Chicago rapper-turned-actor Common has taken shots at the news media today, claiming that “the integrity of the media is gone in many areas.” The outcry was supposedly sparked over what he believes is a disparity in coverage of American presidential candidates, in the favour of the exploits of controversial CEO turned politician Donald Trump. You know the guy who has a lot of money from that TV show, oh, and the guy that thinks mexican immigrants are bogeyman drug dealers, rapists and criminals, yeah, that guy.
Being anything but what his name might suggest, Common, the compelling and talented musician made some salient and poignant arguments, albeit briefly during a Q&A with HuffPost Live. Best known for his gold album Be, released in 2005 by G.O.O.D Music and Geffen Records, the rapper doesn’t seem to have a specific problem with the hairpiece touting mogul, rather, just that the media at large takes a slanted and saturated view of Donald for “the numbers”. He continues to question the motives of those in charge of reporting the news:
It’s like where is the integrity of the journalists who know and will challenge these thoughts so that the American people can see truth and really have a good opportunity to get behind someone who’s going to matter, who’s going to really be about affecting change and improving this country.
We’ve seen many cases of a disparity between coverage for non-white ethnicity’s in western media, and on the major news networks diversity often seems little more than a box they must check to avoid profiling accusations. But when it comes to elections, the politician and media relationship can become very murky. News, at its core, is responsible for informing, but in the highly competitive print, digital and television news world, ratings, views, and purchases are at the top of the priority list. Without them, any mass media outlet would cease to exist. So while one media outlet runs Trump stories, receiving giant ratings, other outlets are kind of handcuffed, following suit or conceding the viewership they need for continued existence. At a more philosophical level though, that doesn’t just blur the line between informative news and entertainment, it shatters it.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQAzpV7GC0U]
Now I’m not saying that we’re living in the world of sly manipulation presented in Network, but Common’s point, and it’s a good one, is that the media is responsible for informing viewers, providing them with the content required to make informed and personal choices based upon what they read, watch and hear, and sometimes, they fall short. And never is this more important than during an election campaign. While news media isn’t exactly reporting inaccurate or biased news, and by no means is it necessarily insidious, there is definitely a disparity between coverage of less entertaining candidates and larger than life personalities running for office, and that is clearly problematic when a lot of voters are relying on news coverage to present to them candidates that they find themselves aligned with politically.
What does it all boil down to though? Not much really, just the fact that as long as people like Common continue to point out the failures of journalism, it will hopefully encourage consumers to think critically about what they are watching and not let themselves be shaped or manipulated by media saturation. So let’s all be healthily skeptical and make informed decisions when we vote against Malcolm Turnbull. And as a representative of Howl & Echoes I’d just like to say that I will no longer write about Donald Trump, if only because Common made it seem really uncool.
With the critical and commercial success of the recently released N.W.A biopic Straight Outta Compton, there is suddenly a spate of rumoured films in the pipeline. With Outkast, Public Enemy, Snoop Dogg, Wu-Tang Clan as speculative suggestions, some of which have already been shot down, to the ‘confirmed’ Master P in house No Limit Forever Films’ production slated for a 2016 release, it seems like every artist with any kind of story is looking to get themselves onto the big screen. Never mind the reasons behind the sudden influx of music films. Instead, it just seems like much more fun to predict, pray for, and suggest the music films that should, nay, need to happen.
Not all movies are created equal, even in the same genre, you wouldn’t compare Notorious to I’m Not There, so we won’t either. Instead let’s try to outline a distinct vision of the topic, style, and focus of the films. So of course, we’ll have to break this down into sections.
Now remember, this is NOT about making films about the best artists – it’s about what would make the best movie. Purely fantasy, we’re not thinking about those old chestnuts like rights, licensing and more. Have we taken creative liberties? Sure. But hey, this is our little dream world.
Without further adieu, let’s go.
