I pride myself on knowing a bit about music but this kid totally snuck up on me. What is even more embarrassing is that he is on the Ninja Tune label, a DMC Champion and I still haven't heard him. All that has changed though.
He definitely has an outstanding DJ pedigree. 3rd place in the DMC world championship in 2001 and in 2002 DJ Kentaro (Kentaro Okamoto) rocked a set inspired by his consciousness "No walls between the music" recieving the 1st ever perfect score.
His new record is Enter and it features some top notch hip hop talent like The Pharcyde, Spank Rock, New Flesh, Little Tempo, Hifana and Fat Jon. The record certainly shows off Kentaro's blend of hip-hop, breaks, drum & bass and turntablism. Check out a cut:
I have been loving DJ Day'sGot To Get It Rightand am very excited for his up coming record out March 16th on Melting Pot Music. The dude has an excellent ear for crafting beats. Very laid back and a pure joy to listen to. Check out one cut.
New release off that Stones Throw label. This from hip hop/soul artist Stacey Epps. Ruff Draft features production from J.Dilla and Madlib and shows that Ms. Epps definately has some talent and is going somewhere in the experimental soul genre. This track has production by the late J. Dilla and features Madlib. Check it out.
I know its been a long time coming but Pan's Labyrinth finally made it to Montpelier. Its one of the year's best films. I would rank it right behind The Departed and right in front of Little Miss Sunshine for my favorite movies of 2006.
The message was amazing, the filming and special effects gave it that eerie feeling and did a great job of blurring the lines between reality and fantasy. Its message of being true to yourself regardless of what authority figures tell you, and always questioning, is one especially relevant during our political times. Do not miss this film.
Great quote from the movie:
Nazi Capitán Vidal: You could have obeyed me! Dr. Ferreiro: But captain, obey for obedience's sake... That's something only people like you do.
Sorry for the lack of posting been real real busy with the wedding coming up this Saturday. I can't wait for it, its going to be great. On a music note I have been eating up these compilation and mix records from Turntable Lab (see "rotation")and enjoying Chromeo's Fancy FootworkEPalot. Been listening to a lot of the instrumental minimalist electronic 'ish as well.
I've been pretty disappointed in the Bears as well as they continue being stingy bastards with Lovie Smith. The dude deserves to get paid. Knock out that $5 mill a year contract he is more than worth it.
Here are a couple tracks I've been rotating as of late:
k-os is a Canadian rapper and producer. His music is a masterful collection of rap, funk, rock, pop and reggae...pretty much every genre I love under one roof. His 2007 record Atlantis (Hymns for Disco) which dropped yesterday has pretty much been on constant rotation over here since copping. Its my front runner right now for favorite in '07 (I know the year is young). Check out the new video:
My favorite cut on the record right now is "Flypaper" just really loving this song. Let me know what you are thinking. "The Rain" is a real real soul burner as well.
I know a week hasn't even passed by DJ U-Tern has another great batch of music for you. This time its not a perfectly executed remix but a whole mix set from Brooklyn Radio DOT NET. Don't miss it (tracklist here).
Stream: Stephen Marley feat. Mos Def - "Hey Baby" (win)(real)
After hearing "Traffic Jam" and even before this track I was real excited about getting my hands on the new Marley record. There was a great article in The Fader a month ago I think talking bout the new record. Looking forward to it. Mind Control is set to drop real soon (March 20th). Check out his myspace for another track off the record.
Hefty Records has really been on that minimalist experimental electronic kick as of late. First Radicalfashion and now this kid Victor Bermon from down under. Bermon is a college kid that is still trying to figure out what he wants to study, he talks about studying "humanities, mostly English literature and modern history" he says (sounds like somebody hasn't chosen a major)...well if his studies in Perth don't work out he can surely fall back on his musical ability.
His ability to make music is certainly promising. Love his jazz infused instrumental beats on these cold winter days. Check out a sample.
Hefty Records has managed to find author great experimental electronic dude in the vein of Radicalfashion and Four Tet. His debut record Arriving at Night is available at the Hefty Store for Pre-order here or you can get it at iTunes. Album drops the 20th also known as today.
