Nicely done remix of Tokyo Police Club's "The Baskervilles" by Amplive, featuring Aesop Rock and wordplay by Definitive Jux affiliate Yak Ballz. Check it out.
Mp3: Tokyo Police Club feat. Aesop Rock and Yak Ballz - "The Baskervilles" (Amplive Remix)
EPI released a recent study that is showing the massive job losses for U.S. workers that have resulted from China entering the WTO in 2001 (this pails in comparison to how many American jobs the WTO has cost our country).
Unbalanced U.S. trade with China since 2001 has crippled U.S. workers. In EPI's economic snapshot reveals that in six years (01-07) the trade deficit lost or displaced 2.3 million jobs in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, including 366,000 last year. This is especially timely has our economy lags and continues to choke on its growing war and trade debt. The China Trade Toll, outlines the devastating impact the trade deficit with China is having on American jobs, wages, and industry (.pdf here).
Disrupt's debut album is Foundation Bit. According to Boomkat this "is just about the best appropriation of Jamaican dub and 8-bit dancehall you'll likely hear this year - with a slow paced skank and a filthy, uber-bassy production style that has more in common with king Tubby, Black Art and, for that matter, black magic than with any half-arsed wobble presets and lazy dubplates you just might have picked up these last twelve months."
Thats a pretty specific recommendation but if you enjoy Burial, Kode 9 and Skream and are a fan of dub and dubstep you should certainly check this out.
Buy: Get Foundation Bit here.
Probably the greatest song of all time "Linus and Lucy" gets a bit of bass with Ayatollah's "Charlie is Brown" a track off his 2008 album Louder. Enjoy it and get outside and enjoy that nice weather.
Buy: Get Louder here.
Tenor Saw, born Clive Bright in Kingston, Jamaica was a young prominent dancehall singer in the 80s. His track "Golden Hen" is one of my favorite reggae tracks. Saw is probably best known for his 1985 track "Ring the Alarm" which was done on the "Stalag 17" riddim.
"Ring the Alarm," was voiced over Winston Riley's "Stalag" rhythm for the Techniques label. Saw was tragically killed in 1988 when he was hit by a speeding car in Houston, Texas, he was 22 years young. Some of Tenor Saw's other hits include "Fever," "Run Come Call Me," and his debut track "Roll Call." Check out what many consider his biggest jam.
Mp3: Tenor Saw - "Ring the Alarm"
Buy: Get Tenor Saw music here.
You going to hold it against him that hes compelling and interesting to listen to? That he has inspiring speeches? That he motivates and encourages? The President is a motivator 1st and foremost. Somebody for us look up to. I think we have forgetten about that. When was the last time we had that? And no Clinton wasn't somebody to look up to sorry.
Mp3: DJ Green Lantern feat. Mavado & Barack Obama - "We need Barack"
Have a good weekend all. Peace.
While everyone vies for the 3 shirts being given away, here is an mp3 off the upcoming Madvilliany II record. 25 tracks deep and worth the 9.99 for the track "Monkey Suite" alone. There is an unreal $125 dollar box set with comics, records and a shirt included. Madlib is one of the best if not the best producers in hip hop and is remixes are top shelf. Don't miss this one.
Mp3: Madvillain - "No Brain"
Buy it here.
The renegade graffiti artist Banksy who's politically charged and thought provoking art has reportedly been identified according to Time magazine. There have been false identifications in the past. If true I wonder if this will slow him down. I hope not. His art is spot on and needed in a time were people have been scrambling towards the middle.
Building on his success with the MIA mixtape Piracy Funds Terrorism Diplo recently released another mixtape. This time its in conjunction with Brooklyn Queen Santogold. Diplo takes tracks off Santo's recent record and then mixes in a host of blends from dirty south, club, classic cuts, dance tracks, dancehall, dubstep, and reggae and more. I don't like it as much has his previous mixtape but Diplo is still in top form on this one.
Tracks feature XXXchange, Ratatat, Richie Spice, Three 6 Mafia, B-52's, Kid Cudi, Switch, Radioclit, Benga, Tony Matterhorn, Skream, Warrior Queen and Barrington Levy. Mix is over 75 minutes and steeped in summer listening. Don't miss it.
Buy: Get the record here.
Shirt giveaway for anyone interested. Replace that tired old logo tee you have been rocking all summer with the spills and sweat stains. This shirt is a Stones Throw exclusive designed by Dutch artist Parra. You can get the shirt in white or black.
