I suppose it’s fitting that I didn’t even remember that today was the 12th anniversary of Jerry Garcia’s death until a friend of mine reminded me a couple hours ago. That’s what I get for not checking Hidden Track first thing every morning. Sure enough, when I finally checked in on the duo of Ace […]

One of the main reasons why I blog is to get the opportunity to write headlines involving the phrase “Free Sunset Rubdown.” Because nothing says “indie rock” more than vaguely creepy band names that may or may not involve a happy ending. (See also Man Man and The Strokes). But really. Let’s talk Random Spirit […]

1967 was 40 years ago, but judging from the way Rolling Stone deified it this anniversary Summer, you’d think it occurred during the Renaissance. You know the tired spiel. “LSD! Hippies! The Beatles! Vietnam! The Monkees! We changed the world, man….One Toke at a Time” Right? Wrong. The myth that hippies changed the world is […]

Since day one, Camp Lo have always been Hollywood. Their technicolor tales could only fit on the big screen: blaxploitation fantasies of bloody Bronx shoot-outs, slick diamond heists and jet-black getaway cars gunning it 100 miles per on the Bronx Expressway, plane to Aruba waiting at Teterboro. All matinee style: swaggering in fly panama hats, […]

Life will always be shot full of heartache, melancholy and sadness, some of which can’t be blamed on the popularity of Pat Robertson, Everybody Loves Raymond, and Big Momma’s House. You might get fired from your job. You might break up with your girlfriend. You might be forced to sit through a sequel that may […]

As Joey aptly put it yesterday morning, the just leaked Camp Lo in Black Hollywood, is a legitimate contender for best hip-hop album of the year. Especially considering ’07 has been nothing but aging veterans trying to make classics past their prime, against all the odds. Redman was solid but unspectacular and loaded with filler. […]

Here’s the thing about the Beastie Boys: they’ve always been annoying. Despite their frequent brilliance, success has always come in spite of and not because of Ad-Rock, MCA, & Mike D’s adenoidal yawps and frat-boy lyrics. And yet, despite being blessed with Screech Powers-like voices, the mercurial trio has had an astonishing run over the […]

Hip-hop history is littered with MC’s blessed with scythe-sharp flows and Byzantine lyrics who couldn’t pick out a dope beat if their life depended on it (see also Kass, Ras). Now I wouldn’t go as far as to lump Pharoahe Monch in with the tin-eared rabble, but over the course of five albums and 16 […]

In the decade thus far, scores of pretenders have been hyped as having that elevated and hopelessly nebulous notion of greatness (thanks for stopping by Strokes!). In reality, only a handful of bands have emerged that can be lassoed into such a discussion. My Morning Jacket is one of them. Before you scoff, consider the […]

From hyphy to crunk to snap to grime to whatever the fuck Subtle is, hip-hop has split into a wide variety of sub-genres since its inception. Despite this, most hip-hop heads can be fit pretty neatly into two categories: those who consider NYC’s two golden ages of hip-hop (87-88, 93-97) the high-water marks for the […]