The Xx - Heart Skipped A Beat

I finally got around to listening to the album xx from the band The Xx. And yes, its worth a spin. Their song "Heart Skipped a Beat," floored me when I heard it. I think the following youtube video is fan-made, but its decent and not too cheeky.



Please don't say we're done
When I'm not finished
I could give you so much
Make you feel, like never before
Welcome, they said welcome to the floor

It's been a while
And you've found someone better
But I've been waiting too long to give this up
The more I see, I understand
But sometimes, I still need you

Sometimes, I still need you

I was struggling to get in
Left waiting outside your door
I was sure
You'd give me more

No need to come to me
When I can make it all the way to you
You made it clear
You weren't near
Near enough to me

Heart skipped a beat
And when I caught it you were out of reach
But I'm sure, I'm sure
You've heard if before

Ducksauce - Anyway

Armand Van Helden & A-TRAK

Air Studio Visit

The Guardian has a look at Air's new studio. This week, the French duo released their album called "Love 2." Haven't had a chance to hear yet, but I'll be on the lookout for it.

from the 80's film; Tapeheads

Avett Brothers - The Perfect Space

I wanna have friends that I can trust,
that love me for the man I’ve become not the man I was.
I wanna have friends that will let me be
all alone when being alone is all that I need.
I wanna fit in to the perfect space,
feel natural and safe in a volatile place.
And I wanna grow old without the pain,
give my body back to the earth and not complain.
Will you understand when I am too old of a man?
And will you forget when we have paid our debt
who did we borrow from?

The first half of the song is perfect. I really love (and dare I say..yes..identify with) the lyrics. But that's only the first half of the song. For whatever reason, the second half ramps up the tempo for 30 seconds. Could have been perfect without part 2, imo.

Double Dose For Your Tuesday

JR - EXTRAIT "WOMEN ARE HEROES", Kibera, Kenya
by JR

Not really music related but this video is awesome. JR is a Paris based photographer and continues to be amazing.



2DopeBrothers posted some excellent radio tributes to Grandmaster Roc Raida who passed away this month.

DJ Eclipse's Halftime Radio Show Massive three part download..a who's who of the DJ community sharing their thoughts on Raida..plus old cassette recordings of Roc Raida.

DJ Premier's Radio Tribute

Fatboy Slim - Why Make Videos (Documentary)

Alaska Gets More Shine

Summer has long gone here in Alaska and Old Man winter is creeping upon us. On the plus side, some Alaska expats are bursting onto the national scene. The Lives of the Famous Men made an appearance on the Jimmy Kimmel show.



Surprisingly to me, Kanye West posted Portugal the Man's latest video "Do You" on his blog.



Both bands have relocated to Portland, but still keep close ties to Alaska. [and yes, the other Play blog did mention these videos already, so in way this is a repost, but screw copy+paste blog etiquette..support your (kind of) local scene]

Mick Boogie x Peter Bjorn and John

Mick Boogie / Peter Bjorn & John - Stay This Way (Remix) from Myk Dawg on Vimeo.

I tend to shy away from recommending mixtapes because most of them become obsolete way too quick, but in this case I'll make an exception. This one comes from Mick Boogie, and as he says its more of a "curated remix project." It remixes Peter Bjorn & John's "Living Thing" album, and makes it really fresh. You can download over here.

The Moon Knights - Sept. Show

Also, if you happen to be in Anchorage, then check out this show.

The Moon Knights invite you to bear witness to The End of Hearing. September, 18th 2009 at the Downstairs. All ages/ bar available with ID.

This Is Fresh; Turntable Clock

Even though this clock is slightly too high for my budget, I still think its a steal for the price. Handmade, found on etsy. Plus, its just freaking cool.

Light In The Attic

Light In The Attic is an indie record label based out of Seattle. Funk, old soul, RnB, etc. Quality Releases. For a summer project, they sent 4 employees across the West Coast to 50 record stores to deliver the goods. Yes, it was work, but what an awesome road trip. There are six episodes, and in the video above they visit the record plant where their records are made.

RIP DJ AM

My friend Encyclopedia Brown compiled some links to some of DJ AM's mixes, along with links to DJs who knew him better. Check it over here.

