On the day of the National Championship Game (Go Bulldogs!) its only fitting to announce the champ of our first, hopefully annual, Musical March Madness – Wale.  Wale’s “New Soul” trumped Vandaveer mighty handily in the final matchup to take home the prize.  Thanks everyone for your participation, we certainly enjoyed it and hope you did as well.

(2) “New Soul” – Wale

[See post to listen to audio]

Posted by the Groove

The Needle, Round 4:

(5) “A Mighty Leviathan Of Old” – Vandaveer

[See post to listen to audio]

As the Groove notes below, it is really tough to keep talking about songs that we clearly think are amazing. Vandaveer’s “A Mighty Leviathan of Old” is definitely one of those songs, so in the interest of the competition, we have simply left you the songs and some of the lyrics…the rest is up to you:

I found that I find the things that you find
Important rather peculiar
The space in between between you and me
Has grown darker and deep and bigger…

So I clawed through the dirt, the soil of the Earth
With bare hands that barely could shovel
And the canyon did flood with water and blood
From a thunderous storm up above

Yes and God spoke clearly for the very first time in my life
And the sounds he made were glorious and great
It was a tidal wave of rhythm

The Groove, Round 4:

(2) “New Soul” – Wale

[See post to listen to audio]

Tough to keep talking about a song I find so amazing. So I’ll just leave you with the ending words of the song from Wale, and hope to get your vote:

My pride is just why I resist,
It’s why I conflict,
With the why, when and ifs,
The Jiggas, and the Tips, and the Ems and the 50s,
And I’m the fuckin’ best, nevermind if you iffy,
So while the world goes Drake crazy,
I’m Danny Granger, I’m just working with a different pace or (Pacer),
Speed or patience, please cause,
Slow and steady wins this race,
Fuck leadin…

Get your votes in, and leave us some feedback. This is our first time doing this, so if you have any thoughts or suggestions, pass them along!

Posted by the Needle & the Groove

The Needle, Round 3:

(4) “Home” – Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros

[See post to listen to audio]

It seems that my half of the bracket has become a battle of the mid-majors. Neither Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros nor Vandaveer are what I would consider well-known bands. They both have loyal followings, but Edward Sharpe has only recently begun to explode onto the scene. Following appearances on late shows and substantial touring, the group definitely has the popular momentum heading into the Final Four.

(5) “A Mighty Leviathan Of Old” – Vandaveer

[See post to listen to audio]

This was definitely the closest match-up of Round 2. Vandaveer just barely pulled off the victory over Fanfarlo. It’s hard to deny that the people of Roanoke love the group, and why not? On their last tour, they started and ended their travels with great sets in Roanoke. It will definitely be hard for Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros to compete with the hometown favorite, but Vandaveer comes in as the 5 seed, so they will have their work cut-out for them.

The Groove, Round 3:

(1) “Empire State Of Mind” – Jay-Z (ft. Alicia Keys)

[See post to listen to audio]

No big surprise here, as the Jay-Z and Alicia Keys duet makes it to the Final Four. The New York ballad came behind from an early deficit and overcome the upstart Chiddy Bang. Could Empire State of Mind’s consistent radio play be hurting it now? We’ll have to see as it matches up with Wale in the Final Four.

(2) “New Soul” – Wale

[See post to listen to audio]

No major upsets this round, as Wale moved on to the Final Four as well. Again, as my favorite song of the year, New Soul bumped out Kid Cudi’s “Alive” in fairly overwhelming fashion. Though Kid Cudi had an overall more successful debut album, Wale will be facing Jay-Z for the right to compete for the song of year title.

Posted by the Needle & The Groove

The Needle, Round 2:

(8) “Julian Of Norwich” – Bombadil

Clearly the upset of the bracket, Bombadil’s “Julian Of Norwich” knocked off the heavily favored, synth-heavy sounds of Animal Collective. Spurred on by local support and what I can only assume to be a universal love for minstrel music, the former Dukies put up a strong first round showing. With their impressive lyrics and catchy sounds, Bombadil has already become the Cinderella story as they enter Round 2.

