Billy Talent - Burn The Evidence

While we're on the topic of guilty pleasure music, then my biggest guilty pleasure in music is Billy Talent, especially their second album.  We've probably been down this road before, but I'll say it again.  Their alternative rock is always catchy and always wonderfully crafted, and Ben Kowalewicz's voice always speaks to me (I've probably mentioned this before too, but the band went to the same high school as my boyfriend, though at different times, of course).  So even if they're not the band you'll get street cred for liking, I'll still be enjoying the band.  Today's track, "Burn The Evidence," comes from that lovely second album, and it's kind of dark and creepy, but it has the same elements you expect from the ban (the chanting-like thing they do on the chorus...you either love it or hate it).  "Burn The Evidence" is the last track on Billy Talent II, and I always vouch for the final track being a little weird, and the band definitely did that.  It doesn't sound like their bread-and-butter songs do, and maybe that's why I like it so much.  I am one who enjoys the weirder things in life.

Iggy Azalea feat. Charli XCX - Fancy

Now and then I have music that falls into the guilty pleasure pile, and Iggy Azalea is in that pile.  Her poppy brand of hip-hop and rap is a breath of fresh air, and if she's collaborating with Charli XCX (that darling angel pop princess), then who am I to turn down something like "Fancy"?  The video is a good throwback to those days I'd watch Clueless when I got home from school, but the music is something else.  "Fancy" isn't as proper as the title may lead on.  Iggy has a great throaty voice that gives her rap a dirty (but good kind of dirty) quality.  Combined with some minimal-electro backing beats and Charli on the chorus and bridge, "Fancy" is nothing but a good time.  Though Charli may not be up to the vocal abilities she's at on her own, it works here, and there's nothing I can really complain about, other than the fact that I want to watch Clueless now...

Dice Raw - Never Be A Gangsta

I'm a Dice Raw fan, though I think that's a given here, so I was surprised to have missed out on Jimmy's Back until now.  It came out last August, and centered around themes of incarceration and jail time, it's good.  Real good.  The Greatest Rapper Never Vol. 1 was good too, don't get me wrong, but there's something different about this album.  It has a different charm to it, and has a bit more grit, while still retaining the minimal-no-theatrics feel that'll reel you in and keep you there.  Today it was either going to be "Run Away" or "Never Be A Gangsta," so I guess you'll be waiting to see what I have to say about "Run Away."

"Never Be A Gangsta" is deceivingly simple, but overwhelmingly wonderful.  The big percussion beats of the background, spoken word overlay about the prison system, and the chorus's hook of what's a boy to do if I'll never be a gangster are the perfect compliment to Dice's slick rhymes.  In the rap genre, there's definitely merit in keeping things simple and staying true to the music.  Dice Raw proves that you don't need to go over-the-top to achieve greatness.  "Never Be A Gangsta" is cool, catchy, and just has something special that keeps you coming back.

Caracol - Shiver

There seems to be a pattern in French artists who perform songs in English...it's good!  Like Cats In Trees, Caracol (a.k.a Quebec's Carole Facal) has it down pat with "Shiver," which was free on Itunes some time ago, and that I only fully began to appreciate when it came on during the shuffled library play (a pattern for myself to follow, it would seem).  "Shiver" is boho-indie-folk-pop, and though that may sound complicated, never fear!  It's got that 70's charm to it, with that tambourine and folky elements, but it's also modern enough to fit right in with the indie of 2014.  Carole Facal kind of channels Alanis Morissette in "Knees of My Bees" and a little bit of Stevie Nicks, if you must ask, but it's her sweet vocals and whenever she says shiver that sends, well, a shiver up my spine.  And after a long and busy week with nothing but rain and snow, that shiver is welcome.

