Stupid stupid stupid snow. Snow’s always just coming into my life, ruining my plans, and then disappearing as though it was never there.

Last night I was supposed to go see Hoodie Allen in Philly and this young man, Tayyib Ali, was going to be one of his opening acts. But the show got cancelled due to the snow and Hoodie being trapped in NYC. When I first heard who the opening acts were, I looked into them a little. Tayyib is an 18 year old emcee out of Philly and has at least 3 mixtapes that I can find with his most recent being Eighteen. His lyrics are creative, fun, and witty, which is really what you need in the time of new emcees like Hoodie Allen and Chiddy Bang. Of course it helps, he’s kinda got the looks of Pharrell.

Here are two selections from his mixtape Eighteen available here for free:

Tayyib Ali – Kid Again [YSI]

Tayyib Ali – Eighteen [YSI]

Ok, so for 66.62% of you reading this, you have seen the recently updated Hype Machine. It’s sleek, it’s flashy, it clean. It’s flawed.

There are a number of areas of that I really so like about the look at the new HypeM. But it’s actual function seems to be slipping. In an interview with Anthony Volodkin, HypeM’s founder, by Australian blog Way Cool Jnr, he talked about bloggers and how Hype Machine is good for discovering new ones:

We want to get more people discovering blogs, more people becoming aware that music blogs exist and why they matter.  If we were thinking differently, the Hype Machine would have been a raw file index of the tracks people posted with nothing else.

We probably did play a role in the growth and attention that music blogs have received.  This changes the dynamics of many things, as bigger audiences tempt the wrong people to do the wrong things (post link bait, poor quality content but in large quantity etc).

This is why we also manually approve blogs.  I think even though the space is changing, it is possible to preserve the things that got me into it in the first place – the geniune excitement that still drives a ton of the music blog posts out there.

Yet, I think the new changes aren’t working. They are grouping all these blogs together who post a song and it seems the most recent one is listed first. Not the original blogger who posted it. It’s like saying, “Congrats on finding this new hot track. Too bad you won’t be getting any credit.” This grouping also gets rid of the coming and going of music. Sure Hype Machine is about finding new tracks but also remember some great classics from a year or so earlier that may have blown up the charts. Why should that track already have a heart count? Wouldn’t it be better to see if it can explode again and is still relevant.

Also, the popular chart was always “kept fresh” because songs only got 3 days on it and then disappeared. Now, it seems like Skrillex and Ellie Goulding have been on there for a month straight. I may just be misunderstanding the algorithm but it doesn’t seem to be working…

Another area that no longer seems to work as well is on the latest page. Posts were limited to three visible songs initially on that page. Now that that limit seems to be lifted, one blog can monopolize the front page of HypeM but making a post with 20-50 songs and all are visible. I used to be able to get a feeling of how a song I posted would do based on it’s performance on HypeM’s front page. Usually 45 hearts was a good estimate as to whether or not it would break into the top 100. Now my songs may never even show up on the front page and I definitely have no idea how they’ll do when things like The High Road have nearly 13,000 now arbitrary hearts.

I know, in a way, I am bad-mouthing my main source of traffic, but I really do mean for this to be constructive and not the meandering thoughts of a tiny music blogger. A year ago, my blog was nothing. With the help of the Hype Machine, I have built my blog to something that people enjoy reading and finding a new track or two. I am no Music Ninja or Pigeons and Planes, and I don’t want to be. I’m a one-song-a-day-hobby-blogger. But to survive the world of mega-blogs and exclusive releases, I need the help of an aggregator like HypeM.

Now to put the new format to the test, I will posting the current top 5 songs on the popular list to see if it’s a huge boost in my traffic. If it is, then the new format is definitely flawed…

Even if I don’t get the traffic, seeing the same songs on the popular list for such a long time still defeats the purpose of the Hype Machine and finding new blogs and artists.

Broken Bells – The High Road [YSI]

The Black Keys – Tighten Up [YSI]

The White Panda – Escape Day ‘N’ Nite (Kid Cudi // Tiesto) [YSI]

Skrillex – Cat Rats [YSI]

Ellie Goulding – Your Song (Blackmill Dubstep Remix) [YSI]

Bloggers and fans alike, please weigh in on this subject!!

