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This week, we’re indulging in some electro-soul with a couple of jazzy numbers built on mellowed-down beats and luscious vocals. Some tracks are remixes, some are classics and others are by new artists that I recently stumbled upon. Chill out, wine out and press play for some easy listening.

Feist – One Evening

Paired with an amusing fan-produced slideshow of cityscapes and pretty things, this is a remix of a Feist song that I absolutely love. It’s sultry, smooth and simple. Easy does it.

https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F5366275

Hygher Baby – Let U Go (DJ Asparagus remix)

As much as I’d hate to lend praise to someone who willingly chose to go by the name “DJ Asparagus,” this remix is a delight. Hygher Baby is apparently a project by singer Melo and producer Pure P, and although this is the first I’ve heard of the Swedish duo, it’s hard to go wrong when it comes to bridging soul and hip-hop.

Erykah Badu – Back in the Day (Puff)

A throwback hit from our favorite songstress of soul — if the hook doesn’t getcha, get out.
(Ha. Kidding. But seriously, it’s insanely catchy.)

Camille – Tfir

A slight detour: This one’s less jazz, more acapella/gospel. Nonetheless, the French songstress behind this fun track goes by the name Camille, and I gotta say she’s become a lovely addition to the small library of French artists that I’ve looked into (by small, I mean only one — Coeur de Pirate. Someone enlighten me, please!)

denitia and sene. – Casanova

Everything about this Brooklyn-based duo is sexy as hell. Not sure how it is that I just managed to find out about them now, but I’m head over heels. Download their EP, blah blah blah, and you’ll see exactly what I mean. Fans of The Internet, jump on it.

Common – The Light

More neo-soul than anything, but a classic nonetheless.

Hall & Oates – I Can’t Go For That

…and last but not least, a little Hall & Oates for good measure.

Contact Ashley Chen at achen@dailycal.org.

The post Tunesday: Electro-soul for the Soul appeared first on The Daily Californian.

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When I googled “Ginuwine” this morning, the first article that popped up was, “R&B singer Ginuwine accused of being high on Molly during TV performance.” It was at that very moment that I knew… This week’s topic was meant to be. Ginuwine, otherwise known as Elgin Baylor Lumpkin (yes — Lumpkin — he took his wife’s last name), was one of R&B’s top artists in the late ’90s who brought us one of the least subtle denim-obsessed slow jams of all time, “In Those Jeans.” He’s brought us about nine studio albums throughout the years, including a precious Christmas album, and even released a “Greatest Hits” compilation (so you know it’s real). More recently, he’s teamed up with Tyrese, another ’90s bump-n-grind master with hits like “Sweet Lady” and “How You Gonna Act Like That,” and Tank, who has this unbelievably tender cover of Bonnie Raitt’s “I Can’t Make You Love Me,” to form supergroup TGT (you guessed it! “Tyrese-Ginuwine-Tank”). While TGT’s current success as a trio is questionable, it’s undeniable that each singer has a voice with melting powers of its own in the bedroom.

Alas, I’m here to present to you some of Ginuwine’s best work, in hopes that we can re-visit his less awkward/not-high-on-Molly performance days. Slow jams are totally appropriate for all times of day, so take a listen. You’ll be surprised at how excellent the production is and soon realize just how much we’ve underappreciated the man’s talent. That being said, who wants to join the Ginuwine Groupie league with me?

In Those Jeans

“Girl you wore these jeans and you made a thug wanna cry something terrible.”

Differences

“I analyzed myself / I was buck wild / Never though about settling down / But all the time I knew I was ready / But not with all my friends around.”

So Anxious

“Girl could you quit this stallin’, you know I’m a sexaholic.”

Same Ol’ G

“The only time I drink a 40 is when I wanna drink a 40.”

Hell Yeah (Remix) feat. R. Kelly, Baby & Clipse)

R. Kelly – “I’m so drunk, I’m just droolin’ at the mouth.”

None of Ur Friends Business

“Put your trust in me girl, leave your friends alone (they make it hard for us and shit.)”

Pony

“I’m just a bachelor / I’m looking for a partner / Someone who knows how to ride / Without even falling off.”

As always, comments and feedback welcomed. Ideas for next week? Tweet at me!

Contact Ashley Chen at achen@dailycal.org.

The post Tunesday: Ginuwine Appreciation Week appeared first on The Daily Californian.

