viral vinyl

In Memory Of...GURU

2010-04-20T14:15:00.000-07:00

Gang Starr - "In Memory Of..."

Zone out to this beautiful piece of thought and music.
And for get that fake @$$ letter.
Rest in Power, Gifted Unlimited Rhymes Universal.

Funk Flex

2010-04-17T13:23:00.000-07:00

dope. a great viral video and i kinda want the shoes after watching this. It definite demonstrates the benefit of the product!

o:{ and every pair should come with this song. then the campaign would be perfect. ;}

SOURCE: endgadget

Respect: Fab 5 Freddy

2010-03-28T14:04:00.000-07:00

Growing up watching Yo! MTV Raps, I always wondered who this Fab 5 Freddy guy was. I had never heard of him. Come to find out he's directed some of my favorite music videos of all time. Videos like "My Philosophy", "Talkin' All That Jazz", "Ladies First", "Just To Get A Rep" and "One Love", as well as producing the classic "Wild Style" movie. Now I wanna BE him!

See some of his work on his site.

quickMix: this is Africa

2010-03-22T04:33:00.000-07:00

dj omni - quickMix: this is Africa from viral vinyl on Vimeo.

Download Audio

tracklist:
“African Voodoo Queen (Drama)” by Madlib
“Ayo Ayo Nene” by Mor Thiam
“Ololufe Mi” by Fela Kuti

quickMix™: 3-7 songs. download in seconds.

This quickMix™ starts with a hypnotic head-nodder from the prolific mind of Madlib. We then continue into a recently unearthed jazz gem that, according to Gilles Peterson, was created by the ever-nasal Akon's father. We conclude with a master. A rare cut that I went in search of after hearing the Fela section of J. Period & K'naan's "Messengers" mixtape.

o:{dedicated to the delivery of Khalilah Elise and Elijah Samir Kearney. Congratulations to the proud papa and a speedy recovery to the lovely mother.}

quickMix™: Progression

2010-02-27T00:03:00.000-08:00

dj omni - quickMix™: Progression
Download MP3

tracklist:
“Legions (Reverie)” by Zoe Keating
“Wait Up” by Q-Tip
“1000 Deaths” by D’Angelo

quickMix™: 3-7 songs. download in seconds.

I am a firm believer that music blends make songs sound better.
And sometimes I just want to get to the blend in a mix.

This quickMix™ contains a song and a blend that I have had in my head for a while now. Starting from the unreleased D’Angelo. I heard a connection to something that had come before in this song. After listening to the stories of how the Voodoo album came to be, it is nice to see Questlove and company reaching back to a recent album for inspiration. The underrated Amplified album is filled with gems from the production duo Q-tip and a soon-to-be J Dilla. Working backwards from there, the electronica-accompanied Zoe Keating builds a mood with her layers of cello melodies that seemed a perfect place to start.

o:{I originally planned to start with the sample source for “Wait Up”, seeing as it also inspired “1000 Deaths”. I couldn't find any information about the original online. If anyone has the Amplified liner notes and can share the sample source, I would greatly appreciate it.}

Late Love

2010-02-15T17:51:00.000-08:00

dj omni - "late love mix"
o:{there is explicit content in this mix. apologies in advance.}

I’m a little late for the lovey-dovey vibe, but I can see that the love bug has had a hand in this mix. Some of that love is directed at my city. I spent a night in the Akwaaba Mansion, a black-owned Bed & Breakfast in the heart of Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn. It’s around the corner from the Lewis Avenue that Big Daddy Kane rapped about on his albums. It is also the setting for the video of “History” by Mos Def featuring Talib Kweli.

Tracklist:
1 Ammoncontact f. Prince Po, Yusef Lateef, & Dwight Tribble – Beautiful Flowers
2 Courtney Pine f. Cassandra Wilson - "Don't 'Xplain"
3 D'Angelo w/ Pino & ?uesto - "Ex To The Next"
4 Donovan - "Get Thy Bearings"
5 Fink - "Q & A"
6 Jazzanova f. Phonte - "So Far From Home"
7 Ty & Kory - "Flyin Away"
8 Tony Toni Toné - "That's All I Ask Of You"
9 The Roots f. JazzyFatNastees - "You Got Me (Me Tienes Remix)
10 Tin Hat Trio - "The Longest Night"
11 Vampire Weekend - "Diplomat's Son"
12 Ta'Raach - "Baaaby"
13 Skillz f. Freeway - "Don't Act Like You Don't Know"
14 RJD2 - "Work It Out"
15 Prefuse 73 f. Aesop Rock - "Sabbatical With Options"
16 Pete Rock f. CL Smooth - "Back On the Block"
17 Miguel Atwood-Ferguson and his 40-piece orchestra – “Hoc ‘n Pucky”
18 Jay Electronica - "Retro Electro"

Grammy Nominated: Mos Def

2010-01-31T18:13:00.000-08:00

dj omni - "mos def mix"

1. Mos Def - "Jay Electronica Tribute (Live @ Carnegie Hall)"
2. Mos Def - "Universal Magnetic"
3. Mos Def – “QuietDog (Letterman_060809)"
4. Black Star - "Hard Margin"
5. Mary J Blige - "Beautiful (Black Star Remix)"
6. Mos Def - "Auditorium (f. Slick Rick the Ruler)"
7. Mos Def - "Ms. Fat Booty"
8. Mos Def - "U R The One"
9. Mos Def - "Umi Says (Zero 7 Mix)"
10. Mos Def - "Brooklyn Go Hard (Live @ Highline Ballroom)
11. Mos Def - "Black Jack"
12. De La Soul - "Big Brother Beat"
13. Mos Def - "No Hay Nada Mas"
14. Black Star - "Respiration (Pete Rock Remix f. Black Thought)"
15. Mos Def - "May-December"
16. Mos Def x HYPNOTIC - "Make it Funky (Live)"
17. De La Soul - "Stakes Is High (Remix)"
18. BlakRoc - "Ain't Nothing Like You (Hoochie Coo)(f. Jim Jones)
19. Black Star - "Bright as The Stars"
20. Mos Def - "Priority"
21. Reflection Eternal - "Just Begun (f. Jay Electronica and J. Cole)
22. Mos Def - "Champion Requiem"

Continuing the congratulatory theme, a long overdue Mos Def mix that barely scratches the surface of this man’s oeuvre. Mos has been nominated for Best Rap Solo Performance “Casa Bey” and for Best Rap Album “The Ecstatic”. The solo performance category has strong competition from Drake, Eminem, Jay-Z, and Kid Cudi. Big-up Q-Tip for getting a Grammy nod for his excellent album “The Renaissance” (he deserves a mix of his own).