Category #1: The Speculative
4 More Years: The Kanye West Story (To be released in 2024)
Directed By: Kanye West
Written By: Kanye West
Starring: Kanye West
Completely predictable, completely obvious, but still completely amusing. After announcing his 2020 presidential campaign, Kanye is continuing his reign as music’s most outspoken, absurd and interesting artist. Nobody can capture Kanye quite like Kanye, so he’ll be writing, directing and starring in it. We figure that he’s already creating his own myth and reality within the real world, so one can only wonder about what kind of stylised world Yeezus would create, were he to make a biopic. Or perhaps it would be fiction? Could he have to defend the white-house from terrorist Taylor Swift fans? Could he bring diplomatic peace to Palestine and Israel with slam poetry? Could the movie be a psychedelic construction inside his own mind where Kanye must fight his inner demons to ascend to his second term as president? Anything is on the table! And what role does Kim Kardashian play? Does their first meeting in the film look exactly like the Bound 2 video clip? This one could be a Zardoz or Holy Mountain-esque instant classic!
Justin (To be released in 2030)
Directed by: Sofia Coppola
All-aboard the Justin Bieber train. He’s already won us over with his interview with Jimmy Fallon, and we predict that soon Bieber will ascend to that James Franco circa 2011 level of cool (you know, before we fully realised he was weird). I’m not ruling out a heroin phase, a stint as a rapper, or a Brain Wilson style pop-record that drives him into complete madness, or even a precipitous fall from grace. But we know Sofia Coppola can capture the madness of youth with elegance, and imagine the 14 year-old Bieber partying with Usher, dealing with the harshness of celebrity and fame in a redemptive coming-of-age classic. Couldn’t you see this winning an Oscar?
One Direction Home (To be released in 2022)
Directed By: David Fincher
Yes, yes, I know, One Direction are breaking-up, or are they? But this one is banking on the inevitable years of forthcoming turmoil. We’ve seen Fincher handle egomaniacal creators fighting with their best friends before with The Social Network, so imagine that times five. The story would obviously centre around Harry Styles, but there is plenty of room for ancillary characters. What with Liam Payne’s drinking, or the crucible of media speculation about Louis Tomlinson‘s sexual orientation, there is plenty of rich material to explore. The documentation of the tour followed by the bands ‘hiatus’ followed by their triumphant return, I could very well see it capturing that wistful Almost Famous vibe. If I had to pick a sleeper for the best of my imaginary music movies, this might be the one.
1989 (2028)
Directed By: Steven Soderbergh
Bear with me here, but this will be a hard-hitting drama about the rise and fall of Taylor Swift. In my imaginary world, Swift continues to dominate music well into the next decade, before a sudden, and vicious fall from grace. The villainous swift is convicted of fraud, perversion of justice, as well as conspiracy to commit murder. Behind the sweet smile is vicious killer who will stop at nothing to achieve success. 1989 is a detailed biopic about Swift’s ruthless ambition and machiavellian evil. We’ve had a taste of Swift’s power, striking fear into Diplo’s heart, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Have at it Soderbergh.
Category #2: Why haven’t they been made already?
Bon
Directed by: TBA
We went back and forth on this one being a documentary or a biopic. But either way, arguably Australia’s biggest rock legend, and notorious larrikin and partyer, the story of AC/DC’s Bon Scott deserves a real re-telling. Picking a director for this one is too difficult, it’s such an overwhelming story of bloke-ism and decadence that the content and style would probably overwhelm the directorial element anyway. But it would be amazing to see someone capture the rock’n’roll energy of Bon on film.
Live Your Life
Directed By: Ron Howard
This would basically just a longer, more dramatic version of T.I’s Live Your Life video clip. It has everything a movie needs, an origin story filled with hardship, overcoming the odds, and reaching the pinnacle. Underpin it all with sweeping Ron Howard direction and a swelling score, and you’ve got yourself that movie that you thought you’d hate, but was actually pretty good.
