Nov
22

Can We Get Much Higher? — A Round Table on Kanye West’s “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy” (Jeff Weiss)

We needed a round table because this album is all angles. Admittedly, the world needs one more of these like My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy needs extra adjectives in its title. So let’s take it from there. Kanye West’s fifth album, a shoe-in for every year-end accolade and every Grammy, bears the same name as… Continue reading »

Nov
19

Low Limit-”Brainfeeder Mix”

Seeing as though it’s 3 p.m. on a groggy overcast afternoon in late November, I don’t have all that much to say about Low Limit’s latest mix for Brainfeeder — save that it gets my vote of confidence. Previously best known for his work as one half of Lazer Sword, Limit rocked a solo set… Continue reading »

Nov
19

Douglas Martin’s Dirty Shoes: Royal Baths and the Dilemma of Infectious Replication

Douglas Martin tried for months to style his hair like the Reid Brothers. He eventually decided to invest in more hats. If you feel Royal Baths sound a little familiar, that’s because they are. The bass-heavy rhythm section and balmy analog production is reminiscent of all-time greats The Velvet Underground, while the drilling, distorted guitars… Continue reading »

Nov
19

DITDC: Worth The Weight: Bristol Dubstep Classics

Sach O’s never been to Bristol but Dan Love will vouch for him. Dubstep is a London ting: so goes the genre’s origin myth detailing how Croydon beatsmiths stripped Garage of its champagne and coke sheen, transforming it into something altogether darker. Though the genre still remains rooted in the metropolis, it didn’t take long… Continue reading »

Nov
18

The Rap Paul Orndorff

Roc Marciano is uninterested in re-inventing the wheel–he’s trying to perfect it.  From the Scarface fixation to comparing himself to Paul “Mr. Wonderful” Orndorff, his cinematic semi-automatic rap is the spiritual descendant of Wu-Tang and Mobb Deep. Theoretically, that should be dull in 2010, but as long as people kill, crime sagas will always fascinate.… Continue reading »

Nov
18

The Basketball Jones–”Like a Bosh”

TBJ exclusive: Like A Bosh from The Basketball Jones on Vimeo. This falls outside of the typical purview of stuff covered at PotW, but an exception needs to be made. For those who don’t already know, The Basketball Jones is probably the best basketball blog extant. Trey Kerby may be the funniest person to write… Continue reading »

Nov
18

Frank & Beats: Gangrene’s Fresh Gutter Water

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I11pgTCli3c Aaron Frank rolls up spliffs longer than hockey sticks.  Rappers bragging about their weed habits is nothing new–especially in a year like 2010, with Curren$y, Wiz Khalifa, and Rick Ross hogging the sativa spotlight. But in 2008, when the Gangrene collaboration between Alchemist and Oh No was first announced, Jim Jones and Lil Wayne… Continue reading »

Nov
18

A People’s History of Hip-Hop: Scarface-Old Joy

Abe Beame is back. It’s been said that sorrow is nothing but worn out joy. If so, this is the thin line Brad Jordan that has walked for over a decade. Sadness is often overlooked in analysis’s of rap’s history. Granted, its becoming increasingly relevant in contemporary hip-hop, with frequent hang-wringing over the perils of… Continue reading »

Nov
17

The Lazurus Man

Because five hours remain in unofficial Dilla influence Day (little known fact: it is also Treat Your Secretary Right Day, sponsored by Chubb Rock), Stones Throw’s stellar Bruce Haack compilation deserves metnion. There is a straight line from the late vocoder pioneer to a song like “E=MC2.” Somehow, this record escaped review from Pitchfork, RA,… Continue reading »

Nov
17

Paul White Goes to Hollywood

Somehow, Paul White freaks Frankie Goes to Hollywood’s “Relax (Don’t Do It)” into one of the funkiest pieces of music you’ll hear all year and the Internet overlooks it. I feel like I’m taking crazy pills. Dilla’s influence has long been a contagion in LA and Detroit, but it’s been fascinating and rewarding to watch… Continue reading »

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