Mos Def is the definition of multi-talented. Almost as well known for his acting as he is for his music he has been nominated for a variety of awards but has at this point only won a Black Reel Awards in 2005 as Best Actor Independent for “The Woodsman”. (He really should have won Best Actor in a Television Movie or Mini-Series in 2004 for “Something the Lord Made”)

Needless say we will be seeing more from Mos.

Grammy Nominated: Phonte

2010-01-30T20:33:00.000-08:00

dj omni - "phonte mix"

1. Foreign Exchange - "Let's Move"
2. Phonte - "Like Dat"
3. The Foreign Exchange - "Daykeeper (feat. Muhsinah)"
4. Kev Brown, Oddisee & Phonte - "Beats N' Rhymes"
5. Dave Ghetto, Mystic & Phonte - "Hey Young World Pt. II"
6. Jake One - "Bless the Child (feat. Little Brother)"
7. Little Brother - "Phonte Exclusive"
8. Phonte & Eccentric - "Silky Tay's Theme"
9. Strong Arm Steady - "Best of Times ft. Phonte"
10. Royce da 5'9" & Phonte - "Something 2 Ride 2"
11. Foreign Exchange - "Be Alright"
12. Little Brother - "Breakin My Heart (feat. Lil' Wayne)"
13. Phonte - "Too Late"
14. Jazzanova - "Look What You're Doin' To Me Featuring Phonte"
15. The Foreign Exchange (Nicolay & Phonte) - "Hustle Hustle"
16. RJD2 - "The Shining Path (feat. Phonte Coleman)"
17. Zo! - "My Flame feat. Phonte"
18. Little Brother - "Home"
19. Phonte & Eccentric - "The Time Has Come"

The above mix is a special request from the homegirl, Kemba. And I’m really happy to see the fam Phonte getting the shine he deserves. The Foreign Exchange has been nominated for a Grammy Award in the Best Urban/Alternative Performance category (with stiff competition from Robert Glasper & Bilal and Eric Roberson respectively).

Phonte Coleman has been everywhere since his debut on Little Brother’s “The Listening” in 2003. He’s a little bit Weezy and a little bit Drake, popping up on other people’s projects as lyricist and/or as singer. He addresses this on the song “Too Late”: “I got a Masters in freestyle (rhyming), and a hook-singing baccalaureate.”

Creatively, Phonte resembles Cee-lo. Former member of a fan-favorite group, talented lyricist and vocalist, and has found Grammy success partnering with a talented producer. The only difference is that Phonte has not released solo albums, but he has hinted on his Gordon Gartrell podcast that a solo album is in the works.

Foreign Exchange has a good chance of winning the Grammy, and it would be well deserved. But it’s only the beginning for Phonte.

mixtape - In The Spirit (finally!)

2009-12-23T20:30:00.000-08:00

dj omni - "in the spirit (finally!)"

Continuing the challenge to make a mix a month, I just pushed play and recorded myself playing around. This “quick-one-before-I-go” mix, is called “In the Spirit (finally!)”. And the spirit in question is the Christmas Spirit.

Listening to Benji B and J Rocc goof around and enjoy the cheesiest of x-mas music on Deviation really started this joyous season for me (as well as getting out of the office for the rest of the year!).

I was also inspired by the magic of DJ Questlove at his newly annual Holiday party at S.O.B.’s. The man was sampling, pitch-shifting, and recreating classics on the fly for the people. Amazing show!

Now back to this mix. We start with a little DIY Dwele magic. An ode to a cheap microphone and the support of friends moves into the first Dwele track I ever heard, “Jimmy stay down” an obvious ode to Stevie Wonder who also closes this mix. There are some Christmas songs mixed in. That chipmunk funk is a pseudo auto-tuned Lou Rawls, who has made some of the funkiest holiday sounds ever in this “Christmas Will Really Be Christmas”. Followed close behind by a rare Christmas cover of “Little Baby” called “Purple Snowflakes” (for some reason) by the always-amazing Marvin Gaye. Other highlights include “Do 4 U” by super-group Hawthorne Headhunters featuring PPP favorite Coultrain. Admittedly, I should’ve let this song go longer. Also included is some J Dilla and James Brown business followed by a project that I am REALLY looking forward to from Mochilla: Miguel Atwood-Ferguson’s orchestral concert for the Dilla-gentleman, “Suite for Ma Dukes”. Mos Def makes a couple appearances in this mix mainly because my song of the moment is his “24-Hour Karate School”! Which I imagine he came up with while walking in SOHO flipping through the Village Voice, seeing an ad and imagining a whole story behind it. Add an erratic beat created by Ski Beatz and the Apple Juice Kid (according to okayplayer) and this song is a bit of mad genius. There’s a Roots song before this that I pray will be on the next album, and a remix of Biggie’s first single by two white boys from Brooklyn that don’t get the credit they deserve for the infectious music they make. And finally we close with a master, not too far from where we began. I hope you enjoy. Happy Holidaze.

A rainy day with Vestax Spin

2009-12-05T13:29:00.000-08:00

dj omni - "rainyDaySpin"

I'm not one for the so-called black friday sale madness. But when my family and I made it out on Saturday to the Apple store in the mall I immediately gravitated to a box on the bottom of the shelf advertising the Vestax Spin. It was fun to watch people stop what they were doing and watch and want to play as we convinced the staff to pull the spin controller out of the back room (where some of the employees admitted to playing with it on their breaks) and hooked it up in the store. With only a walk around the mall, I was sold.

The Spin's decks are highly sensitive and easily customizable. It is chocked full of nice features and is really fun to play with. The best bit is the included Mac software called DJAY, which connects to your iTunes library (including your music videos!) and allows you to record your mixes and save playlists.

This is my first attempt at a recorded mix using spin (mistakes and all). I'm sure it won't be the last. I'll try to post one a month atleast.

o:{if enough people ask for it, i'll chop this mix up into tracks and make it available for download. If you want the tracklisting to the mix right-click and save the above image.}

where were you?!

2009-09-30T15:25:00.000-07:00

wow. 'bout to buy this album again. Three Feet High and Rising anniversary concert footage. IN FULL. i say again, WOW! worth it for the "Dininit" intro. And I'll be back for the Fink concert.

true love.

o:{but now I'm thinking, if artists can't sell albums, and they're making money off of live shows, and I'm watching this for free...I just hope that this great service won't cut into their income and there is some licensing deal in effect.}

step 2

2009-09-30T13:19:00.000-07:00

I just found this on iTunes. Amazing! I had one of Rob Swift's old albums and would mix it in my sets to pretend I was as dope as he. This duet of scratching with riffing totally validates the practice of the cut.

