8 posts tagged “hip-hop”
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I love bacon, and I love sneakers.... so by transference, I would also love Bacon Shoe. These two MCs (Lethal D and Mr. Ruggles) and one DJ (DJ SKU), are a comedy hip-hop crew from rap hotbed of Kansas City.
I couldn't find any information on their debut album, Ass, originally released in 1997, but obviously that's a decade (!!) prior to Back from Stinktion (that's extinction for you non-hipsters).
Although there's no pending pressure that they're on tour or are in need of promotion, I was inspired enough after watching their misadventures in SXSW 2006 (their album came with a bonus DVD) to write about it.
It seems to me that they only had a few booked/confirmed shows in Austin, because the time that they weren't booked, they drove to various bars and started playing music and rapping. What's really interesting is that in one of the videos, you can see the slow buildup of passerby people actually stopping and watching them perform.
They're incredibly mobile and, watching their behind-the-scene stuff, they're quite funny.
The music portion of the album doesn't quite capture their live energy, it makes it up with various comedy bits. Like on "Toine in the Studio" doing some intentionally horrible unrhyming freestyle or on "A New Discovery Shed" where Lethal accidentally dropped "sometime you gotta bend over and take it up the a** a little bit. Erm, no you don't. I'm sorry, That's not true. I never done that before, so don't think I'm like..."
My favorite song is "Cheesedick", mostly because I think of Aqua Teen Hunger Force whenever I hear it.
Bacon Shoe's Back from Stinktion is a great album to have right next to your MC Frontalot collection. The bonus DVD added a nice value to the album, so get the physical copy from CD Baby.
Links:
www.baconshoe.com
myspace.com/baconshoe
last.fm/music/Bacon+Shoe
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
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.
Links: Scion A/V
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04/30/08 CLEVELAND CD Release, OH
Discography
05/15/08 CD Release BERLIN !!! 05/17/08 Berlin Party, Berlin 05/22/08 SEATTLE CD RELEASE, WA 05/24/08 COLORADO CD Denver, CO 05/26/08 BOULDER CD RELEASE, CO 05/29/08 CD RELEASE Manhattan, NY 06/27/08 Jambaloosa Pittsburg, PA 06/29/08 SUMMER STAGE Manhattan, NY 08/21/08 DETROIT Detroit, Michigan 08/25/08 EURO TOUR London 08/27/08 MANCHESTER Manchester 08/28/08 London and South East 08/30/08 ISRAEL TOUR Jerusalem
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Y-Love's sophomore album, This is Babylon comes out on April 29th.
Y-Love's real is Yitzchak Jordon, and I hate to state the obvious, but he is a Jewish hip-hop artist.
My only experience in what I thought was Jewish rap is through Matisyahu who had a break through hit with his "Youth" song... but I have to admit Y-Love's styling tend to lean towards rap & hip-hop vs Matisyahu's more reggae influenced sound.
The songs on This is Babylon varies from modern political views (especially "6000" and "State Of The Nation") to dance numbers ("Keep The Party Divine", "Bring It On Down" and "Bump").
What I found kind of interesting is that in many of these songs, there is an underlying Hebrew influence, with some with a religious undertone. It's not blatant like "you must convert to Judaism", but it's definitely there in the songs.
Besides the grooving dance rap and Yiddish lyrics in the song "Bump", I had to give him credit for mentioning the year 5759... which is Israel's 51 years of independence.
Y-Love is already huge in the Jewish community, but he's breaking out in the US (see USA Today), and very soon he'll be taking it globally with upcoming tour through the Europe.
Pick up his latest album from his record label, Modular Moods, and keep an eye out for this guy.
