Ghostdini

Speaking of Ghostface's new album, I don't know who thought this song was a good idea, but "Stapleton Sex" is THE most dirty song I have ever heard in my 20+ years of life. It would make Luke from 2 Live Crew blush. It's so inappropriate that I'm not even embedding it here, I'm just going to link it: dirtyness here.

For once Tipper Gore may have been correct in thinking Parental Advisory stickers were necessary.

Playlisted

Well, haven't updated in a minute, so I figured I would update about what I've been getting into.
1) TRAVEL: Barcelona
Gotta admit, I did not know much about Barcelona at all before I got there, aside from the few things I had seen or read in skateboarding videos and magazines about how wild the spots were there, and how cops just didn't care. Well, I've got to say, I was pretty surprised. To me it felt like Southern California x the Lower East Side x Miami Beach, so pretty wild shit. People don't eat dinner until well past midnight, and even though I had to walk across the entire city, it was a blast. Would (and will) visit again.



2) SPORTS: Arsenal
Obviously, the Phillies are a priority, though being 5000 miles away, and them losing to the NY Roidees (ARod has a portrait of himself as a centaur), I had to turn to my European team: Arsenal. Obviously I can follow them online and catch the occasional game on TV at home in the States, but actually going to a match at Emirates Stadium was unreal. Fans singing and standing the whole game, riots, hooligans, etc etc. Anyway, they are climbing the tables, Chelsea can suck one.

3) MOVIES: Paranormal Activity
Heard a lot of hype about this movie from friends at home, but didn't really know what it was about. I decided to hold a screening, and was not disappointed. OK, the whole hand-held mocumentary gimmick was a bit much, but I thought it was cool and better than 99% of horror movies I have seen in the past few years (I'm reserving that 1% for Saw VI, which I plan on watching this week). The ending was wild, and it was a great Halloween time flick.

4) MUSIC: Ghostdini: The Wizard of Poetry in Emerald City
Weird album title, but when has Ghostface ever not been? This eighth major studio release from Wu-Tang Veteran Ghostface Killah, in my opinion, is a breath of fresh air. Sure, I like Wu as much as the next guy, but I like the way Ghost switches his shit up on this record, mixing his trademark complex/abstract flow with a more R&B sound. Slept on this for the first few weeks it was out, but I am feeling it now.

Xaphoon Jones

I haven't posted much on this blog since coming to London, but seeing as I have a presentation due Wednesday and about 300 pages of reading before that, I think now is a good time to post.
I just picked up some crazy mash-ups from Xaphoon Jones from Chiddy Bang. Until about 5 minutes ago, I had no idea who he was, but then I checked my friend's twitter and it linked me to Hype Machine. At the same time, go and check out Chiddy Bang and download their tracks for free on their site.
Check out more on Xaphoon Jones here, best mash-up ever. Kanye+Lupe+Radiohead and Clipse+Led Zeppelin. And if you enjoyed that, pick up the entire mixtape at Pretty Much Amazing...

We knew Xaphoon Jones first as the producer and the sampling mastermind behind the quickly rising Chiddy Bang. Chiddy Bang owe most of the publicity they get to the tight, slick samples this guy has crafted for them. Like a musical pickpocket, Xaphoon Jones showed us that he has an ear for contemporary music and making it work in unconventional environments. With his debut eponymous mixtape, Xaphoon pushes passed the boundaries we thought he had and dips into soulful Motown favorites, East Coast Rap, and Reggae.

The Xaphoon Jones Mixtape Vol. 1 introduces us to a very young, very talented producer full of promise, if not power. Pretty Much Amazing is proud to present this mixtape for your consumption. Download it, put it on your iPod, burn it onto a CD, play it at a party, send it to your friends.

Tracklist
1. Intro: Fnish The Quartet
2. You Need (Clipse, Led Zeppelin)
3. Darwin Deez – Bad Day (Xaphoon Jones Remix)
4. Testify (Radiohead, Kanye West)
5. Chiddy Bang – Pro’s Freestyle 1.0 (Xaphoon Jones Remix)
6. The Answering Machine
7. Stuntin’ Like Atari (Theodore Grams, Lil Wayne)
8. Chiddy Bang – Fresh Like Us (Xaphoon Jones Remix feat. Theordore Grams)
9. Marvin Gaye – Heart It Through The Grapevine (Xaphoon Jones Remix)
10. Theodore Grams – Another Day
11. Swimming In The Sky (Passion Pit, B.I.G., Beyonce)
12. Theo’s Apple Juice Break
13. I Wanna Know Now (Bob Marley, MGMT)
14. Darwin Deez – Radar Detectr (Xaphoon Jones Remix)
15. Marva Whitney – Unwind Yourself: The Interlude
16. Money
17. Bmore SoulClash Mini-Mix
18. The Bay Vs. Diz (Strings Mix)
19. The End

Fall 09: New Music Review

Well the fall season is fully upon us as today is the first day of autumn. Over the past 3-4 weeks a huge number of albums have been coming out, here are a few I've chosen to review:

1) Jay-Z "The Blueprint 3"

Jay-Z has consistently dominated the rap game since his first record. Granted he's had a few clunkers (kingdom come anyone?) but for the most part he's a legend. The Blueprint 3 was much hyped as 2009's "Black Album", but I would have to say it's not on the same level. There are some classic fiery Jigga tracks (Empire State of Mind, DOA, Run this Town, etc etc) but there are also a few throwaway tracks (Venus vs Mars, etc.). Overall an improvement for Jigga, and a good way to end the blueprint trilogy. 7.5/10

2) Kid Cudi "Man on the Moon"

Admittedly, I am not a big fan of Kid Cudi, so you should know this going in. Anyway, I had heard mixed reviews about this album so I decided to give it a spin. Was a little surprised about how "out of the box" this record sounds. Definitely not your typical radio rap album, it's filled with electro-spacey beats and personal lyrics. OK, so Cudi can come creative, but to me this is just sounds second rate tracks that couldn't make it on 808's and Heartbreaks (which is dogshit to begin with). Guest spots by MGMT and and Ratatat will make this a sure hit with weirdo college electro-indie nerds. 5/10

3) Raekwon "Only Built 4 Cuban Linx II"

Oh wow, finally, this month, we have the long awaited sequel to Raekwon's 1995 masterpiece "Only Built 4 Cuban Linx". Fourteen years seems like a longtime to wait, but this record is solid all around. Classic minimal Wu beats with Raekwon's trademark complex flow make this a must listen for any self-respecting Wu-Tang fan. My favorite song might actually be the unreleased track that comes with the album, "The Badlands" featuring ill verse from the likes of Ghostface. Modern classic. 8/10

4) Paramore "Brand New Eyes"

Paramore has long been a guilty pleasure of mine, so you know I downloaded their new LP follow up to 2007's "Riot!". Sure enough, this record brings that same pop-punky sound coupled with Hayley Williams' clear-as-a-bell voice to make some real alterna-teen bangers. This record has a few more mid-tempo tracks than I would prefer, but these tracks are definitely well written. When the band does kick it up, it's well worth the wait. 7/10

5) Alice in Chains "Black Gives Way to Blue"

Nineties grunge masters AiC return after a long hiatus, mostly caused by the death of frontman Lane Staley. Luckily, they found a replacement who could fill the large shoes of Lane. BGWtB could easily have been recorded in 1996, as the band mixed heavy wah drenched guitar riffs with haunting vocal melodies. This record is sure to turn the heads of even the AiC purists who doubted the new vocalist. 7.5/10

6) Maximum Penalty "Life & Times"

NYHC OG's Max Pen are dropping their first release in a while with "Life & Times", and, I've got to say, it's pretty impressive. In a world where most old school hardcore bands can't seem to recapture the magic of the 80's and 90's, Maximum Penalty are doing a pretty good job. Not only do they discover their old "Easy Side Story" writing style, but expand upon it into a modern hardcore classic. 8.5/10

Matt's Picks- Best of Summer 2009

So my summer is pretty must over at this point (wah) but I thought I pick a few highlights of my four month vacation. All in all pretty productive few months, visited the South, worked in Europe, chilled on the West Coast, now back in Europe for a while. Here are the highlights:

Best Albums of Summer 2009 (in no order)



1) Trapped Under Ice- Secrets of the World
Baltimore natives and current pit-masters really set it off this summer with their LP follow up to 2008's Stay Cold. The new TUI is one of the hardest records I can remember coming out, and the LP proves that these guys can write new material but still keep it interesting. They toured with Terror, Madball, etc. on the 10 for 10 tour this summer, and I'm sure they will be touring for the rest of the fall too. If you are a fan of heavier music, this album is a must listen.



