Track of the Week

Trying to keep within the current cultural themes, and seeing as the Germans are doing such a splendid job hosting the World Cup, this weeks’ track is from a German hip-hop producer… Comfort Fit.

Comfort Fit - The Hunt
>> download <<
This download is a sample of the music only and must be deleted from your computer within 24 hours of downloading. This download link will expire on 7th July.

This track is a chilled, yet funky, instrumental hop-hop track.  It reminded me a bit of Madlib and perhaps The Herbaliser.  Really nice use of strings and wood - plus you can’t forget about those funky drums.  Good summer track, jazzy and relaxed, but still kickin’ it.

Comfort Fit is a producer of the music known as hip-hop and he is from Germany.  He is currently signed to Tokyo Dawn Records, a netlabel established in 97 to help promote opensource music.  As such, and ordinarlily, you’d be able to download the complete album that The Hunt is from, Forget and Remember LP, for free - but the Tokyo Dawn Records site is currently down.  The site should be back up soon enough, but until then you can just enjoy the track I uploaded.

Useful links:

• Download - Comfort Fit - The Hunt
• Tokyo Dawn Records

Interview with Raze

As many of you will by now know, I do like to help spread the word of lesser-known artists. I mean after all, talent is talent, regardless of its incarnation. So today I bring you an interview with Raze, a hip-hop producer from England’s Midlands. We discussed his roots, the journey music has taken him on so far, and also the new release from the duo he is half of; Raze N Lava Flo. Here’s what was said…

Gav: Thanks for sparing the time to speak with me. Do you want to first of all explain who you are and what you do?

Raze: I’m Raze Brooks, one half of the Birmingham/Tamworth based duo Raze N Lava Flo, primarily a hip-hop producer, but was known for emceeing - back in the day.

G: Ah back-in-the-day! So, how have your exploits as an emcee brought you to where you are today? What’s different now to back then?

R: Back in the day hip-hop was something special, that if you we’re into, you felt like you owned a part of it. There wasn’t that much exposure of hip-hop in the media, so you had to go and dig for the latest tunes, you we’re reliant on only a few sources of information on which artists had albums/singles dropping you had to read Hip Hop Connection, stay up and catch the Big Beat/ National Fresh. Plus there wasn’t many people doing it back then, now everybody’s an emcee.

G: So did there come a point when you thought “actually, I wanna give producing a go”?

R: I started spittin’ in 89, just rhyming over instrumentals, I could play the keyboard anyway, and that was something that my parents insisted on, that I learn how to play a musical instrument. Back in those days there was; myself, M’add Archer, Wordsworth, Craig D & Dynamic Ammo, rhyming in Tamworth and nobody was producing. In 91 I copped a keyboard and started making dreadful sounding beats that everybody laughed at (think early West Coast but a hundred times worse).

However I carried on, copped an old Akai sampler and things started moving from there. I did a few things with the late Edwin Starr, met some guys at college who were into digging and formed a trio with them, then broke out solo.

G: That’s fair enough. So how did Raze N Lava Flo come about?

R: I was friends with DJ Cro and he introduced me to Lava in Massive Records in Birmingham. Cro said “you’re a producer, she’s a singer, lets do something.” Initially it was meant to be a trio, but he was busy with his radio show, “Deadline and Sonny Jim”, so it was left to the two of us.

G: Explain your sound, and perhaps what you are trying to achieve stylistically, with Raze N Lava Flo.

R: Well from a purely instrumental point of view I make hip-hop tunes. My main inspiration comes from hip-hop producers like; Pete Rock, Large Professor, Diamond D, De La Soul, A Tribe Called Quest, etc…

But I’m also into a lot of other styles like DnB, old soul like; Al Green, Brothers Johnson, Stevie Wonder, and some house and disco. But I was also a big fan of the old school British hip-hop like; Gunshot, Blade, Killa Instinct, Hijack, Two Tone Committee, Katch 22.

G: What about Lava Flo? Not to want to make you speak on her behalf, but what are her tastes and influences, and how does that transcribe into the Raze N Lava Flo sound?

R: She’s into all the same stuff as I am, but also a big fan of more left-field stuff like; Boards of Canada, Kate Bush, Mo Wax, Ninja Tune, Warp, Jill Scot, Dwele, Amp Fiddler, Trojan. She’s a lot more spiritual than I am. I’m very pragmatic as a matter of fact.

G: I see. So when it comes to creating the music, do you just create the beats and then say “put some vocals on that”? Or is the whole process more of a team effort?

R: With this album that’s how 80% of it was done, however the Coffeehouse was something that Lava started, then bought it round to my gaff to put some drums on it and mix it. Plus the remix of Wherever You Go was done by myself and keyboard player Paul Osborne, to fit around her vocals.

However, I sometimes make changes in the arrangement to gel the song together after the vocals are finished.

G: As a producer, and one half of a duo, in the Midlands, what are your biggest frustrations with the industry and trying to break through?

R: I think the biggest problem any new artist has got is just getting people to take time to listen, I’ve found once they do, well with this album the feedback has been positive.

G: Exposure, I’m sure that’s a major obstacle indeed. You’ve mentioned an album, I understand that it has recently been completed. Tell me about the album and when it will be available.

R: The album is called “It’s Not Just About Roses” by Raze N Lava Flo, it’s available now via the paypal account on our MySpace page, plus in record stores across the UK. We’ve also got distribution sorted in Japan, Australia, New Zealand, and Germany.

Sonically I would say it’s hip-hop soul.

G: Naturally your own sound is your own, but if you had to say that the album sounded at all in parts like any other well known artists, which names might you mention?