Love This

2009-09-27T11:04:00.000-07:00

Love Me Like This by floatingpoints

An amazing use of a a sample as inspiration to create a massive new tune!
And the original song is dope too:

Behind the Music: H.E.A.L.

2009-09-24T15:22:00.000-07:00

Big up to The Meaning of Dope for this and many other videos and expressing a true love of the art. In this video you get to see the hard work that these teenagers were putting into their music.

five figers

2009-08-26T11:41:00.001-07:00

nice vid. i always find it hard to believe that these animatics are the official videos, but this one is amazing. great production art and voiceover work over a cool Dilla beat. worth more than one watch.

Don't Front...

2009-08-18T17:09:00.000-07:00

Patrick Martinez: You Don't Have To Lie To Kick It @ Fifty24LA Gallery from Patrick Martinez on Vimeo.

this has got me open. excellent art, great music selection (does anyone know the name of this 9th Wonder track?).
more motion from the master:
http://www.pomcasabella.com/

o:{thanks to Rocío from Mochilla for the link. now send me my Brasilintime DVD!}

Schooled

2009-07-25T15:22:00.001-07:00

After watching lectures from RBMA for years, I finally got to be a part of a lecture series. This evening included sound system designer Gary Stewart, music producer 88-Keys, DJ Harvey, and VERY SPECIAL SECRET GUEST Flying Lotus!

FlyLo is a rock star!
And Red Bull puts together truly amazing experiences.

into the Frying Pan

2009-07-17T16:42:00.000-07:00

Quantic and his Combo Barbaro
from the Official US Release Party of 'Tradition In Transition'.
July 15th, 2009
@ The Frying Pan on Pier 66

Big up to Will Quantic and Nickodemus. There needs to be more events like this in the city.

All photos and videos taken with my iPhone 3Gs.

Summer Sound

2009-07-14T08:42:00.000-07:00

I'm feeling the sunshine today and Stones Throw enticed me to grab the lastest Madlib opus from the title alone: "Summer Suite".

Even the Stones Throw site has to admit that the master's work is not always easy to digest: "This suite is a single track comprised of four major sections and several different themes, altogether feeling similar to, more more cohesive, than one of Madlib's jazz mixtapes." But I have to admit that this Suite of music has just the right vibe.

Until, that is, I recieved my Amie Street newsletter.
Quantic and his Combo Barbaro sounds like summertime in the city. With traces of Vince Guaraldi and Roy Hargrove's Habana, this album is groovin like a good summer road trip or barbecue.

EDIT: Just came across this amazing Trailer from the forthcoming Mochilla/Sonido del Valle production. Based around the music of Quantic and his Combo Barbaro.

Tradition in Transition: A Postcard from Cali (TRAILER) from Quantic on Vimeo.

Must Mention Michael

2009-07-10T14:06:00.000-07:00

Even though there has been a mass of media all about Michael Jackson (and not enough about Farrah Fawcett,
Ed McMahon, and even Karl Malden), I have to say that this music video mix by the brilliant Peanut Butter Wolf of
Stones Throw really touched and inspired me. (can you see the beginnings of the moonwalk in the forward sliding robot moves of Dancing Machine?!)

EDIT: Read this great, quick interview with Quincy Jones remembering Michael. So Wise! (and, uh...take a look at all those platinum records in the pic!)

I wanna hear Prince's take on the passing of his competitive contemporary!

Holiday Appropriate

2009-07-04T12:52:00.000-07:00

Stumbled upon an old mix today...nice little bbq/beach soundtrack. Have a listen or download here.

DIY_video

2009-06-09T15:46:00.000-07:00

This is a great idea for building interest in a new artist. This interactive art piece gives those with attention-deficit disorder something to do while they are listening to the music. The full song. Which is good but noticeably long. The little animated details that pop-up throughout, keep the viewer’s attention throughout and the option to replay your hand-drawn music video and send it to your friends, is a great way to get this artist’s name out there. Which must be working, because FWA has awarded it site of the month and I found it through the Adobe newsletter.

Never one to rest on his laurels, Mr. Mos Def keeps it moving on the streets of Osaka, Japan to build anticipation for his now newly released album, "The Ecstatic". The lyrics are so strong accapella, but I was sold when I heard the combination of Mos, Madlib, and MC Ricky D! o:{Slick Rick for the slow-pokes}

Seargent Major

2009-06-05T14:39:00.000-07:00

I love these Rock Band cinematics, and this new one for The Beatles does not disappoint. And I'll be hyped to see this in the cinemas! It'll be so much better than the usual crap they show in "The 2wenty".

Rusty DJ 2.0

2009-05-22T10:57:00.000-07:00

I had the opportunity to guest DJ a friend's web radio show the other day. A somewhat flubby mix made in a dark room, but I was happy to fill two hours with a wide variety of mood music. Also, good excuse to drop a track I made last Sunday.

If you have a few hours to spare, come take a messy little journey with me here.

Casa Bey to Forte

2009-05-22T09:54:00.000-07:00

We are in a new stage of hip-hop where we can have a new single from an artist like Mos Def and at the same time have the original sample be revealed (see above)...and it takes nothing away from the magic of the music.

This has been done before (ghostface rhyming over "LALALA means I love you" comes to mind immediately) and 9th Wonder teaches a class on hip-hop with a section in his syllabus called "Santa Clause ain't real" where he shows his students the line between the original sample material and what their favorite artists actually create in their music. Some students end up disappointed when they find out that certain songs aren't made from scratch by an artist. Outkast's "So Fresh, So Clean" was given as an example, as was Alicia Key's You Don't Know My Name.

Actually, better DJs have been playing the sampled and and the source material from the earliest days of hip-hop and it only enhances both compositions. Right now, listening to Banda Black Rio's "Casa Forte" only makes me want to hear Mos Def's "Casa Bey" even more. They are both strong cuts in their own right.

side note:

This has got to be the best fan vid ever! Ghostface as Racer X! Daytona 5000. JediDan has hit all the marks with this Speed Racer mash-up video. too dope.

Something to fuck with, after all?

2009-05-13T14:55:00.000-07:00

Wu-Tang covers reimagined Blue Note stylee by Logan Walters. Nice.

Addendum: New El Michels Affair record is good stuff too.

Magnetic

2009-05-13T13:29:00.001-07:00

The new Mos Def track/video seems to:

a) kind of deliver on the promise of artist as Doom fan.

b) continue the trend of typography in hip hop video.

Anyway, it's fantastic and equals two hot songs in a row by me.

DJ Hero

2009-05-07T09:26:00.000-07:00

Full Story

I thought it would be wack at first, but if the platter spins AND you have to catch and scratch the sample?! that could be dope.

