What I'm Listening To

So I started writing for Blogcritics in September, thinking it would be a way to write about something besides music. I've done a book review and two DVD set reviews, but mostly I've just been writing about non-hip hop music. I still do a review a week or so for RapReviews, but with Blogcritics, a new world has opened up. This is because I contact PR folks directly, rather than being sent stuff to review by someone from the site. This means that they'll ask me to review stuff for them, and right now I'm like a kid in a candy store. You want to send me a zip file of the new Heavy album? Ok. Hey, I kinda like that Imaad Wasif song in your PR blast. Can I review the album? And two minutes later it shows up in my inbox. Awesome, right? Being on the mailing list for good American indie labels and Astralworks? The problem is, now I have six albums that I should review....by next week, plus another two or three that I should do sooner than later. I did four reviews this weekend, which is four times as many as I normally do. Normally I like to sit with an album, and then take long time to ruminate over what the album means to me. Now I'm cranking 'em out, which is good, in that it forces me to get shit done, but potentially bad, in that it could lead to sloppy mistakes. Whatevs.

I can't help thinking of the days of my youth when I was lucky to hear one new album a week, much less get five good albums in the span of a few days. So here's what I'm listening to:

Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson - Summer of Fear
Port 0'Brien - Threadbare
Girls - self titled (I think)
Imaad Wasif - The Voidist
Si Para Usted comp (funk music from Cuba from the 70s)
The Heavy - (new album - my itunes thinks it's Heavy D and the Boyz)
Rita J

And I may be forgetting some...

I'm excited about the Port O'Brien. I really loved their last album, and I am going to make every effort to see them at Bottom of the Hill on Thursday, Nov. 5. Here's the video for their new song.


And a video for "In Vino Veritas," one of my favorite songs from their last album.