Kanye’s Flashing Lights

Mitchmatic: Why Don’t You Know?

Mitchmatic’s Why Don’t You Know? is syrupy sweet Canadian Hip Hop with a beat straight out of a 1940′s education video. Oh, and it sounds like he might be a stalker.

Mike Jaggerr: Cruise Control (ft. Big K.R.I.T.)

Mike Jaggerr. Hip Hop extraordinaire. The name is insanely similar to rock and roll legend, Mick Jagger, which leads to a bit of confusion with new fans. But, just like Mick, once you listen to a sample of Mike Jaggerr’s music, you’ll become an instant fan. His melodies are unique, his voice is alluring, and his rhymes are captivating. His new album, the Eleventh Hour, is brutally honest, romantic, and most of all, innovative.

Godly MC: Pretty Girl Rock (Remix)

Godly MC, a young emcee hailing from the Washington D.C. area, is a witty lyricist, rhyming over well mixed beats. In a world where rap has become so commercialized and shallow, this guy gets back to the roots of true Hip Hop. He gives us his story, his dreams, and even his shortcomings, using clever word play, bringing us back to a time where Hip Hop wasn’t about just girls, cars, and money.

Ummm, Beyonce’s Single Ladies anyone?

It’s not surprising that the fifteen-year-old boy I tutor introduced me to this video. Spatial geometry and the causes of the Vietnam War gathered dust, as he made me view it numerous times, pointing out which girl was his favourite and why: the one on the left, because she’s hot; the one on the right because she is ‘hittin’ her moves’; and Beyoncé, because, well she’s Beyoncé. To be honest, after the first ten seconds of our first viewing, I became a very willing participant in the whole discussion. We talked about why Beyoncé’s pseudo-feminist lyrics sometimes annoy me (Jay-Z did ‘put a [HUGE] ring on it’) and which moves were our favourites (mine occurs at the 52 second mark, he likes the one at 1:32). Truthfully, I barely like this song, but this video is like nothing I’ve ever seen before. I wonder if we could cut the sound and get Sir David Attenborough to narrate it.

Children Collide interview

It’s hard to find a misstep on the full-length debut from Melbourne band, Children Collide. The Long Now doesn’t sound like a first album: its mature, yet completely varied sound and lyrical concept makes it feel like something you’d expect from a band on their third or fourth album (you know, after the ‘cursed’ second album). Children Collide are most definitely in control, something that could have been lost while working with big-name producer, Dave Sardy. It’s rare that you pick up a CD and feel like the band has decided on everything, right down to the artwork that encases their killer album. We threw guitarist-singer Johnny Mackay a few questions about how they managed to wrap everything up in such a … errr … tight little package. Read more

The John Steel Singers’ Rainbow Kraut video

I can say with an unwavering amount of conviction that kaleidoscopes are the greatest things ever invented. Well, one of them at least. Brisbane band, The John Steel Singers, take that statement and turn it into a super cool video for their song, Rainbow Kraut. I think Oliver Sacks would agree: phantom hands should always play keyboards.