Tuesday 23 February 2010

FREE STREAM! Joanna Newsom - Have One on Me (2010)


NPR have again outdone themselves by providing a free stream of the new Joanna Newsom album! I haven't heard it yet, but thought I'd put the link up straight away! ENJOY!



Monday 22 February 2010

SONG OF THE WEEK: Songs: Ohia - Soul (1996)



This song is incredible. I first heard it on the brilliant mixtape Death In Vegas put together as part of the 'Back to Mine' series. The song actually appeared on the single 'Nor Cease Thou Never Now', which containted 'Soul' and 'Freedom Part 2'. The song has a country tinge to it and could easily have been sung by Gram Parsons. It's so melancholic and perfect. Check it out!

Songs: Ohia - Nor Cease Thou Never Now

1969...A Spotify Playlist

 
I've not made a post for a while as I've just started a new job and had some visitors over last week. I've kinda lost track of new releases over the past couple of weeks, so thought I'd kick things off again with a playlist from another favourite year of mine...1969.

1969 is a really interesting year, as it's the beginning of the end of the hippie movement of the previous year. There's a perfect blend of all my favourite genres with classic releases all over the show and of course, this is the year Woodstock happened.

 The psych scene was slowly dying, with bands like The Grateful Dead and Quicksilver Messenger Service turning more towards lengthy jam based material, whilst Jefferson Airplane and Love both released what may have been their last great records. Whilst The Doors opted for a record that included brass, strings and a full orchestra and although often seen as their worst album, I still think it's a great album with some classic tracks.

Artists such as Neil Young, Nick Drake, Leonard Cohen, Joni Mitchell, Tim Buckley and CSN  all helped pave way for the singer-songwriter scene that would explode in the early 70s.

Whereas artists such as The Band, The Byrds, The Flying Burrito Brothers, Poco, Bob Dylan, Townes Van Zandt and The Allman Brothers helped pave the way for country and roots based rock.

There were some great classic rock records from the like of The Rolling Stones, CCR, The Beatles and Blind Faith.

Blues based, heavier stuff was also starting to creep in with Free, High Tide, MC5, Deep Purple, Zeppelin's first two albums and The Stooges debut.

Elements of prog (Yes, King Crimson) also started to appear, as well as early signs of krautrock, with Can and Amon Duul 2 both releasing albums in '69.

The soul and funk scene was really starting to change direction and would explode in the 70s with classics from Sly Stone, The Meters and Isaac Hayes released in '69.

Take a look through the Rate Your Music list below and stick the playlist on shuffle on Spotify and I'm 100% sure you'll find a new favourite or something you'd never heard before. The playlist doesn't include everything, as some albums have not been added to Spotify yet, either due to their rareness or in the case of The Beatles, a greedy record label. Let me know if I've missed anything obvious and please leave a comment! ENJOY!

Listen to 1969 Playlist in Spotify

Rate Your Music - 1969

Friday 12 February 2010

The Amazing - S/T (2009)


Although I now reside in Sweden, I came across this Swedish band today over on Pitchfork and the review completely sold them to me, mentioning Nick Drake, the Grateful Dead, Pink Floyd, The Allman Brothers, Fleetwood Mac, The Flaming Lips and fellow Swede's Dungen in the same review. I immediately found the album in Spotify and it was one of the most pleasant listens I've had in a while. The album opens up with an amped up take on Fleetwood Mac's instrumental, 'Sunny Side of Heaven', this time complete with lyrics. Second track 'Dragon' sounds like Nick Drake and Belle & Seastian in equal measures, as does 'Beach House'. That's not to say there's no variation on the album, as 'Beach House' explodes into a fuzzed out stoner rock style haze of guitars, druggy vocals and thundering drums for the 7 minute epic, 'Code II'. The rest of the album pans out in varying fashion, and whilst it's largely an album of laid back, airy folk-rock (see The Byrds/CSNY style 'Deportation Day') it never gets boring, as songs shift effortlessly between grooves like an Albatross soaring high over the ocean. It sounds like a perfect summer album. All I need now is some sun to put it to the test...

Listen to 'The Amazing' in Spotify

http://www.subliminalsounds.se/

http://www.fashionpolicerecords.se/

Thursday 11 February 2010

Wu-Tang Saga (Documentary) COMING SOON!

