yet another spring. whaaaa?

These days, I partake in my favorite activity which is listening to music and downloading new music. Late last fall, I asked people I knew for recommendations of books and music. I haven't been reading many books lately, but lots of good music... I've also been keeping up with my usual music self-education and and started a tumblr at http://infofeed.tumblr.com/ where I try to post all the music I download and videos I watch, accompanied by interesting, occasionally related, pictures, so check that out too. Anyways, here's some stuff that's keeping me going this spring.


Major Lazer-"Halo": I've always like covers and Beyonce's Halo is already a great song, you can't really go wrong with this reggae-esque cover.

"Mfumu"-The Very Best: If you haven't heard The Very Best, you should definitely start listening. They're a European/Malawian crew with good sounds with remixes and originals. This song is one of my favorites, but you should definitely check out their album Warm Heart of Africa and their remixes.

"I Learned the Hard Way"-Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings:-The other highlight of this spring is Sharon Jones' new album with the Dap Kings, lives up to all my expectations and makes you feel gooood.

"Little Lion Man"-Mumford and Sons: For your indie pleasure, Little Lion Man is a powerful sounding song, but manages not to be too whiny, probably because they have accents. And if you're on a mixtape kick like I am, you can also check out this Remix by BenLucid.

WALE: When 2 of the people I trust most (smita and k'naan) continually urged me to listen to WALE, I finally checked out his mixtape Back to the Feature which has a great combo of modern and throwback-y sounds. You should also check out his Myspace and his videos because he rocks great colors and his style is so feel good. Since I had the pleasure of seeing WALE and K'naan on tour together in Chicago, check them both out on this track "TV in the Radio"-WALE and K'naan.

"Complain ft. Garnett Silk"-Buju Banton: Although at times I am a reluctant fan of Buju Banton because of the violence and homophobia, I don't think we need to stop listening to him. This is a good winter-spring transition song to slowly bring you to the excitement of spring and remember Garnett Silk.

"Zungguzungguguzungguzeng"-Yellowman: I downloaded this song after reading a great post about it on WFMU's Beware the Blog. It's a catchy and chill song that makes you feel warm. The WFMU post has lots of other versions to check out, I'm also a fan of Mad Professor's "A Dose of Diseases" which is a little more space age sounding, but retains the chillness of the original.

"Up Up and Away"-Kid Cuddddiiiii: I'm actually gonna recommend all of Kid Cudi's Man on the Moon, but this is one of my favorite songs because it's got an indie rock meets hip hop vibe. He's got such a great voice and raps about interesting things. The whole album is "narrated" by Common: Long before we know ourselves, Our paths are already set in stone. Some may never figure out their purpose in life, And some will...This is the story of a young man who not only believed in himself, But his dreams too. This is the story of The Man On The Moon.

"Pitter Patter Goes My Heart"-Broken Social Scene: Miles recommended I listen to Broken Social Scene and I'm very thankful for that. This song is so peaceful, when you hear it, it's an instant reminder to breathe deeply.

"Cult Logic Forever (Drake vs Miike Snow)"-The Hood Internet: Sometimes mashups are easy to hate on, but The Hood Internet manages to impress by taking catchy songs and making them sound funner and fresher. If you don't hate Kesha, then you probably need "Summer of Tik Tok" by Hood Internet as well.

"Broadway Jungle"-Toots and the Maytals: The Toots are classic spring music, when you listen to this song, it feels like sunshine. "Ska Father (Album)"-The Toots and the Maytals

"Bus to Beelzebub"-Soul Coughing: A few months back Jake Gold sent me the Ruby Vroom by Soul Coughing and said it was, "sickness, dont even know how to describe this one really". I think I'll agree with that, the sound is unique but really fun to listen too and just 90's enough to feel awesome.

"All Izz Well"-3 Idiots: No mix is complete without a bollywood song. This one comes from the recent movie "3 Idiots" which is based on one favorite Indian books by Chetan Bhagat. This song is definitely about feeling good, sometimes you do need a reminder that all IZZ well, this song will definitely make you smile.

This is also definitely a good spring for some disco as well. I recommend listening to "Ain't No Stoppin Us Now-McFadden and Whitehead" and "Get Down On It-Kool and the Gang" to make sure you're really feelin' great and staying excited this spring. I also recommend "I Get Up" by Gabriel Mann which you may recognize from arrested development.

"Funky Booty"-James Young and the House Wreckers: Mr. Big Stuff has forever been one of my favorite songs, and it's nice to listen to a different version of it.

Well, that's what I got for now, ENJOYYY!