Mix: Goodbye Summer

Here's a short and sweet mix to mark the end of what has been a great summer. Goodbye humid weather, hello.....schoolwork. I'm headed back to Minnesota on Saturday for another year of midwestern education - along with months of bone-chilling, teeth-rattling, snot-freezing cold. You won't hear from me until I'm settled in - until then, enjoy!

Haikuesque (When She Laughs) - Bibio

Eat Street - People Under the Stairs

In The Summertime - The Rural Alberta Advantage

Evelyn - Dabrye

I'm Not (Phaseone Remix) - Panda Bear

-Chris

Days Like These

People Under the Stairs make music that's made for the summertime. Seriously, invest in one or two of their albums, you may end up listening to them and only them 'til this winter. O.S.T. and Stepfather are classics, I seriously can't plug them enough.

Today was one of those perfect summer days. The northeast has been doused with rain for weeks, and we all needed the sunshine. Here are two songs from People Under the Stairs, exactly what you need to start your Saturday night off right. Who wants to have a barbeque??

People Under the Stairs - Days Like These
People Under the Stairs - Jamboree Pt. 1

Amazon / iTunes

-Chris

...And So The Warm Weather Begins

Today in St. Paul Minnesota, the temperature is 61 degrees. Holy crap. After a winter of demoralizing length and frigidity, this beautiful weather feels even more amazing. The sun is finally warm and all of my winter layers can be left in the closet. With thoughts of summer, I've decided to post two of my favorite hip-hop songs in my library. They're from the independent Los Angeles rap-duo , People Under the Stairs. These guys are true old-school. They construct their beats using strictly old records, and never keyboards. Even better, they rap almost exclusively about enjoying life with family and friends, a refreshing message. Check out their newest album here. Take a drive in the sun, take a listen to these songs.

People Under the Stairs - Empty Bottles of Water
People Under the Stairs - The Suite For Beaver Part 2
Amazon / iTunes

-Chris

Album Review: Fun DMC

Here at f/k, People Under the Stairs are one of our favorite hip-hop groups. They are a duo from Los Angeles that has quietly been making great old school hip-hop records since the late nineties. The closest thing they have to a hit is their song "Acid Raindrops," a song that highlighted their raps about partying and just hanging out. Fun DMC is their new record; it was released in September of '08.

You can always count on People Under the Stairs for fun party music, and on Fun DMC, it's more of the same. For the most part, they don't rap about social issues or any intense subject matter. They don't talk about guns, hos, or their new gold teeth. They are an independent group that is all about staying true to old school hip-hop traditions. There are no choruses, just straight flow laid over vintage samples that are taken from old soul records. In an industry dominated by egomaniacal prophets and over-the-top clowns, this group is refreshing and genuine. Listen to "Anotha BBQ" from the new record and see what you think. If you like it, check 'em out at their myspace. I hope you enjoy.

Anotha BBQ - People Under the Stairs: mp3

People Under the Stairs - MySpace Page

-Chris