Get to Know Your Samples

You know that one song that sounds like that one song by Kanye??? Yeah you probably don't, but now you can figure it out. This situation happens to me all the time...like multiple times in a day. It would eat at my brain and make me spacey during class, but the other day I think my life changed. My friend Jamar told me about this amazing website that tells you what songs an artist sampled on which songs. Can I get a drumroll please??......it's www.whosampled.com. I wish I would have just put that in before because it's so simple, but I didn't. Maybe you're saying to yourself "Katie is stupid. That website is mad old." But I don't care. I just thought I'd let you in on my epiphany and if you haven't visited this website now you can when you have that name of a song on the tip of your tongue. Fun Fact: Kanye has sampled over 103 songs

I love Chauffeur...Theophilus, Ronson, Sparro

I have absolutely fallen in love with the song "Soles of Fire." It was another one of the songs on Theophilus London's Diesel radio show/playlist. The beat is unique and everything about it catchy. It has a watering dripping sound to it and then about 3 other layers of music to it. Basically polyrythmns at their best. Each verse is hot and the chorus is great. Some have said it's a subliminal message to buy Ronson's  shoes for Gucci.

"Can't wear me down, I won't get tired, I've ran so far, my soles on fire."

The Chauffeurs are like a dream team for music. They include Theophilus London, Mark Ronson and Sam Sparro. The only name that isn't that well-known, at least to me, is Sparro. He is an Australian singer-songwriter and producer. But Ronson is basically a producer God and Theophilus is a big up-and-coming rapper/singer...if you want to call him that.
I've already heard one sample of it and I must say it was good. Probably going to hear more.
Take a listen.

Photographs-Rihanna

I've listened to Rihanna's album, Rated R, and there is some good stuff. Her voice does bother me because of the robotic sound to it, but in this song she actually sings with a different song. I saw this title, Photographs, and automatically thought of the debacle of the titty pictures, but it's not about that. It's more about thinking about a relationship through photos. The featuring of will.i.am is good too. He adds a funk that makes the song seem a little less depressing then what the lyrics suggest. Gotta love will.i.am's producing and rapping/singing style. He always brings a smile to my face.
Give it a listen.

Actress to Singer

I'm not a big fan of the actress to singer and singer to actress thing. Let's name some; Jennifer Lopez (so i like her first stuff, but now she should stick to acting), Miley Cyrus (i don't know which one she was first, but I don't like her songs...I will not pary in the usa with her),Beyonce (i think she should stick to singing), Scarlett Johansson (complete butchering of Tom Waits),Hayden Panettierre (who even remembers her song?). And NOW, Leighton Meester (or is it Meister..there are so many different spellings on the web). I regret to say I am a fan of Gossip Girl, so I'd rather her stick to that than singing.
Her voice isn't ear-shattering bad, I just like her as an actress more. The first thing I heard with her on it was "Good Girls Go Bad" by Cobra Starship.I must I did not like it. There's a weird part of the song that just sounds off. Her part isn't bad, but every time I hear that she's a singer now, I think of that song and automatically the shuddering occurs.
But...I was peeping around today to find new music and ran across a Christmas song [Christmas(Baby Please Come Home)] from her. Since Thanksgiving is tomorrow, I figure I can post Christmas music now. I love it. This song isn't that bad, and maybe I can accept her as a singer. The one thing I don't like is that her voice is a little whiney and the words are very legato, but I guess to each their own.
Enjoy! Happy Early Thanksgiving!

XX in a Good Way

The XX isn't anything related to pornographic images. They are a group from London. The have an eargasmic remix of "You've Got the Love," so I couldn't help myself from finding out more about them.
They have a very calming tone or maybe a "relaxed-from-being -on-drugs" feel. I'm not saying that they are on drugs I'm just saying the way they deliver the lyrics and the tempo is just mad relaxed. Kind of like they want you to go to bed, but not because you want to hear more (confusing??? sorry).
They depend on their bass (as in guitar) a lot, and then they throw in some other fun sounds. I only have a live session of them + two other songs, but I really like them.
Check them out at myspace.com/thexx. They're also going to be at Webster Hall on Dec. 5th at 8pm, so if you go let me know how they are live.

