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.