Jake Davis

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Commercials and some of the popular music in them.

When you turn on the radio what exactly are you hearing? Your hearing the most popular songs in America. These songs are chosen based on profitability and popularity, which means the ability to hear many different genre’s is limited. I would like to introduce to you two artists/groups that I feel fly under the radar. The first artist,Atmosphere, falls into rap/hip hop genre. The next group is Devendra Banhart, which is named after the lead singer, and is a very indie/folk rock group.

Anthony Davis right, Sean Daley left

Atmosphere is a two person hip hop group based in Minneapolis Minnesota. Currently it is comprised of Sean Daley (Rapper)  and Anthony Davis (Dj/Producer). Unlike many groups that are commercially successful Atmosphere has been around since 1993 and now operate under their own record label called Rhymesayers which was founded by Sean Daley (Aka Slug). The musical sound of Atmosphere is continually growing and has broken down some norms for most hip hop groups. The lyrics often tell a story that often describes the realities we face on a daily basis often given from different view points. The interesting part that comes next is that Anthony often makes beats that fit to what the lyrics are, and often includes bits from classic songs or other Atmosphere songs that he then mixes into a new piece. If you like rap and want to hear some that has more meaningful lyrics instead of guns, girls and drugs then atmosphere might be the group for you.

Now this next artist is a real favorite of mine and as mentioned above goes by the name Devendra Banhart. His music has a very

Devendra Banhart

wide range and can often be hard to pin down into one specific genre. I would descibe him as a mix between Jim Morrison and Shannon Hoon from the band Blind Melon. One interesting aspect that Banhart puts into his music is his Venezuelan ancestry and the Hindu religion that was practiced by his mother and father. One song “Carmensita” is in his native tongue and features many Hindu religious icons in the songs video. Devendra Banhart started out as a art student in San Francisco but dropped out to pursue a career in music, which is a very good thing for those that appreciate and listen to his music.

Next time you listen to music on the radio try and feel the music. Is it just a catchy hook or decent rhythm that catches your attention? Or is it a song you’ve never heard before and is a completely nnew experience for you? If you would prefer hearing the new check out Atmosphere and Devendra Banhart, two very different genre’s and artists but two very good musical masters.

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