20 posts tagged “rap”

Matisyahu - Darkness Into Light Matisyahu Discography [2004] Shake Off the Dust... Arise [2005] Live at Stubb's (live) [2006] Youth [2006] No Place to Be (remix album) (CD/DVD) [2009] Light Read More Matisyahu http://weheartmus... Matisyahu (born Matthew Paul Miller, June 30, 1979) is an American reggae musician. Known for bl...

Matisyahu's third studio album, Light, comes out today. The album was two years in the making and was originally scheduled for an early 2008 release, but through various circumstances, like Matisyahu's unrelenting touring schedule and family obligations, the album will finally see the 'light of day' today.

Matisyahu's fans* should already be familiar with these new songs, through various "listening stations" from Matisyahu's touring van, or have heard the songs unveiled on last year's tour dates, but they will finally get to hear it as was meant to be heard via CD and vinyl - available with a free DVD directly from the official website.

Matisyahu - Youth 2 comments Matisyahu - Smash Lies

I don't have his debut album, but comparing Light to Youth, I can speculate that Matisyahu is moving away from reggae. Don't get me wrong, there's still a lot of reggae undertones and dubs, just maybe not the focus. And in the grand scheme of things, I think it's good that he's looking into other influences (take for instance "Smash Lies" which is more hip-hop/rap with techno/dance elements).

Perhaps this has to do with the brilliant Aaron Dugan on guitars, who can be heard clearly on such tracks as "Motivate" and "We Will Walk". From seeing them live at the recent 80/35 Festival, I can tell you that Dugan is a very talented guitarist.

Lyrically, Light is typically Matisyahu, in terms of talking about God, rising up, and freedom. The theme is about obviously about the light. This could mean many things, it's up to your interpretation of it. I speculated it has more to do with religion... Like the fact that Matisyahu can't actually work after sunset because of his beliefs - so light and darkness plays a very important role in his life. My favorite 'light' song is "Darkness Into Light", which features some strange yiddish scattish.

Light is out now at most retailers. Buying it directly seems to include the best package and option at official website.

*I should also mention that as much as his fans are very passionate about Matisyahu's music, Matisyahu often encourages and engage with his fans - as evident by his twitter account.

 08/25/2009 10:36:56 ♥ vu () ♥ matisyahuworld.com ♥ myspace.com/matisyahu ♥ twitter.com/MatisYahu

Atmosphere - Shoulda Know Atmosphere 1 comment Tour Dates 08/14/09 Red Rocks Amph Morrison, CO 08/15/09 Paoli Soleri Outdoor Amph SantaF,NM 08/16/09 Club 101 El Paso, TX 08/18/09 House of Blues  Las Vegas, NV 08/19/09 Hollywood Palladium, CA 08/21/09 House Of Blues San Diego, CA 08/23/09 Fairplex Pomona, CA 08/30/09 Outside Music Fest SF, CA 09/08/09 First Avenue Minneapolis, MN 09/09/09 First Avenue Minneapolis, MN Discography [1997] Overcast! [2002] God Loves Ugly [2003] Seven's Travels [2005] You Can't Imagine How Much Fun We're Having [2007] Strictly Leakage (free download) [2008] When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold

Des Moines had the pleasure of listening to one of the freshest sounds tonight; Atmosphere made their first appearance in Des Moines and they left impressed, to say the least. Atmosphere’s front man, Slug, coined us “his family reunion” and that he’s very proud to call Des Moines his friend.

Atmosphere at Simon Estes Amphitheater, Des Moines (8/11/09) ♥ photo by Elizabeth Soda

Whether the crowd was spitting along with Atmosphere’s beats or waving their hands side-to-side, Simon Estes Amphitheater was flooded with love and appreciation for this rapper’s talent. The group showcased many of their popular favorites like, “Sunshine,”  “Always Coming Back Home to You,” & “Trying to Find a Balance.”  It was truly amazing how Des Moines came together to celebrate with Atmosphere and their whole entourage. I was under the impression that Atmosphere was not that popular within the suburbs of Des Moines, but the more people filed towards the front of the amphitheater, it just went to prove that music is alive and well, no matter what kind it is.