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Editor’s note: We’re publishing this special Thursday edition of Tunesday in honor of today’s fashion editorial. Enjoy!

­­Whether it’s an artist-specific Pandora station or a specially tailored compilation of tracks, there’s a soundtrack out there to go along with every activity you ever do. Raining outside? Beach House. Cooking Indian food in the kitchen? Southern rap. Having sex? “Dirty Decibels.” You get the point. So, as you find yourself perusing the fun fashion editorial we have in store for you folks in the paper today, check out this selection of equally fun tracks! I’d say one song per photograph is a pretty reasonable way to do it, no?

Holy Ghost! – Dumb Disco Ideas

Complete with James Brown riffs and a funkadelic groove fit for the disco, “Dumb Disco Ideas” is a delightful way to spend the next eight minutes of your day. The James Murphy-blessed duo released this track as the first single off their highly anticipated album, Dynamics, which comes out on September 10 and has some pretty rad cover artwork. You can catch the band at Los Angeles’ upcoming FYF Fest in August and San Francisco’s Treasure Island Music Festival in October.

Azealia Banks – #ATMJAM feat. Pharrell

As Mindy Kaling once tweeted, “(feat. Pharrell) is the best parenthetical around these days.” No doubt, Pharrell has the midas touch when it comes to producing hit tracks. Although my worship of Azealia Banks has dwindled down to mere appreciation of her latest and craziest onstage ensembles, “#ATMJAM” is jammer for its rambunctious use of repetition and quick rhymes. We still don’t know when her debut album, Broke With Expensive Taste, is due out, but I’m sure we’ll hear about it on her Twitter.

Willow Smith – Summer Fling

Having moved past “Whip My Hair” and “Fireball” into more mellow, sun-kissed grounds, Willow Smith tackles a favorite seasonal theme — the summer fling. Awkward British accent aside, this song is enjoyable and kinda cute. That is, until you remember that Willow is only twelve-years-old… And you don’t really want to know what she means when she sings, “It’s just a couple months, but we do it anyway,” because it’s probably not legal.

Soko: Monster Love on Nowness.com

Soko & Ariel Pink – Monster Love

This one is about a summer fling that’s a hundred times more adorable. The track, which doubles as a short film, is the project of French singer/actress Soko and L.A. favorite, Ariel Pink. Watch it, fall in love and look out for her debut LP, I Thought I Was an Alien.

Janelle Monae – Dance Apocalyptic

The newest track from her second album, The Electric Lady (out September 10), has Janelle Monae letting her hair down and rocking something other than her signature tux. The dancehall vibes are a great time and her playful spin on “Bandz A Make Her Dance” is quirky and catchy as hell. While I’m not sure if this fresh look is something that’s gonna stick, Monáe is sounding better than ever and this new record should have us movin’ and groovin’ in no time.

2 Chainz – Feds Watching feat. Pharrell

Here comes another song from our favorite Tity Boi (yes, 2 Chainz was an improvement on the name front). Drugs, money, hoes, the lavish life – there’s nothing new here. There are, however, enough designer threads in this video to style an editorial. The women are beautiful, the outfits are tasteful (even Pharrell in those floral pants), and the song secures a comfortable spot at the top of the summer hits playlist.

Don’t forget to check out the fashion spread in Thursday’s paper. As always, comments and feedback are welcomed. If you have suggestions for next week’s theme, tweet them my way!

Contact Ashley Chen at achen@dailycal.org.

The post Tunesday: Fashionably Late appeared first on The Daily Californian.

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With troubling news being delivered from all around, the chaos of this past week finally caught up to me, and I sought a little respite in my headphones as the world spun madly on. The fact that I’m writing this after watching/sobbing over “Hachi: A Dog’s Tale” (cue the Netflix and tissues) isn’t helping much either. Let’s turn it down just a notch with this selection of tracks, which takes on a more instrumental approach and provides a quietly powerful soundtrack of lush beats, serene electronic, and the voice as a raw instrument to the mix.

Flying Lotus – Phantasm feat. Laura Darlington

This week’s post is named after Flying Lotus’ heavy dream of an album, Until the Quiet Comes. In this moment, the words seem to mean a lot. Quiet moments are hard to come by, and life often throws us into a whirlwind of blessings, mishaps, miracles and catastrophes when we least expect it. Anyway, enough with the sentimental bullshit. Sometimes instrumentals are a welcoming break from the norm because they let us delve into a blissful moment of music in a more simplistic form. This is not to say that any of these tracks are simple — far from it, actually. Give “Phantasm” a listen and watch the poignant, gorgeous short film for UTQC, directed by Kalil Joseph.

