Eponym & Esta - Give Thanks
I've been playing this Eponym & Esta record a lot recently. Esta's got a great flow and Eponym's a very talented producer, hopefully we'll see more from these guys soon. Its really cool that they can make such a great record considering how young they are.
Zero 7 - Somersault (MF Doom & Danger Mouse Remix)
This track on its own is pretty awesome. But add MF Doom and Danger Mouse and it becomes incredible. MF Doom's verses and Danger Mouse's production fit perfectly over Zero 7's classic track. Love this one.
Broken Bells - Vaporize
Broken Bells is a duo between James Mercer (The Shins) and Danger Mouse. Some awesome synths in this track, and Mercer's standout vocals. If you're considering buying this album, the whole LP is great, you won't be disappointed.

Also, here's a really cool live performance of "The High Road" also by Broken Bells.

Lazy Sunday. Wake up, roll out of bed, and put on these tunes.

Eponym & Esta - Lazy Sunday
I'm really digging the jazzy sound here, the rap with the piano is dope. This entire album, Autumn in Sound, is really good. And you can get the whole thing for only two bucks, here.
Shirosky - Smooth Dream
Chill instrumental with a great Sinatra sample. This track comes from South Korean producer Shirosky, and its got a great vibe.
Blazo - Fragile Gold
Here's some new Blazo off his upcoming album, Colors of Jazz. Really great stuff, I'll definitely keep you guys posted when the album drops next month.

Thanks to Bob42jh for these tracks. Check out his YouTube channel here if you haven't already.

Emancipator (Doug Appling) is a DJ/producer from Oregon, and this is his debut album. It was eventually picked up by Nujabes and released on his label, Hydeout Productions. "Soon It Will Be Cold Enough To Build Fires" is mostly instrumental, except for a few vocal samples. The whole thing is fantastic. The samples that are used combined with the instruments are unlike anything I've ever heard, and together they create an incredible vibe. "Soon It Will Be Cold Enough To Build Fires" has had a very lasting impression on me, making it easily my most listened to album of the past year. Here are a few of my favorite tracks.

Emancipator - Soon It Will Be Cold Enough
I had a chance to see Emancipator live this spring, and when this song came on, the whole place went crazy. He had an accompanying violinist for the concert, which was sick, and an awesome projector playing what was like a combination of a lot of different home videos mixed with nature shots.
Emancipator - First Snow
I love the vocal samples used in this one, they really add something. The whole flow of this track is unreal, especially around the 3 minute mark where the guitar comes in.
Emancipator - Good Knight
The range in this track amazes me, the way the whole piece transitions from one part to another so seamlessly, changing up instruments and the beat as the track goes on.

You can stream and buy the album on Emancipator's bandcamp page, here.

Perfect summer night; 70 degrees with a light breeze. I think these downtempo tracks fit the night well. Hope you like them as much as I do.

Thievery Corporation - Marching The Hate Machines
Love the whole vibe of this song, so relaxed.
Zero 7 - Give It Away
Very chill. The entire Simple Things album is great, especially the collaborations with Sia.
Groove Armada - Little By Little
Richie Havens' voice fits this track so well. If you like this, be sure to check out Hands of Time also by Groove Armada.

Thanks to everyone who has supported this site so far. I've been doing this for a little over a month now, and it's been a lot of fun already.

I've been listening more and more to Bob42jh's playlists on YouTube. These three tracks are some of my favorites that he's put up.

DJ Okawari - Flower Dance
The two piano parts in this tune are amazing, love this track. There will definitely be more DJ Okawari here in the future.
DJ Whitesmith - I'll Die In The Sepia Flow
Beautiful song, similar to Flower Dance with the fast paced piano arrangements, but at the same time different enough to earn the two their own respect.
Flica - Back
Incredibly relaxing. This track shows how effective minimal, ambient music can be. Real chill tune, really has the power to take you somewhere else.

P.S. Sorry if you're listening to Flica and the loud brass music from yesterdays post comes on! That's definitely a jarring transition, sorry about that.

This post features two of my favorite brass bands, Youngblood Brass Band and Hypnotic Brass Ensemble. These two groups aren't your ordinary brass bands.