04/17/2008 08:39:44
vu
my♥posts
ylovemusic.com
myspace.com/ylove
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04/08/08 In-Store @ Amoeba CA
Sounds Like
04/08/08 Starline Fresno, CA[1] 04/09/08 CD Release Party LA, CA[1] 04/10/08 Jerry’s Bakersfield, CA1] 04/11/08 Colonial Thtr Sacramento, CA[1] 04/12/08 Elbo Room San Francisco, CA 04/12/08 WOW Hall Eugene, Oregon[1] 04/13/08 Nectar’s Seattle, WA[1] 04/14/08 Callaloo Bellingham, WA[1] 04/15/08 Hawthorne Portland, OR[1] 04/17/08 Urban Lounge SLC, UT[1] 04/18/08 Black Sheep Springs, CO[1] 04/19/08 Marquis Denver, Colorado[1] 04/20/08 La Estancia Indio, California 04/21/08 Rialto Tucson, Arizona 04/21/08 Orpheum Flagstaff, AZ[1] 04/22/08 Vaudeville Tucson, AZ[1] 04/22/08 The Roxy Los Angeles, CA 04/23/08 Canes San Diego, CA 04/23/08 Chaser’s Phoenix, AZ[1] 04/24/08 Catalyst Santa Cruz, CA 04/25/08 Coachella! Indio, California 04/25/08 Humboldt Community Ctr,CA 04/27/08 Murs @ Coachella! Indio,CA 04/30/08 Club Underground Reno, NV[1] 05/03/08 Whiskey Dick’s Tahoe, CA[1]
[1] "Child Support Tour"
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The Living Legends are a hip-hop crew consisting of Sunspot Jonz, Luckyiam.PSC (aka Luckyiam), The Grouch (more on him later), MURS, Scarub, Eligh, Aesop Fables, and Bicasso. Each member are already established hip hop rhymesayers, but together, they prove to be something more.
Their new EP, The Gathering, is released today, April 8th, right in the middle of their hilariously-named "Child Support Tour" tour.
These guys are pretty famous, especially if you live in California, or liked the Wu-Tang Clan. What's kind of cool is that, like the Wu-Tang Clan, each artist brings their own influence and style to each song.
Take for instance, the lead song, "The Gathering" is pretty much a display of dialogue between all The Living Legends crew. I'm not too well-versed in each rapper's style, but I can hazard a guess that the funny line of "I work like a Mexican/run like an African" is by Eligh.
Regardless who is rapping as the mic is passed to the next, one message is clear in the song: The Living Legends is back to claim their crown as the king of hip-hop.
Also released today is one of the crew, The Grouch's full length album Show You the World.
I believe The Grouch is one of two white guys in The Living Legends, so you know this guy is drowned in underground hip-hop.... but this album is surprisingly accessible and easy to get into.
He raps about things he encounters in life, like meeting artsy fartsy elitist jerks in the hilarious "Artsy".
In "Yardwork", he talks about doing his yard work (in this case his computer with Protools and "the Photoshop") and breaking his back to support his baby girl - only to see his music being illegally downloaded. He ends each chorus with "but this rap costs money".
The album also features collaborations with, of course, members of The Living Legends (Bicasso, MURS, Scarub) as well as other underground singers (Raphael Saadiq, Abstract Rude, Mike Marshall)
If you're a fan of The Living Legends, check out both The Gathering and Show You the World as they are extensions of each other. Both are released today and available through Legendary Music.
04/08/2008 00:25:34
vu
my♥posts
myspace.com/livinglegends
therealgrouch.com
I'm sure you've all played Simon Says when you were a kid, right?
The game's simple enough, one person gives instructions and you must obey it (but only if he says "Simon says"). Failing to follow Simon's instructions, you are eliminated from the game.
So, Simon says enjoy these songs:
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Discography
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I have here The Outfit Movement Vol 1 by Philanastasia (official/myspace), a New York-based underground hip-hop artist that reminds me of House of Pain (in fact, the opening song on this promo album is a reimagined "Who's the Man"). His biography lists him as "a white boy that isn't trying to sound like Eminem", which I think is a good thing.