Sampha – Without

If you’ve heard SBTRKT, then you’ve definitely heard Sampha. His distinctive voice melts ears and soothes hearts, and although he’s spent years collaborating with artists like SBTRKT, Jessie Ware, and more recently, Drake, the London singer/producer is finally debuting his solo album, titled Dual, on July 29. Listen to “Without” and “Indecision” for a taste of what to expect.

Space Ghost – Message Full feat. Redactyl

Not to be confused with superb rapper Spaceghostpurrp, Space Ghost, otherwise known as Sudi Wachspress, is local find. Based in Oakland, the producer/DJ is young, undiscovered talent at its best. It’s hard to give a narrow definition of what he sounds like, but his music takes you into a glistening rainforest of swirling beats that drips and drops its way into your quiet space. Infused with ethereal vocals, “Message Full” is an appropriate intro to his latest album, Patient Mind, which is available now on Bandcamp.

J Dilla – Last Donut of the Night

Last, but certainly not least, is a classic from the late, great J Dilla. Simply put, you’re not a true hip-hop head, nor can you call yourself a beats-producer if you don’t know who Dilla is. Watch the video and you’ll see why this song’s one of my favorites. Love for donuts aside, Donuts was James Yancey’s final album before his passing in 2006. Its re-issue as an immaculate box set earlier this year invited a chance for longtime fans and new listeners to immerse themselves in the work of an artist gone too young, too soon.

That’s all for this week, folks. As always, comments and feedback are welcomed. Tune in next week for a brightened up playlist of fun, summer-lovin’ songs!

Contact Ashley Chen at achen@dailycal.org.

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In honor of the July 13 music and food festival Phono del Sol, here are some top tracks from the featured performers for your listening pleasure.

Bleached – Dead in Your Head

Marnie Stern – You Don’t Turn Down

Cool Ghouls – Ballin’

Thee Oh Sees – No Spell

Cool Ghouls – Natural Life

Blouse – Into Black

Surf Club – Young Love

Marnie Stern – Noona

Bleached – Looking for a Fight

K.Flay – Messin with my Head

Surf Club – Swoon

Radiation City – Zombies

Thee Oh Sees – I Come From the Mountain

Painted Palms – Click

Radiation City – Foreign Bodies

Social Studies – Delicate Hands

B. Hamilton – Gold Tooth

Contact Fan Huang at fhuang@dailycal.org.

The post Phono del Sol: Festival Playlist appeared first on The Daily Californian.

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The Bay Area may be known for liberal politics, an entrepreneurial spirit and hippies, but fashion doesn’t usually make the cut. Just ask Jake Wall, a co-founder of Artful Gentleman, a fashion company based in San Francisco. “Hopeful designers move to New York or LA for that,” he said in an interview with The Daily Californian last month. However, the Bay’s creative spirit is slowly changing the area’s reputation. Cari Borja, a Berkeley-based fashion designer who describes her work as “feminine,” “resilient” and “practical,” has recently been featured in a San Francisco Chronicle photo shoot and is collaborating with Wall on a runway show benefiting the San Francisco branch of the Human Rights Campaign. The Daily Cal spoke with Borja via email about her design inspiration, her involvement with the HRC and the intimacy the Bay provides for her fashion collections.

On her company’s Italian inspiration: I was finishing my Ph.D. in Anthropology and Film at Berkeley, and I was on my honeymoon in Italy after getting a sunrise wedding at Dogana (near Venice) … and we stayed with a friend in Sorrento who also had an island off the coast called Li Galli, (which) was known as the Island of the Sirens. During lunch one of those days, a friend asked if I wanted to be an academic for the rest of my life, and I said, “No, I want to make clothes for the sirens.” That was almost 13 years ago, and I have been making clothes ever since — mostly part-time, since I have two children, Royal, now 10, and August, now 7. I have been attempting to balance a family with my career, with much help from my husband Lloyd, who is a technical director at Pixar and has been the rock in our lives to allow me to continue to create new collections that I love.

On what Cari Borja Clothesmaker’s motto would be: “If you want to feel like a siren, you should look like one — clothes that create desire.” Something like that. I have a hard time with sayings that are short and sweet, like a motto should be.