Lady Gaga - Bad Romance

Though "G.U.Y." seems to be the big thing right now, I'm still jamming to an older incarnation of Lady Gaga.  "Bad Romance" was the song that really got me into Mother Monster, and I'm still obsessed with it.  Even back then, she was artfully creating pop music.  "Bad Romance" definitely has a lot to it too, but she does it with such mastery and grace that everything works.  It's weird, definitely, and a dark kind of pop that can be hard to find these days.  Well, if you want weird, you'll have to watch the music video, but I remember watching it over and over again when I was a teenager, jaw dropped at every outfit she pulled out (that rocket bra at the end...where can I get one?) and getting ra ra ah ah ah roma romama gaga ooh la la stuck in my head for days at a time.  Though I listened to The Fame when it came out, the Lady Gaga I really fell for was in "Bad Romance," but at the heart of it, the romantic affair I have with this song is anything but bad.

Arch Enemy - War Eternal

Let's finish a week's worth of metal by talking about some big news in the metal world right now.  Alissa White-Gluz, former lead singer of The Agonist, has replaced Angela Gossow as lead singer of Arch Enemy.  Wait...what?  What!?  I only found this out a few days ago, and I'm still shocked.  Angela is remaining with the band as the business manager, but The Agonist has got themselves a new lead that I'll have to check out soon too.  I'll admit to being wary at the announcement, because this was going to turn into a death metal version of Tarja vs. Anette.  Alissa is good, but taking over Arch Enemy is quite the task.  Then "War Eternal" came out...and I was proven wrong.

"War Eternal" isn't the Arch Enemy I'm familiar with, but something a little more melodic, and more suited to Alissa.  Then again, it's only one song, so who knows what the new album is going to give us.  I like the fast-paced guitar work, personally, because it makes the whole thing catchy.  And if there's one thing I like in a melodic metal song, it's that it needs to be infectious.  At the helm, Alissa's growling is still wonderful, but now it's a little more refined, showing that our Canadian metal princess is all grown up and ready to take on the world.  I look forward to seeing how Arch Enemy shapes her, and how she shapes Arch Enemy.  "War Eternal" is proof that though some shoes may be intimidating to fill, there's nothing wrong with growing into them.

Nightwish - Amaranth

Here we are, folks.  Post number 800!  I try to do something especially special every hundredth post, and since we've been lacking a little Nightwish around here lately, I figured that we should kill two birds with one stones and look at the song that is perhaps my absolute favourite from the band (and the Anette era to boot!).  As much as they change the lead singer, Nightwish will always have a special place in my heart, and albums like Dark Passion Play are still on repeat in my library.  This was Anette showing the world that we'll be just fine without Tarja, and "Amaranth" just turned into a good ol' fuck you to the haters.

"Amaranth" is lovely symphonic metal, no question about that.  It's classic Nightwish, and everything is perfect (especially the keyboards, Tuomas), and Anette makes it even better.  This is probably the strongest vocally that she is on Dark Passion Play.  And the chorus?  Ugh.  I'm in love.  As it builds into a show-stopped end, it's equal parts mosh-worthy and beauty, and it is as catchy as hell too.  I have actually had "Amaranth" stuck in my head for three years, and what a good three years it's been.  Songs like this make me regret living in a part of the world where Nightwish rarely visits, especially now that Anette is out.  I hope this is stuck in my head for the next three years.

The video is also lovely and awesome too.  Check it out.

Arkona - Odna

It's been a long time since I've had any Arkona around here.  Too long, if you must know.  So when "Odna" (in English: "Alone" came on my ipod a few weeks ago, I had the strong urge to get back to my folk metal roots, and share it with the world.  It's off of 2011's Slovo, probably my favourite Arkona album, but Yav will be out in April, so we'll have to worry about that when it comes times.  What "Odna" has, though, is what I enjoyed the most from the album, and it's the traditional pagan sound that melds with lovely folk metal.  You get the bells and whistles (literally), along with a great guitar arrangement and Masha's vocals (clean and growling, it's all good).  Need I say more?  Well, I'll go on for a little bit longer.  "Odna" is mysterious, especially with the whistle-featured bridge in the latter half of the track, and it really transports you to the wilderness of Russia, where metal guitars just happen to make the story darker.  Yav can't get here fast enough.

Alexisonfire - Boiled Frogs

Most of my planned week of metal is dedicated to the ladies, but I figured that I could be nice and let the boys in on the fun, even if Alexisonfire is more hardcore.  Let's just stretch the rules today, okay?  Now, flash back seven years ago to when Crisis came out.  Me, fourteen and already obsessed with Watch Out!, got my hands on the band's new album.  I thought I had fallen in love before, but who knew that there was still a long way to go?  What Alexisonfire had for me back then was screaming, melody, and beauty, and I will always credit the band for creating the metalhead you all follow today.  If there's a best song to pick off of Crisis, it's definitely "Boiled Frogs."

Poor little tin man still swinging his axe,
Even though his joints are clogged with wax

"Boiled Frogs" stems from the idea that a frog will jump from a boiling pot of water, but if you slowly raise the temperature, it will stay in the pot until it dies.  It's high-energy hardcore that not only has the stellar combination of George and Dallas, but now Wade is in the mix.  The guitar work is utterly fantastic, reminiscent of "Hey It's Your Funeral Mama" in some ways, and Mr. Hastings on drums knows how to drive the song along.  The lyric content is commentary on working-class jobs and how low-pay and intense demands leads to the boiled frog effect (clever title, George), and though it's gritty, it's also quite lovely.  Though I can't believe it's been about seven years since "Boiled Frogs" first consumed my life, I can believe that it's still just as infectious.  This was the high point of Alexisonfire, and if they were still together now, one can only imagine would be with us today.

Iwrestledabearonce - Firebees

Day two of metal leans towards the metalcore side, which is not bad.  People who have a vendetta against metalcore are just trying to fit in with the crowd.  But don't worry, because Iwrestledabearonce also favors experimental metal in their music, so it's nothing like the metalcore you thought you knew earlier.  "Firebees" is from their last album, Late For Nothing, which means that it's with new lead singer Courtney LaPlante, and it's not the same as "Boat Paddle."  Oh, it's definitely something else.

"Firebees" is gritty, that's for sure.  It doesn't have the lush and easy feeling of "Boat Paddle," but if you're coming here for experimental metal, you're going to get it now.  The instrumental work is phenomenal, and LaPlante's vocals may be metalcore, but it's good.  Real good.  Her growling is perfect for this genre, and though her clean vocals may not be as strong, it works with the song, and it makes the chorus have this lovely mysterious atmosphere to it.  As a whole, "Firebees" works, and I suppose this means I'll have to complete the rest of Late For Nothing now.

Ancient Bards - All That Is True

Let's begin a week's worth of metal with a band that only needs a slight introduction.  My Italian metal love is all for Ancient Bards, and the best thing about them now is that they have an album coming out at the end of April...also Sara Squadrani and dem pipes.  Their holy trinity of their last album, Soulless Child, is "Valiant Ride," "Through My Veins," and today's gem and a half: "All That Is True."  Remember how I always say that long songs need to be epics?  This one is pushing ten minutes, but it is nothing short of epic.

What "All That Is True" has is what I love the most from Ancient Bards.  It's symphonic metal heaven.  There's no growling like in "Through My Veins," but it's got piano, a chorus of singers, and as you hoped, the metal guitars and percussion that just won't quit.  Sara's voice is on par, weaving a tale of love and heartache that builds slowly, but rises to an incredible finish.  I always get to my heart, you're all that is true stuck in my head too.  The band's strength is in transporting the listener to another place in another world, and completely falling into the story.  I'm falling into the story and falling in love with the love of "All That Is True."  They slay it here, and it's getting me antsy for the next album.

Dan Griffin - Stars and Satellites

I've got a week's worth of metal planned out after this, but we're going to bookend it with indie folk and Lady Gaga.  So first off, let's stick with the plan and look at Dan Griffin, who is actually from my neck of the south in the deep south of Canada.  Huh...I am literally just learning this now, and knowing that he's from Windsor has made him a thousand times cooler.  You learn something new every day, I suppose.  He's also a member of Arkells, a Canadian band that's like a modernized Trews, and I actually saw them open for Metric in 2010 too.  They're not my cup of tea, really, but on his own, Dan Griffin has me hook-line-and-sinker.

