Teletextile – Care Package
Self-released (2007)
Art rock / Indie

Teletextile is the post-musical project of the Pamela Martinez Band. Lead singer Martinez is quoted on the band’s Web site as saying, “[Teletextile's] name comes from an obsession with relating music and art you can touch and feel like fabric.” Enlisting another talented multi-instrumentalist, Brian Hamilton, they put forth Care Package. The album was recorded at a variety of different locations, and showcases a host of fabulous musicians, while highlighting the incredible vocal and instrumental range of Martinez and Hamilton.

Care Package uses a wide array of musical instruments ranging from cello, harp, violin, mallet and piano to convey a sense of vulnerable isolation. The album bears grace and magnitude with a composition of oscillating sensations. It is minimalist, indulgent, dreamy and epic.

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Thirsty Fish – Testing the Waters
Bell Rang Records (2008)
Hip-hop / Rap

In May of last year, I was able to catch a Thirsty Fish live show at a small club in West Hollywood. Featuring the core as well as the group’s extended family, I wasn’t disappointed, and even if I had been disappointed, Mike Eagle got me in for free and bought me a beer, so it wouldn’t have all been for naught. While it wasn’t a huge event, I got an idea of just how hard-working these guys are, as well as how much better they are than most of their peers.

After the show, I packed myself into the back of Mike Eagle’s Nissan and hit the town with the crew. While there were no bottles of Cristal, clubs with flying buttresses and chandeliers, or scantily clad hood rats involved (thus dashing to pieces any preconceived notions that I had of how rappers get their party on), I had a pretty good time hanging out at a warehouse party across from the Staples Center, drinking free, unlimited filthy Pabst Blue Ribbon in a can and listening to various ciphers and obscure ’80s New Wave hits. Afterwards we hit up the nearby 24-hour McDonald’s drive-thru, where I tried one of those fantastic, limited-edition and regionally EXCLUSIVE Angus Third Pounders (I believe it was the Bacon & Cheese, though I would later on in that trip enjoy the Mushroom & Swiss much more when I had it in San Diego while visiting That_Bootleg_Guy). I also recall Psychosiz ordering the Apple Dippers and the lady at the window being exceptionally crotchety, perhaps upon realizing that we were a car full of various minorities, and that we were most likely up to no good.

And here we are, almost a year later, and said crew has finally dropped their debut effort. When Mike Eagle made a post on the Super-Secret Writer Forums several weeks back looking for volunteers to review the album, the hamster in my wheel started running and I figured, why not make it a party? The panel for this group review will include myself, Mathan Erhardt and recently-resurrected (albeit in limited capacity) and aforementioned Aaron “That_Bootleg_Guy”, as well as EXCLUSIVE commentary (which you’ll not find anywhere else) from all three Thirsty Fish emcees. Shenanigans!

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BLESTeNATION – F*ck a Mixtape Volume Four
Self-released (2007)
Hip-hop / Rap / Rock
Download it for free

I first heard about BLESTeNATION on the 1999 Ming & FS album, Hell’s Kitchen, where they’re featured on the effervescently funky “UN I SON”, which appears amid a sea of drum and bass and 2-step. They’ve been keeping a relatively low profile since then, with only one readily available album in 2001’s Zombie Slave County, though they’ve released numerous remixes and mixtapes. In preparation for their upcoming album, MBugout City, the group has put together F*ck a Mixtape Volume Four, in order to showcase their skills and get away with sample robbery.

“FAM F.O.R. Intro” features a savvy sample of Cream’s “White Room”, segueing into “The Way It Is” (featuring Travis Barker), which has the same hard-edged, guitar-driven energy as Jay-Z’s Rick Rubin-produced cover of “99 Problems”. Emcees Werdplay (who was also featured alone on another song from Hell’s Kitchen) and Various trade barbs, with respective flows at times reminding this scrivener of Slug of Atmosphere and one of the guys from Kottonmouth Kings. Hot 97’s DJ Cipha Sounds makes a quick appearance at the end of that track, and his buddy Kardinal Offishall shows up in “Save the Music”, which is one of the best of the entire album.

DJ Fafu slows down the beat from Dire Straits’ “Money for Nothing” on “Here That Their”, and after the novelty wears off (about 15 seconds into it) one realizes that it sounds a bit awkward. Such as also the case with “In the City of MBug” (the mythical, pot-laden MBugout City is an ongoing theme within the group’s material), which features a slowed-down sample of “Sunshine of Your Life”, as Fafu apparently really likes Cream. And that’s the great thing about mixtapes—they’re usually independently released and distributed as promotional items, so any samples (or artists) appearing on them usually come without the high royalty price tag. I’m all for dodging copyright laws, but the chopped and screwed rape of Faith No More’s “Epic” (with the same exact title) boggles the mind as it manages to be both shameless (the sample) and shameful (the song itself). If Mike Patton were dead, he’d be rolling in his grave right about now. Ditto for The Demon of Screamin’—who might actually really be dead and just reanimated for public appearances—on “Sweet Emo Shun”, as this is really starting get a bit out of hand.

R.A. the Rugged Man makes an appearance on “Just Wanna F*ck”, which luckily doesn’t use any shameless samples, but the beat is a little boring, featuring not much more than a throbbing bass drum. I was slightly amused by the Green Jellö sample on “I Don’t Wanna Know”, which is just esoteric enough where only certain people will get a smile out of it, but it’s good, and worth it for what it is.

More original-sounding tracks like “Institutionalized”, “Superfiendz” and “Tales” (which features a decent sample of the theme from Tales from the Crypt) emanate the style of Kottonmouth Kings (complete with the relatively boring beats), and fans of that group should like BLESTeNATION not only for their musical style but also for their appreciation of pot. I’d put them slightly above Kottonmouth Kings just because of the cameos by legitimate hip-hop artists (where Kottonmouth Kings albums feature people like Twiztid and Insane Clown Posse), but it’s still not really anything that’s going to save hip-hop. However, this music certainly has a target demographic that will eat it up like a family-size bag of Cheetos on a late-night munchie run.

Rating:

DJ Axel – Breakin’ the Law
Holden Records (2007)
Rock / Rap / Hip-hop / Pop / Other
Official site

While the art of the mash-up has been around for years, it was more recently popularized by Danger Mouse’s Grey Album, and seeing how well it was received by the public, many underground DJs have now followed suit. The large majority of mash-up albums have been independently released on account of the difficulty of clearing all of the tracks used from copyright infringement.

Peter Axelrad (also known as DJ Axel) has been in the music business in one capacity or another for over 10 years, and being both a fan of rock and rap, the drummer/DJ/financial consultant recently put together an album full of his own mash-ups. It’s part of his own grassroots campaign to get his name out there, as he’s been playing the album in clubs and on college radio stations for the past several months. The aptly titled Breakin’ the Law (perhaps a reference to Judas Priest, which is amongst the bands used on the album, or maybe just an admission) bears the “For Promotional Use Only” label on the back, which, in other words means “Please don’t sue me because I’m not actually selling this, but rather, I’m giving this away and accepting donations.”

For those of you just joining us, a mash-up is when two or more songs are combined into one track; while most of them end up being absolute fusterclucks, certain DJs are able to pull it off.

Axel happens to be one of those DJs. With tracks like “What You Know About Drop Dead Legs” (which layerss T.I.’s vocals over Van Halen’s music) and “Snooperstition” (which layers the vocals from “The Next Episode” over the Stevie Wonder classic), it’s definitely going to win over fans, at least those who can find it. It was recently removed from OtherMusic.com And the party lasts for just about an hour, with Bob Marley and Lupe Fiasco meeting in “Could You Be Kicked, Pushed & Loved”, Queen meeting The Clipse in “Another One Bites the Last Time” (a personal favorite) and The Artist Formerly Known As The Artist Formerly Known As But Now Once Known As Just Prince meeting Khia in “Kiss My Neck Off” (a rather apropos combo seeing how Prince has a history of sexually graphic lyricism).

