June 14th, 2007
Hello all. This is Nate Jones. I’ve guest blogged here before, but you might be more familiar with me from AOL’s NBA FanHouse and on my own personal blog, JONES ON THE NBA. Anyhow, Jeff’s busy getting his hippie on at Bonnaroo, so he’s left the keys to this bad boy with me for the day.It’s amazing to see what Passion of the Weiss has turned into. It went from a platform for Jeff to make fun of myspace, people that drive hybrids (I can’t wait to get mine this August, by the way), and professional wrestlers with gay tendencies to becoming one of the best music blogs around.
When Jeff asked me to guest blog for him, I figured this would be the perfect platform for me to talk about some deep issues within the music scene that have really been bothering me for a while–Such as how R&B has completely turned into nothing more than a sing a long version of bad hip-hop. This is what R& B is supposed to be about, not this!
Then I thought it would be cool to write about how my affinity for indie music scares off a lot of my black friends and family. But I really am not inspired to talk about that either (However, I must say that I think you’d pay good money to see the embarrassment on my 17 year old sister’s face when she’s in the car with me and I pop in Dungen, LCD Soundsystem, or Beirut).
Instead, I’m going to focus on something that’s not talked about nearly enough. And that’s the lack of cheesy action packed dramas on television these days.
Honestly, outside of basketball and the occasional Colbert Report/Daily Show combo, I hardly ever watch television. And that’s because (despite what my man Scott reported on this very blog yesterday) most of the shit on Television these day’s is terrible. Everyone is so caught up with reality shows and high brow criminal forensics/CIA operations/operating room dramas to remember the days of the eighties action drama.Yes, the shows were often times mad cheesy. But even so, there was always something about them that made you want to watch them. I think urge to watch these shows can be directly attributed to the awesomeness of their theme songs and opening sequences. Here’s a look at some of the best 80s action theme songs and opening sequences in the history of man (No Bill Walton intended):
Knight Rider
After you watch this shit, you just want to hop in your car and rock the fuck out, right? Riiiiight…
The Passionate one and I played ball in high school with a kid that drove a “Kit” vintage Pontiac Firebird. And yes, he’d roll into school bumping Busta Rhymes Knight Rider theme take off “Fire it Up”. Of course this was in 1999, so trying to pull of the Michael Knight persona was not the least bit cool. Your secret’s safe with me, Adam Verdi. Fuck, did I just say his name out loud?
Hart to Hart
Man I forgot that “Number Two” was in this shit. I swear, because of this show, I grew up thinking I was going to get married and fight crime with my hot red headed wife by my side. Then I started going to school in Beverly Hills and realized that most of the guys with hot chicks in this town weren’t suave crime fighters, but accountants and lawyers with last names like Weiss, Rosenberg, and Shapiro. All lies, Robert Wagner…ALL LIES!
The A-Team
Don’t act like you didn’t love this show when you were a kid. Honestly, why hasn’t A-Team been turned into a movie yet? I’d pay good money to see a good remake of this on big screen.
On another note: Isn’t it funny how Family Guy has seemingly spoofed all of these 80s action dramas at one point or another? Take a look at their spoof of the A-Team. Top. Notch. Shit.Magnum PI
With Ferrari’s, helicopters, a rocking 80’s theme song, and Tom Selleck’s full blown porn stash, there’s no wonder why this show was all sorts of awesome.
MacGyver
This theme is the shit, plain and simple. And the opening sequence is probably the best out of all of the 80s intros I’ve posted here so far. Yes, the writers at the Family Guy also spoofed this one. As well, take a look at this awesome guitar cover of the MacGyver theme.
Posted in Are You From the Lester Bangs School of Thought? | 7 Comments »
June 13th, 2007
I was overjoyed when the Passion asked me to do a guest spot on his page. 3 years in this city now, and he’s one of the most stand up guys I’ve met out here, so you can imagine how stoked I was to get a chance to write in his absence. Since none of you have any idea who I am and just how I landed here, I’ll explain…I keep a blog myself. And while it once started as a class project way back in January of 2004, it today has become a sort of pop-culture copy and paste page, where meaningless youtube clips, miscellaneous album reviews, and annoyance with celebrity culture has found a home and come together. If you’re dying to know just what it’s all about, feel free and visit me at Scott’s Blizzog.
Anyway, I work in TV. Comedy, specifically. And if there’s one thing I’ve noticed it’s that TV has been in the proverbial crapper now for almost the entire time I’ve lived/worked here. Sure, I’ve been lucky enough to get some great credits to my name, but to what end? TV hasn’t gotten better, if anything, it’s gotten progressively worse. We’ve ushered in a new golden age for TV drama (snore). In addition, reality television has seemingly found a formula to ensure that it will be around for many years to come (noose). So where’s the comedy? Does it even exist anymore? How can we find it?
Well, that’s where I come in. Instead of sifting through 1000 channels of virtually nothing, I’ve compiled my list of my favorite shows on TV today.
30 Rock
Arguably the best comedy on TV in my opinion*, 30Rock has paved the way for what modern comedy could be. Between the wide range of characters and all around hilarity of virtually every episode, it holds up as the best, even after 1 short season. Tracy Morgan has always been a favorite of mine, whether it be in his early years at SNL, or even is his own short lived comedy The Tracy Morgan Show. In addition, they use a number of current and former SNL players on the show. And if you ask anyone from my generation what their roots in comedy are, they most likely say something like, “Simpsons, Seinfeld, SNL.” And that’s all it takes. Sure today’s SNL pretty much sucks across the board, but that doesn’t mean that players like Will Forte, Andy Samberg, and that other guy get looked over. In addition, the show offers a huge guest cast that stems much further than SNL. Aside from having Alec Baldwin (hands tied) in an awesome regular role, they’ve also employed Isabella Rossellini, Nathan Lane, Molly Shannon. Paul Reubens, Wayne Brady, Whoopi Goldberg, and LL Cool J. The list goes on and on. Speaking of Mr. Cool J though, the episode entitled “The Source Awards,” should win the comedy writing emmy this year, as it was possibly the funniest half hour of TV I’ve ever seen, in recent memory.