I'm imagining a DJ Premier scratch chorus.
"Devil's Pie" anyone? ("I'm tryn'a eat...c..c..c..come one, come all...if you wanna...cut the pie")

EDIT: The more I think about it, the controller should be an MPC or SP1200 sampler. Then you could build songs and have more to do in a song than just wait for the scratches. There could also be an advanced level where you chop samples to create beats!

Digital DeLa

2009-05-05T12:51:00.000-07:00

As both a collector and a runner, I found this too interesting to pass up. Dave seems a little bored with the commerce side of the project in this video. But De La Soul are continuing to find interesting ways to make albums. Ya gotta respect their hustle.

For more, check Maceo at DeLaSoul's Dugout.

ummm... and then there's this:
Master Killa for PETA?

the emporer's new clothes

2009-04-29T13:41:00.000-07:00

(dobie remix) gangstarr - You know my steez
by dougpark17

Wait. You're allowed to remix a Premier track?!

I remember not really feeling this song at first (i grew to love it with the Premier remix), but I believe this version is waay better than the original.

{As heard on the Gilles Peterson podcast}

Baby Makin' Music

2009-04-24T15:27:00.000-07:00

In honor of the soon to be born Baby Garris.

Music Playlist at MixPod.com

The Mos requested

2009-04-14T18:47:00.000-07:00

This is up there with Justin Timberlakes' version that I saw the day after i saw the original.

Keep an eye out for this little star (and her posse!)

And it's always nice to see talented people also stan.

Dope! Bag it

2009-03-30T15:08:00.000-07:00

I just bought a an InCase bag and now I'm a fan.
Apparently they have made bags for and with John Mayer (cool blog BTW).

And they collab with artists on their products.

A cool company to keep an eye on.

Someday

2009-03-21T17:05:00.000-07:00

I want to have a band with like 46 people on stage. We'll be playing like 3 different songs at once, and nobody will be the wiser.

In the meantime, make it past 90 choreographed seconds, and this is pretty nice:

he IS legend

2009-03-20T08:55:00.000-07:00

An amazing documentary about a music legend. I really got into hip-hop off of Big Daddy Kane's "Ain't No Half Steppin'".
I have memories of LL rockin' bells and begged my father for Dana Dane's "Nightmares" 12" but it was really the album "It's a Big Daddy Thing" (and later Tribe's ...Instinctive Travels...") that cemented hip-hop as my music of choice.

This is an amazing documentary that really
(and finally) gives the man his due.

Wiki:"Ice-T refers to Kane in his song "Midnight":
"The sound's up loud/ To attract attention/ .../
Bumping Big Daddy/ The nigga was definitely flowing".
It is uncommon in hip hop recordings of that time for
one rapper to display such admiration for another."

word.

RE: Kindle

2009-03-16T16:33:00.000-07:00

Finally we are getting a little Star-Trekky! And it looks like Amazon is giving Apple a run for it's money on more that just the music front.

little iPod lost (iBlock it!)

2009-03-12T16:47:00.000-07:00

As a person who has had his last two iPods stolen (from Waikiki, Hawaii. The locals can tell a Thrifty rental car even without any markings, and they target them. The rental agent confirmed this after the fact, saying it happens often), I think this is a great idea! And I will be installing this on my next iPod (once I lose the sour taste in my mouth from having to pay again!)

And don't expect any help from Apple. Even though you are prompted to register your iPod though iTunes, they don't keep track of your iPod even though the serial number is stored on your computer through iTunes. I can only assume that Apple is happy that you have to buy another.

Worth a quick click.

2009-03-01T16:25:00.000-08:00

http://savedaptone.com/

999

2009-03-01T12:13:00.000-08:00

Behind the Music

2009-02-25T08:22:00.000-08:00

This is a must have! It’s like a documentary of Q-Tip/Tribe/Native Tongues. J.Period has so many little interviews mixed into this mixtape as music that I can’t wait until Volume 2! I was wondering how they were able to give this away as a free download, but maybe it’s the Scion connection.

But back to the mix. Worth the download time alone for the De La version of “Excursions” and the Kweli, Randy Watson Experience version of “Youthful (Expressions)”, but then you get back stories like Q-Tip explaining the meaning of the name, Dave of De La telling the story of the meeting of the Native Tongues, and Bob Power explaining the spontaneity of the “Bob Power, you there?” line. Classic.

Hud Mo is magic!

2009-02-06T15:00:00.000-08:00

Hudson Mohawke is WOW right now!

Love the cover art! Subtle photoshop text of hands creating the name with little digital lightning all over explains perfectly what Mr. Mohawke is all about. And this little video, which I guess is an internet app and not the official video, perfectly matches the sound of his best track.

in the middle

2009-02-04T14:29:00.000-08:00

D-Nice Presents True Hip-Hop Stories: Monie Love from D-Nice on Vimeo.

Monie Love explains “Monie in the Middle (apparently she’s talking about Kane and Scrap Lova!) and life after hip hop (4kids!).

Props to D-Nice. His "True Hip Hop Stories" and photography have made his site a regular stop on my web travels.

And this.

2009-02-02T21:42:00.000-08:00

Is kinda funny. Congrats, nonetheless.

Forever ever.

2009-02-02T21:30:00.001-08:00

For those, in the New York area, the third annual Donuts Are Forever event is this Saturday at Public Assembly in Williamsburg. Raising money for a good cause and paying tribute to the king. And my friend Brainchild is spinning. Details here.

Take it back 2

2009-01-30T13:58:00.000-08:00

Just zone out for 7 minutes.
Big up UniverSOUL Productions’ Weblog

Bring it Back

2009-01-27T09:43:00.000-08:00

Taken from the music blog of the senior vice president and director of music at my day gig, Josh Rabinowitz. These are his words:

"2. “Star Spangled Banner”, Marvin Gaye, Nike
If like me, you watched Marvin Gaye sing the national anthem at the NBA All-Star Game in LA on TV in 1983, you were so floored/moved/stirred/etc. that you tried to find a copy of it but to no avail. Not until a Gaye Box Set came out in the early nineties, on audio cassette only, were you able to hear it. Thank goodness for YouTube, and thanks to Nike’s Spot “United We Rise” for tapping into that magic of Marvin, who at that LA performance was armed with only a first generation drum machine (programmed the day before by Gordon Banks), and connecting it with the spirit of the Redeem Team (aka US Olympic Basketball Team). Not the greatest of Nike ads, but certainly one the greatest rendition of the Star Spangled Banner ever done."

Love the fact that they used a drum machine track made the day before as the backing music. Mssrs. Marvin and Banks remixed the National Anthem! (and thank God for that!)

Big In Japan

2009-01-26T21:45:00.000-08:00

Someone once said.

