Cloudy with a Chance of Music at your Fingertips - MixCloud and SoundCloud

I've been seriously preoccupied with some music aggregators that just blow my mind. I'm not even sure how long MixCloud or SoundCloud have been around, but they've provided me with so much great music since I discovered them through Twitter several weeks ago.

Sharing music online is not new, and these sites aren't new either, but for our downtempo crowd, these two sites offer radio, mixes and original music with a great selection that meet our listening preferences. MixCloud offers mixes, streams and downloads from radio stations and artists you can follow, and SoundCloud is more focused on individual artists, but both are very similar.

Go to each site and type in your favorite artists, DJs or radio stations and start following them. Great sites for the music we love.

Negghead mixtape...preppin for new release on Wax On Records

Hey, click the link to go to a free download of a chilled mixtape from Negghead, one of Wax On Records' featured artists these days. They drop a new album on Tuesday, November 3 and I'm def pickin it up. Here's a video promo of a sample off the album, and the mixtape is a good mix of dub and downtempo jazz and funk, with the chilled undertones that are signature Wax On influence. Good stuff coming from Negghead...

It's random, i know, but I can't not post one of my favorite Mos Def tracks

Random night chillin w/ some YouTube favorites...

Mos Def, Eminem, Black Thought Freestyle

My buddy Nish sent me this freestyle posted on WorldStarHipHop. Mos Def is always sick, love everything he does from his downtempo soul to hip hop

Designer Drugs - Drop Down (via Penned Madness)

Listening to new Designer Drugs - Drop Down, nonstop. Beats kickin my head in and then drop down a bit, makin me dance on a beatiful sunday afternoon. I kinda want to stop watching football and working on b-school apps, this track is taking over.

Found via Hype Machine and Penned Madness (click link to see original post)

Properly Chilled Lounge Nights

Shout out to Brandon and peeps at Properly Chilled. I haven't been to his lounge night at MARE in Saratoga Springs, NY, but if I were around you gotta believe I'd be there in a second. I'll post again when the next night is coming up, but wanted to let y'all know ahead of time.

Ancient Astronauts

Holy crap its been too long. I'm back with a strong endorsement of Ancient Astronauts. AA is one of ESL Music's newest artists, and they are a downtempo treat. Hip-hop inspired beats from Germany and production and guest vocals from Pharcyde legends. Check it out: "Ancient Astronauts' debut album, titled "We Are To Answer," features a variety of new sonic collaborators including Bootie Brown and Imani of legendary hip hop group The Pharcyde, Azeem, Tippa Irie, Bajka, Phat Old Mamas, Ulf Stricker, Raashan Ahmad and Entropik. A block-rockin’ boom-bappin’ sonic tour-de-force, "We Are to Answer" is a musical vision of life on Earth and beyond!"

Nude vs. Flashbaxx

I hadn't heard of Nude before hearing Flashbaxx's downtempo take on some serious drum and bass. I've only heard Flashbaxx's original work, and their remixes of others' music stays true to their "Jack of all Trades" form. I love the way Flashbaxx takes Nude's hard hitting bass hooks and takes it down a notch to the downtempo listeners comfort zone.

I found myself appreciating not only the way Flashbaxx created chilled treats, but Nude's foundation of jungle beats was still stuck in my head. I had to listen to Nude first - and I found myself hooked on Nude for a good while. Click the link above to listen to the remixes, then click this link to listen to Nude's originals. It'll depend on your mood, but I'm lovin both versions.