"Stars and Satellites" is a lovely acoustic piece that's bare bones and all emotion, and it's glorious.  It was the song of the week a while ago on Itunes, and with good reason.  This is just like what I was talking about the other day: there's beauty in simplicity, and Dan hits the nail on the head.  "Stars and Satellites" is raw, delicate and powerful all at the same time, and finding that balance with only an acoustic guitar can be a little difficult too.  He does it, and does it very well.

And I'm hoping that the stars and the satellites will bring me home to you.

Peter, Paul and Mary - Lemon Tree

I was recently riding quite the Peter, Paul and Mary kick.  And by quite the kick, I mean that I downloaded as much as I could and was listening to all of their stuff non-stop for a few days in a row.  I'm better now, but still not quite over it.  You just can't listen to Peter, Paul and Mary and not be happy.  Everything is perfect.  This is now another instance of where I could have picked a more well-known song, but instead pick something a little more obscure.  Well, I'm not really sure how obscure "Lemon Tree" is, but I never heard it beforehand, and now I'm obsessed.

Originally recorded by Will Holt, it was rerecorded by the trio in their 1962 self-titled album (which my mom found at Value Village in February...original vinyl...and we listened to it for a few days).  They sweetly compare love to a lemon tree, which is very pretty, and the lemon flower is sweet, but the fruit of the poor lemon is impossible to eat.  Probably not very optimistic about love, but everything about "Lemon Tree" is just lovely simplicity.  This is the way that people should still be doing folk.  And when they all sing together on the chorus?  Magic.  Everything they do is magic, but "Lemon Tree" has just a little more than average.

Ellie Goulding - Dead In The Water

Ellie Goulding can prove to be a little, you know...mainstream for me.  She has a unique voice in her scene, but what she does isn't too out of this world.  Well, you know how I love to be proven wrong, right?  "Dead In The Water" kind of proved me wrong, as a part of that water-themed playlist I found on Tumblr and have mentioned before here and there (remember "In The Sea"?  That was a good week).  I think the main reason why I like it is that Ellie isn't relying on any heavy production to get emotion and feeling across.  "Dead In The Water" is very minimal, which you can never go wrong with.  You've got her vocals, and later on some nice string arrangements, and some light sound effects throughout that never outshine Ellie.  And when you put her all by herself, Miss Goulding sounds even more powerful.  If there's any lesson from "Dead In The Water," it's that there's beauty in simplicity, and maybe water-themed songs are my new bread and butter too.

Týr - Hear The Heathen Call

Týr is probably one of my best discoveries of this year so far.  Viking metal?  Always a bonus.  They don't growl too much, from what I've heard so far, Heri Joensen's vocals are still pure metal, and with Terji Skibenaes on guitar and Gunnar Thomsen on bass, this trio is complete.  They're actually from the Faroese Islands, which is a collection of Danish islands due north of Scotland (a place I've never heard of before, but am now very interested by).  Their last album, Valkyrja, came out in late 2013, but today's song comes from 2009's By The Light of the Northern Star.  And that, my friends, brings us too the song that I've been obsessed with for the last few weeks...

"Hear The Heathen Call" is good.  Why?  First off, it reminds me a little of Amon Amarth, though replace all the growls with clean vocals, and add a touch of doom.  Just a touch, but you'll hear it if you listen.  I also get a little Ensiferum coming through too, but Týr's brand of folk metal is still different.  It almost has a tribal, old-world sound to it, like they really are vikings.  It's different from what I've heard before, but I like it for that reason.  It's viking metal that may not sound quite right at first, but the more you listen, the more you realize this is the way it should be.  The bridge between verses and the chorus of "Hear The Heathen Call" is also hella powerful, and this summer, people may catch me blasting this in my dad's truck.