[See post to listen to audio]

(4) “Home” – Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros

[See post to listen to audio]

In one of the closest matches of the Round 1, Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros pulled out the last minute victory over the upstart Generationals. This is going to make an interesting matchup for round two. Both Edward Sharpe and Bombadil combine folk lyrics and toe-tapping music. Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros definitely have the advantage in media exposure, however. With recent appearances on late shows and the appearance of this song in a newly released movie trailer, they definitely have the momentum on their side.

(5) “A Mighty Leviathan Of Old” – Vandaveer

[See post to listen to audio]

In what was by far the biggest blowout of Round 1, Vandaveer absolutely crushed Yeasayer’s recently released “Ambling Alp.” The Roanoke crowd definitely came out in force, but there is just no denying that “A Might Leviathan Of Old” is an absolutely brilliant song. And in a contest between traditional folk and experimental pop, the folk music has clearly won out.

(2) “Harold T. Wilkins, Or How To Wait For A Very Long Time” – Fanfarlo

[See post to listen to audio]

Fanfarlo’s “Harold T. Wilkins” still remains the most listened to track I have ever posted, and it is clear that their music has maintained its popularity among our listeners. Their clear victory once again leaves me with that unspeakable joy that even a bunch of nerdy kids can can make great rock music. We will see if they can compete with the powerhouse that Vandaveer has apparently become.

The Groove, Round 2:

(1) “Empire State Of Mind” – Jay-Z (ft. Alicia Keys)

[See post to listen to audio]

Probably no surprise here. Jay-Z’s “Empire State Of Mind” was the heavy favorite. Not only does the song have immense commercial appeal, it’s also just a great song. Surprisingly though, it barely won. Bobby Ray’s “I’ll Be In The Sky” was a strong 8 seed, but in the end it could just not compete with the dulcet tones of Alicia Keys and powerful lyrics of Jay-Z. Although it got off to a rocky start, “Empire State Of Mind” is without question still the heavy favorite.

(6) “The Opposite Of Adults (Kids Remix)” – Chiddy Bang

[See post to listen to audio]

When the groove first posted this song, he noted that this track stuck with him…and many of you as well. And the results of Round 1 have certainly proven him right. This matchup was another blowout. Chiddy’s MGMT remix has clearly maintained its popularity, but will it be enough to best the powerhouse that is Jay-Z? It’s hard to say. “Empire State Of Mind” has been overplayed a fair bit, and there is just no denying, “The Opposite Of Adults” is tough to listen to just once.

(3) “Alive” – Kid Cudi (ft. Ratatat)

[See post to listen to audio]

The Groove matched two new songs against each other in Round 1, Kid Cudi’s “Alive” and Lil Wayne’s “Watch My Shoes,” and the result was one of the closest outcomes of the bracket. In the end, it was Kid Cudi, who won out. The song blurs that line between hip-hop and alternative, and definitely presents a very unique sound for other tracks to compete with. Despite the fact that this may not be everyone’s favorite song from Kid Cudi’s newest album, there is no denying that the Groove has taste.

(2) “New Soul” – Wale

[See post to listen to audio]

The Groove said that Wale’s “New Soul” was one of his favorite songs of the year…and while I may be no expert in the world of hip-hop, I can’t help but agree with him. Of all the songs the Groove has introduced me to, this is one of my favorites (as was “I’ll Be In The Sky,” but alas, that one lost out). Featuring a slowed-down, eerie sample of Yael Naim’s “New Soul,” I found this song to be somewhat hypnotic…and clearly many of you agreed. Wale destroyed Mos Def in the votes, and this song is definitely entering the next round with quite a bit of momentum.

I hope I did the Groove proud, and don’t forget to get your votes in!

Posted by the Needle

(1) “Empire State of Mind” – Jay-Z featuring Alicia Keys

[See post to listen to audio]

Tabbed as my favorite track from Jay-Z’s Blueprint 3 upon first listen, “Empire State of Mind” has since blown up on the radio and heard worldwide.  The perfect balance of quality music with commercial success – the only thing working against the track is the fact that it might be played out to many at this point.

