Dec
31

The 50 Best Albums of 2009 (#25-1)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLIdD5UfXIo Brought to you by our sponsors, Brother Love and The Honky Tonk Man.  25. Diamond District – In The Ruff [Mello Music Group] Taking artists at their word is a notoriously tricky enterprise. Even allowing for 100 percent sincerity, intentions and ambitions are often discordant with the final results. Luckily, anyone attempting to assess… Continue reading »

Dec
30

Drake – “Forever (Nosaj Thing Remix)”

A temporary break from our regularly scheduled programming. This is probably the only way I will ever willingly listen to Drake.  I mean,”I’m shutting shit down in the malls?” Is that really something you should brag about? 2010: the year of New Kids on the Block rap. As always, Jason Chung creates a eerily gorgeous… Continue reading »

Dec
30

The 50 Best Albums of 2009 (#50-1)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_9ByHQ6PAY Brought to you by our sponsor: “Piper’s Pit.” 50. Exile – Radio [Plug Research]  Best known for producing 2006’s acclaimed collaboration with Blu, “Below the Heavens,” Exile emerged as a viable creative force in his own right on “Radio,” a found-art opus that found him re-configuring taped snippets of everything from old commercials to… Continue reading »

Dec
29

Sach O stays at home: Heavy Holiday Reggae Mix

As if Sach O needed an excuse to use that album cover. I’m feverish and in need of chicken soup so I’ll keep the commentary down to a minimum:  I hosted a fairly chaotic holiday party a week ago which involved a substantial sound system from Moog Audio, considerable quantities of illicit substances and over… Continue reading »

Dec
28

ZIP File of The 50 Best Songs of 2009 (Rap Lite Edition)

Because this is the only Calling Bird worth a damn. Download: ZIP: The 50 Best Songs of 2009 (Rap Lite Edition) (Left-Click)

Dec
27

The Same Records That You’re Makin’ is Payin’ Me

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VsdLn46UXnA Now is not the time, but there is a case to be made for “Real Muthaphukkin’ G’s” being the most underrated diss track of all-time. You can draw a straight line from Dre in a stethoscope to Prodigy up on that Summer Jam screen. I also like imagining the game of gangsta rap telephone… Continue reading »

Dec
25

A Decade of Flying Lotus Mixed by The Gaslamp Killer

Forgive the pun, but this would seem to be something of a no-brainer. Quoth the levitating Lotus: “Merry Christmas and happy holidays to everyone as we’re approaching this new year, I felt it was time to let go of some things that have been gathering dust. Some old things, and some new things, I tried… Continue reading »

Dec
24

2009′s 50 Best Songs (Rap Lite Edition)

To be fair, the urchin on the far right has bars for days. Like Quinton, a zip is on its way. 50. Dan Ex Machina – “Beautiful Women, Busy Plot” [Self-Released] 49. Times New Viking – “Move to California” [Matador] 48. White Denim – “Mirrored In Reverse” – [Downtown] 47. Souvenir – “Drums, Sex, Dance”… Continue reading »

Dec
23

Poptimism and Heebs

In the most promising development since a woodblock printing revival (and brief epidemic of St. Vitus Dance) swept Germany in the 1440′s, print publications are slowly starting to reemerge from the amoebic stew of the Internet. Well, at least two. One of them is this. You probably have heard about it from your friends that… Continue reading »

Dec
22

Shafiq Husayn, Flying Lotus and Lost Continents

In conjunction with my Pop and Hiss interview of Shafiq Husayn, I was able to wrangle the Flying Lotus remix of Husayn’s “Evil Man.” While the remix doesn’t rank among Lotus’ best work, even at his most prosaic, he’s better than 95 percent of his peers. I’m also posting two stand-out tracks from Husayn’s latest,… Continue reading »

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