2009-01-19T06:08:00.000-08:00

Interesting Joy Division doc up at Pitchfork. For "one week only," though I'm not sure when that ends. Visually nice, lots of good interviews. Particularly liked the Peter Saville stuff. Anyway, a little antithetical to this week's events, but if you need a moody moment...

1938-2008

2009-01-19T05:41:00.000-08:00

I'm pretty late on this, but with all the holiday hustle, didn't get the news that Freddie Hubbard had passed until after the new year. Perhaps best known for his run of early 70's releases for CTI Records (speaking of, is the CTI catalog of that period not in desperate need of a photo anthology/covers collection book of some sort?), Freddie was a key sideman on a number of significant releases throughout the 60's as well, and continued to play up until recent years. Rest in peace, Mr. Hubbard.

MLK Day:Barack Songs

2009-01-17T15:10:00.000-08:00

I can remember being in elementary school before there was a holiday to commemorate Martin Luther King, Jr. My teacher led us in a debate as to whether there should be a holiday or not. If presidents like Washington, who led rebellions against the unfair practices of the government of their time, should be so honored, why not Dr. King? I couldn't put that into words then. I just knew he deserved to be remembered.

This year is special because the inauguration of Barack Hussein Obama fulfills the promise of Martin Luther King, Jr.

So to commemorate these two great men, a quick mix of inspired and inspirational songs.

"The only time brothers like us be poppin' champagne
is when we gonna celebrate Barack Hussein!" ~ Q-tip

So What You Sayin', Yo?

2009-01-11T21:00:00.000-08:00

Oh my. Can't figure out whether to download this or not. Like, it's not really the death of autotune if I perpetuate it by listening to the entirety of this mixtape, right? Audio samples are pretty hilarious, though.

Kids On The Hook

2009-01-07T08:56:00.000-08:00

I really didn't care for "Young Folks." It picqued my interest most the other day when reading that Peter Bjorn and John had been using a pre-recorded whistle for tour performances. Anyway. I dig this new track. Kind of like an updated indie cousin to Gorillaz' "Dirty Harry," no?

New Prince Site

2009-01-05T09:55:00.000-08:00

Here.

It's pretty.

No, I still haven't heard Fleet Foxes. Or the TV On The Radio.

2008-12-30T10:03:00.000-08:00

Adele - 19

Erykah Badu - New Amerykah Part One

Flying Lotus - Los Angeles

Jamie Lidell - Jim

Jazzanova - Of All The Things

Little Joy - Little Joy

Metallica - Death Magnetic

Q-Tip - The Renaissance

Quiet Village - Silent Movie

Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend

Singles:

Beyonce - Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It)

Flying Lotus/Lil Wayne - Robo Tussin

Thank you Jim Jones?

2008-12-19T11:51:00.000-08:00

Got the heads up about some of the Okayplayer holiday jammy guests, so hustled over to B.B. Kings late enough for a shut door and a lot of cops dealing with the aftermath of Jim Jones being kicked out. Which was enough distraction for me to slide in. This is like the inverse of the time years ago in Chicago when I was using a bad fake ID for a Prince aftershow. Malcom Jamal-Warner was in front of me in line trying to bring about twenty people in with him, causing enough confusion to slide me right through. Later he got up on stage to rap while Prince played the drums, and the crowd chanted, "Go Theo! Go Theo!" Alas, I digress...

Missed the Roots opening set, and thought Alicia Keys had put on weight and a track suit to hype the crowd on the mic with a lot of talk about Staten Island, but I guess that was Amanda Diva. Talib Kweli and his new group Idle Warship came on and did a few songs. Um, Res is in the group. That's good, I guess. They seemed to be jacking a beat from the first Daft Punk record on one track. Make of that what you will.

The Roots back out next, bringing out Estelle for a rocking soca-style take on You Got Me. Fire. Very well done, lots of simultaneous rapping/singing between her and Black Thought. And she looked good too - new haircut ala Lauryn Hill somewhere before the Fugees reunion went wrong for the second time. Anyway, she stuck around to do Come Over, and the she went away. Too bad.

Fela-inspired jam session next. Roots members plus Robert Glasper and James Poyser on keys, and Gary Bartz out on sax. Gary Bartz! GARY BARTZ. That's pretty heavy. No time for links today, but do some netsearch. Music is his sanctuary, yo.

Bilal and 88-Keys stepped up next. I knew Q-Tip was on later (and hence I missed the big MC throwdown with Black Thought and Pharaoh Monche, and Verses From the Abstract, damn), but I was late to another gathering, and Bilal was doing straight crazy from note one. "DWEEEEEEE! BWAAAAAAAA! SHUUUUUUUU!" Doesn't that come at the end (thinking the Radiohead cover here - High and Dry, not Everything In Its Right Place, which I guess did come at the end)? Anyway, it did for me. I was out. Early, but caught some nice music. Thanks Frank 151 and OKP!

P.S. What would Jim Jones have done with the Roots?

Moredele

2008-12-19T11:43:00.000-08:00

Further down the Adele remix road, Mick Boogie has done an '88-themed mixtape of a handful of tracks. So if you ever wondered what your favorite Adele song sounded like with a Slick Rick loop under it, well, now you can listen to see how long it takes you to decide that it doesn't make a lot of sense.

I'm digging the Green Lantern mix of Melt My Heart To Stone a little more, if only for the organic little groove on the second verse. Can I just get a whole track of that?

Chased Pavements

2008-12-16T11:49:00.000-08:00

Adele - Chasing Pavements (Various Remix) -

After hearing this remix on Gilles Peterson's show, I spent the majority of my last trip to London searching the shops for this song to no avail. Seems a hard look, but happily I have found this link (for the moment). It's such a dope mix. It needs to be out there! Enjoy.

Robots After All

2008-12-13T10:20:00.000-08:00

Electroma, Daft Punk's stab at your typical art/silent/road/midnight/stoner movie is streaming until 8 pm tonight at Pitchfork.tv. It comes on like a mix between the beginning of The Shining and lost footage from a bionic buddy cop series. And then not a lot happens. But it's still pretty cool.

Be warned, this might not translate to the pc screen at all. I saw it in a theater in Shibuya and had to contend with the inane chatter of two girls directly behind me. Like I said, audio-wise, there's not a lot going on. Anyway, I liked it. See if you have the patience, or just click around to see if you can find one of the more bizarre moments.

Kanyegenic.

2008-12-12T07:07:00.000-08:00

The overall vibe of most of the 808s & Heartbreak reviews I've come across is this: It's kind of a mess, but isn't it great that Kanye is experimenting? We need to support that. Interesting. While music journalism often runs pithy to downright vicious, what is it about Kanye that inspires such admiration cum generosity (or is that vice versa)? The threat of being called out by a loud-mouth who's much cooler than you? Solidarity amongst those of artistic leanings? Maybe he's just done a good job selling the whole "heartbreak/art" angle.

