16 posts tagged “hip hop”

THE ALMIGHTY DEFENDERS
THE ALMIGHTY DEFENDERS
VICE 2009

The Almighty Defenders, pet project sextet supergroup (a title on which I dearly wish could be tacked ‘du jour’), ambles comfortably under the shade of a gospel umbrella. Comprised of garage-revival notables Black Lips, King Khan, and Mark Sultan, the band pares down their respective sounds with minimal ego and very little fuss. The final result is simple, informal, and above all, warm—the sound tastes plainly of sweat and hot salted butter. Even the metallic rattle of the (heavily employed) tambourine gives off a little heat.

Rousing opener “All My Loving” shimmies from the mugginess of some unseen swamp shack and keels forth with a slack-tongued call-and-response refrain, an element featured many times over on subsequent tracks. The bass line is hot-handed; the percussion is most likely the walls and furniture; the production is coarsely ground. Bearing the swagger of an unplanned drunk with unexpected guests, the track behaves as though someone pressed ‘record’ and the resulting sessions issued hence from this very spot. Hanging on its shoulders is second track “The Ghost With the Most,” a spooky, slouchy conversation about the next world. Here, that 'gospel' tag catches the light a little; the Defenders are dipping into spiritual subject matter, although it’s clearly of the non-practicing variety. The flat chorus of sha-la-las-- sung by the Black Lips boys in winking deadpan—sounds like a roundup of local ne’er-do-wells enlisted to paint a few fences. The boisterous vocal red-liner “Bow Down and Die” sounds like someone paid those same ne’er-do-wells for their services in liquor.

Moving beyond the drunken exuberance of the opening tracks is the near-tearjerker “Jihad Blues,” which, despite its slow swayin’ and splashes of sax to taste, isn’t much more than a (soulfully executed) joke. Appearing inexplicably where the peak should be are the ensuing tracks “30 Second Air Blast” and “Death Cult Soup n’ Salad,” two nearly identical cuts whose time-out acts as the smoke break at a get-down all the poltergeists are having in your absence. Somebody comes back to their senses with latter-half kneeslapper “She Came Before Me” --yet another song employing the failsafe combo of tambourine, simple licks, echoes, and callbacks—but the spoken farewell sermon right after it (“The Great Defender”) confounds everything anew.

The Almighty Defenders is fortunate to be propelled by catchy hooks and gritty sonic crackle, but it’s likely that, if not for its members, the album could be dismissed as a gimmicky head-scratcher. Gospel? Maybe in caricature, as a few timely whoops and “oh lawdy”s do not a gospel record make. The album is best for listeners who like their instrumentation rhythmic and unfettered by filler; the ideal candidate is a fan of both groups in their original format. Nevertheless, it's a warm, woolly, and strangely intimate recording-- as if a coupla buzzed  cronies made some tapes over the weekend meant only for one another. Think of it as a big, bouncing, funny-looking baby-- although you're happy for the parents, you've also had to imagine them having sex.

Check out: "All My Loving", "The Ghost With The Most", "Jihad Blues", "She Came Before Me"

Clearly Amy Serrata is into jazz and hip hop, just take a listen to any of her song - you can just hear it. Serrata describes her sound as a mix of soul nujazz (I hate that word!) and pop with elements of hip hop, which pretty much sums up what she's trying to do on her self-titled debut album.

Starting with "This Is Me", the song instantly sets the tone of the album: a strange funk mix, girl-pop vocals followed by contemporary singing. It's as if the message is "accept me as I am" when you accept the song as genre-mixing.

Like the start of a work week, "Monday Mornin", starts off with a "yawn". Although the song is about breakfast and starting the day, the double bass feels like it's an evening song.

So after morning, she finally gets up and sings "Hello World". She looks forward to seeing the world, despite it being a "big bad place".

I could go on, but it seems like the album takes you on a journey, ending my favorite song, "Love Another". When you can get past the artificial record noises, you'll find there's plenty to love about "Love Another", especially the soulful vocals - backed with a mainstream dance beat.

She isn't shy citing classic ladies, Ella Fitzgerald & Billy Holiday, as well as more contemporary soul artists, Adele and Norah Jones. So if you like those artists, but with a modern mix, you'll love Serrata. You can get her album at Amazon.com or on emusic.

What do you need to know today? Well… whether you need to know any of this or not, it’s probably best that you do. Here’s a few totally unrelated gems that have either landed in my inbox or lap over the last couple of weeks.

