Atmosphere at Red Rocks (REVIEW)

February 2, 2012 Nadav No comments yet

Atmosphere – Gods Bathroom Floor by ATMOSPHERE

12°… It was 12°F on Friday night at Red Rocks Amphitheater just outside Denver, CO… 12°. But there were still 11,000 people braving the elements for the one-and-only winter show to hit Red Rocks. Snow-gear junkie company Icelantic teamed up with AEG Live to produce the first EVER winter concert at Red Rocks! Held in conjunction with the Snow Sports Industries of America (SIA) Snow Show Tradeshow, this landmark event celebrates winter in Colorado at one of the most iconic venues in the world, with Grieves & Budo starting the show, followed by Common. And the headliner: Atmosphere. Even with the brisk air, it couldn’t have been a better atmosphere (pun definitely intended). The chill just ensured that all 11,000 people in attendance were off their asses and moving around. Nothing gets the blood flowing like dancing.

Photo Courtesy of Westword Magazine, Denver

I was too occupied putting on my beer jacket to hit up Grieves & Budo, but I could hear them from the parking lot and it sounded pretty dope. Sorry I don’t have more for you guys on Grieves & Budo, but I did get in to the venue right as Common started. I thought Common put on a solid show all around. He threw it down hard on all of his recorded verses, but ignored any track from his 2nd and 3rd albums, including one of his more successful tracks “I Used To Love Her”. Maybe I’m too critical, but unfortunately I thought his freestyles were a little lacking as well. When I go to a show as hyped up as this one was, I expect that when an artist freestyles it will be better than what I can do at home with my boys and a joint. Alas, as big a fan as I am of Common, I was not impressed by this facet of his performance. Maybe it was just a fluke? Maybe I wasn’t that into it because I was 40 rows away and it was fucking freezing? Maybe he’s better with a smaller, more intimate crowd? I’ve seen Common before and I thought it was dope. Whatever it was this time around, I just can’t place it. But again… I’ll chalk this up to a fluke and continue listening because his music is good.

Anyway, on to Atmosphere. It has been a little over three years since Atmosphere’s first full length album. They’ve been relentless ever since, staying at the top of their game in every respect. For the better part of two years, Atmosphere toured the globe in support of their critically acclaimed When LIfe Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold. After a double EP in 2010 (To All My Friends, Blood Makes The Blade Holy), Atmosphere is still on the grind. In 2011, they dropped their long awaited LP, The Family Sign, and have been touring in promotion of it ever since.

Here’s a little blurb about The Family Sign directly from the website:

“The Family Sign was written early in 2010, and as they sat down to record the record, the Family grew a few times over. In the studio, Atmosphere was joined by long time touring musicians Nate “The Guitar Man” Collis (guitar) and Erick Anderson (keys). At home, 2010 also saw the addition of two real-life children to the Atmosphere family, further inspiring the writing process and the concept, and title, of the album.

The Family Sign comes from a place well refined and firmly planted, from a universal perspective. It’s about being okay with losing friends and strengthening your bonds with others, celebrating the person who’s been the most positive in your life, your kids, your homies, leaving the people you need to behind, and bringing the ones you love with you. It’s about your family, your time and the time you have with them. It’s about living and dying. It’s the truth about family, that it comes from loyalty as much as biology. It’s about breaking down your perceptions of family and really appreciating the people who’ve made you who you are and continue doing so.”

Photo Courtesy of Westword Magazine, Denver

The Family Sign is Atmosphere’s most personal and intimate album. Since its release in April 2011, Atmosphere have toured both North America and Europe twice, sold out shows across two continents, including their sold out headlining performance at Red Rocks this summer and performed sets at Soundset, Lollapalooza & Bonnaroo. Their Winter show at Red Rocks also sold out in weeks (surprise, surprise).

Atmosphere killed it despite the bitter cold. On the real, Atmosphere could have shut the place down after one track. To the delight of the entire crowd, Slug’s signature voice dropped “God Loves Ugly” off the bat.

