Amazon's 50/$5 September Recommendations

Once again, here's a pruned list of what you should be checking out if you happen to dig Amazon's MP3 store, like sweet deals, and are willing to purchase even sweeter music.

Song of the Week: Swedish House Mafia & Laidback Luke feat. Deborah Cox - "Leave the World Behind"

I wish I was in Miami right now.

Artist Watch: Minus the Bear

It's been a couple years since Minus the Bear, the Seattle-based indie rock quintet, has released anything of note. After Planet of Ice came out, fans have only been able to snag copies of their Acoustics EP, which provides the simple novelty of hearing acoustic versions of old songs while adding in one original entitled "Guns & Ammo," but isn't exactly what I would call an exciting, worthwhile release. While I'm at it, I'll go ahead and say that Planet of Ice didn't really seem all that great either.

So, you may be wondering why I'm sitting here, typing away about a band that has been letting me down for a couple years now. Well, it's because the band is gearing up for another release, and recently released some cool sounding viral clips that make it seem like Minus the Bear's upcoming release is going to be a bit of a return to form. But, don't just let me be the judge of that, go ahead and check the videos below and hear for yourself.

Artist Watch: Menya

You may have seen the previous post about Menya regarding their late summer tour dates, but since they've finished all of those up, the trio from New York has decided to stir things up in the studio by doing a little mixtape. On said mixtape--which will be fully available for free on October 2nd--is a collection of three covers of the group's "most loved (or hated) songs" and a brand-new single.

To help promote the mixtape, Menya decided to release videos for each song on YouTube, starting with a cover of Vanessa Carlton's "White Houses." Since then, they've also released videos for the humorous flip-cover of Kelly Clarkson's "I Do Not Hook Up" (which is aptly named "(So What) I Hook Up") and the equally clever response-cover of 3OH!3's "Don't Trust Me," where the Coco Dame and Angie Ripe speak for the ladies and get some revenge.

While their original track hasn't even hit YouTube yet, these covers have been getting so much attention that even Rolling Stone had to write about them. So, I guess what I'm saying is: go check the videos out down below and be sure to grab a copy of their mixtape when it releases on October 2nd. It'll be epic.

"White Houses" (Vanessa Carlton Cover)


"(So What) I Hook Up" (Kelly Clarkson Flip-cover)


Menya Responds to 3OH!3 in "Ho's Revenge"

Song of the Week: Calvin Harris "Ready for the Weekend"

We did it, guys. We made it over the first hump day of the new semester. Now, let's just get ready for the weekend. If you like the song, you may like it even more after seeing this.