And yes, most of the tracks mash-up very well—even tracks in which the two originals have several decades between their releases, like “Stand Up Fever” (Peggy Lee vs. Ludacris, complete with illustration on the back cover), “Rhythm Inferno” (Lena Horne vs. 50 Cent, which is awesome, and has a bit of a “Going Back to Cali” vibe to it) and “Real Back Poppin’” (Cheryl Lynn vs. Fat Joe and Nelly, which is seamless). Only a few tracks are a bit iffy, with Mötley Crüe drowning out G-Unit (and rightfully so, I guess) on “Shorty Wanna Feelgood”, the same thing happening on “Guns N’ Hovas” (a shouldn’t have to tell you who’s featured on that one) and rather crap “Blade’s Wu-Tang Chili”, which can be written off as the aforementioned fustercluck. And while I’m not particularly big on either Eminem’s newer material or Fergie, “Without Billie Jean” (Jacko vs. Eminem) and “Push It Fergasonic” (Salt ‘N Pepa vs. Fergie) are both very well-executed, with the former getting a decent amount of pub.

As a result, we’re left with what is possibly one of the most entertaining and fun albums to be released this year. The tracks that fall short are still pretty well put-together, and one can tell that Axel really does love his music. Anyone else who appreciates music will find at least a few tracks on Breakin’ the Law that are gold (check out Axel’s MySpace page for some samples), and this is great artillery for the DJ looking to make some heads spin on the dance floor. As previously mentioned, this will be difficult to track it down; a quick Google search yielded no real results except for blogs, but you can try this link or email Axel to get a copy through him directly.

Rating:

Hurricane Chris – Louisi-Animal [MIXTAPE]
Polo Grounds Music (8/21/07)
Rap / Hip-hop

Anyone who has ever enjoyed rap—either for an instant or an era—must come to the realization that this industry is, at its heart, a young man’s game. The hunger that once drove a generation of future legends to the mic is inevitably satiated with money, fame and the short-attention span of fans whose “favorite rappers” have given way to “favorite ringtones”.

Chris “Hurricane Chris” Dooley is an 18-year-old overnight sensation out of Shreveport, Louisiana. His single “A Bay Bay” cracked the Billboard Top Ten and his upcoming debut album, Ratchet 51/50, has become one of the more anticipated of the season. In advance of his release, Chris has dropped Louisi-Animal—a 19-track mixtape “hosted” by ubiquitous mixtape fixture Don Cannon.

Let’s not mince words—there’s all of one good thing about this album. OK, fine…three good things: the guest verses of established lyricists The Game, Jadakiss and E-40 on the remix to “A Bay Bay”. However, their respective appearances here—particularly Jada’s—have a sadly defeatist’s “if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em” aroma.

As a rapper, Hurricane Chris mixes an elementary school flow with whatever rap clichés come across his mind. On “Gimme 50″ (hook: “up, up, down, down, drop and gimme 50, girl”) he spits:

“Now let me play it like ‘intendo
Your booty’s bigger than an A/C unit put up in the window”

There’s also the obligatory “invent a new dance” track on the dated, idiotic “Rick James”. Has it really been nearly five years since that Chappelle Show skit? It’s safe to say America has moved on, Chris. And the embarrassing vocal stylings aren’t limited to the star of this show. On “Watch Me Do This”, a cameo by K The Kid lets us know:

“I’m an ape, n*gga, f*ck a gorilla!”

All of which brings us back to my original position: rap is a young man’s game. At some point, it’s passed—or will pass—all of us by. Those of us who remember when its IQ was in the triple digits will be left wondering when the dumbing down began and, more importantly, how low it must go before it ends.

