There’s really no impetus for this post other than the fact that a lot of music has been charging me up lately. In the interest of not wasting time, let’s jump right into it!
First off, a local Toronto punk band named Hostage Life is offering up their new record as a free download. What!? Always a cool move on a band’s part. Check the link here: JuiceBoxDotCom. I’ve always liked this band, thus I was immensely excited when I heard that ‘Centre Of The Universe’ was being dropped for free.
How did I learn about the download? Why, AUX.TV of course! Ben Rispin from the band Saint Alvia gave the record a nod as a guest on Alan Cross’s talk show: ExploreMusic. If you don’t know Alan Cross, you MUST check out ExploreMusic, because this man, simply put, is a musical force in this country. I must commend Ben and Hostage Life for putting the record up for free with the mindset that we, the public, are going to get it for free if we really want to, so why not drive traffic to the source? I HAVE BEEN SAYING THIS FOR YEARS. Why not control eyeballs in relation to your own content? It just makes sense: drive fans to the source; push tickets and merch; promote other Artists/content; make Advertisers happy. Simple right?
Ok, aside from that…AUX is changing my life. This is now both an online entity as well as a cable-TV channel (it existed solely on the Internet for a considerable amount of time). I cannot tell you how happy I am to have PROPER music-television back in my life. MTV and MuchMusic died off years ago, in my mind (and I’m not alone, trust me). AUX is real; it is producing programs that encapsulate what truly inspires people to immerse themselves in music — not failing to mention that THEY ACTUALLY PLAY MUSIC VIDEOS. Remember when you used to flick to music-television during commercials? Remember when you just watched it for hours on end? Well, it’s back.
So…AUX. I saw the new Q-Tip video on AUX. Check it below. This man continues to push boundaries (as if his work in A Tribe Called Quest wasn’t enough!). Check that BASSLINE! This and the Jay-Z track — “Empire State Of Mind” — are re-inventing Hip Hop for me, still. It’s strange that these two rappers continue to carry the torch for an entire genre. Where are the leaders of the new school? Is anyone going to give a damn about Rick Ross or Lil Wayne in 10 years? Throw your chips on the table; I’ve got my bet.
The new Tegan & Sara. You NEED to check this record out. Listen to their MySpace. This new material has me all stirred up. Also, You Say Party! We Say Die!’s new record is very, very solid. A significant step-up for the band. The lead single is “Laura Palmer’s Prom” — a very positive, dreamy track with an epic ending. Take a listen:
There’s so much more getting me all rattled up right now, but I’ll stop there for now (it’s getting late). Happy listening.
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