We were graced with “The Woman With The Tattooed Hands.” We were treated to “Little Man” from You Can’t Imagine How Much Fun We’re Having, and given some very special insight into the life of the lyricist. At the end of the track, Slug paid tribute to his late father, Craig Daley, who would’ve celebrated his 59th birthday. The crowd indulged with a brief undeclared moment of silence that was broken with the opening pianos of “Yesterday,” and we all got right back into the moment. Essentially, it was a greatest-hits compilation concert. The tracks kept pouring on for 2 hours, and the encore may have been the biggest treat of the night. The final track was “Sunshine,” which led directly into “Always Coming Back Home To You,” featuring a very special surprise appearance from Brother Ali to shut down the show. A video is below. Enjoy!

Heems- Nehru Jackets (REVIEW)

February 2, 2012 lloyd 2 comments

Have you ever met “that guy” who seems to have a force field of irony and jest surrounding every statement he makes? An air of sarcasm that blurs the line between earnest discourse and some kind of, real-life, social satire that’s only decipherable to those he chooses to invite in? Well, Das Racist’s Himanshu Suri (or Heems) has essentially made a career of being “that guy”. Not for nothing, certainly, as Heems, along with partner in rhyme Victor Vazquez (and incomparable hype man Dapwell), have thrived off of their, often, pasquillic delivery. But, on Nehru Jackets, Heems steps up to the solo role and, through some of the best MC-ing of his career, lets a few of us in on the joke.

Of course, it’s not all pastiche and parody for Heems. From the divisively brilliant 2010 mixtapes Shut Up, Dude and Sit Down, Man, to last year’s even more polarizing commercial debut Relax, Das Racist has shown themselves to be some of the more distinctive, and culturally probing, voices in indie hip-hop. Whereas Vasquez (who recently released his solo mixtape, The Palm Wine Drinkard, under alias Kool A.D.) plays the more blunted, misanthropic role, Heems, conversely, has an ability to seemingly chuckle through equal parts junk food rap (wink, wink) and poignant social commentary.

With that interplay taking center stage on Jackets, Heems takes advantage of his lyrical ambiguity and sprints out of the gate with bombastic beats and quotables aplenty. I say “quotables” because, while the lyrics here are definitely a highlight, the structure of Heems’ lines shift so often that it’s hard to pick out one particular sentence specifically. Within the first five tracks you get lines about freegans, the DHARMA Innitiative, Ric Ocasek (I know, right?), and a multitude of other references that continue to hover just above my head. Heems’ flow, muddled as it is, remains impeccable, which is what makes his anomalous delivery relatively accessible, but it can be difficult to recall a verse that definitively sticks out.

What does stick out are producer Mike Finito’s beats. Heems’ “man since he was fourteen” comes through on Jackets with some of the most layered, bass-booming, Hindi-inspired instrumentals I’ve ever heard. And, almost like the unveiling of a secret weapon, Finito’s score spans the entire 70 minutes of the tape. The continuity this adds is evident from the start. “Thug Handles” opens the album with wonky synths, thick boom-bap drums, and a seemingly ever-present bassline. The perfect pacemaker for what’s to come.

Where Victor Vasquez is missed as the steady flow for Heems to bounce idiosyncrasies off of, Finito’s role is more geared toward matching the energy and urgency of our featured rhymer. And, he succeeds on almost all instances. On “SWATE”, eerie samples and guitar plucks wave in and out of the alternating backgrounds in a way that conjures Alchemist’s grittier work with Prodigy. The following track, “NYC Cops” feels as though it goes from one hard beat, to another, harder beat, to a feverish climax that’s only intensified by Heems waxing poetic about Timothy Stansbury, Sean Bell, corrupt cops and any other injustices he can belt over the fanfare.

The Hindi influence is also prevalent throughout. Tracks like “Coca Cola Freestyle” and “Tu Nach” have that Punjabi feel in the instrumental. But, “Choorhay Lare” features verses from Lovedeep Singh (not THAT one) and Pawan that aren’t even spit in English. Same goes for “Chakklo”, with guest MC Ravi EAH Singh, but the language barrier only adds an extra layer of intrigue. Heems has never shied away from difficult racial conversation, and throwing his own ethnic influence (whether it be genuine or calculated) in the listeners face is another creative way to address that taboo. Even if it comes by way of some fleeting feature MC’s.