Rules: Post your favorite Stones Throw album and artist IN THE COMMENTS!
Pretty simple. Ill pick three at random. Must be US residents and must list your email and size IN COMMENTS.
3 winners so post it up. Contest is over on Friday.
Good luck.
Contest over. Thanks for entering. Winners will be notified by email.
Contest over. Thanks for entering. Winners will be notified by email.
Remix magic man Pocketknife just passed out his latest remix of British singer Adele's "Hometown Glory." Mr. Knife is one of my favorite remixers right now. He takes the recognizable and adds some excellent touches. He is able to give the track a fresh new sound without totally messing up the original cut.
That's Pocketknife on the left and Cousin Cole on the right. Pocketknife writes that this track was an "extended version of a remix that (he) submitted to Adele's peeps for her single. Clint Brewer aka C-Bassix plays upright bass on the track. Stayed tuned for official Pocketknife remixes that are coming out this year and some others that are floating under the radar!" Check out the track:
Mp3: Adele - "Hometown Glory" (Pocketkni
Koushik's Out My Window is to be released September 30 on Stones Throw he is set to release it digitally in August. His Be With album (a compilation his three vinyl-only EPs) that came out in 2005 was great and listening to this track I am filled with hope for his next effort. His style is a blend of psychedelic hip-hop beats commonly matched with Koushik's own easy, muffled voice. Check out a track.
Mp3: Koushik - "Lying in the Sun"
Alright I would like to get back into doing some form of weekly themed post and hopefully generate a bit of reader involvement as well. My latest thought is Reggae Friday where I post some type of reggae video or mp3 for consumption and talk a bit about it. I love reggae and admittadly need to learn more about it but have been working hard on that the past couple years. Lets start it off with some real basic stuff.
While "Reggae Got Soul" is by no means some type of deep dig here it is one of my favorite all time reggae tracks. Immediatly accessible for the casual reggae listener yet keeps you coming back even after you have explored the entire Toots and the Maytals' discography. Frederick 'Toots' Hibbert, Henry 'Raleigh' Gordon and Nathaniel 'Jerry' Mathias released "Reggae Got Soul" on their 1976 record of the same name. Check out the video and let me know your favorite Toots and the Maytals' track if you have the chance.
ALSO please send me suggestions and possible videos for consideration for Reggae Fridays. Would love to branch out. Have a great weekend all. Peace!
Nice breezy summer track by Emiliana Torrini. Its her new single produced by Dan Carey of Hot Chip. Track is from the forthcoming album, Me And Armini due out in September. Torrini is a contributor to Icelandic artist group GusGus and did vocals on Thievery Corporation's Richest Man in Babylon record.
Mp3: Emiliana Torrini - "Me and Armini"
As readers of this little blog know I am a fan of Eliot Lipp's music. Electronic, instrumental, hip hop records are some of my favorite type of record and Lipp excels and making just that. The Outside is his latest and probably most layed effort yet. Lipp opens up a full arsenal of synths on this record all used to near perfection.
Where I find that many instrumentalists and producer types in the indie realm try and be too "experimental" Lipp is able to craft a cohesive album with that smooth hip-hop tech beat. Pitchfork described his sound as the "sequencing analog synths over kinetic breakbeats, and splicing his peripatetic influences-- vintage electro; Krauty Detroit club and Eurocentric filter-swept techno; jazzy undie-hop; brisk G-funk; decadent Sunset Strip glitz-- into anthem after swaggering anthem." Which is better stated than anything I could say. Check out this track and get a feel for what people are talking about.
Buy: Get The Outside here.
Not sure how I slept on this record but admittedly I did. Its moving up the best of list real quick. Lipp along with Leo 123 will be playing in Chicago at Wicker Park Fest on July 27th.
photo Lipp and Leo 123 by fotoflow/Oscar Arriola.
Pair of all weekend passes to the Pitchfork Festival. Tickets are courtesy of Boost Mobile. Send me an email with your name and mailing address.
In order to win you have to post who you are most excited to see and why. Simple.
Contest ends tonight at 12:00 PM. I will pick whoever I feel like. Good luck! Don't forget to send your mailing address to analoggiant at gmail.
A cartoon can't keep him down Barack Obama. Obama said today about the cartoon, "I've seen and heard worse." While Bush keeps hemoraging untruths about the war and the economy its good to know there is something to look forward to in the future.
