Wavves Review

Wavves
King of the Beach

We all lose our shit sometimes. Hopefully we do it in the privacy of our own homes, far away from mobile phone cameras. Occasionally it’s in front of coworkers or family members, and we have to mumble an awkward apology later. Unfortunately, Wavves frontman Nathan Williams had the misfortune of losing his shit while playing a show at a festival in Spain curated by Pitchfork, the very website that had helped catapult him into fame. The site took special glee in tearing down the man they had been so overeager to promote in the months prior. It was a spectacular, embarrassing, and very public meltdown, indie rock’s own version of Britney Spears (although much less insane, and with less schadenfreude).

So here’s the deal. Nathan made a bunch of songs by himself as Wavves at his parents' house. His poppy, fuzzed out punk generated a lot of critical adoration, perhaps in greater measure than they deserved. Wavves became the Next Thing in a media landscape that is obsessed with the new. I listened to about five seconds of Wavves' first two albums, decided they were too noisy, and moved on to my own personal Next Thing. It was clear in the five seconds I spent with Wavves that they were on to something, but I couldn’t hang with their shitty production values.

So when I heard that their new album was recorded in an actual studio (Sweet Tea Recordings in Oxford, Mississippi) by a guy who had worked with Modest Mouse (Dennis Herring), I was immediately intrigued. What could Wavves do working with good equipment and a guy who knew how to record music? The results prove that Wavves is much more than a flash in the pan, and that Pitchfork’s championing of the band was spot on.

Opening track “King of the Beach” is a blast of wistful pop punk, with Nathan singing “Let the sun burn my eyes.” It’s still fuzzy, but the sound has been cleaned up considerably since his last record, and the result is that you can actually hear what he’s playing and singing. It’s like the band has had Lasik surgery, and all the fuzzy shapes are clear now.

I was totally sold on Wavves by the second song, “Super Soaker,” which demonstrates the strength of Williams’ songwriting. It also shows elements of psychedelic music. In fact, this album is like a mash-up of Syd Barrett-era Pink Floyd, the Beach Boys, and early '90s punk. There are harmonies inherited from Brian Wilson, whimsical trippiness handed down from early Floyd, and the cynicism and ennui of '90s alterna-rock ranging from Smashing Pumpkins to the Pixies to the Dead Milkmen.

Wavves is also an actual band this time around. Williams met drummer Billy Hayes and bassist Stephen Pope after his disastrous Spanish show. The two were playing with the late, volatile Jay Reatard, and must have figured that Williams would be a saner bandmate than Reatard. The addition of a drummer and bassist on two of the tracks rounds out the sound, making Wavves fuller while maintaining a garage punk rawness.

Still, Wavves is Williams’ show, and his personality dominates. There’s a combination of snottiness and self-hatred that is winning rather than off-putting. Williams never sounds pathetic or whiny, always balancing his smart-assness with enough humility to make it palatable. “I won’t ever die/I’ll go surfing in my mind,” Williams wails on “Idiot,” before confessing, “I’d say I’m sorry, but it wouldn’t mean shit.”

Forget what you think you know about Wavves. King of the Beach is a stellar album, and proves that they are the real deal. It’s a hazy, punky, psychedelic blast of sun, surf, and self-loathing, perfect for your next barbecue.

Article first published as Music Review: Wavves - King of the Beach on Blogcritics.

Beres Hammond Review

Article first published as Music Review: Beres Hammond - Just A Man on Blogcritics.

While he might be best known for his nineties hits, Beres Hammond has been recording music for over thirty years. He got his start in the early seventies with reggae group Zap Pow, and cut two solo records before officially leaving the group in 1979. Just A Man is his second album, recorded in 1979 at Joe Gibbs studio, and newly rereleased on VP Records.

While I generally associate Joe Gibbs with dancehall and roots reggae, Just A Man is closer to disco soul. It starts off with the uptempo song “Music Is A Positive Vibration,” which sounds a lot more like Barry White than Bob Marley. The song has a four-on-the-floor beat, funky bass, horns, and strings; think Studio 54 not a Kingston sound system. The only hint of Jamaica is Hammond’s slight accent.

“Do This World A Favour” and “Keep My Wheel Turning” are the other disco tracks on the album. While the disco elements are dated, the songs still work, mainly because the songwriting is strong. “Do This World A Favour” is an impassioned plea to live right, and “Keep My Wheel Turning” is scorching R&B.

It’s not all disco, though. Many of the songs could easily be lovers rock if they had a reggae riddim. “John Crazy” is a slower track that uses reggae instrumentation and intonations to create a slow-burning soul song. “Just A Man” is a powerful ballad, followed by the pining “I’m Lonely.” It could give Al Green a run for his money, as could “Let Me Love You Tonight.” The disc is rounded out with two tracks not included on the original album: “Seasons,” which was released as a single, and “Set Me Free,” which Hammond recorded with Zap Pow.

Just A Man ‘s soulful disco is not what you might expect from Joe Gibbs Studio, but it’s done well. This album is considered an under appreciated gem by many reggae fans. This reissue gives you the chance to hear it yourself.

Ozi Batla Review

I reviewed Ozi Batla's Wild Colonial on RapReviews this week.
It's the first solo effort by a member of the Herd, an Aussie group that seems like the Roots. I think I used "old school" 100 times in my review, and with different spellings. That's because it is old school. And solid.

Speaking of the Roots, still can't decide if I want to invest money in their new one. I love the idea of the Roots, but find their albums consistently boring.