Youngblood Brass Band - Brookyln The band calls this music "Riot Jazz." It's got instruments that are usually more traditionally used, but here they're taken to a whole new level. "Brooklyn" is a Youngblood classic that shows the groups talent and creativity.
Youngblood Brass Band - V.I.P.
This one's a little more relaxed than Brooklyn, but it's still got awesome interaction from all the instruments. The 11-piece group plays off each other, with new parts of the song being introduced almost all the time. Really like the solo at 2:45. If you like these two tracks, you can hear more of Youngblood Brass Band on Facebook.

Hypnotic Brass Ensemble - Ballicki Bone
Hypnotic Brass Ensemble is a nine piece group, and eight of them are brothers - sons of the famous jazz musician Phil Cohran. This track, Ballicki Bone, is really chill and it shows off the group's core sound.
Hypnotic Brass Ensemble - Gibbous
Love this one, it's catchy from the start. If you're ever in NYC, these guys play on the subway a lot, a good amount of their live performances on YouTube are taken by people who see them on the train platform. Here's a video of the group playing Planet Gibbous live outside of Times Square.

Shad's Rose Garden is one of the realest, most feel good songs out there today. Shad is a Canadian rapper known for his thoughtful and carefully crafted lyrics. His recently released album, TSOL, won a Juno award, which is like the Canadian Grammy.

Love the whole vibe of this song, and the video's great too. I had a chance to meet Shad after one of his shows, and he's one of the nicest, humblest guys you'll ever meet. And he puts on a hell of a show.

Here's two tracks that are from different eras, about fifteen years apart. They're both titled "Mexico," but sound very different. One track could be called alternative folk/country/americana, and the other might be labeled hip-hop. But the lyrics in both songs are about moving to Mexico to have a better future. I might just be crazy, but I think they go well together.

Cake - Mexico
Relaxed pace with McCrea's unique half-spoken vocals, and an awesome trumpet in the end. Classic Cake, love this tune.
CunninLynguists - Mexico
A real soulful tune, CunninLynguists show why they're so well respected within the hip hop community. These guys have got such a good flow and delivery, really chill tune. I'm also really digging the background guitar. (Thanks Bob42jh for this track)

It's been raining all week. The weather really affects what kind of music I listen to. These two tracks are pensive, thought provoking, and at the same time relaxing.

Master Class - Art and Science
I had to write three papers for school a few days ago. I couldn't focus at all, making every excuse in the book to not get them done. Then I found Master Class, put his music on for six hours and cranked out those papers. This track is my favorite, what a talent. If you like this track, you'd like the rest of Master Class's work which you can find here. All of his music is available on bandcamp as a name your price download.

Submotion Orchestra - All Yours (Jack Sparrow Remix)
Unbelievable. Awesome chill-out vibe and great female vocals. Perfect tune to relax to. Submotion Orchestra's new album comes out June 13th, I'll definitely keep you guys posted when that releases. Hope you like this one as much as I do.

Big thanks to Bob42jh for recommending these tracks and giving these artists recognition. If you don't know him, Bob42jh is a YouTube uploader with an amazing varied musical taste and a wide following. The coolest part is, he just posts what he likes, it's not confined to one genre. You should check his channel out here.

Tigers on Trains released an LP a couple of years ago in 2009, titled "Grandfather." It features carefully crafted melodies and guitar arrangements, behind calm vocals with pensive lyrics. Not only is the music great, but the lyrics are top-notch too. Take this line as an example, from the track Sea Weed:
"Getting reborn, well it hurts like a bitch, I do not recommend it.."
The whole album sounds like it could be a live recording, which is refreshing. Highly recommend this album, especially if you're into folk and that kind of sound. Check out these tracks from the album.

Tigers on Trains - Sea Weed
Tigers on Trains - Just Be Glad That No One Saw You
Tigers on Trains - Silk Road

You can stream and buy the album on bandcamp here. It's only $6.50 too!

Curumin - Compacto
Chill, with a funky bass line. Curumin, native of Brasil, sings in Portuguese with a samba groove. Really good use of sampling here, toward the end of the song.
The Slackers - Alone Again
Digging this one recently. Sincere, melancholy lyrics over a steady ska beat, and awesome back up vocals. Liking the brass here.
The Budos Band - Chicago Falcon
The Budos Band are one of the funkiest groups around, off the funk/soul powerhouse label Daptone Records. This song's got incredible brass, and a lot of good vibes. If you like funk/afrobeat, you have to check out The Budos Band.

