Just because it's brilliant...

The Smiths - You've Got Everything Now (Live at the Hacienda)

The Roots - Live on Jimmy Fallon (Mixtape)

For those that don't know, The Roots are currently acting as the house band on Jimmy Fallon's chat show in the US.

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This mixtape is... well I'll let Shake of 2DB tell it... "a nice little collection of performance clips from Late Night w/ Jimmy Fallon. Ludacris, Clipse, Wale, Q-Tip, 50 Cent, Raekwon, Goodie Mob, Black Star, Public Enemy and more rocking with the legendary Roots crew! Something for the fans to vibe to." Indeed.

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Late Night with The Roots (mixtape)

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link via 2dopeboyz.

Top Cat - RIP

Top Cat is dead.

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Top Cat voice Arnold Stang dies aged 91 (via BBC News)

Camp Lo - Oodles of O's (De La Soul Tribute) mp3

Camp Lo (of 'Luchini' fame) cover a De La Soul classic from their 'De La Soul is Dead' album.

This is part of a tribute mixtape called 'Le Da Soul', put together by Mick Boogie, Terry Urban, Lemar & Dauley, to celebrate 20 years of De La Soul putting out Grade A music.

You can d/l the full mixtape by clicking HERE.

Mike Jack - This Is It mp3

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Michael Jackson - This Is It mp3

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It is what it is. Get this fast, can't see the link lasting long. Joe has got to get that cash!

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zshare link swacked from eskay

Thom's Supergroup

Thom Yorke has pulled together a supergroup of sorts, including Flea and a chap from REM. Naturally, Nigel Godrich is also on board as a producer. A gig in LA acted as a rehearsal at the weekend...

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"Flea, who began the evening playing nonchalantly off to the side of the stage, gradually moved toward centre stage, sharing the spotlight with Yorke while jamming on his bass guitar. At one point in the evening, a member of the audience shouted, "Play some Skynyrd!" Yorke responded by flashing both middle fingers, saying, "You think I should be playing Stone Temple Pilots too?"

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Hmmmm. NME have the full story.

Radiohead - These Are My Twisted Words mp3

Another new Radiohead track (after the Harry Patch tribute of a few weeks back).

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These Are My Twisted Words mp3

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mp3 link supplied by stereogum

Jay-Z's rock & roll cover art

Jay has gone all Coldplay for the cover of his new album.

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Some eagle-eyed music bloggers have suggested that this is effectively an amalgamation of a cover by the Secret Machines and some imagery from U2's last album. Click the links and see what you think.

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For what it's worth, I like it a alot. It's a darn sight more creative than most Hip Hop album covers, and without question it's 100 times better than a close up of Mr. Z wearing a Yankees baseball hat. Track list below. I'm keen to hear Jay and MGMT on the same track, although form the 'additional production' credit, I imagine that Kanye has sampled a huge chunk of one of their tracks and been forced to include them as assistant producers.

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1. What We Talking About (Produced by Kanye West)

2. D.O.A. (Produced by No I.D.)

3. Weigh Me Down Feat. Kid Cudi (Produced by Kanye West)

4. Unforgiven (Produced by Kanye West, Additional Production: MGMT)

5. Run This Town Feat. Rihanna & Kanye West (Produced by Kanye West)

6. Empire State Of Mind Feat. Nas (Produced by Kanye West & No I.D.)

7. When It Comes To This (Produced by Timbaland)

8. Always Feat. Drake (Produced by Kanye West)

9. Scenes From The Past (Produced by No I.D., Co-produced by Kanye West)

10. Everyday A Star Is Born Feat. Mr. Hudson (Produced by Kanye West)

11. Already Home (Produced by Kanye West)

12. Forever Young Feat. Mr. Hudson (Produced by Kanye West)

13. Thank You (Produced by No I.D.)

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Bonus Tracks:

14. Sound Of The 70s (Produced by Kanye West)

15. We Made History (Produced by Kanye West)

Wu-Tang Clan - The Lego Chamber

This is funny. It must have been painstaking to produce, because at times it is a shot-for-shot perfect remake of the original 'Mystery Of Chessboxin' video by the Wu (all the way back in '93).

Further Reading on eb: Wu-Tang Office

Beastie Boys - New Album Cover, Track List & mp3

New album from the Beasties, Hot Sauce Committe Part 1, coming September 15th. Is that really Ad-Rock on the right? Looks nothing like him...

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Tadlock's Glasses
B-Boys In The Cut
Make Some Noise
Nonstop Disco Powerpack
OK
Too Many Rappers (featuring Nas)
Say It
The Bill Harper Collection
Don't Play No Game That I Can't Win (featuring Santigold)
Long Burn The Fire
Bundt Cake
Funky Donkey
Lee Majors Come Again
Multilateral Nuclear Disarmament
Pop Your Balloon
Crazy Ass Shit
Here's A Little Something For Ya

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Too Many Rappers mp3 courtesy of nahright

Erykah & The Roots - I Wanna Be Where You Are (MJ Cover)

Badu and Questlove's legendary Roots Crew cover MikeJack's early 70's classic.