(8) “I’ll Be in the Sky” – B.o.B a.k.a. Bobby Ray

[See post to listen to audio]

One of my favorite surprises of the summer was the mixtape release of B.o.B vs. Bobby Ray.  As someone who has little respect for most southern artists, I expected this to be no different.  Instead, B.o.B delivered a refreshing, alternative hip-hop track.  Despite its quality, I doubt it can pull of the upset against one of the most successful albums of the year.

(4) “Grown Simba” – J. Cole

[See post to listen to audio]

In the 4-6 Matchup, we have the two newest artists to the scene.  J. Cole blew me away when I first heard him at Cat’s Cradle in April.  I have never seen an unknown opening act get as much crowd support as he did…instantly got the respect of the room.  This track – Grown Simba, is definitely one of my favorites from his second mixtape – The Warm Up.

(6) “The Opposite of Adults (Kids Remix)” – Chiddy Bang

[See post to listen to audio]

Chiddy debuted on the scene at the beginning of the summer with this MGMT Remix.  In the successful dance/electronica/hip-hop cross-over genre, this is definitely a track that sticks out to me, and its apparent it stuck out to others as Chiddy signed with EMI Music this week.

(3) “Alive” – Kid Cudi featuring Ratatat

[See post to listen to audio]

This matchup features two songs I never wrote about on here, but both are clearly deserving of their spot here in the bracket.  Cudi’s debut album was incredibly unique, and definitely toed the line between alternative and hip-hop.  This track, featuring Ratatat, is easily my favorite on the album – though I know it is not for many.  I find the hook amazing and the Ratatat added instrumentation is instantly recognizable.

(5) “Watch My Shoes” – Lil Wayne

[See post to listen to audio]

Though I don’t put Lil Wayne in my upper echelon of rappers, his work on No Ceilings can’t go unrecognized.  Returning to his critically acclaimed form, Wayne goes in on a number of tracks – “Watch My Shoes” being one of them.

(2) “New Soul” – Wale

[See post to listen to audio]

Easily my favorite tune of the year.  I recognize my stannery, and couldn’t bring myself to make it the one seed.  Though Wale’s Attention Deficit was a disappointment to me, this track reaffirms all my positive feelings for Wale’s future.

(7) “Casa Bey” – Mos Def

[See post to listen to audio]

Mos Def released his Ecstatic this summer.  Though I am a big Mos fan the album didn’t completely do it for me.  This track, however, stuck out to me as an ultimate display of Mos’ talent – both lyrically and in flow.  Awesome track all around.

Posted by the Groove

Such a sick cover...

Well, it’s that time of year again when everybody gets swamped with work, and inevitably develops a case of ADD, ADHD, or Senioritis.  So what better activity to occupy my time than review Wale’s Attention Deficit?  I’ll admit it, I desperately wanted this album to be an instant classic that I spun on repeat, but unfortunately, it was a bit of a disappointment.  Don’t get me wrong, the album is very good, but it didn’t quite appeal to me, someone who has followed his career upwards of 2 years now.  I think its biggest fault is that it is not on the same level as A Mixtape About Nothing which concept, production and content-wise trumps his debut effort.  I don’t mean this to come off overly negative, it really is a quality album – but I just don’t think it could meet my year of expectations.

Wale – “Mirrors” featuring Bun B

[See post to listen to audio]

Content and production wise Attention Deficit very much reflects its title.  As Wale frequently stated, he attempted to have one of ‘every type of song’.  The album intersperses radio/mainstream type tracks – “Chillin”, “Pretty Girls”, “Let It Loose” – with tracks that take on a more serious note – “90210″ discusses eating disorders, 9th Wonder produced “Shades” tackles black-on-black racism, and “Diary” tells a story about a girl that has been in bad relationships and takes it out on her current love.

Wale – “Diary” featuring Marsha Ambrosius

[See post to listen to audio]

I believe by starting off this review in a negative light might have been unfair, in that, I really don’t dislike any song on the record.  Wale was substantially criticized for featuring Gucci Maine on “Pretty Girls,” but that didn’t really bother me considering the intent and market intended for the record.  After the original was released sans Gucci, I definitely felt like the track needed another traditional hip-hop verse to make the change up at the end of the track more powerful – and Gucci’s verse definitely aided that.

