A good friend of mine for the last few years has worked tirelessly over the past few years to find his niche in the music world. His passion for music does not go unnoticed, with various acoustic projects I've been aware of since we were at summer camp together, to his current dabbles with electronic/ experimental music. His life is music and I am exceptionally excited to see the viral success of his first major release within under 24 hours. Congrats Daniel and I can't wait to see more of your work in the coming weeks.
This guy sure knows how to make Youtube hits. Psy's newest music video is already at 75 Million + views within just a few days of being out and is just as catchy, if not catchier than his previous masterpiece "Gangnam Style". Quite a hilarious and comedic watch, and the music sticks in your head as well! Enjoy.
Cute little monkeys, trippy visuals, hints of humor, a banging track, and of course shake weights. The deadly combo kind of makes you feel like you're on drugs, or like you're on some other planet. Plus it's created by yours truly! Enjoy.
Well...This is probably one of the most absurd things I've ever seen, but Vitas' unique opera-style is actually popular in other parts of the world. Enjoy?...
Winter Break is over! Time to get back to reality...Or better yet go crazy now that we're all back at school. The Mule is proud to announce that every week this month, we will be releasing a continuous playlist of the freshest new EDM tracks (and some underground gems) every Thursday. These tracks will make you shake your booty throughout the night and get the entire party grooving without a doubt. Here's our first installment, and we all hope this playlist ushers in your weekend vibes in all the right ways.Â
With the holidays over, people are resuming their busy lives. Some going back to school, others to work, and some resuming their bad habits, however we still cannot forget the last little pieces of 2012. Right before our top albums of 2012 series, we had the privilege of getting to see Youngblood Hawke at the KJEE Winter Roundup concert alongside Metric, Tegan & Sara, and Beware of Darkness in our very own Santa Barbara, California. Overall the show was very solid, and although ticket holders had assigned seating in the venue with no pit area, Youngblood Hawke still managed to get some of those rowdier audience members to rush up to the front of the stage and dance like twitchy, sugar rushed animals. As usual they came, delivered, and maintained their presence throughout the evening even after being followed up by some big acts. We had a chance to get in touch with YBH in order for them to answer some questions, and give our viewers a little look into their history and some personal band details. Enjoy the read!Â
-The name Youngblood Hawke originates from the novel written by Herman Wouk. Would you say there is some sort of link between the bandâs story and the novelâs content?
 -How long did you guys know each other before deciding to come together and form Youngblood Hawke? Were you always good friends? Do you feel the band benefits from this close friendship?
 Most of us have been close friends since childhood!  Tasso, Simon and Alice grew up together in San Antonio Texas and I met Simon later in college, who then introduced me to the rest of the band.  So we've always been extremely close.  The band definitely benefits from our close friendships, we genuinely enjoy each others company.  Thats important when you're around someone 24 hours a day in a tiny bus.  Its easy to go crazy.
-What sort of messages or emotions do you hope to convey through your music?
 We tend to write positive, uplifting songs, songs that make us feel good, give us hope.  Theres enough negativity and darkness in the world, we'd hate to add to that.  Writing music is a cathartic experience for us, we spill our personal lives into our music.  Not to say that all of our songs are sunshine and gummy bears, they're not.  The lyrics are super weird and all incredibly personal, we just like to throw a positive spin on the message. Â
 -Recently you guys released the âWe Come Runningâ music video where the band swims alongside sharks in order to advocate against the negative views towards these animals. Is there any message you would like to send to students with regards to environment preservation or the negative stigma that seems to surround sharks?
 We wanted to show people that sharks aren't the blood thirsty killers Hollywood has made them out to be.  They're intelligent, beautiful animals who play a vital role in keeping our oceans and planet thriving.  We wanted to inspire people to go out and fight for what you believe in, stand up for something, especially now with some many issues surrounding our dying planet.  Protecting the planet is very important to us and now more important than ever.  Â
-What has been your favorite part of touring so far? Any specific shows that stand out more than others?
