"Old English" ft. Young Thug, Freddie Gibbs & A$AP Ferg (Prod. by Salva & Nick Hook)
Pick up the single in iTunes: http://found.ee/oldenglish
Mass Appeal Compilation, Vol. 1 coming 2015!
Directed by RUFFMERCY
ruffmercy.com
@rffmrcy
--------------Mass Appeal Records--------------
Website: http://massappealrecords.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/massappealrecs
Instagram: http://instagram.com/massappealrecs
Facebook: http://facebook.com/massappealrecs
Showing posts with label 2015. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2015. Show all posts
Monday, January 12, 2015
Young Thug, Freddie Gibbs & A$AP Ferg | Old English
"Old English" ft. Young Thug, Freddie Gibbs & A$AP Ferg (Prod. by Salva & Nick Hook)
Pick up the single in iTunes: http://found.ee/oldenglish
Mass Appeal Compilation, Vol. 1 coming 2015!
Directed by RUFFMERCY
ruffmercy.com
@rffmrcy
--------------Mass Appeal Records--------------
Website: http://massappealrecords.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/massappealrecs
Instagram: http://instagram.com/massappealrecs
Facebook: http://facebook.com/massappealrecs
Shon Roka (pronounced Shaun Roca) the DJ also known as Shaun Ortega was born on the west-side of Chicago. He started gaining fame as a bboy in 1991 and later became a member of a well known crew called the BRICKHEADZ. He would perform for such artist and events such as The Roots, KRS One, Immortal Technique, Dougie Fresh, Common, Rhymefest, Cypress Hill, Pharoah Monch, Nas, Diddy, Mariah Carey, Taste of Chicago, Lollapolooza, Looptopia, B96 Summer Bash just to name a few. The BRICKHEADZ also won many breakin' competition nationally and internationally. While Shon Roka was being active as a bboy he was working on his craft of being a DJ.
DJing for w/ Nike, Jordan, Under Armour, Adidas, Vans, Uprise (Chicago) Skateshop for numerous in-stores, sporting events, galleries and corporate outings. Also Shon Roka is a resident DJ post Covid in Chicago at McGee's, Tantrum, Imbibe and Harbee's. While being a DJ, he has been teaching music production and the Art of Skateboarding through Maggie Daley's After School Matters. Also known as Gallery 37.
For more information contact via email.
Saturday, January 10, 2015
Willow Smith | Heart | New Music
With "Heart," Willow Smith has graced us with two new minutes of heady, celestial meanderings. Over production by Chaotic, the 14 year old floats ideas like, I don't think it's fair that you're on Earth/ And I'm up up here making stars and and galaxies and planets/ Making the life I know the dimensions. Apparently, the song was inspired by the "chaotic" period during which she was for some reason locked out of her SoundCloud profile: "I thought I'd post a little something celebrating the end of the chaotic time whilst I wasn't able to long in this account," she writes in the songs description. The stars, they forget their SoundCloud passwords just like us.
Wednesday, January 7, 2015
DeM AtlaS | With A Smile
A new one from deM atlas (Joshua Turner), “With a Smile,” was produced by his pal Evan Slack and has a funky retro-soul sound to it and feel-good vibe. It includes a couple shout-outs to a girl named Lucy, which could be another “Peanuts” character reference from the rapper (whose first EP was titled “Charle Brwn”) or might be a nod to his Rhymesayer labelmates Atmosphere (who once famously had a thing for some unknown girl named Lucy Ford).
With a Smile” also is not attached to any formal release yet. However, the deM Man did just drop a new online EP, “DWNR,” and is working toward his full-length debut on Rhymesayers.
Produced By: Evan Slack
DWNR, deM atlaS's debut EP on Rhymesayers is available now via:
Physical | Fifth Element: bit.ly/DWNRFE
Digital | iTunes: bit.ly/DemDWNR
Stream | Spotify: bit.ly/DWNRsp
twitter.com/dematlas
facebook.com/dematlas
instagram.com/dematlas
rhymesayers.com/dematlas
Allan Kingdom | Blast | New Video
Allan Kingdom‘s latest single ‘The