*being an NBC page once myself, I have a slightly skewed opinion.
South Park
The genius of this show comes from it’s ability to reinvent itself, even after 10 years. I’ll be honest here, the first 2 or 3 years South Park was on, I didn’t watch it. I wasn’t a fan. In fact, I hated it. There, I said it. In fact, it was only after I grew tired of the same Simpson’s syndicated reruns that I started watching the show. In retrospect, boy am I glad I did though. Aside from being just about as crass and perverse as they want to be, this show calls attention to important political, social, and economic issues almost on a weekly basis. Take this season’s premiere for example, entitled With Apologies to Jesse Jackson, where the show tackled the “n” word (no, not narcolepsy…), drawing national attention and subtle acclaim for bringing a simple issue of syntax to a national audience. In addition, after the writers grew tired of the same old 4 character plots and tired plotlines, they employed a new tactic: taking something that had already been made, and applying their spin on it. This season alone, they’ve rewritten 24, The Da Vinci Code, the 300, and Night of the Living Dead- all to high levels of hilarity. And if there is anything tv viewers like, especially in this day and age, it’s referential work that reminds the audience that even a weekly show can keep up with current events and trends.
The Office
Ahh yes, The Office. From this show, America has it’s new Ross and Rachael (Jim and Pam), their new inept Tim The Tool Man Taylor (Michael Scott), and Bill Cosby reincarnated (Stanley). And the best part- it’s a show that appeals to virtually anyone that works, or has worked, in an office. Wow? Could it be? Real situational comedy that people can relate to? Yes and no. While I do find the show amusing, I feel like it’s already run it’s course. Every episode now is a “Racial Equality Day” or “Women in the Work Place Day.” Whatever happened to just using what you have right there in front of you: interesting people working in an office setting. Situational comedy.
It almost feels like there is just so much more there that they could cover, but they’ve already jumped the shark and are doing all these theme episodes. The archetype of this for me: Towards the tail end of this season, in an episode entitled “Beach Games,” they basically do a reality show on a sit com! I realize the comedic potential here, but leave reality to reality!
Rescue Me
More of a dramedy than a pure comedy or drama, Rescue Me has quickly become one of my favorite shows ever. Whether it was watching Dennis Leary’s Carnegie Hall performance when he championed smoking in a non-smoking building, or knowing that he helped to write, produce, direct, and star in every episode of this series, I gotta love it. This is a man who does it all. Not only do I think he is hilarious, but I also love when he talks about 9/11. A twisted thing to say, yes, but there is just something about Dennis Leary to me that makes everything he touches turn to gold. Even gold. That’s just how good he is. As far as the show goes though…there are some real dramatic moments, scenes of rape, frustration and violence. More often than not, Leary’s demons haunt in throughout each season, appearing as visions to him, prompting him to ask all the existential questions we all ponder from time to time. And the best part is: the show is back, as of last night! Check your local listings, but even if you’ve missed every episode up to today, I promise you’ll be hooked in an instant.
My Life on the D List
(before I begin this one, look at that awesome picture of Kathy Griffin and Perez Hilton! Yay! Wow! Argh I hate Perez, not only is his site total trash, but people tell me I look like him and it makes me want to drink poison…oh, the band, not the substance)
Anyway…this one is a total guilty pleasure, and I’ve gotta admit- a relatively new one at that. I had always heard of Kathy Griffin as the ‘gay friendly comedian,’ so naturally, I never cared to hear her stuff. Wait, that sounded awful. What I mean is that I assumed all her jokes were about the gay community, or you had to be gay to get them, so I just never put 2 and 2 together. Well boy was I wrong. Her stand up isn’t really all that amazing, but her reality show is a stitch. Between her own veritable madness, and all of the people she interacts with on My Life on the D List, you’ll quickly wonder why it was that you didn’t watch this show, asking questions like, “how could I be so ___?” Or, “Why have I never watched this show? Oh yeah, cause I’m a complete ____.” Trust me- and fellas, even if your girlfriend makes you sit through it, just be glad you aren’t stuck watching House of Payne.
Man vs. Wild
If James Bond (the character, not the actor) had a reality show, this would be the one. Discovery Channel’s own Man vs. Wild, and it’s virtuosic host Bear Grylls, are sure to entertain. This guy does it all- skydives, backpacks, free climbs, eats grubs and elephant shit, and gets chased by lions. But he’s still there. And he’s showing you how you can do it too. Ever wonder what it would be like to be lost in the woods for days on end? Or have you ever thought about what it would be like to be stranded on a desert island? Well, Bear has wondered that too, and he shows you how you can survive in even the worst situations. While I had my druthers at first, not knowing how he could ‘survive’ or ‘forage’ when there was a camera right in front of him; he makes a point to say that his crew isn’t allowed to help him. They’re really just there to document it. And if that’s not enough to hook you, how’s this: he broke his back a few years ago, and is already back to skydiving, climbing, and hiking more rigorously than any of us probably ever have. And we’ve never broken our backs. Well, that is, except for those of you who have broken your backs, in which case- my bad!
Everyday Italian
So, most masculine men don’t watch cooking channels. So I know what this says when I put this up here. But rest assured, this is a cooking show for GUY guys (and even the ones with feelings, too). Everyday Italian, hosted by the always big boobable Giada de Laurentiis, is a small show from a small network. But what they show us, on an almost day to day basis, has no tiny element about it. I’m referring, of course, to the epic bust line of the show’s host. Far be it for me to say something sexist here just for a moment, but good god. And the funny thing is, I’m not even a boob guy, but what intrigued me about this show initially was that they started with this slightly unkempt woman in a turtle neck. Now she’s styled, banging hot, and wears a lower cut shirt every damn day. It’s unreal. It’s like watching a cosine graph in a power point presentation, the line follows a pattern, and just goes lower and lower everyday. Maybe that’s why they call it Everday Italian, cause we all get a little more Italian (ie: Giada) everyday. Plus, and I’m not really sure this even has any credence, but I think this woman has figured out a sensual way to cut an eggplant. And she says all of the truly Italian words with this accent. By the time the show is over, you almost hate her. But then she’s back the next day, making hot wings in a bikini, and begging you to take a bite. … This is Penthouse Forum, right?