Carnival Review

I reviewed Carnival's Population of Invisible People this week on RapReviews. Well done holy hip hop, but 100% not my thing.

Soca Gold 2010

For years, the annual Soca Gold compilations have been the source for the latest and greatest soca music. If you are looking for what's going on in soca today, Soca Gold 2010 is a great place to start.
Soca, the dancey offspring of calypso, is essentially party music, custom-made for carnival. As such it resists attempts at critical listening. If you are thinking about it, you are missing the point. It similar to pop folk from other countries, like Bosnian turbo folk or Bulgarian chalga: a mixture of folk elements with digital production and a pop sensibility. Like all dance music, soca is best enjoyed in the moment, and no doubt is a much more religious experience a few drinks in on a sweaty dance floor. The hyperactive beat and simple lyrics don't necessarily translate as well in the harsh light of day.
This disc compiles 16 tracks from the world of soca. Rikki Jai and Problem Child with Ravi B. both offer up some Soca Chutney that with a heavy East Indian influence. Interestingly, both songs, "Barman" and "Ah Drinka," are about men whose excessive drinking causes problems in their relationships. Brit Donae'o's song "Party Hard" has a winning stripped-down beat that compensates for it's vapid lyrics.
Some of the best songs here are ones that most explicitly reference calypso, including Alison Hind's raunchy "Gimmie De Juk Juk," Patrice Roberts' "Work It," and Machel Montana's "Wooeeii Gal Wooeeii." That said, the hip hop/dancehall bent of Peter Ram's "Tattoo Farm" and Fadda Fox's "Staggerah" are nice takes on the genre. Roy Cape's "Huntin" and Jamesy P.'s "Ants In Yuh Sugar Pan" are so high-energy that they almost sound like they are being played at the wrong speed. Gyptian's hit "Hold You" is included, remixed with a soca beat for those who like their music less frenetic.
The album comes with a DVD of music videos and live performances. The DVD helps, especially the live performances, because they allow the viewer to experience soca in its proper element. The videos range in production values from economical (Rikki Jai's "Barman") to flash (Donae'o, Gyptian). Again, I was reminded of the chalga videos of Planeta's stable of artists like Malina and Gergana, which all featured beautiful women in tiny outfits hanging out in mansions and riding in fancy cars. It ain't high art, but it gets the job done. As an added bonus, there is footage of carnival, and of the cover model's photo shoot.
For fans of soca, Soca Gold 2010 is a nice collection of recent hits. For the curious, it's a good starting place. After listening to the music and watching the DVD, I don't know that I'd call myself a fan, but even I have to admit that the genre has an irresistible charm.
Article first published as Music Review: Soca Gold 2010 on Blogcritics.

Applejaxx Review

I reviewed Jesus High on RapReviews this week, the new EP from Christian rapper Applejaxx. Not my thing. I'm working on a review of ANOTHER Christian rap group, Carnival, for next week. Me reviewing Christian rap is like someone with a wheat allergy reviewing a pastry shop.  Good for what it is, but not my cuppa.

Speaking of artists with religious views that conflict with my own, I've been getting really into Dillinger's CB200. He's a dancehall artist most known for his song "Cokane On My Brain." He's got a lot of other great songs that aren't so novelty-ish, and I'm loving that album. "Plantation Height" is one of my new favorite songs, and I love it even more than the Mighty Diamond's original, "I Need A Roof."

I've given the Guilty Simpson/Madlib collab, O.J. Simpson, a few spins. Surprisingly, Madlib is the weak link on that project. Half of twenty-four tracks are given over to lame skits where he basically plays back (Melvin Van Peebles?) comedy skits. It's half-assed, and takes away from the music. Guilty continues to be inconsistent as an MC, but "Coroner Music" has been one of my favorite songs since it was released earlier this year."

I'm also reading Rip It Up and Start Again,  a book on the post-punk scene of the late-70s early 80s. It talks about how much British bands were influenced by dub and reggae, especially in the bass. You can hear it in the rolling bass of Gang of Four, and in Jah Wobble's driving bass on PiL's "Poptones," one of my favorite songs ever.



PiL's whole second album, Metal Box/Second Edition, was song after song of bass-heavy death disco. I was in love with that record as a kid, and it still sounds good today. I also loved their follow up, Flowers of Romance, which was totally stripped down, with just bass, drums, and strings. I need to buy a copy of that. My 13-year-old self bought a cassette of that album at the Wherehouse on 41st ave in Capitola, and then listened to it obsessively while playing Nintendo, trying to figure it out.


I'm also thinking of buying the new Roots album. I haven't really gotten into anything they've ever done, although I've always liked the IDEA of them.

Sleigh Bells

BK duo Sleigh Bells are one of the most hyped indie bands since bloggers gushed over Vampire Weekend’s African/indie/yacht rock in late 2007. Sleigh Bells’ buzz built over a series of live shows, including an electrifying performance at SXSW this March, as well as a handful of singles on their Myspace page.

Now that their debut, Treats, is out on M.I.A.’s N.E.E.T. Recordings, it’s not hard to see what all the excitement was about. Treats’  opening track, “Tell ‘Em,” begins with Derek Miller’s metal guitar and snippy hip hop beats, combined with what sounds like a machine gun going off. After 40 seconds of trying to process all this, singer Alexis Krauss starts in with her wispy voice, adding a little Ciara meets Elizabeth Fraser to the mix. It’s prime Sleigh Bells, drawing on Miller’s past in hardcore band Poison the Well, and Krauss’ background in teen pop group RubyBlue, while adding a hip hop backbone layered with heavy doses of industrial noise. At their best, Sleigh Bells perfectly balance indie rock, punk rock, hip hop, and noise, creating music that draws on existing elements yet sounds totally fresh.

