It's been a while since I've had time to blog so here are a couple of tracks that have stood out since my last post.

Track 1. ScHoolboy Q: Hands on the Wheel (Feat. A$AP Rocky)

This is one of my favorite tracks from one of my favorite new hip hop releases, ScHOolboy Q's new mixtape "Habits & Contradiction." The song features one of my other favorite new rappers A$AP Rocky, as well as a sample of Lissie's cover of Kid Cudi's track "Pursuit of Happiness." ScHoolboy and A$AP switch off on dope verses which serve as a preview to the full length album which they recently revealed that they will be recording together.

Track 2. The Concept: Gimme Twice

Hearing this track reminded me of the first time I heard music by the band Phoenix in my Freshmen year since there are many similarities in their styles. This song, by the Stockholm based band, The Concept features bright guitars and catchy vocals to create an upbeat pop tune that I've been listening to on repeat for a while. I'm looking forward to seeing if they gain the same popularity as Phoenix did in the states.

Track 3. Zeus: Are You Gonna Waste My Time?

This son is the first single from Zeus' new album which is due out late next month. This track stood out to me because of its retro sound which is completely different from other contemporary rock. This old school sounding rock and roll track features heavy guitar riffs and high energy vocals. This is definitely a good track to listen to on full blast.

Track 4. King Khan and The Shrines: Bite My Tongue

Here's another track featuring some high energy rock music. I've only heard one other track by this band when their track Torture was featured in the final season of Entourage, but both of them stand out to me for their aggressive garage rock sound. This song was released to commemorate "The Bruise Cruise" which is an annual booze cruise for punk fans featuring King Khan and The Shrines as well as many other groups, which seems like the perfect setting for listening to music like this.

Track 5. J. Mars: Black Diamond Shamballas

After some high energy rock tracks, here's a laid back hip hop song to finish off this playlist. This new track, by the up and coming rapper J. Mars from Delaware (really), is named after a bracelet which apparently costs around $10,000. This track features a minimalistic beat and a smooth flow where he talks about his aspirations in the hip hop game. With a few more tracks like this, it won't be long before he's rocking his own Black Diamond Shamballa.