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How Flea Plays Bass
Flea helped bring the funk to an entire generation with the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Drawing on the likes of Larry Graham, Flea melded slap bass with punk, and went on to become one of the most influential bassists in the modern era.
One More Light / Linkin Park
Linkin Park's latest album One More Light comes at the hardest possible time for the group. Lead vocalist Chester Bennington's death weighs heavily on the album, and the material seems strangely prescient in light of what happened. Created from live and archival footage, Linkin Park pays tribute to Chester in the video for "One More Light".
Robots vs Music
Anything humans can do, robots can do better — with more speed, accuracy, and less cost. The good thing is that, in most cases, they still need our help, but even that is rapidly changing. Composer Nigel Stanford hired a fleet of KUKA industrial robots to play on his latest work, and they performed perfectly — almost too perfectly.
The Triplet Flow
The "Migos flow" is everywhere — and if you're like Snoop and don't really care much for it, it probably isn't going anywhere anytime soon. Vox looks at the triplet flow, where it came from, and the group that sent it into the pop music stratosphere.
John Carpenter / Christine
Director John Carpenter's upcoming album Anthology: Movie Themes 1974-1998 is a collection of themes from his career in film. The video for "Christine" features the homicidal 1958 Plymouth Fury in all its glory, as John drives through the city at night.
Radiohead / Lift
Elevators are strange places. A previously unreleased recording, "Lift" is featured on the 20th anniversary OK Computer retrospective OKNOTOK.
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Casper Wave
The result of three years of research and millions of data points, the Casper Wave is a breakthrough in mattress design. Underneath its handsome exterior, you'll find the new, proprietary Natural Geometry System. It uses five layers of foam to mimic the natural contours of your body at 36 specific points, adjusting naturally to your shoulders and hips without sacrificing support, and keeping your spine properly aligned. Like the original, it uses open-cell foams to keep you cool at night. Designed and assembled in the USA.
Presented by Casper.
RXBar
Protein bars usually contain as much sugar as a doughnut and have an ingredient list that requires a doctorate to pronounce. RXBARs are different. With no more than eight ingredients, each bar contains only real, whole foods and delivers 12g of quality protein without any added sugar. At the core of every bar is a mixture of egg whites, fruits, and nuts — which they print right on the front of the package — and each of their 12 flavors are gluten-, soy-, and dairy-free. Our favorites are Chocolate Sea Salt, Blueberry, and Peanut Butter, but we recommend starting with the best seller pack, which comes with six of their top selling flavors. Keep a few of these in your gym bag, office drawer, and kitchen pantry for when you need a snack and resist the urge to scarf a candy bar.
Presented by RXBAR.
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Ending with a Fade Out
It's the laziest move in music — ending with a fade out. Don't know how to end a song? Fade it out. Someone else writing the songs you're playing? Fade it out. It's a technique that only came around with the advent of the recording console, and Vox thinks it should make a comeback.
Look What You Made Me Do Metalcore Cover
It's only been two days since Taylor Swift released her latest single, and like most of her songs, it has become an instant hit with the video racking up over 50 million views already. But the guys from One More Slice thought they could improve upon the dance-pop melodies by replacing her vocals with some heavy metal screams and creating their own Metalcore version. We dig it.
Camera Tricks of Humble
The video for Kendrick Lamar's "Humble" has as much thought and attention to detail as the song itself. Besides the thought-provoking imagery, the Little Homies production team used some interesting camera shots to great effect. Here's a breakdown of what they used to get the trick camera shots in "Humble".
Game of Thrones Theme on the Gayageum
The season finale of Game of Thrones is fast approaching. Korean gayageum hero Luna Lee marks the occasion with an arrangement of composer Ramin Djawadi's theme on the traditional Korean instrument — and the army of the dead marches on.
