The Ultimate Hip Hop Playlist (2015)

I am a sucker for old school hip hop. The classic age, the golden age between 1985 and 1995. During this period the beats were magnificent, the production fantastic and the sampling out of this world. This was a pioneering period for a new style of music that has since gone on to become one of the most popular music genres. I do not really warm to modern hip hop, I think it has been co-opted by the industry and doesn’t stand for much in terms of political or social ideas like hip hop acts of the past did. That said, not all of todays hip hop is bad and there are a few tracks that are just as good as the best from the golden age. So, with this said, I have decided to list my top twenty favorite hip hop tracks. There are several things I like in a good hip hop track. Sampling, matching fresh beats with little snippets or samples of other records to me is an essential component of hip hop, and a component that is seen less these days. Good beats, the best hip hop tracks for mine have the sickest beats and backing tracks to them. You want something to groove to when you listen to hip hop that is for sure, and good beats provide that. And, finally, lyrics that mean something, lyrics that explore social and political themes, lyrics that encapture a time or place, and that are not just about being in the club or getting drunk. So, all this considered, I reckon the songs on this list encapture nicely all that is good about hip hop and to me represent some of the best hip hop tracks.

Kurtis Blow – The Breaks (Kurtis Blow, 1980)

Grandmaster Flash and the Furous Five – The Message (The Message, 1982)

NWA – If It Ain’t Rough (Straight Outta Compton, 1988)

De La Soul – Say No Go (3 Feet High and Rising, 1989)

De La Soul – Me Myself and I (3 Feet High and Rising, 1989)

De La Soul – Eye Know (3 Feet High and Rising, 1989)

The Pharcyde – Passin’ Me By (Bizzare Ride II the Pharcyde, 1992)

Snoop Dog – Who Am I? (What’s My Name?) (Doggystyle, 1993)

Wu Tang Clan – Shame On A Nigga (Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), 1993)

Wu Tang Clan – C.R.E.A.M (Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), 1993)

Outkast – Players Ball (Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik, 1994)

Beastie Boys – Sabotage (Ill Communication, 1994)

Warren G – Regulate feat. Nate Dogg (Regulate... G Funk Era, 1994)

2Pac – California Love (All Eyez On Me, 1996)

Outkast – SpottieOttieDopaliscious (Aquemini, 1998)

Mos Def – Ms. Fat Booty (Black on Both Sides, 1999)

The Roots – The Seed (2.0) (Phrenology, 2002)

Kendrick Lamar – i (To Pimp a Butterfly, 2015)

Average Rap Band – Mother Mary (Stream of Nonsenseness, 2015)

Average Rap Band – Bending Spoons (Stream of Nonsenseness, 2015)

- Sam 

The Ultimate DJ Playlist - 2015

Ever wondered what it would be like to be a professional DJ just for one day? What would you play, what would your playlist be like? Well, I have had a think about this and have come up with my ultimate DJ playlist for one night only. In compiling this playlist, I thought about what would keep people interested, what would get people dancing, and what styles would suit a party environment. So, with this in mind, on my ultimate DJ playlist there is a mixture of dance, hip hop, R&B, soul, funk, techno and a few fusion tracks. It was a lot of fun coming up with this list and figuring out what would work well together in a playlist. DJing is not about just lumping a few random songs together or trying to please people, although you hope what you select will please people, it is about matching songs together and selecting the right mix of tracks. And, with this in mind, I feel I have managed to come up with a good three hour or so set that would be awesome to unleash for one night only.

Sam’s One Night Only Ultimate DJ Playlist

Wairunga Blues – Fat Freddy’s Drop

Step On – Happy Mondays

Blue Monday – New Order

Fools Gold – Stone Roses

Rapture – Blondie

Stylo – Gorillaz

Respect Yourself – The Staple Singers

Kiss – Prince

You Keep Me Hanging On – The Supremes

Monkey Man – Amy Winehouse

You Haven’t Done Nothing – Stevie Wonder

What’s My Name – Snoop Dog

Rose Rogue – St Germain

Let Me Ride – Dr Dre

Cortina Motors – Fat Freddy’s Drop

Funk In The Hole – Roy Ayers

California love – 2Pac

Fashion – David Bowie

Creation (Eastern LA) – Quantic presents The Western Transient

Players Ball – Outkast

Cabbage Alley – The Meters

How Do I let A Good Man Down – Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings

When You Are Who You Are – Gill Scott Heron

Dare – Gorillaz

Stoned Love – The Supremes

Lebanese Blonde – Thievery Corporation

Tutti Frutti – New Order

Rock The Casbah – The Clash

Dont Fight It Feel It – Primal Scream

The Jungle – Black Heat

Get It Together – Solar Rosa

I Know I’m Losing You  - The Temptations

I Know There’s Gonna Be Good Times – Jamie XX

Walk On By – Isaac Hayes

Mother Mary – Average Rap Band

Passing Me By – The Pharcyde

Heartbreaker – Rolling Stones

Hot Love – Leisure

Necessary Evil - UMO

Give Up The Funk – Parliament

Chameleon – Herbie Hancock

Do It Again – Steely Dan

If It Ain’t Rough – NWA

Mother Mother – Fat Freddy’s Drop 

- Sam 

Genre of the Week 4: Britpop

#GenreoftheWeek Britpop 

This week has been Britpop week at Nowhere Bros. I have been posting daily about Britpop, its history, its artists and its legacy. 

Below is a list of the songs I posted. Although it is not a definitive playlist, it is a starting point for getting into Britpop, or re-familiarizing yourself with Britpop, twenty years on. There are of course plenty more tracks out there as well. 

It has been a wonderful week posting about Britpop, and indeed reminiscing about the music of my youth. Karl is back this coming week with a new genre. Should be good... see you in a week. 

Check us out and like our page on Facebook. www.facebook.com/nowherebros

I have also created a Spotify Playlist for this weeks genre as well. Spotify/Britpop

Nowhere Bros Britpop Week Playlist 

The Smiths – “This Charming Man” (Single, 1984)

The Smiths – “Panic” (Single, 1986)

Jesus and Mary Chain – “Darklands” (Darklands, 1987)

Stone Roses – “She Bangs the Drums” (Stone Roses, 1989)

Stone Roses – “I Am The Resurrection” (Stone Roses, 1989)

The La’s – “There She Goes” (The La’s, 1990)

The La’s – “Timeless Melody” (The La’s, 1990)

Inspiral Carpets – “This Is How It Feels (Life, 1990)

Happy Mondays – “Step On” (Pills ‘n’ Thrills and Bellyaches, 1990)

Blur – “There’s No Other Way” (Leisure, 1991)

My Bloody Valentine – “Only Shallow” (Loveless, 1991)

Primal Scream – “Loaded’ (Screamadelica, 1991)

Massive Attack – “Be Thankful For What You’ve Got” (Blue Lines, 1991)

Ride – “Leave Them All Behind” (Going Blank Again, 1992)

Paul Weller – “Sunflower” (Wild Wood, 1993)

Suede – “Animal Nitrate” (Suede, 1993)

Suede – “The Drowners” (Suede, 1993)

Blur – “Chemical World” (Modern Life Is Rubbish, 1993)

Blsur – “For Tomorrow” (Modern Life Is Rubbish, 1993)

Portishead – “Roads” (Dummy, 1994)

Oasis – “Supersonic” (Definitely Maybe, 1994)

Oasis – “Liver Forever” (Definitely Maybe, 1994)

Blur – “Parklife” (Parklife, 1994)

Blur – “End Of A Century” (Parklife, 1994)

Paul Weller – “The Changingman” (Stanley Road, 1995)

Oasis – “Morning Glory” (What’s the Story Morning Glory, 1995)

Oasis – “Roll With It” (What’s the Story Morning Glory, 1995)

Oasis – “Don’t Look Back in Anger” (What’s the Story Morning Glory, 1995)

Oasis – “Champagne Supernova” (What’s the Story Morning Glory, 1995)

Blur – “Stereotypes” (The Great Escape, 1995)

Blur – “It Could Be You” (The Great Escape, 1995)

Blur – “Country House” (The Great Escape, 1995)

