Lana Layne

Four guys. Four continents. One sound.

Mind The Gap bridges the international divide through their distinctive sound, differentiating them from many indie’s bands  we have all become accustomed to. 

A Korean, a Sri Lankan, a Mexican, and a Jew from Cleveland. 4 musicians from 4 corners of the world aiming to shotgun blast through the insipid airwaves of current music using acoustic harmonies fused with modern technology.

These are four guys standing fore front in musical revolution. Against an industry where commercial radio  and top 100 Billboard hits are derived from calculated equations. 

Mind the Gap unique sound is a direct reflection of their multicultural background, and the lead generation’s use of technology filtering out the noise of generic over-commercialized music.

Where does Mind the Gap stand when identifying them within a specific genre?

As a listener, it is hard to say. Watching them perform,  guitar solos that parallel the rock age of Jimi Hendrix, digitalized beats that matches bass heavy dub beats with hints of international flare, to lead singer Greg Khan’s hypnotizing vocals that is far from typical and ironic.

When I sit here and try to position them like I do with many emerging bands that I hear, and ask where do they fit in this hard long tailed music industry.

My only answer is they don’t fit, and that’s the beauty of it. They are making the music industry adjust to them instead. 

Find them at 

www.mindthegapsound.com

Youtube didn’t kill the radio star. Long gone expensive recording sessions, now everyone has the ability to record captivating raw music and post them on youtube.

Young New York sensation Lana Del Rey ( her first name doesn’t make me bias at all…win) is one amongst many who recorded tracks and posted them on youtube only to fulfill the American dream of getting signed to a major record label. 

The “gangsta version of Nancy Sinatra” Lana Del Rey started out amongst millions on Youtube, to be discovered by first a small independent label Lana Del Ray A.K.A. Lizzy Grant  in 2010. Only later to be join up with big timer label Interscope and releasing debut single “Video Games”;^[32] in October 2011. Her song featured on tv shows such as the “Ringer” and countless rounds of promotion, lead her to be 

 Eliot Glazer of New York, “the polarizing indie hipstress brought her ‘gangsta Nancy Sinatra’ swagu.”^[37] Rolling Stone commented that, despite Del Rey being nervous and anxious while performing her songs live, she “sang with considerable confidence”, although they noted that “her transitions …could be rather jarring.

Lana Del Rey gained notable recognitions with her distinct style producing her hits that incorporates a resonating sound of hip hop to indie. Her influences’ she states

Her stage name was discussed in aVogueinterview, in which she said, “I wanted a name I could shape the music towards […] I was going to Miami quite a lot at the time, speaking a lot of Spanish with my friends from Cuba – Lana Del Rey reminded us of the glamour of the seaside. It sounded gorgeous coming off the tip of the tongue.”^[23]The name is reportedly an amalgam of the actressLana Turner, and the 1980’s automobileFord Del Rey.^[24]

“I wanted to be part of a high-class scene of musicians. It was half-inspired because I didn’t have many friends, and I was hoping that I would meet people and fall in love and start a community around me, the way they used to do in the ’60s.”^[25]

Del Rey cites Britney Spears,^[11][12] Elvis Presley, Antony and the Johnsons, Frank Sinatra ^[13] and Eminem amongst her musical influences. “[I really] just like the masters of every genre”, she told BBC journalist Jo Whiley.^[61]

NEW #MUSIC VIDEO & ARTIST COLLAB ALERT!! Nicki Minaj ft Chris Brown “Right by my side.”

Honestly, I have heard new music from these two popping up everywhere. Now, they finally combined efforts with this new song.

My thoughts:

On Nicki Minaj

• I am not going to be a hater. Nicki Minaj, despite what she may appear on the outside,is a smart business woman and she knows how to work it. 
• People either love her or hate on her. End point ya’ll people still talkin’ , which leads to $$$ into her barbie doll purse.
• She is good at what she does, to me she has talent, she has presence.
•  This song is good and catchy, don’t lie you know you were mumbling the hook mid-way through the video. 
• Think about it she may not be John Lennon, but in this niche-filled entertainment industry, she is a winner in her given category. 
• To me she’s like a Britney Spears, a performer. She is fun to watch, she’s colorful and will keep your attention, her butt will haunt your sleep for years to come…..and she knows the formula (or at least her producing team) of how to create a catchy song that will get air time.
• She has built a consistant image and brand, and has mastered how to engage her audience to imitate her every move, buy anything she endorses, created a story with her alter egos, and even made up a nickname for her fans to make them feel connected to her.
• She is versatile, she represents fashion, music (the girl can sing, and spit a mean flow….even if isn’t the style that you like…give props when they are due) and even sex…c’mon I even stare at her backside and wonder what the heck did she eat or inject to get it higher than a hot air ballon.

On Chris Brown 

• Not an advocate for any type of abuse. However, that being said I am going to look at Chris Brown objectively based on his talent and his brand.
• He has done the work and has publicly over time, shown resentment. Many companies today that are leaders in their industry has faulted majorly in the past, but cleaned up their act and once again resume business and the masses has forgiven. Why can’t we do the same for this situation?
• Despite his personal life, this kid has got talent. You can’t deny it. He sings, dances, entertains…..so let him continue to do so. As for him being so public with his private life in the past ahem Rhianna, I hope he learned his lesson to be more cautious of his actions and the effects.

The Collaboration

• I like it
• It is catchy
• Um NAS? really?!?!?! hmm I know Nicki and him worked together in the past but having him as featured arm candy …..hmmm thoughts?
• Um her butt and let me say again….her butt.

Suppport my girl Kendall Lake, partner in crime new track. Love this girl and one of the women that I can relate to, and has been a great friend during these hard recovering days. 

You’ve probably seen her on True Blood but guess who she was?!?!

She’s talented and genuine and I adore here and support her through and through. She’s on the rise and off to London tomorrow because she’s getting support and radio play over there. 

We will rise together, but for now when I am recovering until my time is done and off in the studio to record. Ill be cheering for her , and having her back.

The business is a competition I will agree, but there is room at the top for all of us. Haters are insecure on their talents, but our friendship proven that we are both secure with our individual talents and future joint projects. We will be poppin bottles at the top together as friends….because like I said failure is not an option.

Enjoy, and if its not your type of music….take in the lesson of being genuine supportive of different artist despite if we are all trying to make it in a complicated and often twisted unkind business.

Morning music vibes…

I love The Weeknd, I love genres that are fused together and creates such beautiful sound frequencies…I love a lot of things about this song. I’ll let you analyze for yourself though