Top 5 MCs of 2011

5. Louis Mackey

Louis Mackey was part of two albums that came very close to making my top 10 list, "The Dioscuri" with Dr. Quandry and "No Humans Allowed" with ThirtySeven. Each time I hear him I have to stop and totally focus on what he is saying because if not I feel I will miss a line of genius.

4. Guilty Simpson

Did you hear Random Axe? To me, he absolutely stole the show on each track, then you throw in his mix tape and different features, he is killing it right now and each album just gets better and better, he is on track to be something extra special, not just in the "underground" but wouldn't be surprised if he breaks through and crushes some of the mainstream cats.

3. Black Thought

While I still haven't had time to fully digest "undun," it is very very easy for me to say that Black Thought absolutely kills it. If I were an MC I honestly would not to be on a track with him out of fear of looking horrible, he has just about everything going for him, breath control, flow, voice, vocabulary, DAMN.

2. Random aka Mega Ran

Besides putting out my number 2 album of the year with "Black Materia" his "TeacherRapperHero Vol 2: Two Weeks Notice" is easily my favorite mix tape of the year (and an actual mix tape with a DJ), he released "Forever Famicom DLC 2" with K-Murdock, dropped "Mega Ran 10" (possibly the best Mega Ran album to date,) made one of, if not the best, Christmas album of the last decade, and earlier this week his album with Mister Miranda came out. Each album is great and he shows his versatility, the guy never stops and keeps putting out incredible music.

1. Open Mike Eagle

No surprise here. Honestly, he is quickly becoming one of my favorite MCs of all time, with "Rappers Will Die of Natural Causes" he created a masterpiece and with his decision to release companion EPs, he is doing something incredibly special that will last for a very long time. He (along with everyone else on the list) makes me realize that I should never ever attempt to be an MC, he reminds me this is an art form and not just something you randomly decide to do.

Producers of 2011

Since I started making lists of albums of the year, figure I should give love to some of my favorite artists (some who had best albums and some who did not.) I shall first begin with producers, So let us begin on this list and the yelling at me.

Honorable Mentions:
Nasa
LAMEBOT

5. Ill Clinton

Like I said, Ill Clinton released some great music this year and it seems each release gets better and better.

4. Black-Tokyo

He released so much great music this year that I could barely keep up, while no one album sets itself apart, the collective releases can go toe to toe with just about any producers work this year.

3. IV the Polymath

Whether it was with solo effort (i.e. "Push IVward" or his dope new album "New Vs Old") or his production for other artist, everything Polymath touched this year was incredible.

2. Agartha Audio

While he may not have released much music commercially this year, if you are smart enough to be a member of his "Beat of the Month Club" you witnessed some of the dopest 30 plus beats you will hear.

1. Madlib

Do I really need to say anything. He is my favorite and keeps releasing more and more mind blowing music.

Best Hip Hop Albums of the Year UPDATED

So I decide to make a end of the year "Best of List" and figured I would do 10 vocal projects and 10 instrumental projects (props to Elmattic for the idea and check his list as well). Now I am sure I am going to get lets of people pissed at me for a few things first, what I am including in hip hop and I do not care, in reality the only reason I put hip hop in the title is because I did not want to include Black American Music albums (formerly jazz,) I am sure people some people will also disagree with my definition of an album (do not care about the length if it is a cohesive statement it counts.) Then there is the biggest complaint about any list, "what about *insert album name*." A few things about that, first, I must have heard the album (seems pretty obvious,) and I must have been able fully digest the album, meaning anything released in the last week or so is disqualified. Also, let me be clear, this is about creating an album, not just a collection of dope songs, I also very much reveal my "artsy" side with some of these choices and I am just fine with that. Ok, so here it goes.

TOP 10 INSTRUMENTAL ALBUMS OF 2011 (at least 60% instrumental)


NOTE: Originally was planning on doing 10, but thought that was a bit pretentious so went with 5 on original posting. This then brought a whole heap of discussion as to some of the albums I was missing and figured that 10 wasn't pretentious if people wanted it.

10. Lyle Horowitz "Let Them Eat Cake"

And this is the final piece of the is it hip hop puzzle. Are there MCs on it, YES (and great job by the few appearances.) Would it be classified as hip hop? That is a VERY tough question, but it is certainly a great album, covering all sorts of sounds and atmospheric feelings.
Download

9. The Kone "The TRACTATUS"

Another such release is right here, is this hip hop, I would say no. Is it dope instrumental album...YES. The Kone takes us on a great and funky musical journey on this record.
Buy

8. Turquoise Summers "Never Can Get Enuff"

Ok right around here is when I feel like I should explain that I did weigh hip hop albums heavier (because that was the original intent of the list) but I refuse to have a fav instrumental list without some of my fav releases that are certainly not hip hop. THe first of said releases is "Never Can Get Enuff" the debut EP or Maxi-single from Turquoise Summers, who as should be pretty obvious to regulars of my blog, is one of my favorite artists out there, regardless of genre. So show the dude some respect and get the project.
Download

7. Nasa "Uncommon Color Combinations Vol 2"


Nasa released his second volume of Uncommon Color Combinations this year and shows us why he is one of the best producers in progressive hip-hop. He also deserves some props for the song titles.
Download


6. Ill Clinton "SKYWALKEN"

Ill Clinton, released some great music this year (including "The Anti Socialist") but "SKYWALKEN" takes the preverbal cake mainly due to the cohesiveness and almost story telling of the album.
Download


5. Bil Basmala "Legend of Blaqods"

Very dope album that blurs the line between hip hop and electronica, almost a minimalist production but says so very much and works beautifully as a full album concept.
Download

4. Dr. Khil "Khilgore Trout "A Beat Tape"

Music inspired by classic literary characters, need I say more? Ok then read my review.
Download

3. Shade Cobain "Tears"

A cohesive collection of dope beats, filled with emotion but still has that boom bap.
Download

2. IV the Polymath "Push IVward"

First time I heard this it blew my away and with each listen it gets better and better, check my original review.
Download

1. A.M. Breakups "The Cant Resurrection"

This one pushes the limit of instrumental album, not just in the percentage of instrumental but also just what an album can do. Sometimes you can tell an album is more than just a piece of music, it really is part of the person, and "The Cant Resurrection" is just that, incredible album.

Download Stream

TOP 10 ALBUMS OF THE YEAR (non-instrumnetal)

10. Mr. Kinetik & Rusty Redenbacher "The Professor and the Hustler"


The standout album for #ATFU this year features both MCs killing it over beats from a wide array of producers. While as a whole, Mr. Kinetik plays the role of the Professor and Rusty plays the role of the Hustler, do not think that they cannot do both, great job of crafting a duo album.
Download

9. Mike Ladd "Kids and Animals"


What can I say, I am a HUGE fan of Mike Ladd, as I have said before the guy shines as a true artist, not just an MC.
Download

8. I, Ced "All In My Mind"


One of the most soulful albums I have heard in many years with some incredible production as well. You can decide to call it soul if you want, but really it is just a dope ass album that will take you on one hell of a journey, listen to this one with your headphones on and listen to it loudly, and enjoy the ride, I, Ced is a musical beast.
Download

7. PremRock & Willie Green "PremRock & Willie Green"


One of the best producers in the game and one of my favorite MCs come together and make an incredible album. This to me is your classic throwback album, filled with a bit of everything you can ask for in a hip hop album, and just a great fun record as well that still has a whole lot to say.
Download

6. Short Fuze & Nasa "Toxicolgy Music"


Still love this mash of remix album and EP of new tracks. Great work by two of my favorite artist out there, honestly if you don't know about it, check my review and then go get it.

