Onomatopoeia's Best Music of 2013

Welcome to Onomatopoeia’s year-end best of 2013, a calendar year that seemingly followed the popular trends of 2012 and saw the music industry continue to focus on R&B and bridging the gap between commercial and underground sensibilities. As always I tired to present my point of view and offer an alternative to the increasingly limited choices being presented to us by the recording industry; some of my selections will be obvious while others may come as a surprise. It is with some hope that you will walk away with at least one new listening experience when the clock turns midnight and we begin 2014, let me know if that's the case.  

CONTINUE TO LIST...

Video: ceo - "Whorehouse"

After sharing former Tough Alliance member Eric Berglund’s latest single under the ceo moniker last month, titled “Whorehouse” we are happy to follow things up today with the video. LP number two, titled WONDERLAND is due out this February. 

Listen: The Neighbourhood – “Silver”

LA band The Neighbourhood have been splitting their time between touring and recording a new LP by the name of #000000 & #FFFFFF, and our first taste of the project comes via the calming “Silver.”

Download: Clams Casino – “Instrumentals Mixtape 3”

NJ's beat making baddass ClamsCasino ends the year with Instrumentals Mixtape 3! Much like the last two mixtapes this third installment includes pretty much everything the producer has been involved with since dropping his second mixtape in June of 2012. What that means is thirteen tracks of which three are unreleased. Mike has also stated that this will be the last in the series but in my opinion that’s a bold statement that might be difficult to follow as forever is a very long time. DOWNLOAD

Video: Party Supplies - "(Searching For) A Crazy Love (Dancing All Alone)"

2013 was a busy year for Party Supplies, outside of producing the recent Blue Chips 2 mixtape with Action Bronson, the Party Supplies project went from a solo affair to a duo and with that Justin Nealis and Sean Mahon released their debut, the Tough Love LP back August. Check out the new video by Jordan Levine for "(Searching For) A Crazy Love (Dancing All Alone)” off the LP.

Video: EMA – “Satellites”

Following 2011’s excellent debut solo LP, Erika M. Anderson Aka EMA, is gearing up to release the follow up to Past Life Martyred Saints this spring with her sophomore LP called The Future's Void. The record will be released via Matador and City Slang and you can now listen to the first taste from the album, an instantly captivating track called "Satellites", below. Directed by EMA and Leif Shackelford

Video: Childish Gambino – “3005”

Mr. Entertainment aka Donald Glover, aka Childish Gambino, dropped the official music video for the track “3005″ off of his upcoming album Because the Internet. The visuals feature the emcee going around and around on a ferris wheel with a teddy bear as his date. Look for Childish Gambino’s sophomore label effort to drop on Tuesday, December 10th. You can head over to itunes to stream it now or like many fans look for the leaked copy that dropped last week before you buy an official copy.

Listen: Warpaint – “Biggy”

We already shared Warpaint’s first single from their upcoming self-titled LP back in October, today we are treated with a second song by the name of "Biggy" which you can stream below and download for free for the next 24 hours. Look for the full album to drop on January 21 in the U.S. via Rough Trade and some anticipated visuals from video master Chris Cunningham.

Listen: Big Baby Gandhi – “Debut” Full LP Stream

As planned one of my favorite emcee’s, Big Baby Gandhi,  is officially calling it quits today with the release of his first official LP titled Debut. The Queens native has gone on record many times in the last year plus that it didn’t make sense for him to continue recording without the proper financial support from a record label and touring; as a result, he made the tough decision to finish up his final album, Debut, and to move onto the next phase of his musical career, focusing on producing for other artists.

You can stream the full album now below and buy it for nine dollars. All twelve tracks were produced by the twenty three-year-old Big Baby except for “Green Card” which was produced by VERY RVRE. Engineering duties fell on Steel Tipped Dove and Hot Sugar amongst others while guest vocals come courtesy of TECLA and SAVVY.

For those of you who missed 2012’s awesome and often hilarious No1 2 Look Up 2, you can still grab it HERE for free, and you most certainly should because it’s full of gems that I still blast through my speakers on the regular.

