A large archive of K-Mart in-store music from the late 1980s and early 1990s has been digitized and put online by a former employee. You can find it here, and below is just a taste of what’s in store. Heh.
Short Cuts: The Best Songs Heard On December 27, 2017 From The Indie World
Nikö Blank
______ – (Pronounced “Blank”)
Nikö Blank is one of electronic music’s most buzz-worthy and prodigious young talents. His unofficial Flume “Never Be Like You” Remix, which reached the #1 spot on Hype Machine, at the time beating out official remixes of the track by Disclosure, Wave Racer and Teengirl Fantasy. ______ is a beautiful piece of work, for your heart, for your mind and for your soul.
Amplified
Location (Acoustic Cover)
A three-time Van’s Warped Tour veteran and perennial international songwriting contest finalist, Amplified has a clutch of compelling solo releases behind him. chalked full of his guitar squiggles and voice. If you dig Jack Johnson and SiriusXM’s Coffee House channel, follow him.
Murray Lake
Is This Goodbye Feat. Jamie Lidell
A few years ago, Murray opened a recording studio in Australia, and have had Theophilus London, Boys Noize, Anderson .Paak, MK & Freddie Gibbs record there. Murray may have taught these artists a thing or two – and this song with Super Collider;s Jamie Lidell leans a bit heavy towards Bowie, but that’s never a bad thing, either.
Jordan Pope
That Way
Jordan Pope is an independent rising rapper and singer from the Bay Area. With a unique background of having two siblings being born with disabilities, he has developed intense compassion for others, and I don’t know if I had to tell you this fact, but now that you do, you’ll take the spiritual and best moments of the song with that much more closeness. There’s nothing out of step here, and the playing on the song is gorgeous, really smooth and sexy.
Aura Blaze
Ripple (Grateful Dead cover)
This is one person? Seriously? Rhode Rachel does this whole song? I’m not the biggest Dead fan, but I’d love to see what he can do with a real freak-out song. He takes you back to the place where The Doors, Pink Floyd, and Strawberry Alarm Clock lived and newer artists like Tame Impala, The Black Angels, and Temples pick up the ball. If you ever meet Aura, he seems like the kinda guy you’d want to talk music with for hours.
Mezmah
X
Straight outta of London, United Kingdom, Mezmah sounds like they’re ready for fame with this personal escape into his real conscious. No outside pressures developing here, this is lit.
Nick de la Hoyde
Hold Me Close
Sydney, Australia based singer/songwriter/rapper Nick de la Hoyde began expressing himself through music when he was 16 while pursuing a professional, football career in Barcelona. Smart move. If he keeps this up, he can buy his own team shortly. Imagine Justin Bieber with The Chainsmokers hosting your party with Drake coming in for a few seconds to drop by.
LOWBORN
CRAZY
Spellbinding track for fans of Hedley, All Time Low, and other dark and enigmatic pop rock band from a punk rock and metal heart. Not quite hardcore, one of the great indie songs to come out this month.
NYT FOXES
Giants
Highly energized electro pop from essentially the solo vehicle for singer/songwriter Ben Lovas. 25 years ago, he would have opened for New Order as his big chance. Now, he can infiltrate the fanbase and let them know he exists, and I can’t wait to see how thrilled and excited they’ll all be.
Quarter From Tha Valley ft. Perelli2 and D Ruck
Believe Me
Straight from the studio to the dancefloor, a song like this gives newly-signed MC Quarter From Tha Valley the step above everyone else fighting for their shot. Contains such an irresistible chorus that we might be looking at him 10 years later, marveling at where it all began.
Edwin
Uncontrollable Pride
Not to be confused with the sometime lead singer of I Mother Earth, this duo has the smarts to get any songwriter back to the books for lessons. All that’s needed from this song are a fee ‘oohs’ and ‘ahhs’ and you’ve got the best song of the summer, a little bit past the due date. Recommended if you like Tom Petty and George Harrison, and quite frankly, who doesn’t?
Listen To One Of The Last People To Play The Glass Armonica, Invented By Benjamin Franklin
Dean Shostak is one of last true masters capable of playing the glass armonica – an enchanting instrument lost to time. First devised in 1761 by Benjamin Franklin, the art of “playing glass” began to fade in popularity as musical fashions changed. Today, there are only eight glass armonica players left in the world. Along with the revival of the armonica, Shostak is also reintroducing an entire family of glass instruments, including the glass violin, the crystal hand bells and the French Cristal baschet.
A history of hip-hop mapped out to the circuit diagram of a classic turntable
The art company Dorothy‘s Hip-Hop Love Blueprint celebrates over 700 MCs, DJs, producers, turntablists, musicians, graffiti artists, b-boys and b-girls who (in our opinion) have been pivotal to the evolution of hip-hop, from pioneers such as DJ Kool Herc and Grandmaster Flash to present day chart success stories Kendrick Lamar and Drake, and global superstars Jay-Z and Kanye West.