Scar Tissue
Directed By: Paul Thomas Anderson
We’ve all read the book, it’s crazy. Drugs, parties, women, fights, fucking, and that’s when Anthony Kiedis is like 12 years old. An obvious one here, and an obvious director too, but Anderson is fucking good at this shit, he gets drugs, he gets fame, and he gets music, but most importantly, he gets Los Angeles. PTA grew up in L.A, and he makes it look better than anyone else. For a truly Californian band, there is no way he doesn’t nail this one. Let’s just make sure it doesn’t feature any of The Red Hot Chili Peppers’ music post-2001.
Arcadia
Directed By: Danny Boyle
There was a time when The Libertines‘ frontman Pete Doherty was one of the biggest celebrities on the planet. From his Sid and Nancy exploits with Kate Moss, to his well publicized drug addiction, all of his successes and mis-steps would make a rich tapestry for Trainspotting director Danny Boyle.
Syrup
Directed By: David Lynch
I know what you’re thinking. Again with the talk of a Lil Wayne-David Lynch collab (has anyone ever had that thought in the history of humanity? I really hope so). I wanna see Weezy drinkin’ down some syrup and finding himself in Lynch-ian experimental nightmare the likes of which has never been seen. Move over Eraserhead, Weezy comin’.
Honourable mentions:
2pac(although it’s been announced and stalled so many times already. My director pick: Steve Mcqueen)
Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All (The Odd Future crew gleefully upsets the establishment but finds themselves back where they started at the end of the picture, a Coen Brothers jaunt)
Tom Waits (About whatever my chosen director Denis Villeneuve wants it to be about)
Axel Rose (directed by Penelope Spheeris, give him the Wayne’s World treatment)
Jay and B (Hip-hops power couple directed by Steven Spielberg of course)
Ryan Adams (not sure it would make a good movie, but I’d watch it, especially if Jeff Nichols directed it)
Eddie (If Eddie Vedder wasn’t so secretive I’m sure me and a million other people would love to watch Cameron Crowe take a shot at his life story)
Madonna (showwomanship captured by Baz Luhrman)
Bono (Sean Penn directs it, and the world explodes from self-righteousness)
Michael Jackson (Directed by Roman Polanski, yep, cheap shot, and I’m not proud of it. Love you Michael)
The Rolling Stones (Martin Scorsese’s probably overdone it with the Stones, but who cares. He already uses there songs in every movie, at least this time he’ll have a real excuse)
Stevie (The Fleetwood Mac frontwoman rocking out as told by Katheryn Bigalow)
First there was a Kanye West-themed classroom for fourth grade students, and a Kendrick Lamar-funded high school scholarship. Now, the hip-hop education scope is broadening, with a pop-up book using Kickstarter to raise funds. The project has been launched by Natalie Romero, and is seeking $50,000 for it’s initial publishing, marketing and delivery costs. It actually looks pretty cool.
Set on the backdrop of 1970’s New York, the book follows “the young B-Boy Bizzy Biz 136, his older brother and budding DJ, Kev, his school-mate (and secret crush) Foxxy along with many more of his neighbours, friends and foes as they all take part in each of the four elements of Hip-Hop!”
Written by Grandmaster Caz the book focuses on four components of hip-hop: breakdancing, DJ-ing, graffiti art and emceeing.It’s about Hip-Hop culture, and the history of hip-hop and at it’s core is a piece of art dedicated to the culture that the creators love. Its format though, as a pop-up book makes the book seemingly kid friendly. It begs the question, why aren’t we using more hip-hop themed stimulus to teach kids? Lyrics are just a kind of poetry, right? And there is a hell of a lot more going on in a Biggie song with metaphors, similes and wordplay than in the Celine Dion my parents played for me as a kid. One New Jersey teacher had the right idea, teaching his students Kendrick Lamar verses – maybe we’ll see something similar on a wider scale in the future.
I for one embrace our new hip-hop curriculum. Let’s ditch the stuffy textbooks, thug up the classrooms, and have designated b-boy recesses. It’s almost enough to make me wish I was back in primary school. For those that feel inclined, you can donate via their Kickstarter.
