Mar
08

The Return of Camp Lo

Image via Up North Trips Sonny and Suede ought to receive royalty checks from Spitta, or at least a few spins in his new Ferrari. After all, Camp Lo invented the template for diamond heists, panama hats, and ermine Walt Frazier raps over Ski beats.  Lamentably, they exist as footnotes in rap history, but their… Continue reading »

Mar
08

The Professional: Disco Vietnam’s “The NP (Natalie Portman)”

Despite popular mythologies that insist otherwise, great music doesn’t always rise to the top — at least not immediately. Depending on popular tastes, media whims, marketing ploys, and inherent marketability, exceptional songs can be overlooked. See also, Skipp Coon, Souvenir, Monkey Swallows the Universe, essentially any band that Stylus championed that were ignored so that… Continue reading »

Mar
08

Shabazz Palaces – An Echo From the Hosts that Profess Infinitum

The Butterfly born Ishmael Butler went cocoon over a decade ago and returned with these crawling caterpillar raps. Political rap for an apolitical period. Songs as formless cryptograms. Dying and dust and blowing up hopes. Slaves to network’s master plans. Caustic chants of “who do you think you are?” The revenge of those who once… Continue reading »

Mar
08

Sach O: Egyptrixx – Bible Eyes

Sach O gets mad when people talk about “Canadian” electronic music – as if the whole country’s supposed to sound the same. Had Egyptrixx’s Toronto origins not been prominently advertised in interviews, I’d have probably assumed that he was yet another UK producer on the come-up given Bible Eyes’ funky foundation and sense of space.… Continue reading »

Mar
07

Tote Steel Like Bronson, Vigilante

Over the last six months, the conservative rap coalition crowd has been touting Action Bronson as the best thing since sliced prosciutto. At a cursory glance, there’s a lot to like. Fat rappers> skinny ones — especially when they’re Queens-raised gingers in throwback Knicks jerseys, who sound like Starks and constantly rap about food. But… Continue reading »

Mar
07

Submotion Orchestra’s Long Strange Trips

Till Late magazine described the Leeds-based septet Submotion Orchestra as “drawing upon dubstep, soul, ambient electronica, jazz and dub, their unique music is at once delicate and heavy, spacious and dense, highly atmospheric but firmly rooted. Earth-shaking bass and drums combine with lush keyboard and trumpet textures to create the perfect bed for the fragile… Continue reading »

Mar
07

Gill Scott Heron & Jamie xx – I’ll Take Care of U

Failed Hollywood Pitch Idea #164: OK, here’s the story see: you’ve got a veteran jazz musician, down and out, history of drug addiction, but with the wisdom of a guy who has seen HELL AND FURY. Let’s call him Morgan Freeman. One day while singing on the corner he stumbles across a posh, callow but… Continue reading »

Mar
07

Douglas Martin’s Dirty Shoes: A Smoke Ring for Kurt Vile’s Halo

Charlie Sheen may have ruined it, but Douglas Martin pioneered winning. As the protagonist of his own songs, Kurt Vile has a reputation for being kind of a tough guy. A misanthrope. A brilliant kiss-off artist who doesn’t suffer fools. And though he confesses, “I get sick of just about everyone,” it’s what happens next… Continue reading »

Mar
05

Sach O: Living Inside the Speaker [Doc]

Sach O‘s favorite line from this film: “Smoke a spliff and make some dub, why would you want to do anything else?” Some old testament shit right here, if you can wrap your mind around how something from 2006 can feel a million years old. This DIY doc on Bristol’s nascent Dubstep scene probably won’t… Continue reading »

Mar
04

That’s the Joint

One of the architect’s of the country rap renaissance, Burn One drops a tight collection rolled up from some of his finest work over the last year and change. Exclusives from Rittz and Freddie Gibbs, deep cuts from Starlito, Jackie Chain, and Young Buck, and a behemoth from the impeccably named, Johnny Spanish. Guys like… Continue reading »

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