Repairing Willie Nelson's Trigger
There's hardly a guitar that's been rode as hard and put away wet as Willie Nelson's iconic Trigger. Willie's Martin N-20 has seen thousands of stages and bears the signatures of over 100 of Willie's friends and fellow performers. Luthier Mark Erlewine has been taking care of Trigger for years and gives an up close look at the famous guitar during a recent repair.
That Mistake That Created the Sound of the 80s
Mistakes have led to some of the most important discoveries in human history: X-rays, the microwave, and that ubiquitous 80s gated reverb drum sound. From Phil Collins to hair metal to synth pop, that strange, unnatural drum sound defined the decade. Vox explains how a happy accident led to a sound that was popular then and is making a comeback now.
Boy and Bear
Christopher Robin and Winnie the Pooh have enjoyed one of the longest friendships in the history of friends. This ethereal remix by Pogo puts a dreamy spin on the two pals with clips from Pooh's Grand Adventure.
The National / Carin at the Liquor Store
The National has released a new video for "Carin at the Liquor Store" from their upcoming album Sleep Well the Beast. A hazy ballad about someone you saw every day but didn't have the gumption to talk to. And then, years later and thousands of miles away, you wonder what's happened to them. Sleep Well the Beast is out September 8, 2017. Pre-order the record here.
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James Brand x Uncrate County Pocket Knife
The James Brand is a small team trying to do big things — something we understand very well at Uncrate. They're all about the details. They're aiming to build a longstanding company. And they're designing knives that they want to carry themselves. We knew all of this before we approached them to do a limited edition knife, and we also knew they'd knock it out of the park. The James x Uncrate County Knife is the result of our collaboration.
Built in the James Brand HQ in Portland, our edition gets the obligatory blacked-out styling, while retaining all of the utility and usefulness of your favorite pocket knife. The knife features beautiful ebony wood inlays, a black PVD-coated Sandvic 12C27 steel blade, black PVD-coated 416 steel handles, and a custom black paracord lanyard for easy retrieval. With a blade length of 2.5-inches and a clip-less design, the County knife will live in your pocket undetected — both by you and by anyone who thinks you shouldn't be carrying one. Ships free within 24 hours.
Light Phone
We're all guilty of mindlessly staring at our smartphones instead of taking the time to view the real world in front of us. The Light Phone, now off of pre-order and available for immediate shipment, acts as a temporary replacement to your existing phone, giving you a break from social media feeds and news notifications, while still keeping a sleek device in your pocket for those old-fashioned "phone calls".
The Light Phone arrives with its own SIM as an unlocked 2G GSM phone that's ready to be used right of out the box (which in this case is actually a special hardbound book). So along with your new number, you'll mostly want to use call forwarding from your fancy smartphone. You get three free months of service, and then it's only $5 a month afterwards (U.S. only).
Roughly the shape of a credit card and only a bit thicker, you'll forget you have a phone with you until you really need one. A beautiful and extremely user-friendly web-based interface let's you add up to 10 contacts for quick dialing. In our own usage, the battery lasts a few days on a single charge. Available in white or black, the Light Phone's minimal design is an instant classic, and surely makes Jonny Ive envious.
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The Shins / Half A Million
The Shins latest video from their 2017 album Heatworms is a stop-motion affair — but not like any stop-motion you've ever seen. Made by LAMAR+NIK, the entire video was filmed on a white backdrop. Then, over 5,000 stickers were cut from almost 5,000 frames to create the animation.
Chance the Rapper Tiny Desk Concert
24-year-old Chicago hip-hop phenom Chance the Rapper stopped by the Tiny Desk for a surprise performance. NPR staffers filled a stairwell to hear him, and he had a special track to share — a poem he'd written on the way from the hotel. Chance's laid-back songs and candid manner make this one of the most intimate Tiny Desk's ever.
