Friday, 30 November 2012

Daily Smooth: Simon Webbe - Lay Your Hands

Here's a beautiful song from Blue's most talented member, Simon Webbe.

This is from his debut solo album from 2005, Sanctuary.

The mix of strings, acoustic guitar and the sample for the chorus are pretty straightforward, but this just serves to showcase Webbe's soulful and powerful voice.

I love how chilled this song is, and for that matter the whole of the album is very listenable.

Who ever said that modern boyband members can't sing....?

Lay Your Hands

Thursday, 29 November 2012

Daily Smooth: Dru Hill - In My Bed

Sisqo, Nokio, Woody, Jazz - what can I say, Dru Hill are an amazing band, and to mark my first Daily Smooth post in what seems like forever, I had to bring it.

Sisqo sings lead on this song from Dru Hill's debut self titled album.

I've always loved Sisqo's voice (all you 90s kids should know the infamous Thong Song) but found out about Dru Hill retrospectively - I was only 6 years old when their first album came out.

This song is all about a woman that has clearly slighted Sisqo by cheating on him, and because this is R&B and not gangsta rap, singing a song about it is the preferred method of dealing with it rather than popping a cap in a muthafucka's head.

These rules however don't apply to R.Kelly (Just watch Trapped in the Closet to see what I'm referring to) - he'll draw his Beretta on you for looking at him the wrong way!

As for the video - wow just watch the dance moves and the attire.
Enjoy this 90s gem.

In My Bed

Wednesday, 28 November 2012

Daily Ghetto: 50 Cent - What Up Gangsta

It's amazing when you listen to an older, but critically acclaimed album, like 50 Cent's Get Rich Or Die Tryin' to remind yourself why it was so great and you are overwhelmed when every single song smacks it and you don't want to skip a track.

So today I had to post my favorite song from that album. 50 Cent spits some tasty bars over a fairly relaxed beat.

My favorite: "I had yo mamma pickin out ya casket"

Big up to 50, for being one of the few gangsta rappers who actually was a gangsta; you know there's some truth to his bars - unlike pussies like Drake and Lil Wayne.

What Up Gangsta

Tuesday, 27 November 2012

Daily Ghetto: Ghetts and Dot Rotten - Trained To Kill

Some deep grime music today.
I've posted some Ghetts on this blog before. Today's track comes from his 2010 mixtape Calm Before The Storm, and features one of my favorite newer MCs - Dot Rotten.

Ghetts tears up the verses as per usual - you can't mistake that rapid-fire flow for anyone else.

Best line: "I'm a serious guy, you're Borat"

Quality.

Trained To Kill

Monday, 26 November 2012

Daily Ghetto: DJ Khaled - I'm Thuggin

Taken from DJ Khaled's We The Best Forever, this song features Ace Hood as well as my favorite hoodrat - Waka Flocka Flame.

This song has some nasty bass and a horrorcore styled beat.

For a track with Waka Flocka on it, it is quite slow and relaxed - but Waka still manages to bring the hype during the chorus.

BRICKSQUAAAAAADDD!

I'm Thuggin

Sunday, 25 November 2012

Daily Ghetto: N.E.R.D. - Lapdance

After a week of posting shred-guitar instrumentals I thought I'd change it up.

From the dirty guitar riff and heavy synth, this song has the signature groove and bounce you come to expect from a Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo produced song.

I love the blending of rock and hip-hop in a seamless way, something that very few bands can do well.

There is a really tasty drumline behind Lee Harvey's verse towards the end of the song.

For me this is one of N.E.R.D.'s best songs from their strongest album, In Search Of... 
It's worth giving the whole album a listen.

As for the video for this song - well it speaks for itself.

Lapdance

Friday, 23 November 2012

Daily Heavy: Racer X - Scarified

It doesn't get more 80s than this.
Racer X were a shred-heavy metal band centered upon my favourite guitarist, Paul Gilbert, and his insane instrumentals.

Gilbert is a neo-classical metal legend, second only to the musical genius that spawned the genre, Yngwie Malmsteen.

This song incorporates a lot of Gilbert's signature technique and tone - insane alternate picking, harmonic minor scales, that buzz-saw rhythm tone, long stretches and piercing pinch harmonics.

As far as lead guitarists go, this guy is my idol and if you are into 80s shred check out some of Racer X's back catalog - fantastic stuff.

Scarified

Thursday, 22 November 2012

Daily Heavy: Scale the Summit - Bloom

This is how you make engaging instrumental music.
Scale the Summit forgo the use of a vocalist because frankly the melody lines Chris Letchford writes are so well phrased and expressive.

I love the clear prog influence on the rhythm section of this band and the use of exotic scales during the lead passages.

In my opinion the album from which this song comes from, Carving Desert Canyons, is an instrumental masterpiece - a journey through various moods and feelings.

Music as moving as this is invariably well thought out, and clearly the track arrangement for the album was given a lot of thought with regards to the impact it would have on the listener.

I urge you to listen to the whole of Carving Desert Canyons without skipping a track.
For now enjoy its opening song.

Bloom

Wednesday, 21 November 2012

Daily Heavy: Angel Vivaldi - A Martian Winter

Through my love of all things shred-guitar I happened upon this amazing guitarist.
He endorses Ibanez guitars, and this song was used in the background of a promo video for Ibanez's RG Premium line.

