Music Monday 37: Bumper Edition

It’s one of those weeks, where songs just seem to creep out of every oriface of the internet and as usual I am in no way complaining. Some new stuff, some new remixes and a couple of cool videos for you this week.

Jay Electronica - Jazzamatazz



This is familiar territory from Jay Elec, but in no way, as with anything this man produces, should be ignored. There’s a famous speech (brought to you by Martin Luther King this time), a looping beat, kids laughing. And, oh yeah, Jay Electronica bringing it as strong as every. I’m happy in this territory.

Lupe Fiasco - The Show Goes On



So here’s the first of the cool videos, ok it’s not incredible but the editing and cinematography is pretty sweet in parts. But more importantly the song behind the video is pretty special. This song has been around a little while but it’s only recently that I’ve been hitting repeat for it. It’s got a nice beat, it’s inspirational and it’s Lupe Fiasco. It should not be ignored.

Panic At The Disco - The Portrait Of Mona Lisa



Remember Panic? My teenage years certainly do. The pop-rock band that took camp to a new level, that could not be ignored for their catchy tunes and lead singer’s Urie’s voice. Well, they’re back and it’s almost like they’ve never been away. A nice slice of delicious pop-rock, I’d expect nothing less.

The Go Team - Buy Nothing Day



The Go Team. How do you describe them? Pop, indie, hip-hop, funk? Yeah all of those I’d say. The Go Team have seemingly been around for every, but in no way is that a bad thing. They have produced numerous hits of the years, including one of my favourite tracks ever, LadyFlash. They’re unique and that’s the best way for them to stay.

James Vincent McMorrow - Follow You Down To The Red Oak Tree



Benjamin Francis Leftwich - Pictures



A bit of a change of pace from the treble-barreled named singer-songwriters. I’ve put these two together, not because of they are any less than the other songs, but because there is little to say other than to appreciate the beauty of these songs. Lovely videos too.

Sleigh Bells - Rill Rill



Now let’s ease you back up. Amazing video and amazing song from Sleigh Bells. That’s all that needs to be said.

Tame Impala - Why Won’t You Make Up Your Mind? (Erol Alkan Remix)



A great combination of two great artists. It takes the dreamyness of Tame Impala with a pinch of Erol Alkan’s dance vibes and it works very, very well.

Adele - Rolling In The Deep (Jamie XX) Ft Childish Gambino



Yeah it may only be one verse different from the original (original remix, that is) but wow. What a verse.

Ellie Goulding - Lights (Wired Remix)



Wow, this is dubby.

Nike: Andres Iniesta

This is the new Nike advert featuring the little known, one of the best players in the world, Andres Iniesta. It's not anything especially new from Nike, but the technical ability of both the advert and the Spaniard is something to be admired.

Johnnie Walking: Walk Through Time.

These adverts truly are stunning. It's a cool concept, but it really is all about the execution. It sucks you as you explore the ad, seeing something new each time as you weave along the label.

Beautifully Badass.

This is incredible. It’s a suitcase - perfectly fitted for a bottle of bourbon and a set of brass knuckles. The outside says, “Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing. Sack up.” The inside offers, “The two roads to courage.”

Beautifully Badass.

Born To Grown.

This advert is truly beautiful and moving. Charities have it hard these days with tough competition, the public becoming desensitized and the old 'current economy', but this ad really stood out for me. Beautifully shot and written.

Quality Counts. Not Counting Money.

Real nice little video clip where graphic designer Saul Bass talks about the importance of producing work that you are proud of and that pleases you, not what will make the most money. It's a great attitude but it takes real talent to be able to pull it off.

Bryant: Black Mumba.

This looks ridiculously good on so many levels.

Being Creative: "The Ability And Urge To Make Something Of Value"

This little video is truly beautiful. There's two reasons to this post, the first being that this concept phone looks very cool, whether it's possible to make is another question.

The second is more important to me, the voice-over, or more importantly, what the voice over says. Make sure that you take your time to listen to the words being spoken over this video. For me, much of these ideas are applicable to advertising, doing something different and looking to entertain and inspire. But they can go so much further than that, it is easy to apply them to life in general.

