Three for three! Back again with some selections of my favourite music from the past week. Even though this is a new series for the blog, I was blown away with the quality of great music this week, definitely give these tracks a listen if you haven't already. As always, let me know of any other new songs from the past week which I might have missed.
Iggy Pop – “Sunday”
Post Pop Depression, the collaborative project between Iggy Pop & Josh Homme (from Queens of the Stone Age) isn’t out until March but the album leaked online a few weeks ago, and Iggy’s official youtube channel dropped this track from the album yesterday. Apart from the already released “Gardenia”, I think this is the strongest offering from the album – I love the backing vocal harmonies, driving guitars and thumping rhythm sections. (I’m always a sucker for good handclaps too) The sickly-sweet string outro is a bit strange, but it’s not an unpleasant aftertaste. 4/5
Joey Bada$$ - “Ready”
When I picked Joey’s debut LP B4.DA.$$ as one of my favourites from 2015, I mused about the need for him to demonstrate a bit of versatility for whatever he channels himself into next – don’t get me wrong, I love old-school sounding hip hop, jazz rap in particular, but staying fresh in the game is paramount! That freshness is exactly the vibe I’m getting from his latest offering, produced by Statik Selektah. He seems to be leaning more towards a tougher, harder style of delivery, and clever wordplay like this “And if you really break a leg, I hope they still will cheer you” is dynamite. 4/5
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis ft. Chance The Rapper – “Need to Know”
Chalk up another slam dunk for Chance, the hype is definitely getting substantial towards his third mixtape project. A recurring theme in This Unruly Mess I’ve Made is reflection and self-evaluation, focusing on Macklemore in particular in the years following his controversial Grammy win for Best Rap Album in 2014. I think the two play around the subject matter brilliantly, Chance even looks back on when he used to open shows for Macklemore, and how things have changed since then. The piano, horn & flute segments make for a great beat too. 3.5/5
Miguel – “Waves (Tame Impala Remix)”
Kevin Parker can literally do no wrong – everything he touches turns to spectacular, lush psychedelic goodness. This is one of several remixes featured in Miguel’s Rogue Waves EP, and stands miles apart from the rest – even eclipsing Miguel’s original. The additional backing vocal, “Gonna riiiiiiiide that waaaaaaaaave” is glorious, sung by Parker himself (I’m assuming?) and the extra instrumentation provided by Tame Impala that we all know and love transforms this into an addictive, trippy, R&B doozy. 4.5/5
Santigold – “Rendezvous Girl”
During my listen of Santigold’s new album 99¢ I had to double-check that I hadn’t accidentally swapped over to an 80s playlist when this came on. “Rendezvous Girl” is a straight mesh of new wave & electropop aesthetics, something I’d expect to hear from Duran Duran or New Gold Dream-era Simple Minds. The terrific driving beat, pulsating synth melodies and Santigold’s airy vocals all combine perfectly. It’s impossible to sit still while listening to this – I challenge anyone to do so. This is the banger of the week, right here. 4.5/5
In this episode of our monthly podcast series we pay tribute to the late David Bowie by going through his remarkable and transformative life and career as artist and musician. We also reflect on his influence across art and culture, briefly review his final album Blackstar and present our 5 favourite Bowie albums.
Songs featured:
"Uncle Arthur" (David Bowie)
"The Man Who Sold the World" (The Man Who Sold the World)
"Quicksand" (Hunky Dory)
"Ziggy Stardust", "Moonage Daydream", "Rock & Roll Suicide" (Ziggy Stardust)
"Watch that Man" (Aladdin Sane)
"Young Americans" (Young Americans)
"Stay" (Station to Station)
"Sound & Vision", "Subterraneans" (Low)
"Heroes" ("Heroes")
"Ashes to Ashes" (Scary Monsters)
"China Girl" (Let's Dance)
"Magic Dance" (Labyrinth Soundtrack)
"I Know It's Gonna Happen Someday" (Black Tie White Noise)
"Strangers When We Meet" (1. Outside)
"Thursday's Child" ('Hours...')
"Slow Burn" (Heathen)
"Where Are We Now?" (The Next Day)
"Blackstar", "Lazarus", "I Can't Give Everything Away" (Blackstar)
Thanks for listening! Stay tuned for Episode 3 coming next month.
This weeks Anniversary Album is Step In the Arena by East Coast hip hop duo Gang Starr.
Celebrating 25 years this year, Step In the Arena was released in 1991 and was the duo's second studio album.
Gang Starr of course is made up of MC Guru and the influential DJ Premier.
The nineteen track album was influenced by jazz, while there is also quite a strong emphasis on the beats. On this record, Guru's delivery in his raps was quite deadpan, something which in itself was unique compared with a lot of the other aggressive rapping of the period.
The album also contains a lot of samples during a period where sampling was in full swing in hip hop. Over 40 samples appear on the record including samples from LL Cool J, The Meters and Curtis Mayfield.
