I’ve been supporting Beat Garden Entertainment for some time now. With artists like 2 Gun Ciz and Nico The Beast,, the Philadelphia collective has been steadily releasing “real” boom bap rap for several years now. 5 O’Clock Shadowboxers is MC Zilla Rocca (one of the founders of the label), teamed with producer Douglas Martin, to form a typically gritty record. What makes this project different from most rap out today, like so many Beat Garden projects, it its focus on complex beats and lyrics. It’s not designed to make you thing–to use your head instead of just nod it.
This album is structured around samples from the underground film, Black of Silence, and features samples from Elliott Smith, Cat Power, Radiohead, and even western movies. “High Noon” is the rare example of a western rap that isn’t just a rap version of a Clint Eastwood spaghetti showdown–it’s got a real dusty feel. There’s not too much of this rolling around, and it’s pretty fucking cool. The fact that Zilla and Martin can pull of hipster references without sounding nerdy or forced is a testament to the heart they put in their work. Yes, Zilla is white. But he doesn’t sound like the two poles of white rap (Eminem or Aesop). If anything, he’s closer to MC Serch. But really, he’s a true original.
With a name like Kid Mud, I was expecting hipster white rap with sterile beats, but that’s not what I found on Now They Shut Us Down, the San Francisco artist’s debut. Instead, it’s tight indie pop (a la Rasmus, Rogue Wave).
“1095,” the first real song on the record, is fluffy and fun, with good vocals and a great hook. “Not Far, New Far,” is a sweet acoustic duet, quiet, catchy, and cool. “Number 12 Looks Just Like You” is a more aggressive, radio-ready workout song. Long form song “909 Garden” features Jim Ruiz, and shows that Kid Mud can do “works” as well as pop songs. It’s a continually changing record that is both surprising and familiar–as all good pop should be.
Wherein I write about DC and Marvel, mostly marvel, and supergeeks write me and tell me how wrong I am (because I’m only a minor geek).
1. Astonishing X-Men. I’m late to the party again, waiting until the entire Joss Whedon run was bound in softcovers, affordable and complete, but I can’t recommend this enough. Several people have told me that the X-Books are good these days, but there’s no real entry point for me—they all seem interwoven and complicated, with lots of characters I don’t recognize from when I stopped being a regular reader (circa 1987). Like other famous authors, Marvel gave Joss the freedom to create his own, self-contained story arc, and it was brilliant. I know that’s a word that gets bandied about a little too freely on this blog, but I defy you to find a better story that explains how artificial intelligence could actually become self-aware, and, at the same time, to match Danger’s story with Cyclops’ and Emma Frost’s own attempts to overcoming their program limitations—whether it’s indestructible eye power and the love of Jean or the ability to make people think what you want them to think, but not make them love you. Not only are these four volumes some of the best comics I’ve ever read, they’re some of the best anything I’ve ever read.
2. Batman and Robin. I’ve been burned by Grant Morrison too many times to trust him. He didn’t kill Batman in Batman R.I.P., he did it in Final Crisis, but the end of Batman R.I.P. was clearly supposed to make you believe he was dead. Final Crisis was obnoxious and confusing—it seemed like a very “loud” comic book, without much to say. Everyone points to All Star Superman as his shining moment, and, while that was a good read, it was kind of . . . Dull. There really wasn’t much tension there. Without Frank Quitely’s art, it wouldn’t have been much at all. So what do I think of Batman and Robin? I don’t know yet. The jury is still out. But I will say that it is impossible to believe that a 10-year old can do what Damien Wayne is doing. I liked #2 a lot more than #1—it was good to see that Commissioner Gordon isn’t falling for the switcheroo. But Dick Grayson’s character doesn’t seem like the confident Dick who led Titans for so many years. If Morrison is going to redefine a major DC personality, he needs to spend more time on the thing he does least best: Character development. Other positives: Alfred is well-crafted; the artwork (especially the vehicles) is crazy good; the coloring is tremendously good—not something that I generally notice; and Morrison is at least telling us what is going on (most of the time), eschewing his recent style of writing, in which he expects the reader to know far more than even the most committed fanatic.
3. New Mutants. Boy, did this book take a wrong turn. #1 was exciting and great, and easy to get into for someone who missed the whole backstory. #2 was muddled and confusing. I’m voting with my feet on this one.
