Sunday 7 July 2013

THIS IS THE END TOP 50 CHARTS (JULY - ARTISTSERVER)

THIS IS THE END TOP 50 CHARTS (JULY - ARTISTSERVER)

2013 Post apocalyptic line up

Yeah right Shaun, we know you will be back for more 


World War Z, World's End, This Is The End, am I missing something or were the films that were meant for the 2012 big bang lagged over to this year's cinemas?

Everybody who was fortunate enough to watch Glasto (GLASTONBURY 2013) on BBC, or primetime (for our yankee bros and sis), would probably be aware of how conservative the lineup this year was, that is say in comparison or with the expectations of the year Jay Z blew it up in 2008.  In those times Chase and Status were still strictly Dubstep, now - like Pendulum - you would be hard pressed to categorise them. Then, Dizzee were just hitting mainstream Dance Wiv Me, and there were criss-crosses of all genres everywhere. Now it's almost as if event planners in the UK, put all their jizz into 2012 Olympics, succeeded, didn't think there would be a world beyond it, and have run out of steam. 

Well in the ARTISTSERVER listening world, conservation isn't so much the thing more like typical expectations, especially if you take in to consideration that we're now in summers peak.







TOP 50 CHARTS - ANALYSIS: 

0 listeners was feeling METAL at all. Which is quite at odds with the theme of the Glastonbury '13 wellie wearing enthusiasts in the "real world."

2 times is the amount of entries JAZZ, and BLUES received, thanks to Stephen Fewell

17 ELECTRONICA music entries matches the amount of TIMES the category was in the CHARTS in APRIL 2013
If you Rihanna it, they will come....

#1 our of #50 goes to DJ GERARD with his TAKE ME AWAY remixes. That was a spot once occupied by BOB Jnr not to long ago, but he remains in the top #10. Which brings me to the conclusion that the number #1 spot will either be HIP/RAP/SOUL (18 entries in top 50 April), or ELECTRONICA (17 entries in April/July).  






17 ELECTRONICA entries mainly consisted of CLUB and DANCE which amounted to 8+ entries alone. Making me conclude that summer is really here. After all the first blockbuster of the year is still at the cinemas isn't it.  



At least was supposed to be, right?

Rae Burnz

Wednesday 26 June 2013

REVIEWS ARE IN: REVERBNATION'S INDIE-LIMP-PEARL-KILL (MARCH INTO PARIS)

REVIEWS ARE IN: REVERBNATION'S INDIE-LIMP-PEARL-KILL (MARCH INTO PARIS)


Can you feel it?


ARTIST: MARCH INTO PARIS
TRACK: I DO NOT LIE, ORDINARY ENVY, CAPTIVATE, THE PANIC ROOM
PLATFORM: REVERBNATION
LABEL: LIFT TUNE RECORDS
LOCATION: SACREMENTO U.S.A
ALSO ON:  MYSPACE, PUREVOLUME, BANDCAMP

ARTWORK:                                       [ original artwork]
I do not lie... MIP
 





REVIEWS ARE IN:

Conjuring up the lyrical style of Amy Lee, and stadium rock of Muse with the lyrics spouting about burning, and the end of this day, so begins the track I DO NOT LIE.

An emotional song, with less of the posturing the band could be accused of.  'It's hard to breathe if you don't even care,' is a gem of a lyric.  

I don't know how long this band as been around. But they are professional enough to have their own website, and 2 Reverbnation accounts, and so you know they mean business marketing wise. They have also ranked #1 on the REVERBNATION indie charts or recently within the duration that they have had their account with the website. 

Their similar sounding artist section reads as: Patti Smith, and Skunk Anasie. I would say lyrically yes I could understand how the lead singer could put their voice style alongside Skin from Skunk Anasie, but otherwise their stuff rings to me as stadium musce. College-radio Buffy The Vampire Slayer kind of lo-fi indie. 

Rae Burnz




REVIEWS ARE IN: REVERBNATION'S PSYCHEDELIC GAZE - (DREAM ARIA)

REVIEWS ARE IN: REVERBNATION'S PSYCHEDELIC GAZE - (DREAM ARIA) 

Canadian Psycho?