Wale – “TV in the Radio” featuring K’Naan (production by Dave Sitek)

[See post to listen to audio]

That being said, there is no track that really stands out among the rest – and when it comes down to it, I’d rather listen to A Mixtape About Nothing if given the choice.  I really wished the album had included more skits or Wale talking or something that would have allowed his personality to shine through a little bit more.  On all of his mixtape efforts, the listener came away not only impressed by his skills – but genuinely liking Wale and thinking he’s a pretty funny guy, regardless of music talent.  On his debut effort, I feel like the buyer was deprived of that – and it could potentially hurt Wale’s likability down the road.  I’ve interspersed some of my favorites (they are all very good) from the album, that try to highlight his tremendous range of flow, content, and production on the record.  If you have liked any of Wale’s 5+ mixtapes in the past (and got them for free), I highly encourage you to go out and buy the album – its worth your 9.99 on iTunes.  Again, I’m critical simply because my bar was set so high, it still trumps the other debut efforts from other XXL Freshman this year, and is definitely one of my favorites of 2009.

Wale – “Beautiful Bliss” featuring J. Cole & Melanie Fiona

[See post to listen to audio]

You know it gets no better than this,
Its like sunshine on a rainy day,
Its like a high could you take me a way…
When you feel like this, When you spill out hits,
When you ridin’ with tints, and you ain’t bothered a bit…

Posted by the Groove

Heels kick off season against FIU

Eminem – “Til I Collapse” featuring Nate Dogg

[See post to listen to audio]

Carolina football has been using another song of late, Roy Jones Jr.’s “Can’t Be Touched”…and in combo with their 4th Quarter highlight reel, this ish gets me pretty hype.  The verses leave a little to be desired, but the hook is killer.

Roy Jones Jr. – “Can’t Be Touched”

And in completely unrelated news, Wale’s Attention Deficit comes out today (1AM as I’m writing this) and I encourage everyone to go buy it.  Here is a link to download via iTunes - I’ve had it about a week, and my review is pending.  If this album served better as a coaster than a cd I would still go out and buy it – simply because Wale has kept me optimistic about hip-hop for the past two years.  Dude deserves everyone’s support, so pick it up if you’ve ever enjoyed one of his free mixtapes.

Posted by the Groove

J. Cole – “Heartache”

J. Cole – “Last Call”

J. Cole – “Dead Presidents”

J. Cole – “Losing My Balance”

J. Cole – “Lights Please”

J. Cole – “Grown Simba”

Wale & UCB – “Intro/Breakdown”

Wale & UCB – “Rising Up”

Wale & UCB – “Good Girls”

Wale & UCB – “Elevator / Boys (Remix)”

Wale & UCB – “Ice Cream Girl”

Wale & UCB – “Back in the Go Go”

Wale & UCB – “Dig Dug”

Wale, Mike Posner, & UCB – “Drug Dealer Girl / Wonder Why”

Wale & UCB – “Artistic Integrity”

Wale & UCB – “W.A.L.E.D.A.N.C.E.”

Wale & UCB – “Chillin’”

Posted by the Groove

As stated in our “About Us”, the Needle and I have hoped that this blog would lead to more artistic endeavors as well.  I’ve always been ridiculously frustrated trying to find posters for my dorm room – everyone has the same posters (sorry, but John Belushi is a bit played out) and none of the posters really depict artists I want to hang on my wall.  So when preparing for Duke a couple of years ago, I hit eBay (the greatest site of all time) to find some posters of Outkast, Talib, and Dizzee Rascal.  I managed to find some sweet posters, and then ran into the high-cost of either framing them or beating them up beyond repair with 3M mounting strips (something I hate doing to “rare” posters).  I did find one diamond in the rough though – Wierd Chief Urban Pop Art – a guy who offered all sorts of less popular artists in a much more unique medium.  I picked up a “tryptic” of Outkast at 50 dollars or so – and decided to buy more when I could afford it.  Unfortunately, costs rose and typtics were going for upwards of 80, the paintings are cool and all, I just couldn’t see shelling out that much money for something I thought I could make much cheaper.  I picked up a Talib Kweli piece at $40, but decided to figure out to how make them on my own.  Below is a quick how to of how to make your own for around $25 (with supplies to make many more).  I’ve written the tutorial assuming a general knowledge of Photoshop, so if you need more specifics, feel free to email me at askthegroove@gmail.com.