The Young Crooks are a trio from Ohio, who just released a new EP called "Phone." They've got a nice sound that's accessible (you know, like, it sounds good when you first hear it).

The whole EP is consistently good, it's one of those where you can listen without thinking "Shit, where's the next button." My favorite track is "Wasting Time"; reminiscing, witty lyrics delivered over dope beats and fitting piano.

I'm getting a mix of Ben Folds, The Strokes, and Sublime kind of vibe, which is awesome, considering these guys just popped out of nowhere with their first EP. Look for The Young Crooks in the future, but until then, check out these songs from the Phone EP. The best part is you can download the whole thing from bandcamp for free. Peace.

Just finished working on a mash up of Blue Scholars' "Lumiere" and Damu The Fudgemunk's "Colorful Storms". I'm a big fan both of those artists, and it was a lot of fun to make. I'd appreciate it if some of you could check it out and give me some feedback. If not, that's cool too. Thanks.

Kinda chilly outside. No sun, just clouds. That doesn't mean we can't feel good.

Hip-hop producer Mick Boogie remixed Adele's album 19, taking her vocals and putting in 1980s instrumentals behind them. The unlikeliness of these two being paired makes it something special, and add Mick Boogie's amazing production, and you've got a classic album. You can download it for free and legally, here off of Mick Boogie's website. This is feel good, summertime music.

Mick Boogie & Adele - Tired (6th Sense Remix)
Catchy from the start, head bobbing percussion, a sick beat, and Adele's great vocals. Love this one.
Mick Boogie & Adele - First Love (Remot Remix ft. Naledge)
Adele's vocals are fantastic fit here, but the song really shines when Mick Boogie comes in around 1:28 and starts rapping, showing off his nasty flow. Producer, rapper, straight up talent.
Blue Scholars - Southbound
These next two tracks also have a nice groove. Both come from Blue Scholars, one's off their Joe Metro EP and the other is a remix of an Empire song.
Blue Scholars - New People
Producer Sabzi's amazing production and Geo's nasty flow. Feeling good.
This song samples Australian group Empire's "Walking on the Sun." Just listen to one of the YouTube comments: "best song to listen to cruising with the roof down."

Also, congratulations to Blue Scholars on the drop of their new album, Cinemetropolis. It's dope.

Remember when Umbrella by Rihanna was on the radio constantly? I think that was the summer of 2008. That song really defined what it meant to be overplayed, you would hear it everywhere. Like, the ice cream shop, the doctors office, even the DMV. And the worst part was, it was so infectiously catchy that no matter how much you wanted to get it out of your head, you couldn't stop humming it.

Despite all that, it's still a good song. This is a live cover of Umbrella by a really talented upcoming singer/songwriter named John West. He plays acoustic guitar and sings while and he's got a guy on percussion as well. It's really cool to see someone enjoy performing so much, which you see pretty frequently, but to sound this good doing it? Damn. Don't see that too often. What a voice. Enjoy.



John West's debut album drops his summer. Stay posted here.

I want to say thanks to everyone who's shown support for this site so far, it really means a lot. Been doing this for almost three weeks, and I've had a blast so far. Just found some new tracks that I'm really excited about, hope you like 'em too.

Berry Weight - Yeti's Lament
When I first heard this one, it blew me away. There's hip hop here, with classic jazz melodies, a grooving clarinet, and scratching turntables all in the same tune. And it sounds amazing. This Canadian/Swiss duo is a group to look out for. Their debut album is called "Music for Imaginary Movies" and you can check it out here.
Stevie Wonder & Tame Impala - Remember Me/Superstition
Superstition is a classic tune by the American pop and soul icon Stevie Wonder. Remember Me is a jam by Tame Impala, a psychedelic rock group from Australia. This mash up is a surprising combination, to say the least. But it works flawlessly, and is a catchy, fresh twist on a classic song. Highly recommend this one.
Takahiro Kido - Milk Tea
Really digging this one recently. From Japanese composer Takahiro Kido, "Milk Tea" is an incredibly relaxing jam that showcases his talent. It's got an ambient feel, with an uplifting vibe.

It's 5 AM. Studying all night for finals, need a break. Or an energy drink. Been chilling to these hip hop instrumentals tonight -- all four of these have a really good vibe and together I think they work pretty well together. It's been nice listening to these jams watching the sun come up.

