Long Players
21 10 2007LPs, albums, whatever, we get the picture. More and more come out every week and there are no signs of this growth slowing down. I wonder when and where it will all end? As it is record shops simply don’t have the space to stock all of these new releases - if you’ve got a new album coming out, I hope you have a good marketing team behind your release. Anyway, with my bionic eagle-eye vision for new music, most the hawt stuff falls under my radar, so I just want to give a quick rundown on new (and relatively new) releases.
Patrick Watson - Close To Paradise (Secret City Records)
The reason ignorant bastards said the latest Cinematic Orchestra album sounded like Coldplay. If only those people had stopped to realise that even if parts of that album did indeed sound remotely like Coldplay, it would have been Coldplay at the top of their freakin’ game! Patrick Watson is an immense vocalist. I’ve not experienced anything as good in this ilk since the debut release from Damien Rice, only imagine this under a more adventurous pop guise ala Gotye perhaps. Strictly speaking this was originally released about a year ago, but I wont let that get in the way of a good review! It’s 13 tracks of indie-folk goodness, chock full of haunting vocals and beautiful music. There is something pretty indescribable about the atmosphere created by this album, you really need to hear it to fully understand.
Patrick Watson - Luscious Life
>> download track
>> buy Close To Paradise @ Amazon.com
This download link will expire on 28th October.
The Heliocentrics - Out There (Now Again)
A UK funk collective signed to the Stones Throw imprint Now-Again. That first sentence alone should be enough, but I’m never shy of a few words, so have some more… This stuff is heavy! These dudes backed Shadow on one of the only decent tracks on his latest album, that track was This Time. Madlib loves them, Egon loves them, Peanut Butter Wolf loves them - and not for no reason either. Their blend of psychedelic, dark melodies to the funkiest hip-hop’esque beats is just sublime. Guilty Simpson also lends a cypher or two on the 12″ release of Before I Die, so try to catch that while you can.
The Heliocentrics - Distant Star
>> download track
>> buy Out There @ Amazon.com
This download link will expire on 28th October.
Ohmega Watts - Watts Happening (Ubiquity Records)
Fresh from guest appearances on the latest Bamboos album and also from last year’s The Find album, Ohmega Watts is back! The first album had on point rhymes and flowed nicely, but this follow up stings hard! It is brimming with raw energy and I would say is actually better than his previous material. The beats are tight and the mic action is strong, this is one for all the real hip-hop heads. Flying that Ubiquity flag nice and high, Ohmega Watts wins again.
Ohmega Watts - Eyes and Ears
>> download track
>> buy Watts Happening @ Amazon.com
This download link will expire on 28th October.
Me&You - Floating Heavy (Tru Thoughts)
One of the albums of the year right here! Rob Luis and TM Juke of Tru Thoughts send an eclectic storm of creation right in your direction with Floating Heavy. Designed to blast the dancefloor in an authentic Tru Thoughts manner, heavy things done go on in Brighton this year! The jazzy cover of Roni Size’s Brown Paper Bag is pure class, whilst the blend of 1950s early Lord Kitchener style calypso/ska and high powered drum ‘n’ bass on Last Night will shake you to the core. There’s something for everyone on this album, but despite the eclectic array of sounds, what impresses me most is how consistently on point the whole thing is.
Me&You - Space Lizards
>> download track
>> buy Floating Heavy @ EtchShop
This download link will expire on 28th October.
Y Society - Travel At Your Own Pace (Tres Records)
Thes One is one half of People Under The Stairs, he is also heavily involved with the Tres Records label of which Y Society are signed to. Travel At Your Own Pace is a fantastic hip-hop album that manages to combine the raw sound of old skool beats with modern production techniques and sick flows. This is chilled hip-hop with a confident attitude. But don’t confuse confident with arrogant, cos it most certainly isn’t that - it’s well produced and reminds me of a sort of blend between Pete Rock & CL Smooth and The Procussions, but naturally with their own unique elements and techniques.
Y Society - How Many Of Us?
>> download track
>> buy Travel At Your Own Pace @ Amazon.com
This download link will expire on 28th October.
Five albums for you to investigate. No doubt you may have already heard some (or all) of them, so feel free to share your thoughts. Just remember, even when thousands of really shitty records are being pushed in our faces all the time… there is still just as many quality ones out there too, you just need to spend a bit of time searching for them. It is worth it in the end though. The musical world doesn’t begin and end with what you hear coming across the airwaves, it’s a big ol’ world out there with music being spread through multiple mediums. Go find that good stuff, it’s waiting for you!
