Ya Boy & The Cataracs: "Fall In Love" Remix

Ya Boy recently remixed The Cataracs' stripper anthem, "Fall In Love" in the hopes of finding a pop sound that will resonate with the radio and a new fan base. This is a smart collabo that will hopefully benefit both parties involved. I kinda like the original better though.

DL: "Fall In Love" Remix- Ya Boy ft. The Cataracs

The Cataracs: "Freakin' Ta Ma Song" Video

Jigga may have proclaimed auto-tune dead, but Berkeley's favorite indie-pop powerhouse, The Cataracs, have a legitimate case for being granted immunity from his executive order. Yes, the infamous vocoder has been tacked on to damn near every hit rap record in the last year, but then again, Campa and Cyrano aren't rappers (any more). They actually use the device quite originally en route to crafting catchy and unique pop records that dodge easy genre clasification. You can hate if you want, but guess who's shows have the most ridiculous girl-to-guy ratios in the Bay. Yup, you guessed it.

The Cata's most recent project is the off-beat period video for their cut "Freakin Ta Ma Song" (above). The song itself is dope and stays true to their signature techno-hop sound, but the video may throw you for a loop. It looks like a spirit week "throwback day" at B-High happened to coincide with a senior ditch day pool party. Thank god there was a hit record to dance to and a camera crew to help document the proceedings. Special shout-out to Cyrano for rocking the shit out of that McLovin suede vest with the porn 'stache. Boss shit, lol.

Don't forget to check out their Myspace too. I'm telling you, "All I Do" is my one right now. "20 years old with a healthy dick / Ayyy! You can't tell me shit." 'nuf said

The Cataracs: Ice Cream Paint Job (Acoustic)

I became a fan of The Cataracs back when they were rappers, but since they've transformed into electro/hip-pop stars they have created a lane all their own. The Berkeley boys are only 20 years old but already have an impressive body of work to their name. The track below is recent cut, but check their myspace for more new tunes ("All I Do" is my slap!).

DL: "Ice Cream Paint Job (Acoustic)"- The Cataracs

Previously: Stimulating Package Mixtape- The Cataracs

The Cataracs Live Saturday Night in Oakland

Cataracs Mixtape: The Stimulating Package

Today at work I stumbled across this new 30 track mixtape from Berkeley's favorite indie-pop white boys. I love me some Cata and had no idea they were dropping a mixtape, so naturally I was juiced. And while there are some recent Cataracs songs on here, the majority of the tape is comprised of random remixes, presumably concocted by Cyrano. Some of it is a bit left of center, but is actually pretty dope. Who knew The Cataracs moonlighted as mash-up kings? The track below however is an original Cataracs song that Z and I have been slappin' for the longest. And it now boasts a bonus Lil Wayne verse! Enjoi

DL: "Little Wayne Remix"- The Cataracs feat Lil Wayne

DL: Stimulating Package Mixtape

B-Town Technohop: The Cataracs

I know that this video for "Julia" came out last year, but I thought it was striking how similar Young L's "Centerfold" song and video are to The Cataracs trademark technohop sound and aesthetic. I know Young L and The Cata are folks, so I'm not suggesting that there is any swagger jacking going on, rather that The Bay may soon become an epicenter for this sound. It was last year when the Bay was caught up in The Cataracs radio breakthrough "Baby Baby" (below), and that seemed to mark a transitional period of sorts for Cyrano and Campa.

The Cataracs, like The Pack, started off as rappers, but as they began to grow and experiment they started to incorporate a more diverse array of influences. When Wild 94.9 jumped on board with "Baby Baby" it became clear that The Cata's new sound may be on to something. And just for the record, this was happening before 808s & Heartbreak, so don't even try to say that The Cata's sound was derived from Kanye. This sound is intriguing because it's very pop, but unlike anything out right now. Their latest songs on their myspace also feature the advent of a more acoustic sound. "Little Wayne" and "My Guitar" are both current favorites.

Despite their eccentric and experimental sound, they can still rap. Campa is funny on the mic, but Cyrano has legitimate spit to him. Download Technohop Vol 1 here and Vol 2 here. Volume 2 is, no joke, one of my favorite albums of the last 5 years (yeah I said it). Some of their more current stuff isn't quite up my alley, but I respect their growth and creativity. Whether or not this type of music is your cup of tea, you can tell that The Cataracs have a gang of talent. The scariest part is that they're not yet 21.