ARTIST: DREAM ARIA
TRACK:RHYTHM OF NOW, TRANSCEND, PANDORAS BOX
PLATFORM: REVERBNATION
LABEL: INDIE  
LOCATION: TORONTO CANADA
ALSO ON: SOUNDCLICK, YOUTUBE
WEBSITE: http://dreamaria.com/

ARTWORK:                                         [original  artwork]




REVIEWS ARE IN:


Dream Aria have been around for a bit. If you check their YouTube feeds you may see uploads as early as 2009, and with good feedback too.  

There are also Soundclick uploads ( and if you are an online artist who has been around since uploading their tunes on Soundclick, then you have been around) to add to their online presence on multiple platforms.

On Reverbnation where I recently saw them being promoted they are listed as having being independent or Indie artist free from labels. Their video for one of their early tracks did have a professional feel, and a official director/producer was probably commissioned for it.  

Dream Aria sounds different instrumentally, melodically, and with regards to song arrangement on different tunes. In terms of era I could liken them to the psychedelic 90s renaissance with Beck, Curve, Alice In Chains to name a few.  But then there's a bit of more modern Evanescence type-feel to them too. 

Rhythm of now almost starts off like a techno sega game soundtrack from eons ago. With heavy industrial drums in the background. Then the Curve sounding vocals from their lead. And after the first verse we get a heavenly keyboard piano break, then the main bridge. There are warbling electric shoegazing fuzz pedal guitarwork that hark back to 90s primetime TV theme tunes, theres that rush, that franticness of all things nineties juggling everywhere amidst lyrics of 'past, and pain, with everything to gain.' Then the pulsating techno-synth gets to lead vocal-less before the lead singer finally rounds it off aptly. 

Dream Aria, put a lot of energy into all tracks, samples and medias they get involved in. They are a very evocative band with a pretty and talented female lead. Listen also to A TALE OF TWO WOLVES:



Where will tracks like RHYTHM OF NOW be in 5 years?  You tell me, where do we want these uploads to be?  What will their access be driven by?  Remember what happened to MYSPACE?  Their website doesn't mention anything new, but ah well.

They made some uploads in 2012 on YouTube.  I could listen to their tracks on a sunny day if I still had a walkman, walking through Australian Suburbia. They list MUSE as one of their similar sounding artists. Could it be the tremolo build up in songs like GYPSY HEART perhaps?

OTHER SITES TALKING DREAM ARIA





Rae Burnz

Monday 24 June 2013

REVIEWS ARE IN: SOUNCLOUD'S UNCLASSIFIED GENRE 1 UNDREAD (BETTER FOR WE)

REVIEWS ARE IN: SOUNCLOUD'S UNCLASSIFIED GENRE 1 UNDREAD (BETTER FOR WE)

Their revolution will not be classified


ARTIST: 1 UNDREAD
TRACK: BETTER FOR WE
PLATFORM:SOUNDCLOUD
LABEL: PERMANENT DAMAGE
ALSO ON: REVERBNATION, BANDCAMP



For those of you who bout Portishead's Third, their third album. What do you have to say about Geoff Burrows, and Beth Gibbon's musical, lyrical, direction and material?

I mention Portishead because they became the flagship of male (tech-muso whiz), female ( sultry voice) combination in Britain and in the electronic scene.  For example; Lamb, Attica Jazz, Goldfrapp, and more recently Ting Tings.

The thing Portishead third album is that like (Tarantino with Kill Bill who escaped making films for 7 years), they had such a hard act to follow. I am not talking about their self-titled album but the three year 94-97 window of fame that they occupied.  

1undread have been making music before 2001. At the time I first came across them, I remember reading somewhere that their influences were Roni Size, Massive Attack, I think even Portishead as well. Get it? The Bristol massive from the 90s. We may as well throw in Tricky and DJ Brockie while we are at it.


For reason of space and time, I won't get into detail of what my initial thoughts were when I first heard them. I will save that for another time when I can perhaps dedicate three blog posts to the impact their music had on me 12 years ago when I was entering University, and how it helped me get through Uni at the time and also provide me with an outlook of how to view a true music fan and a fan's relation to their musical idols. 