Indila - Dernière danse

French music is always surprising me, but sometimes you just know that it's going to be good.  It just sounds beautiful, and even you don't understand it, you can still kind of figure out what the artist was going for, and pick out all of the emotions and feelings.  Music transcends language boundaries, is what I like to say, and I listen to enough European metal to know that what I say is true.  Indila is the artist of the day today, and her debut album that I'll be looking into now is called Mini World.  "Dernière danse," or "Last Dance" was free on itunes a few weeks ago, and I think that I've been listening to it non-stop ever since.

"Dernière danse" is slick pop, but nothing too over-the-top.  With a piano and the string sections, and a voice like Indila's, you've got all you need.  She gives us soul and she gives us feeling, but it's wrapped up in a cleanly produced package that will be stuck in your head in no time.  Put this in English and change a few things around, and this would have worked in the early 2000's pop scene, but what "Dernière danse" is modern and very, very nice.  I don't think it would be the same in English, but I'm also intrigued to see how that would go.  I'll work on that, and you sit down and listen to this, okay?

Marissa Nadler - Save Me A Place

Marissa Nadler's strength has been her ability to create haunting acoustic numbers that chill your bone, but also remind you of a simpler time.  She's got a seventies folk flavor to everything her voice graces, and that's what I want when I look at Marissa Nadler songs.  "Save Me A Place" reminds me a little of her duet with Angel Olson, the cover of "My Dreams Have Withered And Died."  It's the same feel, but it's all Marissa now.  "Save Me A Place" is haunting, as should be expected, but it's also soft and delicate.  People hear the word haunting and automatically assume it'll be creepy, but not here.  This is an intro to haunting music for those who may not be into it yet.  The acoustic guitar work is very minimal, but for "Save Me A Place," it's just right.  Some songs rely on grand theatrics, but others require the basics, and still knock us out of our seats.  If there's a queen of doing that, it's Marissa Nadler.

Also, no video to be found on Youtube, which means I probably got this one through a Tumblr playlist.  Damn Youtube...if they didn't ban me for uploading illegal content, we wouldn't be in this mess now!

Flogging Molly - The Cradle of Humankind

Flogging Molly has grown on me quite a bit, ever since P.S. I Love You and when my brother put Speed Of Darkness on my computer a few years ago.  It's not their loud and guitar-heavy stuff that appeals to me, though.  My favourite Flogging Molly songs are the quiet and subdued numbers that build and rise into some kind of awesome crescendo.  Acoustic stuff is good too, of course.  "The Cradle of Humankind" is more piano-driven, which I always have a hard time saying no to in music, and Dave King is once again amazing on vocals.  And the violins?  Oh, don't you even get me started on those wonders.  "The Cradle of Humankind" isn't something to be scared of if Irish music isn't your cup of tea; it's a song to embrace, and one that will ease you into the genre.  So....get on it!

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Avatarium - Moonhorse

You know my rule about long songs: if you're going to push past six minutes, then it better be pretty damn epic.  For today's epic, I brought back Avatarium, my favourite European counterpart to the likes of Christian Mistress and Spacegoat, with a lovely symphonic-sounding element that will be nice for all you Nightwish fans out there (I know you read my blog...someone is).  "Moonhorse" is about nine minutes long, and this track is all about the contrast.  On one hand, you have the whimsy of a young dreamer, wondering if horses prance around on the moon, but then you have the gritty and heavy guitar work and some darker lyrical business that makes the story seem that not everything is how you see it.  Then, just when you think it's going to get even heavier, we get back to that soft whimsy, complimented by Jennie-Ann Smith's lovely singing.  "Moonhorse" is a trip, believe me, but one well worth taking.

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The Earls of Mars - Poor Whores Petition

This may be common thing on this blog one day: today's song has come from Reddit.  Yes, Reddit of all places.  I subscribe to a few music subreddits, though I can't remember which one led me to the UK's The Earls of Mars.  Their brand of rock is a little eccentric, perhaps a cross between System of a Down and Stone Sour, maybe with some Avenged Sevenfold in there.  Don't worry, they're good!  Really good, in fact.  "Poor Whores Petition" is the track I chose to go with today, because in less than three minutes, it got me.  Oh, it got me good.  It has a very grand kind of feel to it, but at the same time, it's yanked back just enough that "Poor Whores Petition" doesn't get totally out of control.  It's eccentric, but also refined to some degree, with enough crazy to always keep you coming back for more.  Believe me, you'll be coming back sooner than you think.

