Jukebox Corner

Sonic the Hamilton

He’s crazy, he’s been punched in the face by a chick on camera, he loves sonic hamilton and the color pink, he is never satisfied by the females who are in and out of his life, he is…Charles Hamilton. Charles Eddie-Lee Hamilton is without a doubt my favorite musical artist, from the first song I heard I instantly fell in love with his music. Charles is truly talented creating his own samples, beats and lyrics  but what I respect more about him is the emotions that lie between his rhyme book. He is one of the most conflicted African-American males when it comes to love, women and the thoughts that haunt his mind. I really feel as if he is a mirror image of me in so many ways, I guess that is why I dig him so much. The man is truly a genius but is viewed by many as a whiny punk bitch but he is more of a man because of the fact that he can express his feelings through song. He has been in the music industry for ages releasing countless mixtapes at a time. I remember he released about 7 at once and I downloaded all of them instantly.

Hamiltonization 

The mind of Charles Hamilton is more elaborate than Pan’s Labyrinth. The thoughts that swarm his head come from the fact that Charles has been through a lot. From his childhood to being alone on the NY streets, to the overuse of substances both harmful and illegal. It is only natural that his mind would be a breeding ground for demons and monsters but through his music he has found a way to tame these horrid creatures. Psychotic is what some refer to him as but names are only words unless proven.The year is 2011 and Mr. Hamilton has been absent from the underground music stream. Earlier this year he released a mixtape, but since this point nothing has been heard. The name has not even appeared in the media in ages. Charles wrote songs about his crushes on celebrities and common women alike. One particular woman is Rihanna, I believe he dedicated a whole mixtape to winning her love. As far as his success goes….we don’t know but regardless of this he is the man. Falling in love with girls left and right; he sees women for who they truly are which is a rare trait this day and age.I think if I had the opportunity to meet this man it would almost be like meeting my future self. I have had my trouble with women, racing thoughts and other things but all in all I have made it through. Instead of music, I’ve found my outlet in a pen and pad. Charles Hamilton is one of the most pivotal and intriguing musical artists that I have ever listened to. On a good day I can play his music for days at a time and not complain or skip a song. He is that great to me.

~Shining Shadows

Cheers,

~The Caterpillar

New Artist Alert: Jeff Bernat

Just like having your coffee blended with three cream and two sugars in the morning, this artist Jeff Bernat floats over this creamy beat with his smooth voice. Jeff Bernat is a Filipino singer who emerged in my world around 2011. His voice is light to the touch and softly rests on the acoustic and upbeat instrumentals playing in the background. His most recent production "The Gentleman Approach" is his big debut. On this tracklist he establishes himself as more than an indie singer, but someone who is capable of shifting the style of songs to use. His song "Moonlight Chemistry" is something I would probably play if I was out with a girl for the third time and she came back to my crib. It's smooth mellow and ever so slightly sexual lyrics are captivating but not too forceful like R. Kelly or The Weeknd. Overall keep an eye out for this artist as he will continue to produce great songs under the radar until his time comes.
His tumblr page can be found HERE 

~The Caterpillar

New Artist Alert: Kimbra

Kimbra Lee Johnson

This girl is just wow. First time I heard her voice I had to double check and see what she looked like. Not too shabby to my surprise. Regardless Kimbra is another soulful Latin (White) gal who makes her living by singing. Turns out she's Australian. But she can sing REALLY DAMN GOOD. Her voice is angelic and can switch between octaves in seconds. "Vows" her previous album was a success, there was even an Australian version with more songs. Most people have never heard of her, but in fact we have heard her. Last summer's quirky hit single, "Somebody That I Used To Know" by Gotye. She was the other voice! Exactly now that the pieces are put together you want to go listen to her right? If you don't then you're soulless and probably deserve a bullet in the foot. Not from me of course. Either way give this song a listen and then go check out "Vows"; my favorite track from her album would have to be "Two Way Street", there's just so much emotion and power in the lyrics that her voice only does the song grace.

Straight From Soundtracks: Extravaganza (Dorian Gray)

What a twisted little song we have here. Ladies and gents I present to you the theme song from the remake of the classic novel " The Picture of Dorian Gray" You can find my review of this book and movie in the RMR section. This song has devilish and hedonistic qualities that one cannot help but feel pressured to do pleasurable things. The random vocals within the background during the second breakdown almost make me wish I was at the Cirque De Solei on some sort of psychadelic drug. It trips you out until the guitar and violin begin to clash. And then it stops. You begin to come down from your high and realize how life has slowly drained from your soul. The music makes a complete 180 and becomes an inquisitive race against time and emotion. This is one novel/movie/soundtrack that you do not want to miss out on. 

~The Caterpillar

A True Hip-Hop Legend

Rest In Beats 

Jun Seba. Born February 7, 1974. Jun Seba (better known to the public as Nujabes) was one of the most influential music producers to enter the business. He was a Japanese man, taking pride in his culture and embodying it into his music. Nujabes was a soulful producer, combining the music of feudal Japan with new age jazz and hip hop. In addition Nujabes also worked with many talented underground artists such as “Shing02" and “Minmi" to produce amazing records. Using the skills of underground musicians allowed Nujabes to choose how to produce his beats instead of falling into the mainstream trap. In America he is most famous for providing background music to the anime “Samurai Champloo" which relates to his music. Nujabes died February 26, 2010 in a car accident in Shibuya.

"Samurai Champloo"

Nujabes has without a doubt some of the best music to be created during the 21st century. When you take the time to sit and listen to his tracks, all doubts worries and fears seem to flow out of your heart while beautiful melodies sneak their way into your ears. It’s as if jazz and Japanese music had a child, and that child somehow met with the child of Hip-hop then the offspring of these two children would be his music. Songs such as “Another Night", “Mystline" and my personal favorite “Battlecry" are the type of songs you would find at a local underground cabaret club. The hip-hop world suffered a terrible blow with his death. The thing that made Nujabes so great is his ability to keep his music consistent throughout his years. Most artist seem to change as times pass, but Jun Seba continued to stick to his roots and they carried him farther than he ever could have imagined. Even in the United States he had a powerful influence on today’s youth; no not the average Flocka, Wayne or Trey Songs listeners, but the underground listeners who appreciated the value of a good jazz song. These individuals are the one’s who will pay respects February 26. It’s one thing to make a good song with lyrics, but to create a masterpiece without words is something legendary in this day and age. So I catch myself staring into the sky, while listening to his music, wondering if his beats are echoing through heavens halls.

 Luv Sic 1 to 6 - Nujabes & Shing02