Music Monday 41.

Foo Fighters - Rope



Here's the second full single from The Foos off their new album that is being reported to being captured on a tape recorder. Despite Rope appears to be a much cleaner sound that White Limo, but still has that growling, rustic Foos feel. Literally can't wait for this album.

Gold Panda - Marriage



A beautiful song, accompanied by a rather cute video, from Gold Panda. It's simple repetitive beat lulls you in and the subtle dub beats gives it a really interesting and unique feel.

Awolnation - Sail



Am I allowed to say that two songs in a row have a pretty unique sound? Well I'm doing so. The bass beat in this song is pretty ridiculous and doesn't hold back as the vocals scream over the top. Intriguing and intoxicating stuff.

Out Like A Lion - X Lovers

X Lovers by outlikereleases

It's good to hear something new from one of my favourite bands (who's lead singer works in the shop opposite me), having absolutely rinsed every song on their Myspace and on Youtube. They bring a great energy and feel to their tracks, keep it going boys.

The Legend Of The Black Mumba.

When Nike decided to get together the likes of Kobe Bryant, Robert Rodriguez, Danny Trejo Bruce Willis and Kanye West, something epic and over the top seemed destined to happen. This short film depicts Bryant in his brand spanking Black Mumba shoes fighting the forces of evil and most notably, The Boss: Kanye West (I imagine Kanye put himself forward for this role). The budget for this short must have been ridiclous, some next level advertising.




I think they just about get away with the cheesy end line.

Kanye X Rihanna's Boobs X Hype Williams X Cudi X Typography X LIGHTS.

Just reading the title of this post should give you a big enough incentive to watch the new Kanye West video. So I'll shut up and let you.



There is so much that this video has going for it. Sure it's not ground-breaking, but personally, I think that Kanye's has done more than his fair share of ground smashing recently. The direction from Hype is amazing, unsurprisingly the use of lighting is perfect and somehow not over the top. Taking a leaf out of Cee Lo Green's music video book, the typography is spot on (although it is an easy option). And who ever designed Rihanna's lack of outfit should be given some sort of reward.

Music Monday 40.

Tyler The Creator - Yonkers



So yeah Odd Future have pretty much exploded after their appearance on Jimmy Fallon and rightfully so. Widely hailed as the future of hip-hop, Odd Future, fronted by Tyler The Creator are spitting in the face of Akon, T-Pain and the such. This is Tyler's first single off his album. I love the video, it gives Tyler a chance to bask in the glory he loves and gets to show his attitude and showmanship directly to the audience.

Foo Fighters - White Limo



Foo Fighters are back. And they're back HARD. Everything that I've heard from the new album, including the first single White Limo, is everything you'd expect off a band's debut album before they clean themselves up to go mainstream. However Foos are doing it exactly the way that they want to, the new album sounds raw, grimy and loose and in no way is that a bad thing.

Radiohead - Lotus Flower



All the musical press was focused on the return of Radiohead last week, their huge and devoted fan-base is difficult to ignore. The new album suddenly became avaliable a day early along with this video and the internet went mad. This five minute solo performance by Thom Yorke gives fans something to touch themselves over as he stumbles, flexes and prances about. I do like it, and Radiohead in general, although not to the extent that I've got locks of Yorke's under my bed.

Mumford And Sons - Untitled



It's really nice to have something new from the Mumford boys as their massive, MASSIVE debut album. And yeah it sounds good, not groundbreaking, but good.

Dead Island.

The gaming market is now huge. Huge. HUGE. Gaming, whether it be on a Playstation, Xbox, computer or Wii, are becoming more advance by the second, half the time you don't even need to use a controller. And it only makes sense that the more competitive, and richer, the market becomes the quality of the advertising is driven up (note - this is not always the case, some people are more than happy to put out mediocre at best ads).

This trailer for Dead Island has taken it up a notch. Above all the CGI is incredible, almost life-like. In a short space of time you become connected to the characters, you instantly become involved in the game, could the advert do any more? The execution of the ad is simply stunning.

Banksy: Americano

We are all so familiar, especially in the UK, with the work of Banksy. He's provocative images have carved the route for graffiti to be considered as art by many. However there are possibly just as many that consider his work as vandalism, drawing up fiercly fought plans to have his work covered over. Personally I think that his images are fresh and original and often add to their surroundings, whilst commenting and judging the culture and society that surrounds the work. Sure it's illegal, but there's by far more pressing issues for the law and councils to be concerned with.

Banksy has now popped on a plane and headed to L.A to cause a bit of trouble over there. Have a look.

Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All, Killed It.

I posted earlier the incredible Adele performance from The Brit Awards this TV performance, is something else. There is so much hype over Odd Future, it is unreal, and their front man, Tyler The Creator is another level of unreal. I'm still trying to get my head around them, they're not an easy pill to swallow. But it certainly looks like they know how to put on a show, a very very weird show.