Video: Daft Punk – “Behind The Helmets” & "Instant Crush"

A handful of Daft Punk goodies to share this morning starting off with a five minute documentary of sorts presented by Mixmag and Olmeca Tequila that looks at the conception, design and development of Daft Punk’s iconic helmets. Special effects guru Tony Gardner of Alterian Inc. goes into quite a bit of detail about what it took to get the helmets together  generously sharing original concept art, insight into  inspirations, and some of the technical obstacles encountered along the way. Like many long time Daft Punk fans I’ve read my fair share about how the helmets came about and how they run but this is easily the most informative and fun one out there at the moment.

We follow things up with the latest set of visuals from the Random Access Memories LP. The Julian Casablancas fronted “Instant Crush” see's a tragic love story taking place after hours at a museum bringing back memories of 80’s film Mannequin or perhaps even more recently Night At the Museum.

 

Listen: ceo – “WHOREHOUSE”

A welcome return as Erik Berglund’S ceo project is set to release LP number two in February of the new year. The record will be titled WONDERLAND and based on the stream of lead single “WHORWEHOUSE” below will further explore the catchy pop sounds developed on White Magic, the Tough Alliance and the Sincerely Yours label in general.
  

Listen: Evian Christ - "Salt Carousel"

While we have been fans of UK producer Joshua Leary for quite some time now the spotlight will shine even brighter on Evian Christ when he returns in 2014 with a new EP on Tri Angle records called Waterfall. Obviously Evian’s star has risen since lending some production duties on Kanye’s Yeezus and it’s well deserved. The EP was recorded partially in Evian’s hometown of Ellesmere Port, England and partially in New York, you can check out “Salt Carousel” now below…

Video: Arcade Fire – “Afterlife”

The Arcade Fire return to your screens today with their latest music video from the recently released Reflektor LP. "Afterlife" was written and directed by Emily Kai Bock, the narrative is a dark and compelling, incorporating nightmares, lost lovers, and familial bonds into a somnambulistic seven minutes. You may recall that Kai Bock also directed videos for other Onomatopoeia favorites including Grimes' "Oblivion" and Grizzly Bear's "Yet Again," that were also produced by The Creators Project.

Video: Clams Casino Makes A Beat Live Day 1

Clams Casino has partnered up with HP computers to create a song via a live Youtube streaming event using his HP Split X2 laptop of course. The two day event started mid-day yesterday and will wrap up sometimes today. Helping Clams is Vic Mensa alongside several other session musicians and a live painter who is rendering various quotes from viewers who live tweet their suggestions for the track.

I watched about an hour and a half of the stream yesterday while it was occurring live and thought some of the suggested ideas worked well. Mensa can come off as a little annoying from time to time but it’s still an interesting concept that gives fans a peak into how clams works. Egyptian Cotton Y’all!

Video: Queens of the Stone Age - "The Vampyre of Time and Memory"

Queens Of The Stone Age may have released their Boneface-animated versions of Like Clockwork tracks earlier this year when the album first dropped but today the band shared an alternate video for the track “The Vampyre Of Time And Memory.” The video was directed by Kii Arens and Jason Trucco and produced by the Creators Project so you know its quality and as is the trend these days there is also an interactive version you can check out HERE.

Listen/Download: Death Grips “Government Plates” LP

Without much warning Sacramento group Death Grips have unexpectedly shared a new free release! Government Plates can be downloaded HERE, here or here (servers are jammed so it might take several tries) or you can stream it below and check out some visuals for the track called "You might think he loves you for your money but I know what he really loves you for it's your brand new leopard skin pillbox hat.”

Government Plates Track List:

01 You might think he loves you for your money but I know what he really loves you for it's your brand new leopard skin pillbox hat
02 Anne Bonny
03 Two Heavens
04 This is Violence Now (Dont get me wrong)
05 Birds
06 Feels like a wheel
07 Im Overflow
08 Big House
09 Government Plates
10 Bootleg (Dont need your help)
11 Whatever I want (Fuck who's watching)

Video: Run The Jewels – “Banana Clipper”

Killer Mike and El-P return with the latest video from their first-class Run The Jewels project. "Banana Clipper" was one of many highlight tracks on the album but possibly leads the pack in regards to production; it also features a cameo from Big Boi. The clip see’s the three emcees doing their thing on the streets of Georgia.

