Iggy Azalea Releases New Album

      An Austrailian girl who grew up in the 90's listening to south American Rap and Hip-Hop, bearing an intense fascination with the work of Tupac. Iggy Azalea was born in a small rural town in Australia and at the age of 16 she moved to Miami and then several cities around the south. Finally finding her way to great city of Los Angeles through the attention of Interscope Records.
     Among female artists around the world Azalea's music ascends Billboard's R&B/Hip-Hop charts with 4 different singles including collaborations with succesful artists like T.I.  In addition to her growing fame, Azalea has just released her first official album off of T.I.'s Grand Hustle label. The New Classic is a 12 track wonder that features a mix of R&B, rap, hip hop, and electronic influences with a sprinkle of 90's music influences. On the third track of the album Iggy delivers flawless rhymes to a Spanish style guitar riff featuring WatchTheDuck. The album then flows through several songs that will soon be heard blasting from car speakers and out of clubs all across the US.  Fancy featuring Charli XCX was released as a single along with a music video based on the 90's film Clueless where Azalea embodies the ultra valley girl. "New Bitch" is my favorite tune, it starts with a slow tempo and crecendos toward the chorus as Iggy spits truths about the cycles of relationships:
 "It's always jealous broads wishing they was in my shoes/ But I'm a debut, you a deja vu... And what I do, it can't be compared/ You well done and bitch I'm rare".
   The name of the album is definitely misleading, the album is not a new classic but rather bossy with style. Compared to her previously released mixtape Ignorant Art, this album brings a more focused sound. The way Azalea owns each and every song with a fiery confidence. The New Classic is a diverse yet cohesive collection of tunes. I believe that they truly represent the depth of young Iggy Azalea's talent and her growing musical skills.


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Catch her on  tour

Buy her album on itunes  here

Hanni El Khatib Premieres New Song

Finally, Hanni El Khatib has premiered his latest song "Family". After a sharing some whiskey with Dan Auerbach in Paris, Khatib teamed up with the head of The Black Keys to produce his sophomore album. You will be pleased to hear the same familiar garage rock sound with a new set of striking power chords and smashing drums combined with Khatib's effortless vocal delivery. He worked on his new album "Head in the Dirt" with Auerbach in his Nashville recording studio. Read Rolling Stone's article here.  The album is expected to be released on April 30th. Stay tuned.



Also, be sure to check him out at COACHELLA, day 3.

Listen to the One

I saw The Blank Tapes band perform at the Continental Room. Since their first album in '09, The Blank Tapes have evolved into a jammin' lo-fi/psych/garage trio. Pretty good show, I highly suggest you check them out. They have a January residency at The Continental Room every sunday.

Folk Mickey Mouse

Dine Alone Records released a holiday sampler:

Alexisonfire - Happiness By The Kilowatt (NEW)
The Civil Wars - Tracks In The Snow
Grey Kingdom - Imminent Failure
The Lumineers - Stubborn Love
Shovels & Rope - O' Be Joyful
Simone Felice - Stormy-Eyed Sarah
Kopecky Family Band - Are You Listening
Data Romance - Caves
Hannah Georgas - Somebody
Great Bloomers - I Wanna Die Young
Moneen - Believe
Yukon Blonde - My Girl
Parlovr - General Hell (True Love Fades)
Kate Nash - Death Proof
Deer Tick - The Bump
FIDLAR - Cheap Beer
Monster Truck - Righteous Smoke
Marilyn Manson - Slo-Mo-Tion

Love this city

Straight out of LA, Vintage Trouble.

Dearest

You can be Mickey and I will be Sylvia.

Listen up

So there's this artist, BebeBlack. Give her a listen.

... or two

On Repeat

fangirl

So this happened...

He put on a pretty rad show. Super raw. Can't wait for the next album.

Heads up

Hanni El Khatib

Raised in San Francisco, signed to LA's Innovative Leisure records, Hanni El Khatib is storming through California with a vintage Silvertone in hand. He describes his music as "for anyone who has ever been shot or hit by a train". His debut album, "When The Guns Come Out" is an 11 track home run with a catchy combination of blues, rock n' roll, and garage rock inspired by the 50's and 60's. There are nine original songs, including the hit "Come Alive" and three covers on the album including Elvis's "Heartbreak Hotel". The album brings the kind of sounds that make you want to roll your sleeves up and walk like you've got a gun in your pocket. Khatib is just finishing up his first tour and it is known that Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys will be producing his sophomore album. Get ready.

I will be checking him out on May 12, the last show of the tour. I'm crossing my fingers, hoping for something crazy bad to happen.

Heads up

J.D. Mcpherson

Read about him here.
His album comes out tomorrow, order here.
U.S. tour dates have been set, I will most definitely check him out when he comes to town.

Can't shake this little feeling

I first heard this song in high school. Played it into the ground, I was so young and in love. Three years later, the song gives me the same feeling and I like it.
...and I like you.

Teenage dreams, so hard to beat.

We ate ice cream and watched the Disneyland fireworks.

Sounds

I rarely put songs on repeat.
Starting off every day this week with this one.



The first time I listened to this song I absolutely loved it.
So much that I had to play it again just to make sure the first time wasn't a fluke.

Check out Youngblood Hawke on Bandcamp

Tune in

I hate when you just don't know.

protocol

4 am

Explosions In The Sky

Mogwai

Brian Eno

Shlomo

SOPHOMORE SLUMP

I hate when bands come out with a sophomore album and it doesn't come close to living up to their first one. Actually, I hate when any band decides to change their sound almost entirely for a 'fresh' new album and it ends up sounding worse. Always disappointing... and no matter how much you want to like it, the album just sounds like shit.

I like your sound.
I don't like your sound plus a bunch of other sounds.

-excessive and unnecessary

A night at the Constellation Room

Nick Waterhouse
and the Tarots.
A Los Angeles based band, signed with Innovative Leisure Records, is bringing it back with the sounds of the 50's. Nick Waterhouse returns to his hometown to perform at the Constellation Room in Santa Ana.

Great show. I may be in the wrong generation. Waterhouse gets it.
The band accompanying him was also great. I actually had the chance to talk with them for a bit after the show. They were really nice people, genuinely flattered by the compliments I gave them. They actually just got started as a band playing with Waterhouse but are moving to LA in the next week anyways. The keyboardist is currently a grad student at UC Irvine getting his masters in Cognitive Psych.

Going to great shows always makes me feel like a kid at an electric parade. Everything in front of me is so incredible I can't help but smile and stare in awe. There are no words to describe it. I get completely lost, its wonderful.