Look and listen.

Dream Big.

The will is much stronger than the flesh and it only gets stronger when you’re gonna do the rest
Imagination is the fact … that makes legends, close your eyes and dream big like Faith Evans

Jay Electronica

Brother: “If anyone here doesn’t want to see the future of music, leave now.”

In a time when bands have forgotten how to stay around for more than a year or two, British music is calling out for a band that has the kahunas to stick it. I don’t want to tempt fate or jump the gun, but I’m hoping that that could just be Brother. These boys have seemed to snuck up from nowhere (aka Slough) and kind of, well, kicked some shit about music wise. Their first single “Darling Buds Of May” can only be described as an absolute belter, combining rock, indie and pop to perfection. They are very much the new face of Britpop. This band definitely seem to be sticking to the less is more formula, only seeming to have put about six songs together, yet they are all including Time Machine and New Year’s Day are far from album-fillers.



It seems to come with the territory that if you’re a Britpop band you have to come with a certain amount of swagger (or just be a pair of massive twats if you’re the Gallaghers). Brother certainly have said swagger. Just read a few quotes from an interview with NME:

“If anyone here doesn’t want to see the future of music, leave now.”

“We want to headline Glastonbury. And we will.”

“The most surprising thing to us is that all this hasn’t happened sooner.”

““We’re sick of all these American bands,” Lee sneers. “The Drums can do one. As can all those bands with beards. It’s time for a proper band with some bollocks. Hopefully other bands will follow us.””


But in all truth:

“We’re already polarising opinion massively,” says Lee. “People might think we’re arrogant, but it’s just belief. We know how amazing we are. And soon everyone else will.”




Trust me this band are pretty special and I can say that first hand after seeing them perform live just a few weeks ago. And if that isn’t good enough for you, then the mere fact that Noel Gallagher hates them and slagged them off should be enough.

Music Monday 36.

I'm cramming this into my lunch break, along with cooking a bacon sandwich, so apologies if it appears a little rushed.

James Blake - The Wilhelm Scream



I read earlier this week that not winning and coming runner up in the Sound of 2011 competition may have been the best thing to happen to Mr Blake. Everyone now knows of the artist that has been lingering in the shadows for sometime now, yet there is not the pressure to please. At least in a commercial sense. Now I'm not saying his music doesn't please, far from it, he can now make music he wants to make, and not to sell records. And thank God. Now we get to hear just plain and simple songs such as this one from the man, only great stuff to come.

Travis Barker - Carry It



Yep, everyone's favourite, occasionally one-armed drummer, Travis Barker is bringing out a solo album. And as an entire album of drumming, no matter how good, might become a tad boring Travis has got a load of mates from the worlds of rock and hip-hop to join him. Good move. This is the first track featuring RZA, Raekwon and Tom Morello, quite the mix. This track appears to be some lazy western guitars riffs, heavy drums with a couple of rappers over the top. Interesting.

Patrick Stump - Accapella



I'm excited to hear the solo album from Mr Stump, more so than I have been to hear from the other members' post-FOB projects. An incredible and pretty unique voice, great producing skills and what appears to be a hard-working ethic. This mash-up of: Empire State Of Mind - Jay-Z & Alicia Keys, Love The Way You Lie - Eminem Featuring Rihanna, Need You Now - Lady Antebellum, Nothin' On You - B.o.B Featuring Bruno Mars
and Fuck You - Cee Lo Green is pretty cool.

Lower Than Atlantis - Beech Like The Tree



Bit of a weirdly named song, but nevertheless I like it. It's a step up form their emo roots and there's definitely a massive Anberlin influence in there, and despite the fact that's it's pretty much built on the chorus and not a lot else, it's pretty cool.

Nike: The Cage.

After linking this video and then watching it, I just simply had to include it. It’s incredible. The players in there (not that many of them are still playing), the skill, the attitude, the filming and the simple cheekiness of it all is just perfect. One of my favourite ads of all time and the reason I wanted to get into the business. Great advertising, but more importantly great football.

Vive Le Nike!