BONUS: Check out some behind the scenes footage in the making of the video.

Video: KOOL A.D. - "Naughty By Nature"

Kool A.D.  shared a new tune and video titled “Naughty By Nature” which is composed of found footage of what looks like a Japanese talk show. The track is set to appear on Kool’s upcoming album, Word O.K., that doesn’t have a release date just yet but I’m sure we will be getting some more of these previews before the official drop, oh and the beat by Mike Finito is pretty fun as well.

Video: These New Puritans - 'V (Island Song)'

These New Puritans have shared a new animated video for their Field of Reeds cut “V (Island Song). The clip was directed by PICNIC with the script coming from frontman Jack Barnett.

Video: Chvrches – “Lies”

Chvrches have shared a new music video for their track “Lies” off their exceptional and super catchy Bones of What You Believe LP.  The clip was directed by Sing J. Lee who has worked with the band in the past. 

Listen: M.I.A. - "Matangi" (Full LP Stream)

As seems to be the trend now days M.I.A. has shared a full album stream of her latest, Matangi, which is due out next Tuesday.  The LP features appearances by The Weeknd, and production from Switch, Illangelo, and Hit Boy. In my opinion LP #4 is still lacking some of the fun found in the first two records but isn't as trying as her last venture. The second half of the album works better for me that the first half, check it below…

Banksy Hits NYC Part 31

Well today is the final day of Banksy’s month long street art show taking place in New York and with it the final piece of Better Out Than In popped up in Queens. The balloon lettered throw up appeared around 6:30 a.m. and of course is already drawing massive crowds. The famed Bristol artist also gifted a design that’s intended to be printed on a shirt to commemorate the show, as is always the case with the provided graphic it’s free and up to you to do the printing. Funnily enough it resembles my own graphic I threw up for an earlier story on the exhibition.

For my money I’ve most certainly enjoyed the circus, some of the pieces are up there with the artists best works to date, rumor has it the LA is is up next for the month of December but only time will tell for sure.

Banksy had this to say about his experience of the thirty plus days spent in the Big Apple…

"Well, this is the last day of the show, and I'd like to say we're going out on a high note. And, I guess in a way, we are. [Cue "New York, New York"] This is a sideways take on the ubiquitous spray-painted bubble lettering that actually floats. It's an homage of sorts to the most prevalent form of graffiti in the city that invented it for the modern era. Or, it's another Banksy piece that's full of hot air.

So, what does the artist hope to have achieved with this so-called residency? "If just one child has been inspired to pick up a can of paint and make some art--well that would be statistically disappointing considering how much work I put in."

Banksy asserts that outside is where art should live, amongst us. And rather than street art being a "fad," maybe it's the last thousand years of art history that are the blip. When art came inside in service of the church and institutions. But art's rightful place is on the cave walls of our communities. Where it can act as a public service, provoke debate, voice concerns, forge identities.

The world we live in today is run, visually at least, by traffic signs, billboards, and planning committees. Is that it? Don't we want to live in a world made of art, not just decorated by it?

Thanks for coming.

[Fireworks]"

KAWS Ups And Downs Portfolio

KAWS is set to drop his latest product in the very near future, I was lucky enough to get on the pre-sale list for the ten piece portfolio but had to pass as it was too rich for my blood. Still the pieces should please the die hards out there and if you got the cash and are a fan you can try your luck when a very limited amount of them are publicly made available through kawsone.com in the very near future (although if you have the cash for these you probably have already made arrangments.)

Details below…

The portfolio commemorates the opening of KAWS's exhibition UPS AND DOWNS, on view at the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art, Overland Park, Kansas, through February 9, 2014. 

Portfolio specifics:

KAWS

UPS AND DOWNS

2013

Silk screen print on Saunders Waterford 410gm High White paper

Dimensions: Each image/sheet: 35 x 23 inches/88.9 x 58.4 cm.