So are they worth the hype? A lot of the excitement about the band has to do with the fact that they have a kinetic, original sound. A certain degree of that excitement is due to the fact that Alexis Krauss is easy on the eyes and looks good in spandex. Her sex appeal comes across on record as well, with her grunts, sighs, playground chants, and coquettishly sweet singing.

The haters are chiming in as well, mostly with a chorus of “Sleigh Bells aren’t THAT great,” and “They’re too noisy!” To the first point I’d say that no one ever lives up to the hype. It’s not their fault that there hasn’t been that much else this year that really got critics excited. Criticisms about how noisy the band are have more merit.

This is a very, very noisy record. Poison the Well was one of those growly hardcore bands, and Miller is obviously channeling that love of chaos with Sleigh Bells. The guitars sound like chainsaws, the drum machines layer industrial cacophony over their 808s, and it’s all cranked to eleven. “Crown On the Ground” and “Straight A’s” both sound blown out, as if they were being played too loud on shitty speakers. There is a layer of distortion and grime over the album that is okay with crumby ear bud headphones, but grating on a decent sound system.

I’m hoping that in the future Sleigh Bells tone down the noise, because they are at their most interesting when they quiet down. The chanting and grinding guitars of “Infinity Guitars” are fun, but the band is better when Krauss’ pop leanings win out over Miller’s angry hardcore dudeism, like on the gorgeous “Run the Heart” and “Rill Rill.” Krauss is a great singer but a bad rapper, so she should drop her attempts at hip hop and channel her inner diva. Less Ke$ha, more Rhianna.

So, are Sleigh Bells worthy of the critical adoration they somewhat prematurely received? Do they have another album in them, or is this a one-off, flavor-of-the-month deal? I don’t know and I don’t care. I’m having too much fun blasting Treats.

Article first published as Music Review: Sleigh Bells - Treats on Blogcritics.

Wild Nothing - Gemini

Wild Nothing is the solo project of Virginian Jack Tatum, formerly of punk band Facepaint. He's abandoned jagged guitars and angst for the hazy sounds of late-80s dream-pop bands like Cocteau Twins, and the glorious mope rock of the Cure and the Smiths. Like other millennial retroists Neon Indian and Toro Y Moi, Tatum turns to the sounds of yesteryear to express the feelings of now.The album is full of reverberated guitars, shimmering synths, and tinny drum machines. While Tatum played bass on the album, it lacks low ends. Gemini is the opposite of funky: sexless, pining, trading on romantic yearning rather than physical excess.

"Our lips won't last forever and that's why I'd rather live in dreams and I'd rather die," he sings on opening track "Live In Dream," capturing the adolescent melodrama that fills the album. Gemini is the soundtrack of fledgling relationships, of unrequited crushes, of being young and happily melancholy. Tatum wrote all the songs and played the instruments, which at times results in navel-gazing. He's touring with a full band, which should make both the sound and themes of the music fuller and less introspective.

The album is dead-on 80s, and if you didn't know better you'd swear it came out twenty-odd years ago. Tatum doesn't merely emulate the sounds of the 80s, however, he internalizes them and makes them his own. Gemini is sincere and honest, and there is real emotion underneath the layer of synths and reverb.
Gemini's one failing is that while it is very successful as a sound, it is less successful as an album-length listening experience. In that sense, it reminded me of the Pains of Being Pure of Heart's debut: awesome in small bites, but a bit monotonous as a whole.  Many of the songs sound similar, and several, like "Pessimist," seem more like sketches than actual fleshed-out songs.

Still, it's a great sound, and in this day of the iPod and constant shuffle, it's likely that most listeners will digest this one track at a time. While I wasn't totally convinced with Gemini as a whole, I adored it in chunks. "Summer Holiday," Chinatown," and "O, Lilac" will stay in rotation on my iPod for a long time, providing three-minute voyages into an era of big hair and ecstatic heartache.

Article first published as Music Review: Wild Nothing - Gemini on Blogcritics.

Diwali: Gold Edition

If you are one of the haters who thinks that all reggae sounds the same, then volume #27 in Greensleeve's Rhythm Album series will prove your point. A uniquely Jamaican phenomenon, one-rhythm albums are compilations of tracks built around the same rhythm (ie riddim or beat). In other words, they are collections of songs that all sound pretty much the same.
"Pretty much" but not entirely the same, and therein lies the appeal of one-rhythm albums: their ability to offer different variations on the same musical foundation. It's a testament to the resourcefulness and ingenuity of Jamaican artists and producers, and proof that a little copyright infringement can be great for creativity.
The Diwali: Gold Edition offers 22 takes by 21 artists on Lenky's Diwali rhythm. The key to a successful rhythm album is starting off with good source material, and the Diwali beat is rock solid. Built around handclaps, it's a galloping, tribal beat with an Indian flair that manages not to wear out it's welcome over the course of the album.
The beat first came into prominence in 2002, and was used in both Sean Paul's "Get Busy" and Lumidee's "Never Leave You," both included here. It was also used in slow jams like Wayne Wonder's "No Letting Go" and Crissy D.'s "Make It Real Good."

