Radiodread

Easy Star All-Stars - Let Down feat Toots & The Maytals - Radiodread (Easy Star 2006)


Easy Star All-Stars - Exit Music (for a Dub) - Radiodread (Easy Star 2006)


When I walked into my office yesterday there was a cd place in front of my computer, obviously in an attempt to grab my attention. My office is covered with stacks of cds that I will never get around to even previewing due to sheer volume and my limited hours, so the album artwork is a huge selling point for me. I sit down, running a bit late and eager to get through my ‘to do’ list before my office hours are up, quickly glance at the cover which looks like any forgettable modern reggae/dancehall cd (it’s sad how little decent reggae is made today) with ‘Radiodread’ in bold white letters, shrug it off and toss it into one of the many stacks of cds I may or may not get to at any time in the future. I proceed along checking my email and getting organized before beginning the hour or two long process of going through the day’s mail, and then it hits me… Radiodread? As in Radiohead? I quickly relocate the disc and give it a closer look: “A track-for-track reggae re-imagining of Radiohead’s OK Computer that has received Radiohead’s blessing.” Gasp… double gasp! Reggae and Radiohead? Could two of my beloved musical interests be somehow molded into one album of aural splendor? Never… must be kitsch. But wait! Toots & The Maytals??? The Meditations??? Morgan Heritage??? Horace Andy??? These aren’t no-name reggae clones trying anything for exposure; these are big, legendary names of the genre. Seconds later the disc is deplasticed, popped open and flipped into the cd player and the electric guitar splatter of Airbag is being played over the upstrummed familiarness of a reggae backing track.

This could be easily a recipe for disaster… and in actuality, if this is not a complete disaster (track #3 is pretty damned disastrous), it should be genuinely heralded for creativity and bravado. Crossing-over something a band like Radiohead who makes their living on experimentation into a genre that thrives on tradition is not something that can be easily accomplished, but the Easy Star All-Stars, aka Michael G. and Tiklah, do so with confidence and grace. The NYC production duo with the help of their mostly legendary friends (since when was Citizen Cope a reggae artist?) are able to give both sides of the equation respect without overstepping either side, which is a success in itself. Now, there are a few missteps along the way, like the almost unlistenable ‘Subterranean Homesick Alien’ featuring Junior Jazz, but for the most part, this is a solid, well put together album. I’m not sure if the credit should be given to the production talents and imaginations of the Easy Stars and their friends or to Radiohead for creating such amazing music that it can transcend genres with such ease (not to mention the infinite respect they deserve for brining truly challenging music to the mass, mainstream audience who typically like their music spoon-fed in mouthfuls of redundant rip-offs). I’m going to give a quick track-by-track to give you an idea of what to expect… which of course is hours of guilty-pleasure and fun.

1. Airbag feat. Horace Andy – Teaming the skittering drums and electric guitar of the original with the typical roots reggae backdrop and dub echoes, Airbag is a fitting introduction. Tag on the inclusion of one of Jamaica’s most beloved vocalists, Horace Andy, and you will be hooked from the outset (which is a good thing, since it dips a bit before the strong second half).

2. Paranoid Android feat. Kristy Rock – Not surprisingly the vocal talents of Kristy Rock, a female singer which I have no background info on, would come closest to Yorke’s actual feminine croon, though without his individualisms. It begins to falter a bit when she attempts the urgent vocals halfway through the song, but quickly regains momentum with the horn interchange. From there it settles into an enjoyable haze of Kristy’s echoing voice and rootsy percussion before the horns once again steel the spotlight (a motif that will run throughout the disc).

3. Subterranean Homesick Alien feat. Junior Jazz – I have no idea who Junior Jazz is, but he certainly doesn’t sound like a Reggae vocalist, more adult contemporary than anything. Stripped of the vocals, this track would be a very cool mixture of dubbed percussion and dancing melodica; but alas the vocals are front-and-center, making it the worst cut, and essentially a mandatory skip.

4. Exit Music (For a Film) feat. Sugar Minott – The dancehall pioneer Sugar Minott gives a soulful performance of OK Computers most emotional track with much success. Easy Star concocts a quality dub of the music, which stands very well on it’s own (see track #13), but Minott’s performance is definitely worth a listen.

5. Let Down feat. Toots & The Maytals – Holy balls, if this doesn’t sell you, then take your boring ass out of my sight, because I want nothing to do with you. Rocksteady’s finest transform the somewhat melancholy Let Down into a bouncy, 2nd wave ska track that sounds like it belongs on their greatest hits album. Add in the fine trombone and sax solos of the bridge and Toots unmistakable Jamaican-gospel voice, and you have a modern classic… ridiculous.

6. Karma Police feat. Citizen Cope – This is a bit of a mystery to me… Citizen Cope? What does he have to do with reggae? The mainstream darling/flop (who probably flopped because he was a mainstream darling; he could have been amazing backed by a creative system like Okay Player or someone similar). To his credit, Greenwood does a decent job of the track (more of a straight cover than re-imagining), but, to me at least, it feels out of place.

7. Fitter Happier feat. Menny Mare – I’m happy they included this track, which features a strong Jamaican voice with the melody faintly played in the background hidden behind simmering electronics and almost a drum march. This could have been easily left off, and it should be a credit to Easy Star’s commitment to truly recreating the album.

8. Electioneering feat. Morgan Heritage – The contemporary reggae collective produce what is probably the second best track on the disc, though it is a heated race. The various voices from Heritage give the song a rebirth into what is essentially an anthem. The musical backdrop is a bit overproduced, but what in contemporary reggae is not?

9. Climbing Up the Walls feat. Tamar-kali – I’m torn on this track; it’s definitely an interesting take on the song, but it seems to lack the experimentation in the first half to really make it stand out. The androgynous vocals of Tamar-kali do a good job of mimicking Yorke’s, but are a bit boring. The song takes off during the second half when the horns weave and skronk as if Ornette Coleman got a hold of them, but I’m not sure if it’s enough to carry the entire track.

10. No Surprises feat. The Meditations – Now this is what an album like this is made for; a re-imagining that turns the song in a completely different direction. The earthy roots reggae trio are able to embrace the original emotion, and with their thick accents and creative sampling, make the track sound like it was a late 70s political statement. A very cool and simple track.

11. Lucky feat. Frankie Paul – The Jamaican Stevie Wonder, Frankie Paul, does a wonderful job with this track, adding a heavy dose of rasta soul to Lucky, succeeding in the same way The Meditations did. The song takes an anthemic turn, again utilizing creative sampling and typical roots reggae rhythm, flipping the song into new, more soulful territory.

12. The Tourist feat. Israel Vibration – The long-lived reggae trio, Israel Vibration, take a meditative stand on The Tourist, letting the song evolve in their own laid-back style. The electric guitar echoes in the background, as a strong rhythm section underpins the calmed vocals. A proper conclusion.

13. & 14. Exit Music (for a Dub) & An Airbag Saved My Dub – These two bonus dub tracks are spectacular in their own right, and at some points eclipse a majority of the main section’s songs. This is further proof of Easy Star’s production skills and my theory that everything sounds better in a dub.

Shufflings #3

Shufflings is a series in which I select the first 3 songs that appear on my randomly selected Party Shuffle and write about them.

Tito Puente & His Latin Ensemble - Guajira for Cal - Sensacion (Concord Picante 1987)


Manu Dibango - New Bell - Giles Peterson in Africa (Ether 2005)


Leroy Hutson - Cool Out - Hutson (Curtom 1975)


Tito Puente & His Latin Ensemble – Guajira for Cal – Sensacion (Concord Picante 1987)

How can you not love Tito Puente? The flamboyant and seemingly personable timbale master was a thing of beauty when in the public spotlight, where he always wore a large, infectious smile and eyes the size of Puerto Rico, the island of his descent. The Spanish Harlem staple was a prodigy on Latin percussion, including the aforementioned timbales as well as being remarkably skilled with the congas and bongos, not to mention being a prodigious vibraphonist and saxophonist. This song, from the amazing 1987 album, Sensacion, is the perfect example of Puente’s vibraphone skills, and the way he used them almost lyrically over his deceptively simple arrangements. Guajira is a style of Cuban folk music from the 17 & 1800s, which focuses on the lyrics, hence Puente’s vibraphone style. Cal is referring to Cal Tjader, the foremost non-Latino Latin Jazz band leader, and Puente contemporary and friend, who died a few years prior to this album. Sensacion is a prime example of the amazing Afro-Cuban jazz Puente was producing in the 80s, a decade in which jazz had gone the way of overproduction and post-fusion, pre-smooth nonsense.

