Posted in Album of the Month, Music chat, podcast

Podcast Ep. 35 | 50th Anniversary of Hip Hop

Ep. 44 | Yard Act | Where's My Utopia? This Is Not Happening – An Album Of The Month Podcast

Welcome to Episode 44 of This is Not Happening.  An Album of the Month Podcast where in Part 1 we deep dive into an Album that one of us has chosen and in Part 2 we play 'Spin it or Bin it'.  This is where we pick a theme and each select a song that represents that theme. We judge each others selections by asking the question 'Spin It or Bin It'?This month, in Part 1, we wrestle with the 2nd album from Yard Act titled 'Where's My Utopia?'.  This month we're in the capable hands of Guy who has been a Yard Act fan for some time, choosing their debut album as his Album of the Year in 2022. 66.6% of the team agree with him but 33.3% of the team has found the album more of a struggle.Part 1 | Yard Act | Where's My Utopia?Yard act are an interesting proposition, they are perhaps the most knowingly Northern band since Oasis. They seem to be everywhere and it's tough to find someone who doesn't like them. They are very clearly 'Post Punk' but their definition of what this means has changed somewhat with this album. We ask the standard quesiton, what did you expect and what did you get plus questions about Listen to the album here.Watch some videos here.Buy some stuff here.Buy some tickets to see them live here.Read some stuff here and listen to some pods here and here.Part 2 | Spin It or Bin It | 'Spoken Word'Given the AOTM is Yard Act, we chose to look at our favourite Spoken Word tracks. And 3 of us actually chose a Spoken Word track … one of us chose something else but let's leave that and let us know if you agree with me that it was not Spoken Word. Our chosen 4 tracks can be found on a play list here. In order to chose a track we each shortlist 4 tracks each, a combined 16 track playlist can be found here.Nolan chose – 'SpottieOttieDopalicious' by Outkast.Guy chose -''The Revolution will not be Televised' by Gil Scott Heron.Joey chose – 'Loosing My Edge'  by LCD SoundsystemDavid chose – 'O Superman'  by Laurie AndersonSee you on Episode 44! We've been writing the blog for years come and have a look – https://thisisnothappening.net/
  1. Ep. 44 | Yard Act | Where's My Utopia?
  2. Ep. 43 | Helado Negro | Phasor
  3. Ep. 42 | Aesop Rock | Integrated Tech Solutions
  4. Ep. 41 | Lana Del Rey | … Ocean Blvd.
  5. Ep.40 | 2023 Review | Top 10 Albums & Tracks of the Year

This month we’re doing things a little differently. In this episode we are celebrating Hip Hop’s 50th Birthday by each choosing our favourite Hip Hop album. We’re not choosing ‘the best’ or ‘the most important’ we’re choosing our personal favourites. We take it in turns to introduce our favourite album and discuss what everyone else thinks.

Listen Here – 16 track playlist, 4 tracks each from our 4 favourite Hip Hop albums.

Nolan’s Favourite Hip Hop Album | ATLiens by Outkast
Straight out of the blocks is our resident Hip Hop expert Nolan’s with his selection, Outkast’s 2nd album, 1996’s ATLiens.

  • You can find an introduction to this album by Nolan on our blog – read it here.
  • You can listen to the album – here.
  • ATLiens 25th Anniversary You Tube page and videos can be found here.

Joey’s Favourite Hip Hop Album | Buhloone Mind State by De La Soul
Choosing a classic TINH album from the past, Joey counters with his favourite, going back 3 years and selecting De La Soul’s 3rd album, release 30 years ago in 1993, Buhloone Mind State.

  • You can find an introduction to this album by Joey on our blog – read it here.
  • You can listen to this gem – here.
  • Have a look here at De La Soul’s You Tube account for videos – here.

David’s Favourite Hip Hop Album | Reachin’ by Digable Planets
This one was a real pleasure to be re-introduced too. We’re staying in 1993 with David’s selection Reachin’ by Digable Planets. The ‘most-David’ Hip Hop album evs.

  • You can find an introduction to this album by David on our blog – read it here.
  • You can listen to this beauty – here.
  • Watch the video to the track that kicked the whole thing off – here.

Guy’s Favourite Hip Hop Album | Renaissance by Q Tip
After some deliberation, Guy chose an album that divided opinions at the time but has aged very well and is a lovely choice by Guy. 2008’s Renaissance by Q Tip.

  • You can find an introduction to this album by Guy on our blog – read it here.
  • You can listen to this rediscovered gem – here.
  • Watch Mr. Tip doing his thing – here.

So, these are our 4 favourite Hip Hop albums of all time. What do you think? Do you know these albums? What are your favourites? Hit us up, let us know.

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