Blind I | The Boutique Music Blog | Quality Over Quantity.

COLUMBIA NIGHTS – STORMY WEATHER

Aight y’all. This some schitt right here doe! Blind I fave Hayling has Voltron’d  with Sarai Abdul-Malik & John E Daise  to form Columbia Nights. Their first single is a cover of Little Dragons “Stormy Weather” & it a perfect homage to the o.g. In a moment where music is too often thought of as nothing more than hard drive space, there seems to be a severe lack of soul in our sounds. With a few notable exceptions, there has been a dearth of creative imagination and thought behind the content saturating blogs, iPods, and PCs. More than ever, music is increasingly seen as a disposable and artists are only as relevant as their last viral video. In the 21st century, the true musician’s task is to create art that lasts.

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Drawing from soul, hip-hop, R&B, electronica, and jazz, Columbia Nights hopes to add to the conversation by offering a fresh take on a timeless tradition. Co-producers and former bandmates John E Daise and Hayling Price made their rounds in Philadelphia playing the city’s trademark blend of neo-soul, and vocalist Sarai Abdul-Malik met the pair midway through her studies at Howard University’s jazz department. Joined by a love of vinyl, laughter and Thai iced tea, the Washington D.C. based trio creates a unique sound rooted in balance; their sounds represent a synthesis of the analog and the digital, the bright and the dark, the warm and the wintry.

This project is the culmination of almost two years of listening, writing, composing, and recording between three friends together on one special journey. Are you ready to join them on the ride?

COLUMBIA NIGHTS – STORMY WEATHER | DOWNLOAD

Tags: COLUMBIA NIGHTS, HAYLING, HAYLING PRICE, John E Daise, LITTLE DRAGON, Sarai Abdul-Malik, Yukimi Nagano

BLIND I SAYS GO! APRIL 2011

Upgrades Upgrades Upgrades! They say if you want something done, do it yourself. I’ve wanted to format the Blind I Says GO! experience into a mixed format for awhile, and with a little help from Serato ScratchLive I was able to make my dream a reality! I’m one of those see-it-once-and-I-can-do-it type people, what can I say. So I decided to go the extra mile this month for GO! and put together TWO variations: one mixed hour-long session that you can press play on and let rock all the way through for your parties, gatherings, etc…..and a traditional Blind I comp with all the tracks ready for your enjoyment upon deployment. This month’s edition is stellar, featuring tracks from Max B, Boldy James, Nez And Rio, Common, Dom Kennedy, Shad and Skratch Bastid, Sir Michael Rocks, Pusha T, Pharrell, 50 Cent, Elzhi, Natasha Ramos, Vic Spencer, Action Bronson, Daft Punk, Raphael Saadiq, Yukimi Nagano, Big K.R.I.T., The Weeknd, The Stepkids, Travis Barker, Lupe Fiasco, Frank Ocean, Rich Boy, and Trae The Truth. Check out the Mixcloud of my BISG April 2011 mix and then hit the jump for the track listing and download links to both versions! GO!

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Tags: 50 Cent, Action Bronson, Big K.R.I.T., Boldy James, COMMON, DAFT PUNK, DOM. Kennedy, ELZHI, FRANK OCEAN, Lupe Fiasco, Max B, Natasha Ramos, Nez And Rio, Pharrell, PUSHA T, Raphael Saadiq, Rich Boy, Shad and Skratch Bastid, Sir Michael Rocks, The Stepkids, The Weeknd, Trae The Truth, Travis Barker, Vic Spencer, Yukimi Nagano

MAIYA AND NO PRESENT…ALL THAT JAZZ VOL.1

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The first time we decided to collaborate on a compilation it was for Grimey, which was three volumes of hardcore hip hop. And  during the process of selecting songs, we discovered that our individual musical tastes were very similar and complemented each other well. We have some dope compilation ideas for the future but for now we proudly present… All That Jazz Vol. 1. Some of the songs are strictly jazz, while others just have the smooth vibe like “Autumn’s Evening Breeze.” In the tracklist, the songs in blue were picked by Maiya and teal by NO and we alternated taking turns. It’s cold outside and the perfect time to throw this compilation on and let it ride.

TL & DL after the after…

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Tags: ?uestlove, ALL THAT JAZZ, BILL EVANS TRIO, BOBBY HUTCHERSON, CECILIA STALIN, COMMON, D'ANGELO, DAVID SANCIOUS, De La Soul, ESPERANZA SPALDING, FREESTYLE FELLOWSHIP, GARY BARTZ, HYPNOTIC BRASS ENSEMBLE, John Coltrane, KENNETH WHALUM III, KOOP, LOUIS BORDEAUX, MACEO PARKER, MAIYA, MAIYA & NO, MILES DAVIS, NINA SIMONE, NO, ROBERT GLASPER, RONNIE FOSTER, SOUND PROVIDERS, Yukimi Nagano

MAIYA PRESENTS…THANK MAI NOW VOL.1

4Hero-Naima (Remix)

Whenever people reference Blind I, or the kind of music we post, especially in our monthly compilations, the word “taste” comes up a lot. Individually and collectively we all have a very specific ear and that’s what draws you in to either hate or love it. Sometimes when I put mine together, I try to switch things up a bit to reach and satisfy different tastes, but this month, it’s just me. I catered to what I wanted to hear.  I took my time pairing them together, contemplated and edited accordingly. Sit back, put your feet up and play it loud. (Drake voice) Y-y-y-y-you can thank me now.