You might not have heard of Paddy McHugh, but one listen to his music will make you feel like you’ve been mates for years. With a warmth and sincerity to his songs Paddy is one of Australia’s finest young songwriters, wielding a powerful voice with a folk/country sensibility to create music that grabs you from the opening lyric and doesn’t let go until he’s finished his tale. A masterful storyteller and all round top bloke, Paddy was personally requested by outspoken artist Sinead O’Connor to play the support slot on her recent Australian tour, as well as winning the Alistair Hulett memorial award at Canberra’s national folk festival.
A genuine musician with unflinching honesty, Paddy is an artist that writes about the underdogs, the human stories that anyone can relate to, and regardless of what musical genre you are partial to, there is something in his music that will sit with you long after the last note is done.
On the eve of Brisbane’s Bigsound, where he will be playing at The Press Club, we had a chat with Paddy to talk about his thoughts on music, where he see’s himself in the musical landscape, and that time that Frenzal Rhomb came to Tamworth.
What was it like growing up in Tamworth?
At the time I hated it and couldn’t wait to leave. Tamworth is a small, ultra conservative sleepy town and as soon as I got the chance I left for the bright lights of Sydney… Looking back though it wasn’t so bad. It was carefree and I had it pretty easy compared to some.
Obviously living there influenced your music, but I don’t think you’d say you’re a typical country musician, what about Tamworth, or country music in general helped shape the differences in your music to the more traditional country style?
Many people don’t know it but there is actually a lot of really good, classy and epic country music out there. Unfortunately it is drowned out by the pop country noise that most people would be familiar with. Thankfully my Tamworth upbringing exposed me to enough of the good stuff for it to stick and that is what I try to emulate.
You describe yourself as “honest, no-bullshit country”, but there are a lot of folk and even punk influences in your music, some of the comparisons are obvious, Paul Kelly, Bob Dylan etc. but what are some of the stranger/lesser known artists that you think have helped shape your sound?
When I was 14 Frenzal Rhomb came to town. I was a huge fan and could not believe that they would bother coming to Tamworth. I rocked up to the gig early (in my school uniform) and they gave me beer and I hung out with them in the town hall carpark. They killed the show, drove back to Sydney and left me with my head spinning. Punk and Frenzal in particular taught me that music is fun and that it has a capacity to unite people. I still think that is true.
You really craft meaningful stories in your songs, some with some pretty heavy political overtones. You’ve said before that some are true, some are fiction, and if we can’t tell then you’re doing your job right. In terms of songwriting where do you start? With the very human, underdog stories, or do you try to meld those stories around something with a sense of activism? or a mixture of both?
Every song starts with a story. It might be something from my own experience or from something I have read but it needs a narative to underpin it. The politics is usually just accidental.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMYwok4hdMQ]
I bring up activism because you recently won the Alistair Hulett memorial award at the national folk festival, how was that?
Incredible. On a few days notice I was flown down to Canberra and got to play to a full house at the festival’s closing concert. The best part was putting out a call for muicians to join me and having a bunch of strangers step up and kill it with only a quick run through.
On the same activism kick, you also got to open for Sinead O’connor earlier this year, what was that like?
Surreal. I am a huge fan and to know that she requested me for the spot was flattering to say the least. She was very kind to me when we met and she was very genuine.
Do you see a bit of yourself in that type of artist? Someone who doesn’t really conform to trends, but is rather uncompromising and carves out their own niche in the music industry?
That is how I like to see myself. I am not making music for money or glory I write songs because they are the kinds of stories I want hear and if others can enjoy it too that’s a bonus.
You’ve said before that you look like a bit of a rough bloke, and that kind of fits with your unflinching style and refreshing honesty. There is a bit of nostalgia about it, but it works for a diverse range of listeners, is that something you notice at shows? The audience really is a mix of young, old and in between, and is that something you aim for?
Country music has always had a diverse and varied audience and I think it always will. When you sing primarily about people it will resonate with nearly everyone because you could be singing about a friend, uncle or old boss they know.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9l9Bj1wUsf0]
You’re a teacher as well correct? Is that something you do to facilitate music? You seem like a lifelong musician, as if you’d be comfortable playing in front of ten people or thousands, do you see yourself touring and playing shows forever?
