Videos of the Week July 15th

With late night TV continuing to be on a bit of a summer break, music again dominated the top 5 videos this week. First off, if you didn't catch the ESPYs, it turned out to be a heavy show overall. Lots of cultural messages and heartfelt stories throughout. Among those stories was a new song by Chance the Rapper's new song he made as tribute to Mohammed Ali. What a great performance to properly commemorate a true legend.

In the land of music videos, DJ Snake, BANKS and Tiesto came through with new videos. In DJ Snake's case, conflict led to a fiery ending. In Tiesto and John Legend's case, there was some cost saving holograms and dirty dancing in the streets. Then there was the BANKS video. Not sure I have words for what that was all about. Lots of creepy images, caressing of manakins, and an overall sultry vibe, which she's become known for. She's the queen of dirty, seductive lyrics and she delivered just that with her new video. Last, but not least, there was the ODESZA after movie at Red Rocks. Having now been to Red Rocks and seen a show, I can now sort of imagine how awesome it would have been to see them perform a set there. Such a great performance at a legendary venue...#RedRocks
Chance the Rapper Peforms New Song as Muhammed Ali Tribute on the ESPYs

DJ Snake feat George Maple - Talk (Video)

BANKS - F*ck With Myself (Video)

Tiesto feat John Legend - Summer Nights (Video)

ODESZA Aftermovie from Red Rocks Performance

Photo Credit: YouTube

BANKS is Back and Better Than Ever

Fresh off the success of her debut album Goddess, BANKS is back with a powerful new single. Better is a perfect example of how she uses a wide variety of raw emotion to tell a story. It's another stunning example of how she constantly proves that you don't need to follow everyone else's formula of verses and hooks and melodies to make great music.

Better is roller coaster stream of consciousness that lasts for three minutes. The song's tone is half therapeutic post-break up release, half moving on because I can do better in tone. The synths are heavy handed leading up to the climax, but what follows is a tranquil ending. If this doesn't get you excited for her upcoming album that's supposed to drop early 2016, then feel free and go back to listening to formulaic top 40 that is devoid of the type of emotion and feeling that she puts in her music...#Better

"You Think You're so Inner Circle"

It's been a minute since I've posted some new BANKS, so you could imagine how high my expectations were for her new funky duet with Chet Faker. I'll put it this way, if you like BANKS' brand of sultry, irresistible Indie sound, you're really going to like 1998. It starts off so simple with a chill, synth led build up, but it quickly gives way to the steady womp womp of a Deep House track. I haven't listened to much Chet Faker, but he went pound for pound with BANKS on the mic, delivering a noteworthy vocal effort. I appreciate how the energy and complexity of the song continues to increase as the song moves along. I feel like I've gotten so accustomed to formulaic build ups and drops that when artists break that mold, it can sound great. Do yourself a favor and head on over to iTunes to cop this diamond in the rough...#1998

Chet Faker feat BANKS - 1998

Never Envisioned Hearing a Banks & 2pac Collaboration

After 2pac died in 1996, a decade's worth of remixes and mash ups ensued. While a few remixes/mash ups were great, hearing many of his recorded words blended over damn near every single hot new beat of the week got pretty old. Luckily for us, the remixes finally tapered off and we were able to gain appreciation for his legendary talents through mostly silent rememberance.

Being an avid Banks fan, I fought back the initial dismay that I usually have when I see a new 2pac mash up. There was part of me that actually thought, "you know what it's been a while since I've heard 'pac's voice, maybe this will be good." And good it was thanks to Carlos Serrano. The original Drowning beat didn't strike me as a Hip Hop friendly beat, but therein lies the creativity in Carlos's mashup with 2pac's Thugz Mansion verses. I never envisioned hearing or, better yet, enjoying Banks singing the hook on a 2pac track, but I'm better off now after hearing Thugz Drowning...#ThugzDrowning

2Pac vs. Banks - Thugz Drowning (Carlos Serrano Mix)

Lil Silva and BANKS Get UK Funky

Keeping it 100 for a minute, I feel ashamed for being so late to the party on Lil Silva. With a name like Lil Silva, I thought he was just another up and coming Hip Hop act. Come to find out he's a talented British producer and ambassador of funk. Case in point his latest single featuring the sultry BANKS. I don't need to continue gushing about how much I love BANKS, y'all have heard that already. Now I need to start focusing some of that attention on TJ Carter and this whole UK Funky movement.

