The Cataracs - "Synthesizer" and Their Evolution of Sound

The production and song writing duo (Cyrano and Campa) known as The Cataracs released a new banger via YouTube home video, and I must say (even though I've been saying this since 2005), The Cataracs are going to be huge this year! Not that they haven't already gone like 5 times platinum on the production and song writing front, but I think it's time they got the shine.

The Cataracs - "Synthesizer" (12)

If you've been in my car during the last 7 years then you probably already know I've been lightweight obsessed with The Cataracs since I first heard their songs "Hang Crooked" and "Blueberry Afghani" featuring The Pack ("Vans"). They might have started out as a rap group in Berkeley High, but their sound has evolved and you can no longer categorize their creations. Even with a heavy foundation in rap, the pair have been able to incorporate music from all over the world into their records.

I've assembled some essential listening (and viewing) that covers their whole discography (except mash-up-mixtapes and solo work). Instead of presenting it chronologically, I decided to mix it up into 4 groups. So if one song isn't your style, don't be afraid to try another. The songs featured are from Technohop Vol. 1 (2006), Technohop Vol. 2 (2007), The 13th Grade (2008), the Lingerie EP (2008), and their most recent full length - Songs We Sung in Showers (2009). (All of which are available to purchase on iTunes).

"Is It Him?" (Technohop Vol. 1)


"Daddy" (Technohop Vol. 2)


"Soap & Water" (The 13th Grade)


"The Sun" (Songs We Sung In Showers)

 "Out In The Street" (Technohop Vol. 1)


"Rich Girl (ft. HD & Lil Rue)" (Technohop Vol. 2)

The Cataracs - "Julia" (Lingerie EP)

"Such A Girl" (Songs We Sung In Showers)

"The Toast (ft. Fariebo)" (Technohop Vol. 1)


"Blow" (Technohop Vol. 2)

The Cataracs - "Murder She Wrote" (The 13th Grade)

"In The Night" (Songs We Sung In Showers)

"Spaceboy" (Technohop Vol. 1)


"Polka Dots" (Lingerie EP)


"All That Matters" (The 13th Grade)


"Shooting Stars" (Songs We Sung In Showers)


Enjoy and keep a look out for their major label debut, 12, along with Dev's The Night The Sun Came Up, which they co-wrote and produced.

- mikhel

Idle Warship (Talib Kweli & Res) Live at Yoshi's SF

First I'd like to start by wishing everyone a Happy New Year!

Otherwise, I won't waste any time in letting you know that Talib Kweli and Res' phenomenal Hip-Hop/Soul/Funk/Alternative fusion band Idle Warship is performing tonight and tomorrow night (1/6 and 1/7) at Yoshi's in San Francisco. Not only will they be blessing us two days in a row, but they will be performing twice each night (8pm and 10pm).

Even though the pair have been performing under the Idle Warship moniker for the past 4 years, November 1st, 2011 marked the day their incredible debut album Habits of the Heart hit the shelves. Check out the latest video for their uptempo track "Laser Beams".

Idle Warship creates a unique soundscape by combining several genres. The result is a fun project consisting of potent lyricism from Kweli interlaced between Res' amazing voice. While the album stays upbeat for the most part, they do experiment with some slower ballads. All of which sound completely natural and further justify why collaborations of this caliber must continue! Below are a few of my favorite records from the album.

Idle Warship - "The Floor"


Idle Warship - "System Addict (feat. Jay Knocka and Jean Grae)"


Idle Warship - "Beautifully Bad"


If you have the chance to check out this duo live tonight or tomorrow at Yoshi's don't miss out! Also, don't forget to purchase their album on iTunes (Google Music or Amazon) and keep rocking!

Outasight, but not out of mind

Outasight is one of those artists (of a growing population) you could throw in the category of "rapper-turnt-singer", the fortunate thing for us is that he makes some incredible music. Outasight vocalizes over instrumentation pulling from what seems like every popular genre over the past 50+ years; Jazz, Soul, Funk, Rock and Hip-Hop fuse together with OU's singing and rapping to create the perfect mix of timeless music.

To get a taste of his varying style, feast your ears on "Further/Everything's Alright", the introduction to 2009's Further.

We might as well continue to the next track (this is a trend, you will end up listening to the whole thing) from Further, "Catch Me If You Can".

Catch Me If You Can

Outasight | Myspace Music Videos

Now that you have an idea for what Outasight is about, let's move onto one of his strongest (most cohesive) albums, 2010's Never Say Never. "Ahh Yeah" mixes that classic sound from the 60's with modern day rap to create a tune that you won't soon forget.

As with Further, you can let Never Say Never ride all the way through and lose an hour just like that. Listen to "Dear Heartache" and continue the journey.

Outasight has the majority of his work available for download (mostly free too!) both on his website and his bandcamp. After digesting Further and Never Say Never, I suggest From Here to There. As explained on the intro, "it's not a mixtape, it's an album prequel!", which includes more features from his peers in the Hip-Hop realm.

I'll leave you with his latest single, "Tonight is the Night", which you may have heard on TV as Pepsi and X-Factor feature it heavily.