November 2011 - Rdio Blog

Music New Music Weekly

New Music Tuesday, November 8, 2011

An overwhelming number of impassioned, dedicated musicians all have new albums out this week. Hear blues and R&B singer Etta James’s last album before retiring, along with music by multi-genre guitarist Ry Cooder, the wildly sucessful country group Rascal Flatts, nomadic singer-songwriter Cass McCombs, and opera-pop vocalists Il Divo. Iconic prog-rockers Pink Floyd are also being celebrated this week, as classic album Wish You Were Here gets the deluxe remaster treatment.

Looking for something different? 17 year-old UK crooner King Krule’s debut EP is out this week, as is the newest from Atlas Sound, the solo project of pop experimentalist Bradford Cox. For a mix of new and old, don’t forget to check out the former Oasis frontman in his new band, Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds.

Playlist Notes

Kurt Vile - So Outta Reach
Philadelphia native Kurt Vile received mass acclaim for his 2011 album Smoke Ring For My Halo. Vile’s follow-up, So Outta Reach, is out this week as an EP of songs recorded during Smoke Ring’s fertile sessions. It’s a yearend reminder just why we fell so hard for his blues-indebted guitar work and reverb-soaked sound.
Cazwell & Peaches - “Unzip Me”
Raunchy, in-your-face rapper Cazwell and the joyously filthy electro-clash Peaches make a dynamic duo. Their new single, “Unzip Me,” features both of their trademark naughty lyrics over buzz-saw bass and thumping drums. (One half of this fantastic duo is an Rdio Influencer — follow Cazwell on Rdio.)
Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds - Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds
Following the breakup of Oasis, Liam remained with the band under the name Beady Eye; Noel’s new group, The High Flying Birds, release their debut album today. Fans should need no urging to hear what Noel’s been up to, and satisfy their curiousity as to whether it lives up to his brother’s post-Oasis work.
Various Artists - The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn, Part One
The Twilight Saga continues this week with Breaking Dawn, and so does the well-received line of accompanying soundtracks. Continuing the film’s tradition of breaking new and exciting artists, this collection features songs by The Joy Formidable, Bruno Mars, and Theophilus London, among many others.
Gold Panda - DJ KiCKS
UK composer-producer Gold Panda makes his entry in the DJ KiCKS compilation series, which allows the hottest electronic artists to make album-length mixes of their favorite songs, remixes, and club edits, and to also contribute their own original tracks. Gold Panda’s micro-sampling style lends itself perfectly to this type of mix, so his entry is perfect even for those unaccustomed to the series.

∞ November 8, 2011 — 1:00PM

Exclusives Music

Comedy Exclusive: Margaret Cho’s Cho Dependent: Live In Concert

Long a cult favorite, Margaret Cho is now one of the most celebrated names in stand-up comedy. Bullied as a child, the Korean-American quickly found that her in-your-face, straight-up style of comedy, which reveled in subjects that most comedians wouldn’t dare touch, was inviting to others who’d undergone similar experiences. Her stand-up, which is often explicit in nature, takes a searing (yet thoughtful) look at topics such as substance abuse, racial stereotyping, sexuality, and her upbringing.

In 2010, Cho recorded an album of comedy songs, titled Cho Dependent, in response to the growing popularity of musical comedy by other, mostly male, comedians. The album was critically acclaimed, and earned Cho a Grammy nomination. On November 15, Cho will release Cho Dependent: Live In Concert, a live recording of the songs she released on Cho Dependent, plus a number of new stand-up segments.

You can hear an exclusive stream of Cho Dependent: Live In Concert on Rdio now.

∞ November 8, 2011 — 9:00AM

Music Recommended By Rdio

Rdio Recommends: A New Monthly Music Digest

Welcome to the first installment of Rdio Recommends, a new monthly music digest brought to you by Rdio on Rdio. Unearth hidden gems, auditory stand-outs, and the best of each month’s new musical treasures.