On her involvement with the Human Rights Campaign: (My involvement began) through my friend Jake Wall. He and I first met at the SNOW runway show in January. Since then, we have collaborated on a photo shoot and, now, a show benefiting the Human Rights Campaign. The photo shoot was the key moment, though, when he decided to pull me into this idea he had of doing a bridal shoot that playfully mixed and matched our bride/grooms and ideas of marriage. I loved seeing Jake’s and the photographer Kelly’s ideas come to life in reinterpreting my gowns in such a clever way.

On the intersection between fashion and politics: I prefer to see what I do as political in the sense that my clothes make the women who wear them feel beautiful, powerful and confident in who they are in their bodies. That to me is political — empowering women to feel in control of who they are. This to me is the potential of fashion and what I love about the sensuality, fluidity and femininity of my clothes.

On nontraditionally working in the fashion industry in the Bay Area: Having my own business in somewhere (that is) not NYC or LA has allowed me to make it as I want it to be without feeling any pressure to be part of a fashion world or culture. I love how I can make my business in a more organic way and not have to necessarily do the market circuit, or show two collections a year, or have to deal with manufacturing and distribution. Living the way I do, in Oakland/Berkeley, has allowed me to be able to still create primarily one of a kind pieces that are still all made in-house in my studio on Fourth street in Berkeley. Each collection itself, as well as the designing and selling process, are very intimate and personal, which is exactly what I think is so special about each interaction with the fabric, design and client.

Contact Addy Bhasin at abhasin@dailycal.org.

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The media has taught our society that one of the greatest joys in life is pining over someone who doesn’t know you exist. But while you’re salivating over your bearded men rankings and shvitzing at the thought of nice Jewish guys, there is one hottie to rule them all. And that reference applies because he’s playing both Smaug and The Necromancer in “The Hobbit” film trilogy.

I am of course talking about Benedict Timothy Carlton Cumberbatch. If you think that name is a mouthful, well — never mind. You’ve probably witnessed his acting career recently explode with roles like the title character of BBC’s “Sherlock” or the baddie Khan in “Star Trek into Darkness” or even Major Stewart in “War Horse.”

So now that you know who you’re dealing with, it is my duty to indoctrinate you into the world of the Cumberbitches. No, that is not a derogatory term. It’s a badge of honor worn by those who are Cumberbitchin’.

I should note that fangirling over Benedict is not just about adding the prefix “Cumber-” to any word until it loses any meaning it already didn’t have. Being a fangirl is about appreciating every aspect about him that you can glean from his public image. And I’ve done in-depth, ahem, research to help you develop your Cumbercrush.

Exhibit A: He’s a superior physical specimen.

Since attraction is initially physical, let’s start unpacking Benedict’s appearance. Consider his cheekbones and slanted baby blues and the fact that he’s a natural ginger. Add to that equation the fact that there have been numerous topless sightings of him. Drool.

Okay, so he’s mostly gone topless for roles. But just look that svelte sculpture of a bod all wrapped in bed sheets and a bad attitude in Buckingham Palace.

Then there’s this scene that was cut from “Star Trek” that is literally steamy — all of his brooding will have you swooning.

I Khan’t.

But there comes a time when we must all ask ourselves, “Do he got a booty?” Apparently, he doooooooo. His first glowing review hailed, “Benedict Cumberbatch’s Bottom will be long remembered.” Okay, the Bottom in question is actually his role as the donkey-headed wannabe actor in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” from when he was 12. But click the link, and you’ll understand.

I should probably point out that I’m not just trying to objectify Benedict, because that would be dehumanizing. Now that I’ve got you hooked, let’s move past that musculature and get deeper.

Exhibit B: He’s got brains.

Even though Benedict has carved a niche for himself with brilliant yet troubled characters from Dr. Frankenstein to Stephen Hawking, he’s actually smart IRL. He attended the legendary Harrow School, which has educated the likes of Lord Byron, Winston Churchill and that other Sherlock, played by that Robert Downey Jr. guy. Then, after a gap year of teaching English in India, Benedict studied drama at the University of Manchester, where he did stuff like write a dissertation. No big deal.

Now he waxes literary critical on TV book clubs.

He’s also adept at triumphing over impromptu quizzes.