I love Nike ads. There's no doubt about it, when I was younger I would watch The Cage adverts over and over, memorised by the talent and skill on display by some of the world's greats. Not knowing it then, this was when my love for advertising started. It is the very essence of advertising, watching something because it appeals to you, it interests and entertains and as a result of that you might remember the brand and like it a little more. Nike (along with Adidas) have produced this essence in their ads time and time again.

Vive Le Football Libre is not their greatest advert but it still combines the Nike formula. This formula appears to combine the passion, skill and determination of the the beautiful game right from the parks to the 70,000 seater stadiums, it doesn't matter if you're a kid or a superstar, it's all about the passion. (Note the part where all the seats flip up, wonderful shot.)

Stuck Between A Car And A Hard Place

Not much needs to be said for these ads. And I doubt much needs to be said when using the product.

Influencers: Steve Stoute

 
From the people that brought the inspiring Influencers film, R+I Creative are now developing a mini-series entitled In-Depth Series with this episode featuring Steve Stoute. Steve is the founder and CEO of Translation, a brand management firm that arranges strategic partnerships between Pop Culture icons and Fortune 500 companies. The only negative thing about this video is that I wish it was longer. But hopefully there is more to come as Steve speaks about the concept of cool, a concept that to me is undefinable, yet redefined at every turn. He then turns to the need for brands to become cool and influential and the need to attach themselves to cultural influencers. Celebrity endorsements is an area that can be exploited to much success (Beckham and Adidas) to just plain bad exploitation (Beckham and Sharpie). The need and want for a certain brand to appear cool or ‘in’ is more important than ever, but it needs to be appropriate for a long lasting enforcement of brand values. I’m excited to see more from this series, hearing from the intelligent and the influential is always inspiring and educational. Listen and learn kids, listen and learn. I am.

Four Boys Go To Mongolia.

It feels just all kinds of right to make my 200th post about a journey of truly epic proportions, and a journey made by some of my oldest and best friends. In the summer of 2011 brothers Jake and Joe along with Jordan and Dwayne will be taking part in the monstrous Mongolian Rally. This rally is essentially the mother of all road trips as teams drive from the UK to, surprise surprise, Mongolia in vehicles that cost no more than £1000 and with a engine size of 1 litre or less. Teams can pick their own route across the many countries and will travel with no assistance. For charity. ‘Truly epic’ now seems a bit of an understatement.

Jake Baggaley

Joe Baggaley

Jake, Joe, Jordan and Dwayne, under the team name 3JD, are undertaking what some (me, hence my lack of involvement) would call a mad mission to raise money for the very worthwhile charities Children’s Hospice UK and The Christian Noble Foundation. This is of course the most importance factor behind both them undertaking this challenge and myself blogging about it to try and raise a bit of awareness, so head to their website to donate. NOW.

I strongly suggest that you head to the team website, and start following their blog for many reasons. Namely these are some funny (read the team bios on the website - genius) and talented guys. Taking a quick look at the team photos in and around this post it is clear that these are no ordinary mugshots of no ordinary guys. Chief photographer is my very good friend Jake, head to his website for a look at some of the stunning images this chap can produce. Each team member has their particular role to play, Jake; organiser, (partial) translator and photographer, Joe as co-organiser, coordination with the charities and general savior, Jordan is the team researcher and Dwayne; a former member of HRH Military who will provide invaluable knowledge and skills.

Dwayne Doherty

Jordan Bradbury

I am as envious as I am grateful that I’m not partaking on this trip. For all it’s absolute highs it will have it’s absolute lows, for all it’s successes it will have it’s failures and for it’s triumphs there will be tragedies awaiting for 3JD I’m sure. Nevertheless I can’t wait to hear the stories of the journey, see the photos, watch the videos but for the meantime I will be keeping up with the blog update.

Please give these guys and their charities your support, this is probably the most important thing that I have asked of you my loyal followers and readers, so please help my good friends out. I think you’ll agree that they more than deserve it.

Self Belief.

“I’m incomparable to anybody. I don’t care how people take that. No one can compete with me. I’m unfuckwittable; no one can knock me off my shit. I’m an unstoppable force, I’m a bullet. My trajectory is to the sky.”

– Scott Mescudi

Music Monday 35.