Step Into the Arena made it into the top 20 on the Billboard rap charts and is generally considered to be Gang Starr's first critically acclaimed album, receiving a 4.5 star rating from Rolling Stone magazine.
It would also help launch the duo as one of the leading hip hop acts of the underground scene at the time.
In 1998 The Source selected Step In the Arena in their list of the top 100 greatest hip hop albums.
In our second installment of Anniversary Albums we are celebrating 45 years since the release of the Queen of Psychedelic Soul Janis Joplin's last studio album "Pearl".
Released on January 11, 1971, this was unfortunately a posthumous release. Janis was recording "Pearl" when she died from a suspected heroin overdose on October 4, 1970.
"Pearl" was more gospel and soul inspired compared with the blues rock work that Janis produced with Big Brother and the Holding Company.
This was largely thanks to Janis working with Doors producer Paul A. Rothchild who wanted to make an album that showcased Janis's amazing vocals more.
They certainly achieved this and there is a big emphasis on soul balladry throughout "Pearl" as witnessed on this scorching track "Trust Me".
"Pearl" was both critically and commercially successful upon it's release. It is just a shame Janis was not around to see that recognition.
It reached number one on the Billboard 200 charts. While famed rock critic Robert Christgau who is very hard to please gave it an A- rating.
Rolling Stone Magazine ranked "Pearl" 122 in their list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.
Back again for the second instalment of Tracks of the Week. Let me know if there were any tracks you enjoyed over the past seven days which I might have missed. These are just five selections that I dig.
Aesop Rock – “Rings”
I find that hip hop lends itself particularly well to personal narratives & reflection upon past experiences, which is what this new track by Aesop Rock provides. It’s a recollection of the New York rapper’s failed ventures as a visual artist, lyrically very solid and an appreciable flow that doesn’t leave the listener reeling. I just wish there was bit more spice with the production. But I’ll be checking out Aesop’s new project regardless. 3.5/5
Kanye West – “Ultralight Beam”
Since last week’s post, The Life of Pablo (Mk I) has been & gone. Amongst its 18 tracks are a handful of songs I’d rank alongside Kanye’s best material, one of the standouts being the rousing, gospeltastic opener “Ultralight Beam” featuring Kelly Price, The-Dream, Kirk Franklin and a verse from Chance The Rapper which has been touted as the best set of rhymes on the album – I’d be reluctant to disagree. 4.5/5
J Dilla – “The Introduction”
Those familiar with Jay Dee a.k.a. J Dilla know that his place as a legendary producer & beatmaker is indisputable. But the upcoming release The Diary is a collection of Dilla’s vocal work, something which I'm not too familiar with. But based on this opening track from the album, he certainly could handle himself as an MC. I’m definitely curious to hear what this collection of previously unheard material will be like. 3.5/5
Tim Hecker – “Castrati Stack”
I saw this was getting a fair amount of buzz online, as a newcomer to Tim Hecker’s work I did not expect to hear a minimalistic, atmospheric electronic piece accompanied by a haunting vocal section from the Icelandic Choir Ensemble. It reminds me of the abstract, musique concrète electronic material that Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark dabbled with in the early 1980s, as well as Brian Eno’s famous ambient pieces. 4/5
Weezer – “L.A. Girlz”
It’s 2016 and Rivers Cuomo is still making music lamenting the nature of his relationships, in this instance the women that reside in Los Angeles who have seemingly wronged him! Again! Musically speaking it’s a welcome return to form, reminiscent of the band’s best output between Weezer (Blue Album) and Pinkerton. Rivers can still belt out a decent vocal performance, too. 3.5/5
Check out these new tracks which caught my ear in the past week. There's probably a few, or more than a few, that I missed completely, so please let me know in the comments what you've heard that deserved a mention! For whatever reason this week is skewed towards Hip Hop & Contemporary R&B, but I'll do my best to be a bit more inclusive in the following weeks.
