Friday, September 9, 2011

Let Me Tell You Bout This Country Shit

Big K.R.I.T. - ReturnOf4Eva (2011)
Big K.R.I.T. comes off older than he is on this tape - often seeing himself as a mentor for younger rapstars - but I guess 25 is pretty old these days. The mixtape has high production - heavy bass on some tracks begging you to bump krit while you ride, and some tracks that just sound plain beautiful.  It is never ring-tone rap, but he interchanges dirty south music fit for the radio with slower ballads that often end up being the highlights of the album.  Sometimes he raps about the usual -- how he’s made it, fuck the haters, how bumpin’ his sub is when he rides... sometimes he talks about heavier stuff such as unneccessary black on black violence, or friends that he’s recently lost.  He may be cliché at times, in fact, he is cliché most of the time -- but he is honest about who he is, never seems fake, and at times he can be quite compelling.  And when he is - damn does he sound smooth.
I haven’t listened to any other Krit mixtapes - which I regret, because I wish I could better contextualize this tape.  But at the very least, it lets you know that I’m not just fanboying when I say this is my favorite mixtape released this year.

Standout Track(s) -
Another Naive Individual Glorifying Greed & Encouraging Racism 
Song is all in the title.  K.R.I.T.'s deepest and probably best song on the album, and it's enticing all the way through -- starting with a sample from a Spike Lee movie blending smoothly into the delicious instrumentals behind K.R.I.T's voice.  Reminds me of Wale's The Kramer, not as poignant, better beat.
Dreamin'

Interesting Note(s) - 

The best guest spots on the mixtape are on a remix of a previous K.R.I.T. track - Country Shit.  Ludacris and Bun B come on for the remix.  I love me some Luda.

Grab the Mixtape here
Posted by ellio at 10:51 AM 3 comments
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Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Only a Fool Would Ignore This

I was at a wedding party this weekend with a bunch of Londoners, and had mixed feelings as they showed the Americans some “old-school garage” (which, in their accent, was pronounced “gairidge”). I like UK Garage - I remember listening similar it in early high school. It was bittersweet to hear my sister (who back in those days was telling me to turn down my stoner music) say, "ooh, this stuff is cool - how do  you dance to it?"
Alias - Fever Dream (2011)
A lot of electronic can begin to sound stale rather quickly, however, because many genres have such a uniform and distinctive sound.  I can't stand trance for this reason - house is better, but still a victim... and house's little brother garage once again improves.  It's this staleness, however, that makes more experimental or hip-hop based electronic musicians seem so interesting in comparison.

Enter Alias, a hip-hop/electronic artist on the anticon. label (who house talented acts such as Why? and Odd Nosdam), who released a purely instrumental album at the end of this August.  Fever Dreams hits hard, has remarkable beats, and makes you want to visit a grimy club to be moved by the music with other influenced college kids.  Or maybe it just makes you want to put on head-phones so you can blast this music as you strut though campus.  Either way, this music sounds fresh, and unlike the more predictable "genres" of electronic, you won't be bored of it before you even put it on.

Standout Track(s) -
Tagine  (unfortunately, only the first part of it. Check it, though)

Boom Boom Boom

The only commentary I want to give on both of these tracks is to play them loud - and on as high of a quality as your internet will allow.
 

Interesting Note(s) - 

Though Alias debut'd back in 2001 by rapping, he has been making purely instrumental music for awhile.  He hasn't made an album on anticon. in three years - but his hiatus has obviously done him well.  

Spotify Link
Amazon Link
Posted by ellio at 1:23 PM 0 comments
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Friday, September 2, 2011

What I'm Listening To (9/2/2011)

Andrew Jackson Jihad - People Who Can Eat People Are The Luckiest People In The World (2007)

Whenever I'm having a bad day, I put this album on, listen all the way through, and then I am no longer having a bad day.  Happy, delirious, and depressed folk/punk that I think everyone should hear at least once.

Favorite Tracks:
Personal Space Invader  (Side note - this live version, though not the highest quality... makes me oh so happy.  Everyone in the building singing along, and you can hear it.)


Little Dragon - Machine Dreams (2009)

Yukimi Nagano has one of the smoothest voices there is, and Little Dragon provides the instrumental backing to create an even smoother album.  Always chill and at times danceable, Machine Dreams is one of those albums that is great both as background and foreground music.  

Favorite Tracks:
Flying Lotus - Cosmogramma (2010)

A lot of people can say, and have said, a lot more about Fly-lo than I can.  He has many electronic "classics" before this, and he has a few on this as well.  If you haven't already, check it out.

Favorite Tracks:

SBTRKT - SBTRKT (2011)

To answer your question, it's pronounced Subtract... I think.  Like the Little Dragon album, SBTRKT's debut is smooth.  Fittingly, Yukimi Nagano guests on what is probably the best track of the record, not to detract from the rest of the fantastic vocals on the album.  Easily one of my favorite releases this year.

Favorite Tracks:
Wildfire
Never Never (interestingly, Machine Dreams *also* has a song titled Never Never)
Jay-Z & Kanye West - Watch the Throne (2011)

Is anyone not listening to this?  Are you still mad about the whole Taylor Swift thing?  Maybe you are in Club Breezy and are bitter about Jay-Z refusing to applaud Chris Brown's performance at the VMA's... This album is good. Which shouldn't be a surprise, but it is easy for giants to collaborate and come out with something mediocre. And again, this album is good.  There are some definite lows - Who Gon Stop Me is excruciatingly weak, and it's near direct use of Flux Pavillion's I Can't Stop is not justified with the duo's performance.  Kanye West still can't stop talking about that South Park episode.  We get it Yeezy, you're a gay fish. The Beyonce track (that I've heard is apparently the most popular single) is the most cliche song of the album. Those are my main critiques... Most of the album... it is good.

Favorite Tracks:

Posted by ellio at 9:10 AM 1 comments
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