Features play a huge role on Nehru Jackets. The lineup is as varied and esoteric as Heems himself. Danny brown and Mr. Muthafuckin Exquire steal the show on “You Have To Ride the Wave” (Exquire drops a Lil Wayne line that left me in stitches). Despot shows up to murder some bars on “Kate Boosh” (guess who gets sampled on that beat?), Big Baby Gandhi (get familiar) shines on “Bangles”, and everyone’s favorite former cuisinier, Action Bronson, shows up on “Yo What’s Good New York”. Even Childish Gambino pops in on “Womyn 2″ with a verse that may have me chewing on a few sentences from my last critique of Mr. Glover.

From description, Nehru Jackets sounds rather gimmicky. From the comedic disposition, to the multi-layered, interchangeable Bollywood samples, to the Gluco-biscuits album cover (go ahead and reminisce… I’ll wait), it’s fairly easy to dismiss the real content. And, in many cases, most releases that are Das Racist related are overlooked for those reasons. This is different, though. There’s a translucency to Heems here. A cracking in the Kaufman-like armor that’s veiled his motivations thus far. Nehru Jackets isn’t an all-inclusive invitation to the joke, and it doesn’t clear the air on who, exactly, Heems is. But, it doesn’t have to, because what we get are 25 tracks that show us, slightly, who Himanshu is. And, I can definitely appreciate “that guy”.

9.2/10

Download Nehru Jackets here

& check out lyrics & explanations from the users of RapGenius:

Heems – Alien Gonzalez Lyrics
Heems – Bad, Bad, Bad Lyrics
Heems – Bangles Lyrics
Heems – Womyn 2 Lyrics
Heems – Coca Cola Freestyle Lyrics
Heems – Computers Lyrics
Heems – You Have to Ride the Wave Lyrics
Heems – Kate Boosh Shit Lyrics
Heems – Jason Bourne Lyrics
Heems – Juveniles at Gitmo Lyrics
Heems – New York City Cops Lyrics
Heems – Thug Handles Lyrics

Rick Ross – Rich Forever (Review)

January 19, 2012 fred 4 comments

First the cashmere socks, then the loafers. You too can be Rich Forever.

“600 Benz” is my personal favorite from Maybach Music Group’s Self Made, Vol. 1, and Wale’s line of “keep on working, shorty, and you’ll be rich forever” has always stuck with me. There’s no particular reason for it to resonate the way it does, as the only ways I’ll be rich forever are by winning the lottery (unlikely), moving kilos (too dangerous), or poking holes in my condoms before I party at the University of San Diego (too bad their parties suck).

It’s more likely that Wale’s words resonated with his boss (BAWSE!) Rick Ross at a higher level, as Rozay will be rich forever as long as he doesn’t go MC Hammer on us and install a dishwasher in his bedroom (though don’t count it out, lemon pepper wings can get messy). Rich Forever is like an audio episode of Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous, except I doubt anybody featured from that show took a trip to the trap house once the show finished taping. The gaudy excess of Ross’ boasts is a bastard descendant of the Cash Money Millionaires’ tracks from the turn-of-the-century bling-bling era. If Baby hadn’t invented the platinum football field, surely Rick Ross would have one by now. I’m just thankful Ross avoided replicating their album covers.

Rich Forever’s intro, “Holy Ghost” further proves that Diddy is most effective alongside a big, ugly-yet-stylish rapper. “Dear Father, please protect me from brokeness” might be the most unintentionally hilarious rap prayer this side of DMX. Ross also introduces a new Mike Jones-esque tendency to repeat his lines, which surfaces throughout Rich Forever. The Saint Denson-produced “High Definition” starts with a clip of Mike Tyson denouncing the material riches that his boxing career brought him: “This is garbage. I bled for garbage.” Of course, Rick Ross spends the next three minutes bragging about his helicopter and his oceanfront property, amongst other things only the 1% would understand. At the risk of mentioning DMX twice in a paragraph, it’s like Darkman X’s opening prayer on his albums before he spends the next 50 minutes verbally spraying the block up. But I don’t listen to Rick Ross nor DMX for spiritual guidance. I listen to Rick Ross because I want to hear about bricks, AK-47s, Gucci loafers and $100 socks backed by some production that makes me bob my head while wearing the screwface, and “High Definition” and the rest of Rich Forever are exactly that. Rick Ross knows his appeal, and delivers on what we want from him.

