September 24th marks the 20 year anniversary of the original release date of Nirvana’s Nevermind which hit store shelves and changed music on the same date in 1991. Reimagine Music is proud to help celebrate the twentieth anniversary of such an important album by releasing Come As You Are: A 20th Anniversary Tribute To Nirvana’s Nevermind. This special tribute album features contributions from some of today’s best alternative and indie rock artists and will be available on October 25th. Bands that have contributed their unique takes on Nirvana classics include Hawthorne Heights, Story Of The Year, Anthony Raneri (of Bayside), Finger Eleven, The Album Leaf, Margot & The Nuclear So and So’s, mewithoutYou, Maps & Atlases, Murder By Death and Pitty.

Check out the first single off the album “On a Plain” performed by the Album Leaf:

Artist:

The trail discovered by 2008′s Bury The Square, blazed by 2009′s Gather, Form & Fly, and tended by 2010′s Heretofore has run into a wide and rushing river. The band we know as Megafaun, born alongside Bon Iver in the ashes that rose from DeYarmond Edison (Brad Cook, Joe Westerlund, and Phil Cook’s former band with Justin Vernon), has woven years of writing, touring, and living into a new sonic language. Critically-praised and publicly loved for their ability to speak in the many tongues of American musical history, all while blending it with their own energetic and personal form of Rock, Megafaun has staked a claim. But the lay of that land they call theirs -the hills, valleys, and caves beneath is just revealing itself in the sunrise. This is the band we know, but in a new light. This is Megafaun. Check out the single and the new exclusive video after the jump!

“It represents a fluidness, a trust, and serves as a gesture to a type of music that we all grew up listening to,” writes Brad Cook about the new album’s opening track “Real Slow”. Like Megafaun walking on stage in a dark and crowded venue, igniting the crowd with a smile and a strum of the guitar, “Real Slow” opens the door and invites you in. You’ll hear a lot of stories tonight from “These Words” and its journey of creation from Bali to South Carolina to California, to “Hope You Know” and its roots in Megafaun’s youth in Wisconsin, where they grew up together and where they returned to record Megafaun last November. “This is by far the most vulnerable I’ve ever felt about a song we’ve released,” writes Phil Cook about “Hope You Know,” hinting at the record’s audible honesty. Like the greatest albums of our time, Megafaun is a true reflection of its creators, but there’s room in that mirror for the rest of us.
Check out the lead single now:
Megafaun “These Words” by Hometapes

And they already have a video for the single as well:

Longtime fans have watched Rahsaan Patterson grow from the skinny, wide-eyed boy on the classic children’s show Kids Incorporated to one of the most influential soul men on the planet. During this colorful journey, Rahsaan has written songs for and collaborated with Brandy, Van Hunt, Ledisi and Lalah Hathaway—as well as releasing his own critically acclaimed albums and performing to loyal, ecstatic audiences worldwide.

All of that comes to glorious fruition on bleuphoria, comprised of his trademark gorgeous ballads (Goodbye and Miss You), hypnotic mid-tempo tracks (Stay With Me, 6 AM and first single Easier Said Than Done), funk-drenched club grooves (Ghost featuring Jody Watley) and genre-defying studio experiments (Crazy [Baby] and Mountain Top). Rooted in the classic principles of melody and poetic lyrics while joyously embracing ‘80s R&B/Pop a la Prince and Michael Jackson, bleuphoria is the sound of personal fears being conquered and artistic growth unfolding—beautifully.