4. The Venom and Deadpool movies both seem like they’re gonna go forward. Good news. The bad news? It takes Marvel four years to release a damn movie. What takes so long? And why are they going to sit on their Avengers animated series for three years, just to tie it to the movie? And DC is even worse! The animated Teen Titans/Terra movie never even got off the ground, and where’s the freakin’ Superman sequel? Thankfully, Brandon Routh’s contract has expired—maybe they’ll get someone good. I still think Tom Welling is a solid choice.
Lots of tributes, posts, lamentations, etc. last week. Now it’s my turn. Whatever else The King of Pop may or may not have done during his lifetime, he presided over a huge collection of awesome songs. That is undeniable. Here’s my top 15 Mike songs, covered.
15. Ben. Okay, so I’m biased. When I was seven I saw “Willard” and a 60 Minutes special about rats in the same 2 week period. Scared me spitless. I’m still afraid of rats. Although I’m kind of a terminator in my house–I can catch and kill any rodent, ’cause I know how to trap ‘em–I can’t dispose of the bodies. My wife has to do that. Below, you’ll find a cover of “Ben” by a band called The Impossibles. They do a good job with it because they don’t oversell it. Yeah, it’s corny. But what’s so cool about it is that it’s a love song to a rat. Oh, and if you ever get a chance to see the Willard remake, do it. Crispin Glover at his wierdo creepiest.
14. Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough. Written with Ruben Blades, remember him? And can any of you tell me what “keep up with the force” means? MJ’s “Off the Wall” album was a great record, don’t get me wrong, but much of it was chants, not songs.
13. Remember the Time. A rare example of a later-period tune that resonated with me. I can’t explain why, and I’m sure most of you hate it . . .
12. Rock With You. I found the “Off The Wall” cassette literally in a gutter next to an Earth Wind and Fire cassette. I took ‘em both, and it was my first exposure to these artists. I listened to the MJ tape so often I could hear through to the other side. Weren’t audio tapes grand?
10. ABC. The first Jackson 5 cut in the reverse countdown. Every time I see a live performance of this I’m astounded. Makes me look at my own 10-year-old and say, “What the fuck is wrong with you? Michael was a millionaire at his age. What have you done for me lately?” The only indie cover I could find was by some band called the Dulcets, and it’s kinda bad. So I’m not posting it. You can find it at e-z archive, if you must. If you need not, here’s a mash up:
9. Say Say Say. One of two duets between the cute one and the gloved one. This one is the better of the two because it doesn’t have that cheesy (and kinda creepy) voiceover where Paul pretends that he keeps women under his thumb. After his latest diverce, there’s no way we’re buying that line anymore, dude. The cover, below, is a chick version, acoustic. I’ve never heard anything by Ms. Marstrand myself, but this version is pretty nifty. I got it from Cover Lay Down, who has a buncha other neat songs, both MJ related and not.
7. I Want You Back. I dunno if this or “Mama’s Pearl” is my favorite J5 tune, but since this one has so many covers and not a lot of folks have even heard of “Mama’s Pearl,” I’m listing this one.
I Want You Back-Graham Parker. First, I’m offering Graham Parker’s version. It’s pretty straightforward, but solid. The alternative version, by KT, is one I’ve posted here before and is one of my favorite live covers of all time. I completely dig how she works the background singers in, builds the beat to a crashing finish . . . A perfect rendition.
If you haven’t seen the video for this MJ-penned tearjerker, you need to. It’s orgy of the craptastic ’80s. I love this song, but not as much as the Band Aid tune that came first. My guily pleasure shmaltz confessions are now complete for the year.
5. Man in the Mirror. I ranked these songs honestly, and it wasn’t until now that I realized that I put two corny idealistic songs back-to-back.
4. Thriller. It wasn’t just the video directed by John “American Werewolf/Animal House” Landis, it was the whole shebang, from a fantastic opening verse to the closing laugh by Vincent Price himself. Tons of people have covered this, and I’ve seen lots of folks who posted the semi-ironic Ben Gibbard version. But overlooked is the incredible accapellist Petra Haden, who did a faithful cover, complete with the handclaps backup and the classic bassline. And what of the slowed-down disco funk of Ian Brown? Two great versions of one of the greatest long-form pop songs ever made.
2. Billie Jean. I just realized: For all the great videos he made, MJ never tried to be a movie star. Learn from that, Fiddy. You’re a terrible actor, and all your outside projects make you lose focus.
1. Beat It. From the ominous beginning to the extraordinary video and the Eddie Van Halen guitar solo, simply the best dance rock tune ever. I love this cover, too. Not as much as the Weird Al version, though.
If you’re looking for surprises, don’t look here. If you didn’t like Patterson Hood before this album, you won’t like him now. If you already like him, you’ll love it. Oh, and if you don’t like him? You’re insane.