The majority of the tracks, however, feature DJ's riffing over the rhythm. Sometimes this is mind-numbing, like on "Party Time" with Danny English and Egg Nog, but it's mostly done well. Tanya Stephens gives a harsh verbal beatdown to an ex on "Can't Touch Me No More;" Bounty Killer spits some righteous anger on "Sufferer;" Elephant Man manages to work in "99 Red Balloons" on his "Elephant Message;" and Spragga Benz sounds suitably off the rails on "Gonna Fight."

I liked the DJ tracks the best, partially because I like the dancehall style more. They also seemed to stay truest to what I feel the essence of dancehall is: letting the DJ work over an existing riddim until it is entirely his/her own. Mega Banton only adds a few musical touches to the Diwali beat on "It's OK," but he owns it with his melodic chanting.

The album ends with Lenky's "Xm24," as well as an unadulterated version of the beat so that any aspiring producers/DJs can take their own stab at it. Admittedly, 22 songs in row built around the same rhythm is a little hard to take in one sitting, but it's enjoyable a few songs at a time. If you are curious about one rhythm albums, or can't get enough of the Diwali beat, this disc is a good place to start.

Article first published as Music Review: Diwali: Gold Edition on Blogcritics.

Mopacino

I reviewed the new Mopacino mixtape on RapReviews this week.

Arab-American rapper from Cleveland. Meh.

You know what's better? Black Flag performing "Rise Above" live in 1983. Scary bald dude with a tattoo of his own band on his arm. Yowza!




Or Fear doing "I Don't Care About You." I saw them open for the Pixies a few years ago, and Lee Ving still has a bitchen voice.


Or "No Vaseline," the meanest, funkiest dis song ever. "And yo, Dre, stick to producing."

Flying Lotus Review

Originally posted on Rapreviews.com

Flying Lotus :: Cosmogramma :: Warp Records
as reviewed by Patrick Taylor
Within the first seconds of "Clock Catcher," the first song on "Cosmogramma," it's evident that beatmaker/composer/spaceman Flying Lotus (Stephen Ellison to his mom and dad) has left the boundaries of instrumental hip hop. The song sounds like Super Mario powering up while a Middle-Eastern orchestra tunes up in the background, all accompanied by harpist Rebekah Raff. It's trippy, it's disorienting, and it's amazing. 
If Ellison was referencing hip hop on his last album, 2008's "Los Angeles," he is using jazz as his blueprint on "Cosmogramma."  That's not just because his cousin Ravi Coltrane plays sax on the album, or because he references Sun Ra on "Arkestry."  "Cosmogramma" is full of an intricate, controlled chaos that reminds the listener of Charles Mingus's adventurous compositions like "Black Saint and the Sinner Lady." There's a lot going on in these tracks, but Ellsion holds it all together, always in control, always guiding the experience. Ellison is a composer, not a beatmaker. These songs aren't designed merely to get people moving on a dancefloor or facilitate a drug trip. There is thought and intent and artistry behind every bloop and whirl, which includes the packaging, designed to look like some sort of astrological artifact.
He experiments with a range of sounds and genres, including dubstep ("Pickled!"), indie ("...And the World Laughs With You"), and even house ("Do the Astral Plane"). Through it all, the album maintains a consistent theme and tone, with all 17 tracks fitting together like different chapters in a story. It's the kind of album that you have to listen to front to back, that you can't put on shuffle, that you can't separate out one song at a time. 
Ellison is accompanied by carbon-based life forms on several songs, including bassist Thundercat, Miguel Atwood-Ferguson on strings, Ravi Coltrane on sax, and vocalists Niki Rand, Thom Yorke, and Laura Darlington. The addition of organic, analog instruments into Ellison's digital sounds makes his music sound fuller than on past albums, giving him a wider range to work with.  He even uses a ping pong ball as part of the beat on "Table Tennis."

Ellison has described his music as "surrealist hip hop" in the past, and that label fits. It could also be described as post hip hop, music that draws upon hip hop for inspiration, but then takes it further. In that respect he's similar to artists like J. Dilla, Madlib, and even El-P, who are grounded in hip hop but want to color outside of its guidelines, want to combine their love of jazz, soul, industrial, and electronica with hip hop's beats and rhymes. 

"Cosmogramma" is ambitious, wonky, slippery, glitchy, and beautiful. It's Flying Lotus's finest work to date, is one of my favorite albums of the year so far. Hip hop heads might be sad that Flying Lotus is no longer our little secret, but he's too good to remain hidden in the underground. 

(My second post on Carry Like Mariah was of Dilla's Donuts, which I also compared to Mingus. 

Z-Man "Cupcaking" Video

I love this song.

Four Years

I've been doing Carry Like Mariah for almost four years now. It started because I wanted an outlet to explore my then recent obsession with hip hop, and force myself to write more. I started it before I began writing for RapReviews or Blogcritics, and fourteen days before I met my wife. I was at a different apartment, at a different job, and in a different space then.
 
The blog has morphed since I started it. These days I mostly use the blog to repost reviews I've written elsewhere. I pump out 1-2 300-800 word reviews a week, and I don't have much time for anything else at this point in my life. I'm listening to less hip hop now, that obsession replaced by my obsession with reggae, which will no doubt be replace by another obsession in a few years.

I have no intentions of being a professional music journalist. For one thing, there's no money in it. For another, I'm too damn old. I'm thirty-five. Had I got into this gig when I was twenty-two and going out five nights a week, it would have been a different story. Now I go out once every six weeks. I'm in bed by 10pm most nights, and up at six on most mornings. I have a full-time job that I like, and focus a lot of my energy into the non-profit sector that, frankly, seems a little more crucial than music.