Download

5. Random Axe "Random Axe"

This is the exception to the "album" idea, this is just a whole bunch of dope songs, with great production and three MCs killing it on the mic, not a world changer but if you want some great rapping you will hear it here.

4. The Deer aka J1 "The Yellow"

Still cannot believe that J1 passed, he was a great musician and this year released one of the best pieces of music I have heard in a while, I do not care that it is just over 20 minutes long, it is a great project, you need to check it out and read my review if you need more info.
Download

3. Antipop Consortium with Matthew Shipp & William Parker "Knives from Heaven"


People talk about pushing the limits of hip hop and where can it go. Well, this is one of the places that I love, a collaborative project between some of the most forward thinking MCs out there and some of the best musicians out there. This is a piece of musical art that deserves your full and undivided attention.
Buy

2. Random and Lost Perception "Black Materia"

One of the best and most fully realized concept albums put together in a long time, including different MCs for different characters. I do not care that is based on a video game, this is a great album that tells a story from beginning to end and does so wonderfully with high quality beats and dope rhymes. For a more in-depth description check my original review.
Download

1. Open Mike Eagle "Rappers Will Die of Natural Causes"

I cannot talk about this album enough, one of my favorite albums in recent years and is quickly making Open Mike Eagle, one of, if not my favorite MC. I once ranted on twitter, that if you are a fan of hip hop and do not like this album, I can only assume you are too stupid to understand the words he is using. And I stand by that statement, it gets 5 stars, A+, or however you want to rate it, it was easy to make this my number one, I don't think I have gone more than 2 or 3 days without listening to this whole album.
Download


Ok so that concludes my list of favorite albums of the year. So let all of the inevitable debate and yelling at me begin.

Various Artist "#Occupy Christmas" (Compiled by Issuez)

We are now just less than two weeks from Christmas, so even those who think the celebration starts too early are beginning to celebrate or at least contemplate the idea. One of the things that comes along with Christmas is the music and there are always a slew of "new" Christmas albums being released. And here we have another, "#Occupy Christmas," a compilation put together by Issuez. As you can tell by the album cover, it is your standard album filled with the tired and trite holiday songs we all know and sing even when we don't want to.

Wait...holy shit, is that a picture of Santa coming down the chimney with an ax? Hold on, I don't remember hearing "Sex in the Market Place," when I was out shopping. Do we actually have a creative Christmas album that may not exactly be family friendly (that would make two dope Christmas albums in a year.) Let me actually listen to this album....

Ok, as I am sure you figured out, this isn't your standard Christmas album and in reality the Christmas theme is loose at best, does have a lot of winter ideas in it. But really what it is, is a very good compilation that fits into the cold weather of the season and gets all those damn versions of Frosty out of our heads as we listen to some incredible hip hop music. Some of these songs have been released before, some have not, but if you look through the list of artists, any person who enjoys the music I talk about here, will be VERY happy and recognize more than a few of the names. So once your latest family gathering is over, or after your trip to the store, clear out that musical monotony with some quality music and you can even say your are listening to Christmas music, check it out and enjoy.

You can stream and download the album here.

Sinoptic Music "We Don't Do S**t Hip-Hop Vol. 4"

Sometimes we as Americans and especially American music fans, tend to forget there is quality music all over the world, and not just regional music, but great rock, BAM (formerly known as jazz), and especially hip hop music. It may be because it seems like we are always discovering knew artists from our area so we do not devote time to discover music from any place else, well, I shall do what I can do fix that, at least occasionally. And where better to start than the United Kingdom and we won't even have to worry about not knowing the language, see it is English, yes we speak the same language (besides the universal language of music and math.)

But enough of that rant, let me get to what I wanted to tell you, every few months, Sinoptic Music (a great English hip hop label that you NEED to know) releases what they call a FreEP (i.e. free ep) and provides a sample of what their artists are creating. Well, "We Don't Do S**t Hip-Hop Vol. 4" is their latest FreEP and the final one of 2011. So click the link below, get the FreEP and while you are at Sinoptic Music's bandcamp page check out the rest of the music they have on there, I highly recommend it all.

You can download the FreEP here.

DCK VNNGT "MRDR DTH KLL"

Once again, the people over at Uncommon Records have decided to offer a free EP in preparation of a full length they will be releasing. This time it is DCK VNNGT (duo of emcees/producers Bloodmoney and YunSloth) "MRDR DTH KLL" which gives us a glimpse into what this duo is all about. What is that you may ask? Well, a combination of chaos, pushing boundaries, and rich organic and synthetic sounds. That may sound a bit confusing but trust me, it will make sense once you hear the EP. One very interesting feature of this duo is that both can spit and produce and they do so on each track. But instead of what some duos do (i.e. JAYLIB) they are a duo on vocals no matter who did the production, which I find pretty damn cool. So check out the link below, put on some headphones and prepare yourself for what is coming from "MRDR DTH KLL" and gain some knowledge before DCK VNNGT release their full length, "Bare Witness" in 2012.

You can stream and download the album here.

K-Murdock "Hero Muzik (Instrumental)"

Believe it or not it has been 25 years since the first "Zelda" was released and to celebrate, K-Murdock is offering up a free download of his instrumental for the track "Hero Muzik" featured on his and Mega Ran's "Forever Famicom DLC." So what should you the listener do? Two things, first, you should listen to and download the instrumental and second, you should click the link above and download "Forever Famicom DLC." Enjoy both and do it now.


K-Murdock - "Hero Muzik" (Instrumental) by Neosonix

Panacea "The Prelude"

Panacea (Raw Poetic on the mic and K-Murdock on production) is back with their track, "The Prelude" from their forth coming album, "Midnigt Morning Africa." The album is slated for release in early 2012, but so far no date has been set, but I fully expect another dope release from the group (you can check out their last two albums "Ink is My Drink" "12 Step Program" and more on K-Murdock's bandcamp.)


Panacea - "The Prelude" by Neosonix

Mallz and Dr. Khil "Khil Shot Mallz"

Always a good thing for me when two (or more) artists I am a fan of decide to join together and make a song, or even better a whole project. Well, that is exactly what is happening right now as Mallz and Dr. Khil have joined forces and are working on their EP entitled, "Pen Stroke of Genius." Who are Mallz and Dr. Khil you may ask? First off, shame on you. Second, you can check the pieces I've done on Mallz and Dr. Khil and get familiar quickly. Now for those who know what is going on, or for those who just want me to shut and tell them about some dope music, check out the first track off the "Pen Stroke of Genius," entitled "Khil Shot Mallz."

Khil Shot Mallz by Dr. Khil

Sulfur "Waking in the Wasteland" (Video)

If you follow this blog regularly you will recognize the name The ThoughtCriminals (posted a review of their live album a few days ago.) There are two talented MCs that provide the vocals for them, the first is Mikal kHill (who also plays a mean midi-NES) the second is Sulfur. While they are putting the finishing touches on their newest group album, they have decided to release some side projects, one being "entropy" which is a post-apolopytic album that features Sulfur on the mic and kHill on production.