Mp3: Cody, J, and Mbay - "Afrobama"
Mp3: Cody, J, and Mbay - "Afrobama"
Mp3 link: Extra Golden - "Obama"
I am beginning to feel like Winston Smith more and more everyday. Listening to the President select GW Bush Jr. this morning giving his "challenge" to the Democratic congress to pass offshore drilling legislation and Bush lifting the offshore drilling ban is both insulting and ludicrous. Bush proclaimed that "Failure to act is unacceptable," asserting that the Democratic-controlled Congress have been blocking progress on energy exploration and that "now, Americans are paying at the pump." Ohh really? It has nothing to do with the un-stablizing of an entire region from two wars that your administration started? One of which was totally based on lies.
Rahm Emanuel of my home state said it best "If the president wants to lower gas prices, he should stop hosting press conferences and start taking action...Releasing oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve and forcing oil companies to drill on the 68million acres they already control would be a good place to start." That's a hell of an idea. Or maybe? We think of doing something other than burning up fossilized dinosaurs in our vehicles? Maybe in the last 15 some odd years we require automakers to actually improve the baseline mpg. How about a law? That might have been nice. Or maybe the conservatives stick to their guns and let the market dictate the price?
The largest insult to all Americans is the fact that if we beginning drilling offshore that it would help our immediate situation. Does he assume that every single person in this country is a fool? That you just cruise out into the ocean and drop a line? That we are all proles and take his word as gospel? Why would we? He hasn't had a good plan for just about anything in almost 8 years. He is blatantly attempting to cast the democratic congress as villains and while this mess is partially their fault too, its a political ploy that is amature at best and insulting to every single citizen of this country that it was even suggested.
No more drilling. Let the gas prices go where the market decides and lets start looking at alternative sources. We are about 20 years past due on that. France and Germany as way ahead of us. If a dude with the name T. Boone Pickens is on board with alternative energy sources every other person should realize the benefits. Let the market run its course. In the meantime reduce, reuse, recycle!
Mp3: Becenta - "Don't Be A Fool"
Jun Seba is the real name of Nujabes Japanese artist. His title is an anagram about the two of his names reversed letter by letter and put back together. Nujabes is half of the of the production team "Urbanforest." The other half is Nao Tokui. His music is an elegant blend of soul and jazz. The result is a great mellow type of light hip hop instramental that is truely innovative and refreshing. Check out this stand out track his Love Sic 12". Unbelievable stuff here.
Listen to this track and tell me you don't love it. I dare you. Nujabes also runs his own record shop in Tokyo and his own label own label Hyde Out Productions. Have a great weekend all. Peace.
photo by /\ltus.
New music from rebel musician Michael Franti and Spearhead. The title track begs you to turn off the idiot box and start standing up for what you believe in. Great and timely lyrics as always. Pretty rockin'. Check it out:
Mp3: Michael Franti and Spearhead - "Remote Control"
New record is out 9/9/2008. Photo by Trevor D.
Do not like Lil' Wayne's music (not sure about that person) but I do Flying Lotus. His LA EPs 1 + 2 + 3 comes out this August. Be sure to check it out.
Dark dub electronic artist Ott has made a great record in Skylon. I enjoyed Blumenkraft imensily which was is debut album and his follow up remix album, Hallucinogen in Dub was good as well. Skylon is a great chill record and while he doesn't break any new ground if you enjoyed listening to his first records you will continue to enjoy his third. Check out a track (with an amazing track title):
Mp3: Ott - "ROFLcopter"
Buy: Get Skylon from eMusic here.
Sonny J is part Avalanches and a bit of Go Team! A friend of mine is on the same wavelength on this and dropped me a line that Sonny J is all over the place in the UK. You can download a megamix of his here, but I recommend that you check out the record when you get the chance.
Buy: Get Sonny J music here.
New track by the talented Saul Williams from his upcoming record that comes out July 8th. Check it out.
Mp3: Saul Williams - "World on Wheels"
The Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs, The Art Institute of Chicago, and The Chicago Council on Global Affairs will be hosting Sudan: Harmony Beneath the Headlines on July 9th. The program features a panel of renowned experts on Sudanese society and politics with a special introduction by former NBA star Manute Bol, a native of Turalei, Sudan.
The night will also showcase a performance by several musicians from the festival. The program will be held at The Art Institute of Chicago, Rubloff Auditorium, 230 S. Columbus Drive (at Monroe Street). Doors open at 5:30 and the panel discussion begins at 6:00. Admission is free and no pre-registration is required. Check it out if you are in the area.
More information is available at thechicagocouncil.org or by calling 312-726-3860.