Rating:

Mark Ronson – Version
RCA Records (6/12/07)
Rock / Funk / Jazz

Hi, I’m Jeff, and after a relatively poorly-selling (commercially-speaking, though it was critically acclaimed) debut in 2003, with Here Comes the Fuzz, DJ/producer Mark Ronson is finally getting his just desserts, whether they be more critical praise, or death threats from disgruntled Smiths fans. While Here Comes featured the likes of Mos Def, Q-Tip, Ghostface Killah, M.O.P., Nate Dogg, Sean Paul, Freeway, Nappy Roots and Rhymefest (not to mention Jack White, Rivers Cuomo and Nikka Costa), Ronson has leant more towards rock/pop on Version, which features cameos by Amy Winehouse, Lily Allen, Robbie WIlliams, Kasabian, Kenna, Alex Greenwald (billed as Phantom Planet) and more, and exclusively features cover tracks. Starting off with the aptly executed instrumental cover of Coldplay’s “God Put a Smile Upon Your Face” (featuring The Daptone Horns), the album segues into a cover of the Kaiser Chiefs’ “Oh My God” featuring Lily Allen and DRUMS OF DEATH Y’ALL. So that’s where they went, because I didn’t hear too many of them on the latest U.N.K.L.E. album. “Stop Me Medley”, which, as aforementioned, despite having Morrissey’s blessing, drew the ire of many a Smiths fan, as it features the whiny Daniel Merriweather combining “Stop Me If You’ve Heard This One Before” with “You Keep Me Hanging On”. While the jazzy beat is good, the vocals and Soft Cell rip-off are relatively worthless. There are many, much better tracks on the CD that deserve the pub. The cover of “Toxic” (by the person that I’m no longer mentioning in my columns) is so-so despite the effort from ODB, just as the cover of The Jam’s “Pretty Green” gets brought down by vocals by Santo Gold. Amy Winehouse’s version of The Zutons’ “Valerie” soars thanks to another appearance from the DRUMS OF DEATH Y’ALL (which again show up in a cover of Ryan Adams’ “Amy”) paired with Winehouse’s deliciously saucy vocals. With the exception of the few vocal missteps, the album flows really well, carrying a nice jazzy funk vibe throughout (with three really nice instrumental interludes). If it were a chick I’d do it.

Hi, I’m Brandon Davis, and I’m a bloated and useless sack of shit with no discerning qualities or talents who is famous because I have a shitload of money that I did absolutely nothing to earn. I also f*ck every single young Hollywood tartlet and chances are I have AIDS, but I’m so f*cking rich that I can afford medicine that hasn’t even been invented yet. Have you ever heard of a celebrity heir? That’s me, shitcock. Me and my brother will never have to work a day in our lives due to our grandpa having a fortune built on dirty oil money. Every time you gas up that nü-Hummer, the money doesn’t just go to the terrorists and the Saudis, but it also goes towards my bar tab for next weekend. So thanks for three bottles of champagne and ten rounds of cranberry-and-vodkas for me and my prissy friends. But seriously, folks, Mark Ronson is good guy. I saw him spin live at some place in Hollywood that I can’t remember because I was too busy doing lines of coke off of Kim Kardashian’s ass with Steve-O in the VIP room. If it weren’t for Mark Ronson, we wouldn’t have the hardy-partying Lily Allen, who one time almost kicked Brody Jenner in the balls but instead her shoe flew off and landed in Lindsay Lohan’s cosmopolitan. That’s good shit.