R: I would say personally somewhere between Pete Rock & Massive Attack. Unfinished Sympathy being my favourite tune ever, and Pete Rock being my favourite producer.

G: It’s funny you should mention those names, as listening to the tracks on your MySpace page, those were the names that popped into my head! So, what’s in the future for Raze N Lava Flo?

R: We’ve got a band together; we got a bassist, tabla player, beatboxer, two backing vocalists, and a keyboard player. We’re doing gigs to promote it, we’ve had a few spins on Galaxy.

G: That sounds promising, good luck with that and also good luck with the latest album. I really do appreciate you taking the time out to speak to me. Are there any shout-outs you want to make or messages to give the readers?

R: First I gotta give a big shout to Lava Flo, who has made such a big commitment to the group and the label. Then; Semantix, Lokjaw, Canedrive, MC Serch, Blade, Akua Naru, Keaton, Sonny Jim, DJ Cro, Frantic Motionz, Deadline, and all the other people who I’m working with on new material.

And people like; yourself, Madrox, Tricksta, HHb radio, Lunatix, Andy at HHC, Eastern Eye, all the journos who have put their reps on the line pushing our stuff, oh yeah can’t forget Wigs, Debb & Vee.

G: Cool. Thanks again for your time.

Raze was also kind enough to send me over a track from the Raze N Lava Flo album, the title track of the same name; It’s Not Just About Roses…

Raze N Lava Flo - It’s Not Just About Roses
>> download <<
This download is a sample of the music only and must be deleted from your computer within 24 hours of downloading. This download link will expire on 6th July.

I’m certain we’ll be hearing more from Raze N Lava Flo in the future, but don’t forget to check out their MySpace page, add yourself to their friends list, and let them know what you think of their tracks.

Useful links:

• Raze N Lava Flo MySpace page
• Download - Raze N Lava Flo - It’s Not Just About Roses

What The Fook Happened to…

…White Town?!

Your Woman was the one-hit-wonder in 1997 for pop outfit White Town. I remember hearing the track on the radio and thinking “I like this!”, but alas, it was one of those situations where I continually failed to grab the name of the artist and the track’s name. But eventually I did get those precious nuggets of info, and 13-year-old me strolled into the record shop to buy the CD single. The track went to number one in the UK charts on 7th January and received seriously heavy doses of radio airplay. But, whatever happened to White Town? Who were they?

White Town was (and still is!) Jyoti Mishra, Born in India, but raised in the UK since he was just three years old. White Town was an electro-pop act playing out of Derby since the late 80s, but a chance discovery by then Radio One DJ Mark Radcliffe, suddenly turned low-key to over-night fame. One thing led to another and then White Town signed to EMI/Chrysalis in late 96 and the track was released at the beginning of 97.

The track Your Woman seemed to have the right components for the charts, at the right time. Read Jyoti’s interesting FAQ with regards to the track here. Perhaps it was chance, or perhaps it was a stroke of genius, but the mixture of electro samples and catchy vocals really paid dividends. Check out the track for yourself here…

White Town - Your Woman
>> download <<
This download is a sample of the music only and must be deleted from your computer within 24 hours of downloading. This download link will expire on 5th July.

You can also view the video here on youtube.

Thinking back I can see where perhaps history has repeated itself. Remember that Levi’s jeans advert on the moon about a spaceman? That went on to be a serious one hit wonder for Babylon Zoo. The track Spaceman was ALSO an electro pop affair. Sadly for Babylon Zoo, the ultra catchy high pitched chorus (as heard on the advert) was the only catchy thing to come from them. And, as we all know, a key element to succesful pop music is creating catchy tunes.

But, as stated on his blog, Jyoti isn’t bitter about the way things went. Seemingly not too long after his album release it all turned a bit sour and EMI were eager to part company with him, but even that short lived success then enabled Jyoti to create his own ‘proper’ studio and continue working where he left off before his stint with fame. A classic quote from Jyoti, which really relates to how often the pop industry can be fooled; This song is also a minute too long for radio (according to major label A&R rules), not well-produced (according to Warners) and “too clever” for “average pop buyers.” - The full written article about White Town’s falling out with the pop industry (from 97) can be found here.

Anyway, as for the present and future, a new White Town album has been completed, although none of the finer details are available yet. You can catch Jyoti on last.fm as well as the White Town blog and his own personal blog.

So, anyone remember this track?!

Useful links:

• White Town website
• Jyoti Mishra’s blog
• last.fm
• Download - White Town - Your Woman
• youtube Your Woman video

Attack of The Bits & Pieces

It’s nearly July already - where does the time go?! Anyway, some news snippets and cynical comments from yours truly today, I guess. I’ll mix it up a bit by chucking in a few recommendations too…

Grandaddy’s Jason Lytle is going on a solo tour, performing tracks from the bands’ farewell album Just Like The Fambly Cat. It will be an acoustic tour spanning 13 dates across America. The dates run from 18th July to the 12th August.

Claydes ‘Charles’ Smith, the co-founder of soul group Kool & The Gang has sadly passed away aged 57 in New Jersey. His long suffering illness had forced him to stop touring in January of this year, although the details of his death are currently not clear. RIP.

JJ72 are to split. The group cite record company issues as the reasoning. So, 11 years they were together - they went from unknowns to cult indie-rock underground legends. They were definitely a love them or hate them kind of band, but now are no more. Apparently singer Mark Greaney is working on a new project, but no news from the other two members.

Smile the new track from Lily Allen is available to purchase on iTunes UK as of today. So, if you like it, you want it, go get it.