Yep I am a teacher. I teach history to high school students at the Murri School. It is the only aboriginal community owned and run school in QLD. I love my job but I have aspirations to play music for a living. I’ll get there! Just taking it a day at a time.
You’ve gained a lot of support lately with the Sinead O’connor support, the folk festival award, do you dare to dream about your career down the track? Is there a goal, a dream show or anything like that?
My dream is simply to keep playing and be happy. If things go well that is a bonus. That being said I would love to go drinking with Shane MacGowan.
From everything I’ve seen you seem every bit as authentic as your music. There’s a sense of workmanship about it, is that something that’s important to you? Being genuine in real life and in your music?
Absolutely. If you are less in real life than what you claim to be people see through the crap and won’t listen.
Any plans for the next album?
With being a dad, husband, teacher and all the other hats I am wearing it has been hard finding the time to write. But I am nearly there and hope to be locking in some recording time in the near future.
I know you’re playing bigsound, but do you have any other shows or tour plans in the near future? Where can we follow your schedule?
I have a festival appearance coming up that I am not allowed to speak about yet…… but if people look at my Facebook or head to www.paddymchugh.net they can keep up to date.
You can download Paddy McHugh and the Goldminer’s album Trial and Cape Tribulation on their Bandcamp and make sure to catch Paddy at The Press Club on Thursday as part of Bigsound. Conveniently on Brunswick Street.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KxZaPLm2o10]
Teen arrested after Instagram-ing Eminem lyrics
Somewhat misleading derivatives of the above headline shot across the internet today. And as it says, a teenage boy was arrested after posting columbine related Eminem lyrics on his instagram account. What none of these headlines say, is the fact that the boy was found to be in possession of multiple unregistered firearms as well as a bulletproof vest, and seemingly, although unproven as of this moment, was gearing up to commit a school massacre in the same vein as the columbine shootings. All of the articles do delve into this information once the nifty headline has caught your attention, but they all, just like this one, lead their story with a picture of the acclaimed, maligned, respected, rapper, Eminem.
Just about all of them also quote the Eminem lyrics from the boys account and the song I’m Back. So I’d better do the same.
I take seven kids from Columbine, stand ’em all in a line,
Add an AK-47, a revolver, a nine,
A MAC-11 and it oughta solve the problem of mine
And that’s a whole school of bullies shot up all at one time
Cause I’m just like shady and just as crazy as the world was over this whole Y2K thing
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJqFs3jU0mc]
Now, why am I simply re-hashing the formulaic retread articles like above? We’re all guilty of looking for click-bait right? And that’s where the dilemma comes in. Obviously the story is related to Eminem, and leading with an angle about him is far more likely to reach a maximum viewership. But don’t articles like this just perpetuate the idiotic notion that rap lyrics in any way are to blame for people committing or potentially planning to commit violent acts? Not that they intend to, but it does read like that right? Or am I crazy?
Never mind that posting Eminem lyrics is now considered a terrorist threat. But moreover, are we looking at the idea that perhaps getting search warrants based off lyrics posted on an instagram account is inherently problematic? Look, my faith in humanity leads me to believe that is surely not the case, and that the police had far more evidence, but all of the articles covering the case certainly make it seem as if that was the main motive of the police investigation. And just because they appear to have been correct in this situation, doesn’t make that any less worrying.
For starters, it all seems likely to boil over into yet another useless debate about rap lyrics causing violence in teenagers. Even though, as is constantly stated, teen crime makes up a fraction of violent crime statistics. Somewhat similar to the do violent video games cause violence debate, haven’t we already been through all of this? Hell, we went through this with Eminem already! But we seem doomed to continue this argument forever. Especially with Tyler the Creator being banned from Australia and Action Bronson having shows cancelled due to gratuitous lyrics. Despite a million times over, artists and fans alike proclaiming that correlation, despite what un-researched dolts will tell you, does not equal causation. There is a mountain of research on the topic but for simplicity and comedic effect (see here.)
