Archive for the ‘Music’ Category
09.17.08 | Permalink | Comments (1)
I’ve found I’m a big sucker for the whole Motown revival and tracing back the trend points to the Daptone Records; but as far as I can tell, the first out of the UK to notice wasn’t Amy Winehouse, but Jamie Lidell with “Multiply” a year before her “Back To Black“. The last “revival” album that I really geeked out over was Lidell’s “Jim” back in April.
Little Bit Of Feel Good – Jim:
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In May, I saw that he was coming stateside and made sure that I caught him. The show was good, but not great. I feel a kinship to a dorky white guy who can’t help but express his honest love for soul music. What I didn’t like is that his backup band was a little thin to get the full effect I’d like for the sound: A single guy alternating between playing guitar and bass and a single sax player in the place of a horn section.
Good news/Bad news: He’s back for a second US tour. I was hoping that he’d grew in stature from his first “Jim” tour and now had a larger band, but it doesn’t appear so.
BUT, I just found out that his opening act is the *new* artist that I’m geeking out over: Janelle Monae. She’s part Outkast, part P-Funk, part electro-funk-punk, part Erykah Badu. Her recently re-released Fritz Lang inspired EP has been on HEAVY rotation anywhere I can play it.
Sincerely, Jane – Metropolis:
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As much as Jamie is representing the past with a little bit of future, she’s representing the future with a little bit of past. They’ll be performing together October 3rd at the Showbox.
09.06.08 | Permalink | Comments (0)
A little while back, a friend played me some of the People Under The Stairs last album, 2006′s Stepfather. It was some of the most ridiculous and original stuff I’d heard in a while.
4 Elements – Redheaded Stepfather:
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Turned out it was a leaked bootleg released by Thes One to throw overambitious fans from grabbing the album on the internet before it’s release date. The whole album is a recital of of Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s 1798 long-form poem, “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner“, under track titles such as “Sucka Emceez” and “Smokin’ Blunts”.
Grab the bootleg for yourself: Redheaded Stepfather Torrent
I’d heard a little bit by them in the past, but after listening to this, I needed to dig closer and bought the “real” Stepfather. The album holds up to it’s redheaded counterpart.
Step In – Stepfather:
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Sadly, antics such as these aren’t getting them noticed as much as the quality of their material (and pranks) should dictate. They’re playing in Seattle on the 28th of September, but aren’t playing in the caliber of venue I’d expect from a 10 year act with their catalog and history.
But I thank them for inspiring me with a new goal in my life: Get famous enough that people anticipate my albums and I can trick them with fake bootlegs. Now I’m off to write my first album: “Let’s Get Ready To Brummel!!!”
04.28.08 | Permalink | Comments (0)
5 years ago, when preparing for the release of our first album, I was convinced that building the biggest website possible was the perfect idea. I could convince Felicia to blog regularly and the boards would be filled with more than just spam.
Last weekend, I decided to do something about the reality of the situation and design a more practical page than the Xanadoo that I originally envisioned. Post our dates, a few samples, post the necessary stuff for the press, and let MySpace handle the rest.
We’re going to spend the next few months in the studio working on an entire new set of material to pull out for the summer.
02.18.08 | Permalink | Comments (0)
I love discovering overlooked music from back in the day; particularly those that have been used in samples. Below is a mix of all sorts of stuff form the 60′s and 70′s: soul, jazz, mood, Orleans, ska; some of which as been sampled more than just a couple times. I have no real reason to share outside of the hope that someone might share back. If you’ve got an interesting song, please let me know in the comments. I’d love to hear it…
Trinkas – Remember Me:
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The intro to this song was used in Jurassic 5′s “Quality Control” in an interlude, but the rest of the song is even better.
Serge Gainsbourg – La Horse:
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Harpsichord detective funk, with a touch of banjo. He’s more than just a father of a hot girl who can’t write her own material.