And then there’s that whole thing where BB Batch ARGUED HIS WAY OUT OF BEING KIDNAPPED IN SOUTH AFRICA! That level of intelligence is something us Berkeley students should admire.

Exhibit C: He’s shown himself to be a lovely person.

You already know that Benedict is successful, sexy and smart. But, at the risk of sounding like an infomercial, there’s more!

Just look at how he wraps each of his fans in a Cumberbundle with ALL. THE. FEELS. That could be you up there. But not until he gets to me first.

Our leading man also has feminist tendencies, as he’s uncomfortable with the term “Cumberbitches.” He’s just trying to make sure the ladies aren’t oppressing themselves, ya know?

Even though he prefers alternative names like Cumbercollective, Cumberbabes and Cumberbuddies, we can all agree that Cumbercreeps would be more accurate.

Exhibit D: He’s not full of himself.

With all that Benedict’s got goin’ on, you would think he’d have some narcissistic tendencies. But he’s extremely self-deprecating. He says stuff like, “If you put me in a room with Brad (Pitt) and George (Clooney) and all of them, you do kind of go, ‘Lovely, yes. Handsome, yes. Oh, strange-looking guy.’”

He can laugh at the prank that the “Star Trek” crew played on him.

Even though his voice is so deep and velvety, he doesn’t hide his lisp.

He’s comfortable enough with his sexuality to dress like a lovely lady.

He himself is not unfamiliar with fangirling as he got a tad excited to witness Adele on the red carpet at the this year’s Golden Globes.

Then he fangirled when he met Harrison Ford, which he relived with Jimmy Fallon at 2:36.

So now you can fangirl with him while fangirling over him. It’s a win win for internetz-kind.

Exhibit E: He’s just ridiculous.

As if Benedict wasn’t already a Cumbercopia of lovable traits, you should see him let loose.

Behold his majestic animatronic dinosaur moves set to Michael Jackson’s “Thriller.”

If that somehow isn’t enough, he can sing “Candle in the Wind” in the style of Alan Rickman!

And then this happened — he sported a cowboy hat in a hot tub, played shirtless Wizard’s chess and dodged my disdain when he wore crocs! That says a lot.

As a chaser, here’s a hilarious picture of Benedict hanging over London in the rain. Doesn’t he have you Sherlocked?

There you go, my Cumberconverts! Alas, your unhealthily cultish obsession with Benedict begins!

But don’t make too many fan vids about him — you wouldn’t want to break the internetz.

(I did not make this video, but I wouldn’t put it past me.)

Contact Caitlin Kelley at ckelley@dailycal.org. Check her out on Twitter at @misantherapy.

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I don’t necessarily mean to continue on with the rap marathon from last week, but the debut of Jay-Z’s latest solo album, Magna Carta Holy Grail, a few weeks after the premiere of Kanye West’s Yeezus begs an obvious comparison between the two and perpetuates a friendly rivalry that’s been going on for years. I’m not here to debate the highs and lows of each album — actually I’m pretty sure most of us will agree that Ye won this round. Instead, I wanted to dedicate this week to some of the best pre-WTT (Watch the Throne) tracks that the two rap moguls have put out together. Raise your glasses up to the glory days and enjoy.

Jay-Z – Izzo (H.O.V.A.)

We all know that Kanye was making beats before he started rapping, and one of his biggest clients was Jay-Z. “H to the izz-O, V to the izz-A,” this was the anthem from 2001’s The Blueprint that had us first throwing up the dynasty sign and calling Jay-Z by his nickname, Hova. Fun fact: Not only is “Hova” a play on Jehovah, but it also stands for “Hustler of Virginia” because apparently that was his territory when he was a drug dealer. The Jackson 5 sample on this is a fun time, despite the heavily autobiographical lyrics.

Jay-Z – Lucifer

“Lucifer” was another tantalizing hit produced by Kanye for The Black Album that came out in 2003. Not only does Jay-Z kill his verses, but it also has one hell of a hook.

Kanye West – Never Let Me Down feat. Jay-Z and J. Ivy

Kanye’s first album! 2004 gave us a glorious introduction to the man we all know and love (and love to hate). This track is hugely inspirational — it’s jam-packed with religious and spiritual social commentary and drizzled in the gospel goodness that made College Dropout the classic album that it is.