So while Eminem’s lyrics are at the forefront of this article, and the hundreds of others like it, I will at least try my best to avoid misleading any readers into thinking that rap lyrics have anything to do with causing violence. As a brief retort to the unsaid counterpoints, do some people who commit violence listen to rap? Yes. But wouldn’t it seem more likely that people with violent tendencies would seek out violent media to satiate their violent thoughts? I don’t know, maybe? Or maybe mental health, or socio-economic factors play a part in violent crime? Hmm, that sounds logical to me. A lot more logical than rap lyrics, and rappers brainwashing poor helpless teenagers into committing random acts of violence. Obviously the kids who commit these type of acts have a lot more going on than their record collection, and maybe focussing on violent media is being ignorant, oblivious, and a whole range of other adjectives related to generally being fucking stupid.
But either way, it looks like some good may have come out of this situation, with a shooting potentially being prevented. So in my books, Eminem is a hero. Keep making violent lyrics Slim, soon there will be no crime at all!
Maybe Eminem knows more about this than most considering he’s been through similar situations before with his music, so I’ll post these lyrics here, but not on my instagram account.
They say music can alter moods and talk to you
Well can it load a gun up for you , and cock it too
Well if it can, then the next time you assault a dude
Just tell the judge it was my fault and I’ll get sued
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4hAVemuQXY]
First The Dead Weather announced the release of their new album Dodge and Burn on September 25th via Jack White‘s Third Man Records. Their first record in five years.
Awesome.
Then they let us down by announcing they wouldn’t be touring off the back of the album’s release.
Bummer.
They released a track, but it’s only really available on TIDAL.
Ugh.
Then they gave us a glimmer of hope by announcing they’d be performing on the Late Show with Stephen Colbert on September 14th.
Tentatively excited.
Then they reminded us of what we’d be missing if they follow through on their no-tour mandate.
Damn.
Filmed at Third Man Records the band today released a visually edited live clip of the track I Feel Love (every million miles). The previously released track is listed as the opening song on Dodge and Burn and you can see why. It’s a gut-kick of tight rock’n’roll with Alison Mosshart‘s (The Kills) vocals bursting forth over the tight musicianship of Jack White, Dean Fertita and L’il Jack Lawrence.
So while we may be disappointed that a band with such an electric and visceral live presence won’t be gracing us with a tour, at least we get a hint of what we’re missing. Hopefully this will tide us over for another five years when they have enough time away from their side projects to release another album and perform on Conan or something.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TorZwoajwxQ]
The pervasive influence of music in the app-world continued today as Noah Brunell launched his music dating app Mix’d. The app aims to bring folks together by pairing people up based on their music interests. Using a similar swipe right/left interface to Tinder, Mix’d, instead of showing a summary of a person’s entire personality in a few brief sentences, instead figures that music taste is enough to bring people together.
Mix’d uses the Echo Nest API (now owned by Spotify), and has access to thousands of artists with which it can intelligently pair to other user’s musical interests. So unlike Tinder, you know when you meet up with that hottie you swiped right for, they will at least like the same music as you. So basically, it’s Tinder with an ice-breaker. Instead of bumbling through an awkward date talking about albatrosses, now you can kill five minutes talking about DJ’s and bands that you both like before bumbling through an awkward date talking about albatrosses.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SWtqikdNddA]
Brunell though, has high hopes for the product, planning to secure more users by introducing the app to dance music fans at upcoming festivals Tomorrowland and Electric Zoo. When speaking on the product with Thump he noted that “I go to a lot of shows. It’s a huge part of my life, and all my friends date girls or guys that are into the same scene.” People with similar interests meeting each other and dating hardly seems like novel concept. So it begs the question, if people are into the same things, and going to the same events, then why do they need the app to tell them that the people they are looking for will be at the same event? Much like the recently launched app MSTY, I wonder if there is really a market for another app that is essentially a knock off of a bigger app but designed for a niche market.
