June 4, 2007

RJD2's "The Third Hand"

RJD2 has been one of my favorite artists for a few years now. I discovered him when he was a part of MHz, and enjoyed the tracks he produced then. I really loved his first solo album, "Dead Ringer", and was equally impressed with "The Horror". RJD2 is one of those people who's CD I have to purchase, the data files just aren't enough. So I've been sure to keep up with what he's doing, and snag up a copy of whatever he's involved in. I liked his production on Aceyalone's "Magnificent City", and absolutely LOVED his work with Blueprint as Soul Position. RJ is just one of those rare artists who can turn anything he touches into gold. So when I saw him in concert back in January and he mentioned that he had a new album coming out, I was thrilled.

RJD2.jpg But then he said something that frightened me.

"Just give it a chance, it's a bit different."

When he said that (in a nervous voice), I became a bit nervous myself. DJ Shadow had recently broken his 10 year streak of stellar production when he put out his hyphy, crunky flop of an album "The Outsider". We all remember what happened to Metallica when they dropped a steaming "Load". Danzig tried to go pop-industrial (hah!), Ween hired professional session musicians to make a country album and Stone Temple Pilots flopped big when Scott Weiland attempted to kick the smack habit. Shit, even Vanilla Ice couldn't sell himself as hardcore punk. Let's face it, there aren't many well-established bands who can pull off a style change. Radiohead can do it, but they've made a career out of making every album sound completely different. There comes a point in everyone's career when a genre-shift just won't fly with the fans, and you'll either have to come back stronger than ever with a follow-up album, or hope to attract a new base.

The%20Third%20Hand.gif So I was a bit trepidatious when I picked up RJD2's newest album "The Third Hand". I waited 3 or 4 days after buying it before I even took it out of the shrink-wrap. Shit, RJD2 is the last hip-hop DJ I can count on, and I really didn't want to see him destroy his style because he "didn't have the resources to clear so many minute samples." I understand the logic behind it, but still...

I finally got around to playing the disc, and to my surprise, I really liked it. It still has the funky, stuttering beats and breaks that RJD2 has use throughout his career, but the majority of the vocals on this disc are supplied by RJ himself. It's not as raw as his earlier work; in fact, I'd even call it a step towards R&B. Hell, who am I kidding? It's pop. He got sick of being compared to DJ Shadow and said "Fuck it, I'm going pop."

RJ has a very mellifluous voice that works with some of the tunes, and not so well with others. The lyrical content is almost laughable at times, and the falsetto voice becomes quite repetitive after 3 or 4 tracks. "The Third Hand" is really more of an expansion of his last album, "Since We Last Spoke". RJ still delivers on the beats, the brass and the bass, but his voice adds a touch of humanism that his earlier works didn't have. It's definitely not the same RJ from 5 years ago, but if you start playing the album with that in mind, it's much easier to digest.

If you're looking for songs like "Final Frontier", "Ghostwriter", "The Horror" or "Smoke & Mirrors", you won't find them here. But if you were a big fan of the latter portion of his previous release, you'll probably really dig "The Third Hand".

Now if only I could find an instrumental version of the album, I'd be happy.


Seetwist never said he didn't like change.


Aurgasmic Archives

May 28, 2007

Missed The Bus

Occasionally, I run across a band that I have never heard of but who has been putting out material for years and years. When this happens, I try to get friends interested in this band, and they laugh at me.

"You dumbass, you've never heard of xxxxxxx before?!? They've been playing their music on the radio for months now!"

In my defense, I don't listen to the radio. I'm not "too good" for mainstream radio, I just don't have access to it. When at home, I listen to Last.fm Soma.fm, Pandora and a few other streaming stations. This is how I usually find my new music. I also take suggestions of artists to check out from friends and websites like this one. When I am out in my Jeep, I listen to my iPod. The antennae on my vehicle is unhooked, so I only get the CD player and empty stations (great for the iPod transmitter). While at work, I listen to my iPod or switch on KUVO or KVOD (Jazz and Classical, respectively). NPR and the BBC at night occasionally sneaks into my cycle, but I tend to stick to my 80gig MP3 player for music.

I am not a musical purist, as some of my friends have claimed. I'm not out to find the most obscure band to listen to, and I'm not big on ridiculing the music of others (unless they intentionally spell their name incorrectly, like Staind, Linkin Park, Limp Bizkit, Muddle of Pudd and all the rest of that nü-mëtäl bullshit.) I simply don't have the patience to wait for 5 - 6 shitty songs to end before a good one comes on. I don't like DJs yapping about Anna Nicole Smith, and I HATE any program with the words "Morning" or "Zoo" in the title. 4 hours of yammering fucktards is not pleasant after driving through the night and dealing with morning rush hour. J'accuse, Danny Bonaduce!

What I'm trying to get at is this: For all my musical knowledge and prowess, I tend to overlook some VERY common bands who release albums that are quite good. Color me jaded, but I've gotten to the point in my life where alt-rock and radio-friendly pop just doesn't do it for me anymore. I'm sorry, Seether. I'm sure your new disc really kicks ass. But every time I hear your name, I just think of Veruca Salt, and I start to gag. Same goes for you, Blink182/+44/Sum 41. Your stuff runs together to the point where I don't know when one song is ending, and a new one beginning. Besides, I was told there would be no math, and all those numbers and equations sound suspiciously like addition. Fuck that. I didn't turn on the radio-box to get no sneakified book-learnin'.

