Are you ever in one of those aerobic or dancing/kickboxing classes and think to yourself, “This music makes me want to leave right now. I want to shoot this instructor. How am I going to make it through the next 45 minutes without ending up in jail?”
Hitting the streets on December 13, Mr. Hansen has rallied an eclectic troupe of musical thespians to spin new colors and flows on the tunes from this year’s Guero. As the king of kitchen sink production and songwriting, the concept of taking Beck’s imagination further through other minds is not only intriguing, it seems like […]
Naming your band after the title of a legendary album seems to be a double-edged sword of sorts. The expectations are sub-consciously higher for the listener, making it that much more difficult to have a significant impact. On the other hand if the band is amazing, no one is second-guessed, everyone is happy, and the […]
At first blush, Coming on Strong, by Hot Chip is very simple. The beats as well as the lyrics are unassuming. The instrumentation is done in a sort of low-tech techno sound. Does that make any sense? I would compare it to The in Sound from Way Out, the instrumental album the Beastie Boys put […]
Between the Womb and the Tomb starts off in a Spoon-meets-Beck sort of seemingly senseless, quirky funk-hop, but (none too) soon turns into frankly topical under-rap in which Malcolm Palmer comes across loosely reminiscent of Michel Franti (Disposable Heroes) backed up by a melodically thoughtful and talented band. Palmer’s contemplations roll off his tongue effortlessly […]
I’m not sure how the guys in Tarantula A.D. came up with their name, but on a skin-deep level it’s very suiting. When I hear the eclectic sounds coming from the cello and violin produces a spider-like, web infested ambiance that rivals the background music to a creepy scene in a Disney movie. Imagine melting […]
Reel Paradise (Steve James) When it comes to the hot list within the independent film community, John Pierson is the man known for his involvement in the careers of Spike Lee, Mike Smith and Richard Linklater. After moving into his own show on IFC Split Screen, he wanted to turn a page and enter the […]
True: Prince Paul’s sense of humor can sometimes be annoying. However, it is still refreshing to listen to a producer who has been blazing his own trail for well over a decade in this land of rap music, for the love of the music itself. For his umpteenth release, the prolific super-producer—man behind such groundbreaking […]
