Sound Buffet

A lil somethin somethin for everyone.

[soundbuffet]

BROODS - "Never Gonna Change"

(Image via alltomorrowmusic.com)

Guess who’s back, back again?! No, Sound Buffet didn’t die; it was just on sabbatical. Now that I’ve got the whole law school thing down (Ha! Who am I kidding?), I’m going to make a concerted effort to blog more. I can’t promise that the content will be of-the-moment, but it will be more frequent.

The band to break the silence needs to be a damned good one, and BROODS fits the bill. I stumbled upon BROODS this past fall, and had every intention of posting a write-up of the band’s first single, the absolutely gorgeous “Bridges,” but unfortunately school got in the way. Luckily, the band – like Sound Buffet – is back in action. On BROODS’ second single, “Never Gonna Change,” singer Georgia Nott turns a bad breakup into a stunning, melancholic synth pop ballad. Georgia and her brother, Caleb, the other half of BROODS, hail from New Zealand. The siblings’ debut EP (produced by Joel Little, the mastermind behind Lorde’s smash hit, “Royals”) is set to drop next month, followed by a full-length LP in August.

[soundbuffet]

Cassie - "All My Love"

(Image via factmag.com)

Okay guys, I am seriously embarrassed - I've been sleeping on Cassie’s excellent latest mixtape for quite some time. RockaByeBaby, which dropped back in April, is the R&B singer and Bad Boy Records (Diddy’s label) signee’s first proper release in seven years, but it’s worth the wait. She released her self-titled debut album back in 2006, but since then, she hasn’t really gotten the recognition she deserves. Her second album, Electro Love, never saw the light of day, and while she did release a slew of singles, in time she has become better known for her fashion sense (she pioneered the half-shaved head trend and is the current face of Forever 21) than for her music. However, she clearly still commands respect from the industry, evidenced by guest appearances from Rick Ross, Wiz Khalifa, Meek Mill, Fabolous, Pusha T, French Montana, Too Short and Jeremih on the mixtape, and deserves yours too.

[soundbuffet]

King L - "Val Venis (Brodinski Remix)"

(Image via last.fm)

The French techno scene captured my attention during my semester abroad in Paris – as evidenced by my biweekly trips to Social Club. However, French techno – which was, for a long time (and still is, to some extent) the vanguard of electronic music – can sometimes feel a little bit repetitive and dare I say, stale. That’s what’s so refreshing about Brodinski. The French DJ, producer and founder of Bromance Records, who came up in the scene, is certainly rooted in club music, but is constantly evolving and has oriented his style more towards hip hop in recent years. Production credits on Yeezus (Kanye West’s latest tour de force), and the release of his own rap-heavy mixtape, The Purple Ride, last week are proof of this. This remix of Chicago drill master King L’s 2012 national introduction, “Val Venis,” which appears on The Purple Ride, is just a taste of what to expect from the Frenchie.

[soundbuffet]

Migos - "Versace"

(Image via xxlmag.com)

I don’t normally believe in fate, but I think it was destiny that I blog about Migos, seeing as I fell in like with two of their songs –without making the connection that both tracks were by the same group – in one day. First, I jammed out to Ryan Hemsworth’s remix of “Bando” and then twenty minutes of internet browsing later, stumbled upon Drake’s remix of “Versace.” With the support of these two artists, plus backing from Gucci Mane, Soulja Boy, Riff Raff and Trinidad James on their recent mixtape, Young Rich N*ggas, and a contract with 1017 Brick Squad (Gucci’s label, which is home to Waka Flocka Flame and Chief Keef, among others), it’s clear that these ATL rappers are about to get their moment in the sun.

[soundbuffet]

Odd Couple - "Syrup on the Strip"

(Image via examiner.com)

Just because I don’t live in Windy City anymore doesn’t mean that I have stopped following the Chicago music scene. I have Sasha Go Hard, Chicago’s resident drill princess, to thank for my introduction to my new favorite producers, Odd Couple. Sasha recently dropped a new song, “Rondo,” which I listened to about 10 times last night. As much as I love Sasha’s verses (you can watch the video here*), it was the hard-hitting beat that caught my attention. With a little help from Google, I figured out that the man behind the beat was Tony Roche, one half of Chicago production duo, Odd Couple. Roche and his production partner, Zach Henderson, are making themselves known by crafting beats for the likes of fellow Chicagoans King L, Chance the Rapper and Mikkey Halsted. They dropped their new instrumental mixtape – aptly titled Beat Tape Vol. I – yesterday.

* The white dude going HAM in the video is Roche.

[soundbuffet]

Gilbere Forte - "Nolita (feat. Active Child)"

(Image via socialtikmag.com)

It’s been well documented here on Sound Buffet that I have a major crush on Pat Grossi aka Active Child. I pretty much have a full-on spazz attack every time he releases new material. His cinematic falsetto is ah-mazing on its own, but when coupled with well-delivered rap lyrics, it enters an entirely new stratosphere. The lucky collaborator, Gilbere Forte, is a talented performer in his own right. Forte is a rapper based in Philly, whose debut EP, Pray (on which “Nolita” appears), drops today.

[soundbuffet]

Suvi - "Bleeding For Your Love"

(Image via pigeonsandplanes.com)

Female indie poppers are a dime a dozen these days, but there’s something about Suvi that stands out from the crowd. The combination of strong synths, a powerful drum pattern and the singer’s angsty (someone really did a number on homegirl) but pretty vocals really works for me – so much in fact, that I got some weird stares as I blasted – and sang along to – this song in my car. “Bleeding For Your Love” is the second release from Suvi, a pop singer/songwriter from Stockholm. Her debut album is expected out sometime this year. 

[soundbuffet]

Mariah Carey ft. Miguel - "#Beautiful"

(Image via ryanseacrest.com)

Mariah Carey may be one of the biggest divas out there, but she has the goods to back it up. She’s been in the business for 23 years and she’s still got it, and her latest collaboration with R&B crooner Miguel is proof of that. Don’t let the hashtag in the title deter you – this song really is gorgeous (or #beautiful...whatever). The song – co-written by Carey and Miguel – was released only days ago and is already being touted as the "song of the summer." It is off of Mariah's latest LP, which is due out sometime this summer.

[soundbuffet]

Flume - "Left Alone feat. Chet Faker (Ta-ku Remix)"

(Image via thedankles.com)

As some of you may have noticed, Sound Buffet has been on a bit of a hiatus as of late. To make a long story extremely short, Sound Buffet is no longer based in Chicago – it is now officially a DC blog. (Slightly longer story: I moved back to the Dirty District earlier this month and am starting law school in the fall, which will leave even less time for blogging.)

But enough about me - onto the music. I’ve been listening to all sorts of stuff over the past month, but when it came time to decide what song to blog about, Ta-ku’s remix of “Left Alone” was a no-brainer, seeing as I’ve probably listened to it upwards of 40 times since I first heard it a few weeks back. If Flume’s original featuring Chet Faker is a beauty, then Ta-ku’s remix is a freaking beast. By packing the original with a healthy dose of bass, Ta-ku transforms what was once a soulful electronic song into a trap heavyweight. Like Flume, Ta-ku is an electronic producer from Australia. Recently, he's been making his presence known stateside by churning out trap (the music genre du jour) remixes that are anything but ordinary.

[soundbuffet]

Phosphorescent - "Song for Zula"

(Image via brooklynvegan.com)

Usually my song attention caps at about four minutes, but I savor all 370 seconds of “Song for Zula.” It is, in a word, stunning. The fragile vocals, lovelorn lyrics and celestial instrumentals work together to create a sublime listening experience. The song is performed by Phosphorescent, aka Matthew Houck, a singer-songwriter from Alabama who now resides in Brooklyn. Houck is not exactly new to the music industry - Muchacho, his latest LP, which dropped last week, is actually his seventh album. As with wine, Houck seems to get better with age.

[soundbuffet]

Deniro Farrar - "Fears (Prod. Sxmplelife)"

(Image via soulculture.co.uk)

I am losing my shit (in a good way) over Deniro Farrar's new mixtape, The Patriarch. If you've read my blog at all, by now you've gathered that when it comes to music, there are two things I consistently love: (1) emotive electronic beats; and (2) intelligent rap lyrics. Deniro Farrar masters both. Not only does the rapper from North Carolina have a knack for choosing under-the-radar producers (he was one of the first rappers to employ Ryan Hemsworth's beats), but he also composes insightful - and often heartbreaking - rhymes. The Patriarch dropped earlier this month and is available for free on Farrar's Bandcamp page.

