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Disclosure’s Caracal

October 1, 2015October 1, 2015by Blondie and the BeatLeave a Comment

Brothers Howard and Guy Lawrence make up the electronic/dance duo Disclosure. Their sophomore album, Caracal, was released this past Friday. Featuring collaborations with some of the best voices in music today like, Lion Babe, Lorde, Miguel, The Weeknd, and the English King himself, Sam Smith. The album is an eclectic art concept from start to finish.

I have spent days listening to every single song off the album and I have fallen in love with every single one. These guys go beyond the dance genre into some serious technical skill. Each song is almost reminiscent of a 70’s groovy sound illuminated by pulsating drum and bass beats. Every chorus is magnified by poetic lyrics and impeccable vocals.

I listened to “Superego” having never heard of the singer Nao before and instantly became obsessed with it. Her voice is smooth, angelic, and harsh all at once, making the song as hypnotizing as it is. “This ain’t the me show, keep it on the low
Where’s your superego? You let your head grow, I tried to let you know,” guide this song to be powerful and sassy.

Singles like, “Omen”, “Holding On”, and “Willing & Able” all capture the soul elements that sometimes get lost in dance and electronic music. When I heard each one of these singles, I became addicted, because no one else is doing this type of music. Disclosure has this ability to evoke so much emotion in each song; something very uncommon in this genre. Vocals are always executed brilliantly and echo the production flawlessly.

Big concepts are lining this album from top to bottom. “Moving Mountains” is an easy-going chill electronic tune until you reach the 3:50 mark where the song takes a subtle turn into hip-hop while still keeping the captivating angel-like vocals. It’s so incredible you can’t help but listen to it over and over. While, “Good Intentions” led by R&B crooner Miguel (you guys know how much I adore this man…), picks up right where Miguel left off on his album Wildheart. “Intentions” mimics everything you would hear in a standard Miguel song; dope electronics, an incredible consistent beat, and sultry vocals to no end. Lyrics like, “But I’m not perfect the way you’re perfect, and though it hurts, yeah, it hurts to say goodbye, I know I let you down…” make this song the perfect “I’m sorry”. Or, you could just make a skittles pizza like Mia Thermopolis.

I couldn’t be more amazed by Caracal. It is stuffed with one of a kind musical content that more people need to appreciate.

-Abbey

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The new “1989”

September 23, 2015September 23, 2015by Blondie and the Beat1 Comment

“Ryan Adams? Who’s that?” -Says almost every teenager this week as Adams’ album 1989 hit the web. When I first heard Ryan Adams was going to be covering Taylor Swift’s entire album, I knew it would be beautiful, because her lyrical content is extremely strong, especially on this album. But I expected a fully acoustic album from start to finish, instead, Adams completely re-vamped each song, truly making it his own.

With Bono-like vocals, 1989 is a little bit country, a little bit rock, and even a little bit folk. Songs like “Style” take on a whole new level of rock, that you don’t hear in your head when listening to Swift’s version. While the uppity “Shake It Off” is transformed into a soft easy-going song that you could sip your Chai Tea too at a nearby corner Starbucks. Soft electric guitars cruise through the entire album with subtle grace and beauty. “Bad Blood” remains almost the exact same but is transformed into an acoustic version, keeping a similar beat.

I have to applaud Adams, for following what I’d like to call a “passion project”. I can only imagine how difficult this was to work on. You would be constantly reminded of the original versions, which could be extremely distracting.

Adams recently told Zane Lowe on his Apple Music radio show, that he’s been a Swift fan for a while, “A lot of those songs are pretty flawless, they’re so well written, they’re so clean.” His recent divorce with actress/singer Mandy Moore most likely contributed to his newfound love for poetic lyrics, as heard in pretty much every Swift song. Once Adams set his mind to this project, he did it, “I bought a four track cassette recorder and I was like, ‘I’m gonna make 1989 like Nebraska style…Just acoustic guitar, bunch of spring reverb, just me.”

He truly made 1989 his.

-Abbey

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Music Monday’s: “What Do You Mean?”

September 7, 2015September 7, 2015by Blondie and the BeatLeave a Comment

Key Item: Beige oversized sweater

Key Materials: Cozy knits

Shoe Situation: Adidas Originals Pro Model

“What Do You Mean?” solidifies Justin Bieber’s cross into the EDM/Dance world. “Where Are U Now” served as a preview of what he’s trying to do with this next album. “Mean” keeps a soft texture with Bieber’s smooth baby voice singing, “Better make up your mind, what do you mean?” Although the lyrics are back and forth expressing a confusing relationship, the whistling back tones make you bop your head along as if it’s a happy-go-lucky fun anthem. This is without a doubt the right direction for Bieber. He keeps pop-y lyrics and unique generated sounds. A ticking clock is heard throughout the song resembling a lack of patience or time left in the relationship. I think his recent collab with Diplo & Skrillex brought out the best in him, sparking more creative energy for substantial material. I’m excited to hear more of what’s to come.

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Spotlight On: Troye Sivan

September 5, 2015September 5, 2015by Blondie and the BeatLeave a Comment

Recently new to the music scene, but no stranger to stardom, Troye Sivan released his EP titled Wild, this past Friday and fans are LOVING every minute of it. Sivan teased them with aesthetically pleasing teasers leading up to the launch of his EP. One video in particular titled “‘BLUE NEIGHBOURHOOD’ TRILOGY TRAILER, BY TROYE SIVAN” gained the most support from fans; “I just broke the replay button”, “HOW IS THERE SO MUCH EMOTION IN 48 SECONDS”, “i’m just letting you know that this only got 1,050,866 views because they’re all me. I’ve watched this so much, they’re all me i swear”, etc… Talk about RAVE REVIEWS.

Check it out for yourself:

Wild features six heavy tracks dealing with young love, coming out, growing up, and strong feelings. Sivan stands for the young wild youth. Eclectic compositions glitter through this EP from start to finish. It’s beautiful to see electronic music having such a strong influence on the pop scene right now. Producing strong unique material is becoming quite popular and I couldn’t be happier about it.

Sivan’s voice is extremely unique. He keeps the innocence of a youngster while his vocal range and quality go far beyond his 20 years. Title track “Wild”, features child-like back-up vocals while keeping the theme of young love with a hint of rebellion; “Running on the music and night highs, but when the light’s out, It’s me and you now.”

Closing track, “DKLA” takes on a different feel. Slightly darker, more intense, using hip-hop beats and more electronics. Not to mention, a verse from hip-hop artist Tkay Maidza. Sivan’s voice is the perfect contrast to the harsh beats surrounding the sultry verses; “Wrapped my thoughts around your mind, wrapped your body on my mind.” “DKLA” deserves to be on every “chill vibes” playlist known to man.

Although Sivan stands strong on his own, he did have some stellar guests add charm to his already enchanting records. Alt group, Broods guest on the song “EASE”. Front woman Georgia Knott’s breath-y vocals blend effortlessly with Troye’s soft harmonies making this record a serious stand-out among the rest.

Sivan with Caleb and Georgia of the band Broods. image via: projectu.tv

For a newcomer, Sivan is doing all the right things and surely making a name for himself in an industry that only gets more competitive day after day. Cheers to that!

-Abbey

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Music Monday’s: “Prisoner”

August 24, 2015August 24, 2015by Blondie and the BeatLeave a Comment

Key Item: Cracked marble shirt

Key Materials: Printed leather

Shoe Situation: All white huarache nike sneakers

Accessory Must: A solid white hat

The Weekend already proved he can woo the world with “Earned It” and make us dance with “Can’t Feel My Face” so why not add another notch to the belt? His first released collaboration off his upcoming album Beauty Behind the Madness (coming Aug. 28) is called “Prisoner” featuring the sultry queen herself, Lana Del Rey. The Weeknd’s falsetto takes the lead on the chorus as the verses serve to be a guide on how to love; “love will always be a lesson, lets get out of its way.” The powerful bass in this song drive it to be a definite R&B hit and Lana’s easy-going verse just adds to the sex appeal of the song. Abel swoons to the song admitting he’s a prisoner to love; something Lana Del Rey knows very well. The two compliment each other musically, lyrically, and aesthetically.

Listen Below:

http://sobasiic.tumblr.com/post/127259124029/sexhilaration-ldrnews-the-weeknds-brand-new

Category: Uncategorized

Disclosure’s Caracal

The new “1989”

Music Monday’s: “What Do You Mean?”

Spotlight On: Troye Sivan

Music Monday’s: “Prisoner”

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