Uh oh, here comes the cynical bit, and once more it is aimed Gnarls “gimme all your money” Barkley. What the fook is up with buying music videos off iTunes?! Do people really do this? I guess if you have more money than sense and one of those fancy iPods that does the videos, then good for you. But seriously, how long is it gonna be before I get a MySpace bulletin from Gnarls Barkley telling me I can now buy Gnarls Barkley underpants? These guys don’t miss a trick.

Like Boards Of Canada? Maybe you’ll like The Tilted Head Of Compassion, an electronica group from sunny Greenland. Check them out here… http://www.myspace.com/thetiltedheadofcompassion

Don’t forget that the Cadence album Creative Commerce is out now on Domination Recordings. I posted up a review the other day, you can read it here - quality chilled hip-hop, the way it’s meant to be.  If you liked the Raw Produce album The Feeling of Now, you’ll love this.  It’s generally gonna be loved by anyone who likes the more chilled, soulful, laid-back, hip-hop.  Don’t miss it!

I’ll finish up by sharing a trip-hop track by a chap I know by the name of Daniel Pate. The track is called Remember Me and got A LOT of plays on my laptop last year. Check out the track here and Dan’s MySpace page here.

Useful links:

• Lily Allen MySpace
• The Tilted Head Of Compassion MySpace
• Cadence MySpace
• Daniel Pate MySpace
• Download - Daniel Pate - Remember Me

Nitin Sawhney

Today I want to tell you about Nitin Sawhney, and it's such a colourful story to tell. Nitin Sawhney; born and raised in Rochester, Kent. Studied law at Liverpool University. Created popular sitcom Goodness Gracious Me. Then joined the James Taylor Quartet and later worked with Talvin Singh, before finally launching himself as a solo artist. All of this by 1993. So there's Nitin's roots for you in an extremely condensed fashion! Now about his music…

Nitin Sawhney is a pioneer of the Asian Underground sound, but asides from his cultural backgrounds his sound is both diverse and eclectic. He's a producer, a DJ, and even a composer. To date he has scored over 25 films, not to mention music for adverts and television programmes. He is both a flamenco guitarist and a classical/jazz pianist, and to date has released eight albums…

• Philtre (2005)
• All Mixed Up (2004)
• Human (2003)
• Prophesy (2001)
• Beyond Skin (1999)
• Displacing The Priest (1996)
• Migration (1995)
• Spirit Dance (1994)

Words cannot really describe the sounds of Nitin Sawhney. To hear his music is to experience it. Nitin merges sounds from many cultures in both classical and cinematic terms. One minute you can be listening to a drum 'n' bass breakdown, and the next a classical piece. His songs tell stories and are usually bearing a very political emphasis. Nitin has been very outspoken with his views towards culture, community, and in particular immigration and awareness - all of this shows through his musical work. One would expect that Nitin's music wouldn't seem half as powerful if it was not driven by his passions and morals.

I can return to each of the aforementioned albums time and again, they are all beautiful, but I do have some favourite tracks, such as; Falling Angels, Nadia, Immigrant, Serpents, and Say Hello. Give Falling Angels (taken from Human) a taster here..

Nitin Sawhney - Falling Angels
>> download <<
This download is a sample of the music only and must be deleted from your computer within 24 hours of downloading. This download link will expire on 3rd July.

I don't think there will ever be a time when the track Falling Angels doesn't make the hair on my arms and the back of my neck stand on end. It truly is a beautiful track. The classical strings, the acoustic guitar, the chilling vocals, and the steady drums. Just listen to it.

The thing with an artist like Nitin Sawhney is that in a world obsessed with pigeon-holing people, he just cant be pigeon-holed that easily. But, that doesn't mean people haven't tried, and he has gone on record as saying he really does not appreciate the tag world-music. And I agree - it seems like a cop-out, it's almost a form of prejudice. To suggest that an artist not making familiar music, but using eastern samples and creative arrangements, would deem it world-music, is either ignorant or desperate - but to be fair, probably a mixture of the two. Brings us back to the discussion of the relative need for genres and tags. Of course it is very helpful to know my hip-hop from my rock by sections and files, but sometimes, in certain cases, I think a bit more effort is needed to 'label' music. So, what would I say it was? Progressive orchestral electronica? Maybe sometimes. The conundrum remains.

Nitin has had his work remixed by many very highly acclaimed artists over the years, some of which are; 4hero, MJ Cole, and Talvin Singh. But, as a producer and DJ, he has also remixed or produced other peoples' work, like; Jeff Beck, Lamb, Robert Miles, and Sinead O'Connor. The 2004 album All Mixed Up was actually a compilation of Nitin Sawhney tracks that were remixed by other artists.

For me the ultimate attraction to Nitin's music is the cinematic element and the raw passion felt through his music. It truly does feel like a journey, an experience. Everyone, regardless of tastes, should listen to at least one Nitin Sawhney album all the way through. Check out the fantastic track Homelands (from Beyond Skin)…

Nitin Sawhney - Homelands
>> download <<
This download is a sample of the music only and must be deleted from your computer within 24 hours of downloading. This download link will expire on 3rd July.

Like I said before, it's difficult to pigeon-hole an artist such as Nitin Sawhney, but as far as comparisons go, I guess you could find hints of the following in his music; The Cinematic Orchestra, Massive Attack, Nightmares On Wax, and 4hero - but just think along quite an orchestral line, although Nitin's sound does tend to vary from track to track, so you'll be bound to hear lots of different influences for yourself.

