Just another Ski Beatz track is straight fire. From the forthcoming 24 Hour Karate School, it’s Cream Of The Planet featuring the mighty Mos Def. What more needs to be said but this is the type of beat that fits Mos like a glove. A simple beat, some jazz samples and let Mos get to work and work is exactly what he does here. This sounds better than anything he did on The Ecstatic and it bodes well for 24 Hour Karate School. Needless to say, that record is a must-own for any die-hard hip hop fan. Recommended.
It’s been tough being a Lauryn Hill in the last decade or so since The Miseducation… came out and completely rewrote the script and became the template for neo-soul. Universally applauded and sold by the boatloads, Lauryn Hill cemented her place as an artist on the rise, destined for greatness but then something happened. She fell off the face of the earth. If you believe the rumours that piled up, becoming a virtual maelstrom of misinformation and half-truths, the girl went crazy. Hey, maybe she simply felt the pressure was too much to bear and simply decided to take a powder, take a step back, focus on becoming a mother and wife while living happily ever after. It’ s certainly not out of the realm of possibility but that doesn’t necessarily make great copy, I know. Time marched on and slowly but surely new artists took the abandoned baton laying limp on the ground and ran as far as they could with it but the zeitgeist had passed. None could capture the imagination and ears of people across what seemed like every demographic and target market, music elitist or casual listener quite like Lauryn did. I know someone very well is going to comment and refute my statement by mentioning Alicia Keys. Please don’t. She’s simply not Lauryn.
The welcome but ultimately unsatisfying MTV Unplugged 2.0 released in 2002 aside, it’s been a long wait for those of us who still had faith in her talent and hoped that the creative fire would bring her back to the world again. Sure there was the ill-fated Fugees reunion that never happened (and probably just as well), the sporadic live appearances, the random public outbursts but what we wanted was some new Lauryn Hill tunes. It looks like we may just be getting our wish.
Presenting Repercussions, a new Hill track that’s making its way to the nets like wildfire. A simple boom-bap and immediately we’re brought back to Lauryn’s dulcet tones and it’s like she never left us. Smooth and hypnotic, you’ll be swaying your head, snapping your fingers with your hands held high in the air within seconds. Some may call this track “safe” and doesn’t show any real evolution in Lauryn’s sound. Allow me to be one of those who will gladly state for the record that there is plenty of time for her to branch off later but for right now, I’m vibin’. Lauryn Hill’s back and the music world is truly all the better for it.
As a dance music junkie, it brings a smile to my face to see that in 2010, a bunch of esteemed veterans have been releasing quality records or are about to make long-awaited comebacks that promise to show the new kids where all this ravin’ started. Enter Faithless, the chart-topping trio that’s been blowing minds and making feet stomp since 1997’s debut record Reverence. When I first heard Imsomnia, I pretty much had nightmares for a week. Once over those, I couldn’t help but marvel at their sound. Put a Faithless record on in a club and it’s an experience like few other acts can provide. It truly feels like your senses are being reinvigorated and the feeling of complete euphoria grabs hold. They’ve been going strong since and recently the trio just released their new record The Dance. Featuring the first single Not Going Home which is a tremendous tune in its own right, the record continues the band’s record of excellence and has much to offer for fans, old and new. Reacquaint yourself with Faithless now.
Bryan Ferry is better than you. He gets more girls. He still looks good for a man well into his golden years. He also roped in some heavyweights for his brand new record Olympia. This is the first single entitled You Can Dance. This, friends, is baby-making music and nothing less should be expected from the man who helped put the “art” in “artifice” with the legendary Roxy Music. The record itself will feature his old Roxy Music cohorts Andy Mackay, Phil Manzanera and…Brian Eno! Throw in Pink Floyd’s David Gilmour, Mani from the Stone Roses/Primal Scream/Freebass, Flea from the Red Hot Chili Peppers among others and you’ve got a record that should be musically stunning. The record is out on the 25th of October.
1. “You Can Dance”
2. “Alphaville”
3. “Heartache By Numbers”
4. “Me Oh My”
5. “Shameless”
6. “Song to the Siren”
7. “No Face, No Name, No Number”
8. “BF Bass (Ode to Olympia)”
9. “Reason or Rhyme”
10. “Tender is the Night”
Love is ending… Here it is, friends. The promotional film for the new single by the Charlatans. I must say I do like the song a lot. It appears after their brief excursion through their New Order collection on You Cross My Path. The band decided to go back to the future by taking the best bits of their illustrious legacy of their own and giving the younger bands a primer on how the 1990s really got started. Tim Burgess sounds in fine form here and the band sounds re-energized which can only mean good things for the upcoming record Who We Touch.