Pulp – “Common People” (Different Class, 1995)

Supergrass – “Alright” (I Should Coco, 1995)

Radiohead – “Just” (The Bends, 1995)

Echobelly – “Great Things” (On, 1995)

Boo Radleys – “Wake Up Boo!” (Wake Up!, 1995)

Elastica – “Waking Up” (Elastica, 1995)

Suede – “Trash” (Coming Up, 1996)

Super Furry Animals – “Something for the Weekend” (Fuzzy Logic, 1996)

Manic Street Preachers – “A Design For Life” (Everything Must Go, 1996)

The Verve – “Bitter Sweet Symphony” (Urban Hymns, 1997)

Oasis – “The Girl In The Dirty Shirt” (Be Here Now, 1997)

Radiohead – “Paranoid Android” (OK Computer, 1997)

Travis – “Why Does It Always Rain On Me?” (The Man Who, 1999)

Coldplay – “Yellow” (Parachutes, 2000)

The Libertines – “Vertigo” (Up the Bracket, 2002)

Franz Ferdinand – ‘Take Me Out” (Franz Ferdinand, 2004)

Gorillaz – “Every Planet We Reach is Dead” (Demon Days, 2005)

Oasis – “Lyla” (Don’t Believe the Truth, 2005)

Arctic Monkeys – “I Bet You Look Good On The Dance Floor” (Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not, 2006)

Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds - “Do The Damage” (Chasing Yesterday, 2015)

Blur – “Ghost Ship” (The Magic Whip, 2015)

- Sam 

Taking Stock: 2015 (halfway mark) Playlist

We are half way through the year, and what a year it has been so far for new music with some great albums released, as well as some great tunes. So I thought it would be a good time to take stock and list what has impressed me so far in 2015 both album-wise and song-wise. Along with my 2015 album and song list, I will also mention what is coming up in 2015 album-wise.

Albums

Chasing Yesterday – Noel Gallaher’s High Flying Birds

Coming Home – Leon Bridges

Currents – Tame Impala

How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful – Florence and the Machine

The Magic Whip – Blur

Multi-Love – Unknown Mortal Orchestra

Saturn’s Pattern – Paul Weller

Sound & Colour – Alabama Shakes

Songs

Ballad of the Almighty I – Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds

Can’t Keep Checking My Phone – Unknown Mortal Orchestra

Coming Home – Leon Bridges

Delilah – Florence and the Machine

Do The Damage – Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds

Don’t Wanna Fight – Alabama Shakes

Extreme Wealth and Casual Cruelty – Unknown Mortal Orchestra

Ghost Ship – Blur

Go Out – Blur

Got It Bad – Leisure 

Gunja Din – The Libertines

Hot Love – Leisure

I’m Where I Should Be – Paul Weller

Let It Happen – Tame Impala

Like-Acid Rain – Unknown Mortal Orchestra

Little Boys With Shiny Toys – Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings

Lonesome Street – Blur

Loud Places – Jamie XX

Mirrorball – Blur

My Terracotta Heart – Blur

Necessary Evil – Unknown Mortal Orchestra

Ong Ong – Blur

Over My Head – Alabama Shakes

Phoenix – Paul Weller

Pick It Up – Paul Weller

Pyongyang – Blur

Queen Of Peace – Florence and the Machine

Reality in Motion – Tame Impala

River – Leon Bridges

Scumbag City Blues – The Strypes

Ship To Wreck – Florence and the Machine

Smooth Sailing – Leon Bridges

So Good At Being In Trouble – Tyra Hammond

Sound & Colour – Alabama Shakes

The Less I Know the Better – Tame Impala

The Mexican – Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds

The Right Stuff – Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds

Thought I Was a Spaceman – Blur

Ur Life One Night – Unknown Mortal Orchestra

Written in The Water – Gin Wigmore

What’s to come in 2015

The Strypes – Little Victories (July)

The Arcs – Yours, Dreamily (September)

St Germain – St Germain (October)

Fat Freddy’s Drop – Unknown Title (October)

The Libertines – Anthems For Doomed Youth (TBA)

Leisure (hopefully an album) 

- Sam