2010 April » Passion of the Weiss

Apr
26

The Internet has been flooded with tributes to Keith Elam in the last week, but none matches the sad and stellar eulogy conceived by his partner in Gang Starr. Joined by Big Shug, Guru’s nephew Justin Elam, and others, Primo unleashes poisonous darts at Solar, rare material, and a combination of fury and testament that… Continue reading »

Apr
26

DITDC: Deep Medi Releases Volumes 1 & 2

Sach O only publishes 1 out of every 10 posts he writes, the rest are exclusive dubs given out to Jeff Weiss, Nate Patrin and Matt Shea. I suspect our audience can be divided into two camps: those who worship at the altar of the Digital Mystikz (Mala, Coki and Loefah) and those who have… Continue reading »

Apr
25

Death Kits and Rear Exits

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NwvkcwA50D4 Because of the by-laws of the music writer’s fraternity,* I am compelled to write a post promoting “I Can Make You Love Me,” the first music video from Death Kit (the band of my estimable LA Times colleague August Brown), and Please Use Rear Exit, the debut novel from Da Capo-award winning scribe, Brandon… Continue reading »

Apr
24

Sach O: The Skream & Benga Show

Unceremoniously and without warning, Skream shut down his scene-defining Stella Sessions radio show on Rinse FM this week, unleashing the new and improved “Skream & Benga Show” on the world. The results are a laugh out loud riot including shoutouts to Redtube, the (non) promotion of sex and violence, accusations of philandering and Skream claiming… Continue reading »

Apr
23

In Memory Of Guru (1961-2010)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9U2NfeCpGzE Characteristically late and after everything’s already been said, I offer a tribute to Guru at Pop & Hiss. Rather than generalize about his greatness, the article highlights ten of Keithy E’s best moments on wax, conveniently ignoring Baldhead Slick & Da Click. Yes, “JFK 2 Lax” and/or “Above the Clouds,” and/or your favorite Gang… Continue reading »

Apr
23

Madlib on Friday Night Flavas

Stones Throw just dropped a 16-minute set of a 2005 appearance of Madlib on Power 106′s mix show, “Friday Night Flavas.” With the other O.J. running through material from Quasimoto, Madvillain, & M.E.D., consider it an addendum to Sach’s post earlier this week, and testament to the fact that once in a blueberry kush moon,… Continue reading »

Apr
22

DJ Nuts – Arthur Verocai Mix

Mochilla’s Timeless Series remains one of the most memorable local events of the last few years. For those unlucky enough to have missed the Suite for Ma Dukes and Mulatu Astatke and Arthur Verocai performances, the DVDs are now available. To help promote the release, Brazil-based DJ Nuts has compiled a staggeringly excellent 78-minute mix… Continue reading »

Apr
22

Yelawolf, Pill & The Nascent 90s Revival

The last decade was the 80s redux, so it’s natural that the next one will be defined by 90s nostalgia. You can see it everywhere. From the 8-bit beats booming out of Bristol (Joker, Guido, Gemmy), the Low End Theory, and Hyperdub’s latest linchpin, Ikonika. Or examine the child-like chillwavers, continually fascinated by cassette tapes,… Continue reading »

Apr
20

Sach O: The Madlib consumer guide

Eat your heart out Christgau! Reviewing Madlib albums in the traditional sense feels like a waste of time these days. There’s no point in trying to figure out a particular record’s inner logic: it’s probably just the result of Madlib’s particular listening patterns on any given week. In fact, Madlib’s output is single-handedly redefining what… Continue reading »

Apr
20

Hannibalism @ Coachella

As Sach said earlier, regularly scheduled programming will return tomorrow following a much-needed sabbatical with options. In the interim, that notoriously irascible asshole, Hannibal Moncrief stalked Coachella last weeekend. Somehow, the LA Weekly was crazy enough to let him write for them — Hannibal is a smooth talker –mothers lock up your daughters. Also, if… Continue reading »