The first Monday of every month, we’ll review and create a playlist that reflects what we like and think you might like, composed entirely of new music from the previous month — the perfect compliment to our New Music Tuesday playlists. Rdio Recommends is a guaranteed free pass for you to discover all the cool new songs, albums and musicians before your best friends — unless of course, they are listening too.

This month features 27 of our favorite songs from October. Be surprised and delighted by what’s in store, so you can interject a good sultry soul song, catchy space-age techno experiment or just a dash of something catchy into your Heavy Rotation.

Give the first Rdio Recommends: October a listen and let us know: did you find some new favorite songs?

∞ November 7, 2011 — 11:33AM

Events

Join Rdio at Hollywood Hack Day

If you love computers, the Internet and Rdio, don’t miss this weekend’s Hollywood Hack Day in Los Angeles, California. Join your fellow hackers to create original, clever and fun things with the robust Rdio API. Rdio engineers will be on hand to say hello, answer questions and give away cool stuff (like two tickets to Noah and the Whale’s November 22nd show at the House of Blues Anaheim.)

Motivated by sweet, sweet prizes? In addition to cash for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place hacks, the best Rdio hack will win one full year of Rdio Unlimited.

∞ November 4, 2011 — 12:00PM

Exclusives Music

The One AM Radio’s Favorite Female Singer Playlist

“My favorite singers can kill you with just the sound of their voice, before you even get to the lyrics,” offers Hrishikesh Hirway, primary singer and songwriter for Los Angeles dream-pop trio The One AM Radio. That’s why he’s constructed “Forlorn Chanteuse”, an Rdio playlist celebrating his favorite female vocalists.

His band’s song, “In A City Without Seasons,” he explains, “is the first song I wrote for someone else’s voice. My bandmate Fontaine once told me about how terrible her memory is, and how she blamed the fact that every day looks alike in Los Angeles for her inability to place events in any kind of sequence. I loved that idea, and I was excited to write something that would be sung by a girl. I love Fon’s plaintive vocal quality.” Excited by how the song turned out, he began a playlist that would become “Forlorn Chanteuse,” a playlist, he notes, “of my favorite lady singers, killing me softly with their songs.”

Hear the playlist above, and check out the video for "In A City Without Seasons". Follow The One AM Radio on Rdio and don’t miss their upcoming free show at Los Angeles venue The Echo on November 7th. To learn more about the band, check out their previous blog feature, Five Questions with The One AM Radio.

∞ November 3, 2011 — 12:47PM

Events Music

Help Build the Ultimate Movember Playlist

The end of Halloween doesn’t just mean that Christmas season has begun — it’s also the beginning of Movember! No, that’s not a typo: Movember is the month during which men all over the world grow mustaches in the interest of raising money to put an end to prostate cancer and other cancers affecting men.

To celebrate and to perhaps encourage more hirsute guys to join the cause, we’ve put together a “Movember: Salute the ‘Stache” playlist of all the musical men who’ve dared to adorn their faces with handlebars, pencils, fu manchus, and other fine types of upper lip wizardry.

We’ve included tunes from famous ’staches like Queen’s Freddie Mercury, Hall and Oates, Motorhead’s Lemmy Kilmister, Lionel Richie, Rick James, Metallica’s James Hetfield, Jim Croce, Sonny Bono, Prince, Little Richard and Kings of Leon, to start.

Can you think of more songs from mustache-bearing musicians? Add them to our collaborative playlist below and start those moustaches.

∞ November 3, 2011 — 10:04AM

Exclusives Music

Eric Church Live from Nashville’s Capitol Street Party

Back in September, Nashville played host to country super-stars like Alan Jackson, Eric Church, and Eric Paslay as they performed at the Capitol Street Party. For those who missed the occasion or might want to re-live the excitement, Rdio has a series of their exclusively-recorded live sets from the event.

This week, Rdio is excited to debut Eric Church’s first live release, Live from Capitol Street Party EP. It captures his engaging live performance and shows just why Church has seen so much success since the release of his third full-length album, Chief.