Step One : Find Image

Any image will do – I prefer Flickr to find thousands of concert images at high quality.  You’ll find a typical google image search to by highly unrewarding.  I chose a picture of Wale from his feature in GQ.  This image is nice because the background is already all white, making the next steps a lot easier.

Step Two :  Set Up Canvas

Open the image in Photoshop (other free programs might work, but I only have experience with Photoshop).  Create a new file at the dimensions you wish to make your pop-art piece.  I chose a size of 24 inches by 24 inches because it made the material I planned on painting on easier to cut, and it seemed like a reasonable size.  You’ll want to set the resolution somewhere higher than 150 pixels/inch.  Copy the image and paste it into this new document.  You’ll most likely need to Free Transform it (Ctrl + T), to increase it in size.  Also, reposition it into the area of the canvas that you want the image to appear.

Step Three : Separate Background from Image

In Photoshop, separate the artist(s) from the erroneous background images.  This can be done with several tools in Photoshop, all with varying degrees of accuracy and time consumption.

1) If the image has a solid background color, the Magic Wand tool can be used (make sure to check “Contiguous” so you don’t remove any wanted sections of the image).  This is the quickest method, but also the least likely to work.

2) The magnetic lasso tool.  Using this tool, you can trace around the artist(s), removing pieces of background as you work around the image.  More often than not, the tool can distinguish between foreground and background – it just takes a bit of practice.

3) If one and two don’t work, you’ll have to resort to the pen tool.  The pen tool takes a lot of practice and will be extremely frustating as you first get used to it.

Once you have the image separated from its background, you can proceed to the next step.

Step Four :  Desaturate the Image

To desaturate the image – Image -> Adjustments -> Desaturate.  This will convert the image into black & white.

Step Five :  Copy Separated Image Onto Several Different Layers

Pretty self-explanatory, copy the image so that you have it in multiple layers (at least 3).

Step Six : Use Threshold to Black Out Border of Foreground

Keep the bottom-most copy of the image pristine, and work with the layer on top of it.

Use the Threshold command (found in Image -> Adjustments -> Threshold) to convert entire background image to black.  This can be done easily by sliding the scroll bar all the way to the right.

Select the threshold layer and the one it’s applied to using the Shift key, right-click, and select “Merge Layers”.  Title this layer – “Artist Black”.

Step Seven : Use Threshold to Add Highlights to Image

Using the next layer (should be third from the bottom) use the threshold command again.  This time, rather than blacking out the whole image, slide the bar until you reach a satisfactory image.  There is no correct spot – you’ll likely settle on something with a balance of black and white, that makes the image identifiable – despite it only being depicted in black and white.

If you’d like to tweak some areas, select the layer the threshold is applied to (not the threshold layer itself).  You can then use the burn/dodge tool to add shadows/highlights respectively to the image.

Like the previous step, select the threshold layer, as well as the layer it was applied to, right-click and select “Merge Layers”.  Title this layer “Artist Highlights”.

Use the “Magic Wand” tool (uncheck “Contiguous” this time) and select and delete all black on this layer (the black from “Artist Black” will still be present).

Step Eight : Blur Edges

Use the Gaussian Blur (Filter -> Blur -> Gaussian Blur) to soften the edges on the layers from Steps Six and Seven – this give you more flexibility/ambiguity when cutting out the stencils later.

Hold Up, Stop, Wait a Minute

Take a look at the image you’ve created.  Do you like it?  This will more or less be what you set out to create.  If you don’t like it, find another image or rework the thresholds.

If you do like it – you have several options on how to proceed.  You need to be able to print the two layers, “Artist Black” and “Artist Highlights” at full size.  I found the easiest way to do this was to first print it to a .pdf, and then to print it from Adobe Reader.  From Photoshop you can print to a pdf – only have the layer you want printed visible and selected (so you’ll need to do this twice) – make sure you change the paper size to the custom dimensions you set for your piece.  You’ll want to change the color of the “Artist Highlights” layer to black when printing (use the Magic Wand and Fill tools).

