch his Christmas special, by donating a large portion of the proceeds to Feeding America. I just can’t say enough about how awesome I think this guy is. Here is a little glimpse into the humor and talent that is filled throughout this Christmas special, with John Legend and Stephen Colbert performing Nutmeg…

Here is a tracklist of the soundtrack to let you more of what you can expect.

A Colbert Christmas: The Greatest Gift of All

01 Stephen Colbert: “Another Christmas Song”

02 Toby Keith: “Have I Got a Present for You”

03 Feist: “Please Be Patient”

04 Stephen Colbert and Willie Nelson: “Little Dealer Boy”

05 Stephen Colbert and Jon Stewart: “Can I Interest You in Hannukah?”

06 Stephen Colbert and John Legend: “Nutmeg”

07 Stephen Colbert, Elvis Costello, Feist, Toby Keith, John Legend, and Willie Nelson: “(What’s So Funny ’bout) Peace, Love and Understanding”

08 Stephen Colbert, Elvis Costello, Feist, Toby Keith, John Legend, and Willie Nelson: “There Are Much Worse Things to Believe In”

09 Stephen Colbert: “A Cold, Cold Christmas”

Remix Wednesday: Wilco + Football + Rap Music = Sweet Fun

Nathan — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 19:30:34 +0000

Just the other night, myself and a bunch of my co-workers got together for our annual live fantasy football draft, which I have come to look forward to with much anticipation each year. It has proven to be a great time filled with tons of fun, food, fellowship and football statistics. So with opening weekend for NCAA football happening last weekend and the first NFL game being tomorrow night I thought that I would share this great football themed remix with you. Brought to you by the guys over at The Hood Internet here is a mashup of Wilco’s fantastic song Jesus Etc., Kanye West’s Classic, and the infamous 1985 Chicago Bears’ Super Bowl Shuffle.

The Hood Internet – Super Bowl Jesus (removed 2/13/09)

And for those of you that have never heard of the Super Bowl Shuffle you must check out this video. Yes, that is correct back during the year I was born, Walter Payton, Mike Singletary, William “Refridgerator” Perry, and the rest of the Chicago Bears football team wrote and performed a rap song on live television.

And it was awesome. Boy, those were the days. Back when they were actually a team and not a bunch of individuals who worked together on Sunday afternoon. I feel like Peyton Manning has done his part with all of his commercials and SNL appearances. But after watching this video again I think that the rest of the NFL really needs to step up their game.