<a href="http://denirofarrar.bandcamp.com/track/fears-prod-sxmplelife" data-mce-href="http://denirofarrar.bandcamp.com/track/fears-prod-sxmplelife">Fears (Prod. Sxmplelife) by Deniro Farrar</a>

[soundbuffet]

CHVRCHES - "Recover"

(Image via pitchfork.com)

One would think that getting laid off would leave more – not less – time for blogging, but truth be told, I spend a significantly less amount of time trolling the internet for new music now that I’m not glued to a computer 8 hours a day. However, I'm finally starting to get that blogging itch; I've "recovered" if you will. (Sorry, that was a terrible pun. Clearly I'm getting a little rusty at this whole blogging thing.) CHVRCHES – pronounced “churches" – are an electro pop trio from Glasgow. The band made the BBC Sound of 2013 shortlist and are set to release their newest EP, Recovery, next week, and their debut full-length album later this year.

[soundbuffet]

Mr. Carmack - "Rogue"

(Image via podcast.getwebreader.com)

If you haven’t done so already, do yourself a favor and check out Ryan Hemsworth’s FADER mix (listen here), which dropped last week. Per usual, my imaginary boyfriend crafts a stellar mix that deserves multiple listens. Each time I listen, I notice and fall in love with something new. This go around, “Rogue,” the second song of the set, caught my attention. “Rogue” is the work of Mr. Carmack, a producer who’s been creating beats for 8 years –  notable seeing as he’s only 22 now. The song is off of his latest album, Bang Vol. 3,  which was released last month and is available for streaming and purchase on his Bandcamp page.

<a href="http://mrcarmack.bandcamp.com/track/rogue" data-mce-href="http://mrcarmack.bandcamp.com/track/rogue">Rogue by mr. carmack</a>

[soundbuffet]

Wildlife Control - "Different"

(Image via ohsofreshmusic.com)

If I were a music supervisor, I would secure the rights to this song stat and place it in a movie or a TV show during the culminating scene. If I had to describe "Different" in one word, it’d be “cinematic.” Sweeping and grandiose, the song is chock-full of soaring harmonies and hazy vocals. Wildlife Control is the work of bicoastal brothers - one lives in Brooklyn while the other resides in San Francisco. They released their debut album, Wildlife Control, last summer. “Different,” their first single of 2013, dropped last month. If you’re in Austin, catch them at SXSW in March.

[soundbuffet]

Rihanna - "Stay (Branchez Bootleg)"

(Image via en.paperblog.com)

Now that the "Harlem Shake" meme has gone viral, the internet world should be pretty familiar with trap as a genre. Most trap music is pretty aggressive, but it doesn’t have to be. Case in point: Branchez’s latest remix of Rihanna’s “Stay.” Branchez, a rising producer from NYC, tweaks the piano-driven ballad – speeding up Rihanna’s and Mikky Ekko’s vocals and adding a subtle trap beat – just enough to make the bootleg a different listening experience without sacrificing the emotional weight that the original carries. Download Branchez’s other material for free on his SoundCloud page.

[soundbuffet]

Lorde - "The Love Club"

(Image via georgefm.co.nz)

Yes, Valentine’s Day was yesterday, and yes, this song doesn’t really have much to do with romantic love, but it still seems appropriate to feature a song called “The Love Club” while people are still basking in their post-Valentine’s Day date glow…or in their Black Hearts Club hangover. Either way, I’m really feeling this song and I hope you do too. Lorde, a 16-year-old chick from New Zealand, writes, performs and produces her own material, all while still in school. The multi-talented teen is signed with Universal and counts Grimes as a fan. Download her EP, also titled The Love Club, for free on her SoundCloud page. 

[soundbuffet]

The Neighbourhood - "Say My Name/Cry Me A River"

(Image via thefourohfive.com)

Seeing as Destiny’s Child and Justin Timberlake are both in the midst of staging major comebacks, what better way to commemorate them than a mashup of two of the artists’ best songs? The Neighbourhood seamlessly blend the two into a stripped down, groovy cover showcasing frontman Jesse Rutherford’s vocals. (If you’ve read Sound Buffet at all, you know I have a soft spot for covers.) The Neighbourhood are a 5-piece indie pop band from Southern California currently working on their debut album. I have a feeling 2013 is gonna be a good year for The Neighbourhood.