Heeeeeerrrrrrrreeeeee iiiiiiiiittttt gggggoooooooeeeeeeeessssssss!!

Kanye West & Jay-Z - H.A.M



Two of the biggest hip hop artists in the world combining to create an album called Watch The Throne was always going to be highly anticipated. The expectations are high, super high. Although they are entirely justified after Kanye's incredible 2010 with his G.O.O.D Fridays and MBDTF and Jay Z just being just about as big as any artist ever and still at the top of his game. Then last week, a track was leaked/released, the internet went wild, everyone listened, and then everyone went..."oh, is that it?". This track is trying too hard all the way through, it wants to be dark and epic, but it just isnt't, it's desperate. Jay Z's performance is probably the only saving grace in it, we expected more Yezzy and Hov. Try again please.

Lil Wayne - 6 Foot 7 Foot



I've got to admit, I've never given Lil Wayne a big listen, his voice tends to grate on me somewhat. However his first track since his incarceration has caught my attention. It's aggressive and in your face, it's got a solid rhythm and beats but most importantly it's got Lil Wayne's lyrics in full flow. It's ridiculous. Listen to him spit his way through this track and simply appreciate.

Lykke Li - I Follow Rivers



A change of direction here somewhat, but in an equally good one. The much anticipated album from Lykke Li is soon to upon us and this is the second single. This girls sticks to what she knows best, a great voice, a poppy and catchy tune over some indie beats. A solid combination.

Adele - Rolling In The Deep (Jamie xx Remix)



Wow, this is pretty cool. Jamie XX from, err, The XX has recently turned his tricks to remixing and producing songs, and this songs proves it was a very well thought move. It looks like there's some exciting stuff to come from this man, namely a team up with Drake, also check out his work with the legendary Gil Scott Heron. But this remix of Adele will more than do for now. It's great to see two of Britain's top musical talents combining.

A Moustache, A Beautiful Women & A Bathtub.

This is a gorgeous short film for eyewear company Oliver Peoples, shot by Lisa Eisner featuring Folk singer Devendra Banhart and his stunning girlfriend Rebecca Schwartz. I don't think anymore needs to be said.

Devendra Banhart's Love-In on Nowness.com.

Music Monday 34.5

This is just a quick update on a few songs that my blog seems to have passed by. They are songs that I have been listening to for a while, I just never got around to posting them (I like to at least try to keep MM as fresh as possible), so I though this half-way Music Monday could provide a little catch up for the songs.

N.B Take a moment to appreciate that all these bands are British. Proud to be and all that.

James Blake - Limit To Your Love



Great song, been around for a while, I'm sure you've all heard it.

Yasmin - On My Own



(Beautiful, beautiful women)

Yuck - Holing Out



Just an absolutely amazing bit of noise.

Noah And The Whale - L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N



Lovely simple little song. Nice video too.


Hope you enjoyed them, sorry I didn't post when they first poking their heads out the grass.
Come back on Monday for a full Music Monday update, it's gonna be biiiiig.

Stylist Skates.

Fashion and skateboarding have been friends as much as they have been foes in times gone by, but never have they combined in such a classy and sophisticated fashion as with this piece directed by Atelier Franck Durand. It features freestyle skater Kilian Martin wearing the brand A Man About Town, who's slogan "Babes, bikes, battleships, booze, burgers, boards & beastly behaviour", I don't quite think that it fits, but nevertheless a wonderfully executed video.

Read And Retain.

Every 43 Seconds.

I refused the urge of any boner jokes in the title as this is a serious matter folks. But what is (probably not) more important is the art direction in this ad, simply stunning.

Epic Eggs.

Although I really don't think the line "what would the French do?" is going to go down well in the UK, this advert is pretty stunning. I really has made me look at the way I make omelettes from now on. Well not really, but visually and sound effect-wise this advert is very impressive and does indeed create a sense of occasion and importance around that post-work snack. A well targeted campaign and a huge step away from that twat coming into your home to show beautiful families how to cook with Lurpak.

"It's almost like letting yourself fall in love a little bit everyday".