deSol – On My Way
Sazón Records (8/7/07)
Rock / Latin / Jam

Originally from Asbury Park, N.J., Latin rock fusion band deSol has toured with Ozomatli, Cypress Hill, The Legendary Wailers, Los Lonely Boys, Blues Traveler and R.E.M. (opening up for them in Mexico City). The title track combines the jam band sound with a slight dash of mid-’90s punk. No, seriously. At least in the vocals. It’s all right, I guess, but “Letter from San Juan” is where the Latin influences become apparent, as these guys are destined not necessarily for greatness, but definitely for a cameo spot in the upcoming Santana album. “Sing It All Night”, the first single off of the album, is a safe Latin pop-crossover track in the vein of that song that Santana did with the cokehead from Matchbox Twenty. But don’t let my snarky comments give you the wrong idea—it’s a solid track and I like it ten thousand times more than any of these Nickelback-type bands that currently rule the airwaves (the band was smart enough to record a Spanish version for their brethren, though it sounds a bit awkward). “Every Little Love Song” has a meaty background sound that nicely integrates Albie Monterrosa’s vocals. “Good Night Love” is like an homage to “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road”, while “Santos” is like an homage that one Shakira song where she’s dancing in front of mountain and desert backdrops and rolling around in the mud, in the video for it. Speaking of Shakira, a similar-sounding artist appears for “Teardrops”, which is decent but nothing to call home about. Most of the tracks have decent music, but I would have liked to see the band be more adventurous in capturing a Latin tone, with more singing in Spanish and a less homogenized feel (“Lagrimas” would be a good model from which to build). Plus, if Monterrosa’s vocals were a bit deeper, it would give the music a much more dramatic feel.

Sometimes I bathe in my dirty oil money like Scrooge McDuck, but unlike Scrooge McDuck, I also have Mischa Barton and Paris Hilton swimming naked in my money pit with me. I also always look so greasy because I put oil in my hair, and my brother looks greasy because he bathes in lard to keep his skin smooth, and then eats it. Lindsay Lohan’s pussy smells like diarrhea. She’s also worth about seven million dollars, which means that she’s pretty f*cking poor. Lindsay Lohan also has freckles all over her cunt, but I’ve never seen her naked because I don’t find her attractive. Who would want to f*ck her? Wilmer Valderrama? Is Wilmer Valderrama in a mariachi band? That’s right, I’m not only an ignorant, silver-spoon-fed trouser stain who should have been a miscarriage, but I’m also a racist. Therefore, I believe that this album is terrible. Forget that they’re U.S. citizens, they’ve still probably got seventeen of their cousins living in their basement. One time I f*cked both of the Olsen twins while running Dave Coulier over with my car, and Dave Coulier paid me. If I were any more awesome it would hurt.

The Krakan – Dawn of The Krakan
RaXicon Entertainment (8/21/07)
Rap / Hip-hop

Last month, I reviewed independent rap outfit the Darkside Crooks, who use fantasy images and themes as a part of their act. Thinking that that was a rare occurrence, I was surprised to run into it again so quickly with The Krakan. Described as a mysterious character who’s equal parts Genghis Khan and Buddha, he’s traveled the world and absorbed many different cultures in his journeys. Regarding his voice, there’s certainly some DMX and Method Man in there, with a dash of Big Daddy Kane, and his flow is most similar to DMX, though it’s a bit less intense. Is that is good thing or a bad thing? It depends. Yes, he’s above-and-beyond better than Soulja Boy, Hurricane Chris and the other tripe that’s passing for rap these days, but he doesn’t quite have the same impact that DMX did with It’s Dark and Hell Is Hot. While the beats seem to get lost in the mix on a lot of the songs, other tracks like “Lead”, “The Resonance Carries (Dumb Redux)” and “Learn”, that really do have good beats, need the levels turned down slightly due to the fact that Krakan’s flow tends to trail off at the end of the verses and they get lost in the volume of the beats. “Grown Indeed” has club anthem potential, but it needs some production tweakage to not sound quite as dull, as many of the tracks do.

I am the founder of Team Fire-Crotch, and I have an awesome t-shirt to indicate this, which I usually wear with a really cool Von Dutch trucker hat. It’s good thing that ol’ Dutch was cremated, because otherwise I’m sure he’d be rolling in his grave if he knew how his family sold his name out after he died. I don’t need to wait until my dad dies for me to be rich, because my dad shows his love for me by letting me spend as much money as I want. Sometimes I go to Starbuck’s order a drink, and then throw it in the face of the person who made it because I find it funny that some people have to work for their money. Then I throw a wad of money on the counter to pay for their hospital bills, and then I go outside and kick a bum in the face because I’m so awesome. This rap music is pretty lame unless I’m at the club and some chick is fellating me in the VIP room, or unless I’m in my car driving and some chick is fellating me in the VIP room of my car, which is what call my driver’s seat. Is this guy related to Ray J or Nick Cannon, because if he isn’t, chances are that I don’t care.

