Up & Coming Artist: Theophilus London

For some reason Brooklyn really knows how to raise musicians! This weeks up & coming artist is the rapper and producer by the name of Theophilus London. Growing up in New York he was exposed to the sights and sounds of the big city which have influenced his music greatly. For the track "Why Even Try",  which features Sara Quin from Tegan & Sara, Theophilus described the song as "Notorious B.I.G. meets Jackson 5 meets Rick James". He wanted a deeper sound that would be easy to dance to and that is exactly what he created a few months back. More recently the rapper has been recording in the studio working on his album "Timez Are Weird These Days" which will be released in July. The single "Last Name London" has a energetic bass with gentle vocals backing his twisted rhymes. You'll be sure to know his name after this track.   


Why Even Try by Theophilus London ft. Sara Quin


Last Name London by Theophilus London

Tortuga Tunes: Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. are very clever in deciding their name, whether you love it or you hate it, it captures ones interests and intrigues them to discover more about this oh so simple yet strange band. Not only is their name captivating but as is their music. Such swift melodies and natural guitar riffs, Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. has covered God Only Knows by The Beach Boys and have been recording new material lately. With the release of Horse Power EP last summer, the band has been able to trek across the country on tour, even stopping by our very own Austin City Limits. If you did not plan on seeing them at the festival you may want to reconsider after hearing these tracks. The single Morning Thought has the feel as if you traveling down a stream of endless fantasies, to the left you see a concrete zoo filled with high energy apes bouncing around outside of their cages, while on the right you picture a innocent hummingbird gallantly flying from flower to flower free from the savages that live across the river.


God Only Knows by Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr.


Morning Thought by Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr.

Twisted Track from Maxilla Blue

Iowa isn't home to many hip-hop acts but the few that surface are far from what expected. Maxilla Blue is a three piece crew from Des Moines Iowa composed of Asphate Woodhavet on vocals, Aeon Grey on production, and Touchnice as the DJ. With the vinyl scratches and vicious vocals, Maxilla Blue sounds as if the are from the streets of New York during the 90's, certainly not present day Iowa. The nice folks at Daytrotter convinced the gang to record some tracks in their studio. Vision Twunny-Twunny is from that session.



Vision Twunny-Twunny by Maxilla Blue

Monsters of Dub

As we continue to venture deeper into the depths of the endless black hole of dubstep, more and more bollocks are hopping on board. But a  group that hasn't received as much credit in the states is the electronic vision of Magnetic Man. The dubstep supergroup produced their self titled album just last year and has received nothing but praise , composed of legends Skream, Benga and Artwork they are pioneers of the era of dubstep and layed the foundation for many of the artist blowing up the brains of their listeners in America. The gang met in Croyton, England in the late 90's and began making music collectively in 2007 and were signed to Columbia records in 2010. They preform using 3 seperate Mac laptops. While Artwork controls the master computer, Skream and Benga use the other 2 laptops, each member contributing with synths, basslines and leads and samples. The group have their own unique style of wobbles and have an immense amount of energy. With huge hits across the pond such as, "I Need Air" featuring Angela Hunte and "Perfect Stranger" featuring Katy B. They also have hits with John Legend and other guest artists. Both Skream and Benga have had immense success with their solo careers, but when all 3 genius's get together, magic happens. Their live sets are indescribable and their energy is epic. If you love the womp womp, then Magentic Man is what you need and shame on you, if you disagree. 



Mad by Magnetic Man


I Need Air by Magnetic Man


Written by: Parks Vincent

Tortuga Tunes: Mayer Hawthorne

You know that feeling when you wake up in the morning and feel like you can conquer anything? Well Mayer Hawthorne can. Whether he is in the studio with Snoop Dogg or skating the streets of San Fransisco, the new face of class can do it all. He will have you waking up feeling like Zeus perched on top of his mystic clouds. I would like to thank the captains over at Earmilk for discovering this nice rendition of the classic Mr. Blue Sky originally by Electric Light Orchestra.



Mr. Blue Sky by Mayer Hawthorne

The Bear is Awake

The masterminds that have created Bon Iver remind me of a somber black bear tucked safely away for its annual winter hibernation. Which only makes since because their name is a play on of the french phrase "Bon Hiver", meaning good winter. However this bear is slowly waking from its deep three year slumber, their last album in 2008, and is ready to tear through the trees once again. Bon Iver is the forthcoming album from the magicians of music and the single, Calgary, is available to download below.

Calgary by Bon Iver

Download 

Street Beat, Psych Pop

The rock duo of Phantogram have a style that the lead singer Sarah Barthel describes as "A combination of Serge Gainsbourg, sampling and Detroit hip-hop." After being discouraged in pursuing a visual arts degree, Sarah joined up with her junior-high school friend Josh Carter in Brooklyn to form Phantogram. This trip-hop duet has opened for bands such as Yeasayer, Ra Ra Riot and The XX and was even featured in the MTV hit show Skins for their song When I'm Small.


Mouthful of Diamonds by Phantogram


When I'm Small by Phantogram