The Napster Blog

Buika, El Ultimo Trago

Buika, the soulful Majorcan singer known for her jazzy take on Spanish flamenco fusion, collaborates with renowned Cuban bandleader and pianist Chucho Valdés on El Último Trago, an homage to the ballads made famous by Mexican icon Chavela Vargas. Buika's star has risen quickly over the past couple of years, on the strength of 2008's Niña de Fuego, which received a surprise—though well-deserved—Latin Grammy nomination for Album of the Year. Valdés, for his part, is Cuba's most celebrated jazz artist, having formed and led the groundbreaking group Irakere over the past 30-plus years. The combination of Buika's plaintive yet powerful vocals with Valdés incomparable work on the keys results in a truly outstanding recording, a dynamic reimagining of these relatively simple, classic boleros and rancheras that truly have stood the test of time.

Claude Von Stroke, Bird Brain

In certain circles of Electronic music fans, references to the Bird Man of Alcatraz are less likely to be about Robert Stroud than they are about Barclay Crenshaw. The man known most famously for the title "Who's Afraid Of Detroit" under the alias of Claude Von Stroke, has made San Francisco his home with the launch of the Dirtybird Record label. This week’s release of the full length album Bird Brain is his first studio album since 2006’s Beware of the Bird. Claude follows up with ten original tracks that are unmistakable as Von Stroke productions. There’s a certain sound that generates on all his tracks and stands out as his signature. To see how it’s done, check the video below.

Samuel James, For Rosa, Maeve and Noreen

It's hard to think of a contemporary blues artist that is more true to the origins of the blues than Samuel James. He plays his songs live in the studio, accompanied only by his own playing, and is always unplugged. There are others, of course, who perform and record this way, but James' approach to recording is as stripped down and raw as anyone playing today. His new album is For Rosa, Maeve and NoreenSongs Famed For Sorrow And Joy and on it, James treads further down the path begun with his debut, .

James is an excellent guitarist and the album features a great variety of sounds within the fairly narrow framework of the genre that he specializes in. He uses of a variety of instruments on the record, each providing a crucial feel that perfectly complements the essence of the song feel. He also performs one song a cappella, with only the soft tap of his foot to keep time. The perfect sound quality of this album is the only tip-off that the recording is current and not made sometime before World War II. For Rosa, Maeve and Noreen is a living, breathing expression of the blues as it was when it was born. Recommended.

Julian Casablancas, Phrazes for the Young

Although just eight songs long, Strokes frontman Julian Casablancas' first solo album, Phrazes for the Young, clocks in at a longer total run time than his regular band's debut, almost as if he's shoehorning all of the unused ideas he's had over the past 10 years into every song. The Strokes' signature chiming guitars now churn around keyboards, drum machines, and shifting time signatures.The title, a reference to an Oscar Wilde essay, hints at Casablancas' current perspective as a married, soon-to-be family man ready to impart his collected observations. If this is Casablancas wrapping up a package (with excess paper and string), it will be interesting to hear how The Strokes unpack it and put the pieces inside to use on their next album.

Kathy Griffin, Suckin' It for the Holidays

Kathy Griffin has made a thriving cottage industry of lampooning celebrities—herself included. Her TV show, My Life on the D-List, has proven popular with audiences and critics, earning her two Emmys. The acerbic redhead even received a Grammy nomination for her 2008 stand-up album, For Your Consideration, a record that, as the title suggests, was made specifically in hopes of attracting award consideration.

Having lost her first bid for a Grammy to George Carlin's final album, It's Bad for Ya, Griffin returns with Suckin' It for the Holidays, a record that, contrary to what the title suggests, has absolutely nothing to do with the holidays. Instead, there's loads more fan-pleasing celebrity dish, in which the cutting comedienne recounts stories of her run-ins with A-listers like T.I., Justin Timberlake, Suze Orman, and Donald Trump.

By her own admission, Griffin's material isn't for everyone, but if you want the insider celebrity scoop delivered by a polished and energetic performer, give Suckin' It a go.

Electronica Staff Picks

Jonas Altberg needs no introduction when introduced under his production alias Basshunter. 2009’s Bass Generation was his fifth album, and lead single “Every Morning” instantly broke through on the European charts. Here, it gets the remix treatment from Michael Mind, Headhunters, Hot Pink DeLorean, and others.
 