However, Ross’ strength comes back to haunt him. Rich Forever is 20 tracks deep. Nobody’s album/mixtape/project/retailmixtapeLP Vol. 2 should ever be 20 songs long, ESPECIALLY if the subject matter is as limited as Ross’. With that many tracks, there’s bound to be some redundancy, which struck in the form of “Last Breath,” “I Swear to God,” “Off the Boat,” and “King of Diamonds” all sounding like the same exact song. Producer Beat Billionaire makes three appearances on the mixtape, and each of his beats sound like the same Lex Luger beat, which is complicated by the fact that all Lex Luger beats sound the same (saw a fantastic retweet by @JansportJ of someone saying that Lex Luger is the “trap 9th Wonder.”)

Ross continues to sharpen himself lyrically, and his beat selection is still among the best in the game, his love of Lex Luger knockoffs notwithstanding. The mixtape alternates between Luger-esque trap beats and the heavy, pulsing production that dominated Self Made, and could have benefited from more lush production from the J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League, who contributed only a single beat to this, the bleak “Triple Beam Dreams” with a clearly rejuvenated Nas. The guest spots by Nas and 2 Chainz are song-stealers, and Drake is on here as well on “Stay Schemin’,” which I’m sure you already know about. I’m not going in depth about that song and the shots at Common. This isn’t rap beef, it’s cow-flavored tofu. Will the MMG/CTE beef just happen already?!?!

Rich Forever flaunts Ross’ flashy, free-spending boss character that lives the tenets of coke rap: the paranoia and internal spiritual conflict of The Clipse, Jeezy’s many-hued collection of automobiles, Raekwon and Ghostface’s ruthlessness, and Pimp C’s well-chronicled disdain of law enforcement and haters. Ross has fully grown into his character, and is arguably making the hottest music in the industry right now. Each project is a must-listen. He’s a must-have guest verse. He’s Lil’ Wayne circa 2006-2007. Let’s just hope he holds off on the jeggings. UNGH!!

7/10

Tea Leaf Green at the Bluebird Theater, Denver (REVIEW)

January 17, 2012 Nadav No comments yet

Photo Credit: Caroline Bridges heyreverb.com

Easy To Be Your Lover by TeaLeafGreen

I had the great pleasure this past Saturday of seeing Tea Leaf Green perform live at the Bluebird Theater in Denver. This was my first show in months, but I feel like I jumped right back into the mix in a big way after these guys got going. San Francisco’s Tea Leaf Green (TLG) is a quintet of relentless tour-mongers, playing triple digit shows a year and springing up at music festivals all across the country (Roo, Jam Cruise, Wakarusa, you name it they’ve played it). They bring an insatiable enthusiasm to every show.

I first heard of these guys while at Bonnaroo in 2005, and I quickly became hooked. TLG has been playing together for more than a decade. And since their inception they have been steadily increasing in popularity. Over the last couple of years since I last saw them, it seems that they have really honed in on their collective talents and have are really meshing in their styles and sounds. For years, TLG has been gathering unfettered support from the masses, consistently hanging around that threshold where a couple more big big shows will land them their place as frontrunners of the jam scene along with Phish, String Cheese Incident, moe., and the likes! I’m telling you, if you’ve never heard of these guys, get on the bandwagon now. They’re going places.

Photo Credit: Caroline Bridges heyreverb.com

Together, Trevor Garrod (keys, vocals), Josh Clark (guitar, vocals), Scott Rager (drums), Reed Mathis (bass, vocals) and the newest member Cochrane McMillan (drums) are pushing the boundaries of their genre and reaching out to diverse crowds across the country. And yes, you read that right! DOUBLE DRUMS. Rager (aptly named) and McMillan worked seamlessly together, rolling in and out of dueling drum solos and hearty percussion rhythms. Both are as talented as any drummer I’ve seen.

Photo Credit: Caroline Bridges heyreverb.com

TLG started their show strong with Got No Friends in Arizona. They sprinkled a good number of their older tracks (and some of my personal favorites) in between a medley of newer songs that they have been touring relentlessly to promote over the last couple years. They played two full sets with a solid mix of new and old, never losing energy, never slowing down. Newer songs like You’re My Star and All Washed Up showcase a bit of their eclectic stylings and allow the duel drummer set some freedom to go at it live. One of my favorite new tracks is the song Easy to Be Your Lover, which is something like the Bee-Gees meet Strawberry Fields Forever. Give it a listen above and let me know what you think!

