New Music: Dave Matthews Band, Funny the Way it Is

04.15.09

Song: Funny the Way It Is
Artist: Dave Matthews Band
Album: Big Whiskey & The GrooGrux King
Label: RCA Records
Notes: 1st single from LP
Analysis: Dedicated to and inspired by LeRoi Moore, the band’s saxophonist since their inception who passed away last year, the Dave Matthews Band has an emotional new release to prep for.

The New Classics Mixtape [March 2009]: Download

03.31.09

No artwork for this month’s tape, at least not yet. My time’s been real limited lately, but I managed to whip up a new Mixtape for whoever would like it. A few artists appear twice this go-round, but everything’s (2) legit + quality shit. This tape is also special because it features several tracks that haven’t even been reviewed yet here at The New Classics. Trust me when I say that this is the best mixtape so far from the site. Best 20 songs released in the month of March in the year of Two Thousand and Nine, in no particular order besides a transitional one:

Download> The.New.Classics.MiXTAPE_march.2009_

New Music: Fall Out Boy, America’s Suitehearts (Remix) [ft. Joe Budden, Murs & 88-Keys]

03.30.09

Song: America’s Suitehearts (Remix) [ft. Joe Budden, Murs & 88-Keys]
Artist: Fall Out Boy
Album: none
Label: Island Records
Producer: Patrick Stump
Notes: none
Analysis: Fall Out Boy gets a bad rap. Yes, they are the epitome of bubblegum rock these days, seemingly only one step above the Jonas Brothers on the edginess scale. But the snobbiest of music snobs brush off the fact that they are actually good at that niche. If we didn’t have pop rock, you wouldn’t be singing along to Journey’s ‘Don’t Stop Believin’ with your friends. Actually, most of today’s best karaoke songs wouldn’t even exist. But Fall Out Boy isn’t JUST a future karaoke go-to band. Lead singer Patrick Stump, one of the best voices of modern pop, also has a low-key love for all things hip hop.

Music Video: Lil Wayne, Prom Queen

03.04.09

Song: Prom Queen
Artist: Lil Wayne
Album: Rebirth
Label: Cash Money / Universal Records
Notes: first single from LP
Analysis: Can’t really say that this song has grown on me since it first debuted back in January. It still pretty much sucks, and the video doesn’t enhance the song at all. Wayne has a new crimped braid hairstyle, though, so there’s that. And I believe that’s Jonathan Davis from KoRn on drums? I still haven’t wrapped my head around why Weezy wants to create mediocre pop rock when he has the capability to be one of the greatest rappers of all time. Years after this Rebirth record comes out, it is going to be a punchline in plenty of “remember the 00’s” jokes, and either nobody has the nuts to tell him it’s a bad idea, or he just doesn’t give two fucks. But hell, he’s still got people talking…

Music Video Megapost: 29 Music Videos from February 2009

Prepare to be eyefucked. Somebody’s gotta do MTV’s job, right? 29 different visuals coming at you:

New Music: Lil Wayne, Hot Revolver

01.28.09

Song: Hot Revolver
Artist: Lil Wayne
Album: Rebirth
Label: Cash Money / Universal Records
Notes: none
Analysis: After releasing his new, very mediocre single ‘Prom Queen’ earlier in the week, this track appears and proves that Lil’ Wayne is about as “rock” as Kelly Clarkson is.

Music Video: Coldplay, Life in Technicolor ii

01.20.09

Song: Life in Technicolor ii
Artist: Coldplay
Album: Prospekt’s March EP
Label: Parlophone Records
Notes: 1st single from EP
Analysis: Viva La Vida was such a fantastic and mesmerizing album that Coldplay released an  EP late last year, with 8 tracks that all easily could have made the album. One of these songs is ‘Life in Technicolor ii’, an extended version of the soaring instrumental intro from Viva La Vida, but with Chris Martin putting his vocals to the music. The video is one of those premises that might not look so good on paper, but in execution, you can’t imagine it any other way. Really cool puppet visuals and a great song, definitely some of the band’s best work.

Bonus: After the jump is a download link for the original LP instrumental version of ‘Life in Technicolor’.