I get 5-10 songs a day emailed to me by various PR people. I don't have time to be that current. I could get involved in the local music scene more and write about up-and-coming bands. I don't have the time, or rather, I don't want to devote the time. I'm not a scenester, schmoozer, tastemaker, or mover and shaker. I'm a dude who spends a few hours a week writing in between working 40 hours a week and spending time with my wife, my friends, and my family.

Still, I like my writing gigs. I love getting CD's to review in the mail, many of which are mediocre, but some of which are pretty great. I like being able to email a PR person and get a digital copy of a new indie release in a matter of minutes. It's a great time to be a music fan, and I'm loving all of the music I get to listen to.

At some point I'd like to focus less on reviews and more on articles that probe a little deeper. I had the idea to do one on racism in the punk scene. Or on how many buzz bands offer diminishing returns, and how that's ok. Or on how hip hop is dying, becoming as watered down and irrelevant as rock n' roll. About how punk was in many ways a big con. But that takes time and thought and editing, and in short supply of two of those three things.

Anyways, four years and counting. Here's to it.

What I'm Listening To

Once again I've overloaded myself with music. This time it's so bad that I'm thinking of not getting anything new for at least a month or two, until I am able to at least partially digest all of the new music I've bitten off recently.

Including the new Flying Lotus, which I'm working on reviewing. It's amazing. Like Mingus only electronica.

I'm also working on a review of Wild Nothing. Pitchfork liked them. It's sort of 90s 4AD dream pop. I like it.




Exhibit a:



I traded a bunch of old stuff in at Amoeba and immediately bought a bunch of new stuff, including 2008's Hercules and the Love Affair album. It's like LCD Soundsystem doing gay disco. With a transexual singer. In other words, rad.



Madlib's reggae mix got me into dancehall, so I got Lone Ranger's M16, and Trojan's 3 disc dance hall comp. It's repetitive, it's dudes sing-talking over old records, but I can't get enough of it. It combines the spaciness of dub and the groove of rocksteady. Here's Big Youth performing live:





I just downloaded the Sleigh Bells album. It's sort of sexy girl vocals over grungy hip hop beats and 80s metal guitar. I haven't listened to it a lot, but the snippets I've heard are interesting at least. They are latest buzz band. I'm wondering how much of it has to do with their music, and how much has to do with the sexy lead singer who wears spandex.


I also have some other reggae and hip hop cd's to review, and I burned a copy of the latest Gorillaz CD. Not to mention that I've been wanting to listen to Lee Perry's Ape-Ology over and over. Everyone gets excited about Return of the Super-Ape, but for my money it's Roast Fish, Collie Weed and Cornbread, his vocal album that is full of crazy songs. 
I got my work cut out for me.

She & Him at the Fox in Oakland

Article first published as Concert Review: She and Him at the Fox Theater in Oakland, California, May 29, 2010 on Blogcritics.

Any skepticism I had about actress Zooey Deschanel's musical project She and Him went out the window when I heard their first single, "Why Do You Let Me Stay Here?" Clearly, this wasn't just an actor's vanity project, like Bruce Willis singing the blues as Bruno or Jennifer Love Hewitt trying to cash in on the tween pop phenomenon of the early aughts. It's safe to say that people listen to She and Him almost despite the fact that Ms. Deschanel is a famous actress. It's her voice, a combination of Ella Fitzgerald and Patsy Cline, that is the real star of the act.

It's also safe to say that Ms. Deschanel's celebrity was a contributing factor to the She and Him show at the Fox Theater in Oakland selling out. If the 2,800 people in the audience had been lured by the thrill of seeing a real live celebrity, they weren't disappointed by the music. Ms. Deschanel sounded fantastic, her voice holding up throughout the show and proving that she doesn't rely on studio tricks. She had boundless energy and enthusiasm, jumping up and down and smiling wide-eyed throughout the show.

Opening band the Chapin Sisters performed thirty minutes of folky female harmonies in hippy dresses. They sounded amazing, but it was definitely not my kind of music. I liked them better in their sixties glam as backup singers for She and Him. She and Him's band also consisted of a drummer, acoustic guitarist, and bassist. M. Ward proved that he was an equal partner in the group, performing tasteful but shredding guitar solos, and offering a nice contrast to Ms. Deschanel's vocals. My one wish was that he had more singing parts.

The band sounded rich and full, sounding great even when M. Ward and Ms. Deschanel tackled several songs with just an acoustic guitar. They brought out guitarist Al Anderson of NRBQ for their cover of that band's "Ridin' In My Car," and he joined them again for a joyful interpretation of "Roll Over Beethoven" at the encore.

Zooey's parents and husband were standing in front of me throughout the show, and I couldn't help imagine how proud they must be of her. Not only is she a successful actor, but she is also an exceptional singer. Zooey has found her perfect vehicle in She and Him, and I hope the project continues to bear fruit for M. Ward and her for years to come.

The New LCD System Is As Good As Everyone Says It Is.

And you should go buy it. Also, "Drunk Girls" is the dumbest song on the album.

Here's an old video of them doing "Tribulations" live.

Sizzla Review

I did a review of Sizzla's latest, Crucial Times, for Blogcritics last week. It was one of the first contemporary Jamaican deejay records I had listened to, and while I wasn't in love with all of it, I really liked a few songs, like "Precious Gift," where he combined the melody of reggae with the bark of dancehall. In fact, I think I've used that expression in every reggae review I've written. Time to explore some new adjectives.