I guess Mix’d is more of a time management tool, meaning all those seeking groovy, EDM infused love will no longer waste their time on people at festivals and concerts that are spoken for. Which, I guess, is something. Oh, and since it syncs with facebook events, it’s a pretty shrewd way to figure out which babin’ strangers are going to be tearing up the dance floor at your next show. I really wish though, that they’d simplified their app description. I mean why waste time with “Finally a dating app for music lovers! Mix’d matches you with people in your area who share the same taste in music and are going to similar events” when you could say everything you need with “Swipe, Dance, Fuck, Repeat.”
Atlanta based rapper Future dropped a music video for his hip-hop anthem Blood on the Money today. It’s great. Really great. With crazy high production values the clip is a music-video fan’s wet-dream. Directed by The Rite Brothers, the dramatic video follows Future as he emotionally attends a funeral with his compadres, intercut with confronting shots of a bloodied, blindfolded man tied to a chair in the middle of a train track as his demise approaches.
It can’t be overstated how excellent the cinematography for this clip is. Is there a lot of slow-motion? Yes. Is it bordering on over-the-top territory? Of course. But aren’t all music videos? And they don’t even look half as good as this one! Even the mid-shot through the windscreen as Future spits “I know the devil is real” is shrouded in flashing lights, rain and a red hue emanating from the hood that casts him with a demon-like appearance. Blood on the Money is from his third and latest album Dirty Sprite 2 released in July by A1 Recordings, Epic Records, and his own Freebandz label. The album debuted at number 1 on the Billboard 200 charts.
The spike in quality music-videos of late is a welcome trend, and let’s hope it continues. I won’t spoil any more of the clip, but even if you’re not a fan of Future, check out the video, you won’t regret it!
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2y-edrXIZjA]
Electronic producer Drew Carmody A.K.A L D R U, A.K.A the non-Yahtzel half of the collaborative dance production Carmada, has announced his very own headlining Australian tour, his first since 2013. In preparation for his soon-to-be released single Keeping Score, Carmody will embark on an extensive Aus tour beginning in Brisbane before traveling all across the country and finishing in Wollongong.
Released by Future Classic, L D R U’s first hit The Tropics gave audiences a taste of Carmody’s eclectic and boogie-inducing stylings, before his 2014 epic Give it All certified L D R U as an artist to watch.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPlq6C_Wtr4]
Maybe, Carmada’s first single dominated Australian radio and earned the L D R U/YAHTZEL duo a gold record in the process, pushing their EP Realise to debut at no.1 on the iTunes charts.
In conjunction with the tour, Carmody is offering a free download of new track Pop That (instrumental) via Soundcloud. Already announced for December’s Electronic Music Conference (EMC) in Sydney, the producer from the northern beaches is making a name for himself domestically and abroad, being endorsed by Skrillex (who signed Carmada to his label OWSLA) amongst others. With Keeping Score slated for a September 25th release fans will want to get in early to share the groovy, sweaty, dance-floor for what promises to be a lively and fun show!
The Keeping Score tour is presented by Audiopaxx, Kosher, MTV Dance & Vot.
- Fri, Sep 18: Oh Hello, Brisbane
- Sun, Sep 20: Sundae Fundaze @ Clarendon Hotel, Newcastle
- Thurs, Sep 24: The Helm @ Wharf Tavern, Sunshine Coast
- Sun, Oct 2: Cats @ Rocket, Adelaide
- Sun, Oct 4: Courtyard @ Ivy, Sydney
- Wed, Oct 7: DK Pool Club @ Oxford Hotel, Bathurst
- Fri, Oct 9: Woodport Inn, Central Coast
- Fri, Oct 16: Academy, Canberra
- Sat, Oct 17: Flinders Social, Townsville
- Wed, Oct 21: Sosueme @ Beach Rd, Bondi
- Sat, Oct 24: Welcome to the Valley, Perth
- Thu, Oct 29: Mona Vale Hotel, Mona Vale
- Fri, Oct 30: Access @ Waves, Wollongong