Manu Dibango – New Bell – Giles Peterson in Africa (Ether 2005)

During the 60s and 70s, Africa had a slew of prodigious saxophone players largely thanks to Fela Kuti’s induction of jazz with traditional African music, as well as the sax being a key figure in funk which took the continent by storm after James Brown planted the seed. None of which gained quite the following that Cameroon’s Manu Dibango did though, who established himself throughout Africa as well as France, Belgium and Jamaica where he lived and performed. Dibango’s best asset was his ability to adopt to any genre he attempted, which resulted in his collaborations with artists as diverse as Kuti, Don Cherry, the Fania All-Stars, Sly Dunbar and even English rapper MC Mello as he ventured into early 90s hip-hop. This track from the late 80s previews his later move into contemporary rap and dance as his still potent sax dance over African rhythms that seem primed for the club. It can be found on some African dance compilations as well as the wonderful Giles Peterson in Africa comp.

Leroy Hutson – Cool Out – Hutson (Curtom 1975)

Leroy Hutson never became a household name like two of his good friends and collaborators, his Howard University roommate Donny Hathaway and Curtis Mayfield, whom he would later replace as the leader singer of The Impressions when Mayfield went solo. The soul producer could do it all, including singing, songwriting and a formidable piano player, but always seemed to remain under the radar. His songwriting career was launched after co-writing the amazing Hathaway single ‘The Ghetto,’ and became a collaborator with the similar-minded Mayfield, even following in his footsteps by taking later leavin The Impression and going solo with Mayfield’s label Curtom backing him. More of a cult-artist, Hutson penned soul music similar to Hathaway and Mayfield, but always opted for more straight-ahead love songs rather than turning to politics and social commentary. Cool Out is a typical smooth-soul instrumental that you can expect from Hutson, which is quality, but lacks individualism, and can be found on his 1975 solo full-length, Hutson, as well as Zero 7’s 2002 contribution to the AnotherLateNight series.

Dream Evokers

Nobody & Mystic Chords of Memory - Decisions, Decisions - Tree Colored See (Mush 2006)


Of Montreal - Lysergic Bliss - Satanic Panic in the Attic (Polyvinyl 2004)


All Night Radio - Sky Bicycle (You've Been Ringing) - Stereo Spirit Frequency (Sub Pop 2004)


It’s hot here in Chicago. It’s very, very hot. Unbearably hot, and I don’t have air conditioning. While I can’t be completely sure, I’m pretty sure the heat is fucking with me at night and I am having extremely ridiculous, vivid dreams. This is really nothing new, because my imagination seems to be pretty active and my dreams are entertaining to say the least; but rarely am I having 6 of these a night, which is exactly what’s happening. According to most theories, we have dozens of dreams a night, but remember only the ones that occur immediately before we awake. So the fact that I wake up every two hours in a pool of sweat (from the heat not the dreams) has got to be the reason for my nightly metaphysical playhouse. I can’t really complain though because the majority of the time I wake up laughing or shaking my head at the ridiculousness my imagination just unleashed on me. I have made it a habit lately of listening to a variety of pop and psychedelic music before I go to sleep to instigate this further and have had a significant amount of success, so I’ll give you a head’s up on what I have been using. A long, uninterrupted night of dreamless sleep is pretty appealing at this point, but with out a.c. I’m stuck eagerly awaiting the crisp, cool fall.

Nobody & Mystic Chords of Memory – Tree Colored See / Mush

As far as collaborations are concerned, the pairing of Elvin Estella aka Nobody, beat-driven psychedelia producer/DJ and typical Guillermo Scott Herren (Prefuse 73) touring mate/collaborator, and Mystic Chords of Memory, bedroom indie-pop duo, Chris Gunst (Beachwood Sparks) and Jen Cohen (the Aislers Set), is about intriguing as it gets. As their repertoires predict, the resulting sound is a mix of late 60s psychedelia, subtle, fractured beats, sunny folk-rock and hushed bedroom pop… what else could you ask for? Nobody paints colorful backdrops using his steady drum patterns and hazy samples while Gunst and Cohen add their respected musicianship and wistful vocals. The album is sure to swivel, bob or relax the heads of stoners, indie-hoppers and hipsters alike.

Of Montreal – Satanic Panic in the Attic / Polyvinyl

Kevin Barnes may make the most whimsical and fun-loving pop music today. The main man behind Athens, GA’s Of Montreal writes schizophrenic and freewheeling psychedelic pop songs with his band of merry men (and women) with ambitious and appreciation for everything sunshine pop can be. A product of Elephant 6’s second wave, Barnes hit his stride with Satanic Panic in the Attic, crafting infectious chamber-psych that reaches with great effort at each and every moment. Just about every song is a burst of effervescing colors and melodies that mirror Roman candle explosions. He is able to span numerous genres ranging from Afro-pop to acoustic singer/songwriter with ease and precision, but in a manner of cohesiveness. If listening to this album doesn’t evoke smiles or whimsical daydreams, then you have no soul.

All Night Radio – Spirit Stereo Frequency / Sub Pop

The appropriately named (especially for this topic) duo of former Beachwood Sparks members Dave Scher and Jimi Hey concoct maybe the best late-night music in the current psych-pop scene. Their shape-shifting sound shuffles in and out of songs with the use of seemingly archaic recording equipment and effects along with a trunkload of springy instruments. Scher and Hey’s pop sensibilities often prevail even in the more noisy section of the album, evoking acid dream backlashes, stupefied smiles and unrhythmic hippy dancing. Overall, it is an incredibly rewarding listen that should only be experienced in the dead of night; extraneous drugs are not required, but are recommended.

Fall 06 Teasers

Junior Boys - In the Morning - In the Morning EP (Domino 2006)


Cursive - Dorothy at Forty - Dorthy at Forty EP (Saddle Creek 2006)


Bonnie 'Prince' Billy - Cursed Sleep - Cursed Sleep EP (Drag City 2006)


For most midstream bands and promotion companies, the fall is the lucrative season for album sales and exposure mostly because the college radio market is where the get the most playtime. College stations are also the most active during this point of the year as each sets out with new, eager campaigns to improve their structure and listenership with a few handfuls of enthusastic new djs ready for those strenious 4-hour overnight shifts and the perils of passing out flyers. Most important, the station's music director is usually either starting his/her first go at running a solid music rotation and very easily swayed by promo companies as they attempt to build lucrative relationships, or they are a returning MD and have had the summer to rejuvinate from a demanding school year (burning out is natural for first year MDs). If you are lucky like me, and are MD of an independent, listener-supported station (the fabulous WLUW-FM Chicago), the station is in full force 365 days a year, and you get a bit of a break from nagging promoters who often get too lazy from the heat to keep your phone at a constant jingle, or are not slammed themselves and you get a chance to actually get to know the wonderful people that they are. Also, late summer means the teasers and singles start pooring in for the big fall releases, and my last week was graced with three excellent examples of this. I received new teasers from sexy synth-poppers the Junior Boys previewing 'So This is Goodbye' (Aug 2006), moody indie-rockers Cursive giving a taste of 'Happy Hallow' (Aug 22, 2006) and experimenting gospel-folkster Bonnie 'Prince' Billy who drops 'Then The Letting Go' in September 2006. I was very pleased with all three and am eagerly looking forward to enjoying the full-lengths as the leaves begin their inevitable descent into mulch. And in turn, I will up the tease and give you a one-track taste of what's to come, though I recommend purchasing all of these EP/singles if you can find them.

Junior Boys – In the Morning EP / Domino

The amazing electro-synth-pop of 2004’s ‘Last Exit’ from Ontario’s Junior Boys took a lot of people by surprise, including me. Owing as much to Scritti Politti as it does Timbaland, Johnny Greenspan’s infectious dance-pop is as sexual as it is vulnerable… basically the antithesis of The Postal Service using the same set of materials. In preparation for their sophomore release, Domino has released this EP featuring 3 new songs and 2 remixes. The originals’ pick up right where ‘Last Exit’ left off matching minimal techno with arty synth-pop and Greenspan’s endearing croon; the title track is the result of a collaboration with Mouse on Mars’ Andi Toma. Remixes come care of techno concocter Alex Smoke and IDM stalwart Morgan Geist, and are both decent cuts, but the originals are hard to top. It sounds to me like ‘So This is Goodbye’ (Aug 2006) may easily beat out the sophomore slump.



Cursive – Dorothy at Forty EP/ Saddle Creek

I’ll be honest, it’s hard to get used to Cursive minus cellist Gretta Cohn again… maybe because it now reminds me more of The Good Life, or that ‘The Ugly Organ’ was such a strong artistic expression that it really summed up what Cursive had been striving for since their inception in 1995 (which is no knock on the excellent ‘Domestica’). Whether you can accept it or not, the forgettable emo scene’s best product, Cursive, return to their original line-up but with a whole trunkload of new musical toys. The three-song teaser features the 4-piece’s relentless dynamics, exceptional rhythm section and Kashner’s trademark howl along with a blaring horn section, dancing organs and other instrumentation used to flesh out their sound. This really only raises more questions than answers for Cursive’s upcoming ‘Happy Hollow’ (Aug 22), but that’s the very definition of tease.


Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy – Cursed Sleep EP / Drag City

Get out your rocking chairs and creaky floorboards because Will Oldham is returning under the Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy moniker for a proper follow-up to 2005’s acclaimed ‘Superwolf.’ This three song teaser gives three distinct, separate styles we should at least expect from ‘Then The Letting Go,’ due out Sept 2006. 'Cursed Sleep' is country-leaning, string-laden folk-pop anthem featuring Oldham matching vocal wits with Faun Fables’ Dawn McCarthy. Where 'Sleep' swoons, 'The Signifying Wolf' plods through urgent gospel-stomping eeriness with much success. 'God's Small Song' goes in the complete opposite direction, opting for a very quiet, minimalist tune featuring Oldham’s lulling voice and a sweeping slide-guitar. Oldham and Drag City certainly tease with the best of them.

Dreary Night Music

Triosk - Visions IV - The Headlight Serenade (Leaf 2006)


Collections of Colonies of Bees - Track 5 - Rance (Crouton 2000)


The Watery Graves of Portland - Scenic Vista with a Tropical Fruit Drink - Caracas (Marriage 2005)


It’s probably the dreary weather combined with my reviewing of Triosk’s latest outing ‘The Headlight Serenade,’ but my love of minimal, free jazz meets modern post-rock has taken the pole position in my daily music listening. It’s a much harder genre to define than enjoy, because it encompasses so many critical influences, but presents them in a very mellow manner. Taking cues from the layering free-jazz of Alice Coltrane, the skittering drums of Art Blakey, the creative fringe-rock of Tortoise, the minimalist song structure of artists like Eno and even some of the electronic experimentation of ambient-techno artists like Jen Jelinek, the heavily hyphenated niche of music is perfect for dark, rainy days or lonesome, star-filled nights. I often find myself staring out the window when I can’t sleep studying the sweeping light patterns created by passing headlights, and you can be for damn sure that this is the music that I’m listening to. It features the similar notion of improvised, unable to recreate sensibility of non-existent song structures that come with sudden inspiration in the studio (even if in reality it is meticulously thought out by the musicians). I also find it to be very soothing to listen to what can be definably whittled down to minimal chaos, since that is mostly what my life is made up of. Like the rain hitting the ground, the music usually comes in tiny, skittering explosions of sound that immediately separate onto their own individual path never encompassing the same aural space again.

There are a good amount of bands creating this sound, so check out labels like Leaf, who have a roster filled with excellent artists of this niche. Here are three that immediately come to mind, including the review I just wrote for the new Triosk album.

Triosk – Visions IV – The Headlight Serenade (Leaf 2006)
Australian trio Triosk is about the closest think you can come to in terms of contemporary minimalist free-jazz (just in case you were looking for one of those). It’s also about the closest acoustic rendition of the ambient-techno created by friend and collaborator Jan Jelinek, whose contribution to ‘1+3+1’ and frequent associations helped put the band on the map. With their second release for the electro-ambient UK label Leaf, Triosk returns to their jazz-inspired roots teaming skittering acoustic drums with minimal free bass lines, a barrage of keyboards and various ambient noise and samples. The non-linear song structures and non-abrasive approach to the music gives the album a very mellow, contemplative mood perfect for, as the title suggests, soundtracking the perspectives created by sweeping headlight reflections during the quietest moments of the night.

Collections of Colonies of Bees – Track 5 – Rance (Crouton 2000)
I’ve wrote about C of C of B in my first ever blog on this site, and they fit in perfectly with this post as well. Former Pele members, Chris Rosenau, Jon Minor and Jon Mueller craft minimal soundscapes using, strangely enough, traditional folk/bluegrass instrumentation with jazzy percussion and finely tuned post-production manipulation. The result is amazing, sweeping ambient music that comes together brilliantly in one moment, then completely disperses the next. I just got a hold of their out-of-print ‘Rance’ album from 2000 a couple weeks ago, and have been completely obsessed with it ever since. If you can’t find a copy of it, their latest, ‘Customer’ on Polyvinyl, is just as amazing and readily available; I highly recommend both.

The Watery Graves of Portland – Scenic Vista with a Tropical Fruit Drink – Caracas (Marriage 2005)
Portland’s (obviously) The Watery Graves of Portland is a bit different from the previous two bands in that there is little to none electronic manipulation to their sound, but they still greatly fall into this category. The trio of Curtis Knapp on piano, Adrian Orange on brushed drums and Davis Lee Hooker on upright bass bring a classical approach to our genre niche of choice utilizing simply acoustic instrumentation and a good dose of resonance and room sound. In what may be the most appropriate audience participation ever with a particular band, as according to the Marriage Records website, the Water Graves provide ‘free stamped envelopes and office supplies, encouraging audiences to write loved ones and/or the band itself amid the music.’ Genius.

Notable Newer Releases #2

Nomo - Nu Tones - New Tones (Ubiquity 2006)


One Second Bridge - Everywhere - One Second Bridge (Buro 2006)


The Brown Party - Three Plus Four Equals Fun - The Brown Party (self-released 2006)


Nomo – New Tones / Ubiquity

Much like early Antibalas records, Nomo’s eponymous debut was an infectious tribute to Fela’s afro-beat and soul-jazz, but it lacked individualism and would always be described as a tribute. For their second go around, composer/arranger/saxophonist Elliot Bergman (Saturday Looks Good to Me) and producer Warren Defever (His Name is Alive, Flashpapr) progress their sound tenfold, seemingly absorbing everything that was wonderful about late 60s, early-to-mid 70s music and deriving their own individual sound from it. As AMG so perfectly puts it, the 12+ member band ‘suggest Fela playing with Alice Coltrane and Roy Ayers in the JB’s.’ An obvious new influence since the self-titled is the inclusion of the makeshift electro-acoustic instruments popularized by Konono Nº1 and the Congotronics series, adding yet another element of worldly influence so important to their sound. With nasty polyrhythms, blaring horns, spluttering thumb piano riffs, deep bass grooves, funky guitars and Bergman’s Coltrane-inspired tenor solos, Nomo is without a doubt the most exciting, most nostalgic, most forward-thinking, most fucking amazing band of this decade.


One Second Bridge – One Second Bridge / Buro

One Second Bridge’s eponymous debut is made for nighttime. Scratch that… One Second Bridge’s eponymous debut is made for a downpour at 3am during the dreary month of May when your luck is down and you catch yourself solemnly staring out the window for signs of hope. The collaborative efforts of Vicente Garcia Landa of Mexico City and Matias Bieniaszewski of Buenos Aires reach back to the early days of shoegaze, when artists venturing into the infant genre experimented with grand melody-drenched soundscapes that decayed into the background as quickly as they appeared. Recorded during improvised late-night sessions, the relocated Barcelona residents have managed to create an immensely poignant and moving album of shoegaze, electronica, pop and light psychedelia that will surely be overlooked by most everyone, but become an obsession for a lucky few.


The Brown Party – The Brown Party / Self-Released

This is good. This is very good. How this Chicago 4-piece is not signed is pretty baffling; with all the great local labels, how has none of them taken notice? With a DIY attitude (they design, print and package all of their own releases and promos) and undeniable pop sensibilities, The Brown Party fuse a Stereolab-inspired sound with falsetto voices and ample percussion. Taking cues from 60s pop, psychedelia, jazz, Krautrock and worldly rhythms, they layer keyboards, percussion, guitar and an assortment of other instruments (from sitar to glockenspiel) into pulsing jams of rhythmic avant-pop. Think a less schizophrenic Of Montreal with a love of Fela-inspired keyboard hooks, harmonic layering and Krautrock experimentation.

1996 & 10-Year-Anniversaries

Quasimoto - Rappcats pt. 3 - The Further Adventures of Lord Quas (Stones Throw 2005)


Chin Up Chin Up - Trophy's for Hire - Slaying Since 1996 (Suicide Squeeze 2006)


Savath + Savalas - Rolls and Waves of Ignorance - The Rolls and Waves EP (Hefty 2002)


Apparently 1996 was a hell of a year for new record labels. Music was somewhat in a transition period as grunge’s reign over alternative rock was waning, the division between mainstream and underground rap began to significantly widen, the new wave of teeny bopper pop stars began to emerge, electronic music began to feel the effect of exponentially advancing equipment, post-rock and fringe rock were taking hold of college radio, punk was dissolving into pop-punk, emo and hardcore and indie-rock was greatly feeling the effect of wider exposure thanks to the quickly developing interweb and DIY ‘zines.