Adam Savage Visits Third Man Records
It's been over 30 years since new record pressing equipment was installed anywhere in the United States. That changed with the opening of Third Man Records in Detroit, Michigan. Started by Jack White, Third Man records, presses, and creates merch for artists on the label — all in-house. Adam Savage visited Third Man in Detroit, recorded a song, and watched the entire process from recording to record pressing.
The Click
Percussionist Greg Ellis has a problem with music. The mechanization of music, starting with the modern metronome in over 200 years ago, has robbed it of its soul. With tools like computers and the ability to sample or autotune anything and make it perfect, the nuance and artistry of music are being lost. In interviews with some of the best percussionists in the world, Greg Ellis is out to make the case against soulless sounds.
The Musical Illusion of Radiohead's Videotape
Thom Yorke made a mistake. Thom got lost trying to play Radiohead's "Videotape" at a concept in London — and unknowingly set off a firestorm of speculation among Radiohead fans. Warren Lain, musician and music teacher, put together a 38-minute video on the subject of "Videotape" being syncopated — in a really strange way. This is the story of a seemingly simple song with a not-so-simple rhythm.
Why John Bonham is One of the Best Drummers Ever
Ginger Baker, Kieth Moon, and John Bonham — the three pillars of rock drumming royalty. Without them, there would be no trope of the crazy drummer, and Animal from the Muppets wouldn't exist. Polyphonic takes a closer look at the best part of Led Zeppelin, and why John is one of the greatest to ever take a seat on the drum throne.
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Patrick Carney's High Standards Music Corner
Patrick Carney hates music. He's in a band that you might have heard of — the Black Keys — and probably doesn't even like their music either. Patrick totally destroys some of contemporary pop's biggest stars in this collection of segments from VICE news.
Action Bronson / The Chairman's Intent
Action Bronson has a new album, a new single, and a new haircut. The wonderfully retro video for "The Chairman's Intent" has Action and his new blonde locks taking justice to the streets — and even performing his own stunts. Blue Chips 7000 releases August 25, 2017, and is available for preorder now.
Dunkirk and the Shepard's Tone
Mario 64, alien spaceship sounds, and Christopher Nolan's Dunkirk all have something in common: creating tension through sound via a technique called Shepard's tone. Shepard's tone gives the illusion of rising or falling, without ever getting louder, quieter, or changing pitch — and it's one of Nolan's favorite ways to create tension.
When Eminem Met Dre
When Dre met Eminem. It's a story that could have been a sitcom — white kid from Detroit meets West Coast rap legend, and the rest is another chapter in hip-hop history. The Defiant Ones features interviews with rapper and entrepreneur Dre and legendary producer Jimmy Iovine, along with the likes of Eminem, Gwen Stefani, Trent Reznor, and Bruce Springsteen. The four-part series premieres on HBO July 9, 2017.
Run The Jewels / Don't Get Captured
Power is made to be abused. El-P and Killer Mike drive the point home as they take a claymation ride through a carnival of horrors where those with the money crush those without. "Don't Get Captured" is directed by Chris Hopewell, who also worked with Radiohead on "Burn the Witch".
Jay-Z / The Story of O.J.
Jay-Z pulls no punches in the powerful first single from his latest album 4:44. Watch and listen.
Action Bronson / Let Me Breathe
Part music video and part making of, Action Bronson has just dropped the visuals to his latest single "Let Me Breathe". As you can see, the rapping chef had a heavy hand in bringing this video to life, choreographing a troupe of dancing dads. Although the concept remains unknown — maybe even to Bronson himself — it is still a sight to behold. The song comes off the upcoming album Blue Chips 7000, the final installment in the Blue Chips. series.
How Kendrick Lamar Collaborates
Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg. Kanye and Jay-Z. Eminem and Dr. Dre. The hip-hop world is full of great musical collaborations. Kendrick Lamar is no exception, although his collaborations come in a visual form. Using his latest music video "Element", Evan Puschak breaks down the visuals through his directorial collaborations with photographers Jonas Lindstroem and Gordon Parks.