Useful links:

• Website
• Wikipedia
• last.fm
• Download - Nitin Sawhney - Falling Angels
• Download - Nitin Sawhney - Homelands

Unearthing MySpace Gems

It's that time again. Five more pages for you to peruse and abuse. Quick recap for those not in the know… all of the artists and groups I feature have one thing (at least) in common; all have had less than 10,000 page-views. If you know of any artists on MySpace, with less than that many page-views, that you think I should feature, please let me know. Also, as a side note, I've now set up a MySpace page specifically for this blog, you can find it here… http://www.myspace.com/jlmblog

DJ Coz/Sky Cycle - http://www.myspace.com/canedrive

This DJ/Producer is from the Midlands in the UK, he lists his genres as electronica/hip-hop/trip-hop, and… his music is beautiful. Coz's music would not be out of place on a label like Ninja Tune, Grand Central, or Warp. For a guy that grew up with Brit-rock he's certainly come a very long way! Listening to Coz's tracks I could sense a lot of influences from other artists, but I wasn't able to categorically put my finger on them - and to be honest I'm pleased about that - shows how unique he is. Every track on the page is fantastic in its own way really, so make sure you check out each; Horns At The Ready, Poise, Gospel, No Regret.

Sound Of Seventy Three - http://www.myspace.com/soundofseventythree

What can I say? I'm a real sucker for the Explosions In The Sky type sound. Even if I'm not overly in awe of some of the artists listed in So73's influences box, or even the fact they've listed their genres as indie/alternative/shoegaze - that all goes out the window, cos it's about their sound. So73 are Doug, Mike, Jeremy, and Matt, an acoustic band playing out of Atlanta, Georgia. Just two tracks on their page at the moment; Autobots, and The Great Rest - both are fantastic. If you like your instrumental rock, you have to check these guys out.

Lama - http://www.myspace.com/lamamusic

Those Norwegians eh?! Lama is Nils Martin Larsen from Oslo - an electronica producer with a tasty blend of Jaga Jazzist, Xploding Plastix, and Sigur Ros, to his sound. Just two tracks to check out on his page at the moment; Innocent Bystander, and Disruptive. Something I can really appreciate from Lama's music is the almost cinematic feel to his electronica creations - I'm very eager to hear more material, but if the two tracks on his page are anything to go by, then they will be fantastic for sure.

Morning Theft - http://www.myspace.com/amthief

And now for some IDM. Sy Ashdown is Morning Theft, an alternative/electronica/IDM producer from Bristol in the UK. Sy uses guitar, bass, synth, melodica, harmonica, and percussion, to create his fantastic electronica tracks. Four great tracks on his page currently, and my particular fav at the moment is the beautiful Panda Girl In Tokyo - also be sure to check out Morning Theft's remix of the Massive Attack track Teardrop.

Lightspeed Future Lullaby - http://www.myspace.com/lightspeedfuturelullaby

Two Bristolians in one blog entry?! Although this one came via London originally. I'm talking about David Griffiths, aka Lightspeed Future Lullaby, a down-tempo electronica producer. There's a certain Animal Collective (the less rocky tracks)/Boards of Canada feel to David's sound, yet it all keeps with the subtle down-tempo flavour that David has in his tracks. I guess the clue is in the name… Lullaby. I was particularly taken with the track Jackie, but essentially what Lightspeed Future Lullaby offers is a fantastic down-tempo listening experience. Don't miss out.

So, there's your five for this week. A distinct tilt on electronic artists for this one, So73 aside. Don't despair hip-hop fans, there's always next week! Anyway, please take the time to explore each of this weeks pages and leave them some feedback - don't forget to let me know what you think, too!

Useful links:

• DJ Coz/Sky Cycle
• Sound Of Seventy Three
• Lama
• Morning Theft
• Lightspeed Future Lullaby

Chill The Folk Out!

It's Saturday, so let's kick back, relax, and get some folking action in the form of The Chapin Sisters. Sick of the daily stress and rigours of nine-to-five life? Tough shit, but the music from the trio that are The Chapin Sisters, might take your mind off such trauma for a while.

This trio, originally from New York but now living in Los Angeles, are; Abigail, Lily, and Jessica - three real-life sisters, that have been together as a band for about 18 months. Here's the trivia though… they all have the same mother, Bonnie Chapin, but Abigail and Lily are daughters of folk singer Tom Chapin, whereas Jessica's father is film director Wes Craven.

They are undoubtedly a folk group, and have drawn comparisons to Cat Power, as well as other famous folky acts. If you visit their MySpace page there are four tracks to listen too, all in a similar folky vein, but one track that really caught my attention was their fantastic cover of the Britney Spears track Toxic. Give it a try here…

The Chapin Sisters - Toxic
>> download <<
This download is a sample of the music only and must be deleted from your computer within 24 hours of downloading. This download link will expire on 1st July.

They are currently working on their first full LP, but you can buy their first EP at CD Baby - seven tracks containing the beautiful voices of The Chapin Sisters, over the ever-pleasant folk melodies they produce. This EP includes the previously mentioned cover of Toxic. Give it a listen.

I'm open to most kinds of music, I mean I know what I don't like, but I don't categorically know for sure everything I do like. I know I like to be surprised by certain genres or artists, more so than disappointed, but that's only natural. Anyway, what I'm trying to say is that I was impressed by The Chapin Sisters. It wasn't that I was expecting them to in anyway be bad, but I could have quite easily accepted that I may have been indifferent towards them and their music, but alas, that wasn't to be. They're great and I cant wait till they complete and release their album. As a side note, I hear they are meant to be fantastic live. So if they're ever playing anywhere near you, don't miss it!