Friday Night Lights: Original Television Soundtrack
Artists’ Addiction Records (7/24/07)
Soundtrack (Rock / Alternative / Indie / Hip-hop)

I’ve never seen this television series, which airs on NBC, so I might not be able to cull anything out music as it directly applies to the show. That said, there are some really good cuts on this album. The stripped-down Like Rebel Diamonds Remix of The Killers’ “Read My Mind” really gives the song a whole new depth. José González’s cover of Suicide’s “Storm” is a nice acoustic interpretation (with a similar effect as Gray Jules’ cover of “Mad World”, though not quite as moving), while Tony Lucca’s cover of “Devil Town” is sort of irritating and loses all of the dark, manic-depressiveness of Daniel Johnston’s original. Spoon makes an appearance with their funky track “I Turn My Camera On”, which one might recognize from the recent commercials for the Jaguar XK grand tourer. But wait, there is a bit of rap thrown in there, too, and will OutKast’s “Idlewild Blues” is straight-up bluegrass, “Big Big Kid” by Jibbs more than likely served as the backdrop for a high school party scene where one of the main characters either got drunk or raped. Maybe both! Solid tracks by Whiskeytown and Drive-By Truckers, along with an Iron & Wine/Calexico collaboration, have just enough Southern twang to remind us that this show is set in a small Texas town. An outro by Explosions in the Sky, which scores most of the series, is a nice way to wrap everything up. I ended up being pretty impressed by this album, mostly because I had low expectations.

One time my grandma said that I was dating Lindsay Lohan at Kenny G’s birthday party, but grandma’s just joking around. That or she’s senile. I can’t really keep track of anything because that would require me to make an effort to do something, and unless it involves coke, vodka or pussy I’m not budging. I actually just took Lindsay Lohan out after feeling bad about saying her pussy smelled like diarrhea, and we smoked some crack and took turns taking shots of sambucca out of her dad’s asscrack, because one time I said that Lindsay Lohan’s dad is hotter than her, and I really truly do believe that. I just wrote a song called “Firecrotch,” and it’s dedicated to Lindsay Lohan. Paris Hilton is actually in the room with me right now laughing in the background as I type this, because I kick ass. Did I mention that Lindsay Lohan’s pussy smells like diarrhea?

Haunt – Haunt
Unsigned (4/3/2007)
faux pas productions
Indie rock/Americana
http://www.myspace.com/hauntmusic

Haunt is the debut album by the band of the same name; the latest project from Ware River Club’s former front man, Matthew Hebert. The Western Massachusetts native has supported such artists as The Jayhawks, Dave Alvin, Marah, Blue Rodeo, EmmyLou Harris, Daniel Johnston and The Allman Brothers, and has made recent appearances in Boston; New York City; Washington, D.C.; Northampton, Mass. and Chapel Hill, N.C..

The 13-track album is mainly reminiscent of The Wallflowers, with some Dave Matthews Band thrown in an alt-country fire. I found myself getting lost and distracted in the album after the first three songs, as the album started trailing off at that point, and would have been more profound and lasting if it had been only six songs. My favorite track was “A Brighter Hole”, with a Bob Dylan/Willie Nelson-type poetic flare that I really enjoyed.

This album took weeks to grow on me; I’ve been listening to it many times and eventually it started becoming fairly good background music. Since it took many listens for me to finally start appreciating it, I can’t give it a excellent rating; however, I also can’t give it a poor rating because I could keep the album on repeat for the next few weeks without it starting to grate at me. It doesn’t do anything to really jump out at the listener, or to make one take notice. I think the strengths of Hebert are his melodies and his songwriting, but he tried to put so much on this album that it became one big long mind-numbing set. All things considered, though, I certainly would give Haunt another try in the future should they release a second release.