Scott Schumann is the face, behind the camera, behind the fashion blog The Sartorialist. For those unaware of the blog, The Sartorialist is one of the most popular fashion blogs that features blogging in it's most simplistic format, pictures, and nothing else. The pictures are simple glimpses and spots by Scott as he wonders the streets for fashion finds that intrigue and inspire visitors and feed into hundreds of comments per post. I love these mini documentaries as you find our a little bit more behind the man or women behind something that you admire and it can give you that little bit of inspiration or insight into how to achieve your goals.

From an advertising perspective, the link between Intel and The Sartorialist appears to be somewhat tenuous but associating themselves with one of the true influencers of the internet and fashion culture is smart. It's more than getting Kate Moss or Emma Watson to appear in an advert, it's building an association via content that people want to watch because it interests and entertains them, it is the very essence of what advertising is to me. Also the slogan "A Visibly Smart Film" is, er, smart.

Anyways, watch.

Music Monday 34.

Here it is, the first Music Monday post of the new year. It's a bit quiet this time of year but I've managed to find a few musical gems for you.

Asher Roth & Nottz - Comin And Goin



It's been a little while since we've heard from our (probably second) favourite white rapper, Asher Roth. Like some artists that have big catchy tunes (I'm looking at you I Love College) sometimes lose their credibility, and I think that Asher has been caught under this. His debut album was surprisingly sharp and strong and was much more than back-up singles for ILC. Comin and Goin is off his latest EP Rawth featuring rapper Nottz and it's a great stop gap between albums, it's fresh, self-challenging, a bit gritter but still as addictive as his debut.

We Are The Ocean - What It Feels Like



I never expected WATO's new single to sound much like stuff from their massive EP or debut album, and I was right. It's still got the speed, melodic guitars and vocals versus smashing riffs and screams, yet it all feels a little too clean for me. It's still a good single, but it feels a little like their trying too hard, stay to what you know boys.

Eminem - Difficult



Wow, this is Eminem at his best. If his latest album Recovery was a massive step back in the right direction, then this track was a massive run, skip and jump for Marshall back to his best. It's a deep, dark and emotional story, exactly what our (probably) favourite white rapper does best.

Bon Iver - Flume (Lanny May Remix)



Similar to Das Kapital's rerub of Skinny Love this similar remix gives this track a whole new life. The Lanny May remix does just enough to rework the track whilst leaving enough in of the beautiful original. Maybe it's just the length of the track, but it lulls the listener into a melodic trance but the amount of space in this truly is wonderful.

Human Planet

One of my favouritist presents this Christmas was from the in-laws, Planet Earth on Bluray. Although I've seen most of it before, albeit a while ago, it's so pleasurable to revisit Sir David talking us through the most beautiful yet wild corners of the Earth. It's a truly awe-inspiring series on so many levels, the animals and environments themselves, the quality of filmography, the practicalities of the filming amoungst many other things. Those that have seen it, and sister-series, Life will have to agree.

Now the BBC have shaped up what looks to be an equally wonderful series looking at the human side of planet Earth, called Human Planet. It really does look as incredible as Planet Earth and Life, but comes from an entirely different angle, looking at humans, us, and the way they live their lives from all around the world. Can't wait.

MoreThan Freeman: Insurance God.

It must be the 'in' brainstorming method for insurance companies these days, "hey don't you think our brand name sounds ever so like...". But if it aint broke. In a similar vein to the wildly successful Compare The Meerkat (aka Comparethemarket.com), More Than insurance have started a new campaign with a very familiar voice-over, slightly God-like. "Morethan Freeman" provides some wonderful and very well written life/insurance lessons to accompany some simply but delightfully shot ads, that's how you do it Go Fucking Compare.









I'm Morethan Freeman.

Reflection: From 2010 to 2011

2011 will be my year. I’m well aware of the cliched nature of such comments around this time of year and the notion of new years resolutions that are forgotten by the second week of January, but nevertheless, 2011 will be my year. 2010 has been a year of learning and realisation, somewhat a prelude to this much-hyped 2011 that I seem to speaking of. In the last year I’ve graduated from university, almost not graduated because of Twitter based scandal, got focused on my blogging, expanded my music taste, explored the quality of the internet (this is not a parent friendly way of saying I found a haven of porn sites), moved in with my girlfriend, realised my career path, gone to New York as an adult, started my portfolio and generally getting better at life.

