All posts by Kevin

hip-hop

Parental Discretion Iz Advised

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This has to be one of the most genius interpretations of edited audio I’ve ever come across. A friend sent me this link, which contains mp3s of N.WA.’s classic Straight Outta Compton edited down to just the explicit portions of each song. I might say this person had too much time on his or her hands if I didn’t enjoy it so much.

From a shock-value standpoint alone, Straight Outta Compton stands as a watershed album. It scared parents of suburban white kids everywhere. (I think my mom was more concerned with Public Enemy’s By the Time I Get to Arizona, fearful that Chuck D., Flavor Flav, Termniator X and the Security of the First World might actually raid our home state.)

But on top of that, N.W.A. pretty much set the course for so-called gangsta rap, and it seemed swearing on record was part and parcel of wearing that crown. But I was surprised to learn that five of the 13 songs on Straight Outta Compton are clean, including Express Yourself, whose title seems to contradict its curse-less verses.

No surprise on the explicit-content edits that Fuck Tha Police is 42 seconds, longest of any of the songs, with a 12.1 percent “ECR” (or explicit content ratio).

Click here for all the tracks. Just for fun, N.W.A.’s Express Yourself video:

general, hip-hop

G. Love w/Blackalicious “Banger”

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I have to be honest here: I haven’t listened to G. Love since that self-titled debut G. Love and Special Sauce. Come on, don’t act like Cold Beverage wasn’t the jam. Because it was. You’ll feel a lot better about life once you just admit that. We’re all friends here.

Well, G. Love just dropped a new album, Lemonade, on Aug. 1 (yeah, I didn’t know either) on Brushfire Records, which is somehow affiliated with Jack Johnson. But relax, cool indie hipster kids, and hear me out: This track, Banger, has the indisputable champs, Blackalicious, on it. The new album also has a guest spot from Ben Harper. Cheap sales ploy? Maybe, but, really, who hasn’t done it? Besides, anyone down with Blackalicious is cool by me. I’m not here to be the indie police.

Banger brings the funk – wah-wah-style keys and bluesy harmonica over a taut beat. It’s not really fair to compare G. Love’s raps to Gift of Gab because Gift of Gab can blow anyone away, much less a blues-lovin’ white kid from Philadelphia.

G. Love feat. Blackalicious | Banger

arizona

In Tempe tonight: Scottie-Stock III

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The local Phoenix/Tempe music community is pulling together tonight for a benefit show at the Marquee Theatre for Mark Covert, who owned Nita’s Hideaway, which used to be the best club for live music in the Valley.

Covert is in need of a liver transplant, and a Phoenix New Times story details his battle. As the story points out, his reputation is held in high regard as evidenced by tonight’s lineup: Jimmy Eat World, Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers, Less Pain Forever vs. Peachcake, Dead Hot Workshop, Gloritone and the Minibosses, among others.

The number of amazing shows I saw at Nita’s Hideaway (especially at its old, original location) blows my mind when I stop to think about it: Built to Spill, Jimmy Eat World, Neko Case, No Knife, DJ Swamp, who absolutely wrecked the turntables and cracked a record, half of which I caught (and still have). That’s not to mention the weekly visits I paid to the Bombshelter DJs (Z-Trip, Radar and Emile).

I was introduced to bands (and lots of alcohol) at Nita’s. It was a cozy club, tucked in Tempe’s industrial area, next to an adult bookstore. There were shows inside and biggers ones outside: I can remember being a bit tipsy, requesting (loudly) over and over for Built to Spill to play The Plan much to the chagrin of my then-girlfriend (and now wife) Annie. I also remember thinking I’d go see Calexico there once without purchasing tickets in advance. Big mistake: I couldn’t find parking and got so frustrated I drove back home.

Anyone who’s played music in Phoenix/Tempe in the past 10 years probably owes some sort of debt of gratitude to Covert and Nita’s, which eventually moved to a new location before closing a few years back.

The full lineup is available here, and you can buy tickets (or make donations) here. Click here for the Donate Life Web site.

