Rest is an important part of life. We all need to get the right amount of sleep at night and—for some people— a quick siesta during the day can make a big difference. Naps aren’t just for babies, you know! This playlist is dedicated to all the nappers out there who need the right tune to help them chill out, drift off, or maybe just decompress after a long day at work. We picked a few songs by OurStage solo artists—the singer/songwriter genre easily lending itself to the idea of a peaceful retreat—plus a couple of electronic and indie discoveries. The last song on the list, Fall Asleep, has just enough energy to start waking you back up after you’ve finally caught your Z’s.
Take a listen. Just don’t forget to click the play button before closing your eyes…
Welcome to our third installment featuring CMJ’s OurStage Staff Picks from the CMJ Relay Blog. CMJ is well known for their industry leading New MusicReportmagazine, which contains music reviews, artist news and interviews with the best artists being played on college radio. The New Music Report contains top played charts compiled from college radio stations all across the US. CMJ is also well known for hosting the CMJ Music Marathon & Film Festival , a city wide festival in New York featuring the best emerging artists and film makers.
“Fragile Things”
Acoustic Channel
This is a great throwback to the classic rock era. The song takes its sound from a decadent time when intoxicating psychedelic funk flooded the airwaves. RIYL: Steppenwolf, War, T. Rex WEB: http://www.myspace.com/bikinirobotarmy
“Jardin Du Luxembourg”
Indie/Alternative Channel
Male and female vocals light up the song along with organ and glitchy bleeps that lay down an outline for everything else to fit into place. RIYL: Paul Simon, Talking Heads, David Bowie WEB: http://www.fivefootnine.net/index.html
“The Righteous Way To Go”
Hip Hop Channel
Accompanied by orchestral samples and laid-back beats, Edgar Allen Floe’s rhymes are as literate as his name suggests. RIYL: Kanye West, Nas WEB: http://www.myspace.com/eafloe
Some bad things about the ‘80s: Perms, mullets, permed mullets and the phrase “totally tubular.”
Some great things about the ‘80s: Talking Heads, The Cars and The Cure.
If you disagree with these sentiments, that’s cool (er, tubular). To each his own. But you should probably bypass the music of Action Painters. The Brooklyn quartet was forged in the embers of new wave, and have an unequivocal love for all its glitter and pop.
With songs like “Absolutely Clear” and “Sooner or Later,” Action Painters dare you to dance – rock steady beats, joyful, frenetic melodies and a dollop of retro soul glow make an irresistibly sexy combination. You’ll pick up whiffs of the Violent Femmes snarl, and echoes of shimmering Cure guitars but Action Painters aren’t about being derivative. Call them mod wave, call them jangle synth soul pop, the band combines textures and tones to make something wholly unique and totally rad. Like acid hitting denim.
There’s nothing like a little inspiration to really rock your creative juices. And inspiration seems like the only thing the cover bands on this playlist drew from the original songs they’ve recorded. Try comparing the two versions and you’ll swear the only thing copied was the lyrics! From rock to country and even a’capella, these ten tracks are as different from each other as they are from the originals. Take a listen and you’ll be sure to question which version should really have hit the radio waves!
To say that Nipsey Hussle has been around the block is a gross understatement. Certified in the heart of south central, this boldly bulletproof street soldier has seen it all. A victim of the depressingly inevitable tale of gang life seduction at age 13, Nipsey underwent years of trials and tribulations before reaching his fork in the road: music or the streets. Time eventually told him that the two were not conducive to one another, and—luckily for fans of hip hop—Nipsey’s love for music prevailed.
Nipsey’s musical spread is a refreshingly diverse gem in a genre notorious for monotony. With eye-opening anthemic gang beats and faithful rhymes for the grind of the working class, Nipsey makes sure that no one (himself included) doubts his devotion to his roots. Nipsey’s creations stem from his origins, and burst with unrelenting social commentary as a result. The eerie track “Payback” exposes a government fueled by greed and the inhumane measures they take to achieve their desires, while “Bullets Ain’t Got No Name” manages to threaten and warn hubristic rivals.From gang life to 9/11, this raw rapper acknowledges the game and paints the most realistic ghetto perspective since N.W.A. But it’s not all pessimistic. In the gorgeously delicate “The Hu$$le Way,” the uplifting life story of Mr. Hussle is set to music. The ballad begins with Nipsey questioning his passion for music as true love or lust before speaking directly to all other downtrodden dreamers in the world, “Hard to focus on my dreams when I was lookin’ at the facts. . .All night grindin’ I don’t take no breaks/don’t call me a dreamer/ mine is a reality/ grind no salary/ I came a long way from sellin’ grams off grammercy.”
Never over-produced, Nipsey Hussle’s debut release gushes with superior lyrical content and well-known guest spots. This rapper may have come along way but he is also going places. Be sure to check him out so you can say you knew him when!
