Blue Scholars - Bayani

Tracklist

1) Baha'i Healing Prayer
2) Second Chapter
3) Opening Salvo
4) North By Northwest
5) Ordinary Guys
6) Still Got Love
7) Bayani
8) Loyalty
9) Fire For The People
10) Xenophobia
11) The Distance
12) Back Home
13) 50 Thousand Deep
14) Morning Of America
15) Joe Metro

Although this may lack a certain something it still stands out as a decent rap album. There are a couple of tracks that stand out over the rest. Definately worth a listen but but don't expect fireworks.

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Bliss - No One Built This Moment

Tracklist

1) People Among Us
2) Calling (ft. Sophie Barker)
3) Trust In Your Love (ft. Ane Brun)
4) Overture (ft. Sophie Barker & Merethe Sveistrup)
5) So Still (ft. Sophie Barker)
6) American Heart (ft. Boy George & Alexandra Hamnede)
7) Mivahetsek (ft. Lisbeth Scott)
8) Bascar Azad (ft. Lisbeth Scott)
9) Stop Me (ft. Sophie Barker)
10) Light To Your Life (ft. Sophie Barker)
11) The Hope (ft. Sophie Barker & Lisbeth Scott & Merethe Sveistrup)

This is a really good chillout album. Playing this album at the right time is essential to enjoying it. Its chilled, reflective and has a spiritual ambience. Certainly not for everyone.....

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Newton Faulkner - Rebuilt By Humans

Tracklist

1) Intro (Interlude)
2) Badman
3) I Took It Out On You
4) Hello (Interlude)
5) If This Is It
6) Resin On My Heart Strings
7) Lipstick Jungle
8) Been Thinking About It
9) Let's Get Together
10) She's Got The Time 2 (Interlude)
11) Won't Let Go
12) Resin Theramins (Interlude)
13) First Time
14) Over And Out
15) Cheltenham (Interlude)
16) So Much
17) This Time
18) I'm Not Giving Up Yet

Not listened to this yet but I'm sure I'll be uncontrollably singing in the shower and at more inconvenient times. Get on it.

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Solillaquists Of Sound - No More Heroes

Track List

1) Marvel
2) Harriet Tubman (Part 2)
3) New Sheriff In Town
4) Gotham City Chase
5) Look
6) Popcorn
7) The Curse
8) Dolla Dolla
9) The Roots Of Knite
10) Fittin' In
11) Death Of The Muse (ft. Ma Dukes, J-Live & Chali 2na)
12) 4 People
13) Heroes
14) Solillquy (The 4-Telling)
15) Bulletproof
16) No More Heroes (The Illusion Of Silence)

Freakin' love this album. Great rapping, soulful singing, quality production and apparantly an experimental album. Dont know anything about them (yet) but still.....check it out now my funky brothers!

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Hocus Pocus - 73 Touches: Rester Vrai

Track List

1) Malade 2006
2) Onandon (Part 1)
3) Pascal
4) Comment On Faisait?
5) J'Attends
6) You (ft. J.Medeiros)
7) Feel Good (ft. C2C)
8) Keep It Movin' 2
9) J'Aimerais
10) Faits Divers
11) Swingin'
12) Dig This
13) Zoo
14) Sable Sur Les Paupieres
15) Geometrie
16) Onandon (Part 2) (ft. Ty)
17) Brouillon
18) Hip Hop? (ft. The Procussions)
19) J'Attends (Remix)
20) 73 Touches

My translations have the album name as meaning 73 Keys: Remain True. If you haven't already guessed this is a french rap album, so some of you may have been put off, but give it a go anyways. A great rap album, you can still 'get ya rap nod on' with the lyrics! Some big collaborations too, in english. Check the video.

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Dub FX - Everythings A Ripple

Track List

1) The Rain Is Gone (ft. Flower Fairy)
2) Soothe Your Pain
3) Love Someone
4) Society Gates
5) Wandering Love (ft. Mr Woodnote & Flower Fairy)
6) Fly With Me
7) Flow (ft. Mr Woodnote & Flower Fairy)
8) Future
9) Intentions
10) Step On My Trip
11) Made
12) Not Cool
13) Love Me Or Not
14) Time Will Tell (ft. Mr Woodnote & Flower Fairy)

We have 'the raging inferno' to thank for this find. If you were lucky enough about a month ago you may have seen these guys showcasing their thing in town. I had to remove my headphones and listen for a good 10 mins. One guy live on the spot sampling his voice making tunes. Going to try and put up some youtube videos so you can see exactly what is going on. Personally, I think the attraction of this music lies in hearing/seeing it live, but the album is worth a shot.