Useful links:

• Website
• MySpace
• CD Baby
• Download

Track of the Week

This week has been a strange one, mainly due to my World Cup induced sleep deprevation, but yet here we are, Friday again!  This week the track is from someone I've already recently talked about, but this is a different track to the two I previously put up for download…

Jamie T - So Lonely Was The Ballad
>> download <<
This download is a sample of the music only and must be deleted from your computer within 24 hours of downloading. This download link will expire on 30th June.

This track is really catchy - I'd put money on you learning the lyrics pretty quickly and singing along every time you hear it!  Anyway, enjoy this pop/punk/indie catchy tune from London's very own musical geezer; Jamie T.  I wont ramble on about Jamie T any further, partly cos I'm still ill and tired, and partly cos I already did that the other week… http://jeej.wordpress.com/2006/06/13/jamie-t/

Useful links:

• Jamie T blog entry
• MySpace
• Website

Tired and Ill :-(

I'm feeling tired and ill today. So no 'proper' blog entry for today, I'm afraid. You can blame the World Cup, if you like. Being here in Australia has meant that the games have been live around midnight, 2am, and 5am. And now I have a bloody cold too. I'm never ill, but it must be cos of the sleep loss. How privileged must you feel? You finish checking 300 other more important sites, then think "ah, I'll see what that div-kid is talking bout today", only to find that instead it is me moaning bout being ill and tired! So I'll ramble a bit before falling into bed…

I probably already know a fair share of the people reading this blog (some how or some way), but I doubt I know you all, so feel free to add me to your MySpace (if you have it)… http://www.myspace.com/ghilla - same goes for last.fm really, feel free to add me to your friends list… http://www.last.fm/user/jeej/.

Oh, just a quick note to say 'thanks'… after this blogs' first month of existence it had received over 2000 unique visitors, which I was pretty pleased about - and to think I was thinking no-one would read it - so, thank you very much for that.

On a similar note, I do try to mix it up a bit on the blog, seeing as it is updated daily. I try to feature new artists, share news, feature my favourite artists, and also feature some MySpace pages - but if you have any ideas or suggestions for what I should write about, or you have a specific request, just give me a shout.

Anyone at this point still twiddling their thumbs, ummm, I sometimes take photos, check out my gallery here… http://jeej83.deviantart.com/ - here's one of my latest…

And here is one of my most popular shots…

Anyway, enough of my rambling now, time for some kip! Don't worry, I'll get the train back on track tomorrow.

Useful links:

• MySpace
• last.fm
• deviantART

The Phantom Bits & Pieces

News, news, news, just for you, you ,you. Oh, and probably some cynical commentary from yours truly, as well. As ever, if you have any music related news to share, don't be shy. I don't bite that hard.

Top Of The Pops axed! After 42 years, the BBC's weekly popular music show; Top Of The Pops, has been axed. I probably watched this show quite regularly till I was about 12 years old, but then it was aimed at the youngsters really. I'm not gonna get all sentimental with reasons like "I grew up with TOTP!", cos really, I don't care. Obviously care enough to share the news, but it really is no skin off my nose. The final episode of TOTP will be aired some time this summer. At its most popular point (in the '70s) it was getting around 19 million viewers, which for the UK is phenomenal - but recently viewing figures have been as low as 1 million. Oh well.

Portishead are to release new material for the first time in 9 years. The songs are completed, but no details on an actual release date are available yet. Founding member, Geoff Barrow, described the new material as "weird", but also said "it's nice to think us old gits have a few tunes in us without sounding like coffee table Zero 7/Moby/chill out shit!" - perhaps someone else also wasn't too impressed with the latest Zero 7 album!

I'm not really bothered by this news, but some of you might be - the Arctic Monkeys bassist has left the band. Andy Nicholson had previously blamed his absence on their tour on fatigue. But who knows why he left? He just did. The world goes on.

Madlib has released his own instrumental version of the recent Dudley Perkins album Expressions. It is titled Madlib - The Dudley Perkins "Expressions" Instrumentals. Currently it is only available via iTunes, but with any luck it will come out on all your favourite formats very soon. I'm quite interested in hearing this, as frankly, anything Madlib touches turns to gold - oh, plus the Dudley Perkins album is very good.

Evidence, of Dilated Peoples, has announced he will be releasing a solo album due out March 2007. Nothing quite like giving plenty of notice! Apparently Dilated Peoples have now fulfilled their contract agreements with Capitol Records, and as such Evidence fancied a solo project. The album will be called The Weatherman and the production will mainly be by The Alchemist and Evidence.

Internet sites better watch their backs if they have an mp3 search facility on them. A precedent has been set. The Dutch website zoekmp3.nl has been shut down by a Dutch court, not because it hosts illegal material, but because it hosts links to illegal material. Apparently the court ruled that having a warning on their site, stating that people shouldn't breach copyright laws, wasn't enough as the very reason people would be on their site in the first place was to find illegal material. It would seem the court made this harsh ruling to let the rest of Europe know that they weren't going to let themselves become the European hotbed of internet piracy.

Bloody hell… apparently Namibia are inviting Britney Spears to have her baby in their country, since Angelina Jolie already did the same thing. But it goes a step further than that - the deputy tourism leader of Namibia claims Spears is considering the invitation, although her publicist claims it is false and probably a hoax. The icing on the cake for me is this quote from the deputy tourism fella… "We have a little niche tourism market that we are developing." Absolutely classic!

That'll do you for news. I had a couple of people get back to me bout the festivals they are going to this year, but if anyone else is going to one, let me know - I want to try and get a few reports from different people up on the blog. Should make for interesting reading.

