What will be the song of the summer? Who cares really. Anything that becomes an anthem for the summer usually has very little staying power. It seems everyone has a list of sorts for “summer hits” but our favorites are missing so it’s time to chime in.
First what other's are picking. Katy Perry “California Gurls” – it’s got Snoop, monster hooks, Katy in a video and is clearly this summer’s front runner. The problem is staying power. The song is so damn catchy it may burn out even faster than it explodes if that makes any sense at all.
Eminen “Not Afraid” - Who debuts at number 1 on the charts without even trying? The boy from eight mile, that’s who. Love him or hate him Eminem has incredible talent that seems yet to be fully tapped. This will be in the running and show up in college sports highlight reels for the next year.
We don’t have the patience to comment on the rest of the tracks from Usher, Drake, Lady Gaga (was the blood bath routine in the UK really necessary?), B.o.B., LCD Sound System, 3OH!3 and others so let’s get to the funkyfresh pick for summer anthem.
M.I.A. “XXXO” . Say what you want about the polarizing Born Free video, XXXO makes everything feel like it’s back in its right place. “Tweet’n Me Like Tweety Bird on Your iPhone” is surely the line of the summer. So there you have it. We’re expecting great things from this album even if M.I.A. may have cashed in some of her chips be marrying a record label executive’s son. We don’t card. The urban production with a little sugar on top, street cred and the funky UK accent make her hard to resist.
Buy this record. ArchAndroid is a complete work with ear candy and myriad style amalgamations that will keep you on your toes. You certainly have to listen to appreciate the diverse styles on this record. It’s interesting and accessible and the sonic journey pays dividends.
‘Tightrope’, featuring Big Boi, is sure to be a break out track with lots of radio airplay. ‘Mushrooms & Roses’ is what happens if the Beatles and Prince were to back a funkyfresh soul like Janelle. She's the R&B/Soul/Pop equivalent of XTC.
This album will garner some mainstream attention with some of the infectious grooves on this album but don't let that fool you. Janelle is complex and interesting in a way her SXSW shows have only shown us a glimpse.
Do you think the album art was inspired by Earth, Wind and Fire's 'Raise'?
The slotRadio Motown card is the latest addition to SanDisk’s lineup of slotRadio cards. The pre-loaded cards are for people that are too busy to be bothered with downloading or for folks that simply want to jumpstart their music collection without having to rip their CDs or download everything.
Funkyfresh has been working with SanDisk on the slotRadio project so we’re able to offer an insider’s look at the cards themselves. Yes, we’re biased, but you know we always keep it real here at funkyfresh. These cards offer incredible convenience and value to anyone, tech savvy or not.
If you love Motown and you own a Sansa slotRadio, Fuze or Clip+ player you owe it to yourself to check out this card. It truly is a definitive collection of Motown music. And having worked on the slotRadio Motown card we can tell you it contains a nice bonus collection of music in addition to the 500 tracks advertised for only $29. That’s an incredible deal
We have a lot of Motown vinyl here at funkyfresh. Now instead of digitizing all of it and making playlists it’s already done. So we did have a selfish motivation for working on this project. This is a timeless collection of classics that truly contains every Motown hit from all of the great Motown artists.
Visit SanDisk for more information and to hear samples from the Motown card and the entire slotRadio lineup.
Need your classic rock fix? How about if Zeppelin, Nirvana and Queens of the Stone Age got together and made a record? Them Crooked Vultures is close to what you would expect. The recording has a big room bleeding sound. It's gritty enough, loud and dynamic. This is one worth grabbing. The track, “Bandoliers” is the ultimate amalgamation of this supergroup’s influences. Dave Grohl and John Paul Jones playing together alone makes it worth it. Enjoy!
Mindy Smith has the kind of voice that makes you melt anytime of season. My Holiday is what you might call "Angelic Americana" that's one part Alison Krauss and one part Cowboy Junkies.
We actually have added tracks from this CD to mixes we listen to year round. If you're looking for something fresh this Christmas, My Holiday from Mindy Smith is a good choice.
If you're working on the ultimate Christmas mix consider "Santa Will Find You" or "Follow the Sheppard Home" for your mix. My Holiday
You’ve got to love this guy. Mayer Hawthorne grew up in Ann Arbor, MI and was heavily influenced by the soul of the Motor City. His debut album is packed with retro sounding gems that Berry Gordy would be proud of. He does it ‘cause he loves it and we expect Mayer to garner a lot of attention in the coming year.
