Latest releases

Let’s start this week with Kanye West‘s latest album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. This record has received 5 stars from Rolling Stone, a perfect 10 from Pitchfork and an A from Entertainment Weekly- just to name a few. The promotion surrounding this album has been intense with Kanye’s 40 minute film Runaway, his constant release of new material through twitter called G.O.O.D. Fridays and of course media blitz surrounding his controversial statements. All of these moons have aligned for an exceptionally successful release for Kanye and we welcome that kind of action here at Ecast.

The legendary Quincy Jones releases a new album! You may know of him best from producing M J’s Off the Wall, Thriller and Bad- yeah, that Quincy. His album Q: Soul Bossa Nostra is filled with guest appearances from Akon to Snoop Dogg and everyone in between- should be an interesting listen. Enrique Iglesias releases a new single calledTonight (I’m F---ing You). Ok… that’s too bold for my innocent ears if you ask me. Ne-Yo’s fourth studio album Libra Scale is said to be influenced by his interest in science fiction, comic books and Japanese animation. Mix all of that up with some dance grooves and R&B ballads, and it’s got to be gold!

We have a lot going on in Hip Hop this week. Niki Manaj has her debut album Pink Friday! She has been gaining a lot of buzz over this last year, and with two singles in the top 20 on Billboard this album is set up for a great release. Joe Budden’s latest mix tape Mood Music 4 is ready for you to vibe out to and it's been receiving rave reviews from both critics and his die-hard cult following. Here is a question for you- what do you know about Yellow Wolf? Well, now you know that the Alabama skater-turned rapper just released his debut album with an array of guest appearances including Bun B, Gucci Mane and Raekwon! And Curren$y releases his follow up album Pilot Talk II, which has a real trippy funk-vibe that would go great with some cocktails near the end of the night.

Kings Of Leon give us their highly anticipated fifth album Come Around Sundown. This record has topped the charts in the states, plus fourteen other countries! Look out…Owl City’s music is being leaked! Well, basically everybody’s music is being leaked- which in turn forces music to be rushed released. Such is the case with their new single Peppermint Winter, enjoy!  We wish you a very happy holiday.

New Music

Let’s start this week with Rihanna‘s latest single with Drake titled What’s My Name? This is the second single for her upcoming album Loud which critics are praising the single saying, “it does seem like another effortless hit on Rihanna's hands”. Next up, we have the second album from the rejected American Idol Jason Castro. That wasn’t meant to sound as mean as it did - let me make it up to him. Did you know he was the first contestant in the history of the show to ever play an instrument on the American Idol stage? That’s pretty cool!
We have a lot going on in Hip Hop this week. Considered a legend by many in Chicago’s hip hop scene and was even entered the Guinness Book of World Records in 1992 for the fastest rapper, Twista brings his latest album The Perfect Storm. Kid Cudi’s sophomore album Man On The Moon II: The Legend Of Mr. Rager has received a lot of critical acclaim, and the single Erase Me is charting really well on our network. Lil Boosie, Webbie, Lil Trill and Trill Fam tell us in their collaborative album that it’s All or Nothing. And we have a compilation of Bad Boy’s Greatest Hits which include fan favorites from Biggie, Craig Mack and others.
Are you ready to rock?! Let’s do that with a classic rerelease of Sleep’s second album Sleep’s Holy Mountain which is widely considered one of the seminal albums in the evolution of stoner rock. Next is Travis Barker’s second single Carry It, from his up coming album which blends hard rock drums with Wu Tang Clan rappers. It could work; I’ll let you be the judge. We also have a critically acclaimed space rock/ progressive metal album (Who comes up with these genes?) from Arjen A. Lucassen’s Star One. I hear good thing from metal/rock blogs. And last but not least, Hawthorne Heights’ Midwestern: The Hits!