Just love this track. The beat is hauntingly similiar to Timex Social Club's "Rumors." They def stepped up the baseline and loving the whole needy girl theme. Can't wait til Chromeo drops their next album. The Talk Box is sooo underrated.
New Redman track off his upcoming album Red Gone Wild: Thee Album. Production by Timbaland of course because hes the only person producing anything right now.
This is a leaked version so there is that annoying hype dude yelling every now and then.
Notorious for his Gangsta BoogieArthur King released Pop Sh!t in 2006. I simply can't get enough of this record. Pitchfork might be hyping Girl Talk but this is the real deal right here. Be sure you do not miss this.
Not sure if anyone really pays attention to my "rotation" section but I was finally able to update it and added this record that I can't get enough of. Dance music master Eric Prydz has put together a rendition of "Another Brick in the Wall" by the greatest band of all time. Its a must listen to and you have to pick it up from TTL as well.
Also check out the new video for the original version here. Making that video must have been real real rough on JT. Surprised he was able to make it through.
Buy: Make sure you pick up JT's record if for some crazy reason you haven't here.
Lets start in some sort of stream of conciousness. Police performance was lackluster I was expecting something more. It should be noted that a suit vest only is quite the look. One I would not recommend. Who knew Rick Rubin was behind the Dixie Chicks album? I had no idea. John Mayer is a buffoon. John Legend is the dude, incredible. Mary J. finally got her due. Little excessive with the jesus talk but she is so talented. Deep breath....
Sans Fresh Prince DJ Jazzy Jeff is set to drop a new album in 2007 named Return of the Magnificant. Rhymefest, Raheem Devaughn and Little Brother all show up on the 7 track EP (3 of the 7 tracks are various versions of the Rhymefest teamup named "Jeff n Fees."). Here is my favorite track on the record.
U-Tern is one of the most gifted producers/DJs on the Hollerboard (and let me tell you there are alot of them). Dude hails from North America's crown jewel, Vancouver BC. On top of making great music he also runs things with a very focused blog (One Day Later) that is a must visit as well.
Buy: Keep your eye out for U-Tern's The Cookie Jar: Volume 1 which he tells me is set to drop real soon (will be available at beatstreet.ca). Ohh forgot to mention he is on Brooklyn Radio as well. Dude is everywhere and doing his thing well.
DJ Vadim's track "Edie Brikell" featuring Slug has always been one of my favorite hip hop tracks. Vadim is a prolific hip hop turntabilist born Vadim Peare in Russia. His album, U.S.S.R.: Life From the Other Side released on Ninja Tune in '99 is an essential album in my opinion.
Vadim's new record is The Sound Catcher and is due to be released on BBE Beat Generation in April. Check out a track off the upcoming release.
Timbaland'sShock Value is due out March 27th. The guest spots are absolutely insane! Looking forward to the M.I.A. collaboration "Banana Boy." According to Wikipedia this track is supposed to be called "Put it on Me" but whatever just something to wet your appetite till this thing drops.
Edit: Everyone bow to Risky Bizniz's greatness. I just realized that on top of this fantastic track he is also featuring a new track by one of my favorite groups of ALL TIMEThe Avalanches check that out here too! Man dude is embarassing everyone right now in the mp3 blogosphere with his choice finds.
Future Rock (FR) the progressive house electronic outfit from Chicago Illinois is taking their sound on the road. One of their stops? Good old Burlington Vermont's metropolis with all 38,889 of its city folk (it is the largest city in Vermont). Its not often that a band that I am interested and that has that electronic sound, that I dig, makes it within my visiting radius.
Future Rock's debut album Sugar Coated Bulletsout in 2006 is of that Daft Punk live type sound and they are currently in the process of recording their second album. They are making a brief East Coast tour with stops in VT, NY and Pennsylvania. Be sure to check them out when you get the chance. AG recommended listening is there track "FM1" great great expression of live house (its on their myspace). Love it.
I would recommend downloading some of their live stuff as it really shows them off...Check out their NYE from the greatest city on earth:
Everyone that picked up Night of the Living Remix Vol. 1 knows the deal. DJ B.Cause is a blend master and mixing up the current hip hop club sound with vintage soul and disco from that golden area of music. His latest masterful blend is Disco Hyphy (tracklist here) another genre blending masterpiece.