6000 Year Peach

This is the first digitally released album Soma Dose by 6000 Year Peach, Brisbane artist who we have covered before. Soma Dose is an album of electronic music, best suited (in my opinion) as a hangover soundtrack…. when mixed with a light spattering of bacon and egg roll. Smooth and chilled, no brain strains here. It’s a big step up from the previous release, an obvious improvement in recording skills and a better grasp of what makes an excellent and well-rounded album.

You can hear two tracks from Soma Dose on the 6000 Year Peach MySpace page, "Smile for me e new everything" and "Back to my place” and the album should now be available on itunes, amazon and emusic.

For more info, head here: www.myspace.com/6000yearpeach.

Mimas

Mimas Mimas - Cats on Fire Mimas

It has to be a special reason for me to review a single song. After receiving an email on behalf of the band, Mimas…. I thought ‘how bizarre’. This was the strangest email I'd received in ages. The only person to send me more bizarre emails is my crazy cousin in London who sends me photos of "aliens" (pieces of modern art).

It was only recently I was having a conversation with a group of friends about bands to come out of Denmark…. other than Aqua we were stumped…. And one participant in this conversation was Danish. I now have some additional ammunition if this topic ever comes up again.

Mimas are a band from Denmark who will be releasing their record, The Worries, in June. The song that they sent through to us was a delightfully named tune called “Cats On Fire”. Before I say anything about the tune itself I advise to have a squizz at the film clip for it. It’s hilarious and I quote “contains everything from bank robbers, violence, sex and blood! Only with sock puppets instead of humans.” Gold.

Cats On Fire is a tune with many facets. It begins smoothly and simply, guitars and trumpet. The lyrics….. well don’t ask me, I don’t have a clue. By the end it becomes quite heavy…. yelling included.

These guys do seem fun though. Just an excerpt, in the form of a short interview, from the email we received:

Where are you from?
We're from the future. No just kidding. We were formed in 1960 and then we broke up and reunited in 2004 with the name Mimas and Papas, but now we just like Mimas more. We live in the only country in Scandinavia where you can get seriously drunk without being the poorest person on earth the day after. Booze is cheap here!

Why are you named Mimas?
We really think that most good artists start with a M. Megadeth, Madonna, George Michael.... So we were really sure about the M. Imas we came up with while playing squash. It's a mental condition.

How would you define you?
If you would think of a mix between the old Take That and then take some of Ice Cubes solo stuff and put in a bit of the more melodic Norwegian Black Metal you would be completely off. We're just way more indie than that.

Your record will be out in the US on June 2009 on Distile Records and it will be distributed via MVD entertainment group. How is everything going so far?
Well. Very well. All we ever wanted since we were small kids on the playground shitting our pants and eating dirt was to make music and play it for people.

Anyway, if I were you I’d check them out. 

MySpace: www.myspace.com/mimas
Website: mimassite.com

Dan Bull

Safe is the debut album from English solo artist, Dan Bull. When I saw that someone had made the call that Dan Bull was “The Streets meets The Smiths”, I thought… brilliant! I do like The Smiths, The Streets…not so much. Unfortunately I can’t really hear any sprinklings of The Smiths in the album. The Streets... ooh yeah..... but what’s great about Dan Bull is that he sounds NOTHING like Mike Skinner (his voice drives me bonkers).

I would describe it as indie hip hop. It’s not pure hip hop by any stretch of the meaning. It’s actually very original. As I said, it IS like The Streets, but sooo much better. Better, that is, if you appreciate musicality rather than words alone. Thistopia is almost bordering on pop. Overall, very danceable (except for the title track Safe, which could be quite easily matched as the soundtrack to the scary bits in a Scooby Doo episode).

He also pronounces the word “year” like the guy who narrates a certain documentary series I occasionally watch on the history of the monarchy within the British Isles. Not sure why that matter…. Other than it makes me slightly giggle every time I hear it.

Check it! http://www.myspace.com/danbull.

What?

Just something completely left of field, which I find totally hilarious and awesome at the same time. Do you have bucketloads of cash? Do you live near the water? Have you ever wanted a giant guitar? Then click here: CLICK

Australian solo artist, Josh Pyke, is selling his guitar boat. It’s up for auction so that you can buy it for yourself…. or for me. You'd also be doing your bit for charity (Indigenous Literacy Project).