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I Wanna Be Where You Are mp3

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Michael Jackson Tribute Mags - The Good, The Bad and OK!

Time magazine cashing in with a special Commemorative Issue, released separately to their normal magazine. I get the feeling MJ would have liked this cover.

OK! chose to cover their 'tribute issue' with the last photograph taken of Michael, showing him being rushed to hospital, either moments from death or dead already (as he had stopped breathing at home, before the ambulance was called). This horrid cover made news across the globe. Elliott Wilson called it 'shameful'. I agree 100%. Rumours are circulating that the magazine paid $500,000 for the photo, but the cost to OK! could be far greater, as the complaints are literally streaming in from UK and US readers unhappy at the magazine's flagrant disregard for taste. Not that they've ever been known for their high standards in that department...

A cooler, throwback image from the 70's chosen by New York's The Village Voice. I think this is how most of us would like to remember Michael. Off The Wall was just about to come out, and his future was not yet determined. If only he had a friend who could have kept him on the right track.

A classic image of Michael, and classy monotone colours make this an attractive collectors edition of the world famous US music mag Rolling Stone. No silver glove on display, but the short trousers and contrasting socks are present.

Meth & Red - Miss International feat. Erick Sermon

DAMN! I'm still reeling from MJ going.

Anyway, this is some light hearted fun.

The song is okay, the video is aiight (that's 'aiight', alright?). You know who Method Man is, and you know who Redman is. If you don't, get the fuck off this blog and never come back.

This also features the Green Eyed Bandit, E-Double, emcee/producer Erick Sermon of EPMD (I'll give you young dudes who don't know your classic NY Hip Hop from the 80's/early 90's a pass on that... "when I come around homeboy watch your nugget, a master of the beatdown, my style's rugged").

Farrah Fawcett

Farrah Fawcett died today of that evil bastard disease that I can't bring myself to mention.
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Ms Fawcett was a legend, for a number of reasons (beautiful, married the 6 Million Dollar Man, beautiful, was in Charlie's Angels, beautiful, etc).
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Ta-ra Farrah. Take it easy up there.

Maxwell - This Woman's Work mp3

This is not a leak. This is not a new remix. It's just brilliant.

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There is a live version of this track (which, obviously, is a cover of the Kate Bush classic) that blows this studio version to bits. You can find that version on Maxwell's MTV Unplugged album. I compel you to search high and low (or maybe just iTunes) for it if you like this version.

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Jay-Z - D.O.A. mp3 / Funk Flex & Mister Cee @ Hot97

Death of Autotune. It needed saying...

'Get back to rap, you're T-Paining too much!'

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From the forthcoming album 'Blueprint 3', produced by No I.D. (Kanye West's mentor). The guitar sample is superb. The horn break is amazing.

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And the release of this is a BIG DEAL. For Jay-Z fans obviously, but also for Hip Hop fans who hate the way the music/culture is going. If you need to understand how much of a big deal this is, check out the footage below of Flex and Cee on Hot97 in NYC. When they hear their namecheck around the 3:27 mark, Cee gets so excited he starts shaking. Funny.

And when Jay takes a pop at rival station Z100 (at 6:40), Flex has some fun at their expense.

Scorsese + Frank = A great fit

Martin Scorsese has signed up to direct a Frank Sinatra biopic being produced by Universal/Mandalay Pictures.

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What a great fit. The only thing I'm wondering is... how is he going to crow-bar in his obligatory Rolling Stones song on the soundtrack? That might be trickier than casting the lead role...

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Click HERE for a gratuitous youtube clip of the best section of Goodfellas. Just because...

Radiohead - True Love Waits (Live) mp3

Just because it's a brilliant, brilliant, goose-bump inducing song, and I'm in that kind of mood.

If this doesn't do it for you, check your pulse... you may be dead.

Prince + Q-Tip = Goodness

This may not or may not be your thing, but you have to love the fact these two are working together.

Liam Gallagher launches 'Pretty Green'

Liam launched a clothing label this week.

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Named after a track by The Jam, Pretty Green will, according to its press release " Encapsulate the style and swagger of the most iconic front man of our generation". No matter what you think of my fellow Burnage-bred, sun-sheeeeiiiine singing arrogance machine, he is the best front man since Kurt Cobain (anyone who says Axl Rose, fuck off now). Style wise, he's missed as much as he's hit, but this line will be heavily mod influenced, which is a safe bet.

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I'm looking forward to seeing the sample images... I'd have money on the coats being excellent.