With “Heartbroken, In Disrepair”, Dan Auerbach‘s got the grooviest tune I’m hearing so far this year on 89.3 The Current; it’s got a great combination of the soulful bluesy reverb-heavy guitar work that we heard all over Robert Plant and Alison Krauss’s Grammy-winning Raising Sand and some magical classic American sounding textures that I don’t think the guy has ever even touched with his main band (The Black Keys) yet. Based on what friends who saw him at First Avenue earlier in the year informed me, the live setting is the place to hear what he can really do with pipes and picking fingers, so I’m very intrigued to hear him play someday. However, I understand there are a lot of people that seem to love this guy already at this young point in his career, so I’m still not sure why he’s still so down in the dumps.. Either way, I dig what his achey heart makes..
VIDEO: Dan Auerbach, “Heart Broken, In Disrepair
via Culture Bully!
As many of you know J Dilla’s new album, Jay $tay Paid comes out this Tuesday on Nature Sounds Records. Havoc of Mobb Deep is one of the cats that is rapping over Dilla’s treats on the record. Havoc shows a great deal of respect for Dilla talking about how good he was at flipping samples, “It’s not what you sample, it’s how you sample it”. Havoc also talks about the first time that he heard Dilla (on a Tribe project), the fact that he would put Dilla in his top 10, how he chose the beat he rapped over on Jay $tay Paid & working with Raekwon.
This is another track that is making me very antsy. This track, “The Outer City”, is Fashawn‘s latest leak off of his Exile produced album Boy Meets World (god I loved that show). I have a feeling that this album is going to be nothing short of amazing because Fash is really tearing things up, and Exile’s production is awesome. This track follows a great narrative by Fashawn as he describes the struggles of living in the outer city and working 10 hour days. This is a great dedication to the average blue collar worker and shouldn’t be missed. Watch out for Fashawn, he’s going to be doing some major things. Make sure you check out Boy Meets World when it comes out in August.
Download: Fashawn, “Outer City” (Prod. by Exile)
* You can also click the picture for the download link of Fashawn’s new single “Freedom” on iTunes.
This is the newest single off of Jake One’s Rhymesayers Entertainment masterpiece White Van Music. The track features Vitamin D, C Note, Ish & Maneak B. This track paints a pretty vivid picture of Jake’s hometown of Seattle. You also get a cameo from Sir Mix a Lot in the beginning that is one that you won’t forget (where has he been for like 15 years?).
Spotted @ Jake One’s Twitter
Boy oh boy, this album looks like it’s going to kick some serious ass. There are plenty of amazing guest appearances on this album, and you know ALC’s production is going to be bomb as hell. Make sure you pick this one up on July 7th and follow me after the jump for the tracklisting. Continue reading
As I mentioned in an album review I did earlier this month, Finale’s album A Pipe Dream and a Promise is stupendously stellar. This track, “Issues”, is the latest leak off of Finale’s album and offers a harrowing insight into growing up in less than average circumstances. At the same time the song is also a great narrative about making the best of bad situations. The song is produced by Swiss producer Dimlite and according to the e-mail I got, Finale got the beat and wrote this track in an hour. Finale has talent that most emcees would kill for, this track is a great example of this.
Make sure you download this track, and if you haven’t go out and pick up Finale’s debut album A Pipe Dream and a Promise because it’s one hell of an impressive jump into the world of Hip-Hop.
Download: Finale, “Issues” (Produced by Dimlite)
Also Download:
Finale, “Heat” (Prod. J Dilla)
Finale, “One Man Show“
This album was posthumously released shortly after Dilla died. Good friend Karriem Riggins took the album under his wing with the wave from Ma Dukes. Many sources say that Dilla was only able to finish around 75% of the album before his untimely death. Even though this album wasn’t on my top 10 albums of all time, I can assure you that this is one of my favorite albums of all time. This is the first album I ever heard of Dilla’s solo material, and for that reason alone I am forever grateful to this album. I remember reading reviews on Amazon, and hearing people complain that this album is just over 30 minutes long. This album just proves that good things really do come in small packages. Continue reading
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This is a great interview if you are a big Stones Throw fan (like I am). Peanut Butter Wolf talks about his label Stones Throw and the evolution it has taken. He also talks about issues like Madlib touring, what it was like to do a show with Ed Banger in Europe, what kind of vinyl he usually digs for, and art work. It tends to get a little boring, but if you are interested in the label as much as I am, you find the stuff really interesting.
Spotted @ Crate Kings
What the fuck is up with all these punk bands from the 90s rearing their heads this year to show that they’re still on the ball?? Propagandhi started 2009 off with the fantastically abrasive new album that is Supporting Caste (ps. they’re also playing at the Triple Rock in two weeks), Green Day is proving that they’re never going to go away with 21st Century Breakdown, Rancid is ready to deal out their first LP in 6 years on June 2nd, and Anti Flag continues the trend with their newest The People or the Gun on June 9th.
It’s like these bands looked at all they happened since they slowed down and realized that it was finally time to use their elder knowledge and teach some people some lessons about how to play punk rock ‘n’ roll.
Really, though, I shouldn’t even be including Anti-Flag in this group; they’ve consistently been pumping out albums roughly every two years for more than a decade, and haven’t noticeably slowed down, to say the least. Last year when I saw their set at the Ripple Effect during the RNC (alongside such other diverse acts as Michael Franti, Dead Prez, .. and RATM..), it was obvious that they still have just as much passion for their cause as ever. As such, this video for “When the Lights Go Out” is a beautiful representation of them at this point in their career; never forget, Anti-Flag’s passionate fire for justice and prevailing against what holds you down is forever burning strong.
MIND INVERSION 