From writer to singer/songwriter.

When I first started this blog, I opened up an email account under the same name. I only opened it up as more of a precaution if anyone would ever want me to take their music down since the majority of what I post is downloadable for you to spread the word of good music. I never would have thought that I’d actually have trouble keeping up with the slew of incredibly good, and unfortunately horrid music that has been flooding my inbox from both artists and fans.

A couple days ago, I had a girl from Michigan tip me an artist in response to my post about singer/songwriter Elena Tonra. Alessi Laurent-Marke, known as Alessi’s Ark, is an incredibly mellow folk artist from West London. She started out her music career originally as an avid fan who used to write a fanzine called Brain Bulletin. She ended up finding love in “the combination of the poetry and the stories that [she] had been writing for [her] fanzine” when she began to play the guitar and sing her heart out. Eventually Virgin Records took notice and signed the only seventeen years old at the time, cute-as-a-button Alessi. Last year, this incredible musician left Virgin and signed with the indie music label Bella Union. She has released an EP and more recently a full length album which is streaming for free on SoundCloud. Expect big things from this now twenty year old wonder.

I’d love to stick around and tell you more, but I’m off to see the surprisingly sold out Foster The People concert.

Be jealous,

Grant.

For those of you who have never used SoundCloud before, you click on the little arrow that is pointing down on the right of the widget to download the song in question. Logical, right?

Alessi’s Ark – Maybe I Know

Alessi’s Ark – Shovelling

Alessi’s Ark – Wires

Here’s the entire album Time Travel for your listening pleasure.

Bonus

Alessi’s Ark – Woman (Alphabet’s Heaven Remix)

Sunday is the new Saturday.

I was in pretty rough shape this morning. I realize that it is now one o’clock PM in Vancouver, but I’m still considering it to be the morning. I woke up hanging off my bed, fully clothed, one hand clutching an empty water bottle, and the other my blinking phone due to multiple missed calls, texts, and emails. I managed to drag myself to my kitchen and make a feast of bacon and eggs; the best-post apocalyptic food known to mankind. I needed some music to suit my groggy, slow motion morning.

The first time I ever heard of British DJ/Producer/Musician Seth Greene, better known as Bonobo, was in one of my all time favorite video games SSX On Tour.  Bonobo has been around since around the beginning of the new millennium and has been an incredibly influential figure for the downtempo music scene ever since. He has released four full albums since then, and each and every one of them is as good if not better than the last. He consistently pushes the envelope and takes samples from Jazz, Hip Hop, Trance, Funk, Soul, R&B, Rock, and pretty much anything he can get his hands on. This is the sort of music that could be the background noise for just about any situation ranging from hungover mornings to baby making evenings.

Since when has Sunday been the rowdiest day of the week,

Grant.

Bonobo – Kong

Bonobo – Kiara

Bonobo – Flutter

Bonobo – Stay The Same ft. Andreya Triana

Bonobo – Silver

A Swede’s take on a Swedish song.

Earlier this month the Swedish House Mafia dropped a bomb on the world of house music in the shape of an unbelievably catchy song called Save The World. A few weeks later, they released a wickedly entertaining music video for the song. A little over a week ago, BBC Radio One gave us a preview of the remix by the insanely talented eighteen year old Swedish producer, Alesso. Today, I am gonna bring you the insanity that is the full track in all it’s headbanging entirety.

This guy is most likely Avicii’s long lost younger brother,

Grant.

Swedish House Mafia – Save The World (Alesso Remix)

Swedish House Mafia – Save The World (Extended Mix)

A name to remember.

It’s Friday night once again and some tuneage is desperately needed for another night of indecision, abuse, and faded memories.

2011 has proved itself to be a good year for music thus far. Among the many reasons why, one of the biggest and my favorite was the introduction of an up and coming producer from Talinn, Estonia (a country near Sweden and Finland), Mord Fustang. Mord dropped his first two tracks on his MySpace page a little less than five months ago, and the world was expecting to have yet another dubstep legend on their hands; but then he threw a curveball.

Mord released the incredibly popular track The Electric Dream and it was apparent that he had moved to a more Electro House sound. Although it is obvious from the first listen that he comes from a wobble background, his new style is pretty hard to miss or complain about if you’re not into insane bass. His more recent tracks can easily be compared to the likes of Wolfgang Gartner and even Deadmau5. Mord describes his new found sound as “an adventurously nude fluctuant immaculate rainbow-coated thunderstorm with arpeggios, 1-up mushrooms and disco basslines, plus a wobble or two.”

I can only show you lovely people some previews or his work, but all his tracks can be purchased on Beatport. I recommend you do so. Once you hear a minute or two of each mix, there will be an uncontrollable force inside of you that will want more. Expect big things from this character in the near future.

Personally, I’d be happier with a ’69 Camaro Z28,

Grant.

Mord just released a preview of his latest remix of CeCe Peniston’s Finally, yesterday on SoundCloud. It will be officially released on June 6th.

CeCe Peniston – Finally (Mord Fustang Remix)

Mord Fustang – The Electric Dream (Preview)

Mord Fustang – Milky Way (Preview)

Mord Fustang – Super Meat Freeze (Preview)

Fussy Boy – Gold (Mord Fustang Remix)

Bonus

A downloadable mix of all the above songs. You’re welcome.

Chuck2K – Drive Mah Mord Fustang (Mix)

I guess I should be used to it by now.

Back to rain again in the city. Great. Now everyone, especially me, will be in a terrible, uppity, mood all day.

Benjamin Francis Leftwich has one of the most calming voices and styles that I have ever heard. If you’re one of the many who will be upset with the weather today, pull up a chair, take a deep breath, and listen to his new single from his latest album, Last Smoke Before The Snowstorm. If you like it, I highly, highly suggest getting yourself a copy. It is amazing the whole way through.

If you have no idea who this guy is, you can read up on him here.

It’s always sunny above the clouds,

Grant.