Slug provided the audience with a free-style rap at the very end of the show. He included tidbits about down home cooking and the Embassy suites. It was a nice touch to wrap up the night and also provided me with a sense of how he really felt about Iowa. “Atmosphere flips lyrics like a spatula.” So he said himself while spitting to his own rhyme about his vocal talents.  He seemed to really enjoy the crowd’s energy and played off it for most of the evening. Slug told jokes and even made friendly contact with the crowd every now and then. In regards to his friendliness to the crowd, while the opening bands made their transition, Slug appeared out of nowhere and started to meet with the crowd. He began shaking hands with everyone and thanking them for coming. I had the opportunity to shake his hand. It proved to me that Atmosphere isn’t like any other band, they truly care about their audience and about the ears that Slug’s lyrics fall upon.

The opening acts were Attracted to Gods and Eyedea & Abilities. The crowd seemed most familiar with the lyrical rhymes of Eyedea & Abilities. Attracted to Gods was a great duo that reminded me of George Thorogood. They had really great jam sessions that twanged with a bit of blues rock.

 08/12/2009 19:11:52 ♥ ashley () ♥ rhymesayers.com/atmosphere ♥ myspace.com/atmosphere 

Happy Friday, and yep, another fistful of EPs! All really different music genres.

ESTRELLA CRISTINA
estrellacristina.com ♥ myspace ♥ twitter

Estrella Cristina - In Between Days

Estrella Cristina

1 comment

I was listening to a "new" shuffle playlist (music added in the last three months) and this charming song, "In Between Days" came on. Remember the first time you heard Lady Sovereign's "So Human" and thought, hey, isn't that the Cure? The same thing with "In Between Days", except, instead of Robert's familiar voice, it's by Estrella Cristina.

Estrella's name, as I've read, means "star" in Spanish. She's based out of Los Angeles, and her debut EP This Is Life is currently available on iTunes, minus, in my opinion, her best pop song "Brighter Than Sunshine". You can hear and purchase the song on iLike. However, as of this writing, her official website is currently not available, but I would recommending contacting her for a CD version as that would contain all four tracks.

The rest of the EP is light radio pop song, check out the one love song "Non Stop" and the title track, "This Is Life" to get feel of her style of music.

So this is living, so this is life, she's scheduled to appear on the follow dates:

07/16/09 Genghis Cohen-Shout it out/Nette Radio Quarterly Showcase Los Angeles, California
09/17/09 (TBC) Genghis Cohen-Shout it out Showcase Los Angeles, California

CAST SPELLS
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Cast Spells - Glamorous Glowing

Cast Spells

The first thing about Cast Spells is that they have this fun sense of humor. For instance, for their official website, they link to the pagan on "How to Cast Spells". If that wasn't enchanting enough, how about the distinctive vocals of Maps and Atlases's Dave Davison? Yes, the very same band that I missed because of scheduling conflicts at 80/35.

I'll have to add that if you don't like that slacker-indie music, you're not going to like Cast Spells. The six-track debut EP Bright Works and Baton feels relatively lo-fi and even mountain folk... like neck beard music ..And I'll leave it at that. They are on the verge of going out on tour with So Many Dynamos:

SO MANY DYNAMOS, CAST SPELLS TOUR
July 13 – Holy Mountain – Seattle, WA
July 14 – Backspace – Portland, OR
July 15 – Hemlock Tavern – San Francisco, CA
July 16 – Luigi’s Funhouse – Sacramento, CA
July 17 – Cellar Door – Visalia, CA
July 18 – Spaceland – Los Angeles, CA
July 19 – Modified Arts – Phoenix, AZ
July 21 – Emo’s – Austin, TX
July 22 – Mangos – Houston, TX
July 23 – The Exchange – Hot Springs, AK
July 24- 529 – Atlanta, GA * also w/ Cinemechanica
July 25 – The Flatiron– Greensboro, NC
July 26 – DC9 – Washington DC
July 27 – Danger Danger – Philadelphia, PA
July 28 – Union Hall – Brooklyn, NY
July 29 – Great Scott - Allston, MA
July 30 – TBA – CT
July 31 – TBA - NYC
Aug 1 – The Majestic- Detroit
Aug 2 – Beat Kitchen – Chicago, IL

You can pick up the EP digitally or physically at castspells.hellomerch.com (which I think is officially been released).