Other 1996 musical facts

Top 5 Billboard albums: Alanis Morissette – Jagged Little Pill, Mariah Carey – Daydream, Celine Dion – Falling into You, Waiting to Exhale Soundtrack, The Fugees – The Score

Notable albums released beneath the mainstream: DJ Shadow – Endtroducing, Dr. Octagon – Dr. Octagon, A Tribe Called Quest – Beats, Rhymes and Life, Tortoise – Millions Now Living Will Never Die, Beck – Odelay, Stereolab – Emperor Tomato Ketchup, Ghostface Killah – Ironman, The Olivia Tremor Control – Dusk at Cubist Castle, Aphex Twin – Richard D. James, Ben Folds Five – Ben Folds Five, Weezer – Pinkerton, Jamiroquai – Travelling Without Moving, De La Soul – Stakes is High, Tricky – Pre-Millineial Tension, The Roots – Illadelph Halflife, Belle & Sebastian – If You’re Feeling Sinister, Outkast – ATLiens and probably a whole bunch more that I missed.

Other random and funny 1996 music events I found on Wikipedia:
-January 16 - Jamaican authorities open fire on Jimmy Buffett's seaplane, mistaking it for a drug trafficker's plane. U2 singer Bono was also on the plane, but neither singer was injured.
-January 18 - Lisa Marie Presley files for divorce from Michael Jackson.
-January 29 - Garth Brooks refuses to accept his American Music Award for "Favorite Overall Artist". Brooks says that Hootie and the Blowfish had done more for music that year than he did. (hahahahhahaha)
-March 28 - Phil Collins announces that he is leaving Genesis to focus on his solo career.
-April 3 - M.C. Hammer files for bankruptcy.
-May 25 - Brad Nowell lead singer of the band Sublime is found dead of a heroin overdose in his San Francisco motel room. (not funny)
-August 6 - The Ramones play their last ever show at Lollapalooza.
-September 7 - Rapper Tupac Shakur is shot 4 times in Las Vegas, Nevada while leaving the MGM Grand hotel, after seeing the Mike Tyson vs. Bruce Seldon boxing match, in what is apparently a drive-by shooting. (not funny either)
-Jay-Z's musical career begins
-Arrested Development disband
-Jawbreaker split.
-The Pogues disband.

More importantly, three amazing and influential labels formed and are now celebrating their 10-year-anniversary with career-spanning compilations. L.A.’s Stones Throw, Seattle’s Suicide Squeeze and Chicago’s Hefty Records all set out for world domination with a cast of talented young artists and the motivation to put their personal stamp on the current music scene; needless to say all three are widely successful now, but it surely took a minute to get the ball rolling. Here are three brief bios of each for your reading pleasure, and if you are not yet turned on to any of the three, I strongly recommend each one.

Stones Throw Records – Los Angeles, CA – Founded by Peanut Butter Wolf
Stones Throw Records, started by beat maker/producer/DJ extraordinaire Peanut Butter Wolf, was created in 1996 as an outlet for releasing his own material after he realized that he got as much enjoyment promoting the music as he did creating it. It was also a way to release the material he produced with his late friend, emcee Charizma (who passed away in 1993) after a failed stint on Hollywood Basics (hip-hop subsidiary of Walt Disney). Stones Throw started by releasing 12"s, 7"s and instrumentals before breaking on to the scene hard in the late 90s. Within 4 years (1998-2002) and the release of long players by Peanut Butter Wolf (My Vinyl Weighs a Ton - 1998, Peanut Butter Wolf's Jukebox 45s - 2002), Lootpack (Soundpieces: Da Antidote - 1999), Quasimoto (The Unseen - 2000), Breakestra (The Live Mix Part 2}, Yesterdays New Quintet (Angels Without Edges - 2001) and a fantastic funk compilation called The Funky 16 Corners (2001) along with singles from the rest of their core line-up (MED/Medaphoar, Dudley Perkins, Wildchild), Stones Throw was able to solidify their position as the essential independent hip-hop label on the west coast. The label would not have earned nearly as much popularity without beatmaker/producer/emcee/DJ Madlib, ST's flagship artist. He is not only responsible for probably about 75% of the label's music and production, but is actually 40% of the label's artists himself, just under different monikers. His unparalleled innovation musically along with PBW's creative knack for promotion and presentation has made Stones Throw maybe the most important independent label of recent times and moving strong into the future. Their second generation of artists is currently making noteworthy noise including new music from Georgia Anne Muldrow, Aloe Blacc, Oh No and Koushik.

Suicide Squeeze Records – Seattle, WA – Founded by David Dickenson
Like most record labels, Suicide Squeeze began as a hobby of David Dickenson who set out to release ‘top caliber records with a punk rock soul.’ Located in Seattle, SS began in the waning moments of the grunge hype and in the shadow of burgeoning Sub Pop; needless to say, they were the underdogs. Grunge’s punk attitude and soft/loud counterbalance along with a heavy post-punk influence can be easily heard on a lot of the bands early releases, including music from 764-Hero, Modest Mouse and The Aisler Set. At the turn of the millennium, SS had become a full-time business and the roster became increasingly eclectic, including notable additions Pedro the Lion, Minus the Bear, Hella and the Six Parts Seven. Maybe most importantly, friends were turning to SS to release limited edition EPs and 7 inches which brought a lot of attention to the label. Elliot Smith, The Melvins, The Constatines, The Black Heart Procession, Les Savy Fav, Of Montreal, Iron and Wine, The Unicorns and Black Mountain have all turned to Dickenson to release music through Seattle’s quickly expanding label. Today’s roster is about as diverse as it gets in indie-rock with albums being released by art-poppers Chin Up Chin Up, bedroom musicians Metal Hearts, the Twiggy Ramirez/Zach Hill collaboration Goon Moon, the anti-angular We Ragazzi and the urgent art-punk of Hint Hint. Predictability has never been a word associated with Suicide Squeeze, but quality always has been.

Hefty Records – Chicago, IL – Founded by John Hughes III
Ok, so I cheated just a little bit because Hefty was actually started in 1995, but their 10-year-anniversary comp was just released recently, so they count. Started by John Hughes III, who is actually the son of the film director responsible for the 80s classics ‘Ferris Bueller’s Day Off’ and ‘The Breakfast Club,’ Hefty was established in an attempt to release music drawing the line between yesterday’s jazz, soul and funk scene and today’s electronic scene. Heavily influenced by the editing rooms he spent time in with his father, Hughes’ natural inclination directed him towards music heavy on the collage aspect, most notably electronic and experimental music. Hefty releases have ridden the wide line between post-rock, IDM, jazz, hip-hop and down-tempo; almost every release seems to touch on each of the genres, but none can be easily describe by just one of them. Official Hefty artists include Hughes’ soul-jazz outfit Slicker, the laptop soul duo Telefon Tel Aviv, electro-baroque exes L’Altra and jazz legend Phil Ranelin among others. Another fruitful collaboration of the label is with Guillermo Scott Herren and his Eastern Developments label, which Hefty kindly distributes (and rightfully so since their musical output is so similar. The similar-minded Herren has also released music under his folktronica moniker Savath + Savalas through Hefty. Hughes’ music of choice commands the listener to be challenged and see the similarities between seemingly unconnected genres; and we are all better listeners because of it.

So-Called Ambient-Techno

Jan Jelinek – Universal Band Silhouette – Kosmischer Pitch (~scape 2005)


Kammerflimmer Kollekteif – Unstet-Schilefen (Jan Jelinek Remix) - Remixed (Staubgold 2006)


Mouse on Mars – Catching Butterflies with Hands – Idiology (Thrill Jockey 2001)


I recently received the Kammerflimmer Kollektief remix record, and while listening to it’s various re-imaginings of the German collectives’ original material, it appeared to me that the recent movement of ambient-techno/post-rockish artists are really the closest thing we have to the experimental jazz artists of the late 60s and on into the 70s. I’m not really sure how I feel about the ‘ambient-techno’ label, which is just as ambiguous as any hyphenated classification, mostly because I relate negative connotations to the word ‘techno.’ The AMG definition sites obvious starting points at B12, early Aphex Twin and the Higher Intelligence Agency, which I more relate to the minimal techno movement; but they do hit the nail on the head with the beautifully summed-up definition, ‘soaring, layered, aquatic atmospheres of beatless and experimental ambient.’ Alright, so with that definition, what does ‘techno,’ which emphasizes electronic, synthesized beats and electro-funk dance groove, have anything to do with this music? I realize that this new style is certainly a byproduct of the 80s movement, especially with finally chopped, minimal beats that provide the skeletal backbone to a lot of the songs, but when you get to the music of artists like Jan Jelinek, it just seems like he has gone far past anything that could be remotely derived as techno. Similar to jazz artists like Alice Coltrane, Jelinek stretches out a motif into almost a drone and lets the music layer upon itself creating unforeseen overtones that swell while progressing the music by adding new sounds into the building mix. While Coltrane accomplished this by layering Eastern instruments like the tamboura, Jelinek uses finally chopped samples which he stretches into indefinable new sounds. Both styles of music produce a very meditative state for the listener, letting the slowly progressing loops and layers swirl around the ears and fill a room with a colorful atmosphere of overtones and reflections.

I’m going to include a track from the new Kammerflimmer Kollekteif remix album, Jan Jelinek’s latest Kosmischer Pitch and one from Mouse on Mars, and earlier and still very important innovator in the genre.

Jan Jelinek – Universal Band Silhouette – Kosmischer Pitch (~scape 2005)

Jelinek has rose quickly through the ranks of electronic producers in the last 6 years, first under the monikers Farben and Gramm, and now under his birth name. His penchant for microscopically sampled loops has helped define the microsound and ambient-techno genres. This is a review I wrote for this album when it came out:

Jan Jelinek, the Austrian-born producer with the unparalleled ears capable of dissecting a sample into enticing sound bytes just milliseconds long, leaves his soul and jazz records on the shelf for his third proper full length under his real name. Drawing inspiration and samples from the krautrock creative explosion in Germany during the 70s, 'Kosmischer Pitch' ('Cosmic Pitch') is a flowing array of unidentifiable and melodic noise that fluidly melts into a single strand of droning music. By almost completely leaving his glitch tendencies behind, Jelinek has created a much more free-flowing sound; one that builds calmly before stretching out and layering back on itself. The music almost sounds like it's waking up to dreary Saturday morning, only to decide that everything it had planned out to accomplish that day was not nearly as important as rolling back over for a few more hours of much needed sleep. Jelinek's samples remain mostly a mystery due to the heavy manipulation but they are much more accessible than his previous outings. Whether it is a number of vibraphone splices (perhaps the same one) weaving in and out of each other or a guitar strum with the entire attack cut off, each moment of sound seems strategically placed and triggered to create one, effervescing sound. 'Kosmischer Pitch' may be a new direction for Jelinek, but it is definitely not a wrong turn.


Kammerflimmer Kollekteif – Unstet-Schilefen (Jan Jelinek Remix) - Remixed (Staubgold 2006)

Kammerflimmer Kollekteif began as the brainchild of Thomas Weber and his bedroom experimentation with ambient noises but expanded into a typically 6-piece collective that brings the music to life by creating it with a band rather than solely a machine. The group has continually reinvented their sound throughout their 7-year existence, progressing from more lo-fi, ambient drone to electronic jazz improvisers to lush post-rock composers. They have a penchant for rich soundscapes that can range from playful minimalist static to fleshed out and lush shoegaze-like music that is not afraid to skronk when necessary. This remix record compiles tracks from two limited edition 12” EPs and features mixes from similar artists like Jan Jelinek, Sutekh, Aoki Takamasa and Secondo.

Mouse on Mars – Catching Butterflies with Hands – Idiology (Thrill Jockey 2001)

While Mouse on Mars may be more beat driven than Jelinek, they are certainly a crucial step in the evolution of their shared experimental electronic music, and elements of their sound can be heard in Jelinek. Duo Andi Toma and Jan St. Werner teamed up in 1993 and were thankfully seated between the burgeoning German techno and ambient scenes, of which were both heavily influential and undeniably important to their musical evolution. Always a bit offbeat, they usually took the path least traveled opting for oddly programmed beats and colorful samples to shape their music. ‘Idiology,’ their seventh full-length was the perfect summation of their career to date, collecting 11 almost unrelated tracks that each succeeded in their own individual way. By far my favorite, this song is so oddly infectious it’s ridiculous and features bright samples twisted and manipulated in unforeseen creating a completely indefinable composition.

Latin-Jazz

Señor Coconut - Simoon feat. Mouse on Mars - Yellow Fever! (Essay 2006)


Pucho & the Latin Soul Brothers - Yania - Yania (Cubop 1997)


Willie Bobo - Roots - Latin Sounds (Verve 2004)


With the ridiculous temperatures throughout the county melting away ice cream cones and brain cells alike, there is not a more appropriate time to talk about some hot Latin sounds. Along with sweltering heat enveloping my air condition-less apartment, there is a much-anticipated package from Forced Exposure, a distributor of genreless music that never ceases to fascinate. Among the many rough diamonds was a very humble looking cd case with artwork that look like it was straight from the flea market crate of 60-year-old strung out war vet. Blatantly retro, to the point that it if it was the vinyl version, I would absolutely believe it to be from the 50s, the cover art is of a small toy reminiscing of the Chiquita lady that pronounces ‘YELLOW FEVER!’ with subdued gusto. In the top left corner it reads, ‘Señor Coconut and his Orchestra including Argenis Brito,” and underneath, a tiny cut out star with a straight-faced Brito looking hesitantly at an imaginary crowd. Fuck Yea, I can already tell this is going to be good. Little did I know that it was actually a German DJ/producer covering Yellow Magic Orchestra (Japan’s answer to Kraftwerk) with a Latin-jazz big band. Damn, it is goood.

Here is the short review I wrote for the lucky DJs who will be spinning this at WLUW-FM Chicago (pay no attention to the terrible pun at the end, sometimes corny humor is the best, especially if you are going on the 4th hour of an overnight DJ shift):

Laptop-salsa??? Acid-merengue??? Personally, I’m already sold, but in case you lack playfulness or fear hyphenated madness, I’ll continue with more info. The brilliantly named Señor Coconut, or German DJ/producer Uwe Schmidt who left the dismal blandness of Germany for the bright colors of Chile, has already produced albums consisting of Latin Big Band covers of Kraftwerk, Sade and Michael Jackson, and this time he is paying homage to Japan’s answer to Kraftwerk, the Yellow Magic Orchestra. With all three original members on board to contribute, as well as a full ensemble of Latin Jazz artists and other more electronic-minded artists like Mouse on Mars, Towa Tei and Burnt Friedman, Schmidt had ample and able musicians and creative minds to give YMO a proper Latin makeover. The results are amazing and sound truly like authentic Latin music for the most part, and I would assume that most unaware listeners would consider it to be just that. This is incredibly fun, surprising and dare I say ‘hot hot hot!’ (er, I apologize, that was completely uncalled for).

But I won’t leave you with just that; how about two more amazing Latin-jazz cuts:

Pucho & the Latin Soul Brothers – Yania – Yania (Cubop 1997, originally 1971)

Henry ‘Pucho’ Brown did wonders in melting away the line between Latin-jazz and soul-jazz, kind of the same way Roy Ayers did with R&B and jazz. He was a hefty, and seemingly cuddly, African-American who became so obsessed with the rhythms of Afro-Cuban salsa that by his later years, most people mistook him for an actual Latino (which I’m sure he took as a compliment). Like most people in the latter half of last century with any interest at all in Latin-jazz, Tito Puente was the starting point, and Pucho followed his idol into the percussion field, concentrating on the timbales. He recorded for Prestige, Right On! and Epic in the 60s and 70s before falling off until the 90s when acid jazz revived his career. Thanks to the always wonderful Fantasy re-releasing his early records, Pucho has returned to his rightful place in the upper echelon of Latin-jazz percussionists. ‘Yania’ was originally recorded in 1971, and re-released by Cubop in 1997. It is an excellent album of most laid-back Latin-jazz heavy on flute and vibes, and features covers of The Rolling Stones ‘You Can’t Always Get What You Want,’ Kenny Burrell’s ‘Chitterlings con Carne’ and John Coltrane’s ‘Naima.’

Willie Bobo – Roots – Latin Sounds (Verve 2004)

The flamboyant and genre-hopping percussionist Willie Bobo would make significant contributions in fusing Latin rhythms into jazz, R&B and pop throughout his lengthy career. Specializing on the congas and timbales, Bobo was seated next to Tito Puente by the age of 19 and never looked back. Throughout the 60s and 70s he worked with such amazing jazz artists as Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock, Wes Montgomery, Chico Hamilton, Cannonball Adderley, Sonny Stitt and Cal Tjader, was responsible for the Latin standard ‘Afro-Blue’ and recorded for Blue Note, Verve, Columbia and Sussex. Latin Sounds is a compilation put together by Masters at Work compiling some of Verve’s finest Latin-jazz music. ‘Roots’ also appears on 1967’s ‘Juicy,’ which obviously came out on Verve.