Well, I had heard that there was a video for one of the tracks off "entropy" and figured I would check it out. The song is titled "Waking in the Wasteland" and to be honest I had a vision of the video and song before I checked it out, I was expecting a very Fallout style song with visuals that would appeal to fans of the game. Well, there is that sort of feeling of doom in the video but not at all what I was expecting. This is not a fun shootout to Fallout, this is one hell of a piece of visual art that was created and the song is much more than I was ever hoping for. After hearing it all I can say is WOW and I cannot wait to hear the full album, no I understand why Sulfur told me once that after this album he needed to take a step back from the post-apocolyptic world, much more tortured and exhausting than I imagined this creation would be, well done and let's see if the album keeps up to the high standard set here (which I am sure it will, I shall never doubt either of these two artists again.)






You can preorder the album here.

Black-Tokyo aka Skott Phree "Rusty Gems"

How is it that some artist seem to put out more albums than I can keep up with? I just start to digest their previous effort and then there are two new releases. I cannot say it upsets me because that just means more dope music but just crazy to me the output of some of these artists. One such artist is Black-Tokyo, who in the last week released 3 EPs. You read that right, 3. Ok, well the latest joint, "Rusty Gems" is actually older music he created while going by the name Skott Phree, but still. It seems like every time I get ready to do a review for one of his projects he has released more. So honestly, the best thing I can say is to constantly view his bandcamp and check out the dope music he continues to release. Now don't think I won't let you know about them, but I do fall behind sometimes, but you will not be disappointed with his work. Check out his latest project and peruse the site to see what you have missed.

You can stream and download the album here.

Lyle Horowitz "Nothing Says Hello Like Goodbye" and MORE

Lyle Horowitz has been rather busy lately, you may remember on Halloween he released "The Woodside Boys"
with PreZZure. But then decided that on November 27th, he would release 5, yes you read that right, 5 albums: "Bodies" "City Lights" "The Dance" "Smiles Of A Summer Night" and "Nothing Says Goodbye Like Hello" (click each link to download.)
A few days later, on December 5th, he decided to release his newest project, "Nothing Says Hello Like Goodbye." But what makes this album very interesting is: it was created in one night (yes 1 night) and released the next day. It amazes me that artists like Horowitz can create and release an album in 24 hours and have it be of high quality. That is what is remarkable about it..the quality of this album and makes me wonder what is coming next from him, and how will those who enjoy his music be able to keep up (one thing you need to do if you enjoy the music is check out Horowitz's tumblr to find even more nuggets scattered throughout.)

You can stream and download the album here.

Open Mike Eagle "Extended Nightmares Getdown: The Dark Blue Door"

Rappers never say anything in their music. Rap is all about guns, money and drugs. Insert other commonly heard rap stereotypes. Enter Open Mike Eagle to smash them all. Earlier this year, Open Mike Eagle released one of my favorite albums of the year (might actually be my favorite) entitled, "Rappers Will Die of Natural Causes." Just about everything about this album screams incredible and a piece of art. The topics on the album cover just about every angle of life and apparently he has more to say about most of these because he has decided to release 4 Eps that are headlined by a remix by one of the album tracks, with the other songs being linked to the subject covered.

The first of these EPs is entitled "Extended Nightmares Getdown: The Dark Blue Door" which showcases a Busdriver remix of the track, "Nightmares" (original produced by Willie Green.) Now do not worry, if you haven't heard "Rappers Will Die of Natural Causes" yet, you will still thoroughly enjoy "Extended Nightmares Getdown: The Dark Blue Door" and hopefully this will make you realize that you need to check out the full length album. But for now, listen to the EP and see why Open Mike Eagle is quickly becoming one of my favorite MCs out there.

You can download the album here and purchase a limited edition physical copy here.

Random "A Very Random Christmas" (produced by DN3)

Bah Humbug. I am sick of Christmas music, it is all you hear when you go anywhere starting the day after Thanksgiving. What makes it even worse is that is it always the same 10 songs, just performed by different people, and rarely do they even sound any different. There are very few Christmas albums that I do not detest, for years the only one I would actually listen to from start to finish was Harry Connick Jr.'s "Harry for the Holidays." I can take some Willie Nelson and some Stevie Wonder as well, and Peanut Butter Wolf's "Badd Santa" mix, but this year something strange happened.

A teacher, rapper, hero, decided to create a Christmas album and have all the beats made from the classic television special "A Charlie Brown Christmas." A few other items make this album a bit unique, for one there are actual new lyrics to Christmas songs HOORAY and the songs are actually good *GASP* this isn't an album that was thrown together to get some money, these are songs made specifically for an alternative to the overplayed traditional Christmas songs and created with intelligence, humor, and a bit of nerviness (which let us be honest, we all need) and do not forget there is also some of that Christmas magic. Who created such an album, non other than the one, the only, Random (or Mega Ran as you may know him.) Yes, I just typed two paragraphs before telling you the artist's name (then again it is in the title and there were hints.)

"A Very Random Christmas" is a dope album, that just happens to be about Christma. Whether told through the point of view of a child who just wants what is on his Christmas list, a grown man who encounters Santa, a group of friends questioning the Grinch in the group, making money shoveling snow, or giving love to those most important to you, Random is able to get the feeling of Christmas out through music with all the highs and lows in between. So check out the link below and enjoy.


You can stream and download the album here.

Rest in Peace J-1 aka THE DEER

Yesterday music lost one of it's rising stars when J-1 aka THE DEER. I had become a big fan of his over the last year or so and while I never met him personally I had many conversations with him via social networks and I am at a complete loss as to what to say. I had been meaning for a while to do a post about his latest release, "Lucky 7" a 7 track instrumental EP and while I am still at a loss figure the least I can do is share the man's sound with you, go check out the (iN)Sect Records bandcamp page and get the album, while there you can also check out a great reggae mix he did as well called, "TUNE IN!" My thoughts and prayers go out to his family and loved ones, let us make sure that his memory never fades.

You can stream and download "Lucky 7" here and "TUNE IN!" here.

GM "#ForTheLove" (Produced by E dot Spencer) (11/11/11 series)

Not too long ago, GM came up with a great idea: create an album, make a video for each track and give one video to different blogs. In his case it was 11 songs, 11 videos, 11 blogs, one of the better ideas that came out of 11/11/11. But it isn't just a posting of a video, that would be too easy and not very original. What GM wanted to do was have a mini review of each song and then break down the video as well. He asked if I would like to take part and of course I said yes (otherwise why would I be writing this.)

I was presented with the track "#ForTheLove" which just happens to be produced by E dot Spencer (you may remember him from "Born to Fly"." So let's first me talk about the song itself. It begins with a great sample by E Dot that sets the tone for the soulful beat layered with hi hats, vocals (chopped down to just a note or two.) "You don't even have to like it, this is no sucker shit" those are the first words of the track (besides him shouting out E for the beat) and right away it is clear what this track is: that in your face, fuck what you think, straight up rap song over some soulful beats. My favorite line of the track has to be "You can tell me you Fonzarelli, you Mister Cool, I'm just here for the moment, Im just a different dude," because well, I dig the Fonz, but just after that, about halfway through, the beat becomes muddled and faded, before it comes back into full effect with vocals hitting even harder than the first time. The track is certainly one that gets repeat listens and doesn't lose any oomph.