And here's the remix I was talking about. Brace yourself for greatness :)

Theophilus Has Good Taste

I haven't posted a playlist in awhile, so here's a bangin' one for everyone. Just say thanks to Theophilus London. I must say he has excellent taste in music...doesn't surprise me since I love his music.

Theophilus London by Diesel:U:Music Radio on Mixcloud

check me out somewhere else

Hey readers! So I'm starting to contribute to stupiddope.wordpress.com in their music section. It's going to be more about new tracks in rap, r&b, and pop; and some interviews. But don't you worry I'm gonna keep posting here too. Check it out and tell me what you think, and if you want to see anything new and different.

Jade Webisodes

This is late, but better late than never. Here is a chance for everyone to get to know one of my favorite artists a little bit better. I've only been talking about her for forever, but know you can see her in action in her new webisodes. Check them out.



If you have now fallen in love too. Check her myspace out and you can now follow her on twitter.

About Time for Snow

My friend sent me a song awhile ago and it was love at first listen. Lately I've been into what I like to call "happy music." The kind of music that pulls me out of bed, makes me want to dance in public and bust out singing where ever I am. The song I'm talking about is "Animal" by Miike Snow. After some research, I found out that if you are a Gossip Girl watcher you may recognize this song from one of the episodes.

I think it makes me happy because of the repetitive keyboard melody. If you listen I think you'll understand where I'm coming from.
But here's the low down of Miike Snow. From the name, you may think it's a solo dolo, but nope you are wrong. It's a Swedish band consisting of Andrew Wyatt, Christian Karlsson and Pontus Winnberg(that name is wonderful). They have a poppy feel that is heavily grounded in keyboard and piano tunes. They have one album right now, Miike Snow. I like it, but the songs do sound a little similar.
Check them out on their myspace page and rock out with some "happy music!"

Jay-Z+Music without Borders

Jay-Z must be an easy artist to mash with. Here is a mash of Jay-Z's American Gangster with Hindi music. Take a listen. I think it's pretty grand.
This is what the producers behind it have to say:

Over six months of late-night studio sessions and gallons of pineapple-ginger juice later, we were ready to mix and master. By now we’d created eight original tracks of our own, had one crazy track from our boy ElekTro4, six mash-ups, and edits based on tracks from Dan The Automator, Batsauce, and a few other notable producers. We received ongoing feedback from listening sessions held for friends, producers and music industry tastemakers, until we finally felt ready for our good friend and engineering guru, dj.sae.one, to master it. He loved the project and blessed it with the gloss and low-end finish we were looking for. Hindustani Gangster was born. Being a concept record, we hope people listen to Hindustani Gangster from start to finish in succession as it’s meant to be heard. Try not to compare it to Jay’s album, but rather treat it as an original work with a familiar narrator.

Listen to it by going to http://www.hindustanigangster.com/

Estonians Can Rock It: Kerli

I really love raw instrumentals with less synthesized stuff, but I'm liking what Kerli has to offer. Her album dropped Love is Dead dropped in 2008, but I had never heard of her until this week. Where have I been? But fun fact, she is the first Estonian to reach the Billboard 200.

So this combination of artists I'm about to rattle off that she reminds me of may rack your brain, but this is what comes to me: Santogold,Muse,Evanescence, Linkin Park and Natasha Beddingfield. She has this innocent voice that can be powerful and strained and the music goes from playful to raspy to a lil hard. It's a little overwhelming to my ears and brain to process at first, but I like it.

She said she wrote the album in over five years and she was coming out a depression, so I'm pretty sure that's way there's such a wide range of emotion going on in this album. Sometimes I feel like I'm in a fairytale and other times I feel like I should be in an dark underground bar with crazy people.

Here are some songs for your listening pleasure. But check her website out.