In the coming weeks, we’ll have more exclusive live albums from the Nashville Capitol Street Party so keep your ears and eyes open, country music fans.

∞ November 3, 2011 — 9:00AM

Exclusives

Comedy Exclusive: Laugh Along with Mo Mandel’s The M Word

North California comedian Mo Mandel’s stock is rising quickly — his most recent successes include a leading role on NBC’s Free Agents, his own half-hour special on Comedy Central, and appearances on Modern Family, Conan, Craig Ferguson, and "Reality Bites Back." In his stand-up, Mandel uses his own uncomfortable personal experiences to unearth universally hilarious themes.

On November 8 he’ll release his first comedy album, The M Word. The collection features the comedian grappling with family issues and his own neuroses, all told in his straightforward manner.

We’ve got an exclusive stream of Mandel’s stand-up, available a week before the album’s release. Listen to The M Word now.

Love a good laugh? In the coming weeks, we’ll have more Comedy Central pre-release albums. Listen (and chuckle) a week before you can find them anywhere else.

∞ November 2, 2011 — 9:00AM

Music New Music Weekly

New Music Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Now that Halloween is behind us, we can forget the screams and settle into something a little more comfortable. There’s music for every kind of music fan to cozy up to this week.

If you enjoy a little sophistication, there’s a new album from golden-voiced UK singer Susan Boyle and a retrospective of world-inspired jazz troupe Pink Martini’s best tunes, while Washington, D.C. rapper Wale and RnB crooner Tyrese bring this week's soul. For those who like a little more edge, Florence + The Machine is back with a followup to their smash debut, and electro-pop duo Phantogram have a new EP too. Still want more? Mike Patton’s got a new disc, as do metal-heads Megadeth. And for those who just can’t wait for the holiday season, a new Christmas album from Justin Bieber should satisfy yuletide longings.

Playlist Notes

Florence + The Machine - Ceremonials
After the massive success of her debut album Lungs, Florence Welch and co. are ready to take the world by storm again with their quirky, rhythmic take on rock songwriting. Could another Grammy appearance be in the cards for this one? We wouldn’t be surprised.
Major Lazer - “Original Don”
Party-minded electronic and dance duo Major Lazer (aka DJs Diplo and Switch) release single “Original Don” this week, a track that builds slowly from a looped sample and simple horns into a thumping, dance-floor anthem.
The Black Keys - “Lonely Boy”
Still hot from last year’s smash album Brothers, blues-rock duo The Black Keys are hardly sitting still. New album El Camino will drop in December, and “Lonely Boy” is its first appetizer. Bring on the main course!
Susan Boyle - Someone to Watch Over Me
Lady-next-door turned singing sensation Susan Boyle wowed Britain, and then the world, with her charm, humility, and most importantly her gigantic singing voice. The 50 year-old is releasing her third studio album this week, featuring Boyle’s takes on classic tunes like “Unchained Melody” and the album’s namesake, “Someone to Watch Over Me.”
The Decemberists - Long Live the King
The fantasy-loving, narrative-driven indie folk troupe from Portland follow up their latest LP, The King is Dead, with an EP of gentler, folkier songs from the album's sessions.

∞ November 1, 2011 — 1:00PM

Exclusives Music

Exclusive: Listen to Owen’s Ghost Town

Mike Kinsella always had a penchant for the personal, but it really comes across in his solo act, Owen. He artfully combines his heartfelt lyrics with intertwining, gently plucked guitars. Owen’s newest album, however, finds him playing some of his loudest songs to date, as Kinsella wrestles lyrically and musically with the memory of his father. The album also features more drumming than he typically employs, as Kinsella recently returned from a reunion tour with his former band, Cap’n Jazz, for whom he played drums.

Ghost Town isn’t out for another week, but we’ve got an exclusive stream for Rdio listeners. Click Play to listen to Ghost Town now.

∞ November 1, 2011 — 9:00AM