If you have a short attention span and you don’t fear mixing Jay-Z and Flock of Seagulls together, well…this is SO going to be your thing.  Girl Talk is back at it again with his winning formula of digital sampling and mashups.  His newest creation, All Day, is jammed packed with hip hops finest and pop music gems.  Imagine sitting at a red light and four cars pull up around you with windows down blaring their music.  Buckle yourself in for 71 minutes of seamless sampling.

Can it get any better?  Uh, fo sho.  Get your greedy little paws on All Day for FREE!  Yeah, that’s the price that speaks a universal language.  Mosey on over to Illegal Art to get the whole album for $0.00.  Thanks be to Girl Talk and to all of the samples.  And yes, thanks be to glow sticks.

Check out this artsy fan created video for “Oh No”

As a sat at the desktop computer “kids” today would consider to be dinosauresque, I happened upon the Nashville-based rock band, Florez.  As I listened intently through a few of their diddys (not to be confused with “P” diddys), I was immediately intrigued by the unique sound emanating from my speakers.  Lead singer and guitarist Alex Florez paired with bassist Erik Huffman produced a sound combining styles from many different musical genres to produce energetic, yet smooth harmonies.

Despite their brief hiatus in 2006 so that bassist Erik Huffman could participate in a little show called Survivor, the band has traveled with several well known artists and bands including Gavin Degraw, Better Than Ezra, and The Doobie Brothers.  Returning to the music scene, they were snatched up by the Hothead Group and recently released their latest EP Yellow Shoes.

So that’s enough facts to lure you in.  We’ve done our job.  Now do yours and take a listen to their music.  If you’re in college, then I’ve held your hand through the first baby steps of a successful college career.  Now grab a beer (if you’re 21+ of course), stay up until 2am, and write that paper before it’s too late.

Check out Yellow Shoes:

Amazon Music

Except one thing. It never got me Free Energy.

That’s probably because the Philadelphia band wouldn’t even join forces and use their now-buzzworthy name until 2007. I was like 25 years old by that point and had lost my free crap handbook like a decade and a half previous. But now, at the ripe age of 28, Free Energy is finally mine (and yours, I suppose). It’s something I always wanted, even though it didn’t exist until recently.

I sound ridiculous, I know. Nothing I’m saying is making even an iota of sense, but try to understand what I mean—since sometime in the late 1980s, there hasn’t been a single day that I haven’t wanted for upbeat, light-hearted rock, and Free Energy encapsulates that better than any indie band out there. It’s not angry or over-the-top or abrasive—just happy and energetic. Free energetic…

Look, it’s on me to put you guys on stuff that you’re actually going to be interested in listening to, but there’s not a single CD out there right now that’s less offensive and more universally loveable than Free Energy’s “Stuck on Nothing,” featuring, among other smile-worthy tracks, “Bang Pop,” which has seen the most mainstream success of any track on the record.

Not everything in life is free, but this Energy is. I mean, not in the sense that you won’t have to pay for the album, because you will, but in the sense that it’s out there for everyone to enjoy. As part of everyone, you’d be remiss not to join in the festivities. That part won’t cost you a thing.

Ellie’s music is the perfect combination of “dancing just because you’re happy” and “bubble bathing because you’re in need of relaxing.”  Her voice could carry its own, but combining it with the perfect rhythm of drums and a string quartet brings an additional flavor that is more enticing than the frosting on a perfectly toasted Toaster Strudel (which is saying a lot.)  Both are so delicious that it results in a craving for more; whether it’s frosting or one of Ellie Goulding’s singles.

Ellie Goulding has been noted to be “the next big thing” by the entire UK music business, which they made official when they presented her with the critic’s choice award at the most recent Brit Awards.  Her debut album, Lights, was released on March 1, 2010 preceded by her first single “Starry Eyed” which reached number 4 on the UK Singles Chart.  But we here at Freshscouts know that we can provide you with as many facts as Wikipedia can provide (sometimes more), but what really reels in your attention is to actually sample the work.   You’re gonna like the way she looks.  I guarantee it.

Check out An Introduction to Ellie Goulding on:

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The weird thing that I have begun to notice about artists in the music industry is that, more and more, they all seem to be one big happy family.  The more people that I’ve met, the more I’ve realized that they are somehow connected.  For instance, Drew Holcomb has opened for a number of headlining acts nationwide including Susan Tedeschi, The Avett Brothers, Marc Broussard, Dave Barnes and Matt Hires (among many others.)  He is also signed to the same label as Matthew Perryman Jones and Griffin House.  So yeah, one big happy family.

But just because he’s been grouped in with these artists doesn’t mean he sounds like these artists.  He has a traditional folk sound that is gritty and true, bringing back the roots of a type of music that is exceedingly lost on music listeners today.  Drew Holcomb certainly keeps a piece of tradition that most artists fail to keep.  His music is strong, yet peaceful.  Like Gandalf the Wizard.  Was that too nerdy of a reference?

If you want some great folk rock for the winter, make sure you check out Drew Holcomb and The Neighbors.  If you want a great movie, check out Lord of the Rings.  I’m just sayin’.