Apollo Brown - Blue Ruby
Detroit based producer Apollo Brown lays down this smooth track off his recently released album, Clouds. Love the mood here, and the summer feel. The album cover is pretty dope, too.
Damu The Fudgemunk - Colorful Storms
This track has got a nasty bassline, with a real laid back feeling. Good vibes. And Damu the Fudgemunk has got to be one of the coolest artist names ever.
Nujabes - Horizon
From legendary hip hop producer Nujabes, "Horizon" has got a kicking piano over some perfected hip hop beats. Nujabes shows why he's considered to be one of the best producers ever.
Macklemore and Ryan Lewis - Fake Empire
Producer Ryan Lewis samples The National's "Fake Empire" in his own track of the same name. This tune has got a relaxed, uplifting vibe. A real feel good song and a good use of the original sample.

Finals start tomorrow. With a couple of five hour energies, everything might be alright. Until the end of next week, I'll probably be pulling my hair out. Here are some tunes that'll keep me sane until then. If you're taking finals, I hope they keep you sane too.

Four Tet - She Moves She
This dope instrumental comes from producer Four Tet. It's got a real peaceful, serene approach towards the beginning, with a nice guitar riff that's the focal point of the song. About halfway through, a new loop is introduced, and it sounds a bit like the sounds a photocopier makes. It's alarming at first, but after a few listens I really grew to welcome it. And the whole song is just so chill. The video is top-notch too, trance like.
Kings of Convenience - Know How
Perfect stress reliever. Soft-spoken vocals over really pleasant guitar riffs. And Feist appears about halfway in, and contributes to make the track even better.
Groove Armada - Hands of Time
British electronic group Groove Armada team up with Woodstock folk singer Richie Havens on this one, and the duo are outstanding. The result is an incredibly soulful track with Groove Armada's expected amazing production.
Lightning Seeds - Ghosts
From their recently released album, Four Winds, the Lightning Seeds show why they've had success since they bursted onto the British music scene in the late '80s. "Ghosts" has a great harmony of interacting male and female vocals.

Saturday morning's pretty awesome so far. The sun's out, people are outside, just a good vibe. Flip flops all day, if I ever get out of bed. Really feeling some chill-out tunes today:

Toro Y Moi - Still Sound
Off Toro Y Moi's new album Underneath the Pine, "Still Sound" features a kicking bassline with some light synths and his own unique vocals.
Populous - Hip Hop Cocotte
Populous lays down two real relaxing tracks. The first, Hip Hop Cocotte is one of my favorites, perfect for putting your mind at ease and just taking in the music.
Populous - Bon Bon Pour Les Rappers
Love the whole feel of this tune, and it's awesome on a good pair of headphones. Populous does it again.
NOBODY - Spin The Bright Sun Rose
DJ Nobody shows off his great producing skills with the atmospheric "Spin The Bright Sun Rose."

There's a folk/pop band from L.A. called The Submarines. They put out a song called "1940" a while back. A whole lot of atmosphere with a sly female vocal over some guitars/xylophones. I really dig this tune. Give it a listen.
The Submarines - 1940
Now that you've heard the original, check out the AmpLive remix. This remix plays with the dark atmosphere of the original and expands on it. More echoes, heavier beats, more intensity; it's good stuff.
The Submarines - 1940 (AmpLive Remix)

Zero 7 - Speed Dial No. 2
Great vocals on this one. It's got Zero 7's consistent chill out, trip-hop sound, wrapped around some interesting lyrics.
Moby - Porcelain
Moby at his finest. This one's a classic.
Pretty Lights - Finally Moving
I like one of the top-rated youtube comments for this one: "finally moving.. my ass im not going anywhere as long as this songs still playing on my computer".
Fujiya & Miyagi - Transparent Things
Funky with soft-spoken vocals, love this tune.

When I heard Slackstring back a couple of years ago, it was love at first listen. These guys have the most relaxing sound, it's the perfect music to kick back to. When you can listen to an album exclusively for two months and still love every tune, that's when you know it's good. Grab a beach chair, get comfy, rock some shades, put on Slackstring, and chill. Thats a damn good day.

Slackstring - Sunday Jen
Slackstring - Wednesday Morning
Slackstring - Sun Again Will Shine
Slackstring - Stranded