Clark and Michael
Ok, so this isn’t really a TV show. It’s original internet programming. But it does have a lot of TV personalities on it. That counts right? Besides, by now we’ve all realized the limitations of television today. And when one notes that there’s been a 20% drop in viewership since this time last year, it’s not all that absurd to pitch shows away from TV. The internet, and such booming sites as youtube, myspace, etc…have created a new virtual home for networks, and their shows. The best in the first real batch of these comes from Clark and Michael, both the names of the actors, and the title of their show. You may recognize Michael from the FOX smash-cult-hit Arrested Development. After that show ended, the cast of Arrested Development was one of the most heavily sought after ensembles ever. And it makes sense: critics loved the shows, it had a tremendous cult following, and almost every actor to leave that series has found sustainable work since then. Well, all but Michael Cera. Or so we thought. Between his film career, and other TV guest spots, he friend Clark Duke have developed what is quickly becoming a web hit. I can’t describe this show as much more than subtle absurdism, but I think that really says it all. These guys revel in the most subtle moments, quickly creating absurdist humor. It’s great. Give it a shot, as all episodes are available at their page.
After it’s all said and done here, I know there’s a plethora of shows I’m not even including here. Many of them are good. Some are better than good. Other shows that are worth an honorable mention include Scrubs, 10 Items or Less, Lost, The Sarah Silverman Program, sports, and of course porn. Ahh sweet, sweet porn. I wonder if porno theatres call their popcorn, pop-porn…hmm..well, there’s only one way to find out. I’m off to the movies, but don’t worry- my tivo is set. That’s all for me, thanks again Weiss!
Posted in Great Scott | 6 Comments »
June 12th, 2007
Yo! This is Sach AKA your friendly neighborhood Ohword poster and I’ll be filling in for Jeff today while he’s out tripping on Peyote and trying to hit on Hippie chicks. Expect high quality guest posts all week as Mr. Passion of the Weiss has put together an all star lineup of elite bloggers, itching to spread their own unique musical gospel to the masses. For those familiar with Ohword, sit back relax and let yourself go and for the uninitiated among you…be afraid. Be very afraid.
Today we’ll be talking about France…more specifically its Hip Hop scene. As the world’s second largest consumer of homegrown Hip-Hop after the United States, the French have defied expectations by wholly embracing rap a few decades after totally dropping the ball on rock music. Some say the high percentage of unemployment among disaffected immigrant youth has contributed to Hip-Hop’s taking root over there. Others think that the French just couldn’t get down with guitars and rap’s drum based aesthetic suited their needs. Whatever the reason, the French got Hip-Hop and this has resulted in quite a few awesome tracks, some which sound dope without even knowing the language. With that in mind, let’s take a mind expanding (funky) ride around the world with a little guest post I call…5 really dope French rap tracks to impress that hot foreign chick with.
1)Akhenaton – Dirigé Vers L’est
What is it? Marseilles’ answer to Wu-Tang’s 5%er spiritual bent and Rakim’s pseudo-mystical rhymes.
Who’s Akh…Ak…that guy? As IAM’s head lyricist in charge, Akhenaton might as well be France’s Gza, Raekwon and Nas all in one. Later he went all soulful and abstract so he might be their Ghostface too. He’s that dope.
What the hell is this song about? Rhyming from the perspective of some sort of Islamic demigod, AKH drops battle-rhymes a plenty over the song’s eastern inflected bassline. Sample lyrics include: Servant of the shadows dropping lyrics in the night, cuz Lucifer in Latin means the one that brings the light. That doesn’t actually mean anything but it sounds cool.
Anything else to look out for? Check out the wicked “in tune” scratching at the end of the song. Not too many DJs doing that in 94 in the US, let alone in France.
2)Supreme NTM – Qu’est-ce qu’on attend (Remix)
What is it? In 1995, two inner city kids wrote a song warning that if shit didn’t change in the ghetto, kids were going to burn shit to the ground. 10 years later, this shit happened. As Stephen Colbert might say, they called it.
Who’s NTM? The French NWA with an eastcoast bent. Kind of reductive but that’s about it.
So what’s the big deal? Supreme NTM have repeatedly gone to prison for their rhymes. Yup, you heard me, this shit so thoroughly freaked out the white French establishment that they found a way to lock these guys up for “inciting violence”. That’s whoa.
Anything else to look out for? The crisp modern production on this remix.
3)Saian Supa Crew – The Pitchy and Scratchy Show
What is it? Proof that no matter how dorky it might sound on paper or on American Idol (or out of Timberlake’s mouth), in the right circumstances, beatboxing can actually sound pretty cool.
Saian what now? Comparing the Saian Supa Crew to American artists is kind of like trying to explain Outkast with British Invasion metaphors: it doesn’t work. But here we go: one part Leaders of the New School, one part Spragga Benz, one part Rawkus Records, one part Redman, one part Pharcyde, one part Soca and a whole bunch of humor for good measure. In other words, these guys are ecclectic backpackers.
What the hell is this? A bunch of French guys “scratching” famous lines ala DJ Premier and rhyming in between. Duh.
My brain hurts… just be happy I didn’t put up one of the really weird tracks.
4)Fonky Family – Aux Absents
What is it? France’s answer to Incarcerated Scarfaces minus the battle rapping: a teary-eyed dedication to locked up homies.