Shufflings #2

Prefuse 73 - Another One Long Gone - Security Screenings (WARP 2006)


Quasimoto - Strange Piano - The Further Adventures of Lord Quas (Stones Throw 2005)


A Tribe Called Quest - Sucka Nigga - Midnight Marauders (Jive 1993)


Oh my love of Party Shuffle is unmatched… except maybe my love for Scarlett Johansson. I should be writing more theme-based articles, but who doesn’t love quality random music? If you don’t, then you should seriously take a minute to reevaluate your life, and realize the pure joy that can be found in random occurrences. Like last Wednesday for example: after a enjoyable night of many-multiple $1 budlights, watching merrily as the Bobcats drafted ‘The Great Mustachio’ aka Adam Morrison and being pushed off the dancefloor by a ladyfriend who apparently wasn’t enjoying my pure caucasian dance moves, I was walking down the street to my apartment and notice a small, styrofoam container I had not noticed before. When I opened the mystery box, I was overjoyed to see a steaming hot piece of pizza! How it got into my hands is beyond me, but was the greatest surprise ever. Godbless randomness. So, without further a due, here are the first 3 songs on my current party shuffle. (also I just got the coolest shoes ever)

Prefuse 73 – Another One Long Gone – Security Screenings (WARP 2006)
I have made no secret of my unequaled love for Guillermo Scott Herren, and I probably owe any interest I have in electronic music to him. I also love his penchant for creating theme-based albums, whether it be the hip-hip and uprock homage on 2001’s Vocal Studies and Uprock Narratives (WARP), the guest artist theme of 2005’s Surrounded by Silence (WARP) or the remixes of found-sounders The Books on 2005’s EP, Prefuse 73 Reads The Books (WARP). This year’s ‘Security Screenings’ finds Prefuse reflecting back to his earlier days as well as his work as Savath & Savalas, concentrating more on laid back, finely slice instrumentals that would be labeled electronica but owe just as much to hip-hop and jazz. This is the sound that truly defines the Prefuse 73 moniker, though, unlike most people, I am all about experimentation and pushing definitions to the limits. This particular song features some of the key components to the Prefuse sound, a steady hand-clap layered snare, awkwardly timed vocal samples (of what sounds like Sam Prekop), and skittering, unidentifiable sounds that give the song texture and infinite replay value.

Quasimoto – Strange Piano – The Further Adventures of Lord Quas (Stones Throw 2005)
Madlib’s brick-throwing, smack-talking alter ego, Quasimoto, was really a musical phenomenon of sorts, garnishing warranted but unforeseen praise for it’s strange but infectious helium sucking emcee and hazy jazz soundscapes. 2005’s ‘The Further Adventures of…’ is the follow up to the much acclaimed ‘The Unseen’ (Stones Throw 2000), and was just as gleefully accepted. One part Prince Paul, one part Pete Rock, the album combined amazingly sampled soul, jazz and funk along with 50+ audio clips from movies, educational clips and other skits with playful raps that range from weed to record breaks to inner city struggles. The album continues to prove why Madlib is the most creative man in hip-hop and maybe all of music along with the undeniable master of the sampler. This song begins with a NASA countdown, before Madlib/Lord Quas duet accented by obviously an interestingly timed piano loop.

A Tribe Called Quest – Sucka Nigga – Midnight Marauders (Jive 1993)
The story of Q-Tip, Phife and DJ Ali Shaheed Muhammad is well documented at this point, and their place on top of the alternative rap hierarchy will never be displaced. Building on the base built by De La Soul, Tribe went the less comical direction, sampling jazz into laid-back grooves and spit about socially conscious issues making the most essential hip-hop created by the early 90s (and possibly today). By that time, Gangsta rap was budding as well and Tribe led the latter side of the underground division between the more shock-oriented Gangsta rap and the more intelligent alternative rap. 1993’s ‘Midnight Marauders’ was the solid follow-up to the pinnacle, impossible to outdo, ‘The Low End Thoery’ (Jive 1991). This track could be very well the most potent and poignant of any Tribe song, and really defines them to a tee. Tip confronts the use of the N-word that was quickly becoming an endearing slang for Black youth everywhere. He skillfully explains the paradox behind using the word and explaining that its new use is ‘as a term of endearment,’ but he still flinches as ‘he’s about to spray it,’ know the history behind it.

Simply Cee-Lo Green

Cee-Lo - Suga Baby ft. Big Gipp & Backbone - Cee-Lo Green and his Perfect Imperfections (Arista 2002)


Dangermouse & Jemini - What You Sittin' On? Remix ft. Cee-Lo & Tha Liks (Lex 2004)


Dungeon Family - Crooked Booty - Even in Darkness (Arista 2001)


I have been working on cultivating the music library at WLUW-FM Chicago (the best independent station in the U.S. coughshamelessplugcough), especially adding a good dose of rap/soul/jazz into the existing indie-rock dominated selection. I have no real problem with indie-rock, and actually do like a good chunk of it, but my tastes tend to usually bend toward black artists and their respected genres. Why? I’m not exactly sure, but I’m thinking it has something to do with the amount of 60s R&B I was exposed to growing up. My family is far from being considered anything close to musically inclined, but my dad always listened to oldies and whenever a classic R&B cut would come on (basically every 3 songs), he would crank it up and sing along. So I’m assuming that constant exposure has something to do with, or maybe it was my 5th grade obsession with Boys II Men. Either way, I am what I am.

This week I added Chromeo’s She’s in Control (not black, but definitely not white either), a decent compilation from jazz guitarist Wes Montgomery and one of my favorite albums ever, Cee-Lo Green and his Perfect Imperfections. I can actually pinpoint the exact moment my obsession with the self-proclaimed "five-foot-six-inch god,” though I was exposed to him unknowingly through all of the early Outkast albums (who were a mainstay in the car cd player of that friend who was the oldest of my high/middle school click and was the first to get his driver’s license, meaning he was our sole mode of transportation). My first encounter with Cee-Lo came on a bright weekday morning in college while lying in bed and waiting for my roommate to get out of the shower. I was watching the college music station, which played more under the radar videos (read mainstream misses), and all of a sudden this robed bald black man appeared on my screen with a conniving smile. Then all of a sudden, an inaudible mumble, horn stab and the sexily whispered line ‘so freaky.’ Cee-Lo proceeded to croon with unparalleled soul passion about closet freaks, dancing around in multi-colored robes like a pint-size Isaac Hayes preaching about the good gospel of sweet lovin, but on red bull and vodka. I was completely obsessed from that day on and followed wholeheartedly where the reverend went.

Not surprisingly, Cee-Lo, whose real name is Thomas Burton (later changed to Thomas Callaway in devotion to his mother), was born in Georgia to not one, but two Southern Baptist ministers… hmmm, now where would that gospel influence come from? The singer/rapper/producer/songwriter got his start in the early-to-mid 90s as part of Atlanta’s immensely creative rap community. He was an original member and integral part of Goodie Mob, the dirty south rap group also featuring Big Gipp, T-Mo and Khujo, who alongside the better-selling Outkast, redefined the possibilities of hip-hop. Also a member of the Dungeon Family, Cee-Lo appeared as a singer and guest artist on a number of Outkast songs giving his nasal-croon plenty of chances to be heard. Through the years he has appeared on tracks from such diverse artists as Common, Santana, Black Eyed Peas, Trick Daddy and even background duties on TLC’s smash-single ‘Waterfalls.’ Lo split from Goodie Mob after being offered a solo deal with Arista (the same label that dropped the Mob for poor sales, and later he would be dropped for the same reason), and released the colorful ‘Cee-Lo Green and his Perfect Imperfections,’ to much acclaim but lackluster sales. During this period, he branched out into many side projects including soon-to-be rewarding collaborations with Jazze Pha and fellow Georgian, DJ Dangermouse. The later project resulted in the surprisingly well-received Gnarls Barkley project (3 years in the making) and Cee-Lo’s seemingly departure from weird-sounding dirty south rapper to independent genre-defying multi-functional vocalist. Though his career is now 10+ years old, it seems to just now be taking off; and as he so much likes to reiterate, the possibilities are endless for his infinite creativity. The best may be still yet to come.

If you are curious, this is my short blurb for ‘Cee-Lo Green and his Perfect Imperfections’:
Through all of the earlier Outkast, Goodie Mob and Dungen Family albums, the stumpy, soul-stirring Cee-Lo Green was the wild card, the essential but often overlooked individual characteristic that kept the music off-center and unique to itself. Finally given the go-ahead to go solo in 2002, Cee-Lo self-produced this incredibly fun album of rap, neo-soul, gospel and 80s inspired pop-soul for the major label Arista (kudos to them for releasing such an eclectic album). The focal point of the album is no doubt Cee-Lo's unmistaken octave-leaping nasal croon, which I would imagine Al Green sounding like if he snorted as much cocaine as Rick James did. His lyrics are as playful as you can get, displaying his penchant for multiple personalities, freaky tales and devotion to his god. The music is bright and buoyant, heavy on synthesizers and horns, protruding colors unseen since the 80s, and easily adaptable to whichever mood Cee-Lo may find himself in. This album is all the proof you need that Cee-Lo was one of if not the main creative spirit behind every project he has ever worked on.

I’m including:
-My absolute favorite Cee-Lo track because of the way it defines all of my unspoken feelings toward fine women everywhere, ‘Suga Baby’ from ‘Cee-Lo Green and his Perfect Imperfections’ (Arista 2002) which features fellow Goodie Mob-er Big Gipp and rapper Backbone.

-The ‘What U Sittin’ On?’ remix of the Dangermouse and Jemini track which I believe is the first released collaboration which features DM and Cee-Lo, and also features Tha Liks, found on the 3-song 26” EP (Lex 2004).

-The amazingly fun ‘Crooked Booty’ from the completely underrated Dungeon Family album ‘Even in Darkness’ (Arista 2001).

Notable Newer Releases #1

The Cheebacabra - The Annunciation - Exile in the Woods (Mackrosoft 2006)


Thee More Shallows - Freshman Remix by Odd Nosdam and Why? - Monkey vs Shark (Turn 2006)


Takagi Masakatsu - J.F.P. - Journal for People (Carpark 2006)


The Cheebacabra – Exile in the Woods / Mackrosoft

Holy shit is this a skeletal funk-fusion gem, tight drum grooves, synthesizers… um synthesizing from every angle, boisterous bass and the occasional trumpet/sax/clavinet/melodica solo, future-funk finally has it’s bandleader. Who is this funky man of mystery? I have no idea, but he calls himself Cheeba and he has his credentials. Drafted into the Dust Brothers (Beck, Santana, Madonna, etc) production team at 18, Mr. Cheeba honed his skills before departing on his own which was followed with the soundtrack to ‘Fight Club,’ his label Mackrosoft started with his brother Aja West and a critically acclaimed 2003 debut album under the Cheebacabra moniker. This follow-up doesn’t come close to disappointing either; songs range from stripped down Curtis Mayfield on 'The Annunciation to Blaxploitation meets the Mario Bros. on 'Chatter' to voiceless Barry White on 'The Treehouse.' Madlib’s Yesterday’s New Quintet finally has the touring mate he always dreamed of, not to mention competition.


Thee More Shallows – Monkey vs Shark / Turn

San Francisco’s Thee More Shallows are a band on the rise. Three years in the making, their last full length, More Deep Cuts (Turn Records), gained critical acclaim and is still gaining momentum. This EP was recorded in much less time, but the perfectionist character remains, highlighting Dee Kesler’s songwriting and the trio’s brooding indie-rock. Thee More Shallows create dark, serene rock echoing back to My Bloody Valentine and the Velvet Underground but also still contains the youthful ambition of a band on the up-and-up. The highlight of the EP is their stark, unpredictable cover of Al Green’s (originally performed by The Temptations) ‘I Can’t Get Next to You.’ Gone is the soulful yearning and in it’s place a spooky, eerie almost stalkerish tale of obsession. It’s definitely one of the best cover songs I have come across in a long time, and makes the entire EP relevant if only for that one song. The other 6 songs don’t let down though, coupling the epic indie-rock with chamber and post-rock and just a touch of goth and electronica and also features a remix by Anticon’s Odd Nosdam with Why? This is definitely a band to keep a watchful eye on.


Takagi Masakatsu – Journal for People / Carpark

In my opinion the aural and visual worlds are very closely connected. Especially in our current ipod/headphone dominated society, properly soundtracking every waking moment has become a daily obsession for most of us music lovers. Modern music needs to not only stimulate our ears and minds, it needs to affect our visual surroundings, it needs to skew the subjective view of our current environment. Kyoto, Japan’s Takagi Masakatsu understands this more than most, especially thanks to his multimedia background, and his music sublimely reflects it. A classically trained pianist, multimedia documentarian and art-gallery exhibiter, Masakatsu creates visually stimulating compositions of finely manipulated melodies and fluttering ambient soundscapes. Released on Todd Hyman’s always amazing Carpark label, ‘Journal for People’ is an hour-long compilation of soft piano cadences, minutely diced instrumentation and oddly timed layering that owes as much to Alice Coltrane as it does to Aphex Twin. If you get a chance, you should really sample the accompanying DVD at http://www.takagimasakatsu.com/ to really get the gist of Masakatsu’s frame of mind. I highly recommend this album to anyone into ambient music, minute glitch or even more atmospheric jazz.

Shufflings #1

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah! - Details of War - Clap Your Hands Say Yeah (self-released 2005)


Errol Brown - Over Dub - Dub Over Dub: 27 Tracks Dub Extravaganza (Heartbeat 1996)


The Roots - Episodes - Illadelph Halflife (DGC 1996)


Every Sunday night I work the overnight shift at the glorious music-broadcasting mecca of WLUW-FM Chicago, usually going around 9 or 10p and finally pedaling back into my apartment at about 5a. I’m not complaining, I absolutely love it, but it only leaves me with about an hour and half of sleep before I have to get up and prepare for my 6-hour shift at my rent-paying job. So needless to say, I am usually pretty beat by the time I make the 30-minute traffic weaving bike trip north through the Loop, yuppie-town, Lincoln Park and Lakeview. The problem is that I want to update this audioblog about three times a week and I am left with very little energy on Monday afternoons to make clever and sometimes ridiculous connections between my music and everyday life. So I’ve devised this series called Shufflings teaming my love for randomness with my love for writing short music blurbs.

Every Monday I play on taking whatever the three songs next in queue on Itunes glorious Party Shuffle invention and write about them no matter what they may be (as long as they are in reasonable uploading length (i.e. probably not a track from Coltrane’s last concert at Olatunji). It will not only force me to write about tracks I may never get around to but also give you a sneak peak into the wonderful world of Michael-Radio aka my Party Shuffle (my Last.fm maybe a better actual Michael-Radio since it also takes into factor the amount I spin a particular artist but randomness is godliness dammit)… so enjoy.

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah! – Details of War – Clap Your Hands Say Yeah (self-released 2005)
I guess it’s fitting that a track from the band that audioblogs like this one literally brought from being a bedroom boredom project to one of the most talked about bands in 2005 be the first to grace this series. The success of Clap Your Hands Say Yeah could have never been predicted, at least not the speed nor the way of passage, as the Brooklyn quintet morphed from eager young nobodies embodying their 80s indie-rock heroes to infectious saviors of the indie side of indie-rock by self-releasing, self-promoting and self-distributing their way into the ears of every blogger with an interest in music in one short summer. ‘Details of War’ shows up half way through their self-titled debut following a 1-minute toy xylophone segue way and finding the boys at maybe their most melodic moment. The track slowly builds from yearning warble to an invigorating call-to-arms highlighted by a simple yet effective repeating harmonica gasps. Nothing overtly special here, but it brings to the table just enough to keep you coming back again and again, which of course is the CYHSY addiction.

Errol Brown – Over Dub – Dub Over Dub: 27 Track Dub Extravaganza (Heartbeat 1996)
This song is off probably the best dub compilation to be released in the 90s, two decades after dub and reggae found their zenith. The 27 track compilation pulls from reggae standards across the board as mixing board extraordinaire, Errol Brown, crafts a seamless, relaxing blend of everything that makes dub so intriguing. Nephew of the late Duke Reid, Brown was raised and educated in some of Kingston’s finest studios recording seminal reggae artists like Alton Ellis, Peter Tosh, U-Roy, Bob Marley & the Wailers, Gregory Isaacs, etc etc etc amen; the man recorded and mixed the cream of the crop. He also appeared in the amazing Rockers movie, which I suggest, to anyone interested in seeing the true reggae artists in their prime in their element. I’m not positive if this is the same Erroll (spelled with two ‘L’s on AMG) that fronted the interracial English funk and soul group Hot Chocolate. It could possibly be, but I don’t want to be feeding you the wrong information, so if you know drop a comment and educate me as well.

The Roots – Episodes – Illadelph Halflife (DGC 1996)
Goddamn do I love The Roots; to me they are everything that hip-hop should be, quick, witty, street-wise rhymes care of Black Thought, a steady, effective drum beat care of the multitalented ?uestlove, thick bass lines by Leon Hubbard and a swirling, unrelenting sound that is as ghetto as it is psychedelic. To me the greatest thing about The Roots was how they created albums instead of singles, a characteristic they’ve seen to be moving away from as of late. In my opinion all hip-hop should be backed by a live band, there is something that just completely takes a song to the next level when you strip away a stiff preprogrammed beat and let true musicians bring the song to life complete with raw energy and inevitable mistakes. Not to mention Black Thought is probably the most underrated emcee in the game.