Grab a free track of Rahsaan’s 2007 album Wines & Spirits:

Rahsaan Patterson
“Feels Good” (mp3)
from “Wines & Spirits”
(Artistry Music)

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Artist:

Oddisee, since inception, has been a consistent rhythmical force, more like a steady rolling, beat grinding machine, slash emcee, slash producer.  Just a few months after the release of Odd Seasons (which was no small feat), the artist has yet another head nodding collection of fire.  Rock Creek Park is comprised of mostly instrumentals that have the same incredible soul infused feel that one will come to expect from the beat magician who is anything but stingy with his art.  Odd Seasons was a rare treat for fans consisting of an unprecedented and unbelievable amount of tracks (32) for any artist in this day and age.  Don’t miss the free promo track from the album Traveling Man after the jump…

The creation of Rock Creek Park was completed in a total of two weeks due to a switched deadline.  But the production of the album has in no way been compromised and the feel is anything but rushed.  In fact there is a mellow, relaxed, un-rushed feeling that carries throughout from beginning to end solidifying Oddisee as a truly spectacular producer.  In those two weeks Oddisee bounced around from city to city collecting live material from several musician friends that would make the album the rare gem that it is.  No matter what genre your preference, Oddisee has a sound that is undeniably captivating and a pleasure to the drums in your inner ear.

Oddisee
“San Fran” (mp3)
from “Traveling Man”
(Mello Music Group)

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Artist:

Esmerine enters its second decade with an expanded line-up and a new album – the band’s first in six years. As a duo co-founded ten years ago by percussionist Bruce Cawdron (Godpseed You! Black Emperor) and cellist Beckie Foon (Thee Silver Mt. Zion), Esmerine released two critically-acclaimed albums of modern chamber music in 2003 and 2005 that had one foot in the new music/experimental terrain of contemporaries like Rachel’s or Town And Country and the other in a more visceral and lyrical landscape populated by the likes of Dirty Three (and GY!BE themselves).  Bruce and Beckie have continued stoking the embers of Esmerine, with occasional special events in their Montreal home town over the past few years, often including invitations to guest musicians. While Esmerine had made deft use of guest players on previous records, their performances over the past two years opened the band up to two new musicians in particular who were invited to join as full members: harp-player Sarah Page (The Barr Brothers) and percussionist Andrew Barr (The Slip, Land of Talk, The Barr Brothers).

La Lechuza documents the evolution of Esmerine under the influence of this expanded membership, and through the lens of a shared trajectory marked by a tragic loss. All four players were brought together through their mutual friendships with Lhasa de Sela, a beloved and internationally-renowned Montreal-based singer. Sarah and Andrew were already part of Lhasa’s working band; Beckie and Bruce had been asked to join Lhasa and her band on a planned tour. Lhasa was diagnosed with breast cancer during the making of her album; she was able to complete it, but touring plans were suspended as Lhasa’s health deteriorated. Lhasa died on New Year’s Day 2010 at the age of 37.

La Lechuza is dedicated to Lhasa de Sela and includes music that emerged in the weeks and months following Lhasa’s death. While Esmerine has always forged instrumental songs of high emotive and narrative power, on La Lechuza there is truly a spirit at work, and the group has succeeded in making an album that is both a eulogy to Lhasa and testament to the newfound creative relationships the she helped bring forth.

Born in Kyoto Japan and raised in Seattle, her bi-cultural heritage has clearly shaped the unique jazz-inspired pop sound heard on her three albums –one of which is entirely in Japanese.

With the release of her first album, Curious Creature, Emi was invited to perform at the legendary Sundance Film Festival and shot to #1 on the iTunes Japan jazz chart after her single – “Room Blue” – was chosen “Single of the Week.”  The record established Meyer as a musical force in Japan and landed her as the opening act for the Japanese tour of French-Israeli singer-songwriter Yael Naem – known in America for her song “New Soul”, which was used in Apple’s MacBook Air commercials and peaked at #7 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Emi’s 3rd album, Suitcase of Stones recalls classic folk of the 60′s and 70′s, while paying respect to Emi’s jazz roots.