So here's a quick rundown of some of the great music I have almost missed out on over the years:

The Flaming Lips: I first saw them on old-school MTV (when the M part was still applicable), and I believe Beavis & Butthead even made fun of them in an episode. They sang a song about Tangerines and Vaseline and the lead singer was too falsetto for my current hard-rawk phase. So I didn't give them any further thought until my sister came over one day with a copy of "Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots." I had been hearing snippets about how good this album was, but my impression of The Flaming Lips had already been carved out my my earlier run-in. After listening to the album, and then hearing "At War With the Mystics" the next day, I immediately changed my mind about them. They put out some of the coolest stuff I have ever heard, and I understand that their live shows are absolutely incredible. Like a giant birthday party with furries instead of pony rides. Of course, the college crowd has been hip to them for years, so getting tickets to see them is nearly impossible. But at least I found their albums.

We Are Scientists: Yeah, it's pop-punk, and yeah, it's a bit less hardcore than what I am into, but screw it. The music is catchy as hell, and I play the "With Love & Squalor" album quite a bit while driving, because my off-key singing helps to keep me awake. They haven't been around nearly as long as The Flaming Lips have, so at least I caught them early on. I'm not sure if I would pay to see them live, but as far as great recorded tunes go, this disc is full of them.

Buscemi: The album "Camino Real" is probably the best electronica disc I have heard in years. This is another act who has been around for over a decade and somehow slipped past me. Michael Franti pops up on a track, and the song Voodoo Voyage is something that I could listen to on repeat for hours on end. It's melodic, yet powerful house music that doesn't sound like house music. There's no feeling of the disc being an extended track with a few minor changes here and there. It's percussion-heavy, and there are some great Latin elements to it. Buscemi has released at least 4 other albums as well, and they have all proven to be useful for parties and evenings chilling out at home.

Explosions in the Sky and Porcupine Tree: I don't know how the hell I missed these two. No, actually I do. I'm not usually a fan of epic progressive-rock songs (not big on Rush, Tool, King Crimson or Dream Theater) , but EitS and Porcupine Tree are exceptions. I can't listen to it all the time, I have to be in a specific mood to listen to them, but it's killer rainy-day music or something nice to jam to during a long road-trip. EitS got a lot of play when I was making my way across Texas for a few days, and it helped to pass the time, especially since all their songs are close to 10 minutes long.

Mike Doughty: I honestly don't understand how I missed this one. I was a HUGE fan of Soul Coughing and owned all their albums. I was kinda bummed when the group broke up, but I never followed what Mike was doing afterwards. That's a damn shame too, because he's a great songwriter, and probably one of the only people I know who could pull off playing a concert with either a full backing band, or alone with an acoustic guitar. His voice is raspy and instantly recognizable, as well as the nonsense lyrics he spouts from time to time. As with The Flaming Lips, if I had paid attention to the college crowd, I might have caught him a bit earlier.

Morphine: I found "A Cure For Pain" a few months before Mark Sandman died on stage, and I had to get into their stuff posthumously. That really sucked, finding such great and unique music and knowing that this was it. No waiting for new albums, just the bootlegs and studio releases that were already circulating. What a great combination though. Drums, bass and saxophone. Who could possible do a good job of duplicating that?

VAST: I head a few tracks on the radio back in the day, but I passed them off as the typical radio fluff that comes and goes monthly (remember "Teenage Dirtbag" by Wheetus? Didn't think so...), and so I just kinda passed over all their stuff. Turns out that VAST is actually a really great band that consistently releases great music. Go figure! I think I enjoy it because it's rock mixed with a bit of downtempo music and has lyrics that aren't rapped, screamed or spoken. Jon Crosby has a great singing voice, and once again, I find myself liking progressive-rock. Fortunately, he's still working on material, so I can anticipate forthcoming albums and not just stick to digging around for B-Sides and remixes.


So, in this day of iTunes downloads, customizable internet-radio stations, hundreds of commercial-free satellite radio stations and free music from MySpace artists, what big-name artist or artists have you missed?

Archives

May 21, 2007

The Zydepunks

In the early months of 2007, I quit my job of 6 years, created an account on CouchSurfing.com, rented a car and headed out to see the Atlantic Ocean . I figured I'd stay with some cool people, drink some local brew and see what the American south had to offer in the way of music. I saw a great open-mic night in Decatur, GA in a place called "Eddie's Attic." There were the usual assortment of people there, a young kid playing classical guitar, a guy with a ponytail rocking out on the keyboards, and a few old cowboys playing slow blues guitar and muttering something about "biscuits" in relation to his lady's DD cups. In North Carolina, I enjoyed all that Wilmington had to offer (pool hall, hip hop/dance club, mellow yuppie/downtempo bar), and in New Orleans I saw a crazy motherfucker playing the drums with his feet and 1 hand and playing his home-made dual-string guitars - made out of what looked to be an assortment of pool-cues and rake handles attached to cigar boxes full of electronics - with the other, and screeching about his faithful dog and cocaine.seetwist11.jpg I saw this guy perform an hour after the Bacchus parade, and three hours after I rolled into NOLA for my first Carnivale.

BEST OPENING ACT EVER.

The surprise of the trip came on Fat Tuesday. I had gone uptown to Tipitina's with the hopes of catching Galactic, one of the best funk bands in the world. Unfortunately, the tickets had to have been bought through Ticketmaster, and so we couldn't get in to see them play. I was a bit bummed, but it turned out to be a blessing in disguise. One of the people I was staying with mentioned that The Zydepunks were playing somewhere in the French Quarter, so we headed back to the party to try and find them.