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Categories : Info, Links, MySpace, New Discovery, New Release
With each musical genre come sub-genres and then mutations between genres and sub-genres, almost to the point now where it is becoming hard to classify certain music as one thing or another - sure it is shitty if you work in a record store, but generally speaking I love it. There are casualties along the way, but such trials must be taken and errors must be made to unearth something a bit special. Sometimes it is the subtle approaches towards a genre that can surprise and pay-off the most. Recently it was one such approach that came as the most pleasant surprise. I’ll cut to the chase: it was the new release by Lotus Tribe, the ‘S.E.L.F.’ project: The Art & War of Misanthropic Philanthropy. These guys are from San Antonio and decided it was time to shake up the hip-hop scene in Texas, and that they did. The rhymes are smooth, melodic and intelligent. The beats are strong, well produced and addictive. All the elements are on display to full effect, in a similar vein to Jedi Mind Tricks and Immortal Technique, only in a more laid back manner, these dudes really hit that fresh spot. Remember to check the 
Lotus Tribe - El Fin
Flying Lotus - Its A Secret
Mojib - VS UNKLE
Via mailing lists, RSS news feeds, and word of mouth, I find out bout new 7″ records dropping half a dozen times a week. Sometimes I’ll know the artist or label and therefore know it needs checking out, or other times it just sounds cool or looks interesting and I am inticed to delve deeper. A recent excavation unearthed a gem hailing from Finland: Traveller Records. The relevant communication links were opened and before I knew it Masa (aka Ionik) from Traveller Records had sent me a couple of 7″ records. The needle dropped and so did my jaw, “this is the shit!”. Two hot hip-hop joints that have been lauded by the likes of Jon Kennedy, the boys at Fat Beats Records, and the good man Quantic. I grabbed a few words from Masa for this, the latest, 6 Questions…
Sun Rise Above - Free Your Mind
If you know your Aussie hip-hop you’ll have no doubt tasted the fruits produced by this rather creative chap. Unkle Ho actually produces for The Herd, the group that brought us such tracks as Scallops, Burn Down The Parliament, and their cover of the classic I Was Only 19. Both The Herd and Unkle Ho are signed to Aussie label Elefant Traks, one that I am loving more and more as each day passes. The material released on Elefant Traks is not bound to any rules or constraints, full creativity is encouraged and I believe this helps the artists to flourish and deliver a more developed and well rounded end result. This is entirely the case with Unkle Ho’s latest release Circus Maximus, but enough from me, let’s see what he has to say for himself in this, another edition of, 6 Questions…
Unkle Ho - Big Bad Rag
I’ve given you plenty of time to catch your breath since the last 6 Questions, so here is another one! Still on a funky tip, this time it is the turn of Aussie producer Flow Dynamics. Hot off the release of his debut album, this is your chance to learn a little bit more about the fella…
DJ Regal - Shock Ya Mind (Flow Dynamics remix)
Been a short while since the last 6 Questions feature, but hey… I’ve got a fresh one! This time it is the turn of Adam Gibbons, aka British funk maestro Lack of Afro. Anyone thinking that funk died in the seventies wants to get their head tested, it’s strong as ever, just gotta go that extra mile and search it out sometimes. So, without further delay, here’s the low-down…
Lack of Afro - Roderigo
Do you ever wonder what might happen if there was a musical amalgamation of Spank Rock and 2 Live Crew? Well do yourself a favour and stop wondering… Plastic Little have landed. This Philadelphian five piece have actually been around since the Summer of 2001, a period of time sadly remembered for less musical reasons, however, PackOfRats, Squid, No Body’s Child, Jon Thousand and DJ Si Young are about to hit your radar big style.
Plastic Little - Crambodia (Pink Skull Remix)
Wax Tailor - Alien In My Belly feat Charlotte Savary
Kovas - Say What
DJ Kentaro - Rainy Day (Ft. New Flesh)
J Dilla - Make’em NV
Thes One - Hy-Vee
CocoRosie - Werewolf
I’m back with another edition of 6 Questions. This time I have Bless 1, an emcee (and producer) from Chicago. First time I heard Bless 1 I was instantly impressed with his flow. He raps intelligent, smooth, soulful, and catchy rhymes. I was also surprised to see how little exposure he seemed to have so far, criminal! So, on the cusp of his debut album release Starving Artist, I have the answers straight from the man himself…
Bless 1 - Starving Artist
This is the second edition of 6 Questions, after the 
Nas - Hope (The Q4 Remix)
Back in July I featured a group called Days Before Television, as part of my 
Days Before Television - Sunday
This is two fellas playing the freshest sounding hip-hop to come out of London in a while. G creates tight beats with sharp samples and Jones is lyrically blessed. Although the beats you are hearing are definitely hip-hop and the flow you are hearing is definitely from a London emcee, The Mighty Avatar actually sound like no UK hip-hop you’ve heard before - simply it is the angle the guys have taken with their music and the genre, making sure it is their own sound. Four tracks to check out on their page, I was particularly feeling Around My Hands and the fantastic Little Man.
Some electro pop from Toulouse, France comes to your ears in the form of echo. This is pretty calm stuff, in a certain sense, but will definitely play more towards fans of electro sounds. I happen to be a fan of electro sounds and this music therefore sounds fantastic! All four tracks on echo’s page are brilliant and each sounds different - it is echo’s ability to create compositions with such intricate layers and build ups that really does it for me. Check out desert for something a bit more laid back and carol for something a bit more hectic.