Noise|Beauty

Archie Shepp – Attica Blues – Attica Blues (Impulse 1972)


Monk Hughes & the Outer Realm – A Piece for Brother Weldon - A Tribute to Brother Weldon (Stones Throw 2004)


The Blood Brothers - Burn, Piano Island, Burn - ..Burn, Piano Island, Burn (Artist Direct 2003)


So Chicago’s Shedd Aquarium is apparently the biggest indoor aquarium in the world (at least according to the website, I don’t have the exact statistics so I’ll just take their word for it). I, being the aquarium/zoo fanatic, not that I like to see animals caged up or anything like that but I do think it’s amazing seeing those creatures in close proximities, have been wanting to see this monumental fish tank since the day I moved to Chicago back in December. But, like all exhibits of this nature, it costs money, and I guess being the biggest indoor aquarium in the world doesn’t come cheap because the entrance fee is the equivalent of three meals (that’s how I judge all prices). So it has been hard for me to justify a trip out there for financial/food-ancial reasons. But alas, the good people at Shedd have deemed one entire week out of the year to opens it’s pearly gates to the public and offer free admission for those willing to wait in line. And by pearly gates I mean a giant komodo dragon balloon, and by free, I mean you can walk around the small section behind the lobby but not any of the interesting exhibits like the oceanarium, wild reef or the special lizard exhibit. Being eager and a bit naïve, I stood in line for 45 minutes anyways battling a mix of thrusting wind, a beating sun and miles and miles of raucous children. I’m a patient person and can put up with this kind of family bullshit, well at least at large amusement parks and apparently aquariums, so I stood in line with my eye on the prize; and apparently the only person in the entire line consisting of hundreds of people with out a child.

I finally made my way through the belly of the rubber komodo dragon and through the glass doors where I was met with another line, the winding kind you have to wait in at Disney World. Another 15 minutes, no problem. So I finally make it in and into on of the 4 available out coves for us freeloaders. While I can’t be for sure, I’m pretty sure there were fish on the other side of those crowds of people. I made several attempts to catch a glimpse of a fish or even a turtle, but the closest I could get was about 20 feet. Remember that I severely dislike crowds and even more crowds of children, I finally gave up and head for the exit, my bike eagerly awaiting the ride back to the apartment. But leaving, I glanced into one of the tanks and realized how strange it was that just one piece of glass separated the peaceful tank and the yammering crowds. I started to think about music that I liked that teamed both sheer raucous noise and underlying beauty. My initial thoughts was the avant-garde jazz movement of the 70s with artists like Coltrane, Albert Ayler, Don Cherry, etc all exploring the possibilities of their instruments, pushing them pass melody into strangely beautiful worlds of controlled noise. And then how those ideas found themselves in seemingly all genres, not to mention a genre simply labeled ‘noise,’ that ranged from the feedback manipulating indie-rock of Sonic Youth to the paranoid hip-hop of El-P. So I picked out three of my favorite raucous tunes to highlight that portray this pretty well, though are not nearly as ridiculous as some of the noise out there.

Archie Shepp – Attica Blues – Attica Blues (Impulse! 1972)
Saxophonist Archie Shepp is an interesting character being one of the busiest and wide-reaching jazz artists in the 60s and 70s. His career began with a bang, using his sax to display passionate outbursts melodic or not, but he would later turn to contemplative bebop, ballads and blues in the 80s. My favorite album of his is by far 1972’s ‘Attica Blues’ that catches Shepp in a comfortable place between these two polar opposite styles. He mixes avant-garde jazz with vintage big band, contemplative soul and up-tempo funk making a political statement about the Attica prison massacre of 1971. It is very much an eclectic album which kicks off with this soul-stirring outburst care of a funky electric guitar, horn blasts, Latin percussion and a wailing chorus by Joshie Armstead and Albertine Robinson. Very loud, energetic and soulful.

Monk Hughes & the Outer Realm – A Piece for Brother Weldon - A Tribute to Brother Weldon (Stones Throw 2004)
This is definitely one of Madlib’s least sought out albums as he completely strays from his hip-hop roots to bring a free jazz tribute to Weldon Irvine, an innovative late funk-soul-jazz keyboardist heavily sampled in hip-hop most notably by Tribe and Mos Def. The album, recorded under the moniker Monk Hughes, is a spaced out jumble of funky keyboards, free percussion and vibraphone outbursts all care of the skilled hands of Madlib. For the most part it is straight raucous and unfocused, but upon multiple listens certain melodies start to unveil themselves and the album really grows on you (or maybe just me).

The Blood Brothers - Burn, Piano Island, Burn - ..Burn, Piano Island, Burn (Artist Direct 2003)
Straying away from the soul-jazz genre, the Blood Brother’s ‘…Burn, Piano Island, Burn’ was a complete obsession of mine for like 6 months after it’s initial release. I can’t explain it, but I found and still find the album ridiculously intriguing from the absolutely insane lyrics to the sheer energy of every second of the album. The Seattle quintet released the album right at the peak of my hardcore stage and I have never been interested in the genre since; for me this is the hardcore zenith and I need not explore the style anymore. There is underlying complexity, passion and soul in each one of the songs on the record and it is infectious to say the least. The only thing that really tops it is their live show, which I strongly recommend, no matter what shitty band they may be touring with. Interestingly enough, their recent material has transformed into very strange almost pop music; this will be a band to always keep a cautious eye on.

Def Jux Renaissance

Mr. Lif - Murs iz My Manager feat. Murs - Mo Mega (Def Jux 2006)


Aesop Rock - Zodiaccupuncture - Fast Cars, Danger, Fires, & Knives (Def Jux 2005)


El-P - The Day After Yesterday - Collecting the Kid (Def Jux 2004)


With the excellent new Mr. Lif album, ‘Mo Mega,’ hitting the shelves in a week or two along with new full-lengths from El-P and Aesop Rock on deck, we’re just short a Cannibal Ox reunion of a Def Jux label come full circle. And goddammit it’s about time. It’s been 6 years since ‘Def Jux Presents…” initially hit shelves and completely twisted the rap game 180 degrees unearthing underground hip-hop and introducing rap to a whole new generation (of mostly white kids). Within two years, El-P’s indie-label side project turned emotional emcee launching pad released completely solid albums from New York’s Cannibal Ox and Aesop Rock, Boston’s Mr. Lif and his own proper full-length, ‘Fantastic Damage.’ In 2001, Can Ox dropped the dark sci-fi infused The Cold Vein featuring the vivid images and ridiculous rhymes of Vast Aire and his more quick-mouthed partner Vordul Megilah. Teamed with El-P’s industrially thick and subtly jazzy beats, the duo’s only album surprised hip-hop heads everywhere focusing the attention back on New York’s flailing rap scene. In the same year, Aes-Rock followed up his critically acclaimed ‘Float’ on the much more experimental Mush label with ‘Labor Days,’ and album so original and potent that instant success sent Aesop into a reclusive hermit state which took him years to recover from. The following year saw the debut full-length from giant dreads of Mr. Lif, an educated Boston emcee who has a penchant for critical observations, political comments and a quick, throwback rhyme flow. 2002 closed out with ‘Fantastic Damage,’ El-P’s turn to take back the mic and finally living up to the potential that was so blatantly apparent on every Company Flow track. In two very short years, Def Jux went from birth to international success and being labeled as the savior of rap, a tag that until now was considered maybe a preconceived notion.

Between 2003 and 2006 Def Jux released a slew of albums and compilations featuring decent artists all in the Jux vein, but none with the same individual voice or vision of that initial outburst, save some decent instrumental hip-hop from RJD2 (before he became obsessed with teaming up with lackluster emcees) and a very underrated album from Rob Sonic. El-P seemed determined to break as many new rapper friends as he possibly could, when instead he should have been focusing all his efforts and undeniable skills on his already established core. A couple releases last year hinted at this upcoming renaissance including Fast Cars, Danger, Fire, & Knives, Aesop Rock’s EP featuring a completely reinvented and finally completely confident Aes-Rizzle and Collecting the Kid, a collection of El-P productions previewing his new space-funk style that is sure to encompass all of the upcoming releases. New light was finally peaking from behind the dark high-expectation cloud hanging over the Def Jux fam and 2006 may be the year when they return to their place on top of the underground hip-hop totem pole (though it’s gonna be hard to knock Stones Throw off).

Mr. Lif’s Mo Mega is without a doubt the starting point for this revelation, and the album is the quality output you’ve come to expect from the multi-faceted emcee. Letting the politics that were overly abundant on The Perceptionists’ album take a back seat (but of course not completely absent), Lif sounds like he is having fun for the first time. On ‘Washitup!’ he finally matches those ridiculous (and amazing) dreads with a rasta/dancehall vibe humorously scripting a conversation between himself and a very attractive but filthy lady fan. Personally I’m not a big Murs fan, but he absolutely kills it on ‘Murs iz My Manager’ coaching the ins and outs of celebrity-ism to Lif backed by an amazing beat and the best horn line I’ve ever heard in a rap song (damn Lif, I didn’t know you could produce on that level). You also get a good idea of El-P’s new production technique, which remains thick, but less paranoid and industrial, instead, he brings the funk with a vengeance. Honestly, Mr. Lif has been the most consistent of anyone on the Def Jux roster, and this is further proof of that fact… cop as soon as you get a chance.

I for one am ridiculous excited about what’s still to come this year from the Definitive Jux. It’s refreshing because I had just about given up on the label; I should of known never to under estimate El Producto.