Erica Munday is New York’s DJ Strife. Her Sweet 16! mix album arranges a spread of drum and bass flavors that range from moving vocal tracks to the sounds of Brazil. The hour-long set comprises a selection of previously unreleased tracks of incredible quality. Play and enjoy.  

 

London’s Southern Fried Records is owned by the renowned electronic music producer Norman Cook, better known as Fatboy Slim. The label's six-track EP of Dubstep remixes gathers various music from their roster and treats it to a remixing by some of the top names in genre. Pretty straightforward, as the name suggests, but also entirely effective.

Pole Folder is a Bedrock Records act known for its progressive releases, but also more downtempo work as well. This week’s release features a Pole Folder special pushed to the limits in the capable hands of DJ/producer Sasha. The nine-minute track is an amazing piece of electronica with invigorating melodies, ambient vocal effects and driving rhythms.  

Phoenix, Mew, Passion Pit, and More: SPIN “Find ’em First” Edition Playlist

One of the best ways to get the most out of your Napster membership is to branch out from your favorites and listen to new music. You can browse through the new releases that are constantly being added to the service, explore the "other members like" lists (on every artist page), use the Automix button—the list goes on. Napster playlists are another great way to hear a variety of music, and now we have a special edition dedicated to up-and-coming artists.

The SPIN "Find 'em First" edition playlist is an exclusive version of the "Find 'em First" playlist series we've been producing with our parent company Best Buy, based on their new-music program of the same name. In conjunction with noted music magazine SPIN, Best Buy and Napster have put together this playlist to complement the special edition of the magazine featuring a great batch of "Find 'em First" artists. The exclusive 56-page "mini-mag," available only at Best Buy stores, includes a free 20-track CD of music by the featured artists, plus a three-month Napster subscription that includes 15 free MP3 downloads. That's a whole lotta music.

But if you haven't yet made it out to Best Buy to pick up the mag (or even if you have), The SPIN "Find ‘em First" edition playlist will give you a taste of what's in store, as in a bunch of great music you might not have heard before. Phoenix, Juliette Lewis, Passion Pit, The Ting Tings, and Mew are just a few of the artists represented, and every one is worth a listen. Who knows? One of them may end up being your new favorite.

Michael Jackson’s This Is It

You may look at the track listing for the soundtrack to the Michael Jackson documentary Michael Jackson's This Is It and see it as another repackaging of his greatest hits. In a way, it is—it features many of his hits, but after all, those are what he would have been performing had he been able to go on tour. But the album also contains a few gems that are a must for die-hard Jackson fans, including previously unreleased demo versions of classics such as "She's out of My Life," "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'," and "Beat It," a spoken-word poem entitled "Planet Earth," and the recently disputed title song "This Is It." After watching the many amazing moments captured on film during the rehearsals for the tour, you have to wonder why the actual audio from the movie wasn't included. But then you have to remember—the scenes shot were, in fact, rehearsals, and Jackson was trying to conserve his voice. The effort wasn't entirely there. And while one may argue whether some of MJ's minimal efforts are better than no MJ at all, those moments on film are still magical and justly add to the legacy and mystique of the King of Pop.

Stellar Kart, “We Shine”

This week, Arizona pop-punk-CCM quartet Stellar Kart returns to the spotlight. "We Shine" is their latest single, and it's a cover of the title track of a 2007 album by the Christian band Fee. The single is a teaser for the band’s upcoming album, Everything Is Different Now. But some fans have already gotten their hands on the entire album, as the band reportedly began selling  copies at their live shows a couple months ago. Early copies notwithstanding, the official release is slated for February 2010.  

Rihanna, “Russian Roulette”

Pop/R&B superstar Rihanna will never be accused of being the shy, retiring type. Take one look at the art for her new single "Russian Roulette" (pictured) and you know this woman has something to say. It's our first taste of her new album, Rated R, due to be released Monday, Nov. 23r. And while it's not an uptempo pop stormer in the mold of megahit "Umbrella" or the other singles from her highly successful Good Girl Gone Bad album, "Russian Roulette" is gripping, exciting, and exactly the right kind of teaser to get her fans ready for more. The track, co-written by Ne-Yo, isn't quite a ballad, but it's a slower-building tune, and reveals a darker, edgier Rihanna than we've heard before. In fact, speculation abounds that the new sound and the lyrics are directly related to her personal drama. Whether that's true or not, the new track is a more somber, mature sound for the singer, and I for one can't wait to see if the rest of the new album follows in this direction.