Video of the Week: Notes To Self, Sky Light

A hip-hop tune that’s positive? no gang banging, no guns or bling in the video? I’m in….this is a clip from Toronto hip-hop group Notes To Self’s upcoming album Target Market [RECOIL] guaranteed to put a smile on your face, not just for the joyous footage of schoolkids in Notes to Self T-shirts (love the kid who puts the shirt on as a pair of pants/shorts upside down), but also for the old school style lyrics, message, and sound. Back when De La Soul and Arrested Development were the current rage, I had hope that all of hip-hop could be this socially conscious. That’s a long gone conceit, but this is a nice respite from overcommercialization and hype. Target Market [RECOIL] drops on Decon 2/26.

Jam Room, Kylesa featured on “Converse x Decibel”

Missed this video featuring Kylesa when it came out back in December but after stumbling over it on Youtube I had to share, in case I’m not the only SC music scene fan who hasn’t seen it–”Converse x Decibel” is a collaboration between Decibel Magazine and Converse (the sneaker folks) spotlighting cool heavy bands. There isn’t really much music in the clip, just an interview with the Savannah heavyweights where they declare the Jam Room just about their favorite place on earth:

For more of an idea of what the finished product sounds like from Kylesa, check this out from 2010′s Spiral Shadow album:

Kylesa website

The Existential Soul of Tim Maia

Back in the 1990s some Brazilian clients of my wife’s company came to our home for dinner; they brought gifts for each member of the family. I received a Brazilian compilation of the music of Tim Maia, who I was unfamiliar with at the time. David Byrne’s Luaka Bop label has recently issued its own Maia compilation, Nobody Can Live Forever: The Existential Soul of Tim Maia, and it’s brimming with the funky vibes of the eccentric Maia, sometimes referred to as Brazil’s James Brown. He’s more a combination of Santana and Wilson Pickett, all Latin rhythms and cocky soul man swagger, and there hasn’t been anyone around who sounds quite like him before or since. A short animated clip narrated by Devandra Banhart came out this week, it gives the Cliffs Notes version of Maia’s life and career:

The compilation is great from start to finish, cherry picking both Portuguese and English language tracks from throughout Maia’s career. Here’s a couple of my favorites:

Rhye’s “The Fall”, Four Different Ways

There are alternate versions of almost every song these days, especially when you’re talking club music, pop remixes, acoustic versions, etc…but new artist Rhye has gone overboard with the single “The Fall,” releasing not just an official version with a video but an alternate video version and two remixes which also have had unique videos cut for them. If you’re counting, that’s four different videos for the same song.

First comes the ‘Official’ version, which is pretty slick, it came out back in October:

Then watch the newly released live version with some really sweet vintage home movie footage of various couples and families hamming it up for their old Super 8′s or whatever they used back then…

If that’s not enough, there’s “TIP’s Can’t You Stay Rework” which is an understated dance mix combined with footage of synchronized swimmers…if they did this in the Olympics I might have watched this event…

Had enough yet? I hope not, because I’ve saved the best one for last–“The Maurice Fulton Alt Remix” not only makes the track sound like a 70′s soul groove, it’s paired with classic video footage of Soul Train dancers soloing on the show:

Want at least one of the versions of the song to download? check out their site at http://rhyemusic.com/ and sign up on their mailing list for a free download of “The Fall”.