Enchantingly sexy is the best description I can give to Don't You Love. The mix of tribal funk and soulful vocals are downright refreshing. I feel like tonight I discovered a new permutation of music that I will end up really enjoying. Lucky for us, Lil Silva just released his latest Mabel EP last week. Follow me on over to iTunes y'all, we've got some catching up to do...#Mabel

Lil Silva feat BANKS - Don't You Love

Videos of the Week August 1st

Bit of a slow week for music videos and with Guardians of the Galaxy coming out today, it's only fitting that Vin Diesel take over this week. The funny part is, he plays Groot who is only capable of saying three words in the movie, yet he's the one promoting the film. Rotten Tomatoes is telling me the movie is well worth seeing, though, so as I hit post I'm out the door to nerd out by consuming Marvel's latest action flick.

Aside from Vin Diesel's variety show, we also got a new video from BANKS in the form of Beggin' For Thread. The track is really growing on me, to a point where I'm not shy with calling it my favorite track of hers to date. In other news, Rob Ford went on a coffee run with deadmau5 (random?) and if you had a tough week, all you need is a to set aside a few minutes to watch Janelle Monet's feel good dance heavy video...#ElectricLady
BANKS - Beggin' For Thread (Video)

deadmau5 and Rob Ford Go On a Coffee Run

Vin Diesel Break Dances on Jimmy Fallon

Vin Diesel Covers Sam Smith's Stay With Me

Janelle Monet - Electric Lady (Video)

Photo Credit: YouTube

Goddess is Coming, Time to Beg for Thread

As I hear more and more of BANKS' music, I'm now finding myself anticipating dark, somber music when I press play. While that has usually been the case (don't get me wrong, she does it well), she bucks that trend with a upbeat new sing-along in Beggin' For Thread. When I say upbeat, I'm talking about the instrumental because the lyrics are steeped in turmoil and conflict. There's no better way to illustrate that then the lyric video below that uses animation and creative timing to drive home the point...

The best news I have to bring is that BANKS' debut album Goddess is just over a month away now. You can bet when September 9th hits, I will be running laps around the album in hopes of understanding the breadth of what she is capable of musically. So far she's definitely got my attention as Beggin' For Thread may be one of my favorites of hers...#BegginForThread

BANKS - Beggin' For Thread

Videos of the Week June 6th

Lots of really solid music videos this week led by Miguel's Simplethings. I really dig the black and white aesthetic, it fits the beautiful simplicity of the track. Adding to that is One Republic's visuals for Love Runs Out and the all-too-mysterious BANKS new one for Drowning. They both tell stories of love taking it toll, but in two very different tones.

If you're in the mood for some fun and excitement, you'll enjoy the fun little coffee run competition that deadmau5, Skrillex and Dillon Francis undertook. Lots of shenanigans were had by all. Finishing off the week's top 5 is yet another trailer for an upcoming festival in the form of Chicago's Spring Awakening Festival. I feel like EDM festivals are growing on trees these days, but they have still found a way to be personally elusive. Someday I will attend one of them and the highlights will be shared, bet dat!...#SpringAwakening
Miguel - Simplethings (Video)

Spring Awakening Music Festival 2014 Trailer

Deadmau5 vs Skrillex and Dillon Francis Face Off in a Coffee Run

One Republic - Love Runs Out (Video)

BANKS - Drowning (Video)


Photo Credit: YouTube

"Take it From the Girl You Claimed to Love"

Despite the fact that BANKS' debut album isn't scheduled to drop until September, here comes single number three from Goddess. On her new one, Drowning, there's more than a little bit of vindictiveness in the mix. The sentiment comes across with lines like "all of your words, they have been cursed with dishonesty" and "take it from the girl you claimed to love, you gonna get some bad karma." Instead of taking a melancholy, haunting tone like many of her others, the track takes a more passive aggressive vibe. All things considered, it's an easy-listening track detailing the pitfalls of being on the losing end of a relationship. Chalk up another one for the rising star that is known by the name of BANKS...#Drowning

BANKS - Drowning

A Goddess Will Come in September

It's safe to say, I'm still smitten with BANKS. I have yet to fully understand why, but she's got an aura about her sound that is different and addicting. Her latest track, Goddess, is par for the course marked by her unique vocals. The beat put together by Lil Silva is something you would expect to hear on a Drake album. It's slow and measured with a deep enough back end to provide contrast with the high pitched background vocals.

It's a bummer we will have to wait until September to hear her debut album Goddess in it's entirety, but an 18 song tracklist is rare to see these days. Hopefully the whole quality before quantity still applies because the tracks she has released so far are stellar...#Goddess

BANKS - Goddess (prod by Lil Silva)

Nobody Can Do it Like Aaliyah...but BANKS Came Close

Every time an artist covers a famous Aaliyah track I get an immediate urge to go back and cycle through my favorites from her. It all began with Back & Forth and then she hooked up with Timbaland to make tracks like We Need a Resolution and Are You That Somebody?. She will always be tightly associated with my mental model of what 1990s R&B sounded like. If you need a refresher, check the original video for Are You That Somebody? (below)...