Photo by Caroline Bridges at heyreverb.com

TLG also rocked out to I’ve Been Seeking, Devil’s Pay, and probably their most well-known track Taught to be Proud, off the album with the same name that dropped in 2005. Below is a video of my personal favorite, a track called Morning Sun. The video is from Lincoln Hall in Chicago, IL and was performed in January 2010 (they were still a quartet). Unfortunately I was not lucky enough to hear this Saturday night, but I’ll take what I can get, and my TLG appetite was more than satisfied… for now!

Here’s a list of TLG tour dates. If they are in your area, it would behoove you to check them out. Leave a comment if you like what you hear. MJF Holla.

January ’12
1/18 (Wed) The Mill Iowa City, IA
1/19 (Thu) High Noon Saloon Madison, WI
1/20 (Fri) Lincoln Hall Chicago, IL
1/21 (Sat) 20th Century Theatre Cincinnati, OH
February ’12
2/3 (Fri) Crystal Bay Club Casino Crystal Bay, NV
2/4 (Sat) Crystal Bay Club Casino Crystal Bay, NV
2/9 (Thu) Paradise Rock Club Boston, MA
2/10 (Fri) Bowery Ballroom New York, NY
2/11 (Sat) Brooklyn Bowl Brooklyn, NY
2/12 (Sun) The Haunt Ithaca, NY
2/15 (Wed) State Theatre State College, PA
2/16 (Thu) Mr. Small’s Funhouse Millvale, PA
2/17 (Fri) World Cafe Live Philadelphia, PA
2/18 (Sat) 9:30 Club Washington, DC
2/19 (Sun) Jefferson Theatre Charlottesville, VA
March ’12
3/22 (Thu) Soul Kitchen Mobile, AL
3/23 (Fri) Georgia Theatre Athens, GA
3/28 (Wed) Grey Eagle Music Hall Asheville, NC
3/29 (Thu) Motorco Music Hall Durham, NC
3/30 (Fri) Visulite Theatre Charlotte, NC
3/31 (Sat) The Pour House Charleston, SC
April ’12
4/11 (Wed) Rogue Theatre Grants Pass, OR
4/12 (Thu) WOW Hall Eugene, OR
4/13 (Fri) Mississippi Studios Portland, OR
4/14 (Sat) Tractor Tavern Seattle, WA
4/19 (Thu) Top Hat Missoula, MT
4/20 (Fri) The Filling Station Bozeman, MT
4/21 (Sat) Urban Lounge Salt Lake City, UT
May ’12
5/31 (Thu) Wakarusa Music & Camping Festival Ozark, AR

Vince Staples – Shyne Coldchain Vol. 1 (REVIEW)

January 12, 2012 lloyd 7 comments

Vince Staples is, somewhat, the last remaining vestige of the Odd Future era that sparked who (and what) the OFWGKTA crew is now. And, for someone who wasn’t a part of the group, and only featured on a handful of the crew’s earliest, rarest material, that speaks volumes to just how dynamic a rhymer Staples is. Not only does he display the earnest, disturbingly candid imagery of a Tyler, the Creator, but he couples it with the panache for complex wordplay and delivery of an Earl Sweatshirt (matching verses with him on a career launching feature doesn’t hurt either).

The Wolf Gang comparisons aren’t exactly as applicable as they were a year ago. Thanks, greatly, to the Trillwave movement gaining some headway last year (spearheaded by the homies over at The Hood Internet and Applebird), Vince has fallen into a niche that still holds a thin tether to his OF roots, but builds a much more interesting catalog with Shyne Coldchain Vol. 1; via a brain-trust of innovative producers, and a colorful cast of MC’s around him.

Back in early November, Vince dropped “Versace Rap”, a brashly confessional three-verse exposé accented by beat-wunderkind Michael Uzowuru’s haunting boom bap background. As far as first singles go, you can’t make more of a statement than running fresh out the gate with lines like: “Never had belief in Christ, ’cause in the pictures he was white / Same color as the judge that gave my hood repeated life sentences for little shit / church I wasn’t feeling it.” And: “The only girl I ever loved turned into a bitch / If I ever see her and I got a gun, she getting chipped.” Talk about baring it all.