Featured on this self-produced project are musicians from Emi’s hometown of Seattle:  drummer Eric Eagle (Jesse Sykes, Wayne Horvitz), and bassist Keith Lowe (Fiona Apple, Laura Veirs, Stone Gossard). Vocals were finished with engineer Michael Winger (Regina Spektor, Alanis Morisette, Feist). Finally the album was mixed and mastered by the acclaimed Husky Hoskulds in Los Angeles (Tom Waits, Yael Naim, Joe Henry, Norah Jones).

Oddly enough, Hatsune Miku is currently Japan’s biggest selling pop star. The video for “The World is Mine” has reached over 12,000,000 views on Niko Niko Douga, the Japanese version of youtube. The song has also been used by Toyota in their commercial for the new 2011 Corolla since May 4. She’s also got tons of fans and her own youtube channel.  The odd part? Hatsune Miku doesn’t actually exist. At least not in physical form.

Hatsune Miku is actually a singing, digital avatar created by Crypton Future media. Fans can purchase this “singer in a box” and program her to perform any song on a computer through Yamaha’s Vocaloid software. A 3-D hologram of the synthesized pop star recently finished up a small concert tour throughout Japan, and there are currently plans brewing for a  possible US performance some time this year.

Hit the jump to catch a video of the Miku’s hologram performing!

“How We Get Down “

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The CUF (an acronym for California Underground Funk) are a Sacramento-based hip hop group made up of emcees N8 the Gr8, Pete, Crush, Brotha RJ and Taktics (Lil N8). Their latest album on CFO Recordings, Caviar Vol. 1, will be their fourth full-length release, and will be their first album since their critically acclaimed Cuffdaddy was released in 2000.

Though it took years to complete this record, it is arguably their most dynamic work to date. The CUF took a hiatus after Cuffdaddy, but they’ve been able to stay fresh throughout the past few years by working on their own solo projects and collaborations. They’ve become a bit more refined since they formed in ’93, but continue to stick to their roots and make excellent hip hop. MC Pete sums up the album’s theme in the last track, “More”: “We never made cuts to be famous…All we ever wanted to do was rap in different places!”

At 63 years old, Iggy Pop is still the same shirtless maniac on stage that brought him and The Stooges to infamy in the ’60s and ’70s. He and the reformed Stooges (Scott Asheton, James Williamson, Steve Mackay, & Mike Watt) showed up for New York’s All Tomorrow’s Parties in September 2010 and ripped through a nearly flawless rendition of their 1973 classic, Raw Power, that had critics raving and fans screaming for more. Though you don’t get to see the audience members being brought on stage to dance to “Shake Appeal” or Iggy’s dozen stage dives, this live recording does an excellent job capturing the sheer energy of this explosive performance.

“The Takeover (feat. TJ Di Hitmaker, prod. Diwon)”

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Y-Love is part of the new wave of “global hip-hop” that has been popping up over the past few years, combining  throbbing rhythms with social consciousness. Drawing influences from old school vets like Chuck D to new artists like Major Lazer, his new EP See Me blends Middle Eastern Beats with clubbed-out hip-hop, giving the EP an entrancing worldly sound ready for the dance floor.

Y-Love’s first full-length album, This is Babylon, gained worldwide praise and propelled him to appearances from BBC World TV to Late Night with Conan O’Brien in 2008. As one of the world’s only black Jewish MCs, his life story has interested a number of publications, including USA Today, XXL Magazine and Italy’s La Republica. His Jewish heritage also adds a unique twist to his music—there aren’t too many MCs rapping Hebrew verses over Middle Eastern-style hip-hop beats.

See Me‘s lead single, “The Takeover” is a perfect example of the high-energy, multicultural sound indicative of the rest of the EP. Featuring Jamaican dancehall artist Tj Di Hitmaker, the track explodes with African rhythms and clever wordplay. It also rests on an underlying message of harmony expressed in all of Y-Love’s work: “Unity builds the world, all divisions destroy the world.” In the words of XXL Magazine, Y-Love is “making hip-hop kosher.” Make sure to download “The Takeover” above to tide you over til See Me drops May 17th on Shemspeed.