But what I will discuss is their latest track: Better For We. Lately they have been giving us glitchcore, grimecore, dubstep offerings. But I cannot categorise this one, I give in, and just gave it a listen.

 If you have watched their Nosferatu inspired track on YouTube, you could easily put the intro of this song alongside those images.  It is effected with filters and reverbs and delays, and you got the feedback of a very creepy piano that sounds very cinematic. 1undread allows you to take in the opening piano riffs and use your imagination as to what is coming next. Then Nic comes in with some opening lines. While something cello like pluck is counting the clock in the background. And as soon as Nic says 'I don't need the birds and the bees, then it's glitchstep 1Undread inimitable drive. 

Other posts on 1UNDREAD:



Watch this:


Rae Burnz




Sunday 23 June 2013

STUCK IN THE 70S REVERBATION'S MARCH INTO PARIS VS DREAM ARIA

STUCK IN THE 70S REVERBATION'S MARCH INTO PARIS VS DREAM ARIA


THE LOOK

THE SOUND



I wasn't alive in the 70s. Neither was Alicia Keys apparently. But Prince is a hero of mine. So is Billy Corgan.  The other day near my shopping mall I saw a couple of youths who couldn't have been older than 15 wearing the RAMONES, and STRANGLERS. I thought to myself, their dad forced them.  There is this band currently performing in front of Manchester Piccadilly center in England called SHOSHIN.  Back in the day when I was a youth listening to the Tupac, Prodigy, GZA, Chemical Brothers, and progressive fusion of electronica of Roni Size, I really didn't understand the movement You am I, Air, Supergrass, and Blur were bringing back into fashion. 


I wasn't alive in the 70s, Neither was Amy Lee from Evanescence but that didn't stop her from incorporating the sound, and energy it into her band. 

Not all artists believe in turning back the clock 


REVERBNATION ARTISTS BRINGING THE 70S:  (THE LOOK)


ARTISTS: DREAM ARIA
TRACKS : TRANSCEND, PANDORAS BOX, A TALE OF TWO WOLVES
VID PLAYS: 2900
LABEL: INDIE


DREAM ARIA - THE ILLUSIONIST







DREAM ARIA - ABSTRACT RELATIONS




DREAM ARIA - SUNGODESS






DREAM ARIA - THE RHYTHM OF NOW







ARTISTS: MARCH INTO PARIS
TRACKS: ORDINARY ENVY, TELL ME, INSIDE MY HEART
VID PLAYS: 918 
LABEL: LIFT TUNE RECORDS

MARCH INTO PARIS - TELL ME






MARCH INTO PARIS - FORGET THE YESTERDAYS






MARCH INTO PARIS - I DO NOT LIE



MARCH  INTO PARIS - NO RESPONSE
(MAKE MY DAY)








MARCH INTO PARIS - CAPTIVATE



MARCH INTO PARIS - OUT OF FOCUS




 Rae Burnz










Saturday 22 June 2013

REVERBNATION SHOCK AND AWE - GUN (BY SUM)

REVERBNATION SHOCK AND AWE - GUN (BY SUM)

"I aint troublesome i'm the safest" - Kano  Typical Me




Ever so often when you open your Reverbnation account ( If you are like me and trusts no one by leaving my browser to remember my logins), I get a shock by one of their featured artists they are promoting.  In this instance my shock and awe belongs to the lo fidelity sounding, analogue injecting, proper compressing alternative rap hip hop indie artist that goes by the name of Sum.  

I pledge to give his stuff a proper review later as I learn more about his influences of he names as: AB Soul, Killer Mike, Sandman. 

I can sense the seriousness this artist is taking to their public perception by way of their imagery. It almost reads as criminal that their highest rank in whichever charts (Indie-hop) is only #210.  

One thing I will say about the opening howl to this track is that it is reminiscent of PMT Tricky, dripping with dread. 

Have a listen to Gun and we will get back to Sum. 

I am on your side too...