The Outfit looks like a group of rappers (Lazy K, Neph-E-Neph, The Last American B-Boy, Dyverse The First, King Just, Lounge-Lo, Rahsaan, and Dr. Ama), under Phil Anastasia's umbrella, doing original rap lyrics over existing recorded music.
What impressed me about this album is that it sounds remarkably clear as the whole thing is recorded live, hosted by one of the Outfitters, DJ Lazy K.
When I heard Gorillaz's "Feels Good Inc" as the backing track for PA, King Just & The Last American B-Boy's raps, I had to smile at how different this song suddenly turned out.
Anyway, the Outfit's mix of "Simon Says" is not that different from the original Pharoahe Monch's version and variants - includes all the rude boobies lyrics.
If you like underground hip-hop, you'll definitely want to check out Philanastasia. If you want a copy of The Outfit Movement Vol 1, it is actually free for a limited time if you purchase their main original album, The Outfit (both CDs can be yours for the low price of $7.99). I don't need to tell you that this is a very good price for a full length.
The Shangri-Las named themselves after a New York restaurant and was together for about six short years. You might have heard of "Leader of the Pack", which is their most well-known song.
If you think two of the girls look alike, that's because they are identical twins Marge and Mary Ann Ganser, while the other original members were also sisters: Mary and Betty Weiss (Betty rarely made public appearance, however).
Their very first recording was actually "Simon Says" in December 1963. This was very early in their career and it definitely has that Motown and Northern soul dance vibe. I love it! I just want to dance whenever I hear this song.
They also have an alternate version called "Simon Speaks", which I don't think I liked as much as "Simon Says".
When they had recorded this song, they were all under the age of 18, with Betty being the oldest at 17.
At the height of their popularity, in 1964, they opened up for the Beatles, The Drifters and James Brown.
Unfortunately, the band went into early retirement after disputes with their record label. They were only 21 and 22 :)
Speaking of pop songs and cute girls, The Pipettes (thepipettes.co.uk) have a b-side called "Simon Says" off their Judy single.
This is pretty standard-Pipettes sound, and since I've already spent far too much time talking about the band early on their career - I would suggest you check out my various articles on them.
They've been pretty quiet lately, their album was released in the US last October with a new cover and I can only assume they are writing new songs in 2008. If I hear any announcements, I'll be sure to let you know.
Finally, 1910 Fruitgum Company (1910fruitgumcompany.com) are actually still around since the 60s.
Their first major hit was actually "Simon Says" in 1968. If you listen to the song, it's very bubblegum pop - which is kind of funny, seeing as the band's named after a candy wrapper that singer Frank Jackell found.
According to their official website, they are now performing with the original band members and recently released brand new albums with old and new hits.
04/02/2008 01:12:08
vu
my♥posts
www.weheartmusic.com
Discography
Sounds Like
Sigur Ros, Matmus, Mogwai, Tricky, Mos Def, Common, Saul Williams, Dead Can Dance, Gorillaz, Kanye West, Portishead |
If you think about it, ambient navel-gazer music and incisive rap are probably the strangest musical bedfellows possible- but that's what Reality Serum is producing, under the new genre 'Trans-Urban', and it's pretty damn exciting, to say the least.
Camanche and Twizle- the former brings the hip-hop, the latter the ambient guitar- are two Long Island accidental bandmates. Twizle's cred as a Beatles Sgt-Pepper era guitarist is such that he actually appeared in the recent film Across the Universe, but that's beside the point. They're genuinely doing something so new and interesting that I'm stumbling over myself to share it.
Think Sigur Ros or the much-mourned Dead Can Dance (Eastern chords, adagio tempo, lush and complex sounds, barely any beat beyond sparse bass), overlaid seamlessly with spoken-word, rather like Saul Williams, and you're getting close. It's Tricky if he and Mos Def took a wrong turn into Mogwai territory at night- vaguely haunting, and can be slightly jarring if you've always taken your hip-hop plain with crunchy beats and little more.
