Introducing: Mike Posner and the Brain Trust

Anyone sitting on a multi-million dollar record deal and still taking college classes garners my respect. Mike Posner is an emerging songwriter and hip hop artist from Michigan. A born musician, Posner was primed for success at a young age. Despite signing to J Records (Mario, Jamie Foxx, Pitbull) in August, Mike chose to enroll at Duke University for his final senior semester to receive his bachelors degree in both business as well as sociology.

This March, Posner released his first mixtape, "A Matter of Time" receiving widespread acclaim throughout underground hip hop circles. Another excellent production from Don Cannon and DJ Benzi, "A Matter of Time" has been a huge success for Posner. Evident of his widespread appeal, the mixtape soared to the #1 spot on iTunesU free download section.

Posner's music can be described as hip pop: vocal-centric, radio friendly, and appealing to a wide range of demographics. Posner's talent is lucidly apparent on "A Matter of Time." To get an idea of how skilled Posener is, "Still Not Over You feat. Eric Holljes" samples The Fray's hit "Over My Head". Mike sings verses that are, for a lack of a better explanation, not quite hip hop, and not quite pop. Other songs on the mixtape include "Drug Dealer Girl" and sleeper-hit "Smoke & Drive feat. Big Sean."

Mike already has made huge contributions to the hip hop scene. He has appeared on tracks with Kid Cudi, Wale, Drake, DONNIS, and many other hip hop heavy weights. As Posner continues to study at Duke, maintaining a high GPA, he plays shows weekly at southern universities across the US. He has completed recording his second mixtape, "One Foot Out The Door" which will be released on October 29th through his new home, J Records. Posner is currently in the production stage of his debut album, which will of course be reviewed here on Think Fast, Live fast.

To wrap things up, Mike Posner is a name music fans need to familiarize with. It won't be long until Posner begins to dominate the air waves, in fact, it's only a matter of time.



Links:
Myspace
Click Here to Download "A Matter of Time"

fun. "Aim and Ignite"

Can anyone think of a band that fulfills their name as well as fun. does? This electric trio makes indie pop music with one goal in mind: Have fun! Led by Nate Ruess, formerly of The Format, fun. released their debut album named "Aim and Ignite" on August 25, 2009. This album is a real charmer. While fairly light in content, "Aim and Ignite" is capable of lifting spirits and putting a smile on faces.

fun. is an extremely unique, yet talented group. Musical comparisons can span from 70's pop to swing to Weezer, proving the band with an extremely specified sound. What differentiates fun. from other indie pop bands (Miniature Tigers, Phoenix) is their sheer instrumental skill.Their music is outstandingly well composed and feels fresh, innovative and inspired. It would be negligent to not praise Ruess' vocal performance on the album. While his voice is notably high, he possesses astonishing range which lends itself well to his soulful presentation.

Although "Aim and Ignite" is a very exciting release, it is not without flaws. While the musical composition is superb, the album's production fails to provide the instrumentation with its proper due, instead focusing on Ruess' similarly impressive vocal performance. The only problem with this seemingly permissible flaw is that it is fun.'s music that provides it flair and style, not Ruess' singing.

While every track on the album is worth a listen, "Aim and Ignite" feels more like a glorified EP than a truly fleshed out album.

Review Score: 6.5 out of 10



Links:
Myspace
Amazon .mp3