Visit Stones Throw for more about Mayer and upcoming show dates.
The Beatles version of Rock Band is likely to break lots of records this quarter in a perfect storm of hype and holiday sales. Not to be missed, however, is the release of a catalog of remastered Beatles albums.
This is an audio engineers dream. First off, the original Beatles recordings are works of art not only for the timeless songwriting and performances but also the genius of George Martin and Geoff Emerick who captured it all. It was a perfect storm of talent and production techniques that make the entire catalog timeless.
Today, after 22 years, all of the Beatles remastered studio albums will be released featuring the same track listings and artwork as originally released in the U.K. plus new liner notes and photos for the CD booklets. Both stereo and mono versions will be available.
I still have a crate of Beatles vinyl although I rarely pull any of it out as it’s just not convenient. Rubber Soul and Revolver are two of my favorites and I would not hesitate to grab the remastered versions of these albums.
When Geoff Emerick decided to run John’s voice through a rotating Leslie speaker for the ultra psychedelic sound of “Tomorrow Never Knows”, rock music was forever changed for the better and that early experimentation led the way for many of today’s bands in all genres of music.
Whether it’s vinyl, cassette, CD or AM radio, the Beatles are always a sonic treat. However, some recordings will benefit from the remastering more than others. Our recommended list includes: Rubber Soul, Revolver, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, The White Album, Hard Day’s Night and Beatles for Sale. Of course, if you got the bucks pick them all up.
Drake has been called the second coming of Kanye West and that's easy to understand with the sound of this record. He apparently has better vocal chops than Kanye and can belt out a tune. "Best I Ever Had" is absolutely perfect for an episode of Entourage. Would work well for when Eric and Sloan ultimately part ways for good or get back together. We've all been there. Pick up this track. There's still plenty of summer left to enjoy it.
Takeover UK’s “Ah La La” is instant fun for your summertime mix. However, if that’s the only track you pick up you’re missing out on a pretty good Brit Pop album from the lads from Pittsburgh.
Instantly hummable from front to back, Takeover UK has Indie mojo with big time potential. Hard to root for anything coming out of Pittsburgh right now with the Red Wings in the Stanley Cup finals but these guys deserve a listen.
Take a little bit of Sara Bareilles, mix in a touch of Shakira and add a dash of Colbie Cailat and you’ve got Kate Voegele. “Don’t Look Away” is a good recording that packs plenty of pop and is instantly accessible and familiar yet fresh because of Kate’s strong vocals. This may be overstating it, but if she keeps this up we could seen her garnering a song of the year, or best new artist at the Grammys.
What will be the song of the summer? Who cares really. Anything that becomes an anthem for the summer usually has very little staying power. It seems everyone has a list of sorts for “summer hits” but our favorites are missing so it’s time to chime in. 
Buy this record. ArchAndroid is a complete work with ear candy and myriad style amalgamations that will keep you on your toes. You certainly have to listen to appreciate the diverse styles on this record. It’s interesting and accessible and the sonic journey pays dividends. 
The slotRadio Motown card is the latest addition to SanDisk’s lineup of slotRadio cards. The pre-loaded cards are for people that are too busy to be bothered with downloading or for folks that simply want to jumpstart their music collection without having to rip their CDs or download everything. 
Mindy Smith has the kind of voice that makes you melt anytime of season. My Holiday is what you might call "Angelic Americana" that's one part Alison Krauss and one part Cowboy Junkies. 
You’ve got to love this guy. Mayer Hawthorne grew up in Ann Arbor, MI and was heavily influenced by the soul of the Motor City. His debut album is packed with retro sounding gems that Berry Gordy would be proud of. He does it ‘cause he loves it and we expect Mayer to garner a lot of attention in the coming year. 
The Beatles version of Rock Band is likely to break lots of records this quarter in a perfect storm of hype and holiday sales. Not to be missed, however, is the release of a catalog of remastered Beatles albums. 
Takeover UK’s “Ah La La” is instant fun for your summertime mix. However, if that’s the only track you pick up you’re missing out on a pretty good Brit Pop album from the lads from Pittsburgh. 
and have a listen to the entire album.
Take a little bit of Sara Bareilles, mix in a touch of Shakira and add a dash of Colbie Cailat and you’ve got Kate Voegele. “Don’t Look Away” is a good recording that packs plenty of pop and is instantly accessible and familiar yet fresh because of Kate’s strong vocals. This may be overstating it, but if she keeps this up we could seen her garnering a song of the year, or best new artist at the Grammys. 
and learn more.