A total of 10 prints, plus a cover sheet, in a lipped clamshell portfolio box, measuring 25.5 x 36.75 x 1.6875 inches, hinged on the 36.75" side, covered with Cialux 1581 (unframed)

Edition of 100 + 20APs

Signed and numbered "KAWS.. 13" on each of the ten prints

Retail price: $24,000, plus all applicable taxes and crating and shipping costs, to be estimated separately.

The portfolios are scheduled to ship in November. 

Banksy Hits NYC Part 30

Tomorrow should be the final day of Banksy’s month long Better Out than In street art exhibition in New York but we still have today’s to share, it came late in the evening and is a high profile Yankee’s stadium stencil piece.

In other news yesterday "re-appropriated" canvas has reached a current bid of $310,200.00 which when all said and done will go to the Housing Works organization.

Video: Son Lux – “Lost It To Trying”

Without a doubt one of my favorite tunes from 2013 is SonLux’s “Lost It To Trying” off of his recently released Lanterns LP. The exquisitely layered song now has a video to go with it directed by Jennifer McQuiston Lott that you can check out below…

Banksy Hits NYC Part 29

Only a couple days left of Banksy’s month long Better Out than In street art exhibition in New York. Today’s piece is called “The Banality of the Banality of Evil“ and is a high jacked/repurposed oil on canvas that’s located at the Housing Works thrift store on 157 East 23^rd street. The painting will eventually go on auction with the money raised going back into the organization who's mission is "to end the dual crises of homelessness and AIDS through relentless advocacy, the provision of lifesaving services, and entrepreneurial businesses that sustain our efforts."

Listen: Warpaint – “Love Is To Die”

L.A. indie rock band Warpaint have been hard at work on new  self-titled album that will be out on January 21st. in the U.S. via Rough Trade. The band recorded and mixed Warpaint with sometimes NIN collaborator Flood and Atoms for Peace member Nigel Godrich.

"Love Is to Die" is the first single and reportedly will eventually have a Chris Cunningham video to go along with it, note he also supplied the cover art.

Banksy Hits NYC Part 28

It’s Monday and with it Banksy is running the final lap of his Better Out than In street art exhibition in New York. The latest piece popped up in Coney Island and features a robot character we haven’t seen before, what’s in store for tomorrow?

Banksy Hits NYC Part's 25, 26, 27

Weekend fun and more from Banksy who on Friday launched his latest animatronic creation as his month long street art residency here in New York rapidly approaches the finish line. Check the video below to see the grim reaper enjoying himself in a bumper car, the piece was set up for public display behind a cage in the Bowery where is lived for two days. A suitable soundtrack was provided on site by both an accordion player and a recording of Blue Oyster Cult’s classic “Don't Fear the Reaper” which traded on and off throughout the day. Those who made it over to see the piece in person might have noticed the man hiding inside the door structure controlling the bumper car via remote control.

Saturday saw a simple tagged message on the back of a truck in Sunset Park that Banksy cheekily proclaimed to be an alternative New York bumper slogan, many would agree.

Sunday ended up being an impromptu piece in Greenpoint Brooklyn after the planned op-ed column in the New York Times was declined for publishing by the institution. Of course Banksy provided the unpublished article to the public regardless which was a comment on ground zero’s everlasting eyesore of a construction site that you can read below.

On a side note the free morning commute newspaper here in NY, AM NY, had an extremely poorly and under researched opinion piece today that is worth the read if you don't want to learn anything new or perhaps care for an opinion that might possibly be akin to someone as well versed in the subject matter as let’s say your local bodega owner.

Listen: Childish Gambino - "Worldstar"

Childish Gambino has shared a new track from his forthcoming LP, Because The Internet, entitled “Worldstar.” Presumably the title is referencing the famous hip hop site of the same name. Regardless more progression from the multi-talented Glover and one of the many leaks I’m sure we will be enjoying before the December 10th release date.

Video: Run The Jewels - "Get It"

Killer Mike and El-P’s Run The Jewels project gets a new video for “Get It” featuring footage taken from their North American tour and some cameos.

Get It from Run The Jewels on Myspace.