Putting rap vocals in a very large and sprawling musical landscape, which is what ambient music is, is a risk, and it's tough to balance the hard with the soft. Sometimes I came away wishing that the vocals took more of a prominent role- they can get swallowed by all the washes of sound- or that there was more of a sense of urgency to match them.
It is important, though, to recognise good music when it comes your way, and trust me, this is very good music. It makes you listen, it intrigues you and pulls you in. One of the things which often isolates people from the mellow navel-gazing genre is that it doesn't grab listeners- it's background noise but doesn't engage- and sometimes hip-hop is criticised for sounding too harsh and simplistic. Maybe Trans-Urban is a way to fix both criticisms.
I know, I know, I'm making some grand claims here- but Reality Serum are making alchemy out of their crossover, and you should give them a listen. It's that simple.
They appear not to have any touring dates coming up because they're heading back into the studio, which is a shame. However, you can get their CD, 'Hop In', via iTunes, CDBaby or PayPlay.
12/13/2007 19:27:27
jennifer
my♥posts
myspace.com
supplerecords
I've been meaning to do this for a while, grouping four or five bands
from one city. Today I'm going to concentrate on bands from Chicago,
Illinois.
Each of these music group are very, very different from each other... which really say something about the culture of this city!
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Tour
12/06/07 Lilly’s Chicago, IL 01/12/08 Krush Skatepark Tinley Park, IL 01/18/08 The Metro Chicago, IL Discography
Band Members
Links
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The first group from Chicago are the superhero hip-hop rappers called Yea Big + Kid Static. It seems both Yea Big and Kid Static were already established artists prior to joining forces.
"Static Leads The Coup" is my favorite song off their debut album, which was released last month (October 23rd). The artwork, concept (comic book, Star Wars, etc) and rapping style kind of reminds me a lot of Deltron - so if you enjoy that, this album should be right up your alley.
Just a note, Yea Big is huge into mashups, so he really brings his ear and sounds in mixing the album.
So, if you live in Chicago, check it out, they're playing a few gigs, including the Metro (I've been there before!).
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Tour
11/30/07 JBTV Performance/Interview 12/01/07 Lewis University - Romeoville 12/28/07 Uncommon Ground - Chicago, IL Discography
Band Members
Links
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The Villains of Verona are a indie pop band from Chicago. Their debut album is coming out, it's called The Oh Bonanza LP. I wasn't given an exact release date, but according to their press release, the album's final mixed is completed as of August of this year (mixed at Smart Studios in Madison, Wisconsin). The album was done with producer Jon Alvin at the IV Lab Studios.
Of the batch of unmastered songs that I've got, there are a few songs with a boy singer. This is unusual because the Villains only have one vocalist, Rachel.
The song that stood out for me from The Oh Bonanza LP is "The Only". For even more songs, check out their myspace and also they're set to play new songs for JBTV tomorrow. If you live in the area, be sure to check JBTV on Wednesday at 11pm.
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Band Members
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This Episode has one EP, Warm Up My Defenses but according to their blog, they're working on their album, called Spider Tree.
I suspect they got their name from watching too much television. So it's safe to assume that they also probably watch a lot of movies - as in their song, "The Movies".
The main vocals is by Desi in this song, and it tells about how she wants to be in the movies. It's a pretty catch song.
Also, if you like that 80s new wave-type sound, check out their song "Move On" - you can download it from their website. If you like what you hear, you can add them as a friend on vox.
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Band Members
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Our last Chicago band is called The Red Plastic Buddha. They kind of remind me of a 60/70s psychedlic rock band.
They contacted me recently and asked me to take a look at their video for Forget me Not, which sparked my interest enough to search and downloaded some of their songs off their record label's website Spade Kitty.
Of the ones I've downloaded, I liked "Rollercoaster" the best. Listen to that guitar an