A few mp3s to encourage attendance:

Jimmy Eat World | Lucky Denver Mint (live)
Gloritone | Die to Make a Dent
Peachcake | Hundreds and Hundreds of Thousands

general, vinyl

Jonah Matranga/Frank Turner split 12″

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Jonah Matranga has worn many hats in his musical career: He’s the former frontman for groups Far, Gratitude and New End Original, and he’s also recorded solo under the moniker Onelinedrawing. I own just about everything he’s done (Far’s Water and Solutions probably cracks an all-time top 20), including his latest CD/DVD compilation There’s A Lot In Here.

Matranga finds creative and surprising ways to reinvent himself, so I shouldn’t be surprised by his newest project: a split 12″ with Frank Turner (formerly of Million Dead), a transatlantic collaboration with each artist covering two songs. Matranga takes on U.K. writers: Billy Bragg’s great A New England and Babybird’s All I Want; Frank Turner, of the U.K., returns the favor with renditions of the Lemonheads’ The Outdoor Type and the American standard You Are My Sunshine.

The timing of this is particularly eerie because I just found Bragg’s Life’s a Riot With Spy vs. Spy, which includes A New England, on vinyl about a week ago. Anyway, Matranga’s rendition, with his soft voice (sans English accent, of course), is a little slower and more delicate than its original. He also takes a little poetic license with the translation: “I love the words you wrote to me, but that was bloody yesterday” becomes “I love the words you wrote to me, but that was fucking yesterday.” All in all, a gracious cover of an artist deserving of the attention.

Pick up the 12″ at Welcome Home Records.

Jonah Matranga | A New England (Billy Bragg cover)

Related:
Lupe Fiasco/Jonah Matranga “Never Lies”
Jonah Matranga live CD/DVD “There’s a Lot In Here”
(w/comment from Jonah himself)
Billy Bragg on KEXP from SXSW

video

Baby Dayliner “Silent Places” video

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You know, Baby Dayliner’s Critics Pass Away (Brassland) is one of my favorite albums of the year. It’s not like anything you’ll hear this year, and maybe next. A friend at Brassland tells me Baby Dayliner, who has a loyal following in New York, will be heading out on dates with Mobius Band, including opening spots for the National’s West Coast swing.

Check out the video for Silent Places, directed by Daniel Bloomberg. And peep the cameo by Adrian Grenier of Entourage fame (or is that of Drive Me Crazy fame?).

Related:
10 questions with Baby Dayliner.
Pics from Baby Dayliner opening for the National.

live

Quickie Pitchfork Festival recap

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By now, you’ve already seen photos/words from lots of other bloggers on the festival. Annie and I stayed an extra day to spend time with my uncle and take in the Diamondbacks-Cubs game on Monday night at Wrigley Field. Bad news: Cubs lost 15-4. Good news: I caught a foul ball – first one ever! (Top of the third inning, hit by D-Backs catcher Johnny Estrada; ball bounces from the next section right into my hands. By far, coolest moment I’ve had at a baseball game.)

As for the Pitchfork Festival, we had a great time, save for sweating from places I never thought possible. Oh, how good it is to be back in the dry heat of Arizona. The festival was an overload on the senses, including the hipster fashion trends. Eric already touched on the most bizarre trend: the track-star look with oh-so-short shorts. Why? Why, indie hipsters?!?! I like my baggy Old Navy shorts just fine, thank you. Also, if you are going to shed your shirt and force us to look at your ribs, please, for the love of God, drink a milkshake. Being 86 pounds isn’t cool.

Now, there were a few sets I wanted to make sure I’d get close for: Band of Horses, the National, Spank Rock and Tapes n Tapes. In other words, my best (only) pics pretty much came from those bands. I lost the energy and will to fight the crowds to move through the masses.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t comment on the most uncomfortable moment of group/fan interaction: Def Jux rapper Cage, a former drug user who was physically abused by his stepfather, asks who’s ever been abused by their parents, and literally one hand goes up. Cue awkward silence. I applaud Pitchfork for including hip-hop acts (including Aesop Rock/Mr. Lif), but that moment seemed to illustrate the divide separating hip-hop from indie rock.