Then I wondered, what would the video for this song look like? A few ideas came to mind, first off there was the very basic, GM rapping around very spots in Naptown, nothing revolutionary and usually an idea I dislike but for this track it would work. Then I envisioned a very triply animated that there is no way I can put into words without rambling for hours, but knew that wasn't going to happen because those are VERY VERY time consuming and expensive. But I just kept coming back to the idea of GM rapping in front of a camera, whether with him sitting down while he moves through the city or standing in various locations. The only other idea I had was a picture based one ala "Through the Wire" but that's been done.

Then, the actual video arrived, and first, I want you to watch it, and then I shall give my thoughts on it to see how they mesh with your own.



First let's breakdown what happened, it starts with GM's female companion trying to decide what movie the two of them to watch, only to find GM sleeping on the couch. And he begins to dream of what is shown to the masses as the "rap life" girls, alcohol, and some more girls and more alcohol. Then we find out at the end that it is in fact not GM's dream, but his girl's, almost to say that she wants that life or maybe it was really a nightmare, that we are never told.

That is the basic breakdown of it but there are some other things I would like to discuss. First is the framing of the video. Very often the top of GM's head is out of the frame, cut off so to speak. There are two reasons I can think of that this happened, one being it was unintentional, the other being that it was used to show this view of the rap life is what people without a brain imagine it to be and those that actually know, see the life of the MC is VERY different. The other thing to notice, unless of course I am missing something, is that in reality, this isn't the typical story of women in rap videos, because for one reason, it is one and only one female in the video, so it is not a "Girls, Girls, Girls" situation. And MAYBE the female is just dreaming of a night at home with her significant other with a little drinking and some extra circular, nothing that unusual, but because it is video for a hip hop song, we assume it is some woman hating message, therefore challenging us to think differently about what we see and actually base our thoughts and opinions on what is actually in front of us and not some preconceived notion. So please let me know what you think. Also check out the whole project by GM, it really it a great idea and rather diverse too. Enjoy.

You can stream and download the whole album here.

The ThoughtCriminals & Shane Hall "Whatevermore (Live from the Raven)"

Live albums are mixed bag, you have your incredible mind blowing classic (i.e. B.B. King "Live at the Regal") and then you have the utter failures (too many to mention,) and it gets even worse when you talk about live hip hop albums, so much so that the only high quality ones I can think of right now is "The Roots Come Alive" and "Live Hardcore Worldwide" so when I heard that the ThoughtCriminals were going to be releasing a live album, I was a bit nervous to say the least, thoroughly enjoy their previous studio efforts (most notably "The Cold Winter") but did not know how it would translate into a live show and a live recording to boot. So often, even if an artist puts on a great live show, it does not translate in the recording, either because of a loss of visuals, poor recording, or it just doesn't have "IT."

But let me put your worries to rest, the ThoughtCriminals and Shane Hall, pull off a live album splendidly. Not only is the music of good quality (to be expected since they have dope songs and albums) but "Whatever (Live from the Raven)" transplants you into the audience that evening of July 31st, 2011, and as the liner notes say "Warts and all." That is one of the things that impresses me about this recording, is they did not go through and edit out anything that wasn't perfect, it gives you the true experience of one of their shows.

But live albums pose another problem, at least for me: how do I review it? My standard track by track sonic breakdown seems a bit odd especially since I have already reviewed about half of these tracks. But if I don't do it track by track I ignoring one of the things that separate my reviews from others. The internal debate continues. But enough of that, let us just jump right on in and see what happens, here it goes.

The album starts as any live album should, with a little intro, and then we hear how much different a live song can sound than a studio version while still obviously being the same track with "I Remember Now." This is one of the things that separates "Whatevermore" from so many other live hip hop albums and it comes from the fact that there is a live band on stage. They can actually switch up the sound and give the listener a totally different experience. (Yes I know artist with a DJ can do the same thing but often do not.) While the studio version crackles throughout, both instruments and vocals, including a siren that brings to mind the end of the world, the live version is much cleaner and comes off as very introspective and thought provoking. It seems to pull the listener into the song as opposed to being an observer on the album version. Incredibly well done, first time I heard it I knew that the ThoughtCriminals were going to be able to pull off a live album.

Then we encounter one of the fun things of a live show and live album...the fact that things can go wrong, and that is exactly what happens just before the ThoughtCriminals get ready to do "Return of the Antagonist (Drastic Measures)." What goes wrong you ask? Well, their guitarist's amp dies and instead of delaying the show, the group improvises the the music while the amp is replaced and everything goes on as if nothing happened. What really amazes me about this, is just how much the guitar is featured in the studio version but if you never heard it you would think the live version is exactly right, it is a stripped down version that still hits and puts even more attention on the vocals and it goes over great, both for me and the crowd as well. At the end, they do let the audience know "that's not really how the song goes, but it was still dope." For some reason those few words weighed on me, I couldn't decide if I was glad it was said because it showed their versatility and ability to adept while endearing themselves to the audience or did it ruin he illusion of a planned reworking of a tune. Then I realized those that were at the show, probably noticed the amp being switched and saw the problem, it was only those listening to the recording who wouldn't have had a clue, and that just amazed me more, I got sucked in to thinking i was AT the show and I KNEW what happened, but alas I have no visual, just the great audio documentation.

"Bling, Bling, Bling." That is how, the "All the Coins" begins, but instead of the NES sound, they are provided by vocal cords, which brought a smile to my face, another injection of fun to the live show for those that know the music. One draw back of the live version is the coin sound is not played throughout as in the studio version, but, you only notice it when you go back and listen to it, it doesn't seem like anything is missing. There is one other thing that is missing, the vocals of Int 80 of Dual Core (which is mentioned in the intro) but once again, it blends right in and nothing seems amiss.

Next up, is one of, if not the stand up track on the album, "Warp Zone (1-2)" (which is also what I said about the studio version) but what really makes this work was the call and response from the crowd. Yes, I know, call and response is nothing new, but when done correctly, it is dope as fuck, and this is one of those instances. Every time I hear it I feel like I could take a Super Sledge and end a Super Mutant in one swing and keep on walking.

Then, the ThoughtCriminals give us glimpse of their next album, "Vault 13" which I can only hope alludes to one of my favorite video games of all time. But I digress, the name of the track is, "All My Heroes," which begins as a stripped down guitar track, before the rather depressing vocals kick in (might just seem more depressing because of the adrenaline from the previous track.) Would you like a sample of the lyrics, well how about the chorus, "All my heroes are dead, I'll get to you later. Look myself in the mirror, yea, I'll get to you later. All my teachers are fools, all my stories are lies. I'll get to you later, I swear I aint got no time for goodbyes." Honestly, the track is good and they pull it off live, but have a feeling it is going to transform to something magnificent in the studio version.

The obligatory bad joke comes next, just before the all too real, "Liquid Happy," as they , "it is about bad nights." I was surprised to see this on the track list because of the somber lyrics but it works live because of the upbeat, instrumentals and the tweak to the vocal delivery which in the studio is straight forward and quite, almost conversation, but live there is that extra oomph that gives it a different feel entirely. So, unless you are paying attention (as you should be) you think it is just a dope upbeat drinking song, when in reality it is a dope song about the hazards of drinking.

