I wish I had the time to give Blockhead’s Uncle Tony’ s Coloring Book, the full review treatment, as its one of best hip-hop instrumental records I’ve heard this year (along with Wax Tailor and Madlib’s new Beat Konducta record). But rest assured, if you enjoyed his first two albums, the sorely underrated, Music By Cavelight and Downtown Science, you’ll no doubt want to pick up a copy of his new jaunt. It doesn’t break any new ground, nor does it need to, it’s just 13 soulful, funky beats from one of the finest producers in the game. Released today on Ninja Tune, it comes highly recommended for all fans of hip-hop instrumentalism.
Buy Uncle Tony’s Coloring Book
Download:
MP3: Blockhead-“The Strain” (left-click)
MP3: Blockhead-“Grape Nuts and Chalk Sauce” (left-click)
Get 1 more Blockhead track from Analog Giant
Charlie Brown Commands You to Check Out These Links
Barry Schwartz, lead singer of the Passion of the Weiss approved, Disco Vietnam, drops the ridiculously entertaining essay, The Green Day Conspiracy, theorizing that the band did not actually write American Idiot.
Berkeley Place has Clash Covers A to Z
I’m surprised this Raekwon review over at Hip-Hop Dx hasn’t been all over the Internet, as it’s pretty interesting and it covers everything from Ghost’s participation on the new Wu record (he’s on it), the status of Only Built for Cuban Linx 2 (summer of ’08 now…right) and whether or not Superb wrote Supreme Clientele (obviously not).
Everybody Cares Everyone Understands has a nice write-up on the new and very good Okkervil River record. I’ll be seeing them next month and will have more on it then, but the more I hear it, the better that album gets.