Eventually I found out that this song had come from Angel Vivaldi's newest EP, Universal Language, a 4-song shredfest which I'd encourage any fans of prog, shred or just fantastic instrumental music fans, to check out.

The video is, as with most of these modern solo guitar virtuosos, performance based.
There is a nice wintery theme running throughout which obviously ties in with the song's name as well as the feeling that it evokes.

Interestingly enough Universal Language apes the four seasons of a certain classical composer with the same surname.

It is good to see that modern metal guitarists can tip their hats to the past masters of composition.

Expect to hear some more fantastic shred tomorrow, until then, groove out to this killer song.

A Martian Winter

Tuesday, 20 November 2012

Daily Heavy: Andy James - Angel of Darkness

A while back I posted a Sacred Mother Tongue song. Today I give you the shred-fest that is Angel of Darkness, from that band's amazingly talented guitarist, Andy James.

I had to post the performance video for this song for all you budding shredders to fully appreciate how impeccable this guy's technique is.

Andy James, is for my money, the most technically proficient British guitarist at the moment, only guys like Guthrie Govan come anywhere close.

James writes interesting instrumental pieces and his third solo album, a self-titled, is well worth a listen.

Angel of Darkness

Sunday, 18 November 2012

Daily Heavy: Killswitch Engage - My Curse

I'm posting this song from metalcore giants Killswitch Engage, simply because it is the song that introduced me to this amazing band.

Killswitch are one of the pioneers of the more melodic metalcore that is so popular today and have influenced countless bands that fuse clean with harsh vocals as well as those that use fewer breakdown-reliant guitar riffs.

This song come from their 2006 album As Daylight Dies, and really showcases former lead singer, Howard Jones', immense vocal abilities.

The groovy, bouncy verse riff is one of my favorite to jam along with and there are some tasty harmonies towards the end of the song.

Expect a lot more from KSE on this blog.

My Curse

Friday, 16 November 2012

Daily Heavy: Chimp Spanner - Clarity in Chaos

Chimp Spanner aka Paul Ortiz is a master of prog metal composition.

He's a UK based multi instrumentalist, who self produces his albums.

This song comes from 2004's Imperium Vorago and has one of the tastiest, grooviest riffs I've ever heard.

His odd-timed soloing in this song is very reminiscent of Fredrik Thordendal's, from Meshuggah.

Paul is a phenomenal talent, and does the UK metal scene proud.


Clarity in Chaos

Thursday, 15 November 2012

Daily Ghetto: YC ft. Future - Racks

YC is one of these awful new rappers in the vein of Soulja Boy, who just repeat the same lines over and over again - and keep the same basic flow no matter what.

As autotuned to death this song is, it is so damn catchy. The beat has been sampled by countless other rappers for their mixtapes - and the official remix with Nelly, B.o.B and a few others is worth listening to.

A Georgian accent plus autotune yields some almost unintelligible bars. Nevertheless, put this on when you are getting in the mood to go out clubbing and it will get you crunk.

Racks

Tuesday, 13 November 2012

Daily Heavy: Chimaira - Six

Chimaira, with the classic lineup you see in this video, are one of my favourite bands and gave one of the best live performances I've seen.

The perfect synergy between Mark Hunter's brutal vocals, the interplay between the guitars throughout the song and Andols Herrick's precise drumming, make this 9 minute epic a must-listen.

There are some unusual sounds in this song's intro - it's a theremin (look it up) - played by Mark Hunter, giving the song an eerie start before the crushing guitar riffs commence.

The composition of this song is outstanding. The groove riff of the chorus is Machine Head inspired, and you can almost feel the Slayer-like verse riffs pounding your chest when you have this song cranked up.

The melodic guitar parts in the middle of the song are the highlight for me as a fellow guitarist.
Rob Arnold is a master of writing harmonized guitars and his lead lines throughout this passage are engaging to listen to.

You have to listen to this middle section quite a few times before you fully appreciate all the guitar and bass overdubs going on. It is very intricate.

And then comes the breakdown at the end. What can I say? When I saw Chimaira live, the audience went nuts at this point, and quite frankly I don't know how you cannot want to headbang at this point.

The studio video comes from Chimaira's live DVD, Coming Alive, which is well worth a watch.

Six

Monday, 12 November 2012

Daily Heavy: This Or The Apocalypse - Subverse

This Or The Apocalypse are one of my favorite new metalcore bands and their debut album Haunt What's Left,  was produced by Lamb of God's drummer, Chris Adler.
Needless to say it sounds fantastic.

The drumming in this song is the standout for me and the guitar solos are tasteful and melodic.

The video falls foul of all the metalcore video stereotypes - breakdown cam, earthquake cam, synchronized headbanging and guitar flips, kick drum cam, gang vocal close ups and a seemingly nondescript industrial location.

Enjoy the song however.

Subverse

Sunday, 11 November 2012

Daily Smooth: GOOD Music - Mercy

After a long blogging hiatus I'm back.

No more messing around, banging music everyday!

I'm marking my return with one of the biggest tracks of the summer - coming from Kanye West's collaborative album with his labelmates on G.O.O.D. Music, this song has some of the nastiest bass I've ever pumped through my speakers.

Pusha T, Big Sean and 2 Chainz feature on this banger but for me Kanye's verses towards the end of the song, during the breakdown, steal the show.

The album from which this song comes, Cruel Summer, is fantastic - production is spot on, as we have come to expect from Kanye. I will be posting more from it in the coming days.

Enjoy this big one!

Mercy