The Whigs stopped by Jimmy Kimmel’s show this week to perform not one but two songs — Already Young and Like a Vibration, a video for which was recently released.
I really love singer Parker Gispert’s one-legged antics, like he’s playing a game of Simon Says.
I’d normally reserve this for a Sundays with A Tribe Called Quest post, but this really can’t wait. iMeem is offering up a preview of Q-Tip’s album, The Renaissance, which I’ve been enjoying quite a bit the past few days. It comes out Nov. 4 (coincidence?). So pick that up right after you vote (preferably for Barack Obama).
Favorites so far: Won’t Trade (produced by Mark Ronson), Life is Better (feat. Norah Jones … I know, I know), You and Move (produced by J Dilla).
Surely, you’re as obsessed with MTV’s new video site as I am. It’s got everything MTV used to … you know, videos and stuff.
Anyway, as I was wasting time on it, I got to thinking about Quicksand because of Rival Schools’ reunion. I like Rival Schools quite a bit, but Quicksand still rates as my favorite Walter Schreifels project.
Here’s a video for Dine Alone, off the fantastic Slip.
The 38th installment of I Used to Love H.E.R., a series in which artists/bloggers/writers discuss their most essential or favorite hip-hop albums and songs, comes from Belief, who in 2006 dropped his great debut Dedication (featuring the likes of Murs and C-Rayz Walz and previously discussed here). Belief’s newest project is a 40-minute mixtape, Let It Breathe, available as a free download at his MySpace page.
In talking about his mix, Belief said he was “hoping to create a combination of the formats of Dilla’s Donuts and Girl Talk’s Night Ripper.”
“As an artist who had been limited by sample clearance issues, I needed to find an outlet for all this sampled music I’ve created that feels very meaningful but has been left to get dusty in my hard drive over the years due to not being able to find the right artist to write the right song, or labels not being willing to release sampled music.”
In his entry, Belief sheds some light on an overlooked Los Angeles gem by Freestyle Fellowship, a group that gave us, among others, Aceyalone.
Freestyle Fellowship
Innercity Griots (4th & B’Way/Island, 1993)
This album represents the L.A. underground renaissance that I am a product of. The album came out during a time when people in that scene only respected innovativeness. Fellowship were the clear leaders of that movement. The beats were not 100% incredible on every song, but the ones that were are still some of my favorite beats ever. It took me a year or so to totally get into it, but eventually I realized it was somewhat of a Bible for me and other L.A. kids that were into underground hip-hop at the time.
They had a combination of street consciousness, artistic relevance and really pushed the envelope. This is what hip-hop music is all about to me, and especially West Coast hip-hop. It was a four-man group but they all were great and important to the sound. The production on Six Tray is so hard. P.E.A.C.E’s verses are chilling. Shammy’s is the ultimate booty anthem of all time and still gets love by L.A. DJ’s in the know. Mary is the ultimate weed classic. Bullies of the Block was too hard. DJ Kiilu’s little sister gave me the cassette when we went to Palm’s Jr. High together but I didn’t really understand its relevance until I went to high school and joined a crew called Suns of Kneeshak with some Living Legends members and our homegirl Faith. They are the ones who really put me on to it. Eventually I started hitting up the Good Life Café with them and to this day I’ve never seen a hip-hop movement so alive and innovative. Its what got me inspired to start making music.
Eventually I moved to NY and pretty much 100% across the board that album got dissed for being too out there. People preferred their hip-hop to be more meat and potatoes, simpler and more grounded. I would come home on breaks from school and our older homies who only listened to East Coast shit or Dr. Dre were finally coming around, 4 or 5 years later. I still take a listen to this album every once in a while for inspiration.
For no other reason than my pure joy at recently finding the No Knife/Nine Days Wonder split EP on vinyl, I give you the video for The Red Bedroom, a slightly slower version of which is on the EP. This version is from the fantastic album Riot for Romance!, No Knife’s 2002 swan song.
Thanks to Spine Magazine for the heads up on this: Q-Tip reveals information during a Hot 97 interview about Nas-produced documentary on A Tribe Called Quest.
Actor Michael Rappaport, who recently on the VH1 Hip-Hop Honors said he named his son Maceo after Maseo from De La Soul, also is involved on the production/directing end. (Thinking about naming my first son Q-Tip … Q-Tip Murphy. I like it.)
Pining for the old days of Jurassic 5? Before they broke up? Before they collaborated with Dave Matthews? You’re in luck.
The group is reissuing its seminal debut EP in deluxe version on Decon on Nov. 11.
From a Decon press release:
“Due to contractual disputes, this masterpiece has been out of print since 2004. Now on the heels of the 11th anniversary of its release, Jurassic 5 has decided to re-issue a limited edition of this album with a bonus CD that features 15 exclusive, rare songs and for the first time ever, a full length DVD that chronicles the moment Jurassic 5 broke through, as well as performance footage from their first world tour.”
One of my favorite music/concert-going memories was seeing Jurassic 5 at the old Nile Theater in Mesa and then the next night seeing Cut Chemist, Nu-Mark, Radar and Z-Trip – the vaunted 4-by-8! – perform together in Tempe in a laid-back, secret-ish gathering.
I also was fortunate enough to snag the EP on vinyl at Amoeba Records, one of my greater vinyl finds.
Here’s Unified Rebelution, a track that will be included on the second disc of the reissue and allegedly brought the group together after their two separate crews performed it live in 1993.
I never properly recapped last month’s San Diego Street Scene, though it would be easy to sum up briefly the highlights (the National, Del, Vampire Weekend), disappointments (GZA … half-hour late) and WTFs (DEVO … really?).
One of the great surprises had to be the Whigs, who had the misfortune of playing at 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, the opening time slot. No matter. We took advantage of the late-arriving crowd and got close for their set – a move that made me think, hey, earplugs might just be a good idea the next time I decide to do this.
Yes, the Whigs are loud. Not overbearing loud. But powerful loud. You-can-feel-your-stomach-shaking-afterward loud. (Also, it’s the kind of loud that blasts to hell your digital camera playback sound if you tried to take a little video of the show … but nevermind that.) It’s all the more impressive that it comes from a trio, without the added benefit of a second guitar.
Check out the video for Like a Vibration, the leadoff track on the well-received Mission Control. (Still, this remains my favorite Mission Control.)
If there’s one album I haven’t given the full attention it most likely deserves, it has to be Calexico’s Carried to Dust. I’ve really only listened in parts or used it as companion music while I work.
Mostly, I’ve been waiting to get it on vinyl (Stinkweeds was sold out when I went for it, which is great news for the band).
The band – well, frontman Joey Burns, anyway – stopped in for a session at LiveDaily and played three songs off the new album, including Writer’s Minor Holiday, which has stood out as an early favorite.
On the heels of Q-Tip’s new video comes even better news: Q-Tip and the Cool Kids are coming to Marquee Theatre on Nov. 17 as part of the 2K Sports Bounce Tour.
Tickets ($27 advance; $30 day of show) are on sale here.
That’ll give everyone here a good 13 days to soak up Q-Tip’s new album, The Renaissance, due out Nov. 4.
Here’s the video for Gettin’ Up:
As for the Cool Kids, you can grab a free download of Delivery Man on Green Label Sound — where music meets Mountain Dew (does this make the Dew-sponsored Dale Earnhardt Jr. a fan of the Cool Kids?).
Here is the video for the same song: