Jul
15

Question in the Form of an Answer: A Conversation With Jessica Hopper, Author of “The Girls Guide to Rocking”

As Margaret Wappler aptly asserted, “the dirty little secret to ‘The Girls’ Guide to Rocking’ — a book by music scribe Jessica Hopper, ostensibly for teen girls — is that as a grown-up man or woman, you will learn something from every single page of this guide.” Real talk, but unsurprising to anyone familiar with… Continue reading »

Jul
13

The New Rap Language: Vol. 2A

Now watch me freak it in Korean. Bishop Lamont ft. Xzibit-”Hallelujah” I’d bet against The Reformation ever emerging from the Aftermath morass. But it really doesn’t matter when Carson’s finest can craft Gospel Brunch bangers over Dre beats better than anything off Relapse.  Bishop’s pet peeve is the cult of swagger, which makes sense, considering… Continue reading »

Jul
13

The Very Best ft. Ezra Koenig of Vampire Weekend-”Warm Heart of Africa”

Cynics can cluck all they want–there’s certainly room for reactionary scorn on Esau Mwamwaya’s duet with head Weekend Vampire, Ezra Koenig, the latter of whom name-drops “Hip Hop Hooray” and Electric Light Orchestra, in a matter of seconds. Yet the titular track from the Very Best’s Warm Heart of Africa, might be the album’s stand-out.… Continue reading »

Jul
13

Summerjamz ’09: Aaron Matthews and Trey Kerby – The Cory Matthews Mixtape

Hailing from Ottawa, Aaron Matthews boasts an intimate familiarity with the meaning of the phrase, “So Icy.” On a related note, Trey Kerby once made a snowman using nothing but a half-dozen cups of shaved ice and Bill Hanzlik’s mustache. Download: http://www.megaupload.com/?d=FTB8M6QE Aaron M: For a little context, I currently reside in Canada’s capital, Ottawa.… Continue reading »

Jul
12

Hey Mon: Foreign Born, Fool’s Gold, and Glasser

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-MHt8uTa4c The Hedley’s are the only analogue for the Los Feliz household of Foreign Born lead singer, Matt Popieluch and his girlfriend, Glasser’s Cameron Mesirow. In addition to fronting one of Los Angeles’ best bands, he works as a groundskeeper for Coldwater Canyon arboreal preservationists, Tree People, plays with Glasser and Fool’s Gold, and manages… Continue reading »

Jul
10

Montreal Jazz Fest – Chin Chin

Sach O likes Brooklyn band! Alert the Press! Are Chin Chin the best contemporary funk band on the circuit today? In a scene so amorphous as to run from indie darlings Hercules and Love Affair to Meters revivalists Baby Charles to Wu-Tang disciples the El Michels Affair, it’s hard to make a definitive claim, but… Continue reading »

Jul
09

DJ Sach: Halftime 09 Rap Mix

Sach O assumes the real rap comes at halftime. Halftime 09 Rap Mix (Z-Share download)  Rap wise, it’s hard to find fault with 2009 so far. You can spend your time complaining about what the next guy’s listening to or shouting the praises of whatever specific movement you advocate from the rooftops like a disenfranchised… Continue reading »

Jul
08

Montreal Jazz Fest – Rocksteady: The Roots of Reggae

Now in its 30th year, the Montreal Jazz Fest is only tangentially about Jazz or even music. As the city’s biggest annual event, the amount of tourist dollars riding on the event is enough to record Blue Note sides from now until infinity and the lineup is accordingly focus grouped and carefully weighed so as… Continue reading »

Jul
07

Break-Beat It: Kanye, Nas and the best Michael Jackson samples in hip-hop

One last M.J. post–no more eulogizing in this space–just a simple re-direct to Pop and Hiss, where last week I ranked Jackson’s five greatest hip-hop samples (in no particular order). For a more comprehensive list and more MP3′s, head to T.R.O.Y. LA Times:  Break-Beat It: Kanye, Nas and the best Michael Jackson samples in hip-hop… Continue reading »

Jul
07

Interviewed by an Idiot: Great Scott interviews Disco Vietnam

Great Scott interviews Disco Vietnam. The world will never be the same, Scott Towler: Aight, so I have to confess right out of the gate here: I literally just learned your name through our correspondence about this piece. Disco Vietnam: Yes, well my full name is Disco Irwin Vietnam. ST: Let’s dive right in, shall… Continue reading »

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