Taken from his debut album, ((UN)), “Symphonies” has thus far been the score to Dan Black’s red carpet rise stateside.  A beneficiary of the iTunes “Free Single of the Week” over a year ago, he’s still gaining momentum.  An alternative version of the song, featuring KiD CuDi (who seems to be on a level of ubiquity just shy of Nicky Minaj or God) was also released as a bonus track on the album, furthering his street cred.  Who knows, maybe there’s a Kanye collabo in the future…or even a Bieber remix! Continue Reading

The always demure and understated Kanye West (*choke*) has done it again.  After the wildly successful “G.O.O.D. Fridays” marketing campaign, where he systematically dropped new tracks from his latest album, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, the full release finally came on November 22, just in time for Thanksgiving with the family. Continue Reading

Instead of updating my Top 10 Tracks from a previous post I figure these additional 10 are worth a listen of their own.  And really….how are you going to limit it to just 10?!  If you’re behind the times, check out these songs for a dose of awesome. Continue Reading

Do you ever have that dream where you’re lying upwards on the couch and Ratatat is killing it underneath the cushions while a veritable Mardi Gras is blowin’ up your spot but you can’t even figure out why the front door is really on the back of the couch with a Phantom of the Opera Gondola settin’ sail to the kitchen for more milk to spill out the window Continue Reading

In the world of DIY choreography, Ok Go, are the undisputed heavyweights.  Having jumpstarted their career with the backyard classic, “A Million Ways,” the sultans of synchronization have since let loose with a chain of multi-platinum Youtube videos.  Previously, the foursome has tasked themselves with plotting and performing elaborate dances with a twist and a thick layer of Velveeta.  With the release of “This Too Shall Pass,” the gang kicked it up a notch, actually hiring an engineering firm to design and build the monumental tribute to Rube Goldberg.  This relinquishing of power was sign of what was to come. Continue Reading

Considering his recent 180 on the grandiose undertaking of writing an album for each of the 50 states, it might have been alarming to hear Sufjan Stevens declare his new album would conclude with a 25-minute marathon track, boasting no less than six distinct “acts.”  And given the avant-ness of his mixed-media tribute to the Brooklyn Queens Expressway, a song of this length leaves a lot of room to go awry.  But in the way that only he can, Sufjan blows the doors off this bitch.  Continue Reading

The Brooklyn rap duo + hypeman, Das Racist, have been slowly turning heads since they released their faux classic single “Combination Pizza Hut and Taco Bell” in 2008.  At first listen the track reeks of flash-in-the-pan greatness, made possible by the wonders of the internet (and possible a great hypeman?).  However, the group has been steadily making headway, and in March of this year they dropped the Shut Up, Dude mixtape with production help from Diplo, Dame Grease, and Boi-1da. Continue Reading