Epsilon Project Review

My review of the Epsilon Project EP, Audacity, is up at RapReviews.  California underground hip hop. Pretty good stuff.


Epsilon Project - Inspiration (Prod. by Kev Brown) from Epsilon Project on Vimeo.

Madlib Medicine Show #4: 420 Chalice All-Stars Review

I reviewed Madlib's Medicine Show #4: 420 Chalice All-Stars this week on RapReviews. It's a mix cd of reggae, dub, and dancehall. Essential if you like reggae. I've been listening to it non-stop.

There's a series of YouTube videos that stream the album and give info on some of the tracks.

Power Struggle Review

I reviewed the new Power Struggle album this week on RapReviews. Conscious hip hop from a Philippineo-American perspective. Another solid release from Beatrock Records.

You can download the single off the album, plus some other stuff, on their downloads page.

Shut Up, Dude, That's Racist

Das Racist
Shut Up, Dude
Self-Released (and free)


First published on RapReviews.com


Das Racist scored a surprise hit last summer with their hit "Combination Pizza Hut and Taco Bell." The entire lyrics of the song were basically "I'm at the Pizza Hut/I'm at the Taco Bell/I'm at the combination Pizza Hut and Taco Bell." It was so dumb it was smart, sort of like Jackass or Forrest Gump. The duo is made up of Indian-American Himanshu Suri, and Cuban/African-American Victor Vasquez. They live in Brooklyn, and met at Wesleyan, one of the ten most expensive universities in the country, and the alma mater of indie psych stars MGMT.

They may act stupid, but they aren't stupid, and they have the student loans to prove it. Their influences include the Wu-Tang Clan, MF DOOM, dadaism, and the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965. In interviews, Himanshu name-drops literary critic/Columbia professor Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak and claims that their music is protest music along the lines of 19th century African-American poet Paul Laurence Dunbar. Those are pretty big words from a purveyor of jokey, stoner hip hop that is just this side of Weird Al territory.

There are three reasons why Das Racist is more than just a joke: they have a much-needed perspective, being from two ethnic groups that are generally underrepresented in the cultural debate, they aren't preachy, and they have good beats. If Himanshu and Vasquez decided to merely regurgitate their college syllabi in hip hop verses, it would get old quick. Instead, they use humor to make their criticisms of racism and consumerism in America. Musically, they tap into Baltimore-style dance-oriented hip hop, minimalist electronica, and dabble a little in reggae. The beats are consistently good, from the stoney Middle Eastern vibes of "Ek Shaneesh" to the e'd up club music of "Chicken and Meat."

While I like "Shut Up, Dude," I sometimes found Das Racist's brand of snarky, sarcastic intellectualism dishonest and irritating. This is an attitude that is endemic to hipsters: too often they choose to trade only in sarcasm and irony, mocking other people without ever taking a stand themselves. (The worst example of this was Le Tigre, who made shitty dance music under the guise of subverting the dominant heterosexist paradigm.) The broad agenda that Das Racist lays out in interviews doesn't always match the goofy rhymes in their music. Their closest contemporaries are probably Lonely Island, composers of "Dick In A Box" and "I'm On A Boat."

Also, their non-sequitur flow has been done before and better by artists like Ghostface and MF DOOM. They boys even tackle Ghostface's "Nutmeg" and rap over DOOM's "America's Most Blunted," here called "Deep Ass Shit (You'll Get When You're High)." They don't come close to Ghostface's crazed storytelling or DOOM's blunted, biting humor, and both tracks merely highlight their shortcomings as MCs.

Das Racist have the potential to be something great, offering nuanced and cutting insights into racism in America, the Latino and Indian-American experience, and the state of hip hop. On tracks like "Shorty Said" they manage to be funny and insightful, commenting on how they get lumped in with anyone who is remotely brown, and offering up lines like "Shorty says I look like a gay David Banner on acid." They mix up pop culture references in a consistently funny series of one-liners, connecting sounds and words in a seemingly random way that can be both deep and hilarious.

"Skinny jean/fat wallets
Chakras from papa
I'm in Maracaibo
Vic is in Caracas
Cuban
Movin'
Eatin' a Cuban sandwich
I'm pukin'
Tryna write some rap songs in Sanskrit"


When they hit it right, Das Racist come off like Lil Wayne with an M.A. in Ethnic Studies, pumping up Wayne's trademark stream-of-consciousness flow with bigger ideas beyond getting laid, getting high, and getting money. When they flop, they sound like a couple of over-educated stoners fucking around on a Friday night. Either way, "Shut Up, Dude" is worth your time.

Junk Science Review

I reviewed Junk Science's new album A Miraculous Kind of Machine for RapReviews this week.
Left-of-center rap with some thoughtful lyrics and interesting beats. Here's a video for "Fire Drill," one of the better songs on the album:

For A White Agnostic Who Doesn't Smoke Pot, I Sure Listen to a Lot of Reggae

I've been listening to a lot of reggae lately. I finally bought Lee Perry's Ape-ology, which collects his Superape, Roast Fish and Corn Bread, and Return of the Superape LPs. It's two CDs of the dankest, muddiest, deepest dub and reggae, the kind of music that you get a contact high from just listening to.
This video for "Roast Fish and Corn Bread" lets you see the master at work.


I also got Serge Gainsbourg's reggae album, Aux Armes Et Cetera. It was originally released in the late 70s, but got a rerelease in 2004 with an extra disc of new dub and deejay versions. It's sort of horrible, sort of awesome. Gainsbourg isn't exactly a reggae singer, but he's backed by Sly and Robbie, so it sounds good. His reworking of the French national anthem evidently caused riots when it came out.