I've warmed to the record a bit, though aside from "Paranoid" and "Street Lights," there aren't any tracks that I care to listen to individually, or on rewind. Rather, I let it play out in the background while I clean the house. And maybe that's half the idea - the play out, not the cleaning, though a visit to his blog demonstrates Kanye's interest with music to be played in environments both residential and retail. I guess 808s & Heartbreak is what happens when industrial design aficionados bring their obsessions into the studio. Less bangin' and more Bang & Olufsen.

My more immediate impression, as tracks leaked over the last few months: Man, Kanye is really going for that '97 Bjork drum programming sound. Which caused me to revisit Homegenic the other day. I don't know if it's any longer relevant to say that an album from ___ still sounds fresh in ___, but Bjork and collaborators were on fire with this one. A cold, quiet fire, but still. So, anyway, maybe I'll have a greater appreciation for 808s & Heartbreak around 2019. Maybe it'll help if I have a much nicer apartment.

In the meantime, I'm favoring this recently dropped and officially sanctioned Kanye (re)mixtape. A little heavy on rattly B-more vibe, but worth it for the "Get 'Em High" and "Throw Some D's" mixes. All 909s & Sunshine.

New York Renaissance

2008-12-11T09:00:00.000-08:00

Man, Jay-Z can tell his life stories “a milli” times and it still sounds interesting! He deserves his crown. It’s lovely to see some internet love in this video. I came across Evan Roth’s animated illustration technique some time ago, but it works really well in this Low Budget video. (props to GBH.tv)

“My billionaire mayor has declared himself king.”

The quickest way to my heart is to put Kermit in anything! And the vocalist in this song comes the closest to Jim Henson’s voice than anyone who has tried it since. A beautiful song. And it’s somehow fitting that The Frog (a new york transplant himself) give eulogy to New York’s slow demise.

Taking It There

2008-11-05T22:42:00.000-08:00

Really, CNN?

(And performer sounds like a euphemism for stripper.)

AMEN.

2008-11-05T00:30:00.000-08:00

MN=Coleman over Franken (and by such a slim margin)?
CA=Yes to Prop 8?

Two minor setbacks/heartbreaks.

Otherwise, a beautiful day.

2008-11-04T08:17:00.000-08:00

No, you do.

2008-10-30T09:13:00.000-07:00

Two years later and I still love this.

More of less than ever before?

2008-10-27T08:43:00.000-07:00

New Mos Def single drops November 4 (ask me later what I think about people releasing music on Election Day, I mean, I know it's a Tuesday, but when Fall Out Boy has the best idea...), but you can stream it now via RCRD LBL. Myself...I don't love it. The whole plodding, anthemic thing is best used for intro's - didn't Jay kinda already do this in "The Ruler's Back" (basically a 4-minute intro, c'mon)? Just with a lot less synthesizer. Damn you Daft Punk! You done fucked hip hop up! Are you happy now?

I will say this, though: Mos Def should be the only rapper allowed to sing on tracks. Okay, maybe Q-Tip too (another November 4th-er, sheesh). With four for four released/leaked tracks from the new CD using the ungodly auto-tuner (and two using taiko drums?!), Kanye looks to be rushing into his lost in the wilderness period.

That sad, sparkly sound.

2008-10-25T12:12:00.000-07:00

I bought this bootleg of Frontin' by Pharrell years ago in Japan. It sounded like it was done by somebody currently listening to a lot of Level 42 singles. Further down the same road, this Fatlip remix seems to have been done by Howard Jones. Stellar. The bulk of the Delicious Vinyl RMMXOLOGY compilation, released this past summer, is pretty good, if glitchy tech-soul and B-more drum programming is your thing.
Love the What's Up Fatlip video, too, but even better is the short Spike Jonze making of. Worth another trip to the extras disc of the Directors Label DVD, had the post office not lost my signed copy. What's up Flatbush!

Jazzanova Reborn

2008-10-21T09:20:00.000-07:00

JAZZANOVA "Of All The Things" EPK 2008

Thanks Giant Step.

It's good to be excited about music again. Other eagerly anticipated albums are PPP and The Matthew Herbert Big Band
(Check The Story with the mighty Eska).

BONUS
BONUS too
BONUS three
o:{fer sure!}

RIP

2008-10-21T07:53:00.000-07:00

Rudy Ray Moore

1927-2008

and for best performance by a lemon...

2008-10-17T14:30:00.000-07:00

and get a free MR. Scruff mix from Giant Step!

...Before today

2008-10-13T13:54:00.000-07:00

"You were so beautiful..."
from "Take the Box"

I just got this e-mail entitled "New Album for Christmas", but when I clicked the link what I got was a desperate plea for me to buy an album that I've already bought twice! (yes, I succumbed to the possibility of new remixes and bought the latest "Frank" double disc set)

And I can see the marketing scheme as a way to pay for her current rehab stint and loss of revenue as an incoherent mess on stage. This made me want to go back to the Amy I love. This song was always my favorite. From the way they added to the beat (big up Salaam Remi! go to his discography to hear him discuss working of "Frank".) to her delivery, it's just a classic. But I have to say that I'm a much bigger fan of voluptuous (i.e. "Normal") Amy. When I saw her new "look", I was like WTF happened?!

So let's take it back to when Amy was sultry, sexy and smiled!

o:{and while we're reminiscing, check this!

it's all love when LaDiDaDi is played! "Eve you look good girl!!!"}

Fun Again!

2008-10-02T08:12:00.000-07:00

The Knux - "Cappuccino"

Simple but cool video that has atleast the director thinking back to De La Soul's "Me Myself & I" and Eric B & Rakim. Speaking of which, it's nice to see a good hip-hop duo again. But wait, they're playing guitars?! Check what gbh.tv had to say.

o:{and this is dope too!!!}

...................

2008-09-20T23:10:00.001-07:00

This needs another spin...

2008-09-18T09:13:00.000-07:00

bright eyes – "first day of my life"

an excellent song with a video that conveys the lyrics and mood perfectly.

o:{"with these things there's no telling..."}

The Takeover

2008-09-17T09:47:00.000-07:00

http://www.bam.org/view.aspx?pid=588

A little Vik Duplaix and King Britt and Budos Band?!
A little Last Dragon and The Warriors and She's Gotta Have It?!
Some Guitar Hero and Ping Pong?!

o:{i'm lovin' BAM right now. (not to take anything from my other fav art complex: The Barbican)}

VMA's

2008-09-09T10:35:00.000-07:00

Did somebody pass an old Goldfrapp CD on to Christina Aguilera? (Really, have a quick compare of the new Xtina and the old Alison.) Is electronica R&B the new thing? Don't answer until you've heard the new Solange songs where she's singing over old Boards of Canada tracks.