Originally featuring 4 MCs (as is mentioned in multiple verses) "Earthbound" is performed here by only two, and The ThoughCriminals easily pull it off. It is a little odd that they mention 4, but not a big deal. Once again, there is a different feel and sound to the live version. Mainly it feels a bit little outer spacey and much more, well Earthy. It is done well, because instead of attempting to emulate the pure free floating feel of the studio version (which would probably fall flat quickly) they offer a more structured and firm arrangement which is great for a live show.

At this point you might be wondering, why this album is by The ThoughtCriminals & Shane Hall. Well, I shall tell you, because it starts with the next track, "Marked Man" a cover of Mieka Pauley song which features Shane Hall on vocals. In other words, this album becomes even more of a concert with multiple acts joining together. TheThoughtCriminals provide the music for this rather dark and powerful track. The instruments are sparse throughout most of the track, minus the drum which beats continuously and heavy.

They than move flawless into, "Gatekeeper" the first of two tracks off of Shane Hall's album "Structural Disintegration 1.0." The track hits incredibly hard after the soulful, "Marked Man," with the mantra of "Check Your Parameters," repeating loudly in your head, causing you to pay attention in a totally different way. Shane Hall's vocals dominate this track, while the instruments act as a guide through the anger and frustration.

The moment "G.E.D." begins, one thing enters my mind, "The Twilight Zone." Why you ask? The keyboard creates a sound that is eerily reminiscent of the classic theme song, but different enough that it certainly isn't it. Then you add, Hall's powerful but somewhat conversational tone, and I drift to Rod Serling...then again, this could all just be because "The Twilight Zone" is one of my favorite shows ever, maybe I have rambled a bit too much about this and I cannot shake the comparison now, even though in reality it isn't there, but it captures the idea.

The stage then becomes the set for the "all too real song that takes place at a bar and captures the effects alcohol can have on a person," entitled "Whirling Dervish." Some how, setting it in a live setting, makes it feel even more real than the incredible studio version off of "Cold WInter," as if you are actually in the bar with the background noise. Really not much more I can say about this song that I haven't said in my previous review, just incredible song writing.

After the heaviness of "Whirling Dervish," they decide to perform an unreleased track, that at least as of now, has no studio release planned, entitled, "Those Kids." The track actually turns out great live as it has a little bit of call of and response to begin before delving in to a rather important subject. The fact that too many of the younger generation, are lost, whether unwilling to raise their voice and speak up against what is wrong, or have lost the ability to effectively deal with emotions, a generation of Bruce Banner's who transform at the slightest problem.

The group jumps into another cover, this time of Lykke Li "I'm Good, I'm Gone," a rather entertaining alternative rock track, that for some reason reminds me of what would happen if the Raveonettes and the White Stripes, got together and made a song, with the chorus being song through a megaphone. I can only imagine, the visual of this performance is amazing, especially in a club like setting where every note hits you.

The concert closes with the Brian Eno "Fat Lady of Limbourgh" which Shane Hall performed as part of the Ticklebomb Orchestra. It is VERY risky to cover a Brian Eno tune, but they are able to pull it off, not the same, but works very well as a way to wind down a show and sort of zone out and take in what was experienced.

Overall, the album actually surpassed my expectations, mainly because of track record of live albums, especially hip hop ones, but wow, from the beginning, they are able to do what I assume they set out to do: capture one of their live performances and make the listener feel like they are transplanted to that show every time they listen to this album. This is done by having a quality recording (VERY IMPORTANT) dope music, artist who can actually perform live (sometimes I feel this is a rarity) and making it sound different than the studio versions (whether on purpose or not.) So what you should do now, is go to the link below, check out the album and take a trip to The Raven in Worcester, MA on July 31, 2011.

You can stream and download the album here.

e.d.g.e. "Wildlife" (produced by Waatu)

e.d.g.e. and waatu join forces
to bring you the track, "Wildlife." If you are unfamiliar with either of these artist, first off, shame on you, secondly, check the links by the name to visit their respective bandcamp sites, you will not be disappointed. But more importantly, check out the track below and see how well the two mesh together. I can only hope that this is the first of many tracks they collaborate on.

dot.|maTic "music to strike by"

dot.|maTic lends his talents to a song for the occupy movement, "glow_occupy" a sparse, melody with march like drums mixed with sound snippets of those in the midst of the movement, with various chants, police bullhorns, a little bit of everything. Included in the digital 45 (yea that is basically what it is, so that is what I am calling it) is another piece entitled "Wolves" that has a similar march sound but this time much more ominous and for boding, some might even say that this is suppose to represent the police who are in some cases physically fighting those peacefully protesting, but perhaps I am letting my politics into the listening experience. Why not listen and decide for yourself.

You can stream and download the 45 here.

The Woodside Boys "The Woodside Boys"

You have to love when a single producer and MC come together to form a group and that group actually works well together, both in sound and concept. Well, let me inform you, there is another such combination that needs to get some recognition, this time it is PreZZure on the mic and Lyle Horowitz on the beats. It does have a sort of Halloween sound to some of the tracks (it was released on Halloween and the first track is called "Trick or Treat" but do not categorize it as horror core or any such thing, it is just a cool little sound that is used for one or two tracks by the Woodside Boys. But what really works is the meshing of sounds and vocals to create a cohesive feel throughout each track and throughout the album as a whole, so go to the link and peep the dopeness.

You can stream and download the album here.

King RA "Foot on They Necks V. 1" with cuts and blends by DJ DJAZ

King RA has finally dropped his mix tape (and yes it is an actual mix tape with an actual DJ, DJ DJAZ, doing cuts and blends), "Foot on They Necks V. 1" I say finally because I have been waiting on some new music from him since I heard his debut, "The RA Epic" about a year and a half ago, and his video for "Pain" had me looking forward to it even more. But now it is here, 16 tracks of new material, so put on your headphones or put this in your car and turn it up and listen as King RA enters your ears and infects you with his flow.

You can stream and download the album here.

When Giants Meet Podcast 2

One of my favorite blogs out there, When Giants Meet, has just released their second podcast, and if you are looking for some dope music, not just hip hop (there is certainly that as well) then you need to listen to the podcast and visit the blog routinely. So take a listen and get ready for some quality music.

Adebisi "The Blaxploitation Part II"

Holy shit, can is there a lot of dope hip hop coming out lately, you just have to know where to look. Let me provide you with another artist to pay attention to, Adebisi who just released his album "The Blaxploitation Part II." What does it sound like? Well you know how people say an artist is soulful but has an edge? Well imagine if the person actually knew what they were talking about. Then you would get a bit of an idea of what Adebisi sounds like and hell, look at the album cover, anyone with a cover like that needs to be listened to. I promise you will not be disappointed.

You can stream and download the album here.

Ill Clinton "SKYWALKEN"

Ill Clinton returns with another high quality instrumental album (previous outing was "The Antisocialist" ) this time instead of the dark and ominous sound of a horror film, Ill Clinton brings a more hallow, cold, breezy sound, just like the weather in the northeastern US. What's the difference between the two? Well Why not take a listen and find out, and trust me, there is a VERY clear and noticeable difference, just listen with your ears open and enjoy another great album by Ill Clinton.

You can stream and download the album here.

Megabusive "Mega Cache (and all is good with the world)" (produced by Cache Beats)

Megabusive drops what appears to be a random track (no complaints here) almost like his 365 project. This one is produced by Cache Beats and is entitled "Mega Cache (and all is good with the world)" while it doesn't appear to be on one of the two (that I know of) albums that Megabusive has dropping shortly it is certainly worth checking out and see how a true MC makes a song that happens to be a bit about smoking but it isn't the weed hop that is sweeping the scene, check it out and you will not be dissappointed.

