Song of the Week - August 7

Matt's Song of the Week

I chose this song because Earl is the man. He's one of the most talented rappers I have ever heard and his delivery is insane. This song is just fun to bump every now and then.


Mike's Song of the Week

I picked Senior Skip Day by Mac Miller. The is addicting and Mac is a good rapper. I love this song.

Psychic Babble - My Own Stupid Mouth Review

Cover art for My Own Stupid Mouth

Earlier we did an interview with Colin Frangicetto of circa survive about his side project “Psychic Babble” and just recently released a 4 song EP for free. The relaxed indie sound is unique and hard to describe in a very good way. The best way to describe the sound is “honest”, all the music that Colin has come out with so far has sounded like music that is truthful and something he believes in. Psychic Babble is the kind of music that you can really vibe to. Colin’s voice has taken me by surprise from the start when I heard his music, it’s something I just didn’t expect. Psychic Babble just sounds so real and relaxed that I can’t wait till the official album drops on August 11th.

Get the free EP at http://app.topspin.net/store/artist/11333?wId=90810&theme=black&highlightColor=0x00A1FF&w=300&h=250&src=fb


F**K YEAH RATING: 7.6 - Good EP.

~Tom

What do you think? Comment!

Check It: Toro Y Moi

Strange name, strange sounds, amazing music. That is what the solo act Toro y Moi is: a one man group with sole member Chazwick Bundick shaping a new wave of music known as the chillwave movement.

Toro y Moi means "Bull and I". His songs are hard to describe. They contain electric instrumentals with soft and ambient vocals. His sound pops and sounds a lot different from most out there. His music really provides an atmosphere to the point where you often get lost in the music. Its hard to describe so listen to his song Talamak:

He's a real down to earth guy too unlike a lot of other players in the music industry. He's quickly gaining speed too as his fan base grows at a very fast rate. You should definitely check him out, hes a fun indie artist and he's definitely one of the chillest musicians I've ever heard.

~Matt

What do you think? Let us know below or on facebook/twitter.

Album Review: UFK - Bass Culture (Compilation CD)

This weekend UKF released a new compliation of dubstep songs from producers hailing from the United Kingdom, the home of dubstep. There is a large level of diversity on this album and it is sure to please most in at least some parts. The album Bass Culture has two full disks of heavy hitting dubstep songs. This compilation cd is a must for all who are just getting into the genre of dubstep, or for those who want to find some new producers. There are no repeats of any artist throughout the album so the variety found on this 36 song compilation album is unmatched. Bass culture does a good job on representing the type of dubstep found in the UK. Combine the price, amount of music, variety and quality that can be found on this compilation it’s hard to find a reason to not pick it up. Check out a megamix of the album below. 

F**K YEAH RATING: 8.4 - If you like the genre, it's great.




~Tom




What do you guys think? Let us know via facebook, twitter, or below!

Drake Releases Leaks Another Song

Recently Drake released another song from his upcoming album "Take Care". Following the success of "Marvin's Room" and "Dreams Money Can Buy", the release of this song was exciting for many. The song isn't an R&B song like "Marvin's Room", it is a rap song. Personally, it sounds pretty good. But what do you think? Check it out:

What do you think? Let us know below or on Facebook/ Twitter!

Check It: Odd Future

A few members of Odd Future including Left Brain, Syd, Tyler the Creator and Hodgy Beats.

      It's hard to describe Odd Future, but we'll start off with the full name of this California hip hop collective: Odd Future Wolfgang Kill Them All or quite simply OFWGKTA. They began only a few years ago and since then have created they're own brand of hip hop. They have been labeled as a somewhat horrific form of music by many critics, but often deny it.
      This group was started by Tyler, the Creator. He soon made major additions to the group such as Earl Sweatshirt (although Earl is currently in a correctional school in Samoa), Syd the Kid, Hodgy Beats, Left Brain and Frank Ocean though it is said that there are hundreds of members in the "Wolf Gang". Within the group there are several divisions such as EarlWolf (Earl and Tyler), Mellowhype (Left Brain and Hodgy), and a few others. Though they are a group, they all record their own stuff. Tyler has his own songs, Earl has his own, and etc. However, they do often feature each other in their songs frequently.
       The content of some of the members' music is often very horrific and often heavy. Some allude to rape, murder, and disrespecting authority/society.  In several interviews Tyler is asked about why his songs are so violent and he gives a good answer: movies do it. Movies contain incredible violence frequently and it's often much worse than things musicians write so why can't he make songs that contain lyrical content that mirrors some actions in movies?
      Odd Future is somewhat Indie at the moment, but with Tyler up for a VMA that could change very soon.. I see big or should I say odd things in the future for this Wolf Gang. Make sure you check them out and let us know what you think! In the meantime, here's a song by one of their member's Earl Sweatshirt, but beware, this song is an example of their heavy music:

Music Video Review: Yonkers

Probably one of the most graphic music videos of the year, this video somehow, despite being "MTV correct", "Yonkers" managed to earn itself a nomination for "Video of the Year", Now, its graphic at times and very hard to understand, but at the same time, its a visual masterpiece made perfectly for the song. The song itself is Tyler primarily talking to himself with imput from his alter-ego Wolf Haley.

The music video basically contains Tyler eating a bug, throwing up, and hanging himself at the end. Yes, it is disturbing, but considering the musical content the video fits. "Yonkers" is shot in black and white to more or less emphasize the dark and dreary mood of the music. Throughout the music video, it shows Tyler sitting down simply rapping, but his acting to convey the emotions of the music are spot on and you can clearly see the dedication he put into making this video which he directed by himself.


F**K YEAH RATING: 8.5

Watch the video and let us know what you think by commenting below or on Twitter or Facebook!

Interview with Mark Battles!

Recently, we were given the opportunity to interview an up-and-coming rapper named Mark Battles.

 He's one of the best rappers I've heard in while so of course I took this opportunity. Here is the interview, enjoy:


Hello and thank you for the interview. Can you introduce yourself to those who may not know you?
I'm Mark Battles a 19 year old Hiphop artist from Indianapolis, Indiana.

 What are some of your musical influences?
I have several musical influences but to name a few Tupac, Eminem, Drake, and Biggie.

Do you have a favorite musician?
My favorite musician would have to be Eminem.

A lot of people have been telling you to join a label (Taylor Gang, Young Money, etc.), if you could pick one to join, which one would it be?

I don't have any certain interest in a label currently. I'm fine with staying independent but if the right deal comes I'd always consider it.

When did you decide that you wanted to be a rapper?
I started doing rap in 2005.

How would you describe your music?
My music has a modern day Hiphop vibe with good lyrics and catchy punch lines.

 What are your goals for the future?
I'm currently about to release my debut mixtape "Good Mornin America." The near future I want to work on building a fan base and creating my buzz. The far future I want to be up with the big people in the rap game.

Thank you for the interview, as always, is there something you would like to say to our viewers?
I appreciate the time that Pure Vibe Music has given me for this interview. You can find me on twitter @markbattles317 and on facebook.com/markbattlesmusic


We just want to thank Mark Battles for the interview. Be sure to like his page and listen to his music, trust me it's well worth it.
~Matt

The Cool Kids - When Fish Ride Bicycles Review

When Fish Ride Bicycles cover art

I've been looking forward to this album for a real long time now, and when it finally cameout I was excited. Initially I didn't like the album, but after listening to it for a while, it really grew on me. The songs on the album really pop. They have a lot more energy than other songs from their previous mixtapes/ albums.

The downsides however are also more than present. The album sounds so much different from anything else by The Cool Kids. It sounds as if the producers, one of which was Pharell, had too much of an impact on this album. The Cool Kid's are known for their amazing delivery and sick lyrics, but this album fails to deliver. It sounds just like another rap album and similar to N.E.R.D. The album fails to showcase The Cool Kid's talent.

F**K YEAH RATING: 6 - If you like it, buy it- Nothing else to say.

Comment with what you think on Twitter, Facebook or below.
~Matt

Music News: Up All Night

Recently Blink-182, one of the pioneers of modern Punk Rock,  released a new song called "Up All Night."