We ended up at Checkpoint Charlie's, and immediately walked up to the front of the stage where The Zydepunks were playing. They had already been going at it for a good hour or two, and they were drenched in sweat. The drummer was pounding away (did this just turn into a porno movie??) and the lead singer was switching back and forth between the fiddle and the accordion, while singing in French, German, English, Portuguese and a few other languages. Occasionally a dreadlocked fellow would hop up on stage to play some sort of flute for the more Irish-themed songs, and that only added to the awesomeness of the show. We stayed until an interlude an hour later - apparently The Zydepunks are known for their ability and willingness to play marathon shows lasting all night - and then headed back out into the streets. Before I left, I bought their CD ...and the streets will flow with whiskey from their accordion player and stuck it in my backpack. The party continued until early in the morning with stops at the Christmas Club Lounge, multiple stops to Molly's on the Market, and an occasional stop for food and what could be passed off as food (a Lucky Dog saved my life).hotdog1.JPG I all but forgot about the CD until Ash Wednesday, when I departed for Texas.

After packing my car and hopping on the highway, I reached into my bag to grab something and came across the CD. I unwrapped it and tossed it into the player, and there it stayed for the next 8 hours. I'm damn surprised I didn't get popped for speeding, because I made it into Houston in record time, drumming on the steering wheel like a maniac. The CD is a killer mix of styles and tempos. It's Zydeco-Klezmer-Irish-Gypsy-punk... something that can't really be described with words. The most well-known bands I could compare them with would be Flogging Molly or Gogol Bordello. Or maybe if The Clash were reincarnated as a group of Eastern-European gypsies. Not only that, but the production values on the CD are great. I'm used to local bands making discs that sound like crap, but this isn't the case here.

However you want to describe them, The Zydepunks were without a doubt the best band I saw during that entire trip. Their CD has made it's way onto my iPod, and I still listen to it a few times a week. It's great at keeping me awake while driving down to Colorado Springs at 4AM, or to listen to before heading out for the evening. Also, great news! Their new CD is set to be released within the coming weeks! In the meantime, head over to their website and pick up ...and the streets will flow with whiskey. It's definitely worth having. Or if you're one of those people who has sold their CD player and only buys music digitally from iTunes, you can get tracks there as well. You can sample their stuff on their homepage or on their MySpace page.

If you're ever down in Louisiana, do yourself a favor and catch a show (or even part of a show). No matter what your usual musical preferences are, you'll be dancing in no time.


If you want good music and better street meat, just follow Seetwist.


Aurgasmic Archives

May 14, 2007

8 Albums No Sleep

Due to the fact that I have a new work schedule and subsequently haven't slept in nearly 4 days (keep off of I-25 between Denver & The Springs), I am going to put the World Tour on hold for a week and pimp some music. I really didn't think a night shift would screw me up this bad, but I've been so exhausted that I haven't even checked my email this week. But enough bitching and moaning... I'd like to list 8 hip-hop albums that I think everyone should have in their collection. Why 8? Because everyone does a top-10, or a top 5, and I'm a non-conformist, dammit! These are albums that you can play from beginning to end without skipping a track. They may not be historically important or necessary for the advancement of the genre, but they're great albums and that's all that really matters. Here they are, in no particular order.

Mos%20Def.jpg 8) Mos Def - The New Danger: Mos Def has been around for quite some time now, hosting Def Poetry Jam on HBO, collaborating with Talib Kweli to create the Black Star album, starring as Ford Prefect in The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy and in numerous other mediums. I liked what he did with Black Star, but his solo album really sold him as an artist to me. He mixes hard rock, blues, percussion-heavy hip-hop and spoken word poetry to create a mash-up of styles that transcends genres. I remember getting into an argument with someone who didn't think he was a hip-hop artist at all, and believed that he should be labeled as "Alternative Rock", a term I absolutely LOATHE. Apparently, if an album has a guitar in it, it's automatically alt-rock. But I digress... The New Danger is a great mix of music that can be bumped in your car, at a party or at a number of different clubs without alienating audiences. He excels at whatever he does, be it film, music, television, skateboarding or poetry.


7) Dr. Octagon - Dr. Octagonecologyst: Just one of Kool Keith's many personas, Doc Oc is my favorite. Kool Keith is bat-shit insane (or at least he portrays someone who is bat-shit insane) and with a production team of Kutmasta Kurt, Dan the Automator and DJ Qbert, this album pioneered space-hop, a futuristic mix of hip-hop, turntablism, thematic vocals and just plain goofiness. If you're not a fan of Kool Keith's rapping style (and many people aren't), at least check out the instrumental album which showcases the superb production of hip-hop's finest. If you enjoy it, prepare for another Doc Oc album due out in late 2007 (a strange semi-approved sequel called "The Return of Doctor Octagon was put out in 2006, but it pales in comparison to the original).


sCoolCalmPete.jpg 6) Cool Calm Pete - Lost: Cool Calm Pete is part of the mostly unknown threesome called Babbletron, and his shit is smooth, laid-back New York hip-hop. Cool Calm Pete sounds like he's rapping on Quaaludes, and his voice is deep and mellow. Frankly, I was surprised as hell to discover that he's Korean, because his voice has a deep and rich timbre that reminds me of a 300 pound black guy who has just smoked a pound of weed. He's fairly new to to the scene, but keep your eye on him, because his flow is SICK. Even the occasional singles that he releases are up to par with his work from Lost, and he's had Embedded Music and Definitive Jux clamoring for more.


