Sheet Music Plus Rock

Music To Get You Off Your A.S.S. from Oct. 30 – Nov. 5

Albums

I Am Not a Human Being – Lil Wayne

Somehow despite being in jail the best known member of the Young Money, Cash Money Billionaires crew manages to release an album. All prerecorded before his incarceration Lil’ Waynes’ newest album picks up where his last album Rebirth left off. Unfortunately, that means that most tracks are worth a listen, but overall aren’t up to the supreme quality of his best album, The Carter III.

The Rock and the Tide – Joshua Radin

Radin’s third album displays the amazing vocals that the singer can put forth, but the songs themselves don’t really seem like his own. The raw elements of a successful music are all present, but the soul just seems to be missing in this effort.

Sale el Sol – Shakira

An issue that many critics of Shakira have brought up in the past is that the Latin pop star sounds much better in Spanish, compared to her song’s English counterparts. As I see it however, this is not a problem, the songs lose no meaning when listened to in her native tongue, even if you don’t understand Spanish.

The Band Perry – The Band Perry

The not self-proclaimed country Jonas Brothers of the south may not be very original in the naming of their album, but save their originality for their songs. Not as twangy as Garth Brooks and not as overtly patriotic as Toby Keith the trio find a happy medium that all fans of the genre can identify with.

Songs

Angel – Single – Akon

With David Guetta quickly gaining steam as both a DJ and a producer (see: Deadmau5) it’s no shocker that the rapper/singer Akon has paired himself once again with Guetta. Combined, Guetta’s beat making and Akon’s powerful vocals lead to another sure hit and possibly a gateway for more work for the two as a pair.

Kid Rock – “Born Free”

The guy who once released “Bawitdaba” and used to perform with a little person has matured over the past few years, marrying Pamela Anderson aside. “Born Free” shows the Detroit bad boy’s maturity with lyrics that do a little more than just amp you up for the gym.

Evil Boy (F**k You In the Face Mix) – $O$

Alongside musical heavyweights this week like Akon, Kid Rock, and P!nk, Die Antwoord seems a little out of place with their over the top, less refined musical style. “Evil Boy” is definitely not for everyone, and by everyone I mean those who aren’t on some kind of amphetamine.

Raise Your Glass – Raise Your Glass – Single

The most popular song that P!nk has had in the past few years has not even been her song, that of course being when she lent her vocals to Eminem’s, “Won’t Back Down”.  Back to her old tricks the fiery pop diva offers up more of the same, highly emotional lyrics hoping to regain some of her once towering stardom.

Shows

Saturday the 30th:

Jedi Mind Tricks at Bowery Ballroom in NY at 9 p.m.

Headed by front man Vinnie Paz the intergalactic group brings their tough, “gangsta” lyrics to the main stage at the Bowery Ballroom. JMT is definitely a polarizing group, with an insane amount of close followers despite the group never hitting it big, they also have a ton people that can’t stand them (mostly Immortal Technique fans on YouTube).

Deadmau5 at Roseland Ballroom in NY at 9:30 p.m.

It’s been a big year for the super DJ, earning the right to mix songs overtop of Chelsea Handler’s horrific jokes at the VMA’s for instance. With the untimely death of DJ great, DJ AM, there really is no challenger to Deadmau5’s throne for being the best turntable tyrant around.

Monday the 1st:

Eve 6 at Mercury Lounge in NY at 6:30 p.m.

If you were in junior high or high school in the early 2000’s then odds are you slow danced to Eve 6’s, “Here’s to the Night”. Relive those formative years of slow dancing with your prom date, (hopefully not your cousin) but please try to refrain from spiking the punch.

Wednesday the 3rd:

Dave Matthews Band at Nassau Coliseum in Long Island, NY at 7 p.m.

You really don’t get more relaxing music then Dave Matthews Band, every song the band sings seem to be written on the first day of spring with birds chirping and the sun shining. While it may currently be autumn, the band will do their best to shed a little warmth on the increasingly cold weather.

Note: As many of you know the file sharing service Limewire was shut down earlier this week, so some of you may need to find other ways to download music (I know I will). Do to this sad moment I propose we all pause our iPhones and iPods for a moment of silence.

Love me Hate me you can follow me on Twitter here: www.twitter.com/lost_won

Drake – Radio City Music Hall – New York, NY – 09/29/10

Who
Drake
When
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
8:00pm - All Ages Buy Tickets
Where
1260 6th Avenue
New York, NY , USA 10020

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Drake – Radio City Music Hall – New York, NY – 09/28/10

Who
Drake
When
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
8:00pm - All Ages Buy Tickets
Where
1260 6th Avenue
New York, NY , USA 10020

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Music To Get You Off Your A.S.S. From September 11-17

Albums
Trace AdkinsCowboy’s Back in Town
It’s appropriate that this album is being released around the ninth anniversary of the attacks of September 11th because this album bleeds America. The first album to be released under fellow patriot Toby Keith’s record label should receive much praise from all red states.

WeezerHurley
Weezer just keeps on going, changing styles but never conforming to anyone else’s the group can add another hit album to their collection.

Ra Ra RiotThe Orchard
While I would love for this to be the group’s breakout album where they become a major player in the music business I just don’t see it. The album is good and well put together, but it’s just lacking something, something that would make me want to play it over and over.

Katy PerryTeenage Dream
Katy Perry has made several mistakes this year; she has continued to stay with Russell Brand and also waited way too long to release her album. While the album is anything but summery her hits were all in June and July so the late release just seems out of place.

Songs
Lil Wayne feat. Drake – “Right Above It”
Somehow despite being behind bars for several months Lil’ Wayne continues to put out monster tracks. Alongside Drake the Nola native puts out a surprisingly uplifting song that should please even some of the rappers biggest naysayers.

Kanye West, Nicki Minaj, Jay-Z, Rick Ross, Bon Iver– “Monster”
While this song may not have been “officially” released yet it’s worth the trouble tracking it down. Just looking at the artists on this song it’s easy to write off Nicki Minaj, but in reality she delivers arguably the best verse on top of a beat oozing with bass and swagger.

Cee Lo Green – “Fuck You”
With his high pitched and almost Disney character voice it’s easy to forget that the song is called “Fuck You”, and is really just aimed at haters of all kind. Also, as a bonus there is a remix to this with 50 Cent on it, which is a good thing, trust me.

Jimmy Eat World – “My Best Theory”
I can still remember when Jimmy Eat World released “The Middle” and was subsequently played at every junior high prom known to man. While this may not be quite on that level is still more than deserves a listen and/or music download.

Shows
September 12th:
ZZ Top at the Beacon Theatre in New York at 8:00 p.m.
The members of ZZ Top may be the only living males that can pull off the 2 foot long beard and sunglass look, and it is for that alone that you should listen to these rock legends shred on double necked guitars.

September 13th:
Jay-Z and Eminem at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx at 7:30 p.m.
H.O.V.A. and Eminem on the same stage at the same time, in the Bronx, at Yankee Stadium; if you love hip-hop and you’re not in attendance you should turn in your headphones.

September 14th:
Modest Mouse at The Williamsburg Waterfront in Brooklyn, NY at 5:00 p.m.
Somehow over the years past Modest Mouse has found a happy medium of relevance in the alternative rock scene without becoming oversaturated. This balance has kept them going alongside eerily similar sounding group, Franz Ferdinand.

Linkin Park at Nokia Theatre (Now the Best Buy Theatre with this performance) Times Square at 9:00 p.m.
Lead singer Chester Bennington’s live vocal performances make Metallica look like a bunch of whiny middle school talent show participants. Yeah Lars I said, don’t go suing me too.

BE DRAKE’S BACKSTAGE CORRESPONDENT!

Drake is teaming up with OurStage and Sprite to celebrate the release of his new album Thank Me Later and fans can enter the Drake “Thank Me Later” Backstage Correspondent Channel by uploading a video submission that answers the question, “Why would I make the best backstage correspondent for the Drake concert at the Molson Amphitheatre in Toronto?” One lucky fan will win the chance to report on all the behind-the-scenes action and share their excitement with the world.  For more information and complete details, check out the Our Stage contest page.

Song Of The Day "9AM Freestyle" by Drake

Music to Get You Off Your A.S.S.

This Saturday I’ll be going on vacation and will be off for a week; but don’t worry before I go I’m giving you another week of music to listen to and shows to see. If you’re not like me and aren’t going on vacation then you will be able to go see any one of the quality shows going on in the Tri-State area. On top of that I offer you some great songs that could catch on as some of the summers most popular and you’re going to get them here first.

Shows for the Week

Saturday June 5th:
Ever since arriving on to the alternative rock scene the brothers of Kings of Leon have had hit single after hit single. With songs like “Sex on Fire,” “Use Somebody,” and “Notion” nearly everyone has made out to at least one of their songs. This Saturday at the Borgata Event Center at 8 p.m. in Atlantic City the band will be performing. Kings’ performance offers a great opportunity to bring someone on a first date or your significant other on a third. Even if you are currently single this event could be the perfect opportunity to meet that special someone.

In my brief time spent here at ESBMusic I’ve been exposed to numerous new musical acts, Broken Bells being one of the acts. However, once introduced to them they have been on constant rotation on my iPod and car’s CD player. While I am excited about my pending vacation I am regretting that I will be missing an opportunity to see Broken Bells perform at The Fillmore New York at Irving Plaza at 9 p.m. Don’t miss out on this show, and while you’re there sing along to “The High Road” just for me.

Friday June 11th:
Typical, run of the mill, and bland are words that have never been attributed to the long standing alt-rock group out of Brooklyn, New York, They Might Be Giants. With songs about a “particle man” and whether the largest city in Turkey should be called Istanbul or Constantinople, TMBG are anything but ordinary. These quirky lyrics however, are the reason that the band has maintained a cult-like following for some twenty odd years. While getting to see one of the most original alt-rock bands, ever, may be enticing enough for some, they will be performing at the legendary Stone Pony in Asbury Park at 8 p.m.

Music for the Week

“Teach Me How To Dougie” – California Swag District
Over the past few years Soulja Boy Tell ‘Em and the New Boyz have brought dance crazes to small town suburbs all over the United States. Soulja Boy taught us all how to “crank that” and the New Boyz taught us how to “jerk”, the difference with California Swag District is that they’re bringing back an old dance. Few music listeners remember the days of Doug E. Fresh and the get fresh crew, but apparently the members of CSD haven’t forgotten about them as they attempt to bring back “the dougie”. I’m not going to even try to explain it to you (go to YouTube and look it up). Mark my words, this will be a country wide hit, trust me on this.

“Find Your Love” – Drake
For those who may have thought Drake was going to be a one summer wonder they are being consistently proven wrong. As his first single off of this first official studio album, Drake’s “Over” has been played in speakers all over the U.S., and maybe the world. In yet another song, Drake passes over the typical act hard and talk about selling drugs routine that is so popular in today’s rap genre. Instead he once again delves into his feelings of love and desire, singing both the chorus and stacking clever metaphors within every verse. With Lil’ Wayne still sitting in a jail cell it appears that Drake may very well be at the top of the Young Money label.

Album for the Week

“Uni-5: The World’s Enemy” – Bone Thugs-n-Harmony
Bone Thugs-n-Harmony once sang “see you at the crossroads, so you won’t be lonely”, and now they find themselves at, well, a crossroads. They can either fall into irrelevancy and become that rap group that had that song that you liked that one time or further cement their legacy. Personally I feel that they accomplish the latter with their latest installment. As always the group mixes almost choir like music with rhymes interspersed in between. The thing that I have always admired about the group is that they really do, “keep it real”, they talk about their actual lives and the struggles they’ve gone through. Personally I’ll be listening to Bone Thugs as I fly off into the Bahamas. So while I’m enjoying the beautiful weather I hope you’ll all be enjoying the great sounds of what I’ve brought to you this week. Until next time, keep it easy, 1 love.

The Breathe of Fresh: Rollin Round the Playlist

Welcome to another addition of The Breathe of Fresh, and the first installment of Rollin Round the Playlist where we give you a few hip-hop tracks we’re  listening to….  some old, some new, all playlist worthy.

Common – Strange Fruit (feat. John Legend) (Prod. Kanye West)

Kendrick Lamar – Little Jonny X JE

Theophilous London – Cold Pillow

Curren$y – Audio Dope

Drake – 9am In Dallas Freestyle

Jay Electronica – The Ghost of Christopher Wallace (feat. Diddy)

Kendrick Lamar – Wanna Be Heard

Mickey Factz – Lost Exhibit — ALPHA

Music to Get You Off Your A.S.S.