Violent Femmes - I Hate The TV

There's something perfect about Violent Femmes music...period.  The Add It Up compilation still stands as one of my favourite Value Village purchases, and one of my favourite albums of all time.  It just has everything you like about the band...and more.  Today's "I Hate The TV" was actually unreleased before appearing on Add It Up, though why they would keep it from us until 1993, I'll never know.  It's actually been stuck in my head on and off since I added it to my blog playlist, mostly the lines it's kiiiiiiiiillinng me and I hate the president! repeated over and over.  The track has that late-80's-early-90's flavor to it, with a healthy dose of California rock, but it still retains to quirky touches that I always enjoy from the band.  Mind you, it's a short song coming it at two minutes and ten seconds, but when that time has passed, you're probably going to want to come back to "I Hate The TV."  I guarantee it (damn Reddit memes are rubbing off on me...).

Robotanists - On/Off The Ledge

I'm not done with indie yet!  Robotanists lean towards the pop side of the indie spectrum, but there's maybe a dash of alternative in there, and maybe some jazz elements to keep things interesting.  "On/Off The Ledge" is something that I've been sitting on for some time, but it's worth it, I swear.  Some things get better with age.  The keyboard may be my favourite part about this track, mainly because of its jazzy whimsy, but this five-piece is all strength to me.  Lead Sarah (last name not given on Facebook), has some kind of strange Emily Haines quality to her, but this song is more or less Metric with Fiona Apple at the helm...which I'd like to see in the future.  But "On/Off The Edge" is a fine piece of piano-driven indie pop, and it'll catch you like it caught onto me.

Rev. Lonnie Farris - Peace in the Valley

Let's do something a little different today...again.  Gospel and religious music isn't something I really listen to a lot, mostly because I'm not personally very religious and have trouble relating to the message.  I enjoy Flyleaf, so I'll say that.  "Peace in the Valley" came to me through Rcrd Lbl, and it is originally part of a 3-disc collection that goes by This May Be My Last Time Singing: Raw African-American Gospel on 45RPM, 1957-1982.  I have a few songs from this collection, but Lonnie Farris's "Peace In The Valley" isn't just your typical gospel.  It might be that lovely-and-lazy electric guitar, or the percussion that makes you just want to sway, or maybe even Lonnie's smokey-yet-subdued vocals.  It's gospel for the minimalist atheists inside all of us, though there is a religious message here, of course.  I just take the lyrical content as part of the simple beauty of "Peace In The Valley," and that's it.

Månegarm - Sons of War

Back in the metal game today, we look at one of my favourite subgenres in the lot.  Viking metal is simply awesome, because you can make it folkier or lean more on the black side, and done well, the mythology can make for some stellar lyrics.  Sweden's Månegarm favors black metal for their sound, and what they give us in "Sons of War" (off of 2013's Legions of the North) is somewhat of a happy marriage between the sounds of Ensiferum and Amon Amarth.  I like it, and if you like viking/folk/black/metal, you'll be all over this too.  The guitars are out of this world on this track, making for some rich and organic verses, and it all mingles beautifully with the growling of Erik Grawsiö.  Erik's got some nice clean vocal work too on the chorus, and though it's nothing earth-shattering, his range is what works for "Sons of War."  Now I've got to see what other secrets that Månegarm has been keeping, and even if their earlier work is half as good as "Sons of War," we're all going to be very happy.