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Dub FX - Live On The Streets Of Bristol

Bliss N Eso - Flying Colours

Track List

1) The Beginning
2) Woodstock 2008
3) Eye Of The Storm
4) Bullet And A Target (ft. The Zulu Connection Choir)
5) Happy In My Hoody (ft. Hyjak & Phrase)
6) Destiny Lane
7) Zion Bash
8) The Sea Is Rising
9) Gorilla Militia
10) How Do I Listen (Part 1)
11) Climb These Cliffs
12) At Midnight
13) Royal Flush
14) $5 Streak
15) The Truth (ft. Illmaculate & Sapient)
16) Never Give Up (ft. Changes)
17) Field Of Dreams (ft. Paris Wells)
18) Dark Tower
19) Lonely Streets (ft. Debaser)
20) Bullet And A Target (Acoustic)
21) Mexican Spit Fire
22) Choof Choof Train

This is one of those albums that you download because the cover looks special. Then it sits in your itunes for a while before you're bored and decide to take a chance and listen to it. Then you shit your pants and post before the first few tracks have even finshed. Quality beats, melodies, rapping, subjects, and 22 tracks. Spot On.

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Abdominal - Escape From The Pigeon Hole

Track list

1) Escape
2) Breathe Later
3) T. Ode (ft. Notes To Self)
4) Pedal Pusher
5) Open Relationship
6) Radio Friendly
7) Heaven's Demon
8) Big Track
9) Abdominal Workout
10) Sex With Girls (Skip This One Mom)
11) Walk Left Stand Right
12) Girl Shit
13) Flyer Antics

A good album from quick fire rapper abdominal. Because of the speed and coherence of his rapping it takes alot of concentration to listen. This can be a pain in the ass, so its definately an album to whack on and give a proper listen to, maybe even a few times. A funky and funny album on the whole.

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Fink - Sort Of Revolution

Track List

1) Sort Of Revolution
2) Move On Me
3) Six Weeks
4) Nothing Is Ever Finished
5) See It All
6) Q & A
7) If I Had A Million
8) Pigtails
9) Maker
10) Walking In The Sun

Imagine Jose Gonzalez singing to tracks that have more of a beat to them and you are close to the sounds of this album. You also have piano, guitar, strings etc. making this album a hit with me. Fink is on the Ninja Tube label and is a singer-songwriter from Bristol. Im interested to see who likes it.....

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Y Society - Travel At Your Own Pace

Track List

1) Intro
2) This Is An Introduction
3) Never Off (On & On)
4) Hole In Your Pocket
5) This Advice
6) Good Communication
7) Scientist
8) Dizzy
9) How Many Of Us?
10) Puzzles
11) What's Next?
12) In Command
13) Setting The Example
14) At My Own Pace
15) Peace I'm Out The Door
16) Never Off (On & On) (Insight Remix)

Good lyrics, beats and scratching make this an awesome debut album for the Y Society duo. Enough said, check it out.

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Regina Spektor - Far

Track List

1) The Calculation
2) Eet
3) Blue Lips
4) The Folding Chair
5) Machine
6) Laughing With
7) Human Of The Year
8) Two Birds
9) Dance Anthem Of The 80's
10) Genius Next Door
11) The Wallet
12) One More Time With Feeling
13) Man Of A Thousand Faces

This album is filled with happy little tunes. The genre is labelled as anti-folk, but i'm not sure what that is. Female vocals with piano backing and a light percussion make this a welcome respite from other genres. Im certain a couple of you will dig this.

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Eyedea & Abilities - By The Throat

Track List

1) Hay Fever
2) Spin Cycle
3) Time Flies When You Have A Gun
4) Burn Fetish
5) Sky Diver
6) Junk
7) Forgive Me For My Synapses
8) This Story
9) Factory
10) Smile
11) By The Throat

Came across this album by looking for some DMC stuff. It certainly wasn't what I had imagined, turns out it's better than that. It's loud, has turntable mashing, has rapping and dirty beats. Lots of people have jumped on it and are posting links of their own, so this one's for those of you who haven't seen it yet.