The print pays homage to the godfathers of hip-hop (Gil Scott-Heron, The Last Poets) but takes its starting point as DJ Kool Herc’s Back to School Jam in August 1973 – a block party in the Bronx, New York which is widely regarded as the birthplace of hip-hop.
The print weaves it way through many different scenes and record labels including early old-school innovators (Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, DJ Kool Herc, Afrika Bambaataa, Cold Crush Brothers), golden age heroes (Run–DMC, Beastie Boys, KRS-One, Eric B. & Rakim), the collective Native Tongues (De La Soul, A Tribe Called Quest, Jungle Brothers, Queen Latifah, Monie Love), politically charged hip-hop (Public Enemy, The Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy, Lauryn Hill), legendary East Coast artists (The Notorious B.I.G, Nas), legendary West Coast artists (Tupac Shakur, Dr. Dre), gangsta rap (Ice-T, N.W.A, Ice Cube, Snoop Dogg), hardcore (Wu-Tang Clan, Mobb Deep), Southern rap (Lil Wayne, T.I., Outkast) underground hip-hop (Company Flow, MF Doom, Aesop Rock), turntablism (Invisibl Scratch Piklz, The X-Ecutioners), trip-hop (Massive Attack, Tricky, Portishead), UK grime (Wiley, Skepta and Stormzy) and legendary producers (DJ Premier, J Dilla and Madlib).
The print also salutes the b-boys and b-girls (New York City Breakers, Rock Steady Crew) and the graffiti artists who are intrinsically linked to hip-hop culture (Blade, Futura 2000, Lee Quiñones, Lady Pink).
Roland MT-80S, The Boombox That Plays Floppy Disks
Mat Taylor of the Techmoan YouTube channel took a look the Roland MT-80S, a portable music player from the late 1990s that plays music stored o 3.5″ floppy disks.
How Fleetwood Mac Makes A Song
A deconstruction of Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams,” off their masterpiece 1977 album, Rumours.
Deaf People Teaches You Bad Words
I’ve been around hearing-impaired people for most of my life. There’s something pure and gracious in their happiness, and until I saw this video, I realized, I’ve never heard or saw a deaf people swear in sign before.
Why should you read Charles Dickens? This TED Talk Explains
The starving orphan seeking a second helping of gruel. The spinster wasting away in her tattered wedding dress. The stone-hearted miser plagued by the ghost of Christmas past. More than a century after his death, these remain recognizable figures from the work of Charles Dickens. But what are the features of Dickens’ writing that make it so special? Iseult Gillespie investigates.
Short Cuts: The Best Songs Heard On December 25, 2017 From The Indie World
Bleach Baby
Be So Good
Bleach Baby follows up their successful debut single, “This Is For You,” with the second release from their highly anticipated EP coming in 2018. If you remember Ride On Time and feel like you’re missing out on Deep House due to, you know, life and mortgages, check this one out.
OKO & Rosie Darling
Paradise
They created this song through Skype, since they were over 3,000 miles apart. Skype! That won’t be the legacy of the group though, and just imagine what they can create by being both in the same room.
Anonymous Conflict
Old Saigon
It always surprises me when one person gets behind a name for their project – think Trent Reznor and Nine Inch Nails, or Iron & Wine for Sam Beam. There’s a definite sparek to this song, and one listen, you’ll know why he really doesn’t need anyone else for his wicked vision.
Gabe Lopez
Lasso
Gabe is a go-to songwriter backed by hits for Belinda Carlisle, NKOTB, Boyz II Men, Krayzie Bone, and more. This year, he’s returned to performing and writing his own material. He continues his formidable run of hits with this track, and good thing he decided to keep it for himself.
Kitchenette
Prison Break
The project of Amsterdam musician Chris O. Kikic, calls to mind some of NPR’s favourite artists, and this is really the answer to saving the music industry: Good songs, exploring the evolution of alternative rock.
LINES
Marty Ponster
Hey, Vancouver, what are you doing sleeping on this group? From behind the scenes as DJs in the club, to now a fully-realized band in ready to he heralded a soon-to-be commercial and critical glory, this is one of the most modern age’s sincere tracks in the last few weeks.
we are, et al.
Summer’s Colder & I’m Still Here
Sometimes, you see or hear a name of a group or concept, and you think that could be the most original quality from them. Worry no more about we are, et al. Based out of San Francisco, this earthy slice of folk-rock is full of colours and vibrancy.
Zita
Move
OK, I love it when violins or fiddles move into the modern world or rock, dance or EDM. Zita is from Hungary, and also produced this effort and his compelling and exciting. Ashley MacIsaac and Natalie MacMaster do this so well, and I love them both for doing it. Add Zita to this list. More of this in the disco and arenas, please.
Subway Club
Atom Bomb
From Stockholm, Sweden, this club is going to need a few more spaces for new fans. Incredibly talented, their secret is not too have too many ideas in the track. It’s just enough to continue their consistent quality of tunes and melodies.
U2’s Larry Mullen Jr Filmed A PSA In 1987 About Motorcycle Safety
He not only started U2, but here’s drummer Larry Mullen, Jr on motorcycle safety.
https://youtu.be/OKxmZkzLp7A
