music

A to Z

(A Certain) “Smile” - The Beach Boys Masterpiece Album That Never Was | Features | LIVING LIFE FEARLESS

·7 min read

(A Certain) “Smile” – The Beach Boys Masterpiece Album That Never Was

Ljubinko Zivkovic

Smile was to be the title of the 12th Beach Boys album that was to be released anywhere between January and June 1967. It was to be their masterpiece. Actually, it was supposed to be THE rock and roll masterpiece, better than anything The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix or Bob Dylan came up with. But then...it never came out.

Stars

2 Chainz - Pretty Girls Like Trap Music

·3 min read

2 Chainz – Pretty Girls Like Trap Music Reaction

Pretty Girls Like Trap Music was a welcome return to that hard trap music that made me a fan of 2 Chainz in the first place. There's some real heat on this one and his sharp wit and clever wordplay were on full display. There were some dope nods to the early 2000's trap classics and while this album doesn't quite reach that mark, it is really high quality.

A Guide to Music Technology Courses at Leading UK Universities | Other | LIVING LIFE FEARLESS

·5 min read

A Guide to Music Technology Courses at Leading UK Universities

Music technology is a booming field, from sound engineering to music production to electronic music composition, UK universities have a huge range of courses.

A Prototype Device Can Now Let People Experience Music Through their Sense of Touch | News | LIVING LIFE FEARLESS

·1 min read

A Prototype Device Can Now Let People Experience Music Through their Sense of Touch

Ljubinko Zivkovic

The device consists of an audio-tactile algorithm that, by using “tactile illusions”, renders monophonic music into tangible stimuli based on vibration.

Stars

A$AP Ferg - Still Striving

·1 min read

A$AP Ferg – Still Striving Reaction

Still Striving is a mindless, hard-hitting, turn-up mixtape that doesn't do anything to elevate A$AP Ferg's career but it will wash out the bad taste of his last album for a lot of his fans. The production is the real MVP here.

Stars

A$AP Mob - Cozy Tapes, Vol. 2: Too Cozy

·1 min read

A$AP Mob – Cozy Tapes, Vol. 2: Too Cozy Reaction

This time around on Cozy Tapes the 'friends' really take away from what could've been some interesting songs. They should've let Rocky carry the tape like the first time, instead we ended up with a couple throwaway hype tracks and not a whole lot more.

6.8

out of 10

Ab-Soul - Do What Thou Wilt.

·2 min read

Ab-Soul – Do What Thou Wilt. Reaction

Do What Thou Wilt. is a step in the right direction for Ab-Soul. It features some of his best production and sharpest lyrics in some time. Even though there are still some baffling contradictions that I guess I'm just not "woke" enough to get.

Akira Rabelais - Somewhere, In The Garden of Forking Paths | LIVING LIFE FEARLESS

·4 min read

Akira Rabelais – Somewhere, In The Garden of Forking Paths

Ljubinko Zivkovic

Akira Rabelais - a composer/software developer/project manager(?) who exudes mystery and tongue-in-cheek-references in everything he does, makes you walk through forked paths, all inspired by one of his favorite writers, Jorge Louis Borges.

4

out of 10

Alicia Keys - Here

·2 min read

Alicia Keys – Here Reaction

Here is Alicia Keys' homage to classic hip-hop and the essence of New York. It's still her tried and true sound of a girl and her piano, but with a lot more grit and edge. Her vocals are as strong as ever as she continues this trend of black consciousness and culture. She's the definition of consistent greatness.

·1 min read

All Axcess On LLF

We just announced our collaboration with Axcess, hip-hop artist out of the mid-west, leading all the way up until his...

An Isolated Track, a Whole Album: The 1975's "The 1975" | Features | LIVING LIFE FEARLESS

·4 min read

An Isolated Track, a Whole Album: The 1975’s “The 1975”

The first track is the first step, and it’s a call to consider the albums as a whole, starting with a built-in artist’s statement, a love letter from The 1975 to us.

7.8

out of 10

Apollo Brown & Skyzoo - The Easy Truth

·2 min read

Apollo Brown & Skyzoo – The Easy Truth Reaction

The Easy Truth is hip-hop in it's purest form with Apollo Brown taking us through a master class of producing and sampling, and Skyzoo taking each track through a lyrical exercise. It's a beautiful, refreshing album that shows exactly why Apollo Brown is one of my all-time favorites.