Fonky Family? Sounds corny: Actually, they are corny. But back in 1997 Fonky Fam (La Rat, Don Choa, SAT and Menzo) were some of the rawest, hungriest rappers in France. Their debut Si Dieu Veut (translation: Lord Willing) was the sound of four guys who knew they were going to end up dead or in jail if this rap thing didn’t work out.
Whoa…dope beat! Yeah, the whole album sounds like a mix between Havoc and Rza during some really heavy times. Check it out.
Awesome! Now I can check out the rest of their stuff! Save yourself the heart-ache. Like Raekwon, it was all downhill from here.
5)La Cliqua – Tué dans la Rue
What is it? The Bootcamp Click…en Français.
The Bootcamp Click? Really? The story goes like this : in the mid 90’s French Hip-Hop was a little on the outdated side with most cats sounding like some happy go lucky early 90’s shit. La Cliqua dropped their debut, unleashing heavy basslines and crime related battle rhymes into the Parisian psyche and the rest is history with ghetto youth trading in peace-sign medalions for hoddies and timbs.
What’s the song about? Well the hook is about dying in the streets…but the whole track’s a bunch of shit talk. It’s all about the flow baby pops.
Racial trivia: main emcee Rocca is actually Colombian. If you think French rap is complicated, try French rap with random Spanish thrown in for good measure.
So that’s it for today’s geography lesson. Please check back tomorrow for a guest post about music you can actually understand. Shout-outs to Jeff for the opportunity to drop some knowledge and if you liked this, check out Ohword: we’re currently on some downtime but things will be picking up soon. If only because it’s bad form for me to be dropping more guest posts than actual content over at home base.
Posted in Are You From the Lester Bangs School of Thought? | 6 Comments »
June 11th, 2007
And just like that, I’m off to Tennessee to enjoy the four days of hippie Xanadu known as Bonnaroo. In my absence, I have a crack squad of guest bloggers to entertain you all. In the meantime, expect the occasional update from Tennessee to see whether or not the String Cheese Incident will actually provide string cheese (prognosis: doubtful.)
I’d intended to post a road trip mix before I took off, but there just isn’t time, so you’ll just have to settle for two tracks that will get some burn in the 29 hours of driving from LA to Tennessee. See you next Wednesday.
Download:
MP3: Prefuse 73 ft. Aesop Rock-”Sabbatical With Options”
MP3: Grateful Dead-”Truckin”
Posted in Miscellany | 1 Comment »
June 8th, 2007
From hyphy to crunk to snap to grime to whatever the fuck Subtle is, hip-hop has split into a wide variety of sub-genres since its inception. Despite this, most hip-hop heads can be fit pretty neatly into two categories: those who consider NYC’s two golden ages of hip-hop (87-88, 93-97) the high-water marks for the genre, and those who don’t.
Toronto producer Marco Polo throws himself in with the former camp, paying homage to the latter Golden Age through scratched hooks, graveyard strings, and breakbeats redolent of worn vinyl and dust. (Not to mention an album guest list fit to double as Nas’ “Where Are They Now (’90s remix).”) If nothing else, Polo deserves some sort of medal for getting O.C., Masta Ace, Ed O.G., Large Professor, Buckshot, Kool G. Rap, Ju-Ju from the Beatnuts, and Sadat X, together on the same album. Hell, the record even has a guest spot from Kardinal Offishal and I don’t even think his own mother knew that he was still alive.
If “Hip Hop is Dead” was a grumpy declaration of civil war for hip-hop’s identity, Port Authority (and to a lesser extent Joell Ortiz’s recently released The Brick), are the first salvos of the young generation, aimed squarely at everything from candy pop-rappers like Mims and Jibbs to dull two-dimensional cocaine portraitists like Jeezy and Rick Ross. Polo’s mindset is made clear on the first actual track, “Get Busy,” where ex-MHz MC Copywrite spits darts about “cowards whose flows are gangsta’ till the powder’s out of their nose,” before declaring that “in ‘95 I thought music was losing its touch / Compared to now, it’s a golden era / Who’d have thought?”
Marco Polo Arriving in China (Only Available on the Port Authority DVD)
But if Port Authority was only concerned with the genre’s decline, it’d be an unimaginably dreary affair. Polo wisely balances the record, enlisting D.I.T.C alumnus O.C. (“Marquee”) to glide slickly over twinkling bells and rugged drums, a beat recalling Buckwild at best, and a hook reminding everyone that they’re just trying to make “feel-good music.” On “The Radar,” Large Professor drops science over a cut that sounds like a Hard to Earn outtake, while Rollin’” finds Sadat X, Ju-Ju, and A.G. crafting a weed anthem over skittering pianos, darting snares, and grimy drums.
At 18 tracks and 70 minutes, Port Authority would benefit from a bit of brevity, as the subject matter—mostly battle raps and golden-age paeans—can get repetitive. And inevitably, people will snipe that Polo’s beats heavily bear the sonic imprint of his two biggest inspirations, Pete Rock and Premier. Then again, a great beat’s a great beat, and few heads ever sniped at Kanye for jacking the RZA’s chipmunk soul loops.
Polo’s refreshingly anachronistic mindset is best exemplified on his video for the Masta Ace track, “Nostalgia.” Little more than grainy hand-held footage of the criminally underrated Juice Crew vet with Polo idling in the background, the five minute clip is emotional manipulation of the best kind, instantly triggering flashbacks to the days of bootstrap-budget DIY videos full of gargantuan boom-boxes, breaking, and black-and-white shots of a gritty New York skyline. It’s the sort of video that makes Golden Age sentimentalists remember why they fell in love with hip-hop in the first place. Port Authority itself might be the least original hip-hop record made this year—it’s also one of its best.