Since finishing university, it’s much easier to take a step back and see how much I’ve grown and developed as a person. I’ve still got a long way to go, a long way. But it’s self-confirming to see the shift. I ploughed straight into university, fresh out of college, at 18, with the need to get out form under my parents feet and get on with life. I’ve always been the baby, the youngun, and this was the case at uni, however I’ve now come to realise that I can’t keep being content as the kid, waiting to catch up with everyone else, it’s up to me to be more than just the young guy. To go out there and not sit waiting around, yes I’m younger than most, but so what? No one cares. They care about my ability, my passion, my hardwork. It's about me. I’ve often sat back in the past, hoping and waiting, thinking that it will happen one day, but it won’t. When do you ever hear about the great and game changers that had it easy? You don’t. It’s about hard work. And a shit load of it. Though I’ve always worked hard, I can in no way said I’ve had a hard 21 years. Yeah sure, some bits were hard, but everyone’s is. I need to push myself, no one will do me any favors and it’s time I realised that.

This realisation could not have come at a better time. I am a graduate in Advertising and Marketing Communications, yep. But I currently work in retail. Through the various modules, tedious assignments and lines of theoretical books, I got lost. I lost the vision of what I have always wanted to do, create advertising. I forgot about the genius of creativity, the excitement of creating new ideas, as much as you fight for your audience research and hierarchy of needs, this industry, like many, is nothing without creativity. This was reinforced after reading the fantastic book Hey Whipple by Luke Sullivan, who states the importance of the surrounding areas of advertising, yet the need to do something different, push the boundaries and avoid getting sucked into mediocrity. This has pushed me towards focusing on my portfolio, still a work in progress, as it will be for the rest of my advertising years, but it’s in progress, and a progress I’m pushing. Without it I can go nowhere, it’s my springboard and I need to get some bounce in that bad boy. It’s up to me to get it done and to get it done well. No one else me.

So 2011 is about getting my ass in gear, pushing myself and succeeding. I’ve wanted to be in this advertising for many a year now and it’s a little bit weird to actually be at the stage when it should all be happening. The stage where I should be getting interviews, work experience and working on ideas to make into big fancy ads that are making people take notice. This year will be more than just about getting a job, it is about me truly, really becoming an adult, not in terms of having a salary or moving house, but in my attitude, my belief in myself and my work ethic, these are just as important as having paid holiday.

2011 will be my year.

Monster Hurricane.

This is some dark shit.

The latest music videos from 30 Seconds To Mars and Kanye West need to have some attention paid to them, pretty much for the same reason. They're both dark, freaky and pretty unexplainable. It's key to note that there's a much larger amount of S&M and latex activity in the 30STM video.

Kanye West - Monster (ft Rick Ross, Jay Z, Nicky Minaj & Bon Iver)



I don't know if this video will stay up as several have already been taken down, but find it. Even if it's just for Nicky Manaj's performance.

30 Seconds To Mars - Hurricane



The much hyped and anticpated video from Jared Leto and co is well, um, freaky. A lot of latex, a lot of gimps, a lot of sledgehammers, a lot of keys, a lot of fighting and a lot of boobs. All in all, it's worth a watch even if none of it really makes sense.

My Entrance.

If you've never been to a party with me, this is kind of how I roll.



Kind of.

iTweed

Ok I know that Christmas is over, but if you feel like treating yourself and your electrical goodies to something this January, I strongly suggest of of these Harris (real) Tweed iPhone/iPad/laptop cases. Get them here.

Nice eh?

A Few Ads...

Here's a few ads that have caught my attention recently. I would apologise for not posting them sooner but we all know that nothing happens in the surreal Christmas/New Year period.

Lynx:



Carlsberg:



(I've got a feeling that this ad is a little too clever and will only work in the viral space rather than the traditional print medium which is actually is. But still a cool idea, and if it works virally, then so what?)

Anti-Smoking: (Press CC for subtitles, unless you speak Russian)



Kagatani:

And because a VW advert is always worth a watch: