[Mashup Monday] The White Panda | Bambooyah!

Posted on April 2, 2012 by BCandMerch

In honor of being a bit behind on Mashup Mondays, here is The White Panda’s brand-spankin’ new album, Bambooyah! I think they really outdid themselves with the mashups this time around. You can really tell The White Panda listen to an INSANE amount of music, as they find some of the most random samples and turn them into club jams. I’ve probably listened to this album, in its entirety, no less than 20 times. I’ll go ahead and give you guys some highlights…

First up, “Ignite Cherie” perfectly fits together R. Kelly’s slow-jam, “Ignition (Remix)” with The Beatshakers’ “Ma Cherie.” There’s also a twinge of Major Lazer’s “Pon De Floor.” R. Kelly’s party anthem mixes perfectly with the infectious dance beat of “Ma Cherie.”

Next, we have Don Omar’s “Danza Kuduro” mashed with the Pitbull, Ne-Yo, Afrojack, and Nayer club-hit, “Give Me Everything.” The Caribbean-flavored track from “Danza Kuduro” makes “Give Me Everything” an epic rave track.

Alright, so I definitely saved the best (and my personal favorite) for last. Mac Miller’s explosive underground hit “Donald Trump” on top of a remixed version of The Verve’s “Bittersweet Symphony.” Though short and sweet, the build-up for this track makes you want to lost it when the beat kicks in, and it segues perfectly into the next track, “Nightcity,” a mix of Tyga’s hit “Rack City,” and Kavinsky’s 80s, new-wave infused “Nightcall.” (You may remember it from a little (BIG) Ryan Gosling movie that came out last year called Drive.)

You can snag Bambooyah! in it’s entirety from The White Panda’s website (they have a “Pay what you want” option), and make sure to like them on Facebook because these dudes post tracks all the time.

[New Video!] Rye Rye | “Boom Boom”

Posted on March 23, 2012 by BCandMerch

Long-time M.I.A. protege, Rye Rye, has dropped what seems to be her first try at a “pop” track. Rye Rye typically serves up hip hop with some world music flavor (much like M.I.A., surprise surprise), but on “Boom Boom,” she takes those elements and adds a pop-soaked chorus. While the song may add more cheese than what Rye Rye usually drops, the video is, for lack of a better phrase, friggin’ awesome!

The video is heavily influenced by old-school video games like Street Fighter and Mega Man, but throws in an insane amount of random colors and objects (like breakdance-fighting and rainbow-colored mushrooms). At one point, Rye Rye is riding a purple dolphin that shoots LASERS at Rye Rye doppelgangers.

It’s 90% nuts, and 100% awesome.

For fans of: M.I.A., Santigold, Nicki Minaj

[Throwback Thursday] Warren G feat. Nate Dogg | “Regulate”

Posted on March 22, 2012 by BCandMerch

It’s been just over a year since Nate Dogg passed away, and I thought it appropriate to honor him with what is probably his best, and most well-known, track. Warren G’s “Regulate” introduced the world to Nate Dogg’s laid-back, soulful voice, which masked the fact that Nate has no problems with gunning a mofo down.

After “Regulate,” Nate went on to be featured in a slew of other hits, such as Mark Ronson’s “Ooh Wee” and, of course, Dr. Dre and Snoop’s “The Next Episode,” where Nate drops words to live by: “Smoke weed everyday.”

TGIF w/ 2Pac & Dr. Dre | “California Love”

Posted on March 2, 2012 by BCandMerch

Happy Friday, everyone! If your week was as hectic as mine, you’re ready for the weekend, and what better way to kick it off than the 2Pac/Dre classic, “California Love”?

A constant club and party jam since its original release in 1995, this funktastic bumper is the unofficial anthem for Cali, and has one of the most epic music videos in recent memory. It’s got a Mad Max theme, Dr. Dre with an eye-patch, 90s Chris Tucker (back when we liked Chris Tucker), and the elf from Bad Santa. Oh, and did I mention it has lots of fire and the Thunderdome? Yeah, awesome.

Gorillaz feat. Andre 3000 & James Murphy | “DoYaThing” (Converse 3 Artists, 1 Song)

Posted on February 29, 2012 by BCandMerch

Converse has been doing the “3 Artists, 1 Song” thing for a few years now (last year’s “I’m A Goner” mixed Andrew W.K., Matt & Kim, and Soulja Boy, and 2010′s “All Summer” included Kid Cudi, Best Coast, and Vampire Weekend). It seems that each addition to the series gets a little more excelctic and bizarre, but this year’s really gets it right.

The blend of the Gorillaz typical strange beeps n beats with LCD Soundsystem brain-trust James Murphy and Outkast’s Andre 3000 spits out a head-bobbing ball of funk. The video is typical Gorillaz flair of CGI, 2D cartoon, and live-action elements, and really has nothing to do with the song other than “DoYaThing” is playing in the background.

Oh, and did I mention there is a FRIGGIN’ BOWL OF EARS at the 3:05 mark?! You may want to strap yourself in for this one.

[Throwback Thursday] Naughty By Nature | “O.P.P.”

Posted on February 23, 2012 by BCandMerch

Sorry for the lack of Throwbacks lately, but, to make up for it, I’m giving you what might be the ultimate throwback jam: Naughty By Nature’s “O.P.P.”

A song about adultery hits number 1 on the Billboard Hip Hop Charts, who would have thought? I want to say a big part of its success was their use of the Jackson 5′s “ABC” as a sample. That, doubled with Treach’s hilarious verses, and the party-banging chorus.

Half the fun was trying to figure out what “O.P.P.” stood for. Granted, Treach wasn’t subtle, especially with rhymes like “It’s sorta like another way to call a cat a kitten, it’s five little letters that are missin’ here,” or (for the ladies) “It’s the longest, loveliest, lean– I call it the leanest. It’s another five letter word rhymin’ with cleanest and meanest.“

Regardless of whether you like hip hop, if you hear “You down with O.P.P.,” you’re gonna find yourself shouting “Yeah, you know me!”

[Premiere] Jay-Z & Kanye West | “N*ggas In Paris” [Video]

Posted on February 9, 2012 by BCandMerch

Jay-Z & Kanye’s “Niggas In Paris” has been blowing up clubs since it was released as a single back in September, so it’s kind of crazy (or “cray” as Kanye would say) that they are just now releasing a video. Filmed at the L.A. Staples Center during the December 13 date of the Watch The Throne Tour, the video is live footage chopped in with insane visuals like panthers, cityscapes, topped off with this mirroring effect. Oh, and keep an eye out for Kanye’s ridiculous leather kilt-thing.

It’s one of the most original (and bizarre) videos I’ve seen in a long time, and I absolutely love it.

WARNING: This video could cause epileptic seizures, so maybe don’t watch it standing up. That shit cray.

Sorry, the embed code isn’t working, but you can check it here: “Niggas In Paris” [Video]

[Throwback Thursday] Coolio feat. L.V. | “Gangsta’s Paradise”

Posted on February 2, 2012 by BCandMerch

Maybe one of the most epic hip hop songs of all time, Coolio’s “Gangsta’s Paradise” was as inescapable in the 90s as Coolio’s ridiculous-ass hair. It even got its own Weird Al parody, “Amish Paradise,” that also became a huge hit (much to Coolio’s dismay). The video for “Gangsta’s Paradise” was just as iconic as the song. Originally recorded for the Dangerous Minds soundtrack, it features Michelle Pfiefer having a stare-down with a dark and ominous Coolio, and L.V. having steam blown in his face (for effect?).

Everything about this song screams “This is one of the greatest f*cking hip hop songs of ALL time,” and you’d be hard-pressed to argue.

Austin Town Hall: Council Meeting 2/3

Posted on January 31, 2012 by BCandMerch

Our buddies over at Austin Town Hall will be having another one of their “Council Meeting’s” aka wild and unadulterated dance parties this Friday at The North Door. If you haven’t stopped by this dark East-side bar quite yet, you are missing out on Tamale Molly and one strong “Son of a Gun” whiskey drink. This dance party will also be celebrating DJ Ray Ray’s birthday, and it’s FREE! (Merch made the poster, recognize what the image is?)

[New Release] M.I.A. | “Bad Girls”