I also got Madlib's Medicine Show #4, which is a mix of dub and deejay tunes. I'm loving it.


I was also listening to the two Joe Gibbs Discomix albums, which got me interested in deejay/dancehall, so I downloaded Major Laser's album from Emusic. It's a project from Diplo and Switch, the guys who did "Paper Planes," working with dancehall deejays. It's noisy, obnoxious, raunchy, and amazing, dancehall meets glitchy Bmore club music.

My biggest coup of the week, though, was figuring out who sang "Ring the Alarm." I had heard it sampled by Big Audio Dynamite and Fugazi, but I never knew the source. Turns out it is Tenor Saw, and there is an entire album (Stalag 17,19-20) with just that riddim. It's definitely a classic.

Joe Gibbs 12" Discomix Volumes 4 and 5

VP Records has just released volumes four and five of Joe Gibbs' 12" Reggae Disco mix Showcase. Like the first three volumes, released last November, these two CDs each contain eleven 12" singles originally released in the seventies, when producer Joe Gibbs was at the height of his powers. The tracks all clock in between six and seven minutes long, with the first half being the original version, which transitions to a deejay or dub version for the second half.

Having the original and deejay version back to back demonstrates how versatile and resourceful the Jamaican musicians were. They could take the same riddim and rework it into dozens and sometimes hundreds of different versions, each offering a different take on the backing track. The deejay versions give legs to good songs, and sharp-tongued toaster can redeem a weak song.

Volume 4 opens up with Junior Byles' "Dreadlooks Time," backed with Kojak and Liza's take, "Fist to Fist." It's a classic riddim, and one of the standout tracks of the compilation. Other highlights include Dennis Brown's sublime "Your Man," presented here with an extended dub version, and Wade Brammer's "My Love," backed with Lui Lepkie's "Can't Take My Landlord."

There are several covers, some of which aren't entirely successful. The reggae takes on Michael Jackson's "Shake Your Body Down to the Ground" and "Don't Stop Till You Get Enough" pale in comparison to the originals. Covers of "I Can't Stand the Rain" and "Working My Way Back to You" are better, owing mostly to the deejay versions, in which Prince Weedy and Trinity offer different takes. The disc closes out with two songs full of heartache, "Why Girl/Did We Have to Part" and "After You/Love Me Forever."

Volume 5 has its share of love songs, but also has more roots subject matter. It starts off with Earth and Stone's "Ring Graft," here paired with Snuffy and Wally's superior version, "Dreader Mafia." This is followed by "Su Su Pon Rasta/Stop Su Su Pon the Dread," and "Burn Babylon/Don't Trouble Natty Dread." The dread theme continued on Sammy Dread's "Dreadlocks Girl," backed here by Tappa Zukie's "She Never Love Me So," which is a highlight of the set. Another highlight is Junior Murvin's "Time Stiff," which is complimented by Trinity's equally powerful "Time So Rough."

There is ample evidence on this set that the deejay was much more than someone who talked over records. Prince Mohammaed's "Give I Power" shows the true strength of the deejay. The original, case Carl Brown's "Let the Power Fall," is well-meaning but repetitive. Prince Mohammed expands on the theme of the original, fleshing it out and adding much-needed variety. Ruddy Thomas's "Being With You" is a pleasant but inconsequential take on the Smokey Robinson original, but Joe Tex and U-Black gives it an injection of adrenaline. Even in cases where the original version is strong, the deejay version offers a unique twist, like Delroy Jones frantic take on Home T. Four's "Playmate."

As with volumes 1-3, the deejay versions make the 12" Reggae Discomix Showcase Vol. 4 and 5 must-haves. Each disc provides over 70 minutes of smooth, soulful reggae, and having the 12" version of the song is the closest you are going to get to being in a sweaty Kingston dancehall in 1979.

This article was first published at Blogcritics.org.

Antlers/Phantogram Review

I saw the Antlers with Phantogram last Saturday. It sort of confirmed that I'm not a huge Antlers fan, although I thought they were good live. Chatty-ass crowd. I wrote a review of it at Blogcritics, here, In
what I hope will be a return to regular writing for that site and RapReviews.

Here's an NPR video of them playing live at the Black Cat in DC. 

El-Producto

I'm working a review of the new Junk Science album, who sound a little like El-P. Which made me search YouTube for El-P, and I came across this video for "Deep Space 9mm."

It's one of my favorite El-P songs, and the video is crazy, reflecting the paranoia of post-911 NYC.





Signed to Rawkus? I'd rather be mouth-fucked by Nazi's unconscious.

Death of Lala

It was announced yesterday that the music service Lala would be shutting down at the end of the month. Lala was bought by Apple in December 2009, and it's clear now that they bought them in order to shut down a potential competitor. Lala allowed you to purchase MP3s at less than Apple's price, and purchase streaming albums at ten cents a song.

I didn't care about that aspect of Lala. I was more interested in the way it allowed websites to embed players that allowed users to listen to songs and albums. Pitchfork used it to post the albums it reviewed, so that you could listen to it while you read the review. Lala didn't allow users to download songs to their computer, and you could only listen to a song in its entirety without buying it. After that, you'd get a thirty-second snippet, which is enough to get a sense of the song. I liked Lala because it allowed me to legally share music I was excited about with my friends, without screwing the artists. If someone was interested in the music, they'd have to purchase it. There are a lot of albums that I purchased based on listening to them on a Lala player posted on Pitchfork.

This is all coming to an end on May 31st. Now I will have to research another platform to stream songs, which is a pain. This all goes to prove that despite the great products they produce, Apple really are bastards, just like most businesses. Steinbeck had a quote in one of his novels to the effect that the qualities that make you a good businessman don't make you a good human being.

Brawdcast Review

I reviewed Brawdcast's 'The Search for Human Perfection" for RapReviews this week. Wasn't feeling it.

Here's him performing a track live.

Ms. Tila

I'm on a lot of random pr mailing lists. I get emails from the Beastie Boys, from several indie labels, and from a lot of aspiring hip hop artists. Lately, I've been getting emails from Tila Tequila's (sorry, Ms. Tila) pr people. Like this beauty, that came today:

**PHOTOGRAPHERS, JOURNALISTS, & CREWS**


WHAT: MISS TILA'S CELEBRITY BLOG LAUNCH PARTY – www.TilaTequilaOMG.com


WHEN: Wednesday, April 14th, 2010 – 11pm


WHERE: Greenhouse - 150 Varick St
(between Spring St & Vandam St)


Press Contact:  Fallon Ullman / fallon@bigmachinemedia.com / Office # 646-395-2600 - Cell # 484-433-1126


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


MISS TILA’S (FORMERLY KNOWN AS TILA TEQUILA) FIRST SINGLE “I LOVE MY DJ” RELEASES APRIL 13th
EP Releases May 11th


[New York, NY – April 12th, 2010] – MISS TILA (formerly known as Tila Tequila) is set to invade the speakers of the international music scene with her single, “I Love My DJ”, on April 13th.  Her highly anticipated EP, WELCOME TO THE DARKSIDE, distributed by her own record label, Tila Tequila Records, through INgrooves will be released on May 11th.  Fan’s can log on to Myspace Music (http://www.myspace.com/music) on Friday, April 9th to hear the premiere stream of “I Love My DJ”.
MISS TILA has paved her way to be a musical force to be reckoned with as she garnered millions of fans from her internet superstardom to her reality television success.  MISS TILA will be further conquering the internet with the creation of her highly anticipated celebrity gossip blog, www.TilaTequilaOMG.com, to which MISS TILA says, “This celebrity gossip blog is PEREZ HILTON’S #1 Competition right now.  My blog will blow his out of the water because there’s a NEW QUEEN in town and her name is MISS TILA…bye bye Perez! Who?”.
 An official launch party for www.TilaTequilaOMG.com will be held in New York City on Wednesday, April 14th at GREENHOUSE (150 Varick Street, NY NY 10013).
MISS TILA will be making her promotion rounds in New York City from April 11th-18th.  If you are interested in speaking with MISS TILA during this time please reach out to press contacts below.


For more information, visit Tila’s official website at www.TilasHotSpot.com and official Myspace at myspace.com/misstila.

I actually logged on to her myspace page to here her song. Obviously it's terrible, the kind of amateurish thing you might do if you were drunk and had recording equipment. Her song is called "I Love My DJ," but the dirty version is called "I Fucked My DJ."

Fucken' Tila.

It comes complete with this slutty photo of her. As they say, I wouldn't touch her with yours. The creepiest thing about Ms. Tila? This little item from her Wikipedia page:

On December 20, 2009, Tequila announced she was currently having a surrogate pregnancy for her brother.

EWWWWWWWWWW

Mayer Hawthorne Left His Heart in San Francisco

I always sucked at skating, but I think it looks damn cool.

Truthlive Review

I reviewed Truthlive's Patience for RapReviews this week. He's a Santa Rosa-based rapper, and owner of the excellent indie label Interdependent Media. Beats are entirely handled by Jake One. I'm more impressed by Truthlive's skills as head of Interdpendent then his skills as an MC, but he holds his own. You can sample his wares on the free Unlearning ep.

Marco Polo and Ruste Juxx Review

My review of Marco Polo and Ruste Juxx's The Exxecution is the featured review at RapReviews this week. It's thirteen tracks of hard-hitting East Coast hip hop. I enjoyed it.

The eXXecution - Marco Polo, R...

Songs I Unsuccessfully Lobbied For For My Wedding

Here are some of the songs that got shot down by my bride to be as potential wedding songs.
#1 - Pogues "Dirty Old Town."

Her comment - depressing. She has a point.

#2: Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes "Home"


Her comment - Too epic and cinematic. True.

#3. Devendra Banhart "This Is the Way"


Her point - too freaky. Yeah, there is that. I just love the line "We chose rejoice."

#4 The Kinks  "Waterloo Sunset"

Her comment - again, too depressing. It's about a shut-in.

#5 Bad Brains "Pay To Cum"


Her comment - Come on! Admittedly, by this point I was just fucking with her.

I shot down some of her ideas, too, so we're even.

Das Racist - Shut Up, Dude

Jokey hip hop trio Das Racist ("Combination Pizza Hut and Taco Bell") have just released a mixtape. Which you can download here.

It's sort of like Spank Rock meets Lonely Island.



Speaking of, here's a video for Lonely Island's brilliant "Like A Boss."

Polvo-17 Years too Late

I don't know why it took me 17 years to buy a copy of Polvo's 1993 debut Music for Active Lifestyles. It's just the kind of angular, jagged, melodic post-punk that I loved at that age, and still do. Echos of Sonic Youth and Unwound. Makes me want to be 20 again. Well, 21, so I could go to shows.

Today's Active Lifestyles - Po...