If you'd just rather listen to more of what Josh has to offer musically, pop along to his website: www.joshpyke.com

Sally
sally@weheartmusic.com

 11/30/2008 00:42:38  ♥ written by vu ()

 10/10/2008 19:49:42  ♥ written by derek ( / www.pegritz.com)

Jewish hip-hop? Is that even possible? Of course it is, silly rabbit! I mean, I downloaded an entire album of Croatian hip-hop from eMusic a few months ago...which is proof positive that hip-hop has escaped the ghettos in which it was born and has spread worldwide. Hip-hop's greatest strength is its ability to absorb any and all influences, states of mind, and approaches and still remain true to its roots and heart.

Modular Moods Records is going to drop a serious chunk of hip-hop funk with a distinctly Hebrew flavor in the form of the LP Freestyle Vs. Written by C-Rayz Walz and Kosha Dillz. C-Rayz, one of the original members of the legendary Stronghold, has been a giant in New York City's underground hip-hop scene for years, hosting all manner of shows and events and beatin' down some of the top battle emcees in the world (even freestyle legend Supernatural). Kosha Dillz, on the other hand, is a fresh face on the scene: an upcoming Israeli-American hip-hop artist who has performed live with big-name rap stars like Pharcyde and Jurassic 5 to Grammy Nominee and reggae ninja Matisyahu. So what happens when you put together the freestyle might of C-Rayz Wallz together with the swaggering beats and multilingual vocal styles of Mr. Dillz?

You get an explosion of classic hip-hop that rests firmly on a bed of oldskool beats but extends high above the heads of many so-called contemporary "rap superstars" with lyrics that jump from the socially conscious to the outright hysterical and back again.

The album's beats recall the glory days of hip-hop's youth, mixing heavy, funkalicious beats with powerful samples taken from old soul, blues, jazz, and funk records. Many of the samples on this album sound like they came from blaxploitation movie soundtracks, which gives Freestyle Vs. Written a true urban edge that complements the sharp-witted, and often sharp-tongued, lyrics perfectly. Horns and phased guitars predominate over the rumbling beats, but the emcees' voices and styles are, naturally, foremost on every track. And these guys have got skills, y'all: their rhymes are tight, their deliveries fresh and rhythmic, and their lyrics often profound. The two emcees play off of one another so skillfully it's impossible to determine what rhymes were written ahead of time and what rhymes are freestyle examples of champion extemporization. Produced by 19-year-old prodigy Kentron Da Mastadon, Freestyle Vs. Written is a superb melange of its creators' "Jerusalem Zionist-meets-Black Bronx ghetto aesthetic" which will appeal to all fans of oldskool rap, freestyle, and socially-conscious hip-hop.

One of the most impressive elements of this record is the lack of swearing. Now, I'm not one of those stuffy prudes who frowns on cussin'--but one of the things that has made me dislike so much contemporary hip-hop is the genre's overemphasis of the words "fuck," "motherfucker," and "nigger," mainly because these words provide all-too-easy staples for rhymes and rhythmic filler. True emcees come to battle and/or record with a truckload of vocabulary and wit, not just foul language and lame insults. Both C-Rayz Wallz and Kosha Dillz are literally overflowing with deft rhymes and sharp observations. "Calouses of a Hustler" and "The Foolish Path" are aimed at uplifting their listeners and educating them, and C-rayz's flow on these tracks is very similar to that of Atmosphere's Slug. Tracks like the lighthearted "I Love Jews" (built around a sample of the Del-Phonics "La-La (Means I Love You)" and "Ariel Sharon" (which rides atop a rolling beat and jangly banjo) clearly display Kosha Dillz Jewish background in his rhymes as he mixes English, Yiddish, and Hebrew.

In short, Freestyle Vs. Written is a solid mixture of oldskool flavor and modern hip-hop styles that will have your head bobbin' as it has your mind thinkin'. This is hip-hop that aims for the brain as well as the booty and demonstrates beyond a shadow of a doubt that even in a music world dominated by such untalented babblers like Souljah Boy and Nelly, real hip-hop is still being produced, and it's coming at you from every corner and every culture of the Earth.

The album is available for digital download, with the CD version coming on October 14th.

Update 10/11/08 from Vu:
Modular Moods Records wanted to us know about their Remix Contest. All info and sound files are at freestylevswritten.com/remix.  They have also expressed that they'd like you to see their ridiculous music video for "Sof".