I hadn't heard anything about this until 5mins ago, but it seems a Wu-Tang documentary is due to be released 25th Februrary. As a massive Wu fan a documentary sounds pretty amazing! The trailer doesn't really give anything away, but I'd ideally like a documentary that traces their origins, influences etc. I have no idea if it'll be any good, but here's the trailer! 

Eddie Vedder - Into the Wild Soundtrack (2007)



Ranked 67th best album of 2007 on RYM and one of my favourite albums in years. It probably helps that I fell in love with the film when I first saw it and am a big outdoors fan, but the album really stands on it's own as a truly great album. I've had it on repeat for the past couple of hours and it never fails to almost make me cry (in the best possible way!) or want to take off on a road trip/hike somewhere. If you've never seen the film, do yourself a favour and check it out. It's ranked the 140th best film of all time on IMDB.

Listen to 'Into the Wild' in Spotify



New Laura Marling album - I Speak Because I Can (2010)


The new Laura Marling album is due out 22nd March and after listening to the second single, 'Devil's Spoke', I have high hopes for it. The song has a celtic feel to it and reminds me a little of Fairport Convention. Sandy Denny and the British folk scene of the late '60s/early '70s. From what I've read I think Mumford & Sons also feature in the video and may well play on the album. Check out the brilliant video for it below. The single is the follow-up to 2009's 'Goodbye England (Covered in Snow)'.

Listen to 'Alas I Cannot Swim' in Spotify (2008)

Listen to 'Sandy Denny' in Spotify (1972)

Listen to Fairport Convention's 'Leige & Lief' in Spotify (1969)

Dam-Funk Unplugged





Listen to 'Toeachizown' in Spotify 


http://www.stonesthrow.com/news/2010/02/dam-funk-unplugged

Tuesday 9 February 2010

Mark Fry - Dreaming with Alice (1972)


I came across this album whilst looking through the highest rated albums for 1972 on Rate Your Music and this came in at #152. I read a few reviews and Fry was likened to Donovan and early Marc Bolan (Tyrannosaurs Rex) and being a fan of both I thought I'd take a listen. The comparisons aren't wrong if you through in a little more eastern flavour in there and hints of John Fahey. It's a nice album and is a perfect example of a good acid folk record, perfect for a lazy afternoon. Well worth a listen!

Listen to 'Dreaming with Alice' in Spotify

New Dr. Dog Single, 'Shadow People'


Dr. Dog have released their new single off their upcoming album, 'Shame Shame', which will be released 6th April. The single was premiered today over on Stereogum and still has their familiar Beatlesesque sound,whilst it also kinda reminds me of Lou Reed's 'Walk on the Wild Side' in places. It's a nice track and is instantly likeable.

http://rateyourmusic.com/artist/dr__dog

Dr. Dog - Shadow People

Jimi Hendrix - Valleys of Neptune (2010)


Hendrix's 'Valleys of Neptune' is due out 8th March and isn't a lost album or a greatest hits, but more a documentation of the missing period between 1968's 'Electric Ladyland' and his appearance at Woodstock in '69. The album will include a number of previously unreleased songs, as well as reworkings of classic Hendrix songs.

Listen to 'Valleys of Neptune' (single) in Spotify



1995...A Hip-Hop Spotify Playlist



A classic year in hip-hop, with classic albums from Raekwon, Gza, The Roots, The Pharcyde and other hip-hop greats. Check it out!

Open 1995 Hip-Hop in Spotify

Nas & Damian Marley - As We Enter (2010)


As with many things, this completely slipped below my radar, but I've found it now. Nas & Damian Marley are due to release a joint project titled 'Distant Relatives' and the first single is 'As We Enter', which features a sample of Mulatu Atske's 'Yegelle Tezeta', which you may recognise from the 'Broken Flowers' soundtrack. It's a pretty nice track actually and Nas and Damian complement each other pretty damn well. I look forward to hearing the rest of the album, which should be released 16th March.

Listen to the 'Broken Flowers' Soundtrack in Spotify

 

New Erykah Badu track! Window Seat!