THE FORCEFIELD KIDS
myspace ♥ last.fm

The Forcefield Kids - Since We Last Spoke

The Forcefield Kids

We rarely get rap music submissions (possibly because we do not have a rap/hip hop writer), but I did accepted this debut Home EP from this Newcastle-based outfit. Yes, they're British, and yes, the inevitable Streets reference comes to mind.

I don't know what the UK rap scene is like, but it seems to me to becoming more popular than ever. I suspect it is because all you need are three key components: the Mic, the DJ, and the MC. In this case, Stain(ed) Art does the rap, Noise is the backup vocals (he's listed as the "hype"), and Sleepy handles the beats.

With the lack of traditional music equipments, you can expect rap groups to setup fairly quickly and easily. And the fact that improvisation is part of act, I suspect this band is best experienced live. Check them out at the Dog & Parrot, coming up:

07/18/09 The Dog & Parrot Newcastle Upon Tyne

The song that they seem to like is "Little Miss Star", but I didn't really feel it. I don't know, a bit too sensitive to me. I like breakup song, "Since We Last Spoke". It's short, but to the point, and full of held-in anger.

Home EP was released last Tuesday, US readers will want to get the Amazon MP3s vs the more expensive imported EP ($15).

STEREO ALLIGATOR
stereoalligator.com ♥ myspace ♥ blogspot

Stereo Alligator - Blow Away

Stereo Alligator

Based out of Lisbon, Portugal, these two music producers, Nuno and Gomes, really know their 80s synth pop music! Their EP was recorded in Puerto de Santa Maria, Spain, mixed in Brooklyn, New York, where I suspect the duo also spend some of their time (you can follow their travels on their blogspot).

Their biography mentioned that this self-titled EP is their first "international" release, which makes me think that perhaps they've released material previously. What probably will make this EP more appealing is that the lyrics are in English, so they might focus more on the US market.

Most of the song here are upbeat, sans the downer "Ruin". Thank god, "Lifting Up" and "Blow Away" will quickly get you back on a happier mood. I can tell you that the club dance scene will welcome these amazingly pure pop synth songs.

At the moment, it seems that the duo have two more EPs in the work, this release is the first of a trilogy. I'll be keeping a close on this this band. Stereo Alligator EP is out now, you can find it at your favorite Amazon or eMusic.

 07/10/2009 09:33:56 ♥ vu () ♥weheartmusic.com♥twitter.com/weheartmusic♥news.weheartmusic.com