It was released July 15, 2011 and since then has been the talk of music fans across the world. Here are the thoughts of one of our new writers, Tom:

Blink-182 is back with new music, and has it been all that we have been waiting for? Honestly, no. Their new single up all night does not capture any sort of angst or punk rock feel that makes Blink what it is. It is clear that Tom brought much of his angels and airwaves sound into blink, and it really shouldn’t be there. I was a little concerned from the start as it seems that making new music with blink has been a second thought for all of them since they all have their other projects that they seem to be much more involved in. The communication internally with the band has be very bad as there have been multiple times mark has said one thing and Travis and said something else and tom said something else as well. It’s unfortunate, but you can hear all of this in the song. I might be over reacting and all I can hope for is perhaps the next single will be much more similar to their older work, even if it’s their untitled album. Up all night sounds like an angels and airwaves song more than anything to me and even though I enjoy that sound, it’s not the sound I want to hear from blink. Hopefully this doesn’t turn out to be another cash cow like give the drummer some.

 

 

I personally think Tom hit the nail right on the head, but Mike thinks much differently. Let us know what you think by commenting below or on facebook or twitter.

Song of the Week - July 17

We had to take a lil' break for personal  reasons, but no were back and better than ever.

Matt's Song of the Week
Weezer - Unspoken

This song is just- amazing. It sounds like early Weezer, but it also strays away from typical Weezer songs. I love it.

Mike's Song of the Week
Blink-182 - Up All Night

Blink is a band that I grew up listening to and they finally came out with a new song, and this is that song. I love it!

Vote below or on facebook and twitter for which song should be the official song of the week!

Albums to Look For - July

July 4
Viva Brother - Famous First Words

I'm very excited for this album. I heard of this band not too long ago through they're live stuff at Glastonbury and I was blown away. They sound different from most bands and they're reinventing UK rock. Definitely the gem for this month.
July 12

Theory of a Deadman - The Truth is...

Theory of a Deadman have been around a pretty good time now. I heard them a while ago and I was interested immediately. They sound different, but have a classic sound about them. Its going to be interesting to see if they can evolve their sound on this album.

The Cool Kids - When Fish Ride Bicycles

I've been looking forward to this album for a pretty good time now. The Cool Kids have been my favorite rap group since The Bake Sale, their first album, and I'm very excited for this new album. They bring an new school twist to an old school sound and their creative lyrics are great to listen to. I'm hoping they can deliver the same amount of greatness with this album as with their previous album.

Incubus - If Not Now, When?

Incubus has been around a pretty long time and many people have been anticipating they're album. According to people that listen to them frequently, many of there songs however are sadly similar at times so were hoping that they can pull out a suprise with a groundbreaking album.  They have a great live show so I'm hoping the album is as good.

July 19
3 Doors Down - Time of my Life

3 Doors Down is another veteran band out to create another great CD. They have a pretty generic sound, but I'm hoping they can create something interesting with this album.

Theophilus London - Timez Are Weird These Days

Theophilus London is a somewhat new rapper, but he easily has more talent than half of the other rappers I see out there. He has all the traits of an incredible rapper. He has great delivery, lyrical prowess, and is in a sense, a genius. This July is going to be a great month for rap.

Interview with Count to Four!

So I got the chance to interview one of my favorite bands, Count to Four. What a great experience and these guys definitely provided us with a good view of their band, check it out:

 

Can you guys tell us a little bit about your band?
We are a pop punk band that really just loves playing music and wouldn't want to do anything else. We all grew up listening to similar bands and Pop Punk is really where all of our roots lie. Lyrically, our music deals a lot with growing up and losing your childhood. The genre helps to convey that message because it is something that all of us relate our childhood to. All in all, music is just something that defines every member of Count To Four. It is all we think about, talk about, and work towards.

 

When did you all start playing your instruments?
We all started playing our instruments when we were around 13. Mike really wanted to be a singer so his dad taught him how to play guitar in order to further himself musically. Pete started playing guitar in middle school and messed with a little bit of everything and eventually found his "true calling" on drums in high school,. Jay grew up in a house of vocalists, so he started in choirs at a young age. He then took up playing guitar and piano around the same time and kept with it.

 

What would you say was your favorite place to play at?
Without out a doubt there's a really good music scene down in Sea Isle and in the Southern Jersey Shore area. All the kids down there are really great and get involved and go to shows. We loved playing Harvest Fest in our hometown Barrington, it's free and a lot of kids always come out, although me may not do it next year because kids were arrested last year for moshing. Shows at the Trocadero  in Philadelphia  are always a good time too.