Under The City.

This is a unique idea and a really great execution for Batelco Directory.

Adele.

Despite all the dancers, fireworks, explosions and lights that accompanied the likes of Rihanna and Take That at last night's Brit Awards, it was the simplest performance that stood head and shoulders above the rest. Adele. I will try not to over-exaggerate, but her performance was incredible. It felt like the country stood still and she powered her way through Someone Like You. It was heart-felt, passionate and spine-tingling. See for yourself.

Music Monday 39.

The Strokes - Under The Cover Of Darkness



Yep, they're baaaaaaaaacccckkkkk.

Chase & Status ft Tinie Tempah - Hitz



During his rise to pop super-stardom through-out 2010, it seems that people have forgotten the lyrical talent that Tinie posseses. Well he's back with the consistantly good Chase & Status to remind us. Tinie goes hard as this track, he's pretty relentless through-out. With these two getting together, it was always going to be a hit, and a hit that will feature on the radio very much I'm sure.

Wrench 32 ft Example - Unorthodox



Massive sample on this track. Massive. Example has seemed to developed the ability to create radio hits on a consistant basis recently (long gone are the days of "You can't rap my friend, you're white and you're from Fulham), but teaming up with Wrench 32 has given this track an extra bit of edge. Ok it's super catchy and pretty poppy, but that's not always a bad thing (usually, but not always).

Marcus Foster - Shadows Of The City



I love this track, pure and simple. A pure voice, some simple guitars and a great pace and tension to the track. It's truly great.

Va Va. Voom?

Remember Va Va Voom? Remember Thierry Henry now that I come to think of it? Well Thierry is back and his Va Va Voom is coming along with him. I really like this advert, everything about it. It's cool. The typeography, the lighting, the people in and the overall style, it's just cool.

WWF: Connected.

This is how to combine a simple concept with some stunning execution.

TOUCH(points)DOWN!

The Superbowl is not only the big show of the world's (actually, just America's) favourite sport, but it is also the big show for advertising. With advertising rates, reportaetly, reach a crazy $100,000 a second, it is only the big boys that can afford to play this game. And boy did they step up to the mark (is that a baseball reference? sorry). Here's a few of my favourites from this year.

Volkswagen



Chrysler



Coca-Cola





Pepsi



Chevy



Brisk

Wizard Smoke

This is VERY cool. Especially in 720p. A group of skaters cover themselves in chalk dust from head to toe and then took to their boards. Some epicness continues.



Just imagine how long they had to clean themselves and their clothes.

Music Monday 38.

Back down to our regular sized Music Mondays, although don't worry the quality of the music is as high as ever. Let's get down to it.

Lupe Fiasco - Words I Never Said



With his second single Lupe takes his forthcoming album, Lasers, in a totally new direction from The Show Goes On. Lupe goes at this track hard, he pulls no punches. He works well with Skylar Grey (yeah she's on Eminem's new track too) and just goes for it.

Kanye West - Young Folks (Peter Bjorn And John cover)



I don't know where this song came from, I've got no idea if it's new or old and quite frankly I don't care. It's incredibly. Taking catchyness to a whole new level, Kanye teams up with Peter Bjorn and John (we shouldn't be surprised who he collobs with these days) to cover their hit Young Folks. Oh yeah and there's a bit of a rant in the middle, classic Kanye.

Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues



Those lovely folk, er folk, are giving this track away for free on their website, isn't that nice of them? Yes it is, because this track is a lovely bit of gorgeousness. It's simple, focusing around the voices and guitars and Fleet Foxes pull it off wonderfully.

Funtcase - Make Our Day



Nice and settled after Fleet Foxes? Well this track will wake you up like no other. A unbearbaly huge bit of dubstep here. It also follows in the footsteps of Cockney Thug of the pre-song phonecall which sets the track up perfectly.

Touching Strangers.

I'm a big fan of street-style photography and have a friends that often do this and other forms of portrait photography. Personally, I can't imagine anything more awkward than approaching strangers on the street and asking to take a picture of them to put on the internet for everyone to see. Photographer Richard Renaldi took any notion of awkwardness to a whole new level with his project "Touching Stangers". This project invited strangers on the streets to be photographed together whilst establishing physical contact, as you can see, some were more comfortable than others. See more here.

Winter In Hell.

A beautifully captured video of the Icelandic winter that is turned on it's head by the violent eruption of Eyjafjallajokull last winter. The calm and still winter where the ice settles on the beaches is disrupted like never before in recent time. The volcano erupts in huge bellows of smoke and covered the continent and then we see the raw power of the lava eruptions as fire and rocks spit ferociously into the air. A wonderful video of the raw power and beauty of nature.

May The Force Start Your Car.

This ad is really great. It's showing off probably the most pointless function of a car, but in all honesty, who cares? Judging by the amount of Youtube views, clearly not many people.



VW do it again.