And...thoughts on the new Kanye? Another victim of the auto -tuner craze?

Now It Can Be Told

2008-09-08T22:10:00.000-07:00

Or heard.
Been working on some nostalgia mixes for a reunion with a group of long-term friends who all haven't been in the same place almost since some of these songs were popular. Or at least since we enjoyed going to raves. Anyway, a little rough around the edges, but here's one. Go ahead and download, or give it a moment to load and click play:

Enjoy this trip.

Market Share

2008-09-03T11:27:00.000-07:00

This is a brilliantly simple marketing scheme for the new Foreign Exchange album. It previews the mood and the music while conveying the online working process of how the album (and it's predecessor) was created. Best use of the web for a while now!

o:{can't wait!}

EDIT: The Cinematic Orchestra's got a little something too! A short film to go with their latest album. Reminiscent of their excellent re-soundtrack to the 1920 Russian film "Man with a Movie Camera".

Fresh P

2008-09-02T13:31:00.000-07:00

Shad: The Old Prince Still Lives at Home. "Just vibe with it!"

So clever. Between this and Kanye's "Good Morning", the video is making a comeback!

On a More Positive Note

2008-08-29T07:27:00.001-07:00

The September Campaign Trailer from charity: water on Vimeo

Griff Jenkins: Journalist or Pussy?

2008-08-27T01:29:00.001-07:00

Hint: It's not the first one.

E...L.O.V.E...

2008-08-26T13:37:00.000-07:00

great chop! now if only the video editor could keep Rosie on beat.

Making music fun again

2008-08-26T08:11:00.000-07:00

Another Andre cameo. An admitted freestyle. But I think he is slyly trying to take Weezy's crown as Kang (©Phonte) of the South.

The song is "ehh", but the video is really cool. It gives you a mini-movie chunk of feeling in the way that UGK feat. Outkast's "International Players Anthem" did. I wonder if Barber did this?

Andre's back to stylin' and I have to wonder if these story-video's are part of his plan to get further into Hollywood. In any case, it's enjoyable.

o:{I'm a "G"...entleman."}

What 60 year olds can do in '08.

2008-08-21T22:08:00.000-07:00

Love it.

On another note, have we fully left these days behind?

Not the playhouse. Just seems that '88 was maybe the end of the era where Oprah and Charo would be among a long list of guest stars on one entertainment program. These credits kill me. And Pterri (I think) at the end, going, "Amazing! Amazing, Grace!"

Love Quest

2008-08-21T08:08:00.000-07:00

As reported on Gilles Peterson's Worldwide show this week,
Questlove will be producing the new Smokey Robinson album!!!
{...long pause full of amazement and wonder...}

And if this upcoming album is anywhere as good as the recently ?uestlove and James Poyser produced Al Green album "Lay It Down" as well as the tribute tracks for Isaac Hayes that are credited to The Randy Watson Experience {?uest and James' cover band} then this is going to be a project worth watching for and hearing more of. Now if they can only get an official release on the Pharrell remix project,
"Out of my mind"!

o:{and some more Bilal madness. this Time with The Randy Watson Experience. "I wanna run with ya!"}

Heads Talking

2008-08-19T17:02:00.000-07:00

Hillman Curtis has a way of making films that ooze emotion. You feel his interest and excitement in his quiet narratives. And even though I’ve never been a big fan of either David Byrne or Brian Eno, I am excited about their reuniting for this project. They’re legends all.

Birthday Muxtape!

2008-08-18T10:23:00.001-07:00

It's on. It's up. It's http://mattm.muxtape.com/

Crescendos all night!

2008-08-16T10:04:00.000-07:00

It’s a crime that “Love 4 Sale” never got an official release. It’s an amazing album. But that didn’t stop Bilal from filling the Highline Ballroom with a crowd that was singing and dancing along to the songs from that unreleased album alongside his well-known classics.

With support from a band filled with talent like the great Robert Glasper on keys and Chris Dave on drums (“Chris Dave, motherfuckers!” was the text I got this morning from my boy Ollie, an amazing drummer in his own right.), the music was wholly on point. They even slipped from Bilal’s “All for Love” to one of Glasper’s now-standard smooth jazz (but funky!) Dilla tributes; this one was “Fall in Love”. The rest of the band consisted of bass, electric guitar, a horn section, and two back up singers – one of which, a big unassuming dude in a yankees cap, was hitting high falsetto notes to rival the headliner!

The music went from faithful renditions of the songs to fun remixes that bounced from blues to gospel to full on rock. The band cut loose with a rendition of Jimi Hendrix “Purple Haze” that led beautifully in to Bilal’s “Fast Lane”. And all the while, Bilal is being silly and laughing on stage with his band mates. I’ve seen shows where he’s been a hot mess and lines like “I wish I was drug free…” from “Sometimes” really make sense. But for this show he was clear-headed and focused. Everything from the music to the antics and camaraderie on stage to the lighting was working together as each song built in intensity. You couldn’t help but get swept up in it. And for an artist without an album out, that’s more than you could ask for.

o:{too many links? hurmm...maybe.}

The Hold Up

2008-08-13T10:00:00.000-07:00

Initially prompted by preparation for a looong (C)DJ gig the other night, I've been well occupied digging through old CD books and cleaning up my iTunes recently. So, I present to you a new and semi-occasional musical and pictorial (re-)review.

Holds up:

1991. One of Norman Cook's post-Housemartins/pre-Fatboy projects. The second record. The toasting is pretty corny, but it's a nice late summer-appropriate mix of pop, soul, reggae and whatever. It was pointed out to me that the singers, whether male or female, all sort of sound like Alison Moyet (on different bpm's, natch). That's okay, right?

Doesn't:

1990. I loved this CD in high school. In my memory, it's really dense, bassy UK soul. On recent listen, it seems that Island basically got a group of producers to try and sail Mica to America on a slowly sinking New Jack Swing ship. The disc is a nice orange color, though.

Just because...

2008-07-30T16:29:00.000-07:00

...i just can't stop rocking this.

Andre-with-an-accent three-triple-O is on his "early busta rhymes" game - killing long guest verses.
Gotta find me a mixtape of these cuts!

Ben jamin'

More Marketing

2008-07-28T11:15:00.000-07:00

My Drive Thru - Santogold, Julian Casablancas, N.E.R.D produced by Pharrell for converse.

Great video! The song is cool but the creativity of the cut-out paper figures deserves a rewind.

Estelle - "Back in Love"

2008-07-25T20:15:00.000-07:00

a) is my new summer in the city song.

b) has some lovely drum programming.

c) needs a Bugz in the Attic remix.

d) all of the above.

What the?...

2008-07-25T15:01:00.000-07:00

Came across this strange ad on the subway the other day. No mention of it on Kanye’s site, but I did find this commercial. It ends with the ominous “a vision by kanye west”. I can’t believe someone green-lit this!

Thanks to kemba for putting me on to the new gnarls barkley video for “whose gonna save my soul”. Wow. She knew I’d like it. Her words: “picturesque and very appropriate. Shout out to all the lovers out there!” It’s almost like an anti-video with the acting taking center stage over the song itself. I thought it was a commercial for MTV at first. It looks like something they would do in between their many shows. An amazing drug-induced concept that definitely has people talking.

And finally, this made my day:

My two favorite things – muppets and M.O.P.

Herbie

2008-07-23T04:16:00.000-07:00

I've meaning to get around to getting this down for a while, but 60-hour work-weeks don't really accomodate rambling jazz treatises. But, I digress (prematurely).

Japan, or maybe Japan of yesteryear, being full of cultured jazz maniacs and full-on completists (is there any other kind?) gets the best and most when it comes to music. Recently, I've been obsessing over a couple of mid-seventies Japan-only Herbie Hancock releases. My knowledge of Herbie's output, considering the breadth of his catalog, is pretty shallow. I probably leave off with the first Headhunters record, and pick up again with I Thought It Was You. Japanese friends love this song; I can only take so much vocoder from non-Troutmans. Troutmen?

So, anyway, filling in gaps, foreign-release style. Loving the following two:

Dedication (1974) is an album recorded on an off day while on tour in Japan. At first listen, a curious release, albeit a balanced and engaging one. Side A contains two solo piano takes on tracks from Maiden Voyage (1965), the title track and Dolpin Dance. Exquisite, contemplative version. Super gorgeous and beautifully recorded.

Side B, counter to the acoustic meditations of A, is full of synth exploration. I've heard Nobu referred to recently as possibly the first techno track (1974!). Recently given the re-edit treatment by one of the Quiet Village guys, and lots of love by Gilles Peterson, it's not too hard to connect the dots. Though lacking in a strict four-to-the-floor beat, there are layers of ominous keyboard rhythms, jabs, and riffs. Cool stuff. Continuing the electro-theme, the album closes with a chunky, bass-programmed (Arp?) take on Canteloupe Island, returning again to earlier catalog, though with a (for its time) considerably futuristic slant.

The following year's live release, Flood, documents a Herbie/Headhunters concert at several Japanese halls (check Butterfly for some of the most well-intentioned but hesitantly delivered Japanese stage banter here). It's said that with the Headhunters projects, Herbie had aimed to create a more earthy, rooted sound, compared to the airy/spaciness of the preceding Sextant albums. Evident here in the warmth and ease of the band's sound. Particularly cool how Hancock opens the show on acoustic piano (Maiden Voyage again, not dissimilar to the Dedication version) and gradually moves towards more electronic sounds as the show progresses.

So, anyway, I need to close this out... Um, given the state of my iPod and Winehouse in summer '08, I can't really hate on The Joni Letters taking Album of the Year anymore.

Take A Sad Song And Make It Better

2008-07-04T22:12:00.002-07:00

For Tony.

Three Inspirations

2008-07-02T23:26:00.000-07:00

This Flying Lotus album is ridiculous. Or so it goes, but I think I have to agree. I tend to like beats/sounds that are very dense, or conversely taut and minimal. Somehow this record seems to be both at the same time. It's like if Madlib's BeatKonducta were to produce Massive Attack (or vice versa) in a vaccuum. Magnificent.

I think, though, that my favorite record of the summer so far is Silent Movie by Quiet Village. Side project of a minimal techno producer or two, I think, the project finds the duo in mellow, balearic territory. Sounds great in headphones. Rolls by lovely if you're on the road at night.

I spent the earlier part of the week searching for a track I heard in a YouTube video. Turns out to be the title cut of My Way by a Canadian artist called Akufen. And it's a mind-blower. Lots of FM radio samples spliced into melody and rhythm over smooth house soundscapes. Lovely.

I want that old thing back…

2008-07-01T12:58:00.000-07:00

From this:

To this:

Oh Amy.

What is going on? Although now I’m starting to believe that her slurred delivery of her hit Rehab is just a part of the stage show.

On another note, if M.I.A. and Diplo are bigging up B-more Club music, then new artist Wale is taking it there for D.C. I didn’t really feel him on the Roots’ “Rising Up”, except for the “Olson-twinnin’” line. That’s classic! As is his downloadable, Seinfeld-inspired, “Mixtape About Nothing”. Extra points to Julia “Elaine” Louis-Dreyfus for dropping in (for real!!!) on “The Vacation from Ourselves”. His subtle use of Go-Go is really nice! Check “The Grown Up”. Go-Go mixed with hip-hop/electro and Stevie flavor.

One more:

Big-up Mos Def for showing love to Jay Electronica AND Jon Brion at his Mos Def Big Band Carnegie Hall show. Beautiful.

Enjoy.

Afro-Punk 08

2008-07-01T00:24:00.000-07:00

Mr. Spooner is a good guy, and there's a bunch of quality music, film, and activity going on...more info here.

Skins

2008-06-27T23:41:00.000-07:00

Call me a twat, but I fucking love this show. In spite of (or maybe due to) the fact that I have no cable, and don't really watch TV when I do. Especially comedic dramas. Or dramatic comedies. Or whatever.
Anyway, I haven't been this into a program since I was all about Ikebukuro West Gate Park whilst living in Japan. Somewhat akin to that show, Skins is a bit of post-Larry Clark (parents have all skipped town) youth scenario. High tension (dual Japanese meaning here) dramatic scenes countered with frenetic hilarity or action. Here, IWGP's bowling and gang fights replaced with pill-popping and house-trashing. At any rate, well-written and paced, often laugh-out-loud funny, good soundtrack, and a brilliant coda to season one (I think I mean that somewhere between the American and British meanings). I almost like English people again.

(Any yeah that's the chubby kid from About a Boy.)

Rest Comfortably

2008-06-23T16:51:00.000-07:00

I was saddened to hear the news today that the brilliant George Carlin had passed away. I can remember sneaking around at night to catch a glimpse of Carlin doing his now famous “Seven words you can’t say on TV” routine while my dad watched it on cable. It was more than the adolescent fun of hearing a comedian repeatedly cussing and getting away with it. My young mind was truly entertained and enlightened by the insights of this potty-mouthed philosopher. From that day on I was hooked and gradually learned the power of words.