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

THE PIMPS OF JOYTIME thepimpsofjoytime.com ♥ myspace.com The Pimps of Joytime-H2O (Cyril Neville) the Pimps of Joytime 1 comment Actually the name and cover artwork fooled me into thinking they are hip-hop or rap (hey, work on your image!). Even NPR last year wrote "probably some more third-rate rap". The Pimps of Joytime, I'm here to report, is more funk, soul and mixes than anything else. But since I already picked out my six albums for this article, I am including it here. They actually sent me two albums, their 2007 High Steppin, and a remix album called Funk Fixes & Remixes. Just quickly on the remix album, it's pretty dancey and fast-paced but on one particular track ("Street Sound" remix by Nikodemus), it was hard for me to listen to on headphones because I started hearing all these "static" sounds which is actually part of the remix. High Steppin sounds to me as heavily influenced by funk, but there are some interesting genres thrown in as well. For instance, "Bonita", the Spanish word for beautiful, has obvious Latin/Spanish acoustics and rhythm. The remixed song for this song has a different take, focusing more on the drums and its chorus: "oh bonita, I wanna love ya like I need-ta". Although "Bonita" would easily qualify as the hand-picked song, I felt that it didn't really represent the band with its influence in Latin sound. However, there are enough hand drums and soulful singing on "H2O", that I thought would fit better. I reckon it's also their stand-out track because it features Cyril Neville (of the Neville Brothers). The remixed song by DJ Smash, again, change the song to something to more of a reggae dub song... an interesting take at the very least. If you're funk fan (or just a massive bass fan), you should give these guys a try. If you're in the New York area, be sure to check them out in December: Nublu w. dj nickodemus (12/04) and Southpaw (12/12). You can pick up High Steppin via iTunes. Physical copies can be gotten at Amazon.	P GUTTA myspace.com/pguttatheantidote P Gutta - Head 2 The Sky P Gutta 2 comments P Gutta's a rap artist from Maryland and based on the street signs in his cover artwork on Failure's Not An Option, maybe he's trying to put MD on the map. The album is pretty much hip/hop and rap with its influence particularly in 80s gangsta rap. The album surprisingly details very personal stories about P Gutta's life: he's a father, his everyday struggle, being the son of a dealer ("Son Of A Hustler") and growing up ("The 80's Made Me"). Some of the songs I did enjoy feature some infectious loops, like on "Failure's Not An Option". The song doesn't really say much in terms of lyrics, at least compared to some of his better lyrics. But that's not what this song is about; it's just an intro song and shout out to his peeps, hyping up the album (basically telling you that this album is for everybody, for the streets). There is an inspiring song on the album; it's the last song, "Head 2 The Sky", which sounds like it's a speech that he's giving to his child: "you got the power to be what wanna be, do what you wanna do, see what you wanna see. Through hard work you should see what you wanna, because there's one thing in life you don't wanna be is a wannabe." Never lose hope and just keep the faith, is the message and it's my song choice. One thing I noticed is that he seems to like to say "pit of the stomach", which is a phrase that's repeated on "Life Is So Strange" and "Failure's Not An Option". I wouldn't bring it up but is that a common phrase? If you enjoy Notorius BIG, I think you'll find P Gutta's your cup of tea. You can currently pick up the album on CD Baby (CD) and Digstation (MP3).
WENDY ST KITTS wendystkitts.com ♥ myspace.com Wendy St. Kitts - Woman Empowered Wendy St. Kitts 1 comment I get the impression after listening to Wendy St. Kitts' debut album, Woman Empowered, and especially on her song of the same title, that this was a post-breakup album or something. The theme is obviously about strength and belief in yourself. After this thought, I was happy to see that St. Kitts confirms this: Woman Empowered is the best way for me to define myself and my music. In writing this album and in sharing my story, I have eased my load. I am FREE! I never thought this was possible. I am smiling, dancing, laughing, living and loving. I did get something wrong though, I thought she sounded more soul singer/songwriter, but didn't even think about her Caribbean influences (which in retrospect seems obvious now).  She's also really inspired by afro beats and reggae (we'll get to that later). The album goes into questioning true love ("So Good (Yeah)", "Should I Love Him or Walk Away") or expensive gifts (in the case of "Treasure"), and complete devotion (on the reggae-inspired "Water" song). Not to sound chauvinistic, but I hope she finds someone soon! If you enjoy R&B with a keyboard and soulful singing, Wendy St. Kitts definitely has that voice that will fill the void. She is playing a few dates in the New York area: The Bitter End (12/27) and Sullivan Hall (01/24). You can pick up the CD or MP3 via amazon.	KURUPT & ROSCOE youngotti.com ♥ myspace.com ♥ myspace/yaroscoe Kurupt & Roscoe - Game Been Missin Kurupt & Roscoe Of all the hip hop CDs, this one from Kurupt is the most famous, because of his history with The Dogg Pound and Death Row Records. Death Row, if you don't know, is responsible for some of the biggest, baddest rappers from West Coast such as Dr. Dre, 2Pac, and Snoop Doggy Dogg. Incidentally, Suge Knight is one scary MF. Although Tha Dogg Pound was not one of the premier Death Row artists, just being associated with such superstars of rap has some weight carried with its two members (Kurupt and Daz Dillinger). They went on to release a combination of over 20 albums between the two of them since 1998. With all that history on Kurupt's rap sheet, I was expecting this album, Frank and Jess Story, to be aggressive hardcore gangsta stuff but it's pretty accessible, as far as I'm concerned. The album was cut with the help of his brother Roscoe, who's previously collaborated with his brother on their debut album, Dogg Food. The usual theme applies here, as expected: they like the girls ("I Like Dem Girls" which sounds like an excerpt to a much longer woman-loving song, and "Lap Dance"), gangsta ("Game Been Missin"), name-dropping ("Bustin"), and, of course, self-loving ("Hate on Me"). The best song on the album is "Game Been Missin'", which features a very catchy chorus of: "this right here has been what the world's been missin'/this right here is why you're girl's been missin'". Frank and Jess Story was released on November 11th on Koch Records and can be found at most good record stores.
ANJULIE myspace.com/anjulie Anjulie - Boom Anjulie Based on her three tracks on the release of The Boom EP (digitally released via iTunes exclusively on November 11th), I have to say that you should keep an eye on Anjulie (Toronoto raised, currently based in Montreal)! She will be debuting her album on Starbuck's Hear Music label in 2009. I would have to add that she's borderline on Pop music as well. It's not a bad thing, it reminds me of sixties girl pop music (especially on "Day Will Soon Come"). The EP features two songs co-written by her producer/collaborator Jon Levine, who was apparently famous for being in The Philosopher Kings. The Anjulie-written song, "Love Song" basically a love song in a fleeting three-minute pop song. The main song and single, "Boom", is really good. Easy, relaxing, and for some odd reason, it really reminds me of that 80s song that goes "boom boom boom let's go back to my room". I do think she's good and if they send me her debut album, I am looking forward to covering it. Unfortunately, she might be missed in a sea of similiar-sounding women artists like Adele, Nelly Furtado, and Lily Allen.	RHODA rhodankojo.com ♥ myspace.com/rhodankojo Rhoda - Nothing Really Matters Rhoda 4 comments I had a bit of trouble finding Rhoda's website and Myspace, which goes to show you that you need a brand association or unique name.... I don't know why she didn't just keep using her full name (Rhoda Nkojo). Her self-titled album was released last year (although it is only recently available digitally via iTunes). I believe this is her sophomore album. The album has a very contemporary pop/R&B feel to it with some very good mixing and arrangements. In some cases, strings and violins were used to give the album a bit of class. The songs that used this really stood out for me ("Consequences" and "Rememeber You"). My favorite song on the album is the very poppy "Nothing Really Matters", which seems to have a eudodisco beat! I just love how the lyrics keep flowing on and on. At one point, I swear she is channeling Whitney Houston. Rhoda is making some appearances in 2008 at The Bitter End in New York (12/05) and Bally’s Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey (12/31). You can pick up the self-titled album at CD Baby, iTunes or Digstation.