Caught right in the middle of this snowstorm in the Northeast of the US. Just feeling hanging inside. Cause baby, it’s cold outside.

Zooey Deschanel and Leon Redbone – Baby, It’s Cold Outside [YSI]

Holy crap time is flying. And now it’s Christmas Eve already. In a week, it’ll be New Years Eve and then 2011. Wow.

I also just realized that Bridging The Verse just turned a year old 3 days ago. And I missed a post yesterday because I was home for about a total of 15 minutes between the time I left for work in the morning and came home to sleep at night.

So, I needed something relaxing today that wasn’t Christmas music. The radios have more than met my quota in that department.

I chose to go with the 1985 song from The Dream Academy, Life in a Northern Town.

The Dream Academy – Life in a Northern Town [YSI]

Click picture for more hipster comics!

A few days ago I posted my top 5 albums of the year and, in the write-up, I claimed I am not a hipster. Then last night my friend told me about this song. It’s perfect. I don’t mean to say that I hate hipsters, but I just don’t have that whole subculture. It’s safe to say I dislike it. I mean look at this f***ing hipster or look at this f***ing hipster. Anyway, The Grand Spectacular did a damn good job at putting the general public’s perception of hipsters in to a song.

So let me just say goodbye to a solid half of my readers after this one I guess. Oops… I know you never saw that coming. A music blogger who’s not into the hipster thing. Who would’ve thought? So go crack open a 6-pack of PBR, put on some skinny jeans, get super deep V, skip shaving, and smile every time you look in the mirror and say, “Look at this f***ing hipster.”

The Grand Spectacular – Being A Dickhead’s Cool [YSI]

These guys have done it again! Back in October, The Lonely Island announced an upcoming album for 2011. Just this past weekend, they gave us our first taste of that album.

The Lonely Island is comprised of SNL’s Andy Samberg as well as Akiva Schaffer and Jorma Taccone. They released their first parody album, Incredibad, back in 2009 and even had a song, “I’m on a Boat” ft. T-Pain, nominated for a Grammy off of it. Now it’s time for another soon-to-be-hit. This time, however, they recruit the help of a different autotuned voice, Akon.

Last night on Youtube, the video had 3.8 million views after just two days of posting. Today, it has 7.8 million…

The Lonely Island – I Just Had Sex [YSI]

The Lonely Island – Natalie’s Rap [YSI]

When I say “Top 5,” I’m just choosing my personal favorites. They’re the ones that I just really enjoy listening to. It doesn’t mean they’re the best. Also, I am by no means am a hipster on the independent music scene. I definitely end up listening to a lot of mainstream stuff and enjoy it for one reason or another.

O yeah, and it’s only 5 because I really just didn’t listen to enough full albums this year. There’s no way I could have chosen 20, or even 10 I don’t think.

Number 5: Vampire Weekend, Contra

Having come out way back 0n January 11, I almost forgot this was a 2010 album. Vampire Weekend’s a fun band and after having this album go to number 1 in five countries along with 5 (soon to be 6) singles off the album, they’re gonna keep growing. Its just a shame their singles don’t do better on their own in the US. Below is their second single from the album. Make sure to check out the video for Cousins here.

Vampire Weekend – Cousins

Click here to download album

Number 4: Hoodie Allen, Pep Rally Mixtape

I know, I know. This one’s not even technically an album. It’s only a mixtape. I don’t care. It’s worthy of this list. It’s one that gets a huge amount of play in my car. And like I’ve said before, sometimes it’s outside factors that really influence my musical decisions. Hoodie’s a great guy and really appreciates his fans. In one conversation I had with him, he said he hopes that Pep Rally is one of the best 30 minutes of music I listen to this year. Well Hoodie, here it is for you. Made my list.