Rating:

The Damage Manual – Damaged Dubs
Underground, Inc. (available exclusively through label)
Industrial Rock

The only way that this item managed not to slip under my radar was due to an e-mail from Underground, Inc.—drummer/industrial figurehead Martin Atkins own Chicago-based label and distributor. I haven’t heard anything from Damage Manual (another of Atkins’ pet projects, with vocals by Chris Connelly) since the self-titled 2000 album—before Jah Wobble and Geordie Walker left the band—and looking at the track listing for this album, that won’t be a problem, since a great deal of it is remixes from that album. The 8-track limited edition EP is only available through Underground, Inc., and it happens to come with a free t-shirt (a delightful Dunkin Donuts parody that rings as a bit of a double entendre), and a CD sampler with music by Bile, Atari Teenage Riot, Tub Ring, Dj? Acucrack, and Slick Idiot (with a Johnny Cash cover).

(NB: The titled Damaged Dubs should not be mistaken for dub music, as in the reggae sub-genre, but rather denotes the dubbing process in sound recording. It would be best to regard this as a remix album.)

The first track, “Sunset Gun” (Beat Mx), is a hard-edged instrumental that plays with some breakbeat but mostly consists of Atkins trademark drumming with some bass thrown in for good measure. It’s a solid track that keeps moving in all the right places. “Stateless” (July 99 Atkins Dub Mx) also plays with some breakbeat elements, and flirts with some proper dub and early rave elements as well.

“Damage Addict” shows up three times in the mix. The Ambient James Bond Mx is boring and really goes nowhere, while the Accelerated Coventry Mx is less insipid, but is a bit too much droning noise (think of 6 seconds of Aphex Twin’s “Come to Daddy” looped over and over with some distortion). Perhaps fans of power electronics would be able to appreciate it a bit more than I did. The Magic Hammer Dub Mx is much better, with some good noise elements that don’t get too droned, and features some Chris Connelly vox action for good measure (John Lydon who?). Third time’s a charm, I guess…

“Grounded” (Dub Mx) was another very good drum-driven piece of industrial dancefloor madness, as is “Expand” (Dub Mx), which has some distorted Connelly vocals. “Mad Dialects” (Jan 05 Atkins Mx) is a decidedly stripped-down track that is true to early industrial music. It’s pure mayhem to make rivetheads cream their jeans.

This is certainly a remixes/rarities EP, and shouldn’t be regarded as anything more (read: full-length album). It’s essentially bits and pieces that Atkins had lying around and has been itching to get out to hardcore fans for a while. As a whole, I enjoyed it, but a casual fan may find it a bit rough around the edges (which is what pure, unabashed industrial music should be). However, for the adventurous music fans who’s ready to journey beyond Nine Inch Nails and Marilyn Manson, pick up a Pigface album first, and then try this. But do it quick, because it’s limited edition…!

Rating:

D-n-A – Hip-Hop and The Black Arts Movement
Sound Mind Productions
Rap/Hip-hop

There was a time not so long ago when one could walk into the local music shoppe and be pleasantly surprised. During my formative years, I used to frequent a spot called Dr. Wax in Chicago’s Hyde Park neighborhood. I never left that store without spending twenty minutes in front of the tape case. I was always looking for a cassette to take a chance on. Something that I may have heard a word or two about, but not enough to purchase it based on reputation alone. A tape with the right blend of artist name, album title and artwork… It was usually eight dollars well spent.

Those times have long passed, but this EP from D-n-A (no fancy group name; straight up old school) reminds me of that era. Like many of the tapes that I took a chance on back then, its packaging looked homemade and it sounded like it was recorded in someone’s basement. But beneath these economic bindings lay the kind of intentional funk that all of us can sense is missing in contemporary hip-hop.