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Tags: 00GENESIS, 4HERO, BENT, BLIND I, CAZEAUX, CEE-LO GREEN, Compilation, CORTEX, drake, ELAQUENT, FLAKO, FLYING LOTUS, HARDKANDY, Jazzanova, JIMPSTER, KOOP, LEON WARE, LONNIE LISTON SMITH, MAIYA PRESENTS...THANK MAI NOW VOL.1, MINNIE RIPPERTON, PPP, SHAUNISE, SUZI ANALOGUE, THE ROOTS, VIKTER DUPLAIX, Yukimi Nagano

BLIND I FOR THE KIDS PRESENT… BLIND I FOR THE SUMMER

We all Voltron’ed once again to create the sounds of summer as heard through the Blind I staff. These are songs that paint the vibe & set the tone for how we would like to feel throughout this whole season. This was designed & created to serve as the official soundtrack to the summer for our faithfuls. Blind I For The Kids… you know what it is… bump this while you BBQ’in that chicken, links & ribs!

TL & DL AFTER THE AFTER…

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Tags: 2PAC, 4HERO, ALMAZ, ALTHEA & DONNA, ARTHUR VEROCAI, Busy Signal, drake, FREDDIE JOACHIM, HAYLING, Incubus, Isley Brothers, J DILLA, JACK DAVEY, JACKSON CONTI, KOOP, LITTLE DRAGON, ME GUSTA, Mos Dub, NEON INDIAN, NINA SIMONE, PHRAIM, QUASIMOTO, SEU JORGE, STRANGE FRUIT PROJECT, Yukimi Nagano

MAIYA PRESENTS…RENDEZVOUS VOL. 5

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Valentine’s Day is right around the corner and it seems to be my turn  to do a compilation each year around this time. Normally I do a very warm fuzzy mix with love songs and hearts galore. But this year, I told Noah to go for an edgier cover and he killed it! I wanted to include songs that were open to interpretation (i.e. Badu- “Window Seat”) because the holiday means something different to everyone depending on their circumstance. So sit back, let it play, and reflect.

Tracks/link after the jump. › Continue reading

Tags: AYOMARI, BLIND I, CECILIA STALIN, Compilation, DE PHAZZ, Erykah Badu, Ge-Ology, ILL POETIC, KUDDY LEBLANC, LEON WARE, LMNO, LORETT FLEUR, MAIYA PRESENTS..RENDEZVOUS VOL. 5, Mos Def, Nujabes, OUTKAST, SADE, SLUM VILLAGE, THE ALCHEMIST, THE CLONIOUS, TiRon, Yukimi Nagano

LITTLE DRAGON LIVE… RIGHT NOW!!!

SPECIAL THANKS TO JOEL FOR PUTTIN THIS TOGETHER! Little Dragon LIVE @ Nudie Jeans Concept Store in Stockholm.

Tags: LITTLE DRAGON, Yukimi Nagano

BLIND I SAYS GO! MARCH & APRIL 2009

download Blind I Says GO! March 2009 (Sharebee)

Happy Friday! I told shorty, I said “Look shorty. Just download the Blind I Says GO! Double CD off Blind I and you’ll get all the education you need this year”. Truer shit has never been spoken. Yes, I was late on March’s BISG due to a restructuring of our compilation-posting schedule, but don’t worry, I made it up to you guys big time. And YES, I was supposed to post up April’s BISG on Wednesday but I was too busy plotting world domination. Luckily on Thursday I got around to compiling it and Voila! Two BISGs for everybody in one day, one post. March’s BISG hold a bunch of heat from a hip-hop standpoint, with new joints from Diamond District, Jadakiss, Fam-Lay aka Shark City Click, Cudi, Wale, Justin Timberlake, and others. Guaranteed to be something you can bump in the whip if you’re headed out tonight. Which leads me to April….

download Blind I Says GO! April 2009 (Sharebee)

BISG April goes hard. Lately I’ve been listening to a bunch of new artists as well as artists that are just new to me, and April was compiled as a shrine to the new ill shit. New One Chance shit starts it off, and that pretty much sets the tone as most of the joints on this BISG are from artists like Telepopmusik, Thievery Corporation, Metronomy, Justice, Prince, Ge-Ology and the like. Definitely for a more keen listener, but packing much heat like the summer do. I know you’re gonna love it cause I’m still playing all the joints on the tracklisting nonstop. All in all this double-drop should more than hold you down until the May installment of BISG, which is SURE to be ridiculous. Track listings after the jump my friends!
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Tags: Big Pooh, BLACK MILK, Bliss, Daniel Merriweather, Diamond District, DJ Krush, DOOM, Emilie Simon, Esthero, Fam Lay, Francis and the Lights, Ge-Ology, GEORGIA ANNE MULDROW, Jadakiss, Justice, Justin Timberlake, Kenna, Kid Cudi, Klaxons, Lady Gaga, Lil Wayne, Metronomy, Midnight Juggernauts, N.E.R.D., Notorious B.I.G., One Chance, Passion Pit, PETE ROCK, Pharrell, PRINCE, Project Mayhem, PROJECT PAT, Shark City Click, Styles P, Telepopmusik, Thenativesoul, Thievery Corporation, WALE, Yukimi Nagano