Since Aaliyah had such a distinct style, artists have been reluctant to cover her music over the years. This week, BANKS took on the tall task of tackling one of her most well know tracks. The smartest decision she made was choosing to go the acoustic route with the cover. It proves that in order to equal great, you have to be great in your own right. That's exactly what BANKS showed as she went toe to toe with the original vocally. Especially if you were an Aaliyah fan, give this one a listen because BANKS in the real deal Holyfield...#BANKS

BANKS - Are You That Somebody (Acoustic Aaliyah cover)

Videos of the Week March 14th

Lots of variety to chew on for this week's top five videos. The best of which was BANKS video for Brain. The hauntingly seductive visuals matched the aura of the track perfectly. I really hope more people start catching on to her creativity as an artist.

Beyond that, Asher took a trip to the skating rink, showing a fun Indie side to his musical repertoire. Despite the terrible tragedy at SXSW this week, shows did go on and there was a tremendous amount of hype surrounding Kanye and Jay Z's performance. I'm a big fan of concert intros, which is why H.A.M. was my favorite of the amateur videos shot. If you're in the mood for a sexy workout video with plenty of hard bodies and washboard abs, you'll appreciate Trey Songz new one. Finally, I'm more than a little excited for James Brown's life story to be told on film. Mostly because Tate Taylor (director of The Help) is directing it, but also because James Brown is an interesting dude....#GetOnUp
BANKS - Brain (Video)

Asher Roth - Tangerine Girl (Video)

Kanye West & Jay Z Performing H.A.M. at SXSW

Trey Songz - Na Na (Video)

James Brown Biopic "Get On Up" (Trailer)


Photo Credit: YouTube

"I Can See You Struggling Boy Don't Hurt Your Brain"

I'm intrigued by the aura surrounding BANKS. Her vocal delivery gives off a serious and somber vibe, but there's something extraordinarily beautiful about her style. In the same way Lana Del Rey's voice stands out in a crowd, BANKS' sultry and methodical storytelling sucks me in like a magnet. Brain below provides more than enough evidence as to why she made BBC's Longlist of 2014. In case you missed her debut London EP this fall, feel free to get on the bandwagon and catch up. No word yet on where her new one will eventually land, but let's all collectively hope that the result is a full length studio album...#Brain

BANKS - Brain

Deep, Hot and Steamy Music

All great artists experiment and evolve in ways we wouldn't have necessarily predicted. I hate to beat a dead horse, but don't act like you anticipated or expected the whole Country/EDM movement coming before you heard the Ultra Music Festival rip of Avicii's Wake Me Up and Hey Brother. Expectations are good for establishing boundaries, but boundaries are only for people who color between the lines and see speed limits as strict guidelines that are never to be eclipsed.

All that nonsense in the paragraph above was an attempt to set up The Chainsmokers new remix of BANKS' dark and loathsome ballad, Change. I'll afford you the momentary right to be taken aback by the lack of sythns in the track below since you're just as used to the progressive house sound that Alex and Drew generally bring to the table. But, after that, I dare you not to get caught up in it's deep grooves and raw funk. On the topic of the track's lyrics, I'll point out that as a die hard fan of Will Hoge's Blackbird on a Lonely Wire, I really dig dark ballads that shed emotion in a deeply personal way. You can expect the same type of experience with BANKS because she has the same uncanny ability to evoke that feeling of a relationship ending that you'd get from Will's Lover Tonight.

Comparisons aside, deep grooves combined with deep lyrics is a good look. Back in August when I posted BANKS' Waiting Game track, I told you to keep an eye out for her. I'm gonna echo that sentiment and continue to throw dap toward The Chainsmokers for taking me a place I didn't think I'd ever go with them...#GoDeep

BANKS- Change (The Chainsmokers Hot & Steamy Edit)

"I Don't Wanna Say Your Love is a Waiting Game"

If I had to pick a woman's voice that personified the word sultry, I would without a doubt pick BANKS. If you haven't heard of her, it's only a matter of time because she's got a deadly combination of soothing vocals and drop dead looks. She hails from LA and is about to embark on a North America tour with The Weeknd. Abel made a solid choice in choosing her to open because she a similar R&B appeal.

BANKS' new single Waiting Game is an introspective and emotion ballad. On the SOHN produced track, she openly laments in a way that is vocally reminiscent of many Lana Del Rey tracks. The slow and steady synths do a great job of laying the groundwork for her vocals to shine.

If you're like me, you're doing your best to play catch up and trying to consume as many BANKS tracks as you can. As my gift to you, below is the video to her most notable single to date, Warm Water...

Feel free to join the growing number of folks eagerly anticipating her debut album. Oh and in case you thought she wasn't accessible, she openly provided her cell phone number (323) 362-2658 in case you want to talk...#WaitingGame

BANKS - Waiting Game (prod by SOHN)