After sharing a non-album, web-only track with us last week ('Jump In the Air (Stay There)'), Erykah Badu has just posted up 'Window Seat' on her Twitter, which will be the 2nd track on her upcoming album, 'New Amerykah Part Two (Return of the Ankh'. The file can be downloaded here and is produced by Badu and Grammy award winning James Poyser, who has written and produced for artists including Al Green, D'Angelo and Common. Poyser also received a Grammy for his work on Common and Badu's 'Love of My Life'.The track also features The Roots' ?uestlove on drums. Poyser has also worked on Badu's 'Mama's Gun' and 'Worldwide Underground' and this track definitely harks back to Badu's earlier albums and her late night neo-soul sound.

Listen to 'Baduizm' in Spotify (1997)

Listen to 'Mama's Gun' in Spotify (2000)

Listen to 'Worldwide Underground' in Spotify (2003)

Listen to 'New Amerykah, Part One (4th World War)' in Spotify (2007)

Monday 8 February 2010

Johnny Cash - Ain't No Grave (2010)


You can now listen to the excellent first single off Cash's upcoming album, 'Ain't No Grave', over at Lost Highway Records. The song also features a nice guest spot from the Avett Brothers' Scott and Seth and the track has a 'God's Gonna Cut You Down' stomp to it and definitely has me very excited about the rest of the album.

"Ain't No Grave," the title track, speaks to the overall theme of the album - "Well there ain't no grave/Can hold my body down..."


Lissie - Why You Runnin' EP


I came across this over on the excellent Aquarian Drunkard and have been listening to the 4 tracks available on her Myspace page. The review on AQ really sucked me in with their review and summed up her sound pretty damn well:
"Lissie’s debut, the 5 song Why You Runnin’ EP, sounds like a road trip through the deep South. A road trip where you’re riding shotgun, not driving, with the windows rolled down. At your feet is a paper bag full of old cassettes; Bonnie Raitt’s Give It Up, Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours, Dylan’s Desire, Lucinda William’s Car Wheels. Traveling music. Lissie’s debut was made for such a road trip. It was made to be dubbed onto a cassette and tucked into that old paper bag along with the beer and cigarettes. So, really, it makes sense that Lissie left the congestion of the city for Ojai, a place where her music, with the windows rolled down, feels right at home."

I've only listened to the songs a couple of times, but they definitely feel very familiar, like an old friend you haven't met for ages. Lissie sits perfectly alongside the likes of Lucinda Williams and Neko Case and should have a bright future. I look forward to a full album release. The album was released in November last year and is available from Fat Possum Records.



Sunday 7 February 2010

VIDEO OF THE WEEK: Ol' Dirty Bastard - Brooklyn Zoo/Shimmy Shimmy Ya



Supergrass - Road to Rouen (2005)


'Road to Rouen' was the first Supergrass album I ever heard. I'd heard plenty of their hit singles obviously, but for some reason had never got round to listening to any of their albums. I don't know exactly why I started listening to this album, but from what I'd read people had said it didn't sound like a typical Supergrass album and maybe that attracted me. For me, the album is a perfect road trip album, as it's got a perfect combination of laid backness ('Low C' & 'St Peterburg') and slightly more upbeat, rockier moments ('Road to Rouen' & 'Kick in the Teeth').  'Low C' is probably my most listened to track off the album, but the album is a complete album and is strong from start to finish and I'd recommend it to anyone who never thought they'd ever like a Supergrass album.

Listen to 'Road to Rouen' in Spotify








New Flying Lotus Coming Soon + FREE DOWNLOAD


The new Flying Lotus album is due out 3rd May and will be called 'Cosmogramma'. The album will be his second release for Warp and his third official album thus far (see below for Spotify links). You can read more about it on Warp Records website. Warp are also offering a free download of 3 non-album tracks, which I have included below:

Download non-album tracks

Listen to Flying Lotus – Los Angeles (Spotify)

Listen to Flying Lotus – 1983 (Spotify)

Nas - Nasty Nas Demo Tape (1991)


As you may have noticed, I've been listening to a lot of hip-hop recently and it's been nice reminiscing and revisiting old favourites, as well as discovering new stuff. Joining the list of new stuff is Nas' demo tape from 1991, when he went by the name Nasty Nas. I own every Nas album and he's always been one of my favourite rappers and artists, but although I'd heard of this before, I'd never got round to hearing it. I came across it over on Kevin Nottingham's awesome blog and it has some really great tracks on it, such as 'Life Is Like a Dice Game' and the classic 'Deja Vu', which has achieved somewhat of a cult status over the years. All of the songs are on You Tube, if you'd prefer not to download it, but the download is available on Kevin Nottingham's if you're interested.

EDIT: I found another slightly different and maybe better version here: http://www.megaupload.com/?d=ER6JF9C5, as the other one was missing a few tracks. This one also includes Nas' first appearance, on Main Source's 'Live at the BBQ' and MC Serch's 'Back to the Grill'.

SOUNDTRACK: Nick Cave & Warren Ellis - The Road (2010)


I haven't listened to this yet and haven't had chance to watch the film yet, but if it's anything like their previous soundtracks (The Proposition & The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford) I'm sure it'll be amazing. It's up on Spotify now though, for those of you with an account, as are their other two soundtracks:

Nick Cave & Warren Ellis – The Road - Original Film Score

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – The Proposition

Saturday 6 February 2010

Youtube Playlist: Top100 Greatest Obscure Hip-Hop Tracks


 I came across probably the best hip-hop site I've ever been on yesterday. I'm a big fan of hip-hop and hip-hop in the mid-90s has always been one of my favourite periods in music's history and is probably up there with the 60s/early 70s for me. Anyway, whilst browsing the site I came across a list entitled 'Philaflava.com's 100 Greatest Obscure Tracks' and had to check it out! The list can be downloaded as 10 separate parts in mp3 format, but I thought I'd take a look on You Tube first. To my surprise, 89 of the 100 tracks were up on You Tube, so I begun making a playlist with them in and listening as I went along. I've heard of maybe three-quarters of the artists mentioned, but have heard hardly any of these tracks! They all capture the period perfectly and create a perfect atmosphere that transports you back to hip-hops golden age. Stick it on, sit back and relax. Enjoy!


Open Playlist in You Tube

http://www.philaflava.com/100_obscure.html

13 – Slow Burnin’
Ahmad, Ras Kass & Saafir – Comewiddit (Fredwreck Remix)
Al Tariq - No Question feat. Black Attack, Rawcotiks & Problemz
Bas Blasta – The Rhythm feat. Lord Finesse, Fat Joe, JuJu, & Godfather Don
Big L- How Will I Make It
Black Moon – Murder MC’s
Black Rob- Permanent Scars
Black Sheep - Similak Child (Homogenized Remix)
Boogie Down Productions – Questions & Answers (Remix)
Boogie Down Productions - We In There (ATCQ Remix)
Brand Nubian – Allah U Akbar (Remix)
Brand Nubian - Step Into Da Cipher feat. Serge, Mastro Manny & Snagglepuss
Brother Lynch Hung - Had 2 Gat Ya
Children of The Corn - I Remember When
Chubb Rock – Three Men At Chung King feat. Red Hot Lover Tone & Grand Puba
Da Fat Cat Clique – Da Flow feat. The Man They Call Lux, EST, Rugged Ruff
Da King & I - Tears
Darc Mind - I’m Ill
Dark Skinned Assassin – Unholy
Dark Sun Ridas – Time To Build (Ultra Marsalis Remix)
De La Soul – Ego Trippin’ Part III
DEL - Undisputed Champs feat. Pep Love & Q-Tip
Demasters - Feel No Guilt feat. Nine
Diamond D – Hiatus (Remix) feat. The CRU
Diamond D - Sally Got A One Track Mind (Showbiz remix)
DMX - Can't Touch The Kid
Dre Dog- The Ave
E Money Bags - Regulate feat. Prodigy & Majesty of Live Squad
Eightball - What The Fuck Is The Eightball
EPMD - Brothers From Brentwood, L.I.
Erick Sermon - If You Don't Know Like I Know feat. Trigger, Heltah Skeltah & O.G.C.
Erick Sermon - The Ill Shit feat. Kam & Ice Cube
Fab 5 (Heltah Skeltah + O.G.C.) – Blah
Fesu – War With No Mercy
Fierce - Crab
Funkmaster Flex - Six Million Ways To Die feat. Nine & Tragedy
Godfather Don – Burn (Remix)
Gova Mattic – Family Day feat. Redman, Tame One, Pace Won, Young Zee, Roz Noble & Runt Dog
Grand Puba - Fat Rat
Hard 2 Obtain - Ism and Blues
Joe Sinistr - Under The Sun
Kilo G. – Release Me feat. Pimp C.
Kool G. Rap & DJ Polo - 2 To The Head feat. Ice Cube, Scarface & Bushwick Bill
Kool G. Rap- Mister Mister
Kool Keith – Yo Black (Buckwild Remix)
Kurious – Mansion And A Yacht feat. Sadat X & Mike G
Leaders of The New School – Classic Material (Diamond D Remix)
LL Cool J - Crime Stories
Lord Finesse – Shorties Kaught In The System
Mac Dre - California Livin
Mac Mall - Let's Get A Telly
Main Source - Set It Off feat. The LOX
Mase - Drug Wars
Masta Ace – The B Side feat. Paula Perry & Lord Digga
MC Serch - Back To The Grill (Remix) feat. Chub Rock, Red Hot Lover Tone, Nas & O.C.
Mean Green – L.A. Finest feat. Mykill Miers
MF Grimm- So Watcha Want Nigga
Mic Geronimo - Three Stories High feat. Royal Flush
Mobb Deep - First Day of Spring feat. Tragedy Khadafi
Mobb Deep- Cop Hell (DJ Premier Remix)
Money Boss Players - What U Sayin
Nas - Street Dreams (K-Def Remix)
Naughty By Nature - It's On (Beatnuts Remix)
Nine - Me, Myself, and My Microphone
N-Tense – Raise The Levels of The Boom
Nubian Crackers – Do You Wanna Hear It? feat. The Artifacts
O.C. - Born To Live (DJ Eclipse Remix)
Omnisence - Touch Ya'll feat. Sadat X
ONYX - Purse Snatchaz Part 2 feat. Smoothe Da Hustler & Trigga Tha Gambler
Penthouse Players Clique - P.S. Phuk U 2 feat. DJ Quik & Eazy-E
Planet Asia – Full Course Meal
Private Investigators - Mash Up The Mic (Remix)
Rahsheed - Industrypartybumrusha
Ras Kass - Music Business feat. Xzibit
Real Live - The Turnaround (Remix) feat. Tragedy and Capone
Saafir - Light Sleeper (OG Mix)
Sadat X – Escape From New York feat. Pete Rock & Deda
Sadat X - Lump Lump (Nubian Remix) feat. Grand Puba & Lord Jamar
Sham and The Professor So-Low-Ist (Kenny Dope Remix)
Shorty Long- Shorty Doing His Own Thang
Shyheim – Licka Shot
South Central Cartel – West Coast Gangsta Team feat. Spice 1, Ice T, MC Eiht & 2Pac
Strictly Roots - Begs No Friends (Remix) feat. Fat Joe & Grand Puba
Tasc 4orce – Takin’ No Shorts
Tha Alkaholiks - Relieve Yourself (O.G. Version
The Artifacts - It's Getting Hot (K-Def Remix)
The Artifacts – Who I Am
The Beatnuts – Hellraiser (Remix)
The Roots – Proceed III feat. Bahamadia
Top Quality – Magnum Opus
Tragedy Khadafi - Street Life (Return of The Life)
Trendz of Culture - Off & On (Lord Finesse Remix)
Trendz of Culture - Who Got My Back (Remix) feat Method Man & Treach
UGK - It's Suppose To Bubble
Ultramagnetic MC’s – Raise It Up (Remix)
Yaggfu Front - Slappin' Suckas Silly (Diamond D Remix) feat. Diamond D
Young Zee - Stay Gold feat. Lauryn Hill
YZ - When The Road Is Covered In Snow

 

Friday 5 February 2010

The Soft Pack - S/T (2010)


 This is the first release from the U.S. military outpost based band under their new name The Soft Pack, after they buckled under media pressure to change their name from 'The Muslims'. The album is up on Spotify and the standout track on my first listen was probably 'Pull Out', which sounds kinda like a softer Misfits song, especially in the vocal department. I came across a sweet live video of them on Vimeo and the song sounded much rawer than on the album and even better for it. I'll have to listen to the album a few more times before making my mind up, but the first listen flew by, with the albums ten tracks clocking in at under 30 minutes.I'm left with the thought after the first listen that whilst it's a pretty fun listen, I don't know if it's anything special. But maybe after a few more listens my opinion will change.

Rate You Music link


The Soft Pack 'Pull Out' from Felipe Lima on Vimeo.




Thursday 4 February 2010

The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band - Will the Circle Be Unbroken (1972)

 

The basic idea at the heart of this album was to unite old country and bluegrass greats with 1972 and in doing so, forming 'a new Circle' between two generations of musicians. The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band started out in 1965 and released their self-titled debut in 1967 which, although probably their weakest album, would help pave the way for country-rock.Their initial line-up also included Jackson Browne. The band released 5 more albums between 1967 and 1972, when they released what would be their crowning achievement. 
For this album the band enlisted the help of some of their heros and subsequently recorded songs with legends such as 'Mother' Maybelle Carter, Doc Watson and Earl Scruggs. All of the album's 105minutes worth of tracks were recorded on either their first or second take and helps not only prove the just how skilled the players involved were, but also helped create a loose feel that allows you to feel like you were there. This was also amplified by the inclusion of dialog between the musicians at the start of many of the tracks. All conversation at the sessions was recorded and really adds to the album's charm. 

"My policy in the studio is that once you to do a number, put everything you've got into it and don't say, 'Well, we can always do it over.' Let's do it right the first time and to hell with the rest." 
Roy Acuff

The songs on the album were all covers of old tradtional songs or covers of songs written by the likes of Carter and Scruggs. This album should be in every record collection and if you're only going to own one country album, this isn't a bad choice!



Wednesday 3 February 2010

SAMPLED: Fat Joe/Raekwon/Atmosphere & The East St.Louis Gospelettes - Have Mercy On Me

I've been listening to the SAMPLE SET  I posted earlier and as soon as the sample for 'Have Mercy' came on I instantly recognised it. Not only was The East St.Louis Gospelettes' song used for Raekwon's 'Have Mercy', but Fat Joe's classic 'Crack Attack' and Atmosphere's 'Say Hey There' also use it. Whilst Fat Joe's track uses the opening piano, the other two use the same part of the song. Here's the original:

1968...A Spotify Playlist

Following the 1970 playlist I posted a couple of weeks back, I decided to compile one for 1968, one of my favourite years in music. I compiled it with the help of Rate Your Music, a site that I came across only recently and is basically an IMDB for music. You can select a year or decade and look at the top rated albums. It's so much more rewarding than the usual magazine/blog lists you read, as it actually involves the general public. It's by no means perfect, but the lists for each particular year are excellent and I've found some great new music using them. I know everybody doesn't have Spotify, but it's the only software that allows the creation of lists like this and it's easy enough to get an invite for if you look around. Or pay for it, as it's well worth the money! For those of you that do, stick the playlist on shuffle, sit back and enjoy! Or, just take a look at the list!

                                 Open 1968 Playlist in Spotify

Sigur Rós frontman Jónsi's solo album - Go (2010)

 

Sigur Rós frontman, Jónsi, recently announced that his debut solo album, 'Go', will be out 5th April. The first single is 'Go Do' and it kinda reminds me of a Joanna Newsom song mixed with a little Animal Collective. The official video is due to be unveiled sometime this week, but for now here's the track:


Also recently unveiled was 'Boy Lilikoi', a kind of Disneyesque song that also brings to mind Animal Collective. Maybe Disneyesque songs are the new 'new-rave'? Instead of wearing neon colours, people might start rocking animal parts, like ears or a tail? Or maybe just t-shirts with Disney characters on? The track itself sounds pretty cool though. Having said that, both songs still sound very much like Sigur Rós songs, only happier more childlike.


If those two tracks aren't enough, you can also watch 8 behind the scenes videos on Jónsi's website:

SAMPLE SET: Raekwon - Only Built 4 Cuban Linx II (2009)

 
Download the sample set over at:

Only Built 4 Cuban Linx II SAMPLE SET

Tuesday 2 February 2010

Gil Scott-Heron - I'm New Here FREE STREAM

 
I'm only about half way through my first listen of the album and already I'm blown away by how well the different styles work together and just how perfectly they complement Gil's legendary voice. The album jumps from dubstep to folk effortlessly. An early favourite of mine is his cover of Smog's 'I'm New Here', which sounds very Cohenesque. This is surely going to be a comeback up there with Johnny Cash's. The album is due out 8th February.

   

Animal Collective - ODDSAC

Animal Collective recently premiered their 'visual album' at Sundance, which is directed by Danny Perez. I have no idea what to expect, but for any fans of Animal Collective this is surely a must see!

http://www.oddsac.com/

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1560776/

Joanna Newsom - Have One On Me (2010)



Joanna Newsom is due to release her new ambitious 3CD album, 'Have One On Me', on 23rd February. The first single, ''81', can be listened to at Drag City - see Free Music on the right hand side.

Joanna also recently performed a few new trackswhilst on tour in Australia:





Clutchy Hopkins


Until today I had no idea of the mystery that surrouds the man who produced this amazing funk-jazz hip-hopesque music. I came across a mini documentary and a sightings video on You Tube over on The Perlich Post and after watching them, I can't say I'm any the wiser as to who he is...but it's well worth watching and is posted below.

Is this a great piece of advertising? Or is it for real? I dunno...but I wish more musicians would create such a mystery around themselves, as opposed to getting as much media attention as possible. People have their theories, with ideas ranging from Madlib to a wandering vagabond.

As for the music? Well I've only heard 'Walking Backwards' thus far, but much of the record has an eerie, dark quality to it and feels like night time or a dense fog descending on a harbour, that contains allsorts of evil and you can't help but look. Whilst other moments will take you back to funk greats like The Meters.

I've posted a sample from 'Walking Backwards', which can be heard in full on You Tube and also the Spotify link to 'The Life of Clutchy Hopkins'. Clutchy has also worked with MF DOOM on an album called 'MF Doom Meets Clutchy Hopkins', which apparently was a promo CD given away with copies of 'The Life of...' In addition to this he has released 3 more collabos...2 with Shawn Lee and one with Lord Kenjamin.

Anyway, watch the videos below, buy his albums and make up your own mind. I promise you won't be disappointed!

http://www.ubiquityrecords.com/

http://www.misledchildren.com/

http://clutchyhopkins.blogspot.com/

http://www.myspace.com/whoisclutchyhopkins








Monday 1 February 2010

SAMPLED: DJ Premier & G-Depp - Head Over Wheels/Tom Browne - Charisma

A perfect slice of late night hip-hop off DJ Premier's 'New York Reality Check 101' from 1998. I'm not totally sure who produced this track, as this album is a mixtape put together by Premier and remixes of the various songs. Whoever produced it basically took the best part of the original, looped it and ended up with a really laid back groove for G-Depp to work with.



Rocking Horse People


According to the band themselves, Rocking Horse People sound like a "a bubblin' psychedelic crude." Their top friends on My Space include The Stevenson Ranch Davidians, The Quarter After, The Brian Jonestown Massacre and Spindrift and the band's influences range from Gram Parsons to Radiohead. Through that all in a blender and you have the recipe for a great band. Check out the videos below and listen to to the songs they have on their My Space page! As of yet, the band are unsigned and I only hope that someone snaps them up and that they release an album sometime soon!



CLASSIC ALBUMS: The Band


I came across this film over on When You Awake and have never seen it before, so I thought I'd post the first clip up here. It's a 5 parter, so just visit the clip on You Tube to see the rest. This is one of my favourite albums of all time and I always return to it year after year. Enjoy!

Fashawn - Boy Meets World (2009)

I've heard this guys name mentioned a lot over the past year, but up until today hadn't got round to listening to it. I was first attracted to it after learning that Exile had produced the whole album and being a fan of his work on his own 'Below the Heavens' (Blu & Exile) I knew I'd like this album, if only for the production. The album has a classic rap feel to it, harking back to the days of early Common albums and the likes of Kweli and Black Star, but feels fresh and modern. I've not seen a full sample list yet, but samples I spotted include Black Star, Ice Cube, Talib Kweli, Barry White, Billy Paul ('Samsonite Man' samples his cover of Dylan's 'Don't Think Twice, It's Alright'), The Doors ('Breathe' samples 'Yes, The River Knows')and the most surprising of all, Joanna Newsom ('When She Calls' samples 'Cosmia').

Listen to 'Boy Meets World' on Spotify



VIDEO OF THE WEEK: Ghostface Killah - Daytona 500

CLASSIC!

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