 09/28/2008 21:12:56  ♥ written by derek ( / www.pegritz.com)

 06/28/2008 13:41:56  ♥ written by appples ()

Scion A/V is at it again with three exclusive releases! They recently released the splendid Daptone Records Remixed sampler (W♥M), so it's safe to say that these are just as awesome.

First up is Ghostface Killah vs. Rhythm Roots All-Stars with "Charlie Brown". The original track, produced by MF Doom, was intended to be on Ghostface Killah's 2006 release Fishscale, but it contained a sample from Caetano Veloso's "Alfomega" and didn't receive clearance. Jump to now and here's the track featuring Ghostface's fast-paced rapping skills and the Rhythms Roots All-Stars' funky beats.

The second release contains "four unique dance remixes of 'Charlie Brown' by world renowned French electro producers Yuksek, Orgasmic and DJ Mehdi, as well as Los Angeles-based DJ and production duo Guns N Bombs."

And the third release features up-and-coming hip-hop artists Wale, Pase Rock and 4th Pyramid rapping over beats by the 45 King and remixes by New York-based producers DJ Ayres, Inflagranti, Eli Escobar, and Sammy Bananas. 45 King is most famous for "The 900 Number" which samples Marva Whitney's "Unwind Yourself" and probably most recognized in DJ Kool's "Let Me Clear My Throat".

Starting May 6, Scion will be distributing "Charlie Brown" and the remixes at Scion-sponsored events and will also be available as a free download online. On May 13,  the 45 King remixes will be available for purchase from all leading online retailers.

Now for those of you who know me and my insatiable love of cheesy britpop music, you'll be quite horrified to think of me listening to this album.

6000 Year Peach is a funk/breakbeat/hip hop outfit out of Brisbane, Australia and although I often profess my hate for dance music. This is mostly a mere cover-up to maintain my image as *cough*  very cool britpop chick.  However, give me a beverage and stick me in a darkened room and I'll quite happily dance away.... but not to everything.

Buddha Breaks by 6000 Year Peach is an album that would get me up and dancing. You see, Buddha Breaks does not adhere to what I think of when I think of hip hop, breakbeats and/or funk. Buddha Breaks is extremely cruisey and laid back, almost to the point of me wanting to classify it as lounge music. Forgive me if you would like to disagree, but it's perfect music for the background to a dinner party, a cute little cocktail bar or perhaps... vacuuming (if you make sure you have the stereo volume set to maximum).

It's computerised mostly, but with hints of real instruments. If i had to pick a favourite track I'd choose Computer Is The Sound as it reminds me of cheesy computerised 80's music. Howewver, Cool Cats is also brilliant in my opinion as it's possibly the least dance music-esque track on the album; it's still electronic, but it has it has vocals... incoherent vocals, but vocals all the same. Also, a special mention to the track Poly Br@ke due to it's inclusion of samples from the highly hilarious telly show Summer Heights High (very much worth tracking down if you've not seen it).

Now, if I didn't know Andy (Mr 6000 Year Peach), I would say that the creator of this music had just sat down at the computer one day and decided that they want to be a DJ. However, I know better and now you do too. Andy was in my music classes throughout our later years of high school and when I listen to Buddha Breaks I can hear that there is an underlying musical knowledge that is not just retstrained to flutes, pianos, guitars and glockspiels. As opposed to some idiot that's just slapped together a few breakbeats and called it "music".

Just to work in a britpop reference, i'd like to briefly remenise about the day that Andy played guitar for an horrendous rendition of Blur's Sunday Sunday (with me on keyboards and vocals, no less).... it makes me laugh inside as I think about it even now.

Anyway, back to the point 600 Year Peach has (accoring to his myspace page) played alongside, D-KO, The Funk Trust Djs, Lab 4, Kato, Devastating Dave, Vertical Transport, Chemical Kurt, Juvanille Djs, Anakin Skywalker, Down n Dirty Djs, Travis White, Guy Davy, Adam Phillips, and the Plump Djs, which is quite an impressive list (impressive in that someone with next to no knowledge of the electronic music world, me, has actually heard of some of these artists).

Well, that's about it from me. To hear more of 6000 Year Peach mosey on over to his myspace page or if you're in a position to do so, you can email 6000-year-peach@inthemix.com.au for bookings.

Sal