Hoodie Allen – January Jones (Ft. Chris Wallace) ♫

Click here to download album

Number 3: Cee-Lo Green, The Lady Killer

Lady Killer? Hell, he even killed me. As soon as “Fuck You” blew up all over the internet back in August, I just could not wait for the album to drop. I didn’t even listen to the leaks. I wanted to hold it in my hand the day it officially released. I actually had no idea what to expect from Cee-Lo with this album. “Fuck You” had its own sound relative to the other songs, and it ended up having such a classic sound peppered with a modernity that only Cee-Lo could put together. Definitely one that I listen to quite a bit.

Cee-Lo Green – Old Fashioned

Click here to download album

Number 2: Mumford and Sons, Sigh No More

Wait, what? This released in 2009? Yep. But it’s still making my list just as it did so many others. If someone bet me a year and half ago that English Bluegrass would catch on like a tidal wave in the US, I would have put all my money against them. And would’ve lost. Mumford and Sons came out of nowhere in a genre so rarely played on the radio and yet succeeded. I love this album. It’s so relaxing and smart. I have yet to actually choose my favorite song off the album as I always listen to it as a whole. You should too.

Mumford and Sons – The Cave ♫

Click here to download album

Number 1: Foxy Shazam, Foxy Shazam

This album is the reason I even gave in to making this list! Foxy is one of my newest favorite bands and epitomize what rock and roll should be! No matter what I write, it will never match up to the most recent comment on Foxy’s Last.fm page:

(In reference to hearing Foxy for the first time)

What the fuck just happened? I’m sitting there, kinda bored, then all of the sudden I am being raped. And I like it.

These guys are so much fun and have a shitload of energy and such a good vibe. I got to see them live a couple weeks ago and can’t wait to do so again. If I could only have one album with me for the next year, it would be Foxy Shazam!

Foxy Shazam – Killin’ It ♫

Click here to download album

Honorable Mentions:

Yeasayer, Odd Blood: Gotta be honest. I haven’t listened to album as a whole. However, I got to see them live this year and “Ambling Alp” and “O.N.E.” are two of my favorite songs of 2010. The album belongs here.

The Dead Weather, Sea Of Cowards: Jack White, need I say more? I know some of you hate him. Too bad, I enjoy him.

Eminem, Recovery: Em’s made his comeback with an album that showed how much he has matured since “sticking nine inch nails through his eyelids.”

Arcade Fire, The Surburbs: I really enjoy this as background music. Blasphemy? Maybe. But I still enjoy listening to the album as a whole.

So I was watching the Sing Off last night on NBC and one of the songs that a group did was an Otis Reddign Medley. In the medley, they sang Otis Redding’s “Try A Little Tenderness.” I never realized it was an Otis Redding song that Donkey sang in Shrek right before the wedding.

Thanks NBC. The More You Know

Otis Redding – Try A Little Tenderness [YSI]

Norwegian Recycling’s newest mashup “Mash It Up” is a pop-mashup that uses Cee Lo Green’s “Fuck You” as the instrumental. He used snippets of vocals from 11 other pop-songs to construct new lyrics. Most of these songs are relatively new and are charting as we speak while others are of a bit older nature.

Norwegian Recycling says that he wants the reconstructed lyrics to be about himself and his views on the mashup-culture.

Here are the sample used:
1. Cee Lo Green – Fuck You
2. Jay Sean feat. Sean Paul & Lil Jon – Do You Remember
3. Jay Sean feat. Nicki Minaj – 2012 (It Ain’t The End)
4. Kylie Minouge – Get Outta My Face
5. Britney Spears – Piece Of Me
6. Katy Perry – Teenage Dream
7. Lady Gaga – Bad Romance
8. David Guetta feat. Akon – Sexy Bitch
9. Sean Kingston – Beautiful Girls
10 .Kelly Rowland feat David Guetta – Commander
11. Gwen Stefani feat. Akon – The Sweet Escape
12. Flo Rida feat. David Guetta – Club Can’t Handle Me

Norwegian Recycling – Mash It Up [YSI]

I really enjoy the sound of these guys. Plain and simple. They were introduced to me by a friend a couple years ago and I didn’t get into them right away. Now I just really dig it. Below are two of my favorite Gaslight Anthem songs.

Gaslight Anthem – The ’59 Sound [YSI]

Gaslight Anthem – Old White Lincoln [YSI]