Links: www.weheartmusic.com podcast.weheartmusic.com news.weheartmusic.com

 10/21/2008 09:31:34  ♥ written by vu ()

Matisyahu - Smash Lies Matisyahu Tour Dates 10.22.08 - Egyptian Room at Murat Center - Indianapolis, IN 10.23.08 - The Fillmore Detroit - Detroit, MI 10.25.08 - Mr. Smalls Theatre - Millvale, PA 10.26.08 - Magic City Music Hall - Johnson City, NY 10.28.08 - Lupo’s Heartbreak Hotel - Providence, RI 10.29.08 - Orpheum Theatre - Boston, MA 10.30.08 - Electric Factory - Philadelphia, PA 11.01.08 - Ram’s Head Live - Baltimore, MD 11.02.08 - Wellmont Theatre - Montclair, NJ 11.03.08 - Sixth and I Historic Synagogue - Washington, D.C. 11.04.08 - Virginia Tech University—Burruss Hall - Blacksburg, VA 11.06.08 - Norva Theater - Norfolk, VA 11.08.08 - Variety Playhouse - Atlanta, GA 11.09.08 - House of Blues - New Orleans, LA 11.10.08 - House of Blues - Houston, TX 11.11.08 - Stubb’s Waller Creek Amphitheatre - Austin, TX 11.13.08 - Palladium Ballroom - Dallas, TX 11.15.08 - Marquee Theatre - Tempe, AZ 11.17.08 - House of Blues - San Diego, CA 11.18.08 - Club Nokia - Los Angeles, CA 11.19.08 - Bell Memorial Union Auditorium - Chico, CA 11.20.08 - Grove of Anaheim - Anaheim, CA 11.22.08 - House of Blues - Las Vegas, NV 11.23.08 - Warfield Theatre - San Francisco, CA 11.24.08 - The Catalyst - Santa Cruz, CA 11.26.08 - Harry O’s - Park City, UT 11.29.08 - Ogden Theatre - Denver, CO 11.30.08 - Fox Theatre - Boulder, CO 12.06.08 - Headliners Music Hall - Louisville, KY 12.07.08 - Cannery - Nashville, TN 12.09.08 - Blue Note - Columbia, MO 12.11.08 - Bogart’s - Cincinnati, OH 12.14.08 - House of Blues - Cleveland, OH 12.16.08 - Phoenix Concert Theatre - Toronto, ON 12.17.08 – Metropolis - Montreal, QC 12.18.08 - Higher Ground - Burlington, VT Read More Jewish Artists http://weheartmus... Jewish hip-hop? Is that even possible? Of course it is, silly rabbit! I mean, I downloaded an ent...

