As promised, here is the mp3 of the theme from the Jet Li movie that I posted about earlier this week. Catchy as hell. Zhou Jie Lun (aka Jay Chow) – “Huo Yuan Jua.”
If you haven’t heard of Matisyahu yet, I am pleased as hell to be able to introduce you. Matisyahu is a really talented reggae singer….who also happens to be a Hasidic Jew. It’s wonderful to listen to him and realize that the religious underpinnings of Rasta work really well, regardless of what religion the singer is espousing. This is a live track from BB King’s club, where Matisyahu creates a reggae tune from a song written by King David, thousands of years ago: Matisyahu – “Candle.”
Sure, this group is another pre-fab concoction like the Spice Girls….but like the Spice Girls, the music is well-crafted and catchy as all hell. Give this a listen: Girls Aloud – “Swinging London Town.” Yeah, nothing Spice Girls-esque about this group…nope.
Here’s a track that really suits me when I’m in a pissed off mood. In the early-to-mid 90s, there was a soundtrack album for an “urban action movie” called Judgement Night that was based around the gimmick of having hip-hop acts collaborate with hard rock acts. The movie featured Ice-T, and the whole soundtrack fit very well with Ice-T’s opinion at the time (embodied by his hardcore metal side-project, Body Count), that we should put “angry black kids and angry white kids in the same room, and let them realize that they’re angry about the same shit.” This is my favorite track from the album….the only track, in fact, that I still listen to: Faith No More and Boo-Ya Tribe – “Another Body Murdered.”
This is so far up my musical alley, I’m surprised that I didn’t compose it myself — this is a single EP from UNKLE, based entirely around music and dialog samples from the 1970s Planet of the Apes films and trailers. I love this track so much, it’s unnatural: UNKLE – “Ape Shall Never Kill Ape.”
A couple of mash-up tracks that meet my criteria for enjoyment — they initially make me smile, and then they’re well-done enough to be catchy. Check these two out:Nirvana vs Michael Jackson – “Smells Like Billie Jean.”, and…I’ll admit this one grabbed me on the title alone…Yes vs Sir Mixalot – “Owner of a Lovely Butt.”
It’s good to see that in the midst of a red-hot revival of New Wave, there are still bands that stick to other very cool musical styles — for example, this band from Sweden, who do early-to-mid-70s glam: The Ark – “Rock City Wankers.” Very nice. Love the look, too.
Last track for the week, and it’s a remix of a song by Juliette and the Licks, the band fronted by actress Juliette Lewis. Good stuff. Juliette and the Licks – “Got Love to Kill (MSTRKRFT remix)”
There you go, kids. Enjoy.