NEW WALE . . . WITH 9TH WONDER . . . AND NEW FIDDY!

Posted on June 20th, 2009 by ekko

D.C.’s Wale has been getting lots of hype now that he’s teamed up with Lady Ga Ga.  He’s got smooth flow and generally witty delivery, so I get it, but I can’t say I fell all over his “Mixtape About Nothing” that so many folks raved on.  I haven’t heard all of this new one yet, but what I have heard is some of his best work.  Probably because 9th Wonder knows how to break an MC. Oh, and because Jean Grae makes an appearance.  Best female MC in the game.

Rather Be With You (Vagina Is For Lovers) f. J Cole & Currensy (prod 9th Wonder)

Goodbye f. Jean Grae (prod 9th Wonder)

Full mixtape.

More surprising, though, is the quality on War Angel–50 Cent’s new mixtape.  I found his last two albums pretty weak–less mean, more filler–but this mixtape (he calls it an “LP” because of the sound and song quality) is promising.  And it’s way better than Em’s official release.

Talking in Codes

Better Come On Your A Game

Full mixtape.

Tags: 50 Cent is Whack, Hip Hop, Mixtape

PICTURE OF THE DAY

Posted on June 19th, 2009 by ekko

Before we get tot the picture, here’s a little something from a solid indie band, Venice is Sinking . . . They sent out the following plea for help:

Last year, after we finished recording AZAR, we made an album with only two mics at the Georgia Theater. We’re very proud of it, and we really want to release it on vinyl (with download codes, of course), but we’re a little tapped out, money-wise, after the release of AZAR. We’ve set up a fundraising site through Kickstarter.com where you can help our cause: GO HERE TO HELP

There are all kinds of exciting rewards for donations, including preorders of the album, naming songs, having songs written about you, private shows, and promises of yard work!

Tags: Picture of the day

FUTURE OF THE LEFT—“Travels With Myself And Another”

Posted on June 18th, 2009 by ekko

In the world of punk, hardcore, and alternative rock and roll, there’s a lot of screaming. There’s the hoarse, off-key, ear-splitting rage of Johnny Rotten; the better-produced, love-me-‘cause-I-need-you emo of My Chemical Romance; and the direct intensity of Mick and Joe in their Clash days. Then, there was McLusky. There, one would find Andrew Falkous’ telling jokes and passing drunken judgment on a wide variety of topics (a favorite was “Fuck This Band”) using any and all three of these techniques, often within the same song. Last year, Falkous regurgitated his latest effort, along with bandmembers Kelson Louis Matthias (bass/vocals/keyboard) and Jack Egglestone (drums/vocals), with his band called Future Of The Left. Men rejoiced, and women hid.

Now, they’re back, Travels With Myself And Another is hilarious, violent, frightening and fun. The songwriting is straightforward—pop song structure without extended bridges, tempo changes, or jams—on steroids. The song titles tell most of the story: ‘Throwing Bricks At Trains;” “You Need Satan More Than He Needs You;” and “Lapsed Catholics,” to name a few. Twelve songs in all, most less than three minutes long. As Egglestone says: “Some people may think that 33 minutes is too short for a record. These people are wrong.” Indeed. Part of making your point with a record like this, is to make it quick and sit down. Or, to borrow from Thomas Hobbes: Punk should be like the lives of average men– solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short.

Arming Eritrea

Future Of The Left JULY US Tour Dates:

July 13 Hoboken NJ – Maxwell’s
July 14 Philadelphia PA – Johnny Brenda’s
July 15 Toronto ON – El Mocambo
July 17 Cambridge MA – T.T. The Bears
July 18 Brooklyn NY – Siren Music Festival
July 19 Washington DC – DC9
July 21 Chicago IL – Schubas Tavern
July 22 St Paul MN – Turf Club
July 25 Seattle WA – Capitol Hill Block Party
July 28 San Francisco CA – Bottom of the Hill
July 31 Los Angeles CA – Spaceland

MALCOLM MIDDLETON-”Waxing Gibbous”

Posted on June 17th, 2009 by ekko

The album is marked by Middleton’s characteristicly Scottish voice, wonderful lyrics, and skillful interplay between his vocals and guitar/keyboards.  But it feels somewhat sad–filled with longing and sorrow.  Like a last album.  Even on the quick, catchy, and charming single, “Red Travellin’ Socks,” there is a sense of finality.  It’s as if he’s created an album that consists entirely of tracks from the last song on side B.  A very interesting result, for sure, and a moving experience, this record

An Arab Strap

gets my highest recommendation.