Originally Published At Stylus
Download:
MP3: Marco Polo ft. Masta Ace-”Nostalgia”
MP3: Marco Polo ft. Large Professor-”The Radar”
Posted in Album Reviews | 4 Comments »
June 7th, 2007
“Cool Like Dat,” Digable Planet’s breakout single, was inescapable in winter of ‘92/93. From top 40 radio airplay to its black and white video that played constantly on MTV, the Brooklyn Bohemians fit perfectly into the left-of-center aesthetic that that hip-hop seemed evolving towards. From Tribe Low End Theory’s appropriation of jazz to Guru’s Jazzmattaz dabbles, to novelty hits like US3’s “Cantaloop”, jazz rap was having its moment in the sun. As was eccentric behavior of all sorts, as weird collectives like Arrested Development and Digital Underground could manage to sell millions of records talking about playing horseshoes in Tennessee and virtual sex packets.
In this receptive environment, Digable flourished, going gold with their debut, 1993’s oddly named Reachin’: A New Refutation of Time and Space. Arriving three years prior to the Fugees, Digable’s success established a blueprint for conscious co-ed hip-hop and did so without having to bring Wyclef Jean into the world, something the world has yet to recover from (or least those that heard Ecleftic). But by the time, the notoriously erratic trio issued their sophomore effort, Blowout Comb, in October of 1994, the zeitgeist had shifted radically.
Mellow, peaceful progressive-leaning rap was out. Bleak nihilism was in and NYC hip-hop took a turn to the dark side, as Biggie, Nas, Wu and Mobb Deep’s gritty noirish sensibilities became all the rage. Consequently, Blowout Comb was met with a tepid reception, both critically and commercially, with Digable dismissed as quintessential one-hit wonders, a group that managed to capitalize on a passing trend, seemingly destined to recede forever into an abyss of trivia questions and vague nostalgia. Which is too bad, because in retrospect, it’s one of the greatest albums in hip-hop history.
Digable Planets: Seen Here Trying To Figure Out the Meaning of their Name
Several bloggers took some easy jabs at the predictability of the 25 best hip-hop albums list that Joey and I compiled last month. Fair play. But what got lost in the discussion was the fact that the process got a whole lot of people talking about albums they hadn’t thought about in years, forcing everyone to dig up a bunch of great records from the crate and re-evaluate them a decade after their original release. In particular, Blowout Comb caught my eye, earning placement on Joey and Scott Sterling’s Best Of lists. Not to mention, Gorilla Vs. Bear’s placement of it as his all-time favorite. While it garnered nowhere near enough points to crash the official list, it still got enough love to cause me to finally get a hold of an album I’d somehow never managed to hear, as its mixed reception had always led me to wrongly believe that it was somehow a bad record.
Finally listening to Blowout Comb, it’s not hard to understand why the record bombed commercially. Devoid of a single as relentlessly catchy as “Cool Like Dat,”and saddled with a half dozen 5-minutes plus tracks, Blowout Comb is almost proggish in its meandering, conceived with little regard for monetary concerns. Instead of looking for a quick fix summer jam, Digable indulged their inner jazzman, bringing in live instrumentation for extended solos backed by strong, slick raps. At times, the record feels like what you’d expect if A Tribe Called Quest and The Roots collaborated, smoked a half dozen blunts and let their freak flags wave high. In other words, it’s incredible.
Guru drops science on “Borough Check,” the Brooklyn-trumping re-working of Roy Ayers’ “We Live in Brooklyn, Baby” (later re-sampled by Mos Def on Black on Both Sides), but the album is mostly devoid of guest appearances, as the trio spits eloquently written and subtle political rants over an array of silky-smooth self-produced beats. Distinctly out of its time, Blowout Comb seems to exist in a Brooklyn-centric universe of shadows and diamond heists, speakeasies and slang. Remarkably consistent and fluid, the record lilts with an elegance and grace foreign to most hip-hop. Just in their twenties at the time of its release, Blowout Comb sounds remarkably mature, a confident artistic statement just as anachronistic in its own time as it is today. An unsung classic, it’s the perfect fit for any blowout.
Download:
MP3: Digable Planets-”Black Ego”
MP3: Digable Planets-”Borough Check”
MP3: Digable Planets-”The Art of Easing”
Posted in The Old Testament | 13 Comments »
June 6th, 2007
Earlier this year, I posited the ridiculous yet vaguely plausible theory that the success of 2 Live Crew’s brand of raunchy novelty hip-hop in the early 90s, opened the floodgates for rappers everywhere trying to pander to the lowest common denominator. With label execs seeing the dollar signs that could be had in artists whose only talent lay in their ability to devise an inane, self-debasing and sing-a-long friendly hook, hip-hop post-2 Live Crew has always featured a sizable component of what Bol described as “minstrel show rap.”
At first I was a bit skeptical of my own theory that songs like “Chain Hang Low,” “Fry that Chicken” and that godawful “Party Like a Rockstar” song. all had their roots in “Pop that Coochie.” After all, “Pop that Coochie” might be ridiculous but it can’t hold a candle to the abject minstrelry of Ms. Peachez and a bunch of children dancing around a plantation holding fried chickens. Consequently, I’d always harbored the doubt that perhaps 2 Live Crew were innocent of the wrongdoings I’d accused them of. However, after watching the above video, no doubt remains.
Behold, “Yo’ Momma’s On Crack Rock,” a 1991 video box hit by a Miami Bass group called The Dog’s, who even All Music describes as a “second-rate 2 Live Crew.” “Yo Momma’s on Crack Rock” might be the Rosetta stone of the genre, the missing link between The Crew and Ms. Peachez. The most astonishingly frightening thing about the song is the fact that it doesn’t even try to be cautionary , instead taking the ostensibly sad story of a single mother on crack and turning it into a joke. So watch it and laugh, cry, and hang your head in sorrow that most major label rap bears a closer resemblance to “Yo Momma’s On Crack Rap” than it does to Rakim or Big Daddy Kane. Blame the labels for putting this shit out, blame the fans for buying it, blame the hipster critics for big-upping it, blame the radio’s for playing it, but most of all, blame Luke.