This jarring style of truth-before-embellishment made Staples an easy standout on tracks with contemporaries Mike G (whose Award Tour EP would be absolutely abysmal without Vince) and Speak! (whom you cannot continue to ignore), but on his solo debut, Vince takes on the world, for the most part, alone. That solitary position affirms itself almost immediately on the slow-rolling intro “Progressive”. The gunplay talk and money-fetishism is on par with pretty much any mainstream rapper, but the context is much more bleak. So, on “Trigga Witta Heart” and “Hostile”, when Vince raps about catching bodies and stockpiling stacks of cash, there’s an unnervingly subdued urgency to his delivery that sounds more like an eye-witness account, rather than the hyperbolic prose of a young Cali rapper.

That haunting delivery is a trait that could easily hurt Staples over the course of a full-length release, but, a speedy 23 minute running-time, and the attention to detail in the beats transforms Vince’s flow into less of a deterrent and more of its own instrument. Vince slyly lectures his way through “102″, but that understated flow adds to the hook’s head-banging crescendo, and puts laser-like focus on his more impressive lines: “Understand my grind is crooked; TK with an SK. Load off one mag in your car, dash, like an Armean with a sextape.” And, on “SOB”, the lone Mike G feature here (smartly relegating him to hook duty), Vince seeps his voice into the sultry soul-infused beat to the point where it almost fades away.

My only complaints with this mixtape are mainly aesthetic. It’s a bit too short for a grand introduction, but then again, as the first of a series, it’s an appropriate taste of what Staples is capable of. Also, the mixing can get in the way of the vocalists sometimes. Not that it should be studio quality, but Vince has lyrics that shouldn’t ever go unheard, and they sometimes get washed out. Those issues do, surprisingly, lend to the replay value, though. Shyne Coldchain Vol. 1 dropped December 30th of last year, and I’ve been playing it close to non-stop since. I’m not sure what it is, or where the appeal is drawn from, but call it hunch. Or, a sixth sense. Or maybe just blind fanaticism, but I’m on the Vince Staples bandwagon.

8.6/10

Grab the mixtape here

Steve Aoki – Wonderland (Review)

January 10, 2012 marc 3 comments

Discover Steve Aoki’s Wonderland for yourself on iTunes

Unfazed by the knife-flipping wizardry of Benihanna, and after majoring in Women’s Studies at UCSB Steve Aoki took his restaurant gelt to found DIM MAK RECORDS (named after Bruce Lee) in 1996.

‘Wonderland’ is only his first official studio album despite a slew of remixes from artists like Michael Jackson, Good Charlotte and yes, Drake.

On ‘Earthquakey People’ & ‘Earthquakey People (The Sequel)’ Weezer frontman Rivers Cumo sings with the newfound exuberance of a man who has just abandoned celibacy after 14 shots of Amber Rose vodka in the club. ‘Hey Steve, do you have any half-Japanese cousins?’

‘Come With Me’ featuring Polina sounds like the songs on the ‘Garden State’ soundtrack that made hipster girls the most wet. The same Thievery Corporation & Zero 7 vibes that have recently united savants like Soulja Boy & Lil B with future pharmacologist Clams Casino.

What is this? ‘Dangerous’ features a ‘zuper blahq,’ but I’ve played this game of Dance Dance Revolution before. A Bing search confirms that zuper blahq is an alter ego of Black Eyed Peas producer and skinny jeans champion Will.I.Am. The song is ripe for intergalactic breakdancing hamsters selling automobiles.

Lil Jon & Chiddy Bang offer a segue of a song built for Taco Bell and/or stadium licensing with ‘Emergency.’ I mean that in the best way possible. The song sounds like I’m about to start the gnarliest game of Madden ’08 ever.

‘Control Freak’ is a nice duet of sorts between Blaqstarr & My Name Is Kay, sounding like modern day Prince & Appolonia (or is it Spank Rock & Azealia Banks?).