Atari Blitzkrieg "Return to Ragnarok" (Digital 45)

For Halloween our friends at Uncommon Records gave us a sneak peak at two of the tracks off of Atari Blitzkrieg's "Technicolor Crime Scenes" his debut for the label. While you may or may not be familiar with Atari Blitzkrieg (check his bandcamp) if you follow my blog at all you should be VERY familiar with Uncommon Records and you should also know they do not disappoint. The digital 45 of Return to "Ragnarok / Enter the Creeper" is no different, well, it might be harder than a lot of their previous releases (as they say in the press release "This isn't for the weak at heart, if you get squeemish at the sight of blood on television then don't even press play on this.") but still of the high quality you expect. What really impresses me is the diversity in the two track, while "Return to Ragnarok" (produced by Krohme) is in your face, baby punching music, "Enter the Creeper" (produced by Nasa) is much more mellow and haunting. Now, I should not be surprised by the range of Atari Blitzkrieg's catalog but still. I have now rambled for more than I should have. You can stream both tracks below and go to link to download the full 45.





Download the 45 here.

Quelle Chris featuring Denmark "Symbolic (Basquiat)"

Quelle Chris gives us a track and visual to whet our appetites for his album "Shotgun and Sleek Rifle" that drops November 15th. Here he is assisted by Denmark as they spit over a beat produced by Quelle Chris for the song "Symbolic (Basquiat)," check out the video and preorder the album on iTunes, amazon, FatBeats, just about anywhere.



And if for some reason you haven't heard of Quelle Chris before and want something to prepare yourself, check out his demo/ free EP "The Son."

Quelle Chris "The Son" Demo - Free EP Download by Synergy Works

Maxx Julian feat Sincere Vega "She Say" (video)

Maxx Julian and Sincere Vega just produced a video for their track "She Says" (did a write up about it a while back, check it) Check it out the video.

Koncept featuring Laurence Lafond-Beaulne "Feel So Good" (produced by Tranzformer)

Here is a new track and video from the team of Koncept and Tranzformer (you may remember them for this). Watch the video and then download the song from the link below, enjoy.



You can download the song here

Blacktivity (Ill Tone & Shade Cobain) "Blacktivity"

In case you needed reminded of just how dope albums can be when an MC and producer work together to create a true collaborative project, Ill Tone and Shade Cobain come together as Blacktivity to bring you their self-titled debut EP. Ill Tone's rhymes work perfectly over top of Cobain's beats, both have a dark, grimy undertone with intelligence and a conscience. Crazy idea I know (actually not that crazy if you pay attention but compared to what floods the population's ears it is a revolutionary idea.) So go get this album, put on your headphones and get ready for some top notch music that will get you moving and thinking.

You can stream and download the album here.

Uncommon Records "Save the Horn"

Most people realize the world is much bigger than just themselves and their immediate friends and family. But how often do we do anything to help those outside of that area of people. Normally it takes a natural disaster for us to open up our wallets and even then it is only for a few weeks and then we all go about our lives as usual and feel we have done our part. I am just as guilty of this as everyone else, so do not think I am berating you, it is just how so many of us act, even those who are bleeding hearts. We forgot about the struggle of daily living for so many. Well, here is an opportunity to help those out who truly need it.

Uncommon Records has just released their second "pop up album" (first was for Japan) entitled "Save the Horn" where any and all money people give for the album will go directly to Charity:Water a group that builds water wells in 3rd world countries. In fact, right now, they are raising money to buy a rig to drill a well in Ethiopia. How many of us take for granted the clean water we have to drink, and I am not even factoring in bottled water. So many of us feel the tap water we drink isn't good enough for us, it isn't clean. People all over the world would kill for our tap water, so why not do what we can to provide one of the basic necessities of existence, water. So open up your hearts and wallets and do what you can to help Charity:Water provide that water to the people of Ethiopia.

The album will only be available for one month starting today and ending on November 28th, so go now and download "Save the Horn" here and do your part to help make the world a better place and get some dope music in the process.

Louis Mackey & ThirtySeven "No Humans Allowed"

The world sucks. We are all going to die. We are sheep, we never think for ourselves. BLAH. We have all heard this before, and it has become trite, boring, banal, common place even, (Lady Redundant Woman has taken over typing apparently.) But every so often, someone presents this information to you in a different matter or we see something that confirms what we thought was just the talk of a crazy few. Well, ladies and gentlemen, Louis Mackey and ThirtySeven are here to provide you with that different perspective, to show you the light (or the dark) and attempt to open your eyes to what is going on around you as they come down from their planet and give us this knowledge. That is the basic just of "No Humans Allowed," but instead of some Hunter S. Thompson want to be describing it to you, it is constructed by two incredibly talented MCs whose vocabulary will make you feel like a 3rd grader reading "Finnegan's Wake." But perhaps I am rambling a bit too much and going into the extreme nerd zone so let me stop and get the album, here it goes.

Normally when a track is called "Intro" (or "Outro" for that matter) it is very brief and acts simple as a way to get acquainted with the album and artist. On some rare occasions the track is something much more, yes it does introduce you to the album but it says something and is integral to the piece as a whole. That is the case with "Intro" on "No Humans Allowed." The track begins with some faded and distorted keyboards with drums, a very relaxed beat, that brings to mind the early morning, just before the sun comes up, that calm before all the craziness happens. Louis Mackey kicks off the album with a great display of his talent while offering a glimpse into the concept of the album

it’s early in the morning before the city’s awake
I’m busy forging the words that can get me to grace
no slippery slopes or apologetic diatribes
I’ll die tonight if you find a lie in this entire rhyme
I got Leviathan in my eyes again, doing it now
a beautiful sound, no motherfucking humans allowed
the earth looks pretty from here, as I’m eyein our chances
the cities appear on the dark side of the planet

Not to be outdone, Thirtyseven comes back with a much more graphic and horrorfilled verse

five oclock in the morning, somehow I’m still awake
these are not rhymes, these are thought crimes in fifty states
the cops showed, we chill and wait, got stoned and still escaped
run for blocks, buzzing off the blood in Bob Dylan’s veins
...see, I always figured that I’d probably die
before I ever became a sane and responsible guy
so I try the meet and greet but I can never relate
because to me you’re venison steaks doing impressions of apes

Now don't think this is going to be the pattern, Mackey has a more introspective, thought provoking verse, then Thirtyseven decides to bring violence and gore painting gruesome pictures. That is certainly not the case, but it does let you know there is certainly a difference between the two MCs, this is just an exaggerated example.

Sparse guitar chords occupy the beat of "Not of This Earth" where both Mackey and Thirtyseven go after the state of popular rap and the "mainstream rapper with a catchy line." While tracks like this are done often, what seperates this from the rest is how both MCs go about it. Instead of doing the "you are ruining hip hop and I am here to save it" angle, they decide instead to say fuck it, if that's what the public wants take it, we will do what we do. As Mackey puts it "this beat is just a reason to be breathing demons up, til I’m seeing leaking guts, steeping in sea of blood," ie this is his release, his art. Thirtyseven tries to bite his tongue but cannot "most of your flows are weak, and yet most of the shit I've said is straight over my critic's heads, I'm larger than life, the poverty nights with ramen and rice, then walk in tonight and Viking slaughter the mic" a great line for all MCs who are fighting to make it.