Whether he’s on his own or playing with the Drive-By Truckers, Patterson Hood has always spun hard-living, hard-luck (and often violent) stories, sung with gravel and rusty nails. Murdering Oscar is no exception–”I don’t need redemption for my sins/I don’t need salvation ’cause I saved myself,” Mr. Hood sings on the title track, “I killed Oscar, and I forgave me.”
Just listen to the song titles: Screwtopia, Granddaddy, Fooling Young Bastard, Heavy and Hanging, Back of a Bible. He’s up to his old tricks. And I’m damn glad.
The New Up’s effusive female-fronted melodies, darkened by edgy whirling guitars, juxtapose hard-hitting 00s alternative with swirling psychedelic overtones. Through an emphasis on the art of songwriting along with their provocative lyrics and gripping live performances, this five-piece awakens lusty social revelations that call upon hope.
Headquartered at their San Francisco home, endearingly named The Pleasure Pad (where the band rehearses and records), members ES Pitcher (vocals, guitar), Noah Reid (guitar, vocals), Hawk West (flute and automation), Dain Dizazzo (bass) and Drew Bertrand (drums) began recording a series of three EPs in the spring of 2008. After laying down the basic tracks at Hyde Street Studios with Jaimeson Durr (Franz Ferdinand, The Killers, Handsome Boy Modeling School), they began layering additional tracks at The Pleasure Pad, where they could explore by recording flute lines in bathrooms and trying odd mic placements in closets. Reid notes, “It’s such a luxury to be able to record in the comfort of your own home. It gives you the freedom to focus on one little idea for two hours, and then try something different if you decide that idea doesn’t work – without the pressure and financial constraints of a traditional studio.”
And a similarly polished pop project worth your dimes and time is the latest from UK’s Little Boots (a.k.a. Victoria Hesketh). You may remember her as the slick lady who covered Freddy Mercury’s “Love Kills” on an EP earlier this year. “Hands” is an electropop album that stretches the confines of (what I often find) a limiting genre due in large part to very skilled songcraft. Hesketh used to be with the dance-pop band Dead Disco, a band so good Metric named a song after them. She also has a history in a jazz band, which explains her ability to make the typical pop song sound atypically intricate and improvisational. That’s right, improvisational. In electropop. And credit for the quality should also be shared with producer Joe “Hot Chip” Goddard, for a perfectly balanced mix of shimmering vocals and poppy dance music. Go buy it.
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WHAT THE HELL IS BERKELEY PLACE?"Berkeley Place" has been a blog since 2000.
Berkeley Place is also 6 blocks of Brooklyn real estate, emerging from Sackett St. and ending at Banana Hill, a small park that grows a foot each year from dog shit and the corpses of dead rats. Though its residents have gotten wealthier over the decades, Berkeley Place still houses folks of all backgrounds with interests in, well, everything.
WHAT THE HELL GOES ON HERE?Ekko reviews independent music, comic books, and whatever else interests him.
WHAT THE HELL IS INDIE MUSIC?An independent record label (or indie record label) is a record label operating without the funding of or outside the organizations of the major record labels.
- Wikipedia.org
That means they ain't in the RIAA, dude.
2. Batman and Robin. I’ve been burned by Grant Morrison too many times to trust him. He didn’t kill Batman in Batman R.I.P., he did it in Final Crisis, but the end of Batman R.I.P. was clearly supposed to make you believe he was dead. Final Crisis was obnoxious and confusing—it seemed like a very “loud” comic book, without much to say. Everyone points to All Star Superman as his shining moment, and, while that was a good read, it was kind of . . . Dull. There really wasn’t much tension there. Without Frank Quitely’s art, it wouldn’t have been much at all. So what do I think of Batman and Robin? I don’t know yet. The jury is still out. But I will say that it is impossible to believe that a 10-year old can do what Damien Wayne is doing. I liked #2 a lot more than #1—it was good to see that Commissioner Gordon isn’t falling for the switcheroo. But Dick Grayson’s character doesn’t seem like the confident Dick who led Titans for so many years. If Morrison is going to redefine a major DC personality, he needs to spend more time on the thing he does least best: Character development. Other positives: Alfred is well-crafted; the artwork (especially the vehicles) is crazy good; the coloring is tremendously good—not something that I generally notice; and Morrison is at least telling us what is going on (most of the time), eschewing his recent style of writing, in which he expects the reader to know far more than even the most committed fanatic.
The New Up