Kanye West – Diamonds From Sierra Leone (Remix) feat. Jay-Z

Moving onward to 2005, we get one of my favorite Kanye albums of all time, Late Registration. The original version of this song was outta-this-world amazing with its Shirley Bassey sample but the remix was truly on some galactic shit. I get shivers down my spine (yea, seriously) around 2:25 because that’s the moment Jay-Z jumps in and the execution is flawless.

Kanye West – Big Brother

It’s always something to see a “mogul get emotional” and 2007’s Graduation album gave us “Big Brother,” an honest outpouring of all the ups and downs and intimate details of Kanye and Jay-Z’s relationship. Jay-Z doesn’t speak a single word on this track, but he’s at the center of it all. Kanye paints him as an idol, a hero and a competitor, and all the sentimental elements of a brotherly bond are there.

My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy’s “So Appalled” and “Monster” featured Jay-Z, but the album as a whole was really a chance for Kanye to shine on his own in terms of lyrical prose, production, and the creation of a multi-faceted masterpiece. Following Watch the Throne and with the release of each rapper’s solo albums, we see them at two drastically different places. Jay-Z might still be rapping about self-celebration and the reiteration of a lifestyle that we can only dream of, but Kanye’s on a whole other wavelength. Either way, each is still at the top of his game, and all we can do is wait eagerly to see what they come up with next. Watch the Throne 2, perhaps?

Contact Ashley Chen at achen@dailycal.org.

The post Tunesday: Rap Bromance appeared first on The Daily Californian.

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Ah, Independence Day. Otherwise known as the only day of the year where you can wear as many tacky combinations of red, white and blue as you want, grease up that George Foreman grill, day-drink and barbeque to your heart’s (or liver’s) delight and yell “FUCK YEA, AMURRICA” to all your fellow patriots. July 4 is also the set release date for Jay-Z’s highly-anticipated and highly-publicized Magna Carta Holy Grail, his first solo studio album since 2009’s The Blueprint 3. In the spirit of the occasion, this week’s picks are brought to you by what may quite possibly be one of the greatest Pandora stations of all time: “Hip Hop BBQ.” Read on to listen to and watch the superb music videos for the first 10 tracks played by this glorious gift from the internet radio gods and you’ll see exactly what I mean.

P. Diddy – I Need a Girl (Part 2) feat. Ginuwine, Loon & Mario Winans

Much like an evolving Pokemon, Sean Combs has gone throughout the years from being Puff Daddy to P. Diddy and finally, to the understated yet assertive, Diddy. In addition to his timeless collaboration with Nelly, “Shake Ya Tailfeather,” Diddy also blessed us with “I Need a Girl,” and more importantly, “I Need a Girl (Part 2).” Not only does the remix feature the much-underappreciated Ginuwine (Ginuwine Appreciation Week: coming soon to a Tunesday near you), but it also includes one of our favorite R&B one-hit wonders, Mario Winans.

Regulate – Warren G feat. Nate Dogg

Def Jam’s biggest single and a definitive part of the golden era of 90’s hip-hop. Rest in peace, Nate Dogg.

I’m Real (Remix) – Jennifer Lopez feat. Ja Rule

Alas, the great return to JLo AND Ja Rule’s true glory days. I’m pretty sure the former still looks exactly the same, but what happened to the latter? Not only is this song a demonstration of thug love at its finest, but its video is also excellent proof that JLo doesn’t like basketballs.

The Next Episode – Dr. Dre feat. Snoop Dogg, Kurupt & Nate Dogg

The anthem as we know it.

Dilemma – Nelly feat. Kelly Rowland

Following his debut album, Country Grammar (Read the track list – he wasn’t kidding. The grammar is horrendous.), Nelly brought us Nellyville, which features memorable hits like “Hot in Herre,” “Pimp Juice,” and of course, “Dilemma.” Kelly and Nelly share for the vocal spotlight in this sweet throwback about flirty neighbors and the seductive powers of Nelly’s Gucci bucket hat.

Beautiful – Snoop Dogg feat. Pharrell, Uncle Charlie Wilson

‘Pharrell.’ That’s enough to convince you, right? Heartthrob aside, “Beautiful” is a love ballad in rap form from 2003 that was produced by The Neptunes and hit the top of the charts for its silky chorus and signature Snoop quality.

Rump Shaker – Wreckx-N-Effect

You might not know who Wreckx-N-effect is, or even that this track was titled “Rump Shaker,” but this is one of those songs that everyone recognizes at a house party. Classic.

No Diggity – Blackstreet feat. Dr. Dre, Queen Pen

Yeaaaaauh. This one’s the biggest hit from everyone’s favorite male R&B group. No diggity, no doubt this track is smooth as brown sugar and catchy as hell.

Just a Lil Bit – 50 Cent

We all like to chuckle (just a lil bit) when it comes to the topic of 50 Cent and G-Unit, but let’s take a second to recognize real talent when we see it. Beneath the wifebeaters and gangster image is a group that put out a relative amount of solid, quality jams. The production on “Just A Lil Bit” is what gets it appearances on playlists like this, and the same is to be said with infectious tracks like “P.I.M.P.” and “Wanna Get to Know You.”

California Love – 2Pac feat. Dr. Dre, Roger Troutman

Expect no less – the golden grand finale.

Hopefully I’ve more than convinced you to tune in to “Hip-Hop BBQ” for all your party needs from now on. Reminiscence in these great hip-hop hits and spread the love! It certainly helps to be reminded of what past artists brought to the table and how the standards of today’s chart-toppers compare.
As always, comments, feedback and suggestions for next week are welcomed! Peace out, west side.

Contact Ashley Chen at achen@dailycal.org.

The post Tunesday: Hip-Hop BBQ appeared first on The Daily Californian.

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Most of us know that spending summer in the Bay Area means you’re not going to get three months of sunshine and blue skies. It looks like the weather gods are feeling especially gloomy this week, because we’re being treated to cloudiness and an off-chance of rain, which is perfect weather for the type of day where you stay in bed, cozy up with a movie and have some tea (… or go to a Juicy J show, like me). The following is a tender selection of songs suited for these lazy afternoons, and while most of them are old tracks, the artists featured come highly recommended as some of my personal favorites.

Beach House – Wishes

Beach House was made for rainy days, bike rides, sweet afternoons and every other occasion in between. What I mean is, there’s never a time to not fall into Victoria and Alex’s dreamy bedroom-pop landscape of luminous sounds and gorgeous vocals. Their music has been sampled by artists like The Weeknd and Kendrick Lamar, and although space permits me from embedding their entire discography on here, let “Wishes” (which has a super rad video directed by Eric of the Tim and Eric Awesome Show!) be a preview to their latest album, Bloom, which I’m hoping will turn you on to the rest of their work.

Local Natives – Cubism Dream

We first fell in love with Local Natives when they released Gorilla Manor in 2009. Earlier this year, they debuted Hummingbird, a heartfelt and honest-to-the-core record that was heavily influenced by a passing in the family as well as the departure of bassist Andy Hamm. Listen to both albums – their music is at its simplest, beautiful, and their sincere sound warms the soul. The band will return to the Fox Theater in Oakland later this summer.

The Antlers – Putting The Dog To Sleep

Almost a minute into the song, Peter Silberman’s falsetto hits you like a ton of bricks, and instantly you’re infatuated. If you missed the Brooklyn-based band at 4/20 (woops, I mean Cal Day) this past spring, then here’s your chance to get acquainted. The band has quiet forcefulness in both its sound and lyrical content, and the mesmerizing effect makes them easy to love. Undersea is their latest work, but Burst Apart and Hospice are required listening.

Okkervil River – Piratess

Okkervil River is one of those lesser-known bands that you might discover through a friend who you’ll then be eternally grateful to, because this band is, for the lack of a better description, fuckin’ great. While each of their songs has its own character, they all maintain a perfect balance between poetic, sharp lyrics and a catchy, rock-meets-orchestra-meets-dancehall indie sound. A couple more of my favorites from past albums are “Lost Coastlines,” “Our Life Is Not A Movie Or Maybe,” and “Black.”

Brand New – Jesus Christ

This last one’s a lovely one from Brand New, and it’s also a step away from their more punk-pop/hardcore sound. The lines, “Jesus Christ, that’s a pretty face / The kind you’d find on someone that could save,” always stuck out to me — the song gives you a moment to think about faith, uncertainties and fears. It’s a little bleak, but it’ll get to you.

Hopefully the bands I’ve mentioned so far are about to make up a substantial portion of your rainy day soundtrack. As always, feedback, suggestions and comments are always welcomed. Until next time!

Contact Ashley Chen at achen@dailycal.org. Check her out on Twitter at @avivranthing.

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