Other tracks in my review mental note:



Rae Burnz


ARTISTS WHO SUFFERED FOR THEIR MUSICAL SUCCESS PART #6

ARTISTS WHO SUFFERED FOR THEIR MUSICAL SUCCESS PART #6

"Some niggas need to feel me with a passion
I'm old fashioned, run up on me nigga and get blasted
With five deadly venomz"
TUPAC - DEADLY VENOMZ


In a chapter of the classic John Bunyan book; The Pilgrim's Progress, one of the angels tells the main character to look closely at the face of a happy and victorious saint.  What was the angel trying to make the lead character see?  That you don't get to where you are without a great dose of old school suffering that leads to insight, development and wise plans. 

There seems to be this belief that if only Mike Tyson wasn't - the ticking time bomb he was - he would have been the greatest boxer of all time.  What this view fails to consider is that it is the very chaotic crazy nurture and nature he channeled and tried to control that resulted in him reaching the heights that he did in the first place, without which we probably wouldn't have knew of him.  

We come to hit you with a sock full of Brooklyn
to the Onyx of your nose, punk is funky like skunk blunts
Stunk like funk cunt - DEADLY VENOMZ

I could feel his muscle tissues collapse under my force. 
It's ludicrous these mortals even attempt to enter my realm.
TYSON


There is also a belief that you could have put Tupac in any field; writing, weather channel, policeman and he would have still been a turn-the-world-upside-down revolutionary of some kind.  The belief that some people are just destined to change things, for greatness. There is so much potential out there that left in the right environment can grow to do something the industry has never heard before, this artist below turned things in their life around and created a movement that till today has not been surpassed. 

Clue: I am tall, poly-religious, comic con visiting Tarantino chum. 

Who am I? Not in their words: 


ARTISTS WHO SUFFERED FOR THEIR MUSICAL SUCCESS PART #6:


I was born in NY Brooklyn as 1 of 10 children living in poverty

I was competing in rap battles by the age of 9

I started reading comics religiously when I was 10. Replaying the characters battles in my mind. Imagining they were fighting to the rhythms of hip-hop, and martial arts

My uncle died by the turn of the decade. I lived with my Mother and for some time ran a convenience store around which time drug contacts within the area began to surface

I was charged with attempted murder of one of these drug contacts before I was 21

Prince Paul from De La Soul helped me get out of the ghetto

I joined the Five Percent Nation who believe that the world is run by an elite 10% who control 85% of the masses except the 5% whose responsibility it is to shed the light to the world

I didn't know how to read traditional music until my late 20's to early 30's 

My cousin and I signed to the label Tommy Boy during the early 90s and were creative sellouts who flopped because of it

I vowed with my cousin and some friends that if they gave me 5 years of their life with creative control of instruments, production and direction I would set the scene for them to be self-sustaining and pursue solo-careers.



WHO AM I?
Prodigy in Breathe, and Nasty Habits in Shadowboxing (remix) sampled my sample of the searing sword sound with devastating effect. With the words in the background,  "Show no pain," Or " Want more pain." 

My sense of need and domination allowed me to save $164,000 from the initial $200,00 that Loud music gave my group.  From this saving I help launch the solo careers of my cousin and friends.

I like speeding up the mournful soul vocals to sound like chipmunks - this sound and effect identified with and was copied by Kanye West in his autobiographical song about his near death car accident Through The Wire

I have gone by a total of 9 musical aliases. One of which means to awaken the mentally dead





I have been written about as responsible for creating the sub-genre Horrorcore within the rap community

I do not have a religion - I believe in and use elements of Taoism, Confucianism, Islam in my music, lyrics

My lyrics are said to be triple-meaning, and between the time of 1997 - 2003 I was addicted to PCP laced cannabis


What can I say kids? 'Battle makes a man."
WHO AM I?

I have evolved from making music for the streets to making music for the screen, to making pictures for the screen

My musical movement is known as one of the most groundbreaking of a generation and still resonates with the youth of today 18 years later

My 5 year plan for my group known as one of the greatest of all time has been successful and will hopefully live on like the Beatles


I am the man with the Iron Fist. 



WHO AM I?
WHO AM I?Art Deviation by DISTRAKTMC 
 ALSO:

ARTISTS WHO SUFFERED FOR THEIR MUSICAL SUCCESS #7






Rae Burnz


Friday 21 June 2013

FEEDBACK AS REQUESTED: REVERBNATION THROWBACK RAP - TITUS CHEATHAM

FEEDBACK AS REQUESTED: REVERBNATION THROWBACK RAP - TITUS CHEATHAM



Comein wit da the PJ Harvey Mansize Sextet style 



Does anybody wana cheesburgar?