Step Nine : Print the Two Templates

Open the two .pdf’s and print them at full size (select “None” under Scaling).  These will become your stencils.

Step Ten : Cut Out the Stencils

Tape the sheets together and cut out the black portions of your stencil.  Be cautious of “islands” – pieces of white surrounded by black – they’ll need to remain attached via small strips of paper.  This process will take a long time – you’ll have to use an X-acto Knife and a cutting board if there is a lot of detail.

Step Eleven : Buy Supplies

All supplies can likely be found at a Home Depot or Lowe’s.  You’ll need three colors of spray paint and your “canvas”.  I chose a composite wood sheet used for backing pieces of furniture.  It cost a little over $12 for a 8′ x 12′ sheet and the guy at the store cut it into 8 2′ x 2′ squares at no cost.  It will also be helpful to have a container of spray adhesive.

Step Twelve : Apply Base Coat

You’ll need to apply your first coat of paint to the entirety of your canvas.  This will be the color that is covered up by your two stencils.  Due to issues with islands, I cut the inverse of my “Artist Black” layer and needed to spray my entire canvas black.

Step Thirteen : Apply Second Coat

After your base coat has dried you can lay down your first stencil.  Apply a small amount of spray adhesive to its back so that detailed edges will stick (they’ll easily pull up as well).  Lay down the adhesive and spray with your second color of paint.  Ensure the canvas is properly covered – as you won’t be able to come back and apply a second coat.  Once you’re finished spraying, lift up your stencil immediately and let the piece dry.

Step Fourteen : Apply Final Coat

Repeat step twelve with your second stencil and enjoy your masterpiece!  Be careful when placing the second stencil, be sure to line up the cutouts very carefully – as any indescrepancies will be very noticeable in the final product.

It should be noted that Wierd Chief has gotten a lot more advanced since I first bought from him – but with some practice and the techniques below, similar effects can be achieved for much cheaper.  Also, I’m by no means an expert – this just seemed the easiest way to pull off the desired effect.  If you have any pointers feel free to send them my way.  I’m trying to figure out better materials to print the stencils with and other ways to cut them out.  Its dissappointing to spend hours cutting out a stencil, only to throw it away after one use.

Hope you all enjoyed this – I’m going to work on uploading some pdf’s – so that all you have to do is print and spray.

Posted by the Groove

Time to tie up some loose ends.  Here are some tracks that dropped this week that I didn’t get a chance to cover.

• Jay-Z – “Run This Town” featuring Kanye West & Rihanna

[See post to listen to audio]

First real single off of Blueprint 3, D.O.A. was just a “street” single.  Kanye kills his verse on this track.  Blueprint 3 – September 11, 2009.

• The Roots – “How I Got Over”

[See post to listen to audio]

Studio version of the title track performed on Fallon a couple weeks back.  Don’t know how I feel about this one – don’t mind Black Thought singing, but this sounds a little too soft.

• Chrisette Michele – “Fragile” featuring Wale

[See post to listen to audio]

Single off of Chrisette Michele’s album – really digging this track.  The two also collaborated for “Shades” on Wale’s upcoming studio album, although apparently there is some difficulty clearing one of 9th’s samples for the track.

• Mike Posner – “First Date Sex”

[See post to listen to audio]

My opinion of this guy changes each day.  I really do enjoy his remixes, but sometimes I get a Wierd Al vibe from them.  His voice is unique and is definitely refreshing compared to autoned ish, but – like autotune – three songs in a row and I’m through.  Anywho, would definitely prefer to listen to this if forced to choose between it and Jeremih’s version.

• Nore – “Floatin’ In the Sky” featuring KiD CuDi

[See post to listen to audio]

I could swear CuDi is a long lost member of Bone Thugz after hearing this track.

• Slaughterhouse – “Cuckoo”

[See post to listen to audio]

All four members go hard on this one.

Posted by the Groove