If your work or school schedule is anything like mine than your week is pretty much ruled by the amount of work you have to get done. The problem with this scenario is that you tend to miss a lot of new music, as well as some top performances by your favorites artists. I however, have a solution to your problem; I’ll find the shows and I’ll listen to the songs. For the weekend I will recommend the best shows to attend and for the week I’ll give you the best songs and albums from a variety of music genres.

Saturday May 1st:
Yes it’s that time of the year again; the birds are singing and the sun is shining which means Bamboozle is here once again for the 2010 edition. Starting at 12:30 p.m. est at the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford, NJ the yearly event will get under way. Some of the headliners this Saturday will feature Drake, Paramore, and yes the seemingly always intoxicated, Ke$ha.

Sunday May 2nd:
It’s been a long week, what better way to unwind then to enjoy the melodic sounds of Sublime with Rome. While not the original group that achieved fame in the 90’s the band is still largely together with new lead singer, Rome Ramirez. The death of lead singer and guitarist Bradley Nowell in 1996 has not stopped the reggae/hip-hop/ska band from producing great music. The show begins at 8 p.m. EST at Roseland Ballroom in NY, NY is sure to be a great night out with some friends or for a date.

Monday May 3rd:
Mondays are rough, and probably even rougher if you went to either one of the shows I recommended you go to. What better way to lift your spirits on a hazy Monday morning then some up tempo southern hip-hop from one of the best. Half of the Grammy Award winning duo Outkast, Big Boi makes his first leap into the solo game with “Shutterbugg” off his first solo album, Sir Luscious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty. Despite the ridiculous album name this song truly shines as a catchy song that even those not into hip-hop can enjoy. Alongside Cutty, Big Boi proves that he can firmly stand on his own two feet without the more well known Andre 3000.

Tuesday May 4th:
The Gaslight Anthem, a band that sprung up out of the thriving music scene in New Brunswick, NJ are back. The first single, “American Slang” off the like named album has an older classic rock feel to it. I’m going to make a bold statement here and say that it almost sounds like another artist from the garden state. No I’m not talking about Jon Bon Jovi, but you’re close, I’m talking about “The Boss,” Bruce Springsteen. I told you it was a bold statement, but it’s what came to my mind while listening to “American Slang” and I’m pretty sure you will too.

Wednesday May 5th:
Here is where I expected to recommend the new MGMT album, Congratulations, unfortunately I thought it was pretty poor. Honestly, it’s a far cry from their first album as the band tried to move in a different direction from their previous success. I’m not going to leave you hanging there though; I’m just not that kind of guy. So let’s go back to the good old days and dust off Oracular Spectacular, the bands 2007 album. Turn up the volume on your speaker, iPod or whatever and bump some “Electric Feel,” you’ll feel much better.

Thursday May 6th:
Thursday, it’s kind of like Friday’s little brother, we love him just the same though. When I hear North Carolina I tend to think country music, kind of like Taylor Swift. Paper Tongues self titled first album is not country; it’s actually really good alternative rock music with some hip-hop infusion. Songs like their first single, “Trinity” blend electronic bass and guitars with vocals from lead singer Aswan North. They’re different sound leaves them as a rising band in the alternative rock arena. Get on the bandwagon now and don’t be surprised if in a few months everyone is talking about them.

Friday May 7th:
It’s Friday, the week is finally over and we can all relax. Plus, since I know you all worked hard this week I’ve got a present for you, new Eminem. That right, you read correctly, new Eminem and unlike his entire last album he’s not rapping about killing everyone. While I’ll admit it’s different to hear Eminem sing an uplifting song with a gospel sounding chorus it’s definitely not a bad thing. “Not Afraid,” the first single off of his upcoming album Recovery features Em’s trademark lyrical talent matched with an uplifting message. No need to thank me for this gem, just enjoy it and I’ll see you next week.

Song Of The Day "Over" by Drake

The SOTD is “Over” by Drake.  Drake told MTV, what inspired the verses in his new single, “Over,” and if he’s taking subliminal jabs at any specific rappers. The Young Money star explained:

Drake “Definitely nobody in particular. It’s more just that feeling of you can be in a room with a million people pulling you in a million directions and you’re just like ‘Yo, who- like what’s going on right now’ you know it’s that, it’s really that chaotic feeling and I love- there’s a moment in that song, you know where I’m like you know, I know way to many people here what am I doing what am I doin like and it’s like oh yeah that’s right, I’m doin me.”

Check out the video below, get “Over” on Drake - Over - Single.