Red Travellin’ Socks (YSI)

Zero (YSI)

BONUS OLDER STUFF!

My Delirium (Ladyhawke cover)

Call the Shots (Girls Aloud cover)

Issues (The Saturdays cover)

We’re All Going to Die (acoustic demo)-Arab Strap

A LOUDER DISASTER—REVIEW AND GIVEAWAY!

Posted on June 17th, 2009 by ekko

A Louder Disaster has an unmistakably L.A. sound—it’s slick, well-produced, has a hotly talented bass player and the lead singer/guitarist has a pitch-perfect voice.  Oh, and her name is Marie Catastrophe.  But classifying the band as L.A. powerpop isn’t so simple.  After all, they cover Alkaline Trio, an esoteric (and tasteful) choice, to be sure.  “Stop the Sound” could be on a soundtrack, it’s easy to imagine a young Geena Davis riding shotgun in a black Caddie, light rain making reflections on the hood, with Harrison Ford in control, driving too fast.  “The Art of Scapegoating” is the best track here, in my view, with it’s near-to-Go Gos infectious chorus and great drumming in the background.
Plus, they’re generous!

You can win a copy of a tote bag holding their EP, with the afore mentioned A-Trio cover, just by being one of the first people to e-mail me your address.  As long as you live in the U.S. or Canada.  Actually, you could live in both places.  But you’re only getting one prize.

Escape

Evil Ways

WHY IS THIS SONG HAVING A COMEBACK NOW???

Posted on June 17th, 2009 by ekko

Been noticing a buncha blogs posting it.  Wondering why.  Not that I’m complaining.  I dig it.  I’m posting it with some of my favorite rockets.

Major Tom (peter schilling)-Space Lady (YSI)

MT-Räubertöchter (YSI)

MT-Shiny Toy Guns (YSI)

MT-Trainwreck (direct link)

LEMONHEADS-“Varshons”

Posted on June 16th, 2009 by ekko

It would seem that cover albums are all the rage right now, and throwing their ovoid hat in the ring are the now-independent alt-rockers, The Lemonheads.  And of all the cover albums I’ve heard this year, this one is head and shoulders above the rest.  Okay, enough references to the noggin.

Not only are these great versions of great songs, but The Lemonheads have changed their style a bit since I last heard them (on their single, “It’s A Shame About Ray”—yes, it’s been a while since I checked into them).  I know Dando has been doing quite a bit of acoustic noodling since then, and it shows.  The band has become a tribe of highly skilled interpreters who in all cases have made versions equal to the original and, in some cases, even surpassed them.  For example, their take on Gram Parsons’ “I Just Can’t Take It Anymore,” the first cut on the record, sounds at first blush like it’s pretty similar to the original.  They even sing in a country drawl.  But the honky-tonk sound has been replaced by a spritely acoustic strum, almost like ‘70s sunshine rock band America.  It’s just different enough to make you do a double take.  All the songs are like that: Just tweaked enough to be unique, but still similar enough to qualify
as loving tributes. The record was produced by Gibby Haynes (Butthole Surfers), but none of his band’s raw aggression is here (thankfully—it would be inappropriate), and Cornershop’s Anthony Saffery, whose slick pop sensibility is all over this project.

In case you’re curious, other covers include punk (Wire, G.G. Allin), ‘60s psychedelia (“Dandelion Seeds,” originally by July), Americana (Townes Van Zandt), and virtually unknown electic bands (Randy Alvey & the Green Fuz, Fuckemos).  The album also has a few guest stars.  Kate Moss appears on “Dirty Robot” (originally by Arling & Cameron) and Liv Tyler shows up on “Hey, That’s No Way To Say Goodbye” (Leonard Cohen).  Both do a much better job than you’d expect.  And the icing on the cake?  See below.