2) Title Fight- The Last Thing You Forget
This three song EP is a great follow up to 2007's Kingston, showcasing the maturing Title Fight's mastery of blending pop punk with 90's emo and melodic sounds. From slow pensive instrumentals (the B-Side) to innovative vocal melodies and trademark tempo changes, I'm sure this EP swill serve as a warm up for what is sure to be a great LP in 2010.

Best Summer Blockbuster:


Inglorious Basterds
When I heard about Tarantino's new flick, I wrote it off as another rehash of some obscure exploitation film, but once I started to see a few trailers, it definitely sparked my interest. World War II movies are some of my favorites, and the fact that he had assumed the guise of a spaghetti western director for this one definitely added an interesting spin. After the seeing the film, I can definitely say it's Tarantino's finest work to date. Sure, the midnight premier theater was filled with pseudo-film buff nerdsters know-it-alls (average Tarantino fans), but that didn't ruin it for me. Blending elements of spaghetti western and classic film noir, Tarantino managed to produce not only his most entertaining film, but also the most visually pleasing. For my money, my favorite scene, showcasing the director at his best, was the rendezvous at the pub. It was a classic Tarantino roundtable dialogue, but this time there was a surmounting tension, and the feeling that anything could happen at any time. Finally after a 20 minute set up scene of pure dialogue (in subtitles!) Tranatino hits the irony button and shows a less than 5 second shootout. Classic! The giant face in the smoke at the end too was also very ill.

Best Show of 2009:
Cold World-> Floorpunch @ This Is Hardcore Festival (August 15)

Although I saw many great sets this summer, my personal favorite would have to be the back to back Cold World set into the Floorpunch set at This is Hardcore in Philadelphia. Despite the insane heat, Cold World put on probably the best set I have seen them play (at least in the last 3-4 years). The sold out crowd was going nuts, constant dives and sing alongs, overall just a great atmosphere, people just going off for fun, which is tough to find at most shows these days. After Cold World played to an insane reaction, I was going to take it easy and watch Floorpunch from the back, having already seen the first 2 of their 3 reunion shows this summer. Of course though, they had to go and open with Jeff Perlin actually dueting Breakdown songs (All I Ask + Safe in a Crowd), and people just lost it. The rest of their set was awesome, also got a great reaction with plenty of pit action. Best back to back sets of the summer, hands down.

Honorable Mentions for Summer 2009 "Best Of":
1. Arnold Palmer Lite tall cans
2. Title Fight Secret Show
3. Breakfast Burritos @ Beach Liquor in Carpinteria, CA
4. Paul Blart: Mall Cop on Blu-Ray

EDIT: Just listened to the Blueprint 3. Fuck the haters, shit's fire.
Key tracks: Empire State of Mind, Run this Town, Off That, So Ambitious

Beastie Boys News

Today, famous Beastie Boys MC, Adam Yauch has revealed that he has been diagnosed with a small form of cancer in his Parotid gland.  Fortunately, however, the cancer is very treatable, and will only delay the Beasties' much anticipated upcoming album, Hot Sauce Committee Pt. 1, a few weeks.  Below is the official announcement from 2/4 Beasties.

In more positive news, however, the Beastie Boys have released an unexpected collaboration project with fellow NYC rap legend, Nas, called, "Too Many Rappers".   They debuted this project at Bonaroo, and this track is the first single from new Beastie Boys album, released later this fall after Adam Yauch's cancer treatment. It's a fuzzed out spacey drum loop, reminiscent of "Intergalactic", featuring classic Beastie verses plus a twist surprise verse from Nas.  Definitely interesting stuff here, can't wait to see what else the Beasties have up their sleeve for the new record.  Peep the track at the link below:

"Too Many Rappers"

Street Sweeper Social Club - 100 Little Curses

It's everyone's favorite radical rap-rock supergroup! Street Sweeper Social Club has made a video for their first single, "100 Little Curses." It features Breckin Meyer from Garfield, Road Trip, and Rat Race fame, as well as Drea de Matteo from The Sopranos, Sons of Anarchy, and soon Desperate Housewives.

And it includes Tom Morello going buckwild on a guitar, as well as Boots Riley's awesome fro and sideburns. I wonder who the other two guys in the band are.