Band of Horses
Once again, Ben Bridwell proves to be one of the most amiable frontmen around. He’s at ease talking with the audience and, in my third time seeing them this year, his voice held up just as well as it did the first time I saw them in a smaller club. Nice touch by the drummer to wear a Chicago Bears shirt.




Spank Rock
Let me just say that Spank Rock’s set was the jam. They were passing out beers to the crowd and pouring vodka into peoples’ mouths. By the time it was over, they invited as many people that would fit onto the stage for a little dancing while Spank took to sitting on speakers. It was like the best house party you ever went to; any band was going to have a hard time living up to that set.





Tapes ‘n Tapes
After I saw Tapes in Tucson about a month ago, I said I thought they would benefit from a second guitarist. I’m starting to rethink that after Sunday’s set. They were loud, driven and inspired to kick off the second day.



The National
The National played a set heavy on tracks off Alligator (which is fine by me) along with two new songs: Mistaken for Strangers and Start a War, which is either a protest song (my theory) or a track about a torn relationship (my wife’s theory). The chorus, if I heard correctly: “You’re gonna walk away and start a war.” The good news is, my well-placed sources (laugh here) tell me that the band is in the studio prepping songs for a new album. Also, check out new West Coast tour dates, which means I have to travel to LA again to see them. Viola player Padma Newsome (of Clogs) was a fantastic addition to the National’s live sound.





general

My kind of town

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In about five hours, we’re supposed to be at the airport to head off to Chicago for this festival and to hang out with all sorts of peeps: Gorilla vs. Bear, Marathonpacks, My Old Kentucky Blog, Indie Interviews, Muzzle of Bees and a host of other blogger types that I’m sure I’m forgetting.

Thursday night, we might even be seeing the Cloud Room and Muse at the Avalon. Friday, we’re gonna try to scalp tickets to the Cardinals-Cubs (wish us luck), then later that night is the pre-festival show with Sunset Rubdown, the Joggers and Voxtrot at the Metro.

Saturday and Sunday is the festival, and then Annie and I are spending a couple extra days to see some of my family, friends and another Cubs game (vs. Diamondbacks on Monday).

I’m probably bringing the laptop, though I’m counting on Royce to keep the place warm while we’re away.

Here’s a some recent posts on a few of the bands playing the festival:

The Walkmen cover Mazarin
Mr. Lif live on KEXP
Spank Rock Sweet Talk w/remixes
Band of Horses live on KEXP

hip-hop

Stream new Method Man: “Say”

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I’d be lying if I said I’ve really kept up with the doings of the Wu-Tang Clan (and all its various members and projects) after 1997’s Wu-Tang Forever (Reunited was the jam, y’all).

Obviously, Ghostface’s popularity has soared, although GZA was always my favorite of the Clan. But I wouldn’t put anything past Method Man, whose solo debut Tical was a down-and-dirty classic – definitely one of the best Wu-affiliated releases.

Meth (perhaps done with the Speed Stick commercials?) is back with 4:21 … The Day After, a title, not surprisingly, related to marijuana: “The national weed smoking day is 4/20, so I named my album 4/21 the day after. Because after that day, you have this moment of clarity when you’re not high and you see things clearly,” Meth says in a press release mass-mailed to hundreds of bloggers.

On the first single, featuring a chorus hook by Lauryn Hill and production by the great Erick Sermon (ex-EPMD), Meth calls out – who else? – haters and critics over a pretty smooth strumming guitar loop.

Method Man (feat. Lauryn Hill) | Say
Windows Media Hi | Real Audio

Related:
Get your Wu name! (Mine is Gorky`s Zygotic Glove Puppet)
Wu-Tang at Celebrity Theatre in Phoenix, Aug. 3. (Tix are $42. Yikes.)