Posted in Are You From the Lester Bangs School of Thought? | 6 Comments »
June 5th, 2007
Contrary to popular belief, I’m of the mind-set that 2007 has actually been a very solid year for hip-hop. Granted, it’s not at 93-97 levels where at least one classic seemed to fall out of the sky monthly. But I’d argue that in just half a year, 2007 has already yielded nearly as many strong hip-hop records as 05/06 combined. Then again, I’d also argue that Small Wonder is one of the greatest bad sitcoms of all-time, illustrating the on-going clash between machines and humanity that characterizes modernity. So really, what do I know?
10. Phat Kat-Carte Blanche
Carte Blanche, the debut from Motown MC, Phat Kat continues to get better the more I hear it, despite the fact that I continue to believe that he is MC Skat Kat’s brother. With half the beats supplied by the late J Dilla and the other half provided by his sonic heir, Black Milk, Carte Blanche’s production is a hard-hitting collision of off-kilter drums, slashing synths and rumbling bass lines. Phat Kat’s subject content is mostly limited to mostly battle-rap boasts, but his gravelly flow, reminiscent of Xzibit, more than makes up for his minor lyrical shortcomings.
Download:
MP3: Phat Kat-”Nasty Ain’t It?”
9. Royce Da‘ 5′9 & DJ Premier-The Bar Exam Mixtape
Forget the bloated Da Drought 3, this is the mixtape of the year. The Bar Exam is 53 lean minutes of Detroit veteran Royce Da‘ 5′9 bodying tracks with the brunt force of Jerome Bettis. You can almost see the flecks of saliva dripping on the mic, with Royce’s venom-soaked voice hinting of rage at the industry shakedowns and beefs that derailed his once-promising career. Stomping everything from classic Primo beats like “Nas is Like,” to “A Million and One Questions” to Young Jeezy’s “Go Getta” and “This is Why I’m Hot,” Royce sounds surly and focused, delivering on the promise he’s long flashed.
Download:
MP3: Royce Da‘ 5′9-”Hit Em”
8. Brother Ali-The Undisputed Truth
An arrogant trash-talker, a loving father, a struggling worker, a grieving son, and an aggrieved activist, Ali is often strident, but at his best, he displays a level of depth rare in most of hip-hop. Behind the boards, Ant turns in his most consistent slate of beats since God Loves Ugly. Ultimately, the gale force of Ali’s convictions and talent leave you willing to believe most of his truth.
Download:
MP3: Brother Ali-”Truth is”
MP3: Brother Ali-”Whatcha‘ Got”
7. Devin the Dude-Waitin’ to Inhale
The truth is, every time I listen to Waitin’ to Inhale, I get bored sometime around the mid-way point. So consider it a testament to the perverted stoned brilliance of the first half that I consider Devin’s record one of the best of 07. “Almighty Dollar” is a gonzo meditation on creeping inflation. “What a Job” might be my favorite song I’ve heard this year and “Broccoli & Cheese” has 07’s best and funniest hook. And yeah, surprise, surprise, this record’s better….on weed.
Download:
MP3: Devin the Dude ft. Andre 3000 & Snoop Dogg-”What a Job” (left-click)
6. Marco Polo-Port Authority
A full length review will be up at some point this week, so I’ll hold off on a description here. In short, Marco Polo is probably the best new producer to enter the underground rap world in the last few years.
Download:
MP3: Marco Polo ft. Masta Ace-”Nostalgia”
MP3: Marco Polo ft. Large Professor-”The Radar”
5. Black Milk-Popular Demand
One of the best rhyming producer/rappers to emerge in recent memory. Milk’s lyrics are fairly pedestrian, hewing strictly to battle rap braggadocio. boasts. But his flow darts and zig zags across tangled canvas of odd rhythms. Not even the most byzantine of his beats fazes him for a second, as he agilely rides wobbling basslines that would leave lesser MC’s gasping for breath. It might not be a classic, but it’s tantalizingly close. Enough to leave one hoping that Milk evolves lyrically and streches the boundaries of his sonics further. With Dilla’s untimely demise halting his opportunity to press the Detroit sound to its most unruly perimeters, Milk seems the best bet to carry on that tradition.
MP3: Black Milk ft. Guilty Simpson-”Sound the Alarm”
MP3: Black Milk-”So Gone”
4. Redman-Red Gone Wild
Maybe the most fun hip-hop record released in 07, Red Gone Wild sounds remarkably untouched by anything that’s happened in hip-hop since 1998. Which I have absolutely no problem with. “Blow Treez,” my personal choice favorite for stoner hip-hop anthem of the year, features squealing melodicas, reggae drone and Red and Meth unleashing their best collabo since “Da Rockwilder” nearly a decade ago. “Pimp Nuts” overcomes the shortcoming of being named “Pimp Nuts” as Red’s wild but controlled flow overpowers the beat’s spry bouncing funk. Hell, Red even has a West Coast, G-Funk era sounding collabo with Snoop and Nate Dogg, called “Merry Jane.” Which to put it blunt (pun sadly intended), made me feel 14 again for at least two, maybe three bong rips.
Download:
MP3: Redman ft, Method Man-”Blow Treez“
MP3: Redman ft. Snoop Dogg & Nate Dogg-”Merry Jane”
3. Dalek-Abandoned Language
So dark it sounds like it was recorded at the bottom of the Mariana Trench, Abandoned Language features a production hybrid of My Bloody Valentine-esque swirls of dusty gray and ghostly white surrounded by gritty boom-bap drums. It feels like a combination of the albums I’ve been waiting on Cannibal Ox and DJ Shadow to do for the last half decade: a brilliant collage of eerie frigid instrumentals so cold you can practically feel the bone-rattling gusts of wind icing up your nose and ears; mixed with pure old school politically-bent lyricism.