 I'm honestly enjoying every second of this.  This is all we ever wanted, to travel and play music.  We went on tour with Passion Pit for a month, which was definitely a highlight for me.  They were amazing people who put on an incredible live show, their crowd was enthusiastic and energetic and made us feel welcome every single night.  We're all close friends now and I can't wait to play more shows with those dudes.  Â
-Are there any individuals/ bands you would say influenced Youngblood Hawkeâs unique sound?
I think we've been inspired by other bands and artists our whole lives, its impossible not to. Â But for this record we tried our hardest to create something unique, something we could call our own. Â We wanted to create our own style. Â Our focus was writing great songs. Â Its all about the songs for us.Â
 -Lastly on a more comical note, if each member of the band had a spirit animal, what would they be?Â
Errrmahgod, what happened? After a week-long deluge of carbs, sweet-treats, and family-induced alcoholism, followed up by a post-apocolyptic New Year's schmammering, it's strange to look up and realize it's already January 7th. The Mule has been offline through the holiday chaos, but we're gonna try and get back up to speed starting with this new spate of oven-fresh jammers.Â
This week, Jamie xx takes the bare-bones "Sunset" and gives it a dancefloor spine. Like most of Jamie xx's best work, it would probably sound best in a 3 am nightclub k-hole, but I'm sure your laptop speakers will do just fine.
Next up is a double-dose of Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs remixes, coming on the heels of 2012's sterling full-length Trouble. Â The first, by Waze & Odyssey, is on some crazy extreme house vibes, with bouncy bassline, diva vocals and Funky piano stabs. It's a very liberal use of it's source material, but definitely worthy of checking out.
The second, from TNGHT cohort and beatsmith supreme Lunice, might be the best of this week's bunch. It's a subtle hip-hop knocker of a rework, with Oliver Higginbotham's verses delivered over a washed out bed of keys and skittering hi-hats. It's trippy mane.Â
Our final track is from heretofore unknown producer D.Fine, who offers a bass music groove to  The Weeknd's Thursday highlighting "The Zone"
Being that this is the last piece of prose I will write in 2012 I have the urge to unload a whole bushel of crap about how much has changed over the course of the year and whatnot.  But also being of the lazy sort,that urge disappeared rather quickly as I try to actually finish this post before 2013; so I will get straight to the point.  The theme of this post is relativity: specifically the fact that I may believe something to be absolutely true, whereas you may not. A simple enough concept to grasp, yet it seems that most people forget this when it comes to religious, political, economic values (yadda yadda yadda). I would go further to say that one of the biggest challenges of our futuristic times is to get people with unwavering, preconceived beliefs to admit to the possible existence of other truths.  On another note, musical genres: they only serve to confuse and alienate.  Following are five albums released in 2012 which I have been unable to place in any certain genre and which is why they have tickled my fancy so.  All five albums have been on repeat on my music library since their release and are sources of inspiration when creating my own music or when I'm just trying to de-stress. Included is one track off of every album, but I really encourage listening to them as a whole to try and understand the overarching aesthetics that influences each respective piece.
5. Ta-Ku :: Re/twerk
3. Insightful :: Feather'd Son
<a href="http://insightful.bandcamp.com/track/sunlight" data-mce-href="http://insightful.bandcamp.com/track/sunlight">SunLight by Insightful</a>
So this oneâs going to be a diddy. Itâs hard to write when youâre not a writer, but one that simply writes as the words flow through the mind. Similar to how I write, I let music flow through my mind as I listen to it, and more often then not Iâd like to think I listen to good music, if not the best. 2012 has been a pretty solid year for music, even though some of my most anticipated albums ended up being dudsâŠwell not duds because all music has some sort of creative appeal/ intrigue. I guess even if it may not âsoundâ the best, a few of the bands Iâve followed for a long time just released work just not of the same callibur or quality. Maybe itâs because they tried something new, or maybe itâs just too difficult to make enough money from music streaming, so the rush to put forth an album in an effort to go on tour (where the moneyâs at now days) disabled these bands from putting their all into it. Either way, 2012 definitely forced me to find new artists and music to become enthralled with. Iâm not complaining, because part of the reason this blog exists is because of this drive to find the best of new music or music that may not have seen enough sunlight just yet. To avoid more of my ranting, I will simply say there were some great albums this last year, and some not so great. Below are my personal top 5 albums of 2012, and although there are many others I wish I could write about, these few were leaps and bounds above the restâŠin my opinion of course, but thatâs for you to judge.
