Like always, I have taken way too long to continue our little "Music Check" series and therefore have missed to write about too many good songs to mention. That's why I will just jump into this one to mention at least 15 tracks from all different genres that have been blasting on my speakers lately.



Kid Cudi feat Too Short - GirlsThis is one of the first tracks that have been released from Cudders forthcoming album "Indicud" and it's a typical Kid Cudi song with his signature falsetto singing and laidback rapping. It's great to hear this sound after his more adventurous efforts on WZRD (see my last post on Cudi) and I think the feature of Too Short is quite fun too.

LOL Boys feat Heart Streets - ChangesAs I've said before the name LOL Boys is a little misleading for this group. When I first found some songs from them, I thought they are probably some LMFAO rip off. Well that's far off as the LOL Boys have put out nothing but great songs with a focus on extremely captivating melodies, great hooks and the use of uncommon instruments. I think they will make quite the name for themselves in the eletronic music scene over the next years and this song is a perfect proof why everybody should pay attention to them!

Justin Timberlake -Don't hold the WallThe new Justin Timberlake album "The 20/20 experience" has received pretty mixed reviews, but has been extremely succesful when you look at the numbers. I think that there are quite a few great tunes on it and one of my personal standouts is certainly this tune. It combines the best of both worlds from Justin Timberlake's falsetto voice and Timbalands production in combination with his ad-libs. I am already looking forward to the power couple's next album that is supposedly coming out this winter!

Surkin feat Canblaster - StrongerSurkin is one of these artists that have come onto the scene at such an early age that you could basically witness their evolution as an artist. I was in love with a lot of his earlier releases such as "White Knight" and "Next of Kin" but didn't really feel too many of his last releases. Maybe I didn't give them enough spins or they were simply not for my taste, but his newest release the "Advanced Entertainment" EP is packed with bangers. This is just a great mixture of perfect production and great vocals.

Mayer Hawthorne - Designer DrugMr. Hawthorne is by far one of the coolest musicians out there right now. He is spot-on form his clothes to his music videos and most importantly his music which is reminiscent of the good old days but somehow always keeps it modern and relevant. This tune is a perfect love tune comparing the women in his life to designer drugs ;-)

How to Dress Well - & It was U (Recycle Culture's Uptown Remix)I have never heard of Recycle Culture before but this remix of How to Dress Well's already great single "& It was U" takes the song to another level. You feel thrown back into the 80's by the synthesizer sounds and high vocals. I cannot sit still when I listen to this piece of disco magic!

Jared Evan - SundayJared Evan has been on the scene for quite a while but somehow never really got the shine he deserved. I think that the first song I heard from him was a cover of a Kanye West song in the 808's era, but since then I have only spotted him on a couple features every now and then. This changed when he recently released a free mixtape called "Boom Bap and Blues" which sports dope features such as Action Bronson or Joey Bada$$ and is an excellent piece of art. You should definately check it out!

Russ Chimes - Turn me OutThe sound from Russ Chime's is pretty similar to Surkin on some songs and I think that both artists make incredible electro music. This tune features everything from dope vocals, a heavy bassline to this funked out flute (or whatever instrument it is). It's definately a party starter and I have played it quite a bit in the gym lately.

Tony Quattro Doctor Jeep feat. B. Ames - Forth SeekThis is another example of what a good bassline can do for a song. But the song already had me captured when the cut up breathing sounds start, I mean who doesn't bump his head to this?! This song is everything you need for a good old party, it's dark, dirty and has drive.

Papoose feat Dj Premier - Turn it Up
Papoose is one of these rappers that was all about the craft and the lyricswho was once hailed as the next big thing but could never really push through. When he blew up, people compared him to Nas and probably made him bigger than he was. After some label hiatus, he has finally been able to release his album last week and I've got to say: It's not bad! One of the standouts is for sure the DJ Premier produced "Turn it Up" which takes you all the way back to the great Gangstarr days.

Herr Vogel - Sexy and I know itWhen it comes to covers, the Internet has been a blessing and a curse at the same time. On the one hand everybody is able to put his stuff and great covers like The XX's rendition of "Last Christmas" are available for download instead of just being played at concerts. On the other hand the sheer amount of covers is so overwhelming that 99% are pure trash. This rework of the ever popular "Sexy and I know it" by LMFAO certainly looked to be somewhere in the 99% but has proved me completely wrong! Herr Vogel killed this song with a minimal intro and soulful voice!

Naughty Boy feat. Sam Smith - La La LaSam Smith has made quite some waves lately with his features for artists such as Disclosure. This song is in line with his previous work and serves as the perfect mixture of a great electronic beat with poppy but great vocals laid on top. I hope that Smith is able to put out a great solo effort soon, he reminds me a lot of artists like Ben Westbeech, Sam Sparro or Dan Black :-)

Robin Thicke feat Pharrell Williams and T.I. - Blurred LinesSince "Wanna love you girl" I have been a great admirer of Robin Thicke's music. The mixture of mostly Neptunes production and his sweet voice is a pleasure to listen too. With this song he steps a little away from the crooning and just wants to have fun, which you can also see in the video. I have expected a little more from the addition of T.I. and Pharrell, but the song is still a fun tune.

AlunaGeorge - Attracting FliesThe quality of AlunaGeorge's music is pretty uncommon these days with new songs popping up on the daily. They seem to take their time to cater their fans, but this ensure that every track they put out is hit-material. They have been featured on some of the hottest dance records right now like Disclosure's "White noise" and all of their solo records are extremely well executed as well. The BBC already named them the big next thing so you shouldn't miss out either!

Magic Man -ParisAh this song is such a great fit of music and title. I love this lighthearted jingle because it always takes me back to my time in the city of love and I can directly put myself back in the position of just walking around the city enjoying the sunshine while listening to tunes like this on my ipod!