Free EP that doesn't suck : Black Kids - Wizard of Ahhhs

Trust me. everybody loves it. Except you. You haven't heard it yet.

But you will. Oh, you will.

The album sounds like the bastard child of the Cure and Sunset Rubdown, if that child was conceived on a garage floor with 50's doo-wop gold standards playing in the background. I feel like I stretched that analogy a little thin. But that's what they don't pay me the big bucks for.

...Anyways, go to their myspace and download this immediately.

Black Kids On Myspace
Pitchfork Review: Wizard of Ahhhs EP

Holy Hail - Cool Town Rock

Ran across this video for Holy Hail's new single "Cool Town Rock" on Gorillavsbear.com.

I only sort of dig the song, but I liked the video enough to post it here. Has an aestheic like weird sketches in a 70's era graphic artist's journal. But whatever. just watch it.



Listen to 3 more tracks on their myspace:
Myspace.com/holyhail

Have a Good One.

Advance Screening of No Country for Old Men

I was invited to an advanced screening of No Country for Old Men, the new Cohen brothers film based on the novel by Cormac McCarthy, and I have to say I was pretty impressed with the film. And by pretty impressed, I mean it was fucking awesome. I loved the slow, panning desert cinematography, the spare and realistic dialog, the dry humor all. Perhaps the strongest element in the film, however, was the absolutely terrifying main antagonist, Anton Chigurh, wielding a silenced shotgun (?) and a penetrating captive bolt cattle stunner.

Best movie i've seen in a while. I'd write a full review, but screw that. Just go see it.

"Call it... Friendo."



4.5/5.0 Highly Recommended.

Think about it. A vicious homicidal psychopath who performs the coup dé grace with THIS. The ultimate badass indeed.

This Holds no Relevance

"There is that dimension where there is neither earth, nor water, nor fire, nor wind; neither dimension of the infinitude of space, nor dimension of the infinitude of consciousness, nor dimension of nothingness, nor dimension of neither perception nor non-perception; neither this world, nor the next world, nor sun, nor moon. And there, I say, there is neither coming, nor going, nor stasis; neither passing away nor arising: without stance, without foundation, without support [mental object]. This, just this, is the end of stress."

—The Aggi-Vacchagotta Sutta

2 rad songs for your party-mix-auto-reverse-tape-cassette.

Knife [Girl Talk Remix] - Grizzly Bear

Paper Planes - M.I.A.

"All I wanna do is (BANG BANG BANG BANG!)
And (KKKAAAA CHING!)
And take your money"

Truer words were never spoken.

So About that Ghostface Concert...

So the show was OK, and Ghostface more or less killed. He's got skill and he's been doing this for years. I'd expect nothing less.



...But the opening act, Witchdoctor, was so abysmally bad that he threatened to ruin the concert before it even began. His lame, obvious rhymes and poor flow (as well as his constant plugging of his new album during his set) only served to suck the energy right out of the room and ruin the rest of the show. I almost laughted out loud when he started rapping about being "real" when at the same time he seemed to embody every bad cliché of modern rap. Not only was his material bad, but he lacked any kind of stage presence, and seemed to fade into the background when his "crew" came onstage. He just looked uncomfortable up there, and had to rely heavily on the also mediocre talents of his douchtastic entourage (I'm looking at you, lanky white guy in the velour track jacket, baggy jeans and "Tigger" flat brimmed baseball cap).

There were times when Witchdoctor tried to get the energy of the audience back, predictably resorting to cheap lines like "Everybody here love getting HIGH!?" or "Raise your lighters in the air, everybody get their motherf*cking lighters in the air!" I felt like I was watching a bad comedian trying to get a cold audience back on his side with inane comments about everyday life. Except instead of "Yeah, I hate airplane food too, I can really relate to this guy!" the desired reaction was "Yeah I love getting mad wasted too! this guy's totally awesome!". It's the oldest cop-out in the history of stage performance and a clear indicator of a complete lack of ability. Yeah. We all like getting drunk, but when you can't rap to save your life, who really gives a shit?

There are artists who are talented, but exist beyond the mainstream by virtue of the fact that their material is too sophisticated or different to sell lots of records. Then there are others who simply lack the talent to break into the music scene. From his performance, I can only guess that Witchdoctor falls in the latter category. But hey, I could be wrong.

Album Review - Radiohead - In Rainbows

4.5/5.0 - Highly Recommended

A short time ago, I was surprised with the news that Radiohead was releasing their seventh studio album, titled In Rainbows. Now, two weeks later, I am listening to the album I have been looking forward to since 2003's Hail To The Thief and I can honestly say it was worth the wait.

This album is defined by its simplicity. Gone are the weird glitchy synthesizers that were arguably used to excess in Radiohead's most recent efforts, replaced instead by simple guitar riffs and muted drums which take a back seat to Thom Yorke's signature falsetto (which itself has been left surprisingly free of any sort of distortion or effect save for reverb). This is Radiohead's sound purified and boiled down to their Platonic form. Tightly produced and still as haunting and beautiful as fans should expect from the band responsible for OK Computer , In Rainbows does not disappoint or feel forced throughout its 43 minute runtime.

It should be noted, however that even with the simplicity of the production, Radiohead has managed to create an array of different sounds in each of their songs which not only reflect an evolution of their music, but also echo earlier iterations of their music. The crunchy electric guitar on 'Bodysnatchers', for example evokes the more mainstream sound seen on Pablo Honey and The Bends, while the orchestral 'Faust Arp' reminds the listener of the cinematic OK Computer.

As far as I am concerned, this album is easily one of Radiohead's better offerings and I would highly recommend it to longtime fans or new listeners.

Unrelated news: I'm probably the only one who cares about this.

"The film’s theme of dehumanization has also been sharpened. What has been a matter of speculation and debate is now a certainty: Deckard, the replicant-hunting cop, is himself a replicant. Mr. Scott confirmed this: 'Yes, he’s a replicant. He was always a replicant.'"

—NYT story on Blade Runner: Final Cut

Called it.

Ghostface Concert Tomorrow.

American University Tavern.

Featuring Witch Doctor.

Hilarity will ensue.

New Banner

Check it. I am one artistic SOB.

Album Reccomendation: Chris Joss- You've Been Spiked

4.0/5.0 -- Reccomended



Chris Joss is a one-man band who focuses on sampling and remixing 70's era Jazz and Funk. Released by the Eighteenth Street Lounge label, who also produce Thievery Corporation's music, this album is a ridiculously entertaining fusion of Jazz, Electronic and Funk, which never fails or falters throughout its 50 minute runtime. The whole thing feels like a sountrack to a vintage Blaxploitation movie, if said soundtrack was composed with modern production values by an expert producer.

Tracks of note:
Drink Me Hot - babymaking music, pure and simple.

Wrong Alley Street - Reminds me of a car chase.

You've Been Spiked - Funk as a genre was never famous for featuring much Sitar-playing. This track makes you wonder why.

Riviera 69 - Easily the most relaxed cut on this album, features smooth bass riffs brilliantly punctuated by staccato organ strikes. My favorite.

Album reccomendation: Thievery Corporation Versions

4.5/5.0 -- Reccomended

Theivery Corporation is a DJ/ production duo who thrive in Washington DC's vibrant lounge music scene. They mainly produce downtempo, instrumental and bass-heavy jams relying heavily on influences from Jamaican Dub Reggae, Deep House, and traditional music from Latin America and the Middle East. They are responsible for the excellent albums The Mirror Conspiracy, The Richest Man in Babylon, and their most recent LP The Cosmic Game; all of which are excellent examples of the genre.

Versions is an eclectic collection of remixes done throughout the group's career, and spans musical genres from mainstream rock and pop to indie to to reggae and Latin salsa. The album is truly amazing in this regard; all tracks on this record are unique and vibrant and no single cut stands out as filler.

The album kicks off with Tarana, a mysterious and haunting piece which channels the vocals of Ustad Sultan Kahn, an Indian singer who records traditional Hindi Music. His vocals are expertly overlaid onto Thievery Corporation's mellow beats, which makes for an absolutely mesmerizing, if not slightly ominous, listening experience.

Another gem on this record is their dubbed out remix of Herb Alpert's 'Lemon Tree' which evokes newfound emotion and depth from Apert's trademark frivolous and carefree horn numbers.

Other tracks of note include their remix of Strange Days by The Doors, and Sarah McLauglen's 'Dirty Little Secret' (Note: as a man, I cannot freely admit that I like Sarah McLachlan. However I am secure enough to say that this is a truly beautiful recording.)

Overall, Thievery Corporation has managed to create a vibrant and diverse collection which all contain the group's trademark Downtempo lounge feel, yet still maintain the essentials which made the original songs memorable.

Here's a track from the album:
Thievery Corporation feat. Sister Nancy - Originality

Official Web Site

So About that "Roots" Concert...

wait, wtf?


Let me start off by saying that when I bought tickets for the show last week at the 9:30 club, I was expecting a true Roots concert. Having seen them live at Constitution Hall in DC with Lupe Fiasco, I couldn't wait to experience them live in a small venue like the 9:30. However, when I got there, I was disappointed to learn that the show wasn't really focused on the Roots, and in fact was a showcase of lesser-known artists with the roots band performing in the background. That being said, once I got over the fact that I wasn't going to be hearing and of the Roots' own material, the concert ended up being pretty awesome.

The Format of the concert was as follows: Black Thought Emceed the show, introducing the various acts and sometimes performing with them while the Roots band played in the background. MC Lyte, Skillz, and Big Daddy Kane all put on great performances, but Black Thought FUCKING KILLED as always. His dense freestyle raps cemented my opinion that he is hands down one of the most talented MC's out there, an opinion echoed by all of the other artists at various points in the show.

The Roots band was great as usual, especially the tuba player who always cracks me up when I see him on stage. Seriously, the guy takes that tuba and fucking rocks it.

The other artists were entertaining enough, but I found myself looking at my watch at around the 2 and a half hour mark. Seriously, that was one of the longest sets I've ever experienced. It literally went on for 3 and a half hours, which in a standing room only venue like 9:30, gets a little tiresome.

Oh, and I forgot my camera. so no pictures.

Last.fm Playlist

Check it, to the right.

Tracks included:

Mobius Band – The Loving Sounds of Static
Jarvis – Black Magic
Pulp – Bar Italia
Radiohead – Everything in Its Right Place
Mobius Band – Hallie
Malajube – Montréal -40°C
Broken Social Scene – Lover's Spit
Chad VanGaalen – Flower Gardens
David Bowie – Life On Mars?
Duplomacy – Stars
Heartless Bastards – Searching for the Ghost
Busdriver – The Troglodyte Wins
Wolf Parade – Dear Sons and Daughters of Hungry Ghosts
Múm – Green Grass of Tunnel
806 Main St. – Dead Air
The Shins – Caring Is Creepy
Thom Yorke – And It Rained All Night
Maxïmo Park – Signal and Sign
Art Brut – HOME ALTARS OF MEXICO
Stereophonics – I Miss You Now (Album Version)
Animal Collective – Grass

Sometimes it gets a little wonky and doesn't work. Just hit refresh on your browser and that should do the trick.

Some Music Reccomendations Via iTunes

Here's an iMix that I will be updating periodically. You must Have iTunes installed to access it.

Schweet New Jams

Track listing:

White Rat---------------------------Ham1
West Side---------------------------Studio
Under the Waves------------------Pseudosix
Melody Day-------------------------Caribou
The Loving Sounds of Static-----Mobius Band
The Bar Is Too Low to Fail-------Boat
Drink To Moving On--------------Grand National
Miryad Harbour-------------------The New Pornographers (highest recc!)

Enjoy.