Banksy Hits NYC Part 24

Banksy returned on Thursday after skipping his one and only day thus far in the month long street art show on the streets of New York. Apparently Wednesday was canceled after too much police presence, the NYPD still seems to be trying to put a stop to the exhibition but that didn’t stop the world’s most famous man with a can from gracing the Hells Kitchen Hustler club with “Waiting In Vain.”

Listen: Arcade Fire - “Reflektor” Full LP Stream

With Reflektor due out next Tuesday the Arcade Fire has shared (for a limited time) a full stream of the  two disk one hour and twenty-five minute LP via one very long repurposed lyric video of the 1959 film, Black Orpheus. It’s a whole lot to process with nine of the thirteen songs being over five minutes in length often galloping towards climaxes of cacophonous orchestral jams. A record most certainly for people who enjoy full LP’s more so than random radio singles so if that sounds like your cup of tea then like myself you will love this.

Listen: - M.I.A. - "Y.A.L.A."

M.I.A.’s latest tunes have been hit or miss for me for the most part but I am most certainly still curious and interested to hear Matangi when it finally drops. “Y.A.L.A.,” a play on the popular term Y.O.L.O. acts as an acronym for “you always live again” and is our latest taste of Mantangi, it undeniably has a Diplo sound to it and that’s usually a good thing when talking about M.I.A.

Banksy Hits NYC Part 22

Day 22 of Banksy’s “Better Out than In” a month long street art residency taking place in New York and Tuesday brought us a bit of an odd re-working/homage of the great Sphinx pyramid that rests in Gaza Egypt.   It was only a matter of hours before the owner of the Queens auto-glass shop had the piece removed from his property and sold to a gallery who made an offer he clearly could not refuse. 

 “No Turn Unstoned” and is roughly a 1/36 scale replica of the Sphinx and is made from smashed cinderblocks.

UPDATE: 10/23/2013 Banksy just released a statement saying that today's piece is canceled due to police activity. A joke, for real or perhaps The B-man just needed a days rest?

Video: Symmetry – “The Hunt”

Johnny Jewel's Symmetry project just re- released The Messenger on clear vinyl via Italians Do It Better. In conjunction with the release we also got a video for album cut "The Hunt" which you can check out below and  download an mp3 of from HERE. As with most things Jewel the visuals come courtesy of Alberto Rossini.

Listen: Arcade Fire – “Afterlife”

We got a radio rip stream of Arcade Fire's lush "Afterlife" from the band’s forthcoming Reflektor LP due out on October 29th, give it a listen below now and let us know what you think?

Banksy Hits NYC Part 21

It’s a brand new week as we head towards the last quarter of Banksy’s “Better Out than In” street art residency here in the Big Apple. Monday brings us a new piece located in the South Bronx and keeps things pretty lite and fun for a Monday. 

Banksy Hits NYC Part’s 19 & 20

Weekend fun from Banksy’s “Better Out than In.” Saturday was another video, this time Staten Island was the location and a simple juvenile concept executed cleverly was the result. Some might recall this humorous piece from last year when watching the video.

Sunday’s piece was some straight up stencil fun on the Upper West Side titled “Day At The Fair.” Once again showing he has an eye for using the existing environment to create something new and fun.

Banksy Hits NYC Part’s 17 & 18

Day seventeen of Banksy’s  “Better Out than In,” street art show taking place in NYC is clever re-work of the existing environment in Bed Stuy Brooklyn, the piece was defaced extremely quickly after going up but some of the local community got together and made some repairs to the work restoring my faith in New Yorker’s.

“Are you the sort of person who enjoys going to art galleries, but wished they had more gravel in them? "Then this temporary exhibition space is for you. Housing just two paintings but also featuring a bench, some carpet and complimentary refreshments. Opens today through Sunday 11am til midnight.”

Today’s piece is located on West 24th street as is the collaboration NY’s first saw in last week’s issue of the Village Voice. These pieces are more or less the holy grail for street art enthusiast as two of the biggest heavy hitters in the game give us not one but two canvases. OsGêmeos compliments Banksy work quite nicely giving his often grey pallet a little color. While people might have been salivating over the Central Parkstunt, whoever ends up with these pieces is truly a lucky cat.