Ok. I am on. I am in. I am … up?
Lot’s to say. No time to say it but I will find time soon.
Peace out brothers.
I’m on ….
Chance the Rapper – Juice
I came accross this track a few days ago. At first I wasn’t too sure about it; but two days later I still have it in my head.
R.A. The Rugged Man (ft. Talib Kweli) – Learn Truth
Ahead of his return later this year, Talib Kweli guests on the new R.A. The Rugged Man single ‘Learn The Truth’.
April: John Grant – Pale Green Ghosts
What to say about this album? Or the man behind it? His story is at times harrowing, sad, joyous, in fact the very fact he’s made a new album and put it out given what he’s gone through in the last year is an achievement in itself. A former frontman, beset by a lack of faith in his own skills and voice, time spent int he musical wilderness was saved by American outfit Midlake when they persuaded him to record an album with them. The result of that was the fantastic Queen Of Denmark, which layered piano and velvet, dual-tracked vocals, disguising the extremities of emotion in almost MOR style balladry. But underneath the surface of the standard musical structure lurks darkness at every turn. And The Queen Of Denmark was about his happiness spent with a partner, then Pale Green Ghosts is the bleakness of post-break up, taken up a notch with the announcement, onstage, that he was HIV+. Others would have retreated into solitude, but Grant simply confronted this head on, and the result is an album that’s accessible immeadiately, then gradually snares you, as the emotional impact the words hits home.
Made with Biggi Viera of Gus Gus, there’s an electronic slant on it, but it’s much more than just some synths added to Grant’s syrupy voice. For me, I’ve actually become obsessed with the album. I tend to listen to new albums three or four times over to get to know them in the first week, but occasionally I end up with a mild addiction, and in this case I’ve listened to it over 30 times in the first two weeks. I find myself waking up in the night and the morning with songs stuck in my head (the fist in a velvet glove GMF, or the ehtereal title track) and it’s pretty much taken me over this month.
There’s a brilliant interview with him in the Guardian that’s worth reading too:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2013/mar/03/john-grant-interview-singer-songw…
Laid bare, Pale Green Ghosts is one of the albums of the year.
Brother David – Deptford Goth – Life After Defo
Similary sprung on me this month, by a friend and while at first impression it just sounds a little like identikit male-voice, lots of reverb, dubby Croydon stuff, it’s a real grower. It’s not so much the vocals or the fx, but the melodies, and they’ve really stuck with me. two of my favourite albums this year so far. There’s a good interview with him in the Guardian as well. Enjoy!
http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2013/mar/15/deptford-goth-life-after-defo
March: Dan Mangan – Oh Fortune
Happy March, and after a short but very enjoyable couple a months of classic albums I’m bringing the clock forward by a few years.
Let me introduce you to Dan Mangan and his most recent effort from last year; Oh Fortune.
Dan Mangan was my most listened to artist last year. I don’t particularly remember if I liked this whole album at once or bit by bit. Either way it has become a very old friend that I continually come back to.
For me Dan Mangan isn’t your run of the mill folk singer. What I love about him is that he seems to have a wonderful way of letting you into the honesty and thoughts of his world. I love how he lays little gems of fantastic lyrics throughout his songs that sometimes you have to dig for, but are wonderful and very touching at times when you find them.
If you google him you will find a fair bit of accolade from across the globe and a few interesting documentaries as well… but I encourage you to leave that for now. Just give a bit of time to ‘Oh Fortune’ in the car, on the tube orwhilst you’re knocking about the house.
I hope you enjoy this as much as I have brothers and I look forward to your feedback.
Rhye – ‘The Fall’
Good Morning. I am excited to share this with you brothers. This, in my humble opinion, is special. I have only heard this track thus far but I am in love. Please put up with the 18 second advert on the video. Alternatively, here’s the track on Soundcloud.
What A Mix…. J.Period Presents
So brothers, we have been talking a fair bit about hip hop as of late. There is a continued point that you can’t relate to hip hop these days. I think that hip hop has been a victom to it’s own success… it created the mix tape, and the digital mix tape and there’s just too much out there. Basically it’s hard to find a diamond in the ruff.
May I introduce you to a little nugget that I can’t get enough of at the moment (and it’s free)!
http://www.jperiod.com/rageisback/
esent
Black Stacey
I drive around all the time listening to my music thinking ‘damn, I wonder if the brothers know this’. So … do you know this track? The video’s pants so maybe don’t watch it but I love this track. Awesome lyrics. Love Saul Williams.
February: Buhloone Mind State – De La Soul
Boom.
I’ve been patiently waiting to drop this album on the brothers. I’ve spent the last 19 years quielty grumbling to myself about how many people slept on this album. As we’ve been talking ‘Classic Albums’ I thought I’d throw a curve ball. Classic Albums + De La Soul = 3 Feet High and Rising, right? Not in my humble opinion. This is the De La Soul classic album for me. Their strongest work. The tricky third album … tricky as everyone but the hip hop community in general loved their first and nobody really got the 2nd (I dislike it quite significantly).
So what is this? This is De La Soul in introspective but not up their own arse form. This is De La Soul produced by Prince Paul (the last album produced by him). This is De La Soul with an album produced by one producer rather than a rag bag collection of tracks produced by all sorts (I need to check the notes now). This is ‘fun’ De La Soul but it’s also serious, its experimental as well as back to basics. It’s proper proper Hip Hop and its a proper album. It has a style running through all of its tracks. They all fit and flow together. There is humour and heart felt emotions.
It doesn’t have skits. Thank god. It is skit free (is Paul’s revenge a skit?). It has ‘interludes’. It has a 5 minute instrumental. It has lots of live instrumentation and is sample light. This makes it feel organic. This makes it feel like the output of a, dare I say, ‘band’, not 3 MCs?
It has the best Hip Hop album track ever … I am I be. Discuss.
It might blow up but it won’t go pop.
thisisnothappening.net 