Written by 365AAY on March 10th, 2010
by Phil
I am always interested when a producer takes on the challenge of crafting an album composed entirely of a very specific set of samples. It has become a trend lately, seen in albums like Oh No’s “Dr. No’s Ethiopium” where the Stones Throw veteran made 36 beats using only samples of Ethiopian music, or Exile’s “Radio” where he only sampled songs off the radio. Of the more exotic themes of an album along these lines is West Coast rapper/producer Thes One’s 2007 instrumental release “Lifestyle Marketing”. Thes created “Lifestyle Marketing” using only the music of composer Herb Pilhofer, known for his television and radio jingles, as the basis for the 15 tracks that make up the album.
Posted in 4. Phil's Wednesdays | No Responses »
Written by 365AAY on March 9th, 2010
by Oskar
Nas has been his own worst enemy ever since he made “Illmatic”. Never being able to top his debut has been the hardest stroke for his success. But he’s only a mere mortal and his first album was, I would dare to say, touched by something immortal and must have been created with all the planets aligned. Not a single person with a decent amount of sense would argue that Nasir Jones has a gift for rapping that’s only shared by a handful besides him. Carrying on the touch from Rakim, he has created a school with his street tales and with “The Lost Tapes” he proves once again that he’s much more than just your average rapper, he’s a poet.
Posted in 3. Oskar's Tuesdays | 1 Response »
Written by 365AAY on March 8th, 2010
by Jean-Guy
Bobby “Blue” Bland has his place in the Blues Hall of Fame, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and was honored in 1997 with the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, yet never really seemed to get the same mainstream recognition as the likes of Ray Charles, Sam Cooke, Marvin Gaye [2], and B.B. King.
Posted in 2. Jean-Guy's Mondays | 1 Response »
Written by 365AAY on March 7th, 2010
by Michael
Michael’s potentially controversial opinion #137: American music currently destroys British music in as good as every way imaginable. Quite the surprise given that music’s most obvious modern leading light is British. Anyway, enough about Liam Gallagher. Psych. Another notable exception to the rule is indie pop septet Los Campesinos! and their haywire brand of sugary guitar craziness. Since their debut album “Hold On Now, Youngster…” they have blossomed into something even better, but the signs were certainly good back then.
Posted in 1. Michael's Sundays | 2 Responses »
Written by 365AAY on March 6th, 2010
by Abid
*Over a solo tribal sounding horn, the narrator speaks*
“Peace yo, and welcome to “Jazzmattazz”. An experimental fusion of Hip-Hop and live Jazz. I’m your host the Guru, that stands for Gifted Unlimited Rhymes Universal. Now I’ve always thought about doing something like this, but I didn’t wanna do it unless it was done right. Cause Hip-Hop, black music, its real. It’s a musical, cultural expression based on reality. And at the same time Jazz is real, and based on reality. So I wanna let you know that it was indeed a blessing and an honor to work on such a project with so many amazing people. For instance, I got Donald Byrd, Roy Ayers, Lonnie Liston Smith, Branford Marsalis, Ronny Jordan, N’Dea Davenport, Courtney Pine and MC Solaar all in the house… So without further delay I say to you; listen and enjoy, and check it out.” – Keith Elam
Posted in 7. Abid's Saturdays | 4 Responses »
Written by 365AAY on March 5th, 2010
by Kyle
“Travel at Your Own Pace” is the collaborative debut effort by Y Society, a duo comprised of the Bostonian wordsmith Insight and the Washington DC based beatsmith Damu The Fudgemunk. Although the duo stick to a primarily traditional flavor of hip hop, it is not due to a lack of creativity. Damu crafts hard hitting tracks with an array of samples and thick, filtered basslines for Insight to weave his wordy flow through. Insight’s topics stay down to earth and relatable, while his musical connection with Damu remains strong throughout the duration of the entire album.
Posted in 6. Kyle's Fridays | 2 Responses »
Written by 365AAY on March 4th, 2010
by Emil
The Danish group Blue Foundation has made their way onto soundtracks of widely known movies and TV-shows because of their dreamy and unique sound. The combination of the dark trip-hop universe and a contrary light and uplifting female voice spiced with a Japanese DJ and various other pleasant elements sweeps through your ears and may cause chills.
Posted in 5. Emil's Thursdays | 5 Responses »
Written by 365AAY on March 3rd, 2010
by Phil
If I were to take a guess, I’d say the person you know who would most likely be familiar with this album, would be a member of your high school marching band. That has been the case for me anyway. No, it is not because its music that only some sort of nerd would like, but because this album, along with most other Tower of Power albums, has some of the most impressive horn arrangements in music’s history. Tower of Power’s five-man horn section and five-man rhythm section provide a diverse backdrop for lead vocalists Lenny Williams’ soulful voice as they craft the flawless “Urban Renewal”.
Posted in 4. Phil's Wednesdays | 3 Responses »
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