The beat for "Ungern-Sternberg" is a haunting bass guitar and rhythm guitar duet mixed with a choir like vocal snippet, it may not sound like a lot, but it doesn't need to be, it sets the scene perfectly for ThirtySeven's and Mackey's rhymes. This is the closest thing you will hear to a battle record from either MC. Each one kicks off their first verse addressing the concept, whether it is ThirtySeven "does thirtyseven still battle? probably not... if I gotta prove shit to you kids, I’ve already lost" or Mackey, "Does Lou Mackey talk shit with every breathe that he’s got ? Bet I’ve tested my weapon from Texas to Prague" you can see what they think about doing a battle. And just for fun the two both decide to address full frontal nudity. "I’ll book your home town, do a bunch of frontal nudity, and have you whole fan base running home to google me," spits ThirtySeven, only to have Mackey come back with "with whatever fuck-endeavor, convenient store attempt to get audience, and frontal nudity is nothing to new to me." But to my favorite lines come from ThirtySeven's second verse "can you poodles get the point of NO HUMANS ALLOWED? ...future mutant music for the few and the proud? ...of course you Normals are snooping around."

The saxophone that introduces "Death of You" feels like it could go into any film noire detective story, mix in a little drums and you have the chilled out music for this scything track where both Mackey and ThirtySeven go after those who allow themselves to become slaves to the money and those who become corrupt in that pursuit. But do not worry, those who stand by idlely and do nothing are also targets, because lets be honest, they are just as much to blame.

While the instrumentation of "Child of the 90s" is rather upbeat with the guitar and horns (plus a little vocals from the Godfather of Soul) the duo stays on task of taking down all the flaws of humanity. This time the target are all those who said they would never give in to "the man" and what never work in the system, but in the end when push comes to shove become just like all those who they use to speak up against. But it is more than that, it is those who masquerade as still standing up for the "little people" but are in fact cogs in the machine. Whether it is ThirtySeven who points out the hypocrisies and tries to figure out why this is happening, "crazy what can brew inside a human mind, but who am I to judge another's man stupid lies?" or Mackey who has decided he has had enough "...child of the 90s, before those beliefs had died, that piece of my life tried to eat me alive, the demon that thrived then is still sleeping inside keep speaking your mind, he’ll be easy to find."

A subtle piano, gaining strength along with some sparse horns and a vocal sample kick off "All Anxieties Tranquilized," the building tension comes to an apex as ThirtySeven begins his verse

History is nothing but an ad for being white
so I piss on your assumptions and your cracker Jesus Christ
yeah, hi folks...whats up, I like to rhyme yo
and leave your mind blown through your slave labor iPhones
stop bitching cuz they’re giving you prescription drugs
you don’t have a condition, chump, you’ve just given up

With these lines ThirtySeven is able to upset 90 percent of the population and finishes off the other 10 percent in the rest of his verse. But whether him getting under your skin is the point, (and in reality the point of the whole album) to get the listener to actually think for themselves, crazy idea I know. But even people who claim they do this, sometimes forget and fall into the safety of the group. Louis Mackey continues the onslaught with his verse “

experts” flock at speaking functions to sit and talk
while the preacher and priest are running to the liquor spot
living stops when the numbers on the ticker drop
seems your fickle God has gone and took a trip abroad

I shall not lie, the first time I saw the title "Big Ups from Carbondale" my first thought was, "oh shit, they are going to do a song about Carbondale, PA." I was obviously very, very wrong; their idea was much more interesting. Carbondale is their name for the rap industry, i.e. Carbon copies, much better than a song about a small town near Scranton. But I digress, let me get back to the song. The horn, drums and keys automatically get your head nodding, making you think they might be doing a more positive upbeat track (of course you are wrong) and you find out just how wrong very quickly. "We keep it too loud to fucking pretend there’s any way to safely fake a conversation with your dumb as shit friends," this is how ThirtySeven kicks off the track. There is one thing different about this song than any other on the album. The number of verse, 7, which is 3 more than any other song. Why does this matter you may ask. Well, it is rather simple, they continue to mock the copy cat/ dumbed down industry by creating shorter verses because that is all today's rap fans can memorize and all that the "top" rappers can do. Maybe I am reading too much into that, but I do not think so.

The album closes out with "Good Night, America," the background is set by just a view strings with some drums to hit. Rarely do albums realize the perfect song to end with, luckily, "No Humans Allowed" nailed it. By far the most apocalyptic and final song on the project, it sums up how Louis Mackey and ThirtySeven view the country and in fact the world. Whether it is on the discussion of euthanasia, ignoring the homeless, or as they both finish off their verse, with ThirtySeven

won’t matter when we’ve lost our heat and crops are freezing
won’t matter when you’ve gotta keep your Mom from screaming
cuz she’s watching zombies feeding off her daughter’s body pieces

or Mackey

...swim with sharks, dance with the angels
and I’ve made it far to see the ease with which
...saints get shot and thieves get rich

these certainly capture the thought and feel of the album.

Now that you have a basic concept of the album (hopefully a bit more than basic, at least that is what I aim for) you will see just what Mackey and ThirtySeven have done with "No Humans Allowed." That is of course, besides create a duo that this reviewer hopes to hear much more from, but they have crafted a focused album that attempts to instruct the listeners, while also insulting them a bit (but sometimes that is how we need to learn) about what is wrong with society and ourselves as humans. If we do not straighten up, quickly, this world will turn to the picture created in "Good Night, America," a dismal, disease ridden, wasteland (but without Pip Boys). So let us take a good look in the mirror and fix this place before it is too late. Unless you like the world the album paints which if that is the case, well, we are all fucked.

You can stream and download the album here.

LAMEBOT "No Proven Formulas"

If you have been paying attention to the blog lately, you have noticed me talking about LAMEBOT a bit, mostly via mixes and older albums. Now I am proud to give you my review of LAMEBOT's latest solo release (has a great piece of work with Black-Tokyo that came out 2 weeks ago.) "No Proven Formulas" is one of those albums that I love, one that was created to be an album and not just a hodgepodge of songs. In fact, you could go as far to say it is a concept album, the story of a weekend trip, although that is not how I reviewed it, but you see the theme played throughout rather visibly. Another impressive feature is how LAMEBOT begins each track with an element of the previous track, making it seem almost like one continuous piece of music that is only broken up to be nice to listeners. But perhaps my rambling is being more confusing than helpful, so let me explain it better in a track by track format, here it goes.

LAMEBOT kicks off the album by attempting to answer a monumental question, "What does Music Feel Like," and does so with a few vocal samples but almost entirely music. Which is typically a no no...trying to define a word by using the word etc. But really how else do you describe what music feels like but through the art itself. LAMEBOT's interpretation of the answer begins with a chopped up guitar, that becomes distorted with drums playing softly behind it. As the track continues, the drums start to take over, especially the bass, making sure you feel the music, giving you a physical sensation besides the emotional answer of what does music feel like. the constant distortion gets inside of your ears and seems as though the music is invading your mind and body. The periodic claps add to the physical sensation, this piece is certainly one of the standout tracks of the album, I find myself repeating it constantly and noticing smile nuances each time.