Beyonce – “Formation”
MY DADDY ALABAMA MOMMA LOUISANA
YOU MIX THAT NEGRO WITH THAT CREOLE MAKE A TEXAS BAMAAAAAAA
Bey hopping on the trap game, courtesy of producer Mike Will Made It & co-writer Swae Lee from the Southern hip hop duo Rae Sremmurd. Thought she absolutely killed it at the Super Bowl, by the way. A tad out of her comfort zone, musically & lyrically, which is what I like to see artists do, especially those at the top. Interest definitely piqued for whatever project she has lined up. 4/5
Death Grips – “Hot Head”
BLOW BLOW BLOW BLOW BLOW BLOW BLOW BLOW OH NO
BLOW BLOW BLOW BLOW HOT HEAD
Another giant shot of adrenalin from the Sacramento-based experimental/punk/noise/hip hop trio. Surprisingly there isn’t much in the way of harsh noise or distortion in this track, just a ton of chaos, except for the overlaying electronic arpeggios. 3/5
Future – “Lie to Me”
To me this was the standout from Future’s latest mixtape EVOL, which funnily enough I found out about through DJ Khaled’s snapchat… I smart, I loyal. Appreciate me. Future’s on his braggadocio grind, and on this occasion he’s somewhat intelligible! 3.5/5
Kanye West – “30 Hours”
Possibly the last (ever) “G.O.O.D. Friday” release, preceding The Life of Pablo which is due shortly… right? The track seems to reference one of Kanye’s past relationships, and beside a couple clever lines here and there (“I wake up, all veggies no eggs / I hit the gym, all chest no legs) there’s nothing spectacular here lyrically. The beat is fresh though, containing a sample of Arthur Russell’s “Answer Me”, an experimental folk/art pop piece. 3.5/5
Young Thug feat. Quavo – “F Cancer”
“Ayo fuck cancer” is a sentiment we can all rally behind, right? Sadly this track trails off from there, but as a pop trap party banger, there’s not much I can fault here. I think I’m starting to learn not to take this guy’s music terribly seriously. Throw this joint on when the alcohol kicks in, people will love it. 3/5 - Karl
In a matter of hours, Kanye West’s upcoming studio album The Life of Pablo (fourth title and counting!) will be released. Even though West has had an impressive and significant solo career spanning 12 years, he also contributed beats and worked as a producer long before he recorded The College Dropout, and will always be regarded as producer first, rapper second. Here are five of my favourite Kanye West beats from non-Kanye West songs, arranged chronologically.
Jay Z – “Izzo (H.O.V.A.)” (The Blueprint, 2001)
One of Kanye’s earliest beats to be featured by a major artist (this predates The College Dropout by three years) and arguably his first major stepping stone towards further commercial success as a producer. Still to this day one of Jay Z’s most popular songs, utilising the intro from the Jackson 5’s “I Want You Back” coupled with a catchy vocal hook. The use of 1960s & 1970s soul music would become something of a trademark for Kanye’s beats throughout his career.
Talib Kweli – “Get By” (Quality, 2003)
This is among my all-time favourite beats, period. I think it’s sampling and beat crafting at its best, though the source material is typical Kanye (Nina Simone’s “Sinnerman” from 1965) it’s how he took three, separate and isolated segments from a 10-minute bluesy soul piece and transformed them into a pulsating gospel-infused banger. Tie in Talib Kweli’s superb verses articulating the day-to-day struggles of working-class Americans with the empowering, uplifting soulful hook, bam it’s a Kanye classic.
Common – “Be (Intro)” (Be, 2005)
This 2-minute introductory piece is a Kanye gem, from Common’s Be which was primarily West-produced (J Dilla produced 2 tracks). It’s a brief but beautiful composition, utilising a live double bass (reminds me of A Tribe Called Quest’s “Buggin’ Out”) overlayed with some groovy keyboards and Albert Jones’ string-heavy and soulful “Mother Nature”. It lays the platform for the rest of the album, as all good intro tracks should, a swirling mix of soulful production and poetic lyricism.
The Game – “Wouldn’t Get Far” (Doctor’s Advocate, 2006)
This is probably the catchiest of the lot – with the primary sample being “I’d Find You Anywhere” from 1970’s soul group Creative Source, the vocal loops of “baby, I’d find you”, “wouldn’t get far” and “it’d be just a waste of time” have been circulating around in my head for the past 24 hours! Kanye even drops a short but humorous verse on this track, “Pop quiz, how many topless black foxes / Did I have under my belt, like boxers”.
Travi$ Scott – “Piss On Your Grave” (Rodeo, 2015)
Apparently this track was slated to appear on The Life of Pablo, and it does share a few stylistic elements with Yeezus. The upbeat, cheery soul samples are nowhere to be heard in this emphatic diss track to corporate America, the wailing blues-rock riff courtesy of Jimi Hendrix’s “Machine Gun” gives it a darker, menacing edge, similar to “Black Skinhead”. Likewise, the thumping rhythm track turns it into an absolute banger, admittedly with one of strangest hooks you’ll ever hear – “Piss on your grave / Piss on your grave”.
Today we are starting a new weekly series called Anniversary Albums, where once a week we celebrate an album that is celebrating an anniversary.
First up is J Dilla's "Donuts" which is turning ten this year. Released on February 7 2006, three days before he died, the majority of Donuts was completed while Dilla was in hospital.
Donuts is considered by many to be an experimental hip hop masterpiece thanks to the sampling and beats on display.
The album instead of being a collection of feature-length songs, is made up of short tracks based on small samples, with the 31 tracks coming in at around 43 minutes in total.
Donuts is held in high regard by music critics.
Pitchfork rated it #66 in its list of the top 200 albums of the 2000s. While online music service Rhapsody ranked it the 3rd best hip hop album of the decade.
It is fair to say Donuts helped cement J Dilla's position as one of the greatest hip hop producers of all time.