Dice Raw - Video Game + LYRICS

As we revisit rap, why not combine it with one of my favourite things ever?  Dice Raw, meet Lana.  Lana Rel Rey, meet Dice Raw.  On his The Greatest Rapper Never: The Mixtapes Vol. 1 mixtape Dice's "Video Game" is a freestyle-type track (in the vein of his "Game of Thrones Freestyle"...that wondrous classic) over the instrumentals of Lana's "Video Games."  It's only two minutes along, but good ol' Dice Raw packs a lot into a short amount of time.  He gives us something that's kind of empowering empowering, while also having this dark and gritty atmosphere to it.  It's sad, but it almost lifts you back up at the same time.  And with the minimal orchestra from "Video Games," it's almost too much perfection to fathom.  And the lyrics?  Well, you're just going to have to read them to get what I'm talking about

My enemies draw the lines
My allies draw the blinds
Put the mattresses on the floor
We don't sleep, we just watch the door
I ain't scared, been here before
And I'm more prepared than they are, I'm sure
Yo, no one talks shit to me and lives
I don't give a fuck what your suggestion is
No one tells me how it's going to be
Satan's face, the next thing you see
But death it is like ecstasy
Gun play is like sex to me
I know how to handle n***** stressing me
Without all those complexities
Actually, it's really simple
Ice pick right to your temple
Pistols blastin', no question askin'
Throw slashes, kidnappers
Tires screeching, n***** beefing
N***** reaching, n***** bleeding
Blood, is overflowing
No, signs of receding
No signs from the God above
Guess we stopped believing
All that belief goes out the window
When a n**** ends low
Exhale to inhale
Face down, the only way it ends though
But it'll always be people like us
That n**** make them big bucks
And we gon make a big fuss
And we gon cause a big rush
And we kickin' up dust
And we don't give a fuck
Roll up that weed and hash
Roll up on that piece of trash
Blow his motherfucking brains out, then maybe we'll have peace at last
Peace at last
Maybe we'll have peace at last


I guess there's no video for this one either.  I'll work on it, but I'm not getting banned from Youtube again.  The Greatest Rapper Never: The Mixtapes Vol. 1 may still be free online somewhere, so get looking!

Snovonne - Things I Can't See

I wasn't sure about Snovonne at first, but now that I've toured through a lot of her work, it's grown on me, and I can say that I haven't found anything I don't like yet.  Her genre is a strange one, which is why I was unsure, but there's actually something infectious about "modern theatrical rock" with a hit of progressive metal that works.  Slovakian-American Snovonne sounds like a cross of Anette-fronted Nightwish and 90's Alanis Morissette with a little bit of late-2000's Marina and the Diamonds.  Even saying that, her sound is all hers, and that's what makes songs like "Things I Can't See" perfection.

"Things I Can't See" is a percussion and piano heavy track that you'll be surprised to sway along with.  It's almost a little bit jazz-and-swing with these instrumentals, but it's not confusing.  In fact, it's quite lovely, and with a little more guitar it could work on a Nightwish album.  Snovonne's vocal work isn't the kind that'll knock you off your feet with power, but when it's paired with the music, it works, and it only adds to the atmosphere, never taking anything away.  If you don't like it at first, don't worry, because it'll grow on you before you can even tell what's going on.

Blueprint - So Alive

Those indie days were fun, but now we need something different...something with some hip-hop-rap flavor.  Why don't I introduce you to another rapper you may not have heard of before?  Alright, let's do it.  Blueprint came my way a few years ago via Rcrd Lbl, and though today's song comes from 2011's Adventures in Counter Culture, the Columbus, Ohio artist has another album called Respect the Architect coming out in April.  Perfect, right?  Now I have something to look forward to during my exam period!  When you listen, you'll know why.

"So Alive" is a song that you may not be expecting, but it's something brilliant regardless of what you thought it'd be.  It's hip-hop with a healthy dose of swinging jazz and electric guitar, and I guarantee that it's friendly for everyone, even those who don't have a big thing for the rap genre.  Hell, it makes me want to dance.  Blueprint isn't rapping here as much as he's doing the in-between of singing and rapping (a little 808s-era Kanye, perhaps), but with beats this lively (fitting, really), it works.  Now that I know he's got a new album coming out, I've got to dig a little deeper to see what else he's been keeping from me, but in the meantime, you get on listening to "So Alive."  Even if hip-hop is the genre that you tell people is your exception (I've probably heard that 50 times...I listen to everything except rap), you'll still find merit in what Blueprint does with "So Alive."