Oh Manchester…so much to answer for. So many great bands creating such gorgeous and infinitely vital music that birthed a generation of dancing misfits, navel-gazing misanthropes and 24 hour party people. While the new breed of bands like Delphic, Everything Everything, Hurts, The Courteeners stake their own claim, it’s always nice to hear something new from the old guard. In this case, we have the return of the Charlatans. It’s hard to believe that it’s been twenty years since their debut record, 1990’s Some Friendly, came out. Who knew that as time passed and the dust settled this quintet would still be here releasing quality records and inspiring new bands to continue what they’ve started. The band’s forthcoming new record entitled Who We Touch drops on the 14th of September and will be preceded by a single called Love Is Ending. Let me tell you that it is an absolute must that you go out and see the band live as they truly are one of the finer bands you will see. They’ll be hitting the States in September so heed my advice and go!
Atlanta, GA The Loft (September 7)
Chapel Hill, NC Cat’s Cradle (8)
Washington, DC Black Cat (9)
Boston, MA Royale (10)
Hoboken, NJ Maxwell’s (11) New York, NY Bowery Ballroom (13)
Brooklyn, NY Music Hall Of Williamsburg (14)
Philadelphia, PA Johnny Brenda’s (15)
Montreal, QC Cabaret (16)
Toronto, ON Lee’s Palace (17)
Chicago, IL Double Door (18)
San Francisco, CA Bimbo’s (20)
Costa Mesa, CA Detroit Bar (21)
Los Angeles, CA El Rey (22)
So we all know that when it comes to rap music, New York is where it’s at. Right? Sure the South had a few hits and is home to Outkast, the West has Dre and the Midwest is where Eminem and Kanye call home but let’s face facts. When it comes to real hip-hop, it’s all about the birthplace: New York City. Very few artists represent New York from head to toe quite like Troy Jamerson, better known as Pharaohe Monch. Beginning with his days in the seminal rap duo Organized Konfusion, Monch has established himself as one of the most thoughtful and insightful artists going. When you hear a Pharaohe track, you know exactly what you’re getting. A flow that snaps your neck with lyrics that make you pause and hit back on your I-Pod or CD player. For further evidence of the madness, check out his new single Shine which will appear on his forthcoming third solo record calledW.A.R. (We Are Renegades).
As part of a webcast by the band in 2007, this isn’t a new video but one I thought I’d post nonetheless. A spirited rendition of a Smiths song I’ve held near and dear for years in The Headmaster’s Ritual. A wonderful track in which Morrissey lays his old Catholic school to waste. There are some unforgettable lines throughout the song starting with “Belligerent ghouls run Manchester schools, spineless swines, cemented minds”. As a former student who found squeezed the wringer of the Catholic school system here in New York, I know all too well of how draconian the adminstrations can be and how relentless they are in molding young, impressionable minds with their programming.
Classic song by a legendary band covered by another band still writing their own legacy. Can’t get any better than that.
The dark prince of trip-hop is back. Adrian Thaws, better known to the word as Tricky is preparing to unleash his latest opus to the world in the form of his ninth studio record entitled Mixed Race. It will be Tricky’s first record since 2008’s underrated Knowle West Boy. Seeing as how former collaborators Massive Attack came out of the woodwork to reclaim their title as the People’s Champs of the sound, it’s only fitting that the prodigal son do the same. Throughout the years, Tricky has found himself flirting with mainstream success only to fall slightly short. It’s been a long time since bangers like Christiansands but when he puts his mind to it and all systems are go, very few can bring the pain quite like the Tricky Kid.
The record will be out on the 28th of September via Domino and it will feature the single Murder Weapon. Call me crazy but is that the Theme From “Peter Gunn” being used as the main riff in this track. I must say I am liking the usage of it here. As has been his wont throughout his recording career, Tricky growls and snarls as his female foil carries the melody and keeps the song falling into the gutter where Tricky resides. Perfect for driving at night and fans of his work will not be disappointed. Welcome back.
Quite orange. What you are looking at, dear friends, is the sleeve for the forthcoming reunion record by Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark aka OMD. The sleeve was designed by the legendary Peter Saville but more importantly, this means we are this much closer to finally hearing some new music from the electronic pop pioneers! This is a wonderful day, my friends. A wonderful day indeed! The record is due out in September and will be the first OMD material since 1996’s Universal but the first featuring the true lineup (McCluskey, Humphreys, Holmes & Cooper) since 1986. Lovely.
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