Oh, and here is a Christmas treat for you courtesy of them.

Buy the album:

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I hypothetically tripped and fell into the lap of this artist while perusing the World Wide Web to expand my own musical library even further.  The song that introduced me to the wonder that is Jessie J was with the hip-hop power ballad “Who You Are”.  Listen to this song for 30 seconds, and you’ll find out that this girl can wail.  Her voice demands attention.  And that’s exactly what I gave it when I first heard her voice.  I Google-d, YouTube-d, and MySpace-d Jessie J until I had a sample of every flavor she had to offer and, like the free samples at Whole Foods, it intrigued me to buy in bulk.  Lucky for me (and now you) Jessie’s USA debut album is scheduled for release in June of 2011.  The album’s debut single is rumored to feature current Top 40 rapper B.O.B. and is said to hit airwaves in February of 2011.

To satisfy the longing I have now instilled in you for Jessie J’s music, you can take a listen to the single “Sexy Silk” which was featured in the recent theatrical release “Easy A.”  It’s smooth, it’s sultry, it’s smokin’, and every other “s” word that means “a song you should listen to immediately and share with your friends.”  That’s why you have 2,000 friends on Facebook and 500 Twitter followers, right?  Share the love.

Buy the single “Do It Like A Dude”:

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Robyn

“But Freshscouts, I’ve grown up.  Shouldn’t my music grow up too?”  Lucky for you, Robyn is on the same page and has branched out lyrically and melodically throughout her nearly 30 years in the business.  There’s even a parental advisory warning on the new albums.  So, you know, it’s super rebellious now.  Robyn turned her personal diary into electropop and R&B splendor with hits like “Dancing On My Own” and “Hang With Me.”  She’s even laid down a track with THE Snoop Dogg.  That’s fo’ shizzle.

The great thing about Robyn’s music is you can still break out some of those hip 90’s dance moves even if the music isn’t so much 90’s anymore.  Don’t pretend like you haven’t been waiting for your chance to make the Tootsie Roll, Cabbage Patch, or Hammer Time publically appropriate again.  Watch the video for “Hang With Me” and freshen up.  Maybe combine the three.  We don’t even give a care.  But proceed with caution.

Buy Body Talk Pt. 2:

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So I couldn’t stop.  I was addicted to Black Milk.  I still am.  Except it’s not actually a drink.  In fact it’s not even an “it”.  It’s a he; and he is a hip-hop producer and MC from Detroit, MI.  He’s worked with the likes of Royce Da 5’9″ and Pharoahe Monch, and has been rockin’ (or hip-hoppin’) the rap scene since 2004.  But what makes Black Milk so appealing is his lyrical flow and unique style only slightly similar to that of Wale or K’naan.

His music has been classified as “Midwest hip-hop”.  And if you’re thinking, “Well that’s not really hardcore” just remember that Chicago is located in the Midwest.  Oh, and Lupe Fiasco and Common both got their start in the Midwest.  So really, the Midwest is like the new East Coast.  So there.

If you’re interested in super-solid Midwest hip-hop, make sure you check out Black Milk.  And if you’re interested in the weak stuff, buy skim milk.  Wuss.

Check out the video for “Losing Out” featuring Royce da 5’9″:

Buy Album of the Year:

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Their unique sound is refreshing and up-lifting.  Like using Herbal Essence shampoo or taking your shoes off after work.  It contains all of the correct elements to make it “pop” without following a formula, mixing traditional folk with pop, classic rock, old-timey piano and horns.  The vocals are also very traditional, but with a very unique twist.  She is young and relevant, but it would be quite easy to picture April Smith as the headlining act at a cabaret in the ’30s.

However, updated lyrics and a signature swoon make this lass a popular choice  for your latest new music selection.  It’s not often you get such a young look and sound out of a band so deeply rooted in traditional musical stylings.  But April Smith and The Great Picture Show pulls it off with flying colors.

Judging by the number of instruments they used on the album, one would have to assume that the live show is nothing less than completely interesting.  Lucky for you, they have been touring heavily across the nation so you can have your very own opportunity to check them out at one of their upcoming shows.  And they’ll even let you stream their entire album for free.  How great is that?

Buy the album:

Amazon Music

Did you know that Everest is actually a mountain located in the Himalayas AND it’s the biggest mountain in the world?  I know, it shocked me too.  That’s a little free piece of trivia for you.  I guess when this band was choosing a name, they wanted something as big as their musical prowess.

We recently got a chance to check out their live show in Chicago and have to say, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a group as tightly knit as these guys.  They blend well together on stage and are completely and utterly absorbed in every facet of their music.  These guys believe in destiny and I think their being rewarded for it.

Listening to their most recent album, On Approach, you can easily pick out qualities similar to Neil Young, but also elements of blues, folk, rock, alternative and Indie.  I even picked out some Jeff Buckley and Black Keys (whether they were going for that or not) and you can draw some elements of the classic American folk sound.

If you’re looking for a group with a classic sound that sticks to the roots and delivers a solid performance, make sure you check out Everest as your next musical venture.

Check out the video for their latest single “Let Go”:

Buy the album:

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