Tags: Picture of the day
A-one, A-two, A-three mixtapes for your earhole today . . .
First, B.o.B., ’cause it’s the best of the lot. Some of this is stuff Bobby Ray has released before (a full version of his certified mixtape hit, “The Biz) but some is new. The imaginative title (May 25) refers to the date of his thrice-delayed full debut album release, B.o.B Presents: The Adventures of Bobby Ray. B.o.B. is playful as always, like a very good version of Asher Roth (or I should say Roth is like a very lame version of B.o.B.), skilled as Big Boi, and with gust spots from J. Cole, mixing by DJs Drama and Sense, and plenty of great rhymes.
Taste The Biz
or just score the whole thing: Link.
Next, Joell Ortiz, whose track record is pretty uneven.
I was pretty disappointed in Slaughterhouse, a 2009 release that featured two great underground rappers who have been dicked over by the majors, but I still say that Joe Buddens’ Mood Music Mixtapes 1 and 2 and Joell Ortiz’s Bodega are some of the best street rap ever made. Period.
The beats on this mixtape are fly, and Ortiz does a much better job here. A little too must guest spots and R&B, not enough Joell, but still a solid release.
01 Joell Ortiz & Novel – Defying The Predictable
02 Joell Ortiz & Novel – Ghetto Pt. 1
03 Joell Ortiz & Novel – Motherland (Feat. Spree Wilson)
04 Joell Ortiz & Novel – Hip Hop (Remix) (Feat. Jadakiss & Saigon)
05 Joell Ortiz & Novel – Stressful (Feat. Cri$tyle Aka The Ink)
06 Joell Ortiz & Novel – All The Right Moves (Feat. One Republic)
07 Joell Ortiz & Novel – Hit Em With The Shottie
08 Joell Ortiz & Novel – I Can Be President
09 Joell Ortiz & Novel – Here The Next
10 Joell Ortiz & Novel – Ghetto Pt. 2
11 Joell Ortiz & Novel – Fighters (Freestyle)
12 Joell Ortiz & Novel – So Much More (Feat. Papoose)
13 Joell Ortiz & Novel – We Aint Trippin
14 Joell Ortiz & Novel – Stand Up
15 Joell Ortiz & Novel – Like I Know
16 Joell Ortiz & Novel – Duffle Bag Boy (Freestyle) (Feat. Short Dawg)
17 Joell Ortiz & Novel – Raindrops (Feat. Slaughterhouse)
BONUS! NEW BUN-B AND TAPEMASTERS INC.!
A lot of the songs here were on his “No Mixtape” release, but there’s a few new ones, too. And any Bun is good Bun, right?
Link.
As an indie-only blogger with five years of webcred, I tend to have a very full mailbag. I also have this psychotic feeling of obligation to listen to 
everything I get–or at least to get through the first track. Sixty percent don’t get me to track 2. For another twenty percent, I can’t make it through the whole thing. Then there’s the remaining 2 out of 10, which get reviewed. Here’s two.
First, I don’t know why I do, but I really dig the new EP from Ela Caspian, “Stars.” It’s upbeat pop with few surprises, but it’s played well and it’s catchy as hell. I always look on self-released material with more mercy, particularly when it is released for free, but I’m not sure Ela Caspian even needed such special dispensation. It’s cheerful party music, with nothing to offend, and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with having a little fun.
Get it at the band’s myspace page.
The second free EP on the menu today is from Jon Hardy and the Public. Their EP, “Sugar,” is also a free D.I.Y. And it’s terrific. I really haven’t enjoyed an EP so much in a long time.
The St. Louis band has already established itself on NPR and in No Depression, so you also pretty much know it’s Americana just from the pedigree. It seems like this is a genre that a lot of new artists play in–maybe it’s easy or something–but that makes it even harder to distinguish a special sound. Jon Hardy has a great voice–he’s actually a singer–and the songwriting is tight and original. The music does have that alt-country feel, but there’s enough indie rock in here to make it cool, and there’s no twang to tie it down. Come for the great cover of “Where Did Our Love Go,” but stay for originals like Hold Your Tongue.
Here’s some samples, but I don’t recommend them. I recommend going to get the whole thing for free. Get it free!