 #5 // The xx : Coexist
 The xx have always been one of those bands that Iâve never been super into, although I appreciate their pervious hits and the vast array of remixes of their music that surface all over the internet. However I cannot deny that their music is simply beautiful. Oliver Sim and Romy Croftâs voices beautifully compliment each other as though the lyrics themselves were in a sensual relationship. There are hints of club-like beats in the background that culminate with the vocals to create a completed mix of beauty, tenderness, and an insatiable urge to move. The album opens with âAngelsâ, a song that is so soft, yet compulsive to the point where it makes you almost tear up. From there on out the songs almost blend into one another, distinct, yet a complete ballad that comes off as an artistic, musical, and lyrical masterpiece. On an artistic note, with the release of Coexist, the xx curated an art exhibit alongside audio company Sonos featuring an interactive installation and music series exploring the relationships between man and machine. Unfortunately I did not make it out to the exhibit, however you can check out some info on it here:Â
 #4 // Electric Guest : Mondo
Iâm always looking for music that sounds a little different, and when I first stumbled upon Electric Guest, I knew I had found something uniqueâŠand awesome! âTrouble Manâ was the first track I heard off their first album, Mondo, and it completely blew me away. The acoustic guitar, keyboard, steady drum beat, and vocals of Asa Taccone were something new, soothing, and compelling at the same time. Even the lyrics of the song seem to speak to you in a way that you can relate, and I like it when a band gets personal with meâŠit makes me feel special and like Iâm not alone in my past struggles, particularly with women in this case. Then just as youâre comfortable with the way the song is going, it changes up a bit, picks back up, and gets even betterâŠWhat?!? I could go on for paragraphs just about this song, but I wonât simply to keep this post flowing. âThis Head I Holdâ is one of those tracks you just fall in love with immediately, since you think youâve heard it before, yet you havenât. Itâs weird to explain, but I just donât question it and groove along to the funky beat like thereâs no tomorrow. The great thing about Electric Guest is that theyâre the perfect blend of intriguing lyrics, groovy beats, and that lovable keyboard/ guitar combo. I was lucky enough to catch them this last summer at Outside Lands, and let me tell you, these San Francisco natives know how to get a crowd going. Iâm one of those people that will hear a song or two from a band, then may catch them at a festival, and if theyâre good, Iâll fall in loveâŠhowever if theyâre bad, I move on with my life and find someone new. In case theyâre reading this, I just want you all to know they were not only amazing, but my favorite musical performance of the weekend. You can tell how passionate a band is based on the energy and soul they convey through their live performances, and Electric Guest left their hearts on the stage.
 #3 // alt-j : An Awesome Wave
The British sensation known as alt-j surfaced this last summer after their debut album âAn Awesome Waveâ. With humble origins and born of comparative literature/ fine art majors at Leeds university, alt-j creates a sound which is the perfect fusion between alternative and dub-pop. Although they've been around since 2007, I only heard of them right after their debut album was released this last May. I'm all about gimmicks and concepts, and the triangle thing these guys have going on may be confusing, but it's brilliant and grants the group a mysterious aura. This deadly combo of gimmick and sound grasped a hold of my attention rather quickly, along with their tracks holding top chart seats on several high profile music blogs. Their fresh sound has probably been the reason they've gained so much popularity in just the last few months. With a wide variety of track styles ranging from the childish, yet fun babbling of "Fitzpleasure" to the exotic melody of "Taro", there's something new around every corner with alt-j. The album itself is a completely original composition, and the interludes leading into each segment only add to the brilliance that flows throughout âAn Awesome Waveâ. I look forward to more tracks by alt-j and will definitely be seeing them live when they pass through California next.