Mr. Carter plays out his own brand of folk rock from sunny London. His voice has a hint of Damon Albarn about it and his music is clearly rich with influences, but like most great artists, Dave turns it all into something quite unique and personal. Check out Space Boy for a soothing and melodic experience and Amy for your melancholy fix. Another great thing about Dave’s tracks is the fine array of instruments that make up the music. He has some violin, cello, keyboards, guitar, accordian, drums, trumpet, harp, and bass in there - and probably even someone playing the spoons too!
This is a really interesting notion, a chap named Clarence is mainly a beatboxer and seeks to collaborate via MySpace with anyone from any genre, just so long as he thinks they are cool and would sound good working with him. For many hip-hop heads, this is exactly why they use MySpace, but Clarence (or Dub) actually shows no prejudice towards genres and likes to give anything a go. Tracks like Red and A Mug’s Game emphasise heavily on guitar, but it works really well. Quite a fresh sound going on, give it a go, you’ll probably like it!
This trio from South Carolina really know how to bang out the atmospheric indie rock. Think along the lines of Explosions In The Sky, those long build ups and drawn out moments, all created with guitar and percussion. Sometimes chaotic, sometimes calm, but always beautiful - all three tracks on their MySpace page have something slightly different to offer, and it truly is fantastic stuff. If you are really feeling it, they have an EP out now - get it listened to!
This German trio create what I guess you would describe as electro acoustic music, or acoustic electronica, depends which way you wanna look at it! Vocally they are like a less whiny version of TV on The Radio, and musically they create quite downtempo tracks with a large emphasis on leftfield beats and acoustic guitar. All four of the tracks on their page are very strong, and I particularly liked LETTERS and PEARLS. You need to hear this for yourself.
As his MySpace page says, Chini is a keyboard player / producer / DJ. He centres himself around the hip-hop, jazz, and breakbeat sounds, and the results are fantastic. Check tracks like boom boom and Break Fluid to see what Chini is all about. I really like Chini’s jazzy angle on cut-up style tracks, so funky and such energy - all you folks in the Manchester area can see him play out live quite regularly, check his page for more details.
16pac are a French duo consisting of Emma Delaval and Francois Puech - they were born out of similar influences, namely Bjork and Portishead - now they create their own brand of electro folk music, with Emma on the vocals and Francois on production. I also believe a chap called Vincent is involved somewhere, but it’s hard to work out from their page. The music is an intricate blend of the organic with a pinch of electro and Emma’s vocals are as soothing as they are soulful. All four tracks on their page are great and Ghost World grabbed my attention for sure.
With influences spanning from Lior to Damien Rice to Ben Harper, you’ll be pleased to know that this Sydney quintet have the minerals to back it all up. As you will hear on tracks like A Better Day, one thing this group has is a multitude of sounds. The use of violin and cello is a welcome surprise in these over-saturated days of indie rock, the use of the classical instruments is very much underrated and Saving Grace have shown that effort clearly pays off.
Mowgli is an emcee from London, a place home to a lot of good hip-hop, but also a lot of bad stuff, many wack emcees come and go, but Mowgli has the master flow. At the moment a chap named Chris Fader produces the beats and Mowgli does his thing over the top, but as you can hear through the two tracks on Mowgli’s page - back to the bricks and silent riots - this dude is here to stay. UK emcees listen up, this is how it is done.
These guys were actually a tip to myself from a kind chap called Ed from 
Now for some downtempo brilliance from Lille, France. Just knowing it is downtempo, and good enough for me to mention, should be enough to whet your appetite. Three tracks for you to listen to; Malheureuse, His love for music, and All in a Rainbow. This stuff is just beautifully arranged and you can literally feel the different influences oozing out of it. If the sounds of downtempo still hold a special place in your heart, then Phil DeeWhite will feel like Christmas has come early - enjoy!
It’s love it or hate it time. Sometimes it feels like really good stuff just sneaks out of The Netherlands, I mean you probably have a better idea of what those Dutchies are up to if you live there on in the Benelux region, but personally it feels like the quality stuff just sneaks out when I’m not looking! This is quite industrial sounding electro hip-hop, but it sounds pretty damn cool to me. Check out the Venetian Snares sounding Klap m dr op and also the more laid back Lauwe Zjit Stinkt.
Cinematic offerings from Belgium come in the form of aMute, a project headed up by Jérôme Deuson. He’s got atmosphere, guitars, haunting vocals, tension, some bass, some keys, all in a rather experimental downtempo package - have I built some sort of a picture? Complete the picture by listening to the four tracks on the aMute page. It’s almost like the most calm aspects of Explosions In The Sky have been taken and then worked on extensively to give us this chilled experimental rock - really needs to be heard first hand.
Bust out your ukulele and strum along to the softly, softly, music of Michael Jermyn. There’s something strangely addictive about Michael’s tracks, but being the ever needy imperfect human that I am, I just have to feed my addictions, so now I’m the pusher man and I’m pushing Michael towards you. Essentially this is folk music of sorts, although it’s held in a quiet niché corner of folk, but open minded individuals will enjoy, and the rest of you might surprise yourselves. Check out Make Believe for a more upbeat example of Michael’s work.
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