Elsewhere, the Aquarium Drunkard has returned safely to LA after his cross-country driving tour with his wife. And he’s back with a bang: An interview with Alejandro Escovedo.On a similar note, Muzzle of Bees has a new Richard Buckner track for his album, Meadow, due out Sept. 12 on Merge Records. Two great posts about two of my favorite artists. Thanks, guys.

hip-hop

MySpace as a musical muse

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Not only is MySpace the favored site of online predators everywhere, it apparently is inspiring hip-hop artists to put the pen to the pad. No, the revolution won’t be televised. It will be sent through a MySpace bulletin. (And if you don’t know who the guy in the picture is, you obviously haven’t wasted as much time as you should on MySpace.)

I don’t know whether to laugh or cry at this phenomenon – yes, two songs (that I know of, anyway) about MySpace counts as a phenomenon. Now, I’ll be really impressed when someone writes a song about the soap operas on Craigslist’s “missed connections.”

In Add Me, Portland, Ore.-based emcee Pete Miser begs to get in with the popular scantily clad girls with “cell phone photos of their butt and breasteses.” It’s like we’re seeing MySpace as a reflection of the high school caste system: “Add me, please, can I be your friend / I promise I won’t stalk you again.”

Gym Class Heroes spin their version more like a modern romance on New Friend Request, off the just-released As Cruel As School Children: “Who cares if we don’t know each other’s last name / all I know is that I’m smitten with your pictures wishin’ you would feel the same.”

Pete Miser | Add Me
Gym Class Heroes | New Friend Request

Of course: Pete Miser on MySpace; Gym Class Heroes on MySpace. Online predators (and anyone else) can find me on MySpace here.

Related:
Pete Miser (w/four mp3s)
Pete Miser Scent of a Robot video

general

Buddy Holly: “Everyday”

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Over the weekend, I picked up one of those cheesy (though very convenient) “20th Century Masters” compilations for Buddy Holly. I’d been wanting to dive into Holly’s catalog, and this seemed like as good a place as any.

As amazing and intricate as some of our current music is, I had an urge to scale back. Not one song on this collection reaches the three-minute mark; True Love Ways at 2:51 is the longest. That seems like an amazing feat, considering the lasting power of Holly’s songs through the years. Less sometimes is more, eh?

Anyway, I’d always been interested in Holly because my dad had (which I now possess) an old Wurlitzer jukebox with at least one Holly 45 in there: Peggy Sue b/w Everyday. To me as a kid, Holly just seemed like one of those artists you pass off as an “oldie”; something only your parents would ever listen to, right?

But then in 2000, I took a job as a sportswriter in Lubbock, Texas, birthplace of Holly. Then I find out that I share the same birthday (Sept. 7) as Buddy. Just coincidences, yes, but enough to stir my interest. I visited the Buddy Holly Center a couple of times, and now regret never bringing a camera or fully absorbing the artifacts in there – lyric books, Lubbock High yearbooks, guitars. It also had on display his eyeglasses recovered from that fatal plane crash, which sort of creeped me out.

Not surprisingly, Lubbock, the “Hub City,” a somewhat barren and isolated locale, takes great pride in being Holly’s birthplace. There’s Buddy Holly Avenue, a Buddy Holly Recreation Area, a Buddy Holly statue (above) and so on. The Lubbock Avalanche-Journal (my onetime employer) has a site dedicated to archived stories about Holly, including a birth announcement mistakenly identifying Buddy as a girl. Oops.

Anyway, I don’t mean for this to be some all-encompassing history or biography. But I imagine many of you won’t ever make to Lubbock, which is just as well (though I will say that the city gets a bit of a bad rap). If anything, Lubbock has produced some great country musicians: Jimmie Dale Gilmore and the Maines Brothers among others. (That’s to speak nothing of one of my favorite albums, Richard Buckner’s Bloomed, being recorded there, with help from Lloyd Maines.)

My guess is the desolation and spartan landscape of Lubbock lends itself to mournful country music. So I’m always surprised when I listen to Holly and the bright guitars and inventive (for its time) instrumentation of his songs.

On Everyday, drummer Jerry Allison produces the procussion line by slapping his knee, and producer Norman Petty’s wife, Vi, played something called a celesta for the chimes effect.

Buddy Holly | Everyday