Bob James – Take Me To The Mardi Gras:
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Sampled over 40 times, most notably in Run DMC’s “Peter Piper“. Miles Davis even sampled it in the song “Work It”.
Soul Brothers – Free Soul:
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Recently caught this one through Lily Allen’s “Smile“. Her producers have good taste…
Toots & the Maytals – Pressure Drop:
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I can’t believe these guys are still playing. Their version of Radiohead’s “Let Down” is every bit as good as the original.
Hugh Masekela – Grazin’ in the Grass:
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Just played last Sunday in Seattle. Sold 4 million in ’68 as a jazz instrumental.
Gunther Kallmann Choir – Daydream:
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This song is showing up a lot these days with Lupe Fiasco and Jill Scott.
Professor Longhair – Big Chief:
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Another Lily Allen sample from the song “Knock ‘Em Out“. Their use of this one is more blatant than some of their others.
Jean Jacques Perrey – E.V.A.:
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Mostly this guy does quirky show-tunes with crazy bing-bong noises, but this was his hit. Grabbed by Tribe, Dr. Octagon, Gang Starr, etc.
Collie Stuff – Chosen Few:
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Covered a few years later by Kool & the Gang and re-branded as “Funky Stuff“.
Vincent Geminiani – Ophis Le Serpentaire:
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Heavy French soundtrack mood music.
Bobby Hebb – Sunny:
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One of my favorite songs. Not necessarily obscure, as BMI calls it the 25th best song of the last century, but I rarely run into someone who knows it.
Here is the entire set in a .zip file.
01.30.08 | Permalink | Comments (1)
I’m a sucker for “Best of” lists, particularly if they come from my friends (hint, hint). Here’s mine:
Books
Exit Wounds by Rutu Modan
Big time comic releases seem to be more sporadic these days in comparison to a couple of years ago, but this one fits the bill. Israelis with identity issues makes for good reading.
I Am America by Steven Colbert
Obvious one for me. I’m a sucker for anything that he does, as evidenced by viewing all 337 episodes of the Colbert Report (as of this writing).
Into Hot Air by Chris Elliott
It’s not as good as his last, but it’s still quite good. A cast of Chris Elliott, Kristen Dunst, Michael Moore, Martin Sheen, Tony Danza, and more set out to climb Everest.
Runners Up: Comedy By Numbers by Eric Hoffman and Gary Rudoren, Percy Gloom by Cathy Malkasian
Music
Armchair Apocrypha by Andrew Bird
I probably spent more time with this album than any other this year. Even better than his near perfect And the Mysterious Production of Eggs.
Please Clap Your Hands by the Bird & the Bee
It’s just an EP with 5 songs, but each is pop perfect. The production is great.
Alright, Still by Lily Allen
My guilty pleasure. This is probably the popiest album that I’ve ever fallen for. I very much doubt a sophmore album that matches this.
Runners Up: Back to Black by Amy Winehouse, Snow Beast by Luke Temple, Version by Mark Ronson, Once by Glen Hansard & Markéta Irglová, the Reminder by Feist
Movies
No Country for Old Men by the Coen Bros.
TENSE. It’s everything I liked about Terminator 2 but with more humans.
Hot Fuzz by Edgar Wright
I think this is a perfect comedy. Conceptual jokes, low brow jokes, high brow jokes. They all hit.
There Will Be Blood by PT Anderson
Anybody who can make talking about milkshakes that dramatic deserves to be called the best actor in the world.
The Ten by David Wain
LOT’S of “A” jokes. Mostly “A-/B+” jokes.
Runners Up: King of Kong, This is England, Juno, Once, Michael Clayton
09.11.05 | Permalink | Comments (0)
Pretty much anything that comes out of Quannum, I go ga-ga for. They just added a few new members to their artists stable; and one of them just realeased a new album, General Electrics. The music is reminicent of a lot of the stuff coming out of Quannum, but slightly more eclectic. The vocals seem to take their que from the haunting harmonies of labelmates, the Poets of Rhythm. Take a listen…