How do you follow up a song such as "What does Music Feel Like," well if you are LAMEBOT you create a laid back track that still hits, such as "Same Window, Different Visual." It is one of those tracks that upon first listen you enjoy it, no matter how discerning your ear is. Perfect example is as i am writing this, my son is listening and dancing to the music, always good when your music can appeal to a variety of ears. But what does this track sound like (besides laid back and hits) well it starts with some synths that are met up by drums that loops in about 10-15 second intervals, dropping out occasionally until the claps and what can describe as wooden sticks join in to create a very full sound that fills up your ears. That full sound continues to the end when the claps become the dominant feature, and this blends right into the next track.

"The Word Week Bends" has about 10 seconds or so of the claps from "Same Window, Different World" before disappearing entirely, creating a great transition, showing that this album is just that, an album, and not just a random collection of songs (elements of previous songs are routinely repeated in the intro to the next track on this album, and it works beautifully.) At first the track appears to just be drums and distortion, but if you listen careful, you can hear the soft piano playing and then a notch higher, the strings come in, along with some other great sounds that appear and disappear almost randomly, but there is a method to the madness, if you pay attention and open your ears.

While most of "No Proven Formulas" has a very free flowing, more relaxed vibe, the drums on "Star LIt Lap Dance" offer a more jerky motion. it is almost as though LAMEBOT does't want the listener to be complacent in their experience and also assume they know what the album is without experiencing it as a whole. The claps dominate the song with keys making some nice background appearances. But two things stand out on this track and they both deal with drastic changes throughout the track. The first being a pause in the beat at around 30 seconds that throws you for a loops, it only lasts a second or two but still very well done. The second is the addition of the woodwinds near the final third of the song. They work very well to compliment the almost uneasiness of the rest of the track.

For LAMEBOT's next trick he decides to do a mix of Death Cab for Cutie's "Title and Registration" appropriately titled "Title and Registrations [LAME Cab Death Mix.]" I shall be honest, I never heard the original until I was already familiar with LAMEBOT's version and it is almost odd to compare the two because they are so dramatically different. It is a total reconstruction of the song, slows down the speed of the original and then uses that to sample and adds on many other elements, thoroughly impressive in my humble opinion. But what does the song sound like? I shall tell you that now. It begins with a gentle guitar sound with a bit of drums faded into the background, then the drums come to center stage and hit hard causing you to sway a bit while listening. Then the distortion and vocals come in to play. Honestly, LAMEBOT has somehow made Death Cab for Cutie sound like a student of the Flaming Lips, the speed is often changed, either slower or faster, searching for the right sonic resonance. Incredibly well done.

When I first saw the title "A Nervous Tick," I expected a very disorienting that would leave my head spinning. Oddly, I found a solid groove based track with a few tricks up its sleeve. I guess I should've realized that is what the track would be because it really helps to capture the idea of a nervous tick. The drums and keys work to create a head bobbing rhythm, almost to the point where you start to "zone out" but then comes the little nervous tick, only for a few seconds as the whole track becomes muddled and distorted. Then to change things up even more, around half way through the track becomes much less drum heavy and focuses on the keys and guitars but still uses the idea of the nervous tick sprinkled throughout, no matter the situation, the tick is always present.

"Leaving Denver" does exactly what I expected "A Nervous Tick" to do, confuse and bewilder me with layer and layer of sound, throwing my ears from one place to another. The main attraction of this track is the multiple synths played throughout, but what really makes it shine are the supporting players, the strings and keys that play almost in the background but add to the musicality and disorientation.

LAMEBOT strips down to mainly drums and a few key notes for "Missed Connections" before adding some great effects prior to the synths joining the party at around the 1 minute mark. The synths offer a great uptempo, hectic feel to the track (almost as if someone is rushing to catch their flight *hint hint*.) The song ends with a very intriguing sound for the last 30 seconds, reminds me of jumping in 8 bit video games, works wonderfully.

The only guest on the album, Brain Cloud, appears on "Prussian Circus," a very spaced out track that still has a great bounce to it. Extended notes are played on the keyboard, while laser like synths are played overtop before the drums join in an match the synths. But of course, that is not all, there are many, "tiny instruments" that make what appear to be random appearances throughout but of course, there is a pattern, as long as you pay attention (which you should certainly be doing.) These intricacies are what really make this track (and in reality the album as a whole) it is LAMEBOT (and on this track Brain Cloud) adding that little something extra or tweaking that sound that keeps your ears on their feet.

One of the most interesting titles, "Bubbles or Butterflies, I Feel it in my Guts" is also one of best descriptions of the sound of a track. In fact, I can only listen to this track one time in a row (normally listen over and over again as I am writing about a track) but the distorting bass notes play with your head and stomach, you really do feel it, it is VERY intriguing but also rather disturbing to think about how easily sound can play tricks on your body, my descriptions of the sound wouldn't do it justice, so check out the track and I HIGHLY recommend wearing headphones to get the full effect (I recommend listening to any music through headphones at least on first listen, and good headphones at that no iPod earbuds.)

LAMEBOT wastes no time jumping all with drums, fades, and laser like synths on "Casey Jones" and just when you think the song is full, the real futuristic synths come in as everything else takes a back seat. We are talking new keyboards, synths and if I am correct (which I probably am not) there is even a theremin in there somewhere, and if there isn't there should be. What amazes me about this song is that even with everything going on, all the sounds, it does not seem convoluted or weighed down by sound, it works beautifully, I know I keep saying this but this is what makes LAMEBOT different from so many other artists out there layering sounds.

By far the best song to listen to with the windows down in your car on "No Proven Formula" goes to "Lunch Time in L.A." LAMEBOT's takes on the classic LA funk sound. It has everything you want for a ride in the warm rather, great bass drums with the all important funk clap, mixed in with some quality keyboard and synths that just screams 80 degrees and sunny. True, it may not be the most complex track on the album but still serves its purpose to the overall story of the album and it is sure to be played a lot for the sheer enjoyment of it.

The utter sonically beautiful chaos of "Sometimes It Backfires" acts in direct opposition to the rather stripped down "Lunch TIme in L.A." This piece might be LAMEBOT's best track I have heard so far. It begins with some hard hitting drums that almost sound like congo drums mixed with some bells, before the computer takes over (only way I can describe what happens) and we begin to go on an incredible ride with rapid fire keys and strings with drums, that suddenly fade and join together again in different combinations, while new instruments join as well (my guess would be there are about 50 or so different sounds used in this track) it really is mind-blowing and something that even as I describe it, I realize I am not doing it justice.

The album ends (excluding a hidden track which is worth checking out for sure) with a remix of "Sometimes It Backfires" by madSavVy. While LAMEBOT's version is spaced out and contemplative I get the feeling of the remix of being more of a dance type song and in reality, I wish this wasn't included, it is quality work for sure but just seems to put a bit of a damper on the album by not ending with the masterpiece of LAMEBOT's version.

Sometimes an artist who has such a high level of output such as LAMEBOT (check the bandcamp page and notice the string of releases recently) has a tendency to have lower quality work, luckily that is not the case here. LAMEBOT realizes that quanitiy is great but you most also have quality and in fact, this album might be LAMEBOT's best work so far. "No Proven Formulas" works well together, but impressively, each track can stand on its own and still offer enjoyment and intrigue to the listener, something that is not easily done. So go visit the link below, press play and get ready to go on one hell of a sonic journey.

You can stream and download the album here