Download:
MP3: Dalek-”Abandoned Language”
2. Pharoahe Monch-Desire
The best thing I can say about Monch’s long-awaited debut is that it isn’t a disappointment. That sounds underwhelming, but isn’t considering I’d expected something close to a classic. Leaning on 70s era-Stax soul, Desire’s beats feels light and often celebratory, a contrast to the fire and brimestone rumblings of its predecessor, Internal Affairs. At times, the production flirts with being dull, but Pharoah’s presence is strong enough to redeem it. Desire isn’t entirely perfect. The head-scratching cover of PE’s “Welcome to the Terrordome” feels unnecessary, as does the nine minute “Trilogy,” but ultimately, Pharoahe is too good of a rapper to produce anything that doesn’t stand out markedly from the rest of the pack. One of the greatest artists in hip-hop history, Desire is a solid addition to Monch’s catalogue.
Download:
MP3: Pharoahe Monch-”Let’s Go”
1. El-P: I’ll Sleep When You’re Dead 
To quote Jay: “What More Can I Say?”
I’ll Sleep When You’re Dead Review
Download:
MP3: El-P-”The Overly Dramatic Truth”
Honorable Mentions:
Clean Guns-Living in Harmony: The Mixtape
This could very well go in the top 10, but since I’m friends with Zilla, I’m a bit biased and to err on the side of caution, I’m throwing it in in the honorable mention section. Sorry dude. However, Living in Harmony is a great mixtape from a pair of rock-solid underground MC’s who seem to be improving and evolving with each verse. At times, you get the feeling that the Beat Garden Squad could develop into a Philly version of Rhymesayers.
Review of Living in Harmony
Download:
MP3: Clean Guns ft. So-Say-”The Score”
MP3: Clean Guns-”Dead Presidents”
Evidence-The Weatherman LP
I’d always thought Evidence by far the more interesting half of Dilated Peoples, but not a compelling enough personality to carry a solo album. And while, he’ll never become a big Eminem type personality, Evidence is still the dude who came at Slim the hardest during Mathers‘ brief reign at the top, (with Ev’s scatching “Searching 4 Bobby Fischer).” Wisely, the album features stellar guest appearances, featuring underground linchpins like Defari, Phonte and Big Pooh of Little Brother, Planet Asia, and Slug. Coupled with grimy Alchemist beats, The Weatherman LP is Evidence’s strongest record since The Platform.
Download:
MP3: Evidence ft. Slug-”Line of Scrimmage”
Jamie Radford-The Freedom to Be Reckless
Freedom to Be Reckless uses hip-hop as a jumping off point for sonic experimentation, employing swirling synths,rain-washed twinkling keys, and mellow brooding drums to create a record that sounds like if Prefuse 73 and Hot Chip had a child and he decided to be a rapper. Like his recent collaborators, Clean Guns, Radford has grown by leaps and bounds with every release, particularly his knack for making catchy left-field beats, that manage to burrow a hole into your head and stick.
Review of the Freedom to be Reckless
Download:
MP3: Jamie Radford-”Patterns in my Saturn”
Prodigy-Return of the Mac
There’s a few too many dull tracks on this one to warrant the massive hype thrown its way. However, when this record hits, it hits hard. “Stuck on You” is one of the best rap songs of the year and the soulful production supplied by Alchemist should be enough to give Havoc pause before getting behind the boards for the next Mobb album. Easily Prodigy’s best record since Hell on Earth and a welcome comeback for a rapper everyone had left for dead.
Download:
MP3: Prodigy-”Stuck on You”
Joell Ortiz-The Brick:Bodega Chronicles
Like Return of the Mac, The Brick is a bit too inconsistent to warrant the lavish acclaim being bestowed on it. Ortiz has never met a cliche he didn’t like and the Big Pun dick-riding can get a bit grating at times. That said, his flow is ridiculous and The Brick gives me enough reason to think that Ortiz has a shot at developing into one of the better rappers in the game. Though, considering he’s signed to Aftermath, his official debut probably won’t drop until sometime in the next decade.
Download:
MP3: Joell Ortiz-”Hip-Hop”
Lifesavas: Gutterfly. The Original Soundtrack
Relentlessly funky and wildly creative, Lifesavas sophomore record, Gutterfly was imagined as a concept soundtrack record for a film about a pair of crooks living the hard knock life in fictional, Razorblade City. At times, the record strays a bit too far from its concept for its own good. And like most rap albums, it could’ve benefited from some judicious editing. But on the whole, this is a very good record from a pair of underground vets who deserve more love than they’ve received. Plus, their title track collaboration with their stylistic soul mates, Camp Lo, is flat-out fantastic.
Download:
MP3: Lifesavas ft. Camp Lo-”Gutterfly”
Posted in Lists | 12 Comments »
June 3rd, 2007
1. Knocked Up is worthy of the crazy hype being thrown its way. Yes, like 40 Year Old Virgin it seemed a bit plot-heavy and maybe even a little saccharine at times. However, at this moment in time Judd Apatow owns the world of mainstream comedy. The dialogue is painfully honest and razor-sharp, the situations are hilariously absurd (especially a hallucinogenic journey to Cirque De Soleil), and for all practical purposes, it might be the funniest depiction of stoners since Half Baked. Easily the best comedy I’ve seen since Borat.
2. The new Caribou album is kinda’ sorta’ mind-blowingly great and if I re-made my Top 10 list again, it’d be top 5. As Stylus staffer Tal Rosenberg pointed out, “along with Edan, Caribou uses “color, or at least the interpretation of colors through music, better than nearly any musician I’ve heard.” Sad gorgeous 60’s psychedelic vocals and swirling candy-colored walls of sound. I’m not going to post MP3′ s but I know where you can get them.
3. The new Black Moth Super Rainbow is also one of the best psychedelic records I’ve heard in a long time. How this came out of Pittsburgh, I’m not sure. Think Brightblack Morning light, crossed with Prefuse 73, divided by Edan. Sadly, their name reminds me like something the South Park guys would come up with to make fun of hippies.