“Beautiful” (Christina Aguilera)-Lemonheads (YSI)

Beautiful-Clem Snide (YSI)

PICTURE OF THE DAY

Posted on June 16th, 2009 by ekko

Tags: Picture of the day

GENERAL STEELE-”Welcome to Bucktown”

Posted on June 15th, 2009 by ekko

Boot Camp Clik get tons of props from my site, having had the 26th best album of 2007 (follow the link for a decent history of the collective).

General Steele is an important part of the Clik, as well as being half of the duo Smif-n-Wessun (a.k.a. Tek and Steele, a.k.a. Cocoa Bravaz), and a collaborator on one of the greatest underground grime albums of the 1990s, Black Moon’s Enta Da Stage. Welcome to Bucktown is billed as a soundtrack album, but I have no idea what the movie is.  Never even heard of it.  The album, though, like so much that Steele is involved with, sounds like a movie.  It tells the story of life on the streets of Brooklyn.  There’s some classik stuff on here (and a little filler), and fans of his hardcore style will not be disappointed.  You can tell how hot this is just by scoping the tracklist, which features Steele’s alter-ego and partner, playing as Smif N’ Wessun, as well as the whole Boot Camp Clik and producers like Evil Dee and J Scrilla.

01) Welcome ft General Steele (produced by 7VEN H.D.)
02) Bucktown Baby ft Smif N Wessun & Stormey Coleman (Produced by Che Triumph)
03) Bucktown State of Mind ft General Steele & Mantecha Music (Produced by DJ Revolution with scratches by DJ Evil Dee)
04) No Sleep ‘Til Bucktown ft Boot Camp Clik, Ruste Juxx & The Representativz (Produced by Sic Beats)
05) I’m From Brooklyn ft Smif N Wessun & The Smith Brothers (Smooth Da Hustler Trigger Tha Gambler, Produced by J Scrilla)
06) A Toast To Brooklyn ft Buckshot, General Steele & Jo Chris (Produced by Che Triumph, Additional Drums by DJ Evil Dee)
07) Find My Way ft. General Steele & Stormey Coleman (Produced by Che Triumph)
08) Made Me Do It ft. General Steele & 5FT of Black Moon (Produced by Ayatollah)
09) Dreams ft General Steele & Hersh (Produced by 7VEN H.D.)
10) Hometown ft General Steele, Young Coke, VBS Verbal & Mantecha Music (Produced by Kevorkian & Suaze)
11) I Walk Around Town ft General Steele, Supreme & Blahzay Blahzay (Produced by 7VEN H.D. Scratches by DJ Evil Dee)
12) Riot ft Sean Price, Illa Noyz, UG and General Steele (Produced by Che Triumph with Additional Drums by DJ Evil Dee)
13) Bucktown Affiliates ft Shabaam Sahdeeq, General Steele & Sha Stimuli (Produced by 7VEN H.D.)
14) Things Are Getting Better ft General Steele (Produced by Mr. Walt for Da Beatminerz)

Bucktown Baby (YSI)

BONUS BOOT KAMP KLICK STUFF!

NightRiders Rmx Buckshot and 9th Wonder w/Tek & Steele, Alliyah (YSI)

Reloaded-Tek and Steele (over Billy Joel’s “Pressure”) (YSI)

PICTURE OF THE DAY: Wonder . . . Woman?

Posted on June 15th, 2009 by ekko

Get Innocuous/Love Lockdown (LCD Soundsystem/Kanye West Cover).

Stellastarr*, Wild Light and Mason Proper
Jul 30 – San Diego, CA – The Casbah
Jul 31 – Los Angeles, CA – The Troubador
Aug 1 – San Francisco, CA – Slims
Aug 3 – Portland, OR – Doug Fir
Aug 4 – Seattle, WA – Chop Suey

No.

Uh, no.  But the child climbing the fridge is a nice touch.

WTF?? God no!  No Fatman!

That’s the ticket!