Matisyahu - Youth

2 comments

Matisyahu is a Jewish musician with Reggae and hip hop influences.  He first blew up a few years ago with his break through album, Youth. His presence is striking with his traditional Hasidic Jewish clothing and I think he's really tall with his massive beard.

His Shattered EP comes out today to coincide with the new tour dates.

Listening to the EP, his music is still very much inspired by his religion with more influences from dub/reggae music (especially on "I Will Be Light"). The only song that uses a few Hebrew lyrics is on "Two Child One Drop", which made for a stand-out track for me.

However, a departure (of sorts) comes in the lead song, "Smash Lies" - which uses a bit of a techno/dance element! This is kind of interesting since I have never pictured Matisyahu to take this route. Speaking of route, "So Hi So Lo" seems to be searching for a direction (faith?).

Matisyahu - King Without A Crown

His live shows are pretty amazing, based on what I've read, seen on youtube, and heard on his album, Live At Stubb's. He's got a ton of fans and it's obvious that they are very interested in having you attend a live show as if you've attended the show, they give you a bonus audio from Light and a free audio download of a Matisyahu concert of your choice. I'm not entirely sure how that will work; like do they give you a paper or something? Maybe someone can tell me.

Shattered is out now on Epic Records.

Links: matismusic.com myspace.com/matisyahu 

 07/01/2008 16:39:24  ♥ written by vu ()

Deee Lite - Groove is in the Heart (remix version) Deee Lite 1 comment Selective Discography [2005] 12" / 80's [2005] 12"/80s Vol.2 [2007] 12" 80s Pop [2007] 12" 80s Grooves [2008] 12" 80s Love [2008] 12" 90s Mix Read More 90s http://weheartmus... Play.com are currently running a Best Of The 90s sale with albums and best-ofs from some of the b...

I was pretty thrilled when I received Connected: 90's 12" Mix to review, as I was already well familiar with all the songs and artists on the two promo discs. In fact, I had the review written weeks ago, but waited until it got closer to the release date of July 7^th to post the review. I'm glad I waited because by the last hour, they decided to upped the anti and added a third disc and changing the cover artwork (and not to mention that they reshuffled the track listing).  As you can see with the links to artists we've previously covered on W♥M, that we really like the first disc.

New Order - World in Motion

One of the major differences I've noticed right away was that they had replaced Electronic's "Getting Away With It" with New Order's "World in Motion", which is fine as they are more or less Bernard Sumner. If there were other artists and songs that were dropped, it's probably due to licensing issues.

I have to say that I did agree that "World in Motion" is better fitted for this compilation, because this song is so closely associated with the 1990 World Cup. It just feels good to hear the competitive "it's one on one", a song that's sure to be played at every World Cup.... although whenever I hear that rap from Jamaican-born football player John Barnes, it just drowns the songs in late 80s/early 90s.

In 80s and going to the 90s, the three major releases for singles were: 7", 12" and cassingle. The 90s introduced us to the CD single (and eventually the double CD singles, parts one and two), but this compilation collects all the 12" mixes. Usually the 12" mix were special because they're often exclusive to the 12" and were catered to underground DJs who needed them in this format to scratch and live mix.

Even if you know all these songs from hearing them on the radio, these dance remixes always adds something new to something already familiar.

These tracks demonstrate England's evolution of dance music. You see, in the early 90s, there was a breaking point in the music timeline. One group became what you might know as Britpop, while the other group focused more on dance (raves and techno). You hear the second group's diverse music on these tracks.