In other news being, the hippies that they are, Black Moth Super Rainbow are having a bubble gum blowing contest to promote “Dandelion Gum.” So if you want free tickets and a lot of cool stuff from the band, click here and start blowing bubbles (No Weezy Fitzgerald Baby).
Download:
MP3:Black Moth Super Rainbow: “Sun Lips”
Black Moth Super Rainbow: With Album Covers now Designed by a Team of Vaguely Artistic 4th Graders on Peyote
4. I can’t say that I’ve managed to tackle the entire mad bloat of R. Kelly’s 19 track, hour and fifteen minute opus, Double Up yet. But I will second Billy Sunday’s dead-on call that “Real Talk” is the most batshit insane, hilarious, and yet brilliant thing I’ve ever heard. If nothing else for the part when Kells starts screaming “Milton” apropos to nothing. I also like that he calls his girl “bogus.” Which just reminds me of this.
Download:
MP3: R. Kelly-”Real Talk”
5. New blog Soul Psychedelicyde gets my vote of confidence for consecutive posts on Doom/Viktor Vaughn’s Vaudeville Villain record and Hot Chip’s DJ Kicks.
6. The blogosphere will sorely miss Slack Lalane, whose Ace Cowboy recently decided to send Slack into that great blog graveyard in the sky. The good news is Ace continues to blog at Glide Magazine’s, Hidden Track, which in just a matter of a few months has become one of the best music websites in existence.
7. I re-listened to the old Canibus record, Second Round Knockout this weekend and have decided that it is much much better than I remembered it being. Save for the fact that it has a song called “Get Retarded.” And that horrifically dated Mike Tyson cameo on the title track.
Download:
MP3: Canibus-”I Honor U”
Presumably, “Get Retarded,” was about Iron Mike
8. Duke, You Set the Scene, and I were at the same mind-blowingly great Hold Steady show last Thursday at the El Rey. And even though Duke likes them way less than I do (to paraphrase Jay-Z, if they’re not better than M.M.J., they’re the closest one), even he had to come around on Craig Finn & Co. The always on-point Scott Sterling also agrees. On another note, how come Hold Steady shows’ audiences are 93 percent dudes?
9. As Dodge points out, there might be no more unlikeable athlete on earth than Kobe Bryant (other than maybe Barry Bonds)? By making his trade demands so public not only made Kobe a shoo-in for the title of biggest prima donna in the league, he’s also single-handedly insured that the Lakers won’t get premium value for him. Don’t let the door hit you on your way out of town, dude.
10. The great Dan Love of From Da’ Bricks talks some Naughty by Nature. If any early 90s hip-hop group is in dire need of a critical re-evaluation it might be Naughty. Just listen to “Yoke the Joker” and remember how great Treach, Vinnie and Kay Gee actually were.
Download:
MP3: Naughty by Nature-”Yoke the Joker”
But Overalls? Not so Naughty By Nature
11. Clean Guns, who have rightfully gotten a lot of love in the hip-hop blogging world have collaborated with another Internet favorite, Jamie Radford. The track in question “Tuba Thump,” might contain some of the best verses I’ve heard from either rapper. And Jamie’s beat is phenomenal. Definitely one of my favorite underground tracks of the year.
Download:
MP3: Clean Guns & Jamie Radford-”Tuba Thump”
12. Who knew that flammable and inflammable mean the same thing?
Posted in Are You From the Lester Bangs School of Thought? | 10 Comments »
June 1st, 2007
It’s fitting that the Electric Soft Parade named themselves after The Doors’ “The Soft Parade” especially considering the record was the band’s most variegated, as Morrison & Co. tried on a mish-mash of styles from jazz to acid rock to the blues to R&B. Of course, “The Soft Parade” was one hot mess, and I suspect that anyone who ever heard it is wary of a band that would take their name from one of the greatest sonic follies ever.
No Need to Be Downhearted, the second album from the Brighton Beach quartet known as The Electric Soft Parade is not a hot mess. In fact, it’s a very solid record. However, while No Need has drawn strong praise in some quarters, some critics have griped about its tendency to be all over the place. And to an extent, they’re right. With little warning, songs veer from jittery Brit post punk (”Life in the Backseat”) to ethereal Flaming Lips space-psych (”No Need to Be Downheart (Pt. 1) to brooding Elliot Smith-like acoustics (”Shore Song/Surfacing.)” But while the album’s wide array of influences can be read as artistic uncertainty, I find the wild styles ingratiating and a good way to keep me from getting bored. Because honestly, I like Soft Bulletin and all, but listening to that thing is as good as popping a valium.
Live, The Electric Soft Parade’s musical diversity makes a good deal more sense as the group’s kinetic live show makes them seem like a poor man’s Pink Floyd meets a poor man’s Teenage Fan Club. Sure, it’s inoffensive Brit psych-guitar pop, but its good inoffensive Brit psych-guitar pop. And while, it’s a bit surprising to hear that these guys were nominated for the prestigious Mercury Prize in 2002, I’ll take them over the Arctic Monkeys any day. Starting out slow, the band gradually worked up up momentum in the course of their 40 minute set, rifling off some fierce guitar solos buoyed by atmospheric stoner keyboards. God knows I’m a sucker for anything remotely stoner rock-oriented and by the end of the set, I was left wanting more. The ESP will be touring all over the US throughout the next month and if you can get to one of their shows, they’re certainly worth checking for. At the very least, I can guarantee that they’re a hell of a lot better than the other “Soft Parade”
See also Idolator’s Praise of the Band
Download:
MP3: The Electric Soft Parade-”If That’s The Case Than I Don’t Know”
MP3: The Electric Soft Parade-”Appropriate Ending”
Bonus:
MP3: The Doors-”The Soft Parade” (left-click)
Posted in Beards, Blazers, & Glasses | 4 Comments »