5) Swollen Members - Bad Dreams: Want to hear a pair of Canadians (one of whom is a 5-foot-tall white rapper) put 90% of the US scene to shame? Then pick up this album. Mad Child (the short white guy) is part of the Rock Steady Crew, and can out-freestyle anyone he is put up against. Fellow member Prevail and producer Rob the Viking created an absolutely outstanding sophomore album that you can listen to over and over again. They put on a damn good live show too; when I saw them in Boulder, they hopped into the audience and walked back and forth, rapping amongst the fans. Their subsequent releases have been hit and miss, but I had Bad Dreams in my car CD player for a good 4 months before finally swapping it out. Canada: It's not all curling and Molson Light, eh?


4) Zion I - Deepwaterslang v2.0: I can honestly say that I have never seen a group move a crowd the way that Zion I does. Emcee Zion and DJ Amp Live create banging tracks with socially-conscious lyrics and positive messages. They often preform with rapper Deuce Eclipse, and Deuce and Zion showcase their freestyling abilities at every show. When I went to see them a few years back, the stopped the concert mid-song to kick a rowdy drunk out of the audience who was trying to start fights with random people. "None of that shit here! Only good vibes, we don't want any sort of hatred to ruin ya'lls good time" Zion proclaimed before starting the song from the beginning and ripping up the stage for another 45 minutes. They're humble, intelligent and they tour like maniacs as well. I've seen them at large venues and at clubs where a half-dozen people showed up, and they give it their all, even if no one is there to see it.


Sage%20Francis.jpg 3) Sage Francis - A Healthy Distrust: Another white boy who can put Eminem to shame, Sage Francis is not what you would expect from a typical rapper. Straight-edge (although he hates the term), vegetarian and college educated, his command of the English language is nothing short of impressive. He's the first hip-hop artist to be signed to Epitaph, a mostly punk label, and you can listen to this album over and over again and still miss the double-entrendres, puns and metaphors that are squeezed into every song. The very definition of a "socially-conscious" rapper, Sage 's finest work is showcased in this album. He's an outspoken critic of government corruption and consumerism, and was even named as one of PETA's "sexiest vegetarians." I'll put aside my extreme distaste for PETA for the sake of Sage though.


2) Deltron 3030 - Deltron 3030: Del tha Funkee Homosapien, Dan the Automator, Kid Koala, Sean Lennon, Paul Barman, Peanut Butter Wolf and dozens of others appear on this album, creating a futuristic mish-mash of melodic hip-hop. If you liked the song "Cling Eastwood" by Gorillaz, you'll love this album. Del is an amazing rapper, Kid Koala creates some of the most insane noises you will ever hear from a turntablist, and Dan the Automator's production is top notch. This is an album that EVERYONE needs to own. Even if you hate hip-hop, or if you have never heard a hip-hop song in your entire life, you will love it. Words can't even describe how good it is, so I won't try. However, if you are already a fan, you might be interested to know that a new Deltron album is due out in late 2007.


sEndtroducing.jpg 1) DJ Shadow - Endtroducing...: DJ Shadow pioneered a new direction for the genre when he released "Endroducing..." If I had to choose a single album to listen to for the rest of my life, this would be it. Stuttering beats, beautiful piano and organ pieces and obscure samples abound in what could probably be called the grandfather of melodic hip-hop. The only vocals you will find are an occasional movie sample, but the music really does all the talking. Unfortunately for Shadow, this album transcends all future releases and although he has put of some damn good stuff (with the exception of his latest album "The Outsider"), this is something that just can't be topped. It's like the first time you had sex, or the virgin high you got when you smoked your first joint. Often imitated, never duplicated.


Honorable mentions go to RJD2, All Natural, Dilated Peoples, Jurassic 5, 2Pac and a few others, but I don't want to use up all my material in a single article, so you'll just have to wait until later to hear about them.


Seetwist just gave you eight things to do. Why are you still here? Get to work!


Aurgasmic Archives

May 7, 2007

International Hip-Hop (Part 2) - The Middle East

Last week I talked about a few different types of hip-hop that can be found in European countries. This week, we're heading to the east to check out what they have to offer.

Disclaimer: This is not meant to be an endorsement of either the pro-Israeli cause, the pro-Palestinian cause. I'm not pro-Indian or pro-Pakistani. It's extremely difficult to talk about this particular region of the world without getting into politics, and I'm not going to voice my personal opinion one way or the other. I'm focusing strictly on the music, because despite the shitty things that happen on this planet, music is the one universal constant. That being said, let's continue the tour!


HaDag%20Nachash.jpg HaDag Nachash (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GIbjpev6U5s) is a 7-piece hip-hop group from Israel that combines funk, soul, ska, western pop and hip-hop to create a menagerie of music that can't really be defined. Think of Reel Big Fish playing on the same stage as The Roots, but with Hebrew vocals. Strange concept, and even stranger to see them perform, but in the end it works quite well. It's groovy and if you speak Hebrew or feel like taking the time to translate it into English, you will notice that they like to play with words and phrases quite a bit, twisting common phrases into puns and spoonerisms. Their music does promote a somewhat left-wing ideology, but it's rather tame considering where they come from. This is the type of music that you can put on at a party or a club and people will immediately start dancing to it. I have only been able to find their newest album, entitled " Be'ezrat Ha'Jam", but they have released 4 albums since 1999 and have a rather large following in their homeland and throughout the rest of the world.


Subliminal (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVYanQ5r6rw) is a rapper/producer from Israel who makes more "western-sounding" hip-hop. His messages are more right-wing than that of HaDag Nachash, and is widely credited as being one of the creators of "Zionist hip-hop." He has opened for 50 Cent when he performed in Israel, and along with the Tel-Aviv City Team (TACT), he consistently releases #1 hits. He has a rugged voice and demeanor, and his music is probably the closest you will find to mainstream American hip-hop. Pro-bling, but anti-drug. Some of his songs sound decidedly militant, but he also raps about tolerance with songs like "Peace in the Middle East." If you enjoy some of the harder hip-hop that America produces (Jedi Mind Tricks, Wu-Tang Clan or Killah Priest), you'll probably enjoy Subliminal.


Miri%20Ben-Ari.jpgBorn in Tel-Aviv, Israel, Miri Ben-Ari (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_tlGwKi3ISk) is known as "The Hip-Hop Violinist" and was discovered (at least to the western world) by Wyclef Jean of the Fugees. She has worked with a number of American acts, including Jadakiss, Kanye West, Twista, Anthony Hamilton and Alecia Keys. Her music is absolutely mesmerizing and not only can she mix classical violin with hip-hop, but she can freestyle with it as well. She uses a multitude of effects pedals to tweak the sound of her violin and blend it seamlessly with almost any beat that is laid down. Top it all off with an immensely sexy swing of her hips, and you've got music that is not only pleasing to the ears, but pleasing to the eyes as well. She recently released a solo album aptly titled The Hip-Hop Violinist. If you can track the album down, do yourself a favor and listen to "The Star-Spangled Banner" with Doug E. Fresh. It will blow your mind.


DAM (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SShRR7sInsc) is considered to be the first Palestinian rap group and took the Arab world by storm with their single " "Meen Irhabi?" or "Who's the Terrorist?" Over 1 million people have downloaded the song from DAM's website, and it has been featured on Democracy Now, which has lead to them making 4 European tours (but don't expect them to appear in the United States anytime soon). They have released a single album entitled "Dedication", and one of the group's founding members, Tamer Nafar, has collaborated with Subliminal before their fallout during the second Palestinian Intifada. Their music consists of deep beats and rapping in both Hebrew and Arabic. It's great stuff with a strong message, and it shows the deep rift between not just the Israeli and Palestinian people, but the rap scene as well.


Panjabi MC (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ab9wUcxoFQ) is probably my favorite artist out of the group. A British-Asian punjabi, he mixes the extremely danceable bhangra with jungle and reggae to create fast-paced music infused with slick turntablism. He has had his songs remixed by Jay-Z ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0VDMGgEB9c8), Daz Dillinger and Beanie Man and has been included on a number of dance compilations by DJ Cheb-I-Sabbah and has even had his songs featured on the shows Queer as Folk and Heroes. And yes, that bass line you hear IS from Knight Rider. The music kicks ass, plain and simple. Once again, if you can find the album, I highly suggest picking it up. You won't be disappointed.


I'm not aware of any Iraqi or Iranian hip-hop acts at the time, and I haven't been able to find any albums from the Turkish groups that I know of, but this is a pretty good representation of the hip-hop scene in the Middle East. If you know of a group or solo artist worth mentioning, please drop me a line. I love discovering new music from this particular region of the world, mainly due to the ethnic drumming that is prevalent throughout the region. I'll be back next week to check out another continent with everyone.

Until then....


Seetwist makes music not war.


Aurgasmic Archives

April 30, 2007

Branching Out (International Hip-Hop Part 1)

Since this column is about more than just hip-hop, I thought I'd take these next few weeks as an opportunity to explore some of the hip-hop that is popular throughout other parts of the world. That way it's not such a huge shock when I start talking about things like Tabla Beat Science, Manu Chao, Seu Jorge and Plastilina Mosh. I'm going to focus on Europe for now, since they have such a thriving and well-established scene.


Sweden: Sweden has one of the largest hip-hop scenes outside of France and the UK. The culture has been around since the mid-1980's, and has exploded in size in the past few years. Artists like Nenah Cherry, Supersci, Looptroop and Infinite Mass are pretty well-established in their home country and have gained some international fame (Nehah Cherry was featured on a Gorillaz album, as well as providing vocals for a number of Groove Armada tracks.) Swedish hip-hop tends to lean more towards the melodic side, and while artists still rhyme in their native tongue, crossing over into the English-speaking market has become quite popular, as well as rhyming in Rinkebysvenska, which is sort of like Latin artists who sing in Spanglish.

Supersci.jpg My favorite Swedish hip-hop group is Supersci (formerly known as Superscientifiku), who have been around for nearly a decade, but only recently put out a full-length album. If they didn't insert references to their home-country, you could easily mistake them for a West-coast clique. Their English is flawless, the music is funky and laid back, and the beats are spot-on. The song "On The Grind" is one of those tracks that you can listen to over and over again without tiring of it. It puts forth a message of positivity and the hardships of trying to juggle the life of a musician with the life of an average person with a family.

When I'm on the grind / Somebody's always tapping on my shoulder and I'm trying / To get a piece of mine (peace of mind) but I just can't find the time / My baby's always calling me, crying on the line / Won't you please come home to me.

Supersci collaborates with the production team Flyphonic to create one of the best hip-hop albums of 2006. You can hear clips from their album "Pinetrees on the Pavement" at their website .


France: The most well-known French hip-hop artist is probably MC Solaar, a Senegalese rapper who hit the scene in the early 1990's and achived American success after touring with De La Soul and being featured on Guru's Jazzmatazz project. He's put out 6 albums so far, and has another one due out sometime in 2007. He has a complex rhyming style and his songs revolve around club-friendly beats, which is probably one of the reasons he has found such widespread success in Europe, Africa, Russia and the United States.

Another great French hip-hop group is Ttc, who I just recently discovered. Ttc takes a comedic approach to hip-hop and if you take the time to translate some of their songs, you'll notice that the lyrics are both filthy and hilarious. More Jerry Lewis than MC Solaar, Ttc takes a pop and dance hall approach to their music. They'd rather have fun and get people moving than drop introspective and though-provoking albums, which is great, because sometimes you want to put down the Camus and Sartre and just shake your ass to some good tunes. They have plans to tour Europe and then venture into the US this year, so if you happen to see Ticketmaster promoting a Ttc concert, grab tickets and prepare yourself for a night of partying.


Lady%20Sov.jpg My favorite French artist is DJ Cam, who blends hip-hop with acid jazz to create extremely chilled albums. This is the type of stuff that you crank up while sitting in the back yard, drinking red wine and watching the sun set. Wicked turntablism, tons of abstract samples and punchy beats make any of his albums worth buying, but "Mad Blunted Jazz" is by far his best work to date.


Britain: Britain has produced some of the most well-known international hip-hop artists out there. A mix of garage music and UK Grime, artists like Roots Manuva, The Streets and Lady Sovereign have hit it big in the States, due to their unique musical style and unapologetic lyrical content. It's rugged and filled with the blips, bleeps and bass-drops that make the sub-genre so easy to recognize. Another thing about the recent UK scene that makes them stand out is the unwillingness to "Americanize" their music, keeping the accents thick and heavy, and dropping slang terms that might leave you scratching your head in puzzlement. Lady Sovereign has been remixed by Missy Elliot, and Roots Manuva has released dub remixes of his work, as well as collaborating with the UK super group "The Blacknificent Seven".

The Ninja Tune label (run by London residents Matt Black & Jonathan More of Coldcut) has done a wonderful job of promoting UK artists like The Herbaliser, DJ Food, Funki Porcini, Bonobo and Up, Bustle & Out, as well as dozens of others.Fuck%20the%20FCC.gif They have been running a DJ Mix show called Solid Steel for a number of years which can be heard on free-form radio stations across the US, and can be streamed from websites like Australia's Triple-J radio and "The Move" on XM Radio.


Hip-hop is everywhere in Europe, from Croatia to Portugal, Switzerland to Italy, Poland to Bulgaria. While it was considered to be just a fad a decade ago, the scene has exploded, and talented artists from all parts of Europe have garnered mainstream success both at home and abroad. While styles and languages vary from country to country (and even region to region), the one thing that remains constant is the musical proficiency. American hip-hop can be stale at times, and what you hear on the radio rarely reflects the pure talent that some artists have. But the nice thing about international hip-hop is the fact that they're NOT huge in the States, and therefore aren't as willing or quick to conform to FCC standards. You have to look a little bit harder to find the stuff, but when you find it, it's not dumbed down like certain American artists whose are driven more by the idea of money, rims and Cristal. Bonus: It's a fun way to learn another language without resorting to stuffy books-on-tape.


The really impressive thing is that Seetwist finds all this by traveling on foot.


Augrasmic Archives

April 23, 2007

Kickin It Old Skool

Since yesterday was my birthday, I decided to go back through my collection and re-discover some of the old school tracks that first got me interested in hip-hop. These aren't any genre-defining songs, or tunes that opened the door to mainstream acceptance of hip-hop. It's just some shit from back in the day. All links go to the video of said song.

Passing Me By - The Pharcyde
Ya Mama - - The Pharcyde

These are off one of the first "real" hip-hop albums I ever owned on CD, Bizarre Ride II The Pharcyde. Every song on this album is an absolute classic. Passing Me By is generally though of as one of the greatest hip-hop tracks of all time, and has been sampled by numerous modern artists. The beat, the hook and the smooth flow make it one of, if not the most memorable songs from my younger teenage years. boombox.jpg Ya Mama was one of the first songs to bring The Dozens into mainstream consciousness, and soon after this song became a hit, every white kid out there starting ragging on each other's mothers (if you don't remember what The Dozens were, just think of it as You Got Served, but without dancing). All the songs were witty and playful, sometimes dealing with serious subjects, but never in a serious nature. Murder, masturbation, and accidentally making out with a transvestite all flow together an create a 57 minute album that I've had to purchase more than a few times over the years. Unfortunately, due to drug use, the acquisition of a new producer
and the HORRIBLE decision to go R&B made the majority of their later releases virtually unlistenable. I did catch them in concert in 2003, and although the lineup wasn't the same as when they released Bizarre Ride, they still performed the majority of the songs from that album. They must have been aware that their newer stuff sucked too.

Mistadobalina - Del tha Funkee Homosapien

This little gem came off of the album I Wish My Brother George Was Here, and along with the song Boo-boo Heads really got me hooked on the whole West Coast sound. Del has always been one of my favorite rappers, and this is the album that solidified the Bay Area as a hip-hop powerhouse (at least for me). And speaking of Del...

Hieroglyphics.JPGYou Never Know - Hieroglyphics

This album introduces some of the finest artists to come out of the Bay Area. Del, Casual, Pep Love, Souls of Mischief, Jaybiz, and Domino. It's 72 minutes of deliciously funky and bouncy beats, a showcasing of each artist's talent, some freestyles and some of the best collaborations you'll ever hear.

Paul Revere - The Beastie Boys

The greatest hip-hop overthrow of all time. Dorky white Jewish kids who used to play punk shows at CBGB decide to put on large sunglasses, ski goggles and enormous VW logo necklaces and rap about beer and titties. After hooking up with the producer of Slayer's Reign in Blood, they create music that consists of mangled AC/DC riffs, Kerry King solos, reversed
Aerosmith rhythms and the awesomeness of looped 303 beats (*kicksnare*kicksnare*kicksnare*kicksnare *kicksnare*kicksnare*kicksnare*kicksnare GIRLS!!!). And they got away with it. Put that over-sized boombox up to your ear and make frantic gestures with your arms as you sing along.

Wit' Dre Day - Dr. Dre and Snoop Doggy Dog.

He was still Snoop Doggy Dog, their party spots always had people C-walking and drinking 40's out of fridges that were fully stocked with Olde English. Rollin' on dubs, 16 switches for all the bitches, blunts the size of your forearm. Rap videos that weren't just music, they were mini-movies. You had all the players getting together to party, a bit of the song at the party, an interlude between partying to clown on someone, more music back at the party and then the outro, with everyone leaving the party at six in the mornin'. Biz%20Markie.jpg Fuck yeah. During The Chronic years, 40's of Olde E were my drink of choice, and even the whitest kid at school knew how to crip walk.

Just A Friend - Biz Markie

"You... you got what I neee-eeed. But you say he's just a friend, and you
say he's just a friend... OOHHHH BAAYY-BEEE YOOOUUUUU!!!" Comedy. Fucking.
Gold.

Cop Killer - Body Count

The entire album was condemned by dozens of decency groups, censors, parents, teachers, police officers and civil rights activists. Every song was incredibly obscene and filled with violent lyrics dealing with subjects ranging from pimping to matricide and arson to drive-by shootings. You're damn right I had a copy! And after the song Cop Killer was pulled from the album, I spend years searching for one of the original copies (Finally found it in the used section, going for 35 bucks). Screw Limp Bizkit, THIS was the original hard rock/rap crossover album.

Summertime - DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince

Say what you will about Will Smith, but who can deny that this was the ultimate summertime party song? It spawned a couple of nice techno remixes and was probably the last good thing Will Smith did before he became a full-time actor.


That wraps up my hip-hop nostalgia list. Anyone out there have a certain song from back in the day that they've never been able to fully get out of their head?

The editors of FTTW wish Seetwist a happy yesterday birthday

Archives

April 16, 2007

The G to the L to the U Never Forgetting the E

I found god in my boom box, hiding in the high hats,
trapped under filters and waiting for the kickbacks

glue1.jpgEveryone has at least one album in their collection of an artist who is so absolutely outstanding (and not just in a specific musical niche either) that you just can't believe that they're not getting more attention and respect.  For me, that band is Glue.

Glue is a hip hop trio who come from decidedly non-hip-hop backgrounds.  Representing Aurora, Illinois (party on, Wayne!), Keane, New Hampshire and Cincinnati, Ohio, these 3 have more credentials than you would think possible.

Emcee Adeem is the only person to win twice at the massive hip-hop festival, Scribble am .  He took the crown in 1998 and in 2001, respectively.  To put this into context, Eminem couldn't even make it past the semi-finals, and he was defeated more than once while trying.

DJDQ, the music behind the group is currently a part of the turntablist group The Animal Crackers, who took the 2006 title at the
DMC championship.  He's been making incredible music since the early 90's, and between being a part of The Animal Crackers and Glue , he delivers pizzas in order to make a living.

glue2.jpgFinally, the man behind the production, Maker.  He's been producing for a variety of different labels, including NinjaTune, one of the most prestigious and well-known hip-hop labels out there.

It pays to be persistent, to be a story of success,
So I'm rapping to get this tension out of my chest,
Blessed by karma's opposite, holding it down,
Trying to put some positivity back in my sound,
Relax by cooking dinner; take it step by step,
It's been eleven hours straight, still haven't slept,
When things get crossed off the list, the panic drifts,
Away from my nervous system, where my heartbeats skips,
My attitude to fuel my passion for music,
I'll give the world a throwaway and give you the exclusive.

The first time I heard Glue, I was at an outdoor music festival in Denver, Colorado.  I had just finished seeing some unknown college band perform and was on my way to purchase a $12 cup of warm beer, when I noticed a scrawny white kid come running out of the tent that housed the hip-hop and electronica acts.  He flipped on the mic and launched into a massive 5 minute freestyle, causing the majority of the crowd to stop and just stare at the dorky Caucasian who was spitting rhymes so quickly that the speakers couldn't keep up.  When he finished, he turned around and calmly walked back into the tent, followed by a few thousand new fans.  I eventually got my flat Bud Light (why does concert beer always suck so much?) and made my way over to the tent to check out the action.  I walked in right as DJDQ was working the turntables, producing some of the craziest scratches I had heard outside of a DMC
competition.

CatchAsCatchCan.jpgI spent the majority of their set just standing to the side of the stage, watching Adeem run back and forth while switching between album songs and freestyle sessions.  And people were going NUTS.  I had attended a Busta Rhymes concert the week before at the same venue and he couldn't get the crowd half as hyped up as they were now.  The 'heads were up front, holding their hands in the air and hopping along to every song.  The people at the fringes of the crowd were pushing forward, trying to get closer to the stage, and spontaneous b-boy sessions kept breaking out in the middle of everything.  At one point, there were 3 large circles where people were popping, locking, head spinning and even moshing.  Crowd surfers were getting picked off by security, and as soon as they were pulled down to the floor, another one took their place.  The joints started sparking up, and soon there was a sweet-smelling haze hanging in the air.  And through all of this, Glue kept ripping up the stage.  They ended up performing for a short 45 minutes, but it was the best set of the day, hands down.  And when they finished cleaning up after the set, all 3 of them hopped into the crowd and spent the rest of the afternoon milling about, watching the other acts with the crowd they had just performed in front of.

The other thing I really enjoy about Glue is the lyrical content.  It's emotional, raw and yet still uplifting.  There are no songs about drugs, bitches or violence.  There's no need to skip tracks because you're sick of hearing the same message repeated again and again.  Adeem delivers positivity and variety; from science fiction themed songs ( Vessel) to songs decrying the overly misogynistic lyrics that creep into 90% of mainstream hip-hop (Glupies). 

I'm looking for dignity,
Not a chick just to dig me,
The last thing on my mind is sex with a stranger,
I'm trying to play shows and make some paper,
This is my living, stop killing all the feeling,
Hey drunk girl stop sleeping,
On your own self esteem,
Thanks for digging the game but you've got the wrong team.

Take the tight beats, impeccable turntablism and heartfelt lyrics, mix them together, and you have Glue.

Glue's latest album, Catch As Catch Can, is now out on Fat Beat Records.  Bonus for those who actually purchase the CD:  It comes with an additional disc of pure instrumental tracks.

For those who like:  Sage Francis, early Run DMC and Eyedea & Abilities.

Glue's Homepage:
http://gluemakesmusic.com/home.asp

Glue on Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/glue
Free Tracks:
"A
Lot To Say
"
"Glupies"

Seetwist used to sniff glue; now he just listens to it
.

Archives

April 9, 2007

Endtroducing....

Please welcome another new writer to the FTTW fold - Eric. He'll be doing two columns, a weekly column introducing you to new, eclectic music (that's this one) and a monthly column on street art.

Hi everybody!Dr%20Nick.jpg

I'm really no good at introducing myself, so I'm just going to blindly forge ahead, hand extended in greeting, and hope that I don't knock anyone on their ass. I am Eric, and I will be your guide to the magical world of music. I spend entirely too much time (and money) surfing the internet, rummaging through record stores and attending live shows, and one day I thought to myself "wouldn't it be great if you could share some of the gems you've stumbled across with other people and make a living while doing it?" Hell yeah, it would! Unfortunately, Michele has refused to pay me a dime (not even reimbursement for the hookers and blow!), so I guess I'll be doing it for free...

I am here to write about music that you might not have heard of before. Pieces of music from all corners of the world. From the dusty record crates in the basement of Wax Trax to the unpronounceable foreign websites at ends of the internet, I'll be bringing the umlaut, the circumflex, the acute and the háček. There will be occasions when a band or song seems to missing important vowels, or has 5 consonants in a row. Sometimes the vocals will be be in 4 or 5 languages, none of them English. But if you're willing to take a chance on something different, I'm more than happy to bring it to you, week after week. I'll even try my best to do it without sounding like some asshole coffee-shop music snob.

Here's a little sample of some of the genres that I'll be writing about:

Hip-hop turntablism
Indian reggae
Hungarian downtempo
Politically-charged Latin-funk
French afro-pop
Asian death-metal
Cajun punk
Candian blues-hop
Chinese bluegrass
Jewish nerdcore
Maori R&B
U.K. grime
Palestinian hip-hop
Japanese trip-hop
Australian freestyle
Swedish synth-hop
Arabic dancehall
Parisian party rap
Italian electro-folk
Kenyan blues

Now, I know that some people looked through that list and saw a number of different styles of hip-hop listed. Let me assure you that this is not your average Eminem/DMX/Ying-Yang Twins type of hip-hop. 99% of what I bring to you, you won't hear on Clear Channel or Jacor-owned radio stations. This is hip hop in it's rawest form. DJ battling each other, switching up records every 20 seconds. Emcees who can rhyme over any beat you give them. Newcomers and 20 year veterans of the game. Straight-edge vegans who are signed to punk labels. Devout Christians, Muslims, Jews, Atheists and Buddhists from every race, sex and background.

Some diverse stuff, is what I'm getting at....

Now, I know that nobody is anxious to shell out their hard earned money for a CD of something that may sound cool in writing, but could easily be god-awful. There is a thin line between eclectic and total shit. So I will include links to websites where you can sample the tracks before buying (you do plan to pay for those tracks, don't you?), and include the homepage of the artist whenever possible.

Since this was more of an introduction article than anything else, here are some free tracks of sweet, sweet music to tide you over until next week.


Definitive Swim


Rhymesayers Entertainment


Stone's Throw Records

National Geographic's Guide to World Music


My Last.fm Radio Station

My Pandora Hip Hop Station



In the meantime, why don't you tell me who your favorite hip-hop or foreign artist is? It's OK if you like Nelly. I won't tell anyone.

Eric's Profile

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