 #2 // Grizzly Bear : Shields
Grizzly Bear has held a place in my music library for years since I saw their music video for âReady, Ableâ directed by Allison Schulnik. Although originally impressed by only the amazing stop motion video, the song grew on me, causing me to branch out into their other tracks, and ultimately see them at Coachella in 2010. I expected just another solid album from Grizzly Bear this last year, but was blown away by âShieldsâ. The power and emotion that strikes the listener right from the beginning seems almost like it wonât, or better yet canât, last throughout the album. Much to my surprise it does, and each new melody produced by Grizzly Bear in this album is absolutely unique and beautiful. âSleeping Uteâ starts us off with soothing melodic folk accompanied by soft vocals that penetrate the soul, fading into the more upbeat âSpeak in Roundsâ. âYet Againâ slows everything down again after âSpeak in Roundsâ by maintaining an intimate vibe that again goes to show the passion and thought that went into this album. These tracks definitely set the tone for the rest of the album I feel, all unique, but continuing the emotional flow that Grizzly Bear accurately executes in âShieldsâ.
Although they may not have received as much physical recognition as they should have for the album, âShieldsâ was a huge musical step for Grizzly Bear. Of course itâs always nice to have some sort of significant source of recognition for your work, and although Grizzly Bear may not have received that Grammy nomination, they created something that the music world can truly appreciate. The music industry is a questionable one, but one thingâs for certain, âShieldsâ does not go unappreciated by those who see it for what it is, a pure masterpiece.
 #1 // Tame Impala : Lonerism
Itâs funny, how we sometimes get so caught up in our current musical obsession, we neglect some other music we may really like, but simply donât have the time to give a chance. âLonerismââŠmy personal favorite album of 2012 simply takes the cake in every aspect of what I view as an astounding piece of musical work. Lyrically you can almost taste the emotion, melodically itâs just the perfect balance of psychedelic-rock where I donât feel like it screams drugs, and the overall quality of each track is exhibited by how complex/ different each one sounds. All the while Tame Impala maintains their dreamy sound that sets them apart from almost any other band in the industry.
If there was a soundtrack to my dreams, this would be it: Energetic, narrative-like, concrete/ ironic messages, raw emotion, etc. You can definitely tell this album went in a more emotional direction lyrically, as opposed to their first album âInnerspeakâ. The vast array of sonic and complex sounds almost seem to toy with the lyrics, resulting in songs that portray a fun narrative with an almost ironic aftertaste. I do enjoy my beautiful melancholic tunes here and there, however the overall vibes I get from âLonerismâ are anything but melancholic. Bliss would be a more accurate word to sum up the album, and the complexity and diversity of the sounds created in each song literally make my brain hum. The surreal feeling I get when listening to tracks like âFeels Like We Only Go Backwardsâ continues throughout the album, until we get to the track, âElephantâ. Itâs like an abrupt slap in the face, but you like itâŠa lot. If anything you crave it. In all seriousness though, what a track!...This early release from the album may be one of the best tracks of 2012. Complex, catchy, thumpinâ, intriguing lyric-wise, and completed with powerful vocals, âElephantâ culminates all the preceding tracks into a grand climax. Simply wonderful. I could go on for days going into depth on each song, but I wonât simply so you have more time to listen for yourself than read my rants. Thereâs a reason âLonerismâ won the J Award for Australian album of the year and was named album of the year in the UK by NME Magazine. Itâs just that fantastic and captivates everything an album should be.Â
2012 ushered in many new videos...even the most watched Youtube video of all time, "Gangnam Style", which reached over a billion views. Although Psy's debut music video obviously was the #1 video of the year according to Youtube views, here are the top 10 trending videos of 2012. All unique, enjoyable, and worth the watch. Enjoy.
