Classic crate-diggers will always love sifting through cluttered piles of records in the back of a nameless bookstore looking for that rare 12-inch gem. For those who have converted to the new methods - UK based DJ History launches their 'rare online music store' today.
The site, which sells downloads of rare vinyl tracks, claims to "do the digging, so you don't have to".
"We'll never be as big as iTunes, but we'll always be more interesting. The store is aimed at DJs, music geeks and anyone who wants great, unknown music,"
Dallas legend Erkyah Badu is set to win a MTV VMA award for Best Direction for her "Honey" video. Great song and classic video!
Kanye West and Jay-Z are releasing their new singles via download in the next few days. Kanye's "Swagger Like Us" feat. Jay-Z, T.I. and Lil Wayne has already leaked to the webs.
Video: Radiohead's entire live performance set from The Santa Barbara Webcast!
Video: Hip Hop artist Consequence Interview & Freestyle. Cons gives the scoop on his growing online celebrity status.
Free download: OJayZis: Jay-Z vs. Oasis. The mixtape takes the vocals from some of Jay's greatest hits and matches them with the beats and choruses from various Oasis records. Download here.
I was zoning out while eating tonight, when suddenly the Marvin Gaye tune "I Want You" started bouncing around my dome. That's actually a pretty common occurrence. It's easily one of my favorite songs - never get sick of it.
I remembered that somewhere along the line I had seen a documentary that had a clip of him laying on a couch and singing it while rehearsing with his band, trying to figure out the arrangement.
I remember being pretty blown away at how cool the rehearsal sounded and hearing the song stripped down without the lush strings and brass that were so integral to the version that ended up on the album of the same name.
"I bet I could find that on YouTube," I said to myself, while ignoring my family and picking a piece of roast beef out of my teeth.
It took me all of ten seconds to find it once I got on my computer. So frickin' cool.
I love you, oh Lord of technology and interstrong. You also make porn completely feasible, if that's indeed the way someone wishes to spend their time.
They are one of the best live bands I've ever seen. As soon as I know when they're rolling through, we'll let you know too.
And if you're into the trippy, textured, psychedelic downtempo groove - check out Grupo guitarist/producer AQ's side project Ocote Soul Sounds with Martin Perna of Antibalas fame.
He's definitely my all-time favorite undersized 4. Check out the clips and vintage pics.
My favorite LJ story was from the Dr. Pepper tourney his senior year at Skyline when Woodrow had a three-on-one fastbreak and pulled out to set up a play because LJ was the one.
Now that's intimidation! He really did look like a pro middle linebacker goofing around with jr. high kids.
Speaking of noted sneaker activist Bobbito, this seems like a nice spot to segue into a Kixpo reminder. It's on and poppin' at the end of this month and this year's version includes a 3-on-3 tourney. Me, Benny and Norm are gonna smash MFer's.
But do make plans to post up all weekend. Last year's was great success...
My homie Rerog turned me onto a post over at Soul Strut about a German DJ searching for classic Afrikan funk records and a filmmaker following him around to make a doc happen.
As is this way with most internet forum threads, dudes start throwing rocks at each other and that has nothing to do with why I'd post this.
I'm the demo here and I figured some of you might be too. It most definitely looks/sounds good to me.
If you want to get some of this sound in your life, dig Frank's blog.
Keeping the Wu-Tang theme flowing, here's a look at an upcoming documentary based on the now deceased O.D.B aka Ason Unique. It's being edited by his brother so there should be some rare behind the scenes stories about the crazy Bastard. *Language Warning*
This limited edition 12" is a classic, roots-styled joint originally recorded in 1979 and is issued with the full 6-minute plus discomix version that was so popular at the time.
If you aren't familiar, that basically means that halfway through the tune it gives way to the dub treatment, which is nice and smoked out. And since we're just bringing you a snippet, we don't make it that far so you'll have to order it to get the full hit.
I'm a big fan of the 33 1/3 series, those little books in which authors dissect one album for about 125 pages. Hip-hop isn't particularly well represented (Yo Sal, why you got no brothers on the wall), but I picked up a nice one over the weekend: Shawn Taylor's very personal appreciation of Tribe's People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm. He puts the album in the context of where hip-hop was in 1990, and he also conveys the sonic escape of music when your mom's new boyfriend is going Ike Turner on her.
Bobbito Garcia is one of my favorite humans on the planet. He's literally at the forefront of so many of the things I hold near and dear in this world.
He's also been mad cool to me and Benny. He's jumped on the air with us and always shown love on the rare occassions we get to see him in person.
Oh Word has long been one of my favorite spots for hip-hop obsession. Here's one example why: Dan Love has posted a sick track-by-track beats-'n-samples deconstruction of Nas' Illmatic - a hip-hop Holy Grail album by any measure - complete with MP3's. Check it out here.
While bouncin' around YouTube today, I stumbled across post after post of funk gem goodness. It occurred to me that perhaps I should spread some of the good word over this way.
Here's an early 80's DC classic from Trouble Funk. There really is minimal separation between early hip-hop and go-go/funk from that time period - they just kept smashin' into each other.
The retro stoner rock thing is not a particularly new recycling.
Wolfmother has already been jocked rather vigorously for jacking riffs from the Tony Iommi catalog. And they do it well. I almost bought a bong last year to go with my Wolfmother download. But since it was a digital puchase and I wouldn't have an album cover to break the weed up on, I just drank a red bull and rode a stationary bike instead. Getting old is awesome - you just feel so free.
Where was I?
Oh yes - I caught two revivalists at Ausin last weekend at SXSW. One was great success and the other one struck me as a bit.
Another of the bands generating crazy buzz in Austin was Chi-Town's the Cool Kids. They got a love for wild styles, vintage flavors and drum machine-heavy, raw-dog analog goodness. It's all flavor.
As opposed to having one endless rambling recap of what I did/saw/heard while at SXSW, I'll just try and post several individual endless rambling recaps over the next couple of days that I felt like were worth my efforts.
And without a doubt, the most memorable part of the trip was my White Denim experience.
I'm headin to Austin tomorrow morning for SXSW. If you're goin' and need to know about the hip-hop bidness, then hit up our homie Matt Sonzala's blog.
I'll try and post, but let's be realistic - probably ain't happenin'.
Ben, 'Lano and the boys got you 'til I get back. And make sure and check out the great Dan McDowell tomorrow night doing PG duties with Ben after the Bobcats game.
The last time Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings rolled through town they played the Gypsy for about 25 or so real heads. So I was really amped that a whole gang of folks turned out at the Granada last Sunday night to boogie. SJ & crew fought through some early monitor issues to bring it together and make it a memorable evening.
I've known Headkrack for a long-ass time now -- like 15 years or summin' like that. I've done shows with him, recorded and produced him, been at freestyle sessions with him, and even spoke on a panel at a hip-hop event with him.
So I feel like I can say with 100% certainty that I know this dude embodies everything I love about hip-hop. Why I still care about it, why I still write about it and why I still make it.
The passion he has for it is still all there and it's impossible not to be sparked by that. I know that sounds like some corny BS, but it's real. I've never been in a situation in which he was involved that I didn't leave feeling inspired by him in some way to go and create something.
Dude is a catalyst.
Peep the technique. This went down at the Speak Up event:
Comments (0)