Where Did Our Love Go? (Supremes cover)
Tags: Americana, Free Album!, Indie Pop, Indie rock
I’m not sure that April Smith & The Great Picture Show really need my help promoting their D.I.Y. release, “Songs For A Sinking Ship.” With April’s girl-next-door looks, come-hither voice, a feature on Daytrotter, and eleven tracks of good comfort music, the band is already on its way. The music is retro in the extreme–think 1940s and dancing on the Titanic, but well-produced and with wider range and a great sense of humor. Instrumentally, there’s great variety, too. It’s not just piano ballads. There’s an upright bass, a horn section (when appropriate), ukuleles, and accordions.
TOUR DATES
* w/ Langhorne Slim
# w/ Fanfarlo
Tags: Indie Pop
Dilla died February 10.
Terry Urban’s tribute to J. Dilla
1. Biggie Feat. Kanye West: Love Or Money (TU Remix)
2. AZ & Nas: The Word Up Firm (TU Remix)
3. Black Moon: How Many MCs? (TU Remix)
4. Common Feat. Jay Z: So Far To Go (TU Remix)
5. Raekwon Feat. Ghostface: Criminology (TU Remix)
6. Nas Feat. AZ: The Flyest (TU Remix)
7. Clipse: Mr. Me Too (TU Remix)
8. Mobb Deep: Hell On Earth (TU Remix)
9. Jay Z & Kanye West: Diamonds Circulate (TU Remix)
10. Redman & Method Man: How High (TU Remix)
J. Dilla and NaS-Dillmatic.
Link.
Wherein I opine, and you can comment on how stupid I am . . .
Caveats and regulations:
1. For a show to be on here, it has to have sustained quality for its entire run—not just have had a few good episodes or one good season.
2. This list is accurate and scientific, and if you disagree, you’re just wrong.
3. If you think Heroes is one of the best series, you must not have seen the last two seasons.
4. If you think Smallville is one of the best series, you must only watch every third episode. Because, like Harrison Ford movies, that’s about how often this show is actually good.
5. There are only two reasons that Wonder Woman even came close to making this list. And neither of them was Lyle Waggoner.
6. If you think Bill Bixby’s Incredible Hulk series should be on the list, you must not have watched it since you were, like, nine years old. Because by any modern measure, it’s stupid.
7. If you think Batman Beyond should have been on this list, you’re almost right. It was number 11.
Now, let’s do this:
THE TOP 10 T.V. SUPERHERO SHOWS OF ALL TIME.
10. The Greatest American Hero (1981-83). This show turned the notion of campy superheroics on its ear. It was silly, yes, and campy, yes, but the actual characters took themselves seriously—unlike on the live-action Batman series of the 1960s (see #6). This show, about a regular guy with an extraordinary pair of pajamas, is ripe for a comeback.
9. The Super Friends (1973-1986). Because there’s nothing wrong with superhero shows being made for kids. And this show turned an entire generation of kids into lifelong comic-book fans.
8. Batman the Animated Series (1992-95). Based on the brilliant artwork of Bruce Timm and coproduced by Paul Dini, both of whom have made their bones in actual comic books, this show took Frank Miller’s Dark Knight and made it reasonably accessible for children, without sacrificing serious, noirish stories. Incidentally, this show was on at the same time as another quality animated program, Superman: The Animated Series, and even had a cross-over with that show. A truly iconic show.
7. Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends (1981-83). Yeah, the 1960s Spider-Man animated series had the theme song that’s been covered by everyone from The Ramones to Aerosmith to MC Esoteric, but the show itself? Meh. SP and HAF, on the other hand, was consistently cool—especially for its time. It could be corny, and some of the made-for-T.V. villains were maximum lame (Video Man, anyone?) but the show could also be counted on for guest shots by Captain America, Hulk, Thor, Daredevil, and The X-Men, not to mention all the great Spidey supporting characters and villains like JJJ, Electro, Doc Ock, Mysterio, Kingpin . . . And it’s not just a nice piece of history. For younger viewers, the show is still captivating.
6. Batman (1966-68). The best show never released on DVD is the one that set the pattern for all Superhero TV shows until Tim Burton’s Batman smashed the pattern. Yes, it’s corny and silly and the costumes are ridiculous. But it managed to regularly feature A and B-list actors including Burgess Merideth, Frank Gorshin, Julie Newmar, Jerry Lewis, Sammy Davis, Vincent Price, Jr., Don Ho, Edward G. Robinson, Art Linkletter, Cesar Romero, Eartha Kitt, and even Bruce Lee. It was “The Love Boat” of supershows!
5. The Tick (1994-1996). No, not the live-action one starring David Putty, the hysterically funny and completely demented cartoon, featuring a 
supporting cast of clowns like Moth Boy, Chairface Chippendale, Dinosaur Neil, Paul the Samurai, Chainsaw Vigilante, and many others. I know the comic was good, but this is the singular historical moment when a T.V. show was better than the comic it was derived from. And don’t confuse it with the horrible live action Tick from Fox.
4. X-Men: The Animated Series (1992-1998). Five seasons. 76 episodes. Multi-episode arcs telling fairly faithful, if tamer, versions of Days of Future Past, the Apocalypse story, the Dark Phoenix saga, and the Legacy Virus. A willingness to include lesser-known mutants like Longshot, Forge, Snowbird, Banshee, Master Mold, Archangel, Psylocke, Cable, Bishop, Mister Sinister, and others. This is the most faithful translation of comic book heroes ever. Period. It even used the same logo. Plus, it had a kick-ass theme song.
3. Justice League: The Animated Series/Justice League Unlimited (2001-2006). With more superheroes and better writing than The Superfriends, this is the cartoon to beat as far as translations of DC comics are concerned.
2. Teen Titans (2003-2006)–a.k.a. Teen Titans Go! Based on the Marv Wolfman/George Perez 1980s reboot of the team, this show was heavily stylized (borderline anime) and emphasized humor—by which, I mean real humor not cutesy jokes for babies. The vocal work and scripts were flawless and meticulous, with one-and-done episodes seamlessly woven through ongoing storylines (like the betrayal of Terra and the team’s ongoing battles against Trigon and The Hive). This was the T.V. show that got my kids into superheroes, really. We were flipping around and the Master of Games episode came on, our jaws collectively dropped, and we were hooked forever. Since then, every member of my family, regardless of age or gender, who has bothered to watch this with us has become a fan. If it’s possible for a T.V. cartoon to be perfect, then this is what that must look like.
And how about this: Two D.C.s and no Marvel in the top 3? And I’m a Marvel guy! Step it up, Ari Arad.
1. Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997-2003). Smart, funny, provocative, scary, genre-breaking, and musical. I’m not gonna say anything more about it, ‘cause if you don’t know by now, you probably never will.
Tags: Filthy Muties, Spider-Man, Superheroes, The Caped Crusader, X-Men
“Henry the Van’ is the first cut on Australian Danny George Wilson’s latest record. It’s a funeral for a friend, who is a car. “Guess we could try to fix you up . . . Maybe go for an easy roll once in a blue sky . . .” The concept may be funny, but it’s a lot more touching than most songs about actual people who’ve died. This is a testament to Wilson’s skill, imagination, compassion, and his ability to communicate.
You may remember Danny George as the singer-guitarist of Grand Drive, a much-loved Americana group, but his solo venture is far, far more interesting. And make no mistake: This is a Danny George Wilson production. Despite the harmonies and quality musicianship, Danny and the Champions of the World are really a solo venture. Wilson most closely mirrors Neil Young’s country rock phrasing, and sometimes the similarity is almost uncanny, but his voice is unique: It’s cheery and optimistic, even when singing about getting old and being sad, and it’s romantically simple. The lyrics are direct and uncomplicated, but ring true, powerfully: “I wanna feel your hand in my hand tonight . . . Just trying to get back to what we used to be/Just trying to get back to something to believe/Looking down at these restless feet.”
If this album doesn’t make you feel something, maybe you’re dead inside.
And Juno’s got it for thirteen bucks.
Henry the Van (the second best song about a van I’ve ever heard. The first is “Chevy Van” by Sammy Johns, available on the Rhino “Sounds of the ’70s” collection.)
Tags: indie folk, Indie rock