The Chicagoan duo is made up of producer D-Steele and rapper Aquil. Mr. Steele is an old school beatsmith, preferring chopped and looped jazz samples and boom-bap drum kits to the more commercially viable synth-sounds of today’s popular producers. The only drawback to this is that they may never be able to afford the sample clearances necessary to bring these kinds of tracks to the masses. Just in case you were unsure how you should feel about this, let me make it clear:

Fuck Sampling Laws.

Most of that money goes to industry-savvy lawyers and publishing companies anyway, meanwhile the original artists die penniless and hungry.

Tasteful sampling like the techniques used in creating the beats for this EP are what hip-hop was borne of and these sorts of tracks remind us of hip-hop’s last golden age. MC Aquil’s musings on subjects ranging from the origin of a non-profit agency to a love letter to his long-term (sounding) girlfriend bring a sincerity that most of his screwfaced peers eschew.

If I were sure that a copy of this album was somewhere near you, I’d tell you to buy it. Since I know it’s not, the best I advice I can give you is to go support your local grimy hip-hop artists. The more you consume, you increase the likelihood that they’ll grow in capacity and expand the reach of their wares past your local tavern. Sooner or later the majors take notice and it’s off to exploitation-land…

…I guess no one promised any of us a happy ending…

Rating:

Potluck – Straight Outta Humboldt
Suburban Noize (released Sept. 19, 2006)
Hip Hop

“This is straight reality rap (Potluck)
Straight Outta Humboldt County
We ain’t all of that bling-bling… doin’ all that… flashiness…
We just some stoners… who keep it real…”

Underground, independent rap is often automatically embraced for the simple fact that it can’t be found on your FM dial. The implication, from the streets to the suburbs, is that “commercial = bad” and “anonymity = good… and hungry… and real… and our lord & saviors, etc. etc.”

Potluck, comprised of San Diego’s “1 Ton” and Humboldt’s own “Underrated”, are almost a stereotypically perfect fit for the independent Hip Hop scene. 1 Ton is African-American, while Underrated is Jewish. They’d be the original Odd Couple if acts like Northern State hadn’t taken the “wacky, seemingly unmatched rap staffing” schtick a few steps further.

Straight Outta Humboldt is Potluck’s fourth album since their 2000 debut Humboldt County High. That joint can be found online and is mostly a hilarious and over-the-top love letter to cannabis. That would be the sticky kind, not the bitter kind.

Since then, Potluck hasn’t exactly expanded their source material, if you know what I mean. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.

“Rock the World” is as accessible a track as an underground group is capable of. Lyrically, it implies a little something for everyone, but the quietly majestic Underrated beat bears no resemblance to the dreck on FM today.

And, now we enter “the weed song” portion of our review.

“Dank Alumni”, produced by Pharmacist Chris, is a throwback to the mid-90s G-Funk sound that Dr. Dre first brought to the mainstream, with a heavy baseline and bare-bones approach. There are a few too many people on the mic (six!) and the disparity in skill set is, umm…wide.

The Kottonmouth Kings pop up on “Roll Big” and do just enough to make you think that the whole rap-rock thang might still…OK, OK, but it’s still a tight little track. “Marijuana 101″ uses each verse to peel back the curtain on the life of (respectively) the grower, the middle man and the dealer. Meanwhile, that really is the omnipresent E-40 on the ridiculous (in a good way) “U Ain’t That Fine”, which sounds an awful lot like one of DJ Quik’s Roger Trautman-inspired efforts.

As you might expect, the pro-pot material gets way repetitive after awhile. When you’re naming one of your songs “Mary Jane”, that just might be overkill, if not unoriginality. A few of the non-weed themes are a little tired and overdone… “Money Makes the World Go Round”, I’m looking at you. And, the skits are almost all awful.

Still, the boardwork here is a refreshing departure from the BET beats that rap fans have had to suffer through in recent years, almost from beginning to end. Lyrically, Potluck is better than you might think, without ever reinventing the weed… er, “wheel”.

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