 

What kind of bands do you all listen to?
Pete grew up listening to a lot of New Found Glory, Less than Jake, Fall Out Boy, a lot of things in that, his favorite CD ever has been and still is Fall out Boy's "Take this to your grave" album since the 6th grade. Jay's influences mainly came from Blink-182 all the way to Bruce Springsteen, although he's really into metal bands as well(unfortunately, haha), such as Devil Wears Prada, Mastodon and Porcupine Tree. Mike main influence musically is Jimmy Eat World. He also takes a large amount of influence from older pop punk bands such as Rufio, Fall Out Boy, Mest, Relient K, Good Charlotte, and New Found Glory.

 

We were looking at your bio and it said you started Count to Four in high school. What was it like starting your own band in high school?
When you're in high-school, everyone and their mothers have a band. Most do it to have fun and fit in. But as everyone gets older, they develop different priorities and responsibilities and start to drift away from being musicians. Only the one's who want it badly enough prevail and keep going. When we started this band, we just clicked together and started making music, we didn't know much about what touring was like, or much about the industry at all. It's been a huge learning experience both business-wise and with our relationships as friends and bandmates. We're all in college now and we're still pushing hard for this. We all want this more than anything. I don't think any of us thought it'd come as far as it did with college being  in the way, or that we'd have an album on iTunes or have kids singing our songs back to us. We were just four kids playing music for fun, and when it comes down to it that's what we still are, we play music that we love and love it even more when we meet other people that love it.

 

Thank you for the interview! Is there anything else you'd like to tell people?
You can find all of our links to our music and tour info at Facebook.com/counttofour.  We will be going back to 37 Studios in Michigan to record our first full length with Matt Dalton this October, we'll be recording probably Seven new songs and keeping two or three from the E.p. We are going to try to make this album different from what we've done before and take more time with the songs; we're pushing ourselves harder as musicians and hopefully we give our fans something new but familiar. We'll be trailing Warped Tour for a lot of the east coast stops to promote our band as well, so make sure to look for us at the gates handing out samplers! Also we share a strong passion for Pokemon, facial hair, and rest stops and believe that everyone else should too. and one day Jay might just cut his hair...one day.

And there you have it. A bunch of funloving guys with a lot of talent and an interest in "Pokemon, facial hair and rest stops." Be sure to check them out and show some love! Stay Frosty.

 

Follow Up: New LMFAO and Liam Finn Albums

Earlier this month we posted a bunch of albums that were due out for the month. Here are some of the review for the albums released today:


LMFAO - Sorry for Party Rocking

Sorry for Party Rocking Cover Art

      I was very impressed with this album which came as an immense surprise to me. Now, of course I didn't rate this album on lyrical prowess, but more or less how much it would vibe with a party scene. This album has basically every mood that would be included in a club- energetic, chill, sexual. I was caught up in the sound of the album and it just worked.
     The album was however by no means perfect. At times it got really boring and repetitive and though the title of the album clearly showed it was about partying, that was literally all there was to this album. I swear I heard the word party at least 5 times in each line.

F**K YEAH RATING: 6.7 = Eh. I guess, if your into that stuff.


Liam Finn - FOMO

Cover art for FOMO

     I heard several songs from this album a while ago and I thought it was going to be a gem... I was right. This album is captivating. The lyrics are great, the sound is awesome- the talent and time put into this album is clearly evident.
     It was really hard to pinpoint flaws with this album cause it was so well done. It does sound a little reminiscent of other songs I've heard, but thats only barely.   Other than a few small flaws that most albums have, this album was great!
F**K YEAH RATING: 8.9= Definitely give the album a listen. Buy it if you can.


As always, comment below or on twitter and face book and give us your opinions on the albums or anything you want to say. Yomp.

Interview with No Such Noise!

Listen here haters. While you were hatin' we were interviewing some bros. Check out our interview with Joe Fuscia, the bassist and vocalist for No Such Noise!

Hello and thank you for the interview, can you tell us a little bit about yourselves?

We are No Such Noise! a ska/poppunk bands from the South Jersey area.
Now, when I was looking around your facebook fan page for stuff to ask you about the quote "Ska is dead, but its okay to be horny." Can you shed some light on that gem of a quote for everyone?

 

Everyone says ska is a dead genre. We are kind of iffy about the statement. It's definitly not as popular as it was in the 90's, but there is still bands making music that is in the ska genre. We are one of those bands. We have a strong ska influence, but not as strong as our pop-punk influence. We try and make an enjoyable hybrid of poppunk and ska. The quote is to poke fun about the genre being dead, but it's okay to listen to it still.