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Chali 2na - Fish Outta Water

Track List

1) Get Focused
2) International (ft. Beenie Man)
3) So Crazy
4) Lock Shit Down (ft. Talib Kweli)
5) Don't Stop (ft. Anthony Hamilton)
6) Keep Goin' (ft. Choklate)
7) Comin' Thru
8) FOW
9) Love's Gonna Getcha
10) Righteous Way
11) When Will I See You Again (ft. Elzhi)
12) Guns Up
13) Graff Time
14) Controlled Coincidence (ft. Kanetic Source)
15) 4 Be Be (ft. Ming Xia)

In my opinion this is a better album from Chali 2na than the previous release 'Fish Market', although that's only after a quick listen. The man from j5 never seems to disappoint!

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Galatic - From The Corner To The Block

Track List

1)What You Need (ft. Lyrics Born)
2) ...And I'm Out (ft. Mr Lif)
3) The Corner (ft. Gift Of Gab)
4) Second And Dryades (ft. Big Chief Monk Boudreaux)
5) Think Back (ft. Chali 2na)
6) Bounce Baby (ft. Z-trip)
7) Hustle Up (ft. Boots Riley)
8) Side Stepper
9) From The Corner To The Block (ft. Juvenile & Soul Rebels Brass Band)
10) Squarebiz (ft. Ladybug Mecca & Nino Moschella)
11) Tuff Love (ft. Trombone Shorty)
12) No Way (ft. Lateef The Truth Speaker)
13) Fanfare
14) Find My Home (ft. Vursatyl & Ohmega Watts)
15) I Want Peace (ft. Amp Fiddler)
16) Valley Of Pain (ft. Dendemann)

A warm day, window down, cruising towards nowhere album. Great colloborators, genuine instrumentals and some cool cuts make this one of my favourites for '09. (and another chali 2na song for the bank)!

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Dj Moneyshot - Various Mixes

Who remembers Dj Moneyshot? If you know the workings of this guy, or not as the case may be, and want to add some mixes/live sets/collaborations to your playlists then check out the link below that will direct you to three pages of free mp3 downloads. You can also buffer a sample before you commit to downloading to test those tastebuds first. There is a large variety of types to download from including classic party mixes, hiphop/d&b and also indie/electro mixes. There's something for everyone........happy hunting.

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One Self - Children Of Possibility

Track List

1) Fear The Labour
2) Trying To Speak
3) Be Your Own
4) Temptation
5) Over Expose
6) Bluebird
7) SD2
8) Paranoid
9) Hollow Human Beings
10) Cupid Smiling The Smile
11) Sunshine
12) Unfamiliar Place

Some of you may be more familiar with one of the members of One Self - Dj Vadim. Keeping in line with the slightly warped type of tunes described as using "leftfield instrumentals", this album delivers very unique sounds and samples with vocals from Yarah Bravo and Blu Rum 13. Some tunes are more palatable, namely 'Over Expose' and 'Bluebird' which are climbing up the playcount at a serious pace. An awesome album!

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Clint Mansell - The Fountain Soundtrack

Track List

1) The Last Man
2) Holy Dread!
3) Tree Of Life
4) Stay With Me
5) Death Is A Disease
6) Xiabalba
7) First Snow
8) Finish It
9) Death Is The Road To Awe
10) Together We Will Live Forever

A stunning soundtrack from the film The Fountain. The music consists of orchestral piano and string melodies which occasionally whip up in emotional crecendos or sometimes it just leaves you a little spooked out. Certainly an album to listen to over headphones and let your mind wander. I was inspired to draw. The film is a good one too. Track No.9 is the one that usually grabs the nads!

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The Bamboos - Step It Up

Track List

1) Step It Up ft. Alice Russell
2) Tighten It Up (Album Version)
3) In The Bamboo Groove
4) Golden Rough
5) Black Foot
6) Transcend Me ft. Alice Russell
7) Tobago Strut
8) Another Day In The Life Of Mr Jones
9) Crooked Cop
10) Eel Oil
11) Voodoo Doll (Album Version)

Another hit from the Bamboos. Full of funk and soul these jazzy tunes will make you feel good, real good. This album has no rapping on like the previous upload but does feature Alice Russell once more.

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Yungun & Mr Thing - Grown Man Business

Track List

1) Intro
2) G.M.B. (Just Like That)
3) Peter Pan Syndrome
4) Forget Me Not
5) This Is Who We Be ft. Devise & Doc Brown
6) What Must I Do?
7) One Step Beyond
8) Spit Fire (Part 2) ft. Lowkey & Stylah
9) Sound Of The Drum ft. Jehst
10) No Guts, No Glory
11) Carried Away

A decent hiphop/rap album from the British duo. Not as dirty as some brit-hop can get. Yungun always creates quality rapping and there's even a little scratching in places from Mr Thing. Definately gets better the more you listen.

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