Stereo MCs - Connected (12')

3 comments

From early Madchester (Stone Roses, Happy Mondays) to funk (Deee Lite) to house (M People, Nuyorican Soul) to big stadium dance rock (U2, Primal Scream) to even trip hop (Tricky, Massive Attack, Portishead), it's all here: all the big hits!

There are a few outstanding tracks from the two discs: the remix of Deee Lite's funky "Groove Is In The Heart", the Bottom Won Mix of Stone Roses's amazing baseline of a dance classic "Fool's Gold", Stereo MCs' "Connected" (of course!), Snap's extended mix of "Rhythm is a Dance", and Soup Dragons' trippy "I'm Free" the 12" mix.

Beats International - Dub Be Good to Me

The new tracks that were added to the album, included two that I already know and love: Moloko's "Fun for Me" and Beats International's "Dub Be Good to Me". Since I've already mentioned Moloko's song in a previous article, I should tell you about Beats International.

The guy behind Beats International is really Norman Cook - aka Fatboy Slim. As you can hear from his remix of "Be Good to Me", he really knows how to manipulate the song. Check out that bass and the mixing of a DJ introducing the song "Tank fly boss walk jam nitty gritty, you're listening to the boy from the big bad city. This is jam hot" and also the outro.

House Of Pain - Jump Around

There is one song that kind of bothered me, not that it isn't good (because I love "Jump Around"), but because it seems to me that House of Pain shouldn't belong here. You see, looking at all these artists, they all seem to be based in the UK and they're mostly dance, and House of Pain is from the US and leans towards rap. If you listen to this album, this song should definitely "jump" out at you.

Overall, this was a very enjoyable collection that made me a feel a little nostalgic of yesteryear.

Below are the final track listing.

Connected: 90's 12" Mix will be released July 7^th in the UK by Universal Records. Fans of 90s dance music will want to check this out.

Links: www.umtv.co.uk

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

Alltruisms - A Lightyear Away

Alltruisms

2 comments

Rappers are like clusterbombs, some drop and explode on contact, while others fall and lay in wait for unsuspecting hands and ears to come along and find them. This is the concept behind Alltruisms' debut album Clusterbombs. An intriguing combination of politically charged lyrics, unique beats (courtesy of a slew of guest producers), and good old fashioned backpack rap, Clusterbombs is proof that true hip hop is far from dead. Striking a perfect balance of political awareness, self deprecating humor, and lyrics about things we can all relate to like car trouble, girl problems, and having trouble finding a job.

Alltruisms rhymes with a style that is reminiscent of other underground hip hop heavyweights such as Atmosphere, Sage Francis, and Brother Ali. With guests appearances provided by several other Gravel Records artists Clusterbombs is a strong debut album that showcases the talents of a number of up and coming Chicago artists.

As far as debut albums go this one shows that Alltruisms will have no trouble reaching a wider audience of hip hop fans and should continue to be a lyrical force to be reckoned with. Clusterbombs is in stores July 1^st and if you pre order a copy from Gravel Records it comes with a cd of the album's instrumental tracks.

Alltruisms has found a rare balance between hard hitting political commentary and everyday subjects everyone can relate to, from inner city backpackers to suburban rich kids, Alltruisms appeals to a broad range of hip hop fans and should have no trouble finding fans all over the country. Although his MySpace doesn't have any tour dates currently listed I wouldn't be surprised if alltruisms hits the road before the end of '08. Until then be sure to stay tuned to W♥M for more reviews and other musical goodies.

Links: myspace.com/alltrubombs gravelhiphop.com myspace.com/gravelrecords

 05/11/2008 01:48:18  ♥ written by vu ()

Bacon Shoe - Cheesedick Bacon Shoe Sounds Like MC Frontalot http://weheartmus... Finally, at around the same time, MC Frontalot emerged on the scene, and actually gave the genre ...

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

Tour Dates 04/30/08 CLEVELAND CD Release, OH 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 Discography [2007] DJ Handler Presents the Mixtape and Remixes: Y-Love [2007] Y-Love and Yuri Lane: Count it. Sefira [2008] This is Babylon See Also Matisyahu http://weheartmus... Matisyahu (born Matthew Paul Miller, June 30, 1979) is an American reggae musician. Known for bl...

Y-Love - Bump

Y-Love

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