How exactly did you guys form the band?

Taking a different direction in our musical lifestyles, me and Vince (Trumpet, Vocals) decided we would take a beginner band class our freshman year in highschool. I learned trombone and he learned trumpet. We decided to use our new talent and try and play some ska. Me and Mitch (Vocals, Guitar) have already been playing music together for years, so naturally I went to him and we started writing tunes and recruiting members.

You guys have a very different sound from most modern bands, how did you develope this sound?

As i explained earlier, our poppunk roots come out a lot in our writing. Also when writing music, we try and make music we all enjoy. Our philosophy is that we're making this music to have fun, so if we aren't into it, then why do it? I think thats how we found a sound we agree on. We're all having fun, and we made a few fans along the way! 

What are some of your favorite bands?

We are honestly all over the place with our music taste. All of us listen to your usual ska bands, Catch 22, Big D and the Kids Table, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Rx Bandits, etc. But then we all have our wildcards.

 

Can you tell us some fun facts about yourselves?

 

We all LOVE to play n64. Our favorite games our Wave Race, Mario Kart, and Super Smash Brothers. We always have tournaments when we hang out. I guess you can call us old school video game nerds.
Thank you again for the interview! Is there anything else you might want to tell our viewers?

 

You can pick up our EP "Worst Birthday Ever!" for $5 on www.nosuchnoisenj.bandcamp.com

And all our upcoming shows are on www.reverbnation.com/nosuchnoise

We are currently in the studio in between playing shows recording 4 songs for an upcoming split EP with close friends Exit 34.

Also currenty planning out East Coast tour in August with close friends Roots In Stereo

 

Check out the rest of our interviews throughout the week and keep up with our stuff. Remember to tell your friends and commnet below or on facebook and twitter. Stay Frosty, Yomp.

Interview with Anthony Masington of "The Flatline Symphony"!

If you haven't heard the band The Flatline Symphony, you better start listening! They are great band and we got the unique experience of interviewing their singer Anthony Masington.



I'm here with Anthony Masington from the band The Flatline Symphony. Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

The Flatline Symphony began in 2009, started by drummer Bryan Mills, bassist Estil Holliday and guitarist Myk Londino. At the time, I lived in Kingston, New York pursuing a musical career as a supporting live guitar player for the band Weerd Science. I met Bryan as a fan of WS, and he was insistent that I give his music a listen. I was immediately interested in being the singer of the band. We later earned the nickname "The Flatline Symphony" from an old project Bryan was involved in, the name originally created by our friend Vince Torres.

That's very interesting! Do you consider music a hobby or a possible career in the future?

A lifelong passionate hobby, and a career as well.

I see, so what do you think inspired you to join the band?

At the time, I had stopped supporting Weerd Science and moved to Trevose, PA. By luck, I had found Flatline and felt like it was a risk to take being as everyone in the band lives in Dover Delaware. Not to mention I had the desire for a challenge.

What was it like taking a risk like that? Do you think it has worked out well?

For one thing, distance has put a strain on the band, but that doesn't mean that we are weak as a unit. If anything, we are stronger and tighter than ever. Taking in stride every single opportunity that inches its' way towards us. Just like anything, a lot of work has to be put into it, if there is to be any sort of fulfillment or success.

It's incredible that you guys can pull that off. But on a different note, what are some bands you've been listening to lately?

Lately, I've been listening to Envy on the Coast, Depeche Mode and Elvis Costello. I know Bryan has been listening to Dillinger Escape Plan. We as a band have been listening to Circa Survive, Box Car Racer and some pop music as well as our good friends Life on Repeat.

Mike and I are huge fans of Box Car Racer and I personally love Circa Survive! Can you tell us some fun facts about yourself and/ or the band?

Myk and I have asthma and use inhalers. Bryan is a vegetarian. Estil has toured Warped Tour. Chris was in the band Life on Repeat for a short while. Everyone has tattoos except for Bryan.

You guys seem like really chill people haha. Well thank you for the interview! Is there anything you would like to say to the people who read this?

Our debut self-release concept CD "This Is What They Call Surgery" is available through iTunes, Amazon, bandcamp, etc... just about ever other digital retailer. Thank you! Peace Mates.



It was definitely a great experience to interview such a talented artist! Check out this video from the band and be sure to look at Anthony's other band Session 606:

Stay Frosty.
~Matt