ARTIST: TITUS CHEATHAM

TRACKS: KEEP GRINDING TIL THE FINISH, MONEY BE THE WAY WE LIVE,
LOVE NO LIMIT
PLATFORM: REVERBNATION
FANS: 114,000
VID PLAYS: 1200 (311 subscribers)
TOTAL SONGS PLAYED: 77,000
LABEL: INDEPENDENT
LOCATION: ATLANTA, GA. USA
MARKETING: TWITTER, YOUTUBE, FACEBOOK
ARTICLES: ON SOUNDALOUD
ARTWORK:
[oringal artwork]
PART OF THE 5 REVERBNATION ARTIST DEMOS TO LISTEN TO SERIES
FEEDBACK TO TITUS C ON 21/06/13

My girlfriend alerted me on Facebook that last week was Tupac's birthday.  Guess how old he would have been?  40 fucking 2!  We talked on what he would have been had he been alive today.  She said he would have sold out the way of Snoop Lion. I said he would have a gut, probably be bald (like he wasn't already), and would be running a few NGO's that are involved in community transformation.  But one thing we agreed on was he probably wouldn't be as listened to today if he was still alive. 

You list Tupac, and B.I.G as artists you sound similar to. You also are doing the Soundcloud thing of crediting your sampled artist (Mary J), as a featuring artist.  What's your angle then?  You seem to be aiming for the stars by imaginatively rubbing shoulders with flagship established cornerstones in the HipHop RnB Rap arena, but to what effect?

The three tracks that my feedback will centre around are: Keep It Grinding, Money Be The Way, Love No Limit.

I personally find your titles too long. And if you were getting searched on the web or Youtube the way you want to, you have to keep your titles a little shorter to perhaps avoid other artists using your keywords to give traffic to their stuff.

My friend once said that the Wayan Bros; Dont Be A Menace While Drinking Juice In The Hood, gave him a better education about the idiocy and peculiarities of the inner city than both Boyz In Da Hood, and Menace To Society put together.

In the same vein I would argue that your mimicking Tupac showed me three key things.



 1. How easy it is to sound like him. 


2.How easy was is to commodify his content
  

3.How easy it was to sell his image (most importantly)


They like me, I want them to love me like they love Pac  - 50 CENT


OTHER DEMOS TO LISTEN TO:

POP - JOHNNY REI
PERCUSSION - NITUS
BLUES ROCK - BADGERSTATIC

By mimicking Tupac's voice you are inviting others to ask how you compare in content.
By mimicking Tupac's voice you are inviting fans like myself to ask; what new element, word, lyrics, or content have you got to bring to the table?

Your track Keep It.... has a sombre but heavy intro. 'Wake up," is said while wind sounding synths are in the background winding down to the beat. And when the delicious rounded beats kick in that is when your gruff patterned flow comes. 

Your flow is very staccato and repetitive, and you probably meant for it to be that way. 

Your lyrics are broken up and hit like 123456 gap 123456 gap 12345678901 gap then you get going in full flow.  In a way by mimicking Tupac's voice with this flow pattern you have shown me another way of adapting a rap flow 101. Thanks for that.   





Shame on a nigga who tried to get dame 



After about 1 minute though and before you get to the chorus/bridge which is your intro verse I am kinda tired and feel things have gone a bit stale. You play it to safe here. 

Don't get me wrong the production leaves little to be desired and is professionally crisp. Your mimicking though brings me nothing fresh.  You should listen to Sying Flacerz on Soundcloud and see what he does to the 'White Eminem' sound. He brings his identity, humour and style on top of an already recognised global phenomenon.  

If your mimicking is for your own personal development and you are on an artist journey that's fine, I have accepted your friend request and wish to check you in a years time. As one of your many YouTube fan says; keep rapping bro. 


I like your album cover graphics as it reminds me of Sega Megadrive (Genesis) streets of rage like covers though.  Keep on developing, one love.



Rae Burnz