LA's Glenjamn has over one hundred short videos that capture how great DJ AM was on the ones and two's. Video Archive. (Not everything will be AM, but its the easiest way to see most of the vids featuring him)

His other homie, Thee Mike B, will be digging through his archives to give you some killer mixes, so check out his blog from time to time.

Plus, the dude had a killer shoe game. Jaw-Dropping.

If you're looking for an article, then the Village Voice has you covered.


Watch DJ AM - Imperial Stress - LIVE @ Transistor 8.15.08 in Dance  |  View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com

Quality Reading For Turntable (Scratch) Nerds

URB chatted up with A-Trak, Craze, and Tony Vegas about the DMC and the current state of battle djs.


Turntable Lab Record Check (RIP, but thank goodness for archives)

Quick links, but long read.

Also, does anyone have Thud Rumble, The Main Event? Can't seem to find that anywhere. It has the last performance of the Invisbl Skratch Piklz. There was a brief clip in the documentary Skratch, but I'd like to see the whole thing. any help, greatly appreciated, and thanks for reading.

(3x times a charm, I keep adding stuff to this post, but this is the final time)

DJ Shadow revamped his website.

How I Spent My Summer Vacation- A Film By DJ Shadow from DJ Shadow on Vimeo.

Gaslamp vs Tron Legacy Trailer

Gaslamp Killer recently released his My Troubled Mind EP. Turntable lab fam Woodman did a nice blend of a song from GK's EP with the Tron Legacy trailer.

Summer Jam

This past weekend, some friends and I drove out to Homer, Alaska to attend a wedding. Good times and loads of fun. On the drive back, we heard an NPR story about potential summerjams of 2009. They did acknowledge that Black Eye Peas' "I Gotta A Feeling" is the popular most infectious song of summer. They also pointed out that the death of MJ made Jackson return to the top of the charts, despite living in an era when no one really buys music anyway. The guest reviewer ended up picking Amerie's "Why RU" as her 2009 summer jam, even though the album won't be released until the fall.

As for my summer jam? I'm going with Crystal Fighters' "Xtatic Truth." The original song is my favorite version. The remixes are okay, but there's something truly unique about the og. The lyrics are about loneliness, but I can imagine groups of people chanting it in unison, and the sound has tons of energy, which makes the song my anthem for the summer.

Crystal Fighters 'Xtatic Truth' (Original Mix) from Crystal Fighters on Vimeo.

Rafael Casal - Bay Area Slang

(via Cocaine Blunts via 38th Notes)

Word.

Useless Trivia; I still appreciate my Bay Area association, despite living in Anchorage, AK since middle school. I was born in Hayward, grandparents lived in Oakland, and I still have plenty of family in Cali. Also, my brother lives in San Jose. Its nice to know that's only a plane ticket away.

Theo Parrish Commercial

Theo Parrish: Sounds of the City from Dario Nucci on Vimeo.

"A 3min film following Theo Parrish, a producer/DJ from Detroit, as he builds an original track using the sounds of the motor city."

Radio Dingbat

"Based in Perth, Australia, Radio Dingbat delivers online music news from around the world with a regular episodic series of live performances and interviews with independent and experimental artists. Transmission received."

Seriously, one of the better channels I've stumbled upon on youtube. Quality videos of live performances with decent interviews of bands you love or didn't know you love. The above videos were released this week and at the time of this post have had less than 100 views. That's not really relevant, but I think more people should watch their vids. Major props!

Foreign Policy Meets Rap

" Some of the greatest minds in national security have turned their attention to a classic problem: When there is one dominant power, the rest of the world tries to challenge it"

Rapper Feud Mirrors World Politics

NPR did a fun interview with Marc Lynch about his article on The Game vs. Jay-Z beef that oringally appeared in Foreign Policy. You can read his whole piece, along with plenty of hyperlink sources over here. Lynch is a professor at George Washington University, so his take isn't completely wack, nor wacky, and at the very least it's generated plenty of online discussion.

Also, be sure to check out Egon, of Stones Throw fame, music series called Funk Archaeology.