Useful links:

• Stones Throw
• Madlib
• Dilated Peoples

Badly Drawn Boy

Time for another showcase of an artist I've listed to tonnes, according to last.fm. Today it is Badly Drawn Boy - last.fm states that I've listened to him 477 times since 8th February 2005. But what can I tell you bout this English singer/songwriter? I can tell you this…

Badly Drawn Boy is the alter-ego of Damon Gough, a 36 year old singer/songwriter from Manchester. Essentially his music is indie rock, and somewhere along the line I became to really like it. I'm a fussy bastard when it comes to any form of rock music, but there are certain artists and bands I like - but Badly Drawn Boy… I like a lot.

Some time in the mid-to-late '90s BDB happened to meet Andy Votel at a bar in Manchester, Votel was DJing, one thing led to another and now they are married and have two kids. Actually they didn't and they don't, but they did start the label Twisted Nerve and quickly released two EPs, imaginatively named; EP1 and EP2. These EPs went on to become a sort of underground legend and only 500 copies were pressed. Apparently if they are seen on eBay, they go for quite a bit of money.

To date BDB has released four full albums, these are;

• The Hour of Bewilderbeast (2000)
• About a Boy (2002)
• Have You Fed the Fish? (2002)
• One Plus One Is One (2004)

The first time I heard a BDB track was when I was given the compilation CD to the 2000 Mercury Prize competition. BDB had been nominated, and actually won, for his album The Hour of Bewilderbeast. The track on the compilation CD was The Shining. I think it was the cello samples and brass that really grabbed me - it's a pretty long song with a big old intro, but it instantly grabbed my attention. Then the vocals came in. Damon's voice is both smooth and husky at the same time. It's not the best voice, technically, that you're ever gonna hear, but it has such character - not to mention that his lyrics are pretty good too. Anyway, hear the track for yourself…

Badly Drawn Boy - The Shining
>> download <<
This download is a sample of the music only and must be deleted from your computer within 24 hours of downloading. This download link will expire on 27th June.

I think all of BDB's albums are fantastic in their own little way, but for one reason or another, I still to this day rank The Hour of Bewilderbeast as my favourite. 2002's About a Boy was actually the soundtrack to the film that starred Hugh Grant. Only every single track was by BDB, so in turn he just released it as his own album. If The Hour of Bewilderbeast was perhaps a more cinematic album, then About a Boy was on a slightly more poppy, or upbeat, tip. The highlights from About a Boy, for me, are; Something to Talk About, Silent Sigh, and Above You, Below Me.

Have You Fed the Fish? saw BDB return to a more rocky path. Tracks like Born Again showed he still wanted to belt out a rock track - although this album did contain its fair share of upbeat pop-rock tracks like; All Possibilities, You Were Right, How, and Tickets To What You Need. His style sits finely on the border line of alternative indie rock and pop. It's almost too pop for rock and too rock for pop. Hence he also tends to be one of these artists you either love or… well not hate, but if you don't love him, you probably just feel quite indifferent.

BDB's latest album was 2004's One Plus One Is One. Of all of his albums, this one was the one I found most difficult to get into. But it turned out to be a bit of a grower, and now tracks like Another Devil Dies and Year Of The Rat are easily two of my favourite BDB tracks. If anything, this album is most similar to his debut; The Hour of Bewilderbeast - very alternative and experimental, from a rock point of view anyway. It's quite folky in some sense, and I'd imagine that the majority of people that like this album were already big BDB fans. Here's a taster of Another Devil Dies…

Badly Drawn Boy - Another Devil Dies
>> download <<
This download is a sample of the music only and must be deleted from your computer within 24 hours of downloading. This download link will expire on 27th June.

I'd say that BDB's sound is pretty unique, not in some revolutionary sense, but more just in his style. The methods and manners he incorporates into his music. He loves using a broad range of instruments, and does so to such an extent that in different tracks you can experience totally different sounds and styles. I guess the constant in his music would be his vocals. But basically if you like alternative rock in more of a mild manner, that features many instruments, then by all means give BDB a go. Try to be patient, I mean you might instantly love him, but I would say to really appreciate his music takes a bit more time and dedication. So, if you have an ounce or two of patience, give all four albums a listen. Oh and Damon, if you're reading (yeah, very likely!), where's the fifth album? I've waited long enough!!!

Useful links:

• Website
• Twisted Nerve website
• last.fm
• Wikipedia
• Download - Badly Drawn Boy - The Shining
• Download - Badly Drawn Boy - Another Devil Dies

Cadence - Creative Commerce

Happy Monday to you all. Thought I'd start the week by reviewing a new hip-hop album. It's by Cadence, one half of the group Raw Produce. Cadence is a producer/DJ/emcee from Massachusetts, he's been doing his thing since 1995 and released the album The Feeling of Now, by Raw Produce, in 2003. Now he is back, on his own, and has just recently released Creative Commerce on Domination Recordings.

For any hip-hop fans that have never heard of Raw Produce, or just haven't heard the album The Feeling of Now… what the hell are you playing at?! That was the album of 2003, so as you can imagine I was pretty excited to hear bout this new album from Cadence. Well, I wasn't disappointed at all. The Raw Produce album was extremely chilled and flowed so smoothly - this Cadence album has a lot of the qualities that could be heard on The Feeling of Now, but generally speaking it has a slightly more funkier edge.

Through a large part of the tracks on this album there is a real political and/or moral narrative in the lyrics, but it's not in a real in-your-face angsty manner, it's more of a rational this-is-how-it-is style. I'm not usually one to get particularly immersed in lyrics and their meanings, but a definite attraction to Cadence's rhymes is his story telling way of emceeing. He'll tell stories of a persons struggles in life or growing up, or suddenly switch to a quite political narrative, but his flow keeps it all at a nice level - I never at any point felt like I was getting some form of anti-propaganda shoved down my throat, it's all good. The actual theme for this record is based upon the record's title; Creative Commerce. Cadence tells of the struggle between progressing an art-form and making money - the fine line between the two.

The thing with this album is that upon first listen there wasn't one track that particularly stood out from the rest, but hold up, don't go thinking that's a bad thing! The whole album is solid, each of the 16 tracks is very strong - I never once felt like hitting the skip button, or got bored, it really is just a good solid album. Apart from Cadence's clever and smooth vocals, one constant in the music is the percussion. The beats are kicking it big style! But not in an ear-thrashing style, more understated than that, but in such a manner that the quality is easily apparent. There's also a lot of old skool style jazz instrument samples - plenty of brass, strings, and woodwind. It's a funky affair to be sure. Reminded me of an old authentic style, but produced in a modern way, total quality.

Pretty much all of the tracks are very laid back, and tracks such as Word Got Round and Month Of Sundays have quite a lounge feel to them. Then you have Let It Be and Louder that really kick it with those drums, the latter particularly reminded me of a DJ Shadow beat. A Curious Mind starts in such an Al Green ilk, so smooth, but take a minute to concentrate on the lyrics and the story is complete, Cadence's vocals and music (all written and produced by himself) are paired perfectly. His production is impressive, to say the least, it's a very complete record. Here's a taster of A Curious Mind…

Cadence - A Curious Mind
>> download <<
This download is a sample of the music only and must be deleted from your computer within 24 hours of downloading. This download link will expire on 26th June.

W pt. 2 is probably the most aggressive track on the album, it has quite dramatic brass samples and is a bit of a dig at GW Bush, but in a mature manner. The track Dynasty reminded me of a more down-tempo version of Ugly Duckling, it's a very funky track and has catchy guitar samples. But the track Yesterday At Midnight has fantastic piano samples and occasional trumpet stabs. Drive really caught my ear with its dramatic 1950's b&w film style strings samples and funky drum loops - I love the way Cadence has used these authentic sounding old samples, all the strings and brass, it really works well. The track No Can Do features Prince Po and is funky in the old jazz funk electric guitar style, the two emcees play off each other well, a head nodder of a track.

Overall, the thing that impressed me with this album was that is a proper album. Sixteen tracks, which at first I thought might be a few too many, but that are actually all very strong and very much in place on the album. If you like laid back jazzy hip-hop, you'll love this. I'll wrap this up by giving you a taster of the moral story that is Malpractice…

Cadence - Malpractice
>> download <<
This download is a sample of the music only and must be deleted from your computer within 24 hours of downloading. This download link will expire on 26th June.

Useful links:

• Cadence MySpace page
• Raw Produce website
• Domination Recordings website
• Domination Recordings MySpace page
• Download - Cadence - A Curious Mind
• Download - Cadence - Malpractice

Unearthing MySpace Gems

By now I'm sure you all know the score; I give to you five MySpace pages that are nothing but quality, you check them out, then you become so grateful that you give me all your money… probably. Anyway, for those of you that aren't familiar; all of the artists and groups I feature have one thing (at least) in common; all have had less than 10,000 page-views. If you know of any artists on MySpace, with less than that many page-views, that you think I should feature, please let me know.

allMeadow - http://www.myspace.com/allmeadow

allMeadow is a chap named Justin Haylock, from Manchester, England. He lists his genres as downtempo/dnb/nu-jazz, and the tracks on his page really are a testament to that. What particularly caught my ear were the remixes of Zero 7 and Jose Gonzalez. The remix of Zero 7's Warm Sound has a real deep and dirty feel to it, ala Massive Attack, but also contains a pinch of airy Royksopp. The remix of Jose Gonzalez's Sirens had me really tapping my feet and nodding my head, a perfect remix! Those drums just scream Four Tet. The other tracks on allMeadow's page are also very good - he's obviously one very talented guy.

Franc - http://www.myspace.com/francsounds

Like blues? Love Franc! I'm not really one to claim any deep knowledge of blues, I don't even recognise the names Franc lists as his influences, however, the important issue at hand… I like his music, and that's what counts, right? Franc is based in good old London town and writes the most melodic folky blues songs I've heard in a long while. Both his voice and his music just instantly fill me with an authentic appreciation of what he is trying to achieve. Each track feels very complete and for want of a better word; wholesome. You'd quite easily believe that Franc is a veteran to the famous world of blues, but yet he actually has no label. Particular stand out track for me was Desire.

Mr. Tunes - http://www.myspace.com/mistertunes

Mr. Tunes is from Toronto in Canada and specialises in producing downtempo electronica. His sound is quite unique for the electronica genre, but I was trying to rack my brains for a comparison. After thinking for a while, whilst listening to Addicted to Oil, I thought of Hexstatic. He does remind me a little bit of Hexstatic. But like I said, Mr. Tunes does most definitely have his own unique sound and you must hear it for yourself really. I think Princess Unforgiving was my favourite track, a more dnb sounding track.

Employee of the Month - http://www.myspace.com/eotmband

First off, must say big up to Linda for introducing me to these guys. So, Employee of the Month, a four-piece experimental jazz band from Edinburgh in Scotland. They're like a cross between Esbjorn Svensson Trio and Explosions In The Sky. It's really emotional and uplifting stuff, such depth to their tracks, and completeness. I should imagine it would be amazing to see them live. Currently only two tracks on their MySpace page, but both Brainwave Corrupted and You Only Own What You Hold are fantastic respectively. Check them out!

The Everything Treatment - http://www.myspace.com/theeverythingtreatment

The Everything Treatment are Stuart Brown and Allan McKeown, from Glasgow in Scotland. These two lead the group and are the producers, they in turn work with musicians of a live background, in the studio to create their downtempo/nu-jazz sound. There's a depth to their music, like a rich blend of The Herbaliser, and perhaps even The Cinematic Orchestra. The jazz sounds are evident and also encompass a certain funk about their rhythm. Eye of Horus particularly shows the funkier side of The Everything Treatment's jazz sound. Hear it for yourself to make your own mind up, but if you like funky jazz, you'll probably love these guys.

So that's this weeks' five. I hope you enjoy them all - they all deserve to deliver a bit of enjoyment to their prospective listeners, and nobody likes to disappoint. Don't let me down, listeners. Please take the time to explore each page and leave them some feedback - don't forget to let me know what you think, too!

Useful links:

• allMeadow
• Franc
• Mr. Tunes
• Employee of the Month
• The Everything Treatment

UK Hip-Hop - Uncovered

I thought today I'd open some eyes to the brighter side of something viewed as being slightly… shit. Yup, UK hip-hop. By anyone that doesn't take an active interest in the UK game, it is dismissed as a pretty poor British slant on a more global (or American) genre. Granted if you listen to commercial radio or watch Channel U, then you'll be witnessing quite a lot of grime, esky-beat, and generally midi-produced beats with substandard vocals. However, there is some good stuff, you just need to delve a little deeper…

First things first, to put things into some perspective, a lot of the UK stuff getting airwaves should perhaps be seen as a lot of the American hip-pop gaining airwaves. Basically, it's the weak stuff - but, whereas the American hip-pop is mass produced commercial crap, designed to sell records by the bucket load, the UK stuff is just poor… full stop. Enough of the doom and gloom though, I did promise to tell you bout the brighter side of things, and a promise is a promise.

I'll start with one of my fav UK hip-hop producers; Ghost. He currently releases records on UK label Breakin' Bread. His beats are methodically created and generally sound laid back. The thing I like bout Ghost is that he injects his own style into his records, he's not trying to copy anyone or recreate a sound he thinks we expect to hear - it's very unique. Ghost's tracks often feature the UK emcees; Verb T, Asaviour, and Kashmere - three very talented emcees indeed. The long awaited debut LP from Ghost came out in April this year, it's called Seldom Seen Often Heard - you can watch the video on youtube for the track of the same name and also sample the track here…

Ghost - Seldom Seen Often Heard
>> download <<
This download is a sample of the music only and must be deleted from your computer within 24 hours of downloading. This download link will expire on 24th June.

Also releasing on Breakin' Bread is Natural Self. His debut album, Let Peace be The Ruler, dropped in February of this year. The album is a pretty funky affair and actually features saxophonist John Styles of the Quantic Soul Orchestra, and soul vocalist Alice Russell. There's a real hip-hop, funk, jazz, feel to the Natural Self sound, but he manages to fuse these genres in a powerful way, with much of the emphasis on his method of utilising all things percussion!

Another strong UK hip-hop label is Low Life Records. Low Life have such artists as; Jehst, Asaviour, Braintax, Micall Parknsun, Mystro, Rodney P, SkinnyMan, Task Force, Verb T & Kashmere, on their roster. If you are serious about liking real hip-hop, then you should check out all of those names I just listed. You might not like them all, but I'd consider them to be the better UK artists out there at the moment.

Of course I could mention Roots Manuva, DJ Format, The Herbaliser, (and even MF DOOM was born in the UK!), but everyone and their cat already knows bout those guys - as good as they are. The people fighting for recognition are the likes of the Breakin' Bread and Low Life boys. Don't get me wrong, I know plenty of people reading this could be thinking "I know all of this!", but the trouble is… not ENOUGH people know about these guys and these labels. I've lost count of the amount of times I've discovered that a person has liked quality American stuff, to then go and ask "oh, do you like so-and-so? He's British", for them to just respond with a big fat "who?!".

Anyway, other decent UK artists worth checking out, include; Black Grass, Blak Twang, Cappo, Diversion Tactics, Foreign Beggars, Harry Love, Klashnekoff, Kyza, Lewis Parker, Lowkey, Nextmen, Phi Life Cypher, Sundragon, Tommy Evans, and Ty. I'm sure I've left out plenty of names, so feel free to let me know who else you dig. Plus, this doesn't even include the tonnes of very talented producers and emcees pushing their stuff on MySpace.

It's a tough country to produce hip-hop in - the charts are happy to nurture the American hip-pop, then when some UK hip-hop artists manage to make a break through, it turns out to be artists I'm not too impressed with - i.e. Sway and Lady Sovereign. Mind you, Lewis Parker managed to turn plenty of heads stateside and now he's living in New York. He actually worked on some of the tracks for Ghostface's latest album, Fishscale. Check this track from Lewis Parker's 2002 album Its All Happening Now…

Lewis Parker - Sunny Dedications feat. Profound
>> download <<
This download is a sample of the music only and must be deleted from your computer within 24 hours of downloading. This download link will expire on 24th June.

Anyway, like I said many paragraphs ago; the good stuff is there if you take the time to go looking for it. Specially with the internet these days, there's no excuses. But, unless you stumble upon this stuff, then you need a nudge in the right direction. Here's a few good web resources for UK hip-hop…

Useful links:

• UKHH - UK hip-hop news site
• Suspect-Packages - Online record store
• ItchFM - London based radio station
• British Hip-Hop - News and community
• Rap News - News site
• Breakin' Bread - Label
• Low Life - Label
• Zebra Traffic - Label
• Download - Ghost - Seldom Seen Often Heard
• Download - Lewis Parker - Sunny Dedications