‘Steve Jobs’ with Indonesian Anger Dimmas picks up the BPM and returns ‘Wonderland’ to its most lush and magical wardrobe. The 16 bit Nintendo sounds come paired with one of those classic lead synths that made everyone freak out over songs from Benny Bennassi & that Deadmau5 guy.

Another standout is ‘Cudi The Kid,’ featuring appearances from Travis Barker & Kid Cudi (pre highatus). Cudder is back if only in spirit, riding this frenetic Aoki production bolstered by Travis on the drum fills.

‘Wonderland’ is a fun pop album that encapsulates all genres from punk and hip hop to every EDM buzzword (dubstep, drum & bass, house, so-on and soforth). The album is equal parts designed to keep the clerks at H&M smiling in their knit khakis through the wee hours of the night and the Urchins snowboarding the mountains of Vermont all day (norf norf).

A few months ago when I saw a shirtless Aoki stab my friend with a broken piece of glass at a Flying Lotus show, I was shocked to find out he doesn’t drink or smoke. I’ve since realized Steve’s attention defecit-fueled drunk on life approach and his latent desire to stir-fry the status quo is what makes him fun to be around. It’s these qualities that make people want to see a Steve Aoki show and it’s these qualities that bring the best out of his collaborators here.

Definitely a good album to test drive a car to.

7.8/10

Mostly Junk Food’s Top 25 Hip-Hop Songs of 2011

December 24, 2011 Tommy World Peace 12 comments

If you thought Hip-Hop was dead in 2011, you weren’t following Mostly Junk Food. MJF’s Top 25 Hip-Hop Songs of 2011– in concert with tomorrow’s Top 25 Albums (Not Just Hip-Hop, As Some Of Our Other Writers Have Diverse and Interesting Tastes) of 2011– will shed light on the most important and influential work of the year. Study and memorize this shit. Hit the jump for the best list of the year.

(more…)

Drake – Take Care (REVIEW)

November 15, 2011 lloyd 12 comments

Take Care of Drake’s bank account by heading to iTunes.

The line between who Aubrey “Drake” Graham is and what Aubrey “Drake” Graham does is razor thin. Drake’s personal life works in direct tangent with his professional life. Separating the two hurts not only the product, but the man himself. Last year’s debut, Thank Me Later, was suffocated by the same tether of fame and high expectations, but Take Care places the Canadian rapper/singer/actor in the peculiar position of comfort in his surroundings.

As a sophomore album, Take Care grows organically from its luxurious roots. Peppered into the melodrama is silky smooth production, candid confessionals, and the aural aroma of a lovingly occupied bedroom. There’s a much more mature and adult Drake permeating through the pores of this LP, but much of that mature and adult Drake is restrained by the professional life that has anchored most of his creative progress to this point.

(more…)

Childish Gambino – Camp (REVIEW)

November 14, 2011 lloyd 83 comments

Hop in your parents’ station wagon and take a trip to Camp on iTunes

I’ve got a bone to pick with writer, actor, comedian and rapper Donald Glover. Performing under the pseudonym Childish Gambino, Glover has carved somewhat of a niche in the indie hip-hop community with his brand of sub-pop, alternative rap. While his Culdesac mixtape, and last years’ EP, built a loyal fanbase for Gambino, I’ve never personally been completely sold on him as a musician. On Camp, CG’s first official release, Glover takes everything that gave him any semblance of sympathy and essentially swaps that for the cocky, womanizing, douche-nerd that turned me off in the first place.

(more…)

NERO at 1stBank Center, Broomfield CO (REVIEW)

November 8, 2011 Nadav No comments yet

Download The Streets Blinded By The Lights Nero Remix

For the capstone to his massive Mothership tour, Skrillex enlisted the talents of Nero, Skream, and Benga to bolster the lineup for the Spooky Tings Halloween show at the 1stBank Center in Broomfield, CO.

Nero is a (primarily) dubstep duo out of London consisting of Daniel Stevens and Joe Ray. Nero takes a totally different approach to dubstep music than their American counterparts. For those of you with hangups about dubstep music, check out Nero because the duo will definitely not conform to your normal perceptions of the genre. After smashing the UK charts with a number of singles in 2010 and 2011 and their debut album ‘Welcome Reality’, they have brought their talents stateside this fall, including their stop just outside Denver on Halloween weekend.

(more…)