Going into this article, I had this idea of finding local musicians around the US and writing about them one at a time. As a student at the University of Florida, I’m fully immersed in the local scene, so I’ve found some really great local musicians. And, as a budding journalist, I had hoped to share these awesome local musicians with the world. My personal favorite Gainesville local is Morningbell. I bought their newest album at their show a few weeks ago (best $10 I’ve ever spent) and have been listening nonstop. Now, sitting down to write this article, I found that Morningbell has obtained national attention. They’ve played Bonnaroo, they played this year’s SXSW, they’ve been featured in Blender Magazine, on Pitchfork.com, and they’ve released 4 albums. (They also have a side project called Shitty Beatles which just plays incredible Beatles covers in Gainesville.) The reason I had no idea about all of this is because they really are Gainesville locals. They play shows almost weekly, they hang out with people in Gainesville, and they play shows at the university that are free to the public. They also don’t brag that they’re bigger than Gainesville, which is always a good thing. But the truth is, they’re amazing.

Morningbell is a psychedelic rock band that’s vivacious and ready for a party. Every song has a unique drum beat, an individual sound, and a succulent vibe. Their sounds make you taste the rainbow more than Skittles ever has or ever will. They use hard-hitting, vivacious sounds to suck in their listeners and keep you hanging on with sweet vocals. They could even be called white boy funk… That might just be my analysis.

But there’s no doubt, you just gotta get up to get down with Morningbell.

If you’re looking for something that makes you jump around like the Mad Hatter, take three minutes and listen to this band. You won’t be disappointed.

You can purchase their most recent album, Sincerely, Severely on iTunes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=laZjTqxACj0

What to say about Die Antwoord… This group of rappers, DJs, and singers is creating the most ridiculously strange dance/rap music of all time. First of all, it isn’t all in English, they choose Afrikaans instead. When they do decide to speak English, it’s almost completely unintelligible. With names like Ninja, Yo-Landi, and DJ Hi-Tek and lines like, “Be my samurai.” or “This is like, the coolest song I ever heard.”, you can’t help but love this group. They fill the niche we didn’t even know existed: weird foreign dance rap! It’s new, it’s innovative, it’s… well, it’s just plain odd. But just take my word that you’ll be so happy listening to them that you won’t be able to sit still. You’ll be up dancing with me as soon as you hear DJ Hi-Tek’s “next level beats”.

Despite the total ridiculousness of everything they do, Die Antwoord has beats that are curiously awesome. Ninja’s Dizzy Rascal-esque raps, Yo-Landi’s high-pitched, eerie, childlike voice, and DJ Hi-Tek’s beats come together to form this crazy, strange, non-stop party. It’s like, Dance Dance Revolution meets South Africa meets the hood. All you want to do is figure out what they’re talking about and when you can’t do that, you just have to join in and party with them.

The best thing about Die Antwoord is how absolutely serious they are about what they’re doing. At the beginning of their album, Ninja says, “I represent South African culture…I’m like all these different things, all these different people fucked into one person.” From what they say in their lyrics and the way they act in their videos, I’m pretty sure Die Antwoord thinks they’re the best thing since sliced bread. The sad thing is, I might have to agree. Listening to Die Antwoord will make you want to giggle and dance around and possibly punch something/someone… but don’t hurt anyone. Just enjoy the ridiculousness of it all and grin because the Ninja will always protect you.

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British producer, singer, rapper, and political activist M.I.A. has just released the music video to her latest single, “Born Free”. The new song is a departure from M.I.A.’s dance classics that we’ve come to know and love (Bamboo Banga, Boyz, Paper Planes, and Amazon come to mind). As soon as I heard “Born Free,” I thought that the track sounded more like a punk-rock song with its jarring guitar riffs and muffled vocals. After a little digging, I realized that the song samples “Ghost Rider“ by the 70’s synthpunk duo Suicide. Talk about obscure.

Anyway, the content of the video itself is rather disturbing; US police round up all the red-headed kids in the city and cart them off into the desert to be killed. One part of the video depicts a young kid getting shot in the head at point blank range. Later, we see a bomb explode and kill yet another kid. It’s apparent that this video is a metaphor for what’s currently happening between the Palestinians and the Israeli Defense Forces. Most Americans view the conflict between the Palestinians and Israelis in the Middle East with apathy. But, when you substitute an unknown flag for an American flag, and dark-skinned people with light-skinned people, it becomes much more jaw-dropping. M.I.A. definitely has a controversial video on her hands, and that’s exactly what she wanted.

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Ben & Jerry’s has yet again succeeded in combining two of my most favorite things: ice-cream and music.

Bonnaroo Buzz is, and I quote, “Light coffee and malt ice creams with whiskey caramel swirls and english toffee pieces.”
Seriously? This is beyond delicious.

This collaboration allows more cash flow to the Bonnaroo Works Fund, in which they promote, initiate and fund philanthropic undertakings.

If you’re headed to Bon Bon 2010 (you lucky duck), grab a taste at the festival! If not, get yourself to a Scoop Shop on May 4th to attend the Flavor Release party from 5 to 7 pm where there will be music from ‘Roo artists, prize giveaways, and free samples of the new flavor. If you refrain from showering a few days before hand, wear close to nothing and get your hands on some molly, it’ll almost be like the real thing.

Haven’t seen the Bonnaroo lineup yet? Check it out here!

Nothing says summer like good music and good ice cream (unless your lactose intolerant, in which case Ben & Jerry’s has your back with the sorbet)!

The winner of SXSW’s Best Music Video 2010 was Cinnamon Chasers’ “Luv Deluxe.” The video chronicles the misadventures of a young couple as they journey out west to the San Francisco area. It totally reminds me of that movie the Butterfly Effect. Watch, and you’ll see what I mean.

Awesome video, great song. This definitely turned me onto the Cinnamon Chasers.

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