Well if you are too cheap to front the 10 bucks it costs to pick up this record from B.Cause you can win yourself a copy right here. How you ask?
Rules:
1. Tell me your favorite bay area rapper or group (don't have to be born there just born or residing).
2. The band that appears on the album that reps the ANTI label.
I'll pick my favorite 2 answers and send you a record. Sorry for US and Canada only. Leave an email or address so I can mail you your winnings.
"Southside Superbowl" thanks to Spine Magazine. Lets hope Rex has one more good game and P. Manning gets back on that I can't win in the playoffs kick. Prediction? Bears ground attack is too much for the Colts and the Bears keep Manning in check (aside from the NE game he hasn't played well and actually Rex has a better QB rating in this playoff than Peyton). Hester provides that X factor and steps up for the first time in the playoffs. Bears win 34-28.
Update: Well that was a tough game. The Bears didn't deserve to win. I was right about Hester being the X-factor I lost my mind when that first kickoff was taken back but then it was "Bad Rex" after that and the Bears never got much going and Rex for some reason insisted on throwing it over the top (resulted in two picks) and missed a wide open Berrian for another.
Hard to be too dissappointed in such a top notch guy like Dungy getting a ring though. Straight class. Theres still the Bulls then the Cubs and then next season to look forward to. Great season and lets go re-sign Lovie. Ohh and did Prince not tear the whole place down? That was thee best halftime performance I have ever seen. He played it all...Jimi, Foo Fighters, Creedance, Purple Rain in the rain! Amazing.
DJ Jus Ske remixed Pharrell's "In My Mind" album. It's called "My Mind Is Playing Tricks On Me" and he uses instrumentals from Prince, Junior Mafia, Eric B. & Rakim, Stevie Wonder and more. He's on Allido records. Check out the whole album bellow.
Ratatat every hipsters excuse to listen to hip hop music is set to release a new mixtape. Their first mixtape came out back in 2004 before the release of their Classics record blew up the hipster blogs everywhere (and probably here actually now that I think about it).
Vol. 2 is going to feature 14 new remixes of: Bun B, Biggie Smalls, Jay-Z, Slim Thug, Devin the Dude, Young Jeezy, T.I., Beanie Sigel, Pimp C, Ludacris, Young Buck, Saigon, Juvenile, Z-ro, Memphis Bleek and Kanye West.
Just got this track courtesy of the prestigious Ross Hogg and Double L. Been playing it non-stop all day. Great look by these two dudes. Make sure you stop by their myspots.
First off I really respect when an artist say forget this I am going to try something completely different, results be damned. Radiohead'sKid A and Shadow's The Outsider come to mind. RJD2's new album The Third Hand due out March 6th moves away from his classic sample/hip hop/electronic sound towards pop. Remember when we discussed him leaving Def Jux and going for more of a "pop route."
Again alot of respect to RJD2. Dude is talented and one of my favorites. Love people that take chances and push themselves. That alone needs to be respected.
Look I like nice stuff I can spend my money on some pretty petty stuff and waste money that should be spent on making the world a better place but corporations in America have lost their damn mind.
As studies indicate that oil still persists in Alaska from the Exxon Valdez spill and the cost of gas is all over the place and we are at war in Iraq with our kids dying for what can be argued as stabilizing oil resources to feed our consumption, Exxon posted a profit of $39.5 billion, the largest annual profit ever for an American company ever! Thats $180 million dollars a day! Making that much money should be criminal. Seriously...time for some economic populism. Its just crazy to me that we can be cutting jobs and having people work minimum wage without healthcare all of the place in this country and yet selling fossilized dead animals can make you $180 mill a day.
“I mean, you got the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy,” (Biden) said. “I mean, that’s a storybook, man.”
While he has a ton of experience in the Senate it will be interesting to see if he can over come what in my opinion is a huge blunder.
I pride myself on knowing a bit about music but this kid totally snuck up on me. What is even more embarrassing is that he is on the Ninja Tune label, a DMC Champion and I still haven't heard him. All that has changed though.
Thanks to the almighty 