7.3

out of 10

2 Chainz - Daniel Son; Necklace Don

·2 min read

2 Chainz – Daniel Son; Necklace Don Reaction

Daniel Son; Necklace Don is the best 2 Chainz project in years. This is him at his best, with some hard hitting production and slick, witty lyrics that he's become known for. Don't write off 2 Chainz just yet.

Stars

A Boogie wit da Hoodie - The Bigger Artist

·1 min read

A Boogie wit da Hoodie – The Bigger Artist Reaction

A Boogie wit da Hoodie has created quite the buzz and many have crowned him the future of NY hip-hop. But if this generic mess of a debut is the best he has to offer then that future isn't looking so bright.

A Norwegian Company Is Building A Doomsday Vault For Humanity's Wealth Of Music | News | LIVING LIFE FEARLESS

·1 min read

A Norwegian Company Is Building A Doomsday Vault For Humanity’s Wealth Of Music

Ljubinko Zivkovic

The doomsday vault is being established to preserve the world's musical treasures and is to be located on an arctic island between the North Pole and Norway.

9.8

out of 10

A Tribe Called Quest - We Got It From Here...Thank You 4 Your Service

·2 min read

A Tribe Called Quest – We Got It From Here…Thank You 4 Your Service Reaction

We Got It From Here is about as close to musical perfection that you can get. Tribe manages to do the nearly impossible of being both nostalgic and modern at the same time. It's an absolute tour de force in all areas: production, lyrics, and guest features. Just wow!

7.2

out of 10

A$AP Mob - Cozy Tapes, Vol. 1: Friends

·1 min read

A$AP Mob – Cozy Tapes, Vol. 1: Friends Reaction

Cozy Tapes is everything that's made A$AP so popular in the first place. As a whole, it's their best sounding tape to date as they seem more confident and comfortable than ever. It's really Rocky and friends, with Ferg, Ant, and Nast only getting spots here and there, but it makes for a better flowing album.

Stars

A$AP Twelvyy - 12

·1 min read

A$AP Twelvyy – 12 Reaction

A$AP Twelvyy's debut won't make him a household name or the Mob's next breakout artist but it's a very solid project that really captures that NY feel and at the least make him a respected act in the industry. A solid start to a long delayed career.

Stars

Action Bronson - Blue Chips 7000

·1 min read

Action Bronson – Blue Chips 7000 Reaction

Blue Chips 7000 will represent a return to form for many of Bronson's fan. It's chock full of phenomenal cinematic production, vivid imagery rich lyricism, and quotables for days. It plays things fast and loose and Action Bronson is absolutely razor sharp throughout.

Alex Chilton - The Letter From The Other Side of Success | Features | LIVING LIFE FEARLESS

·7 min read

Alex Chilton – The Letter From The Other Side of Success

Ljubinko Zivkovic

How do you go from a #1 hit and being one of the most successful so-called blue-eyed soul artists and considered the progenitor of power pop by ecstatic critics, to never really making a success story out of it, to a patchy solo career and odd-jobs, then back to being a producer and musical encyclopedia of rock and roll, to almost fully rehabilitating your career by the end? Well, you would have to ask Alex Chilton, the man from Memphis who went through all of that - that is, if he were still with us.

Stars

Alison Wonderland - Awake Reaction | Reactions | LIVING LIFE FEARLESS

·1 min read

Alison Wonderland – Awake Reaction

Alison Wonderland's sophomore effort is a crazy mix of wide ranging sounds that kept me on my toes throughout, not really knowing what to expect next. I'm not the biggest EDM fan but I really enjoyed her brand of music and I never would have guessed that someone could make me like a Chief Keef EDM song as much as I did.

Stars

Allan Kingdom - LINES

·2 min read

Allan Kingdom – Lines Reaction

Allan Kingdom's major debut may not be particularly groundbreaking but it is still a very strong first offering that manages to push the envelope of what is modern hip-hop that much more. With shades of Cudi, he's got a bright future ahead of him.

Stars

Apollo Brown & Planet Asia - Anchovies

·1 min read

Apollo Brown & Planet Asia – Anchovies Reaction

Artists are continuing to line up to work with Apollo Brown and for good reason. His sampling is on another level and his lush, soulful production is exceptional as always. Anchovies isn't my favorite project of his but I'll take as much Apollo Brown production as I can get.

Stars

Arcade Fire - Everything Now

·1 min read

Arcade Fire – Everything Now Reaction

Arcade Fire has delivered a mixed bag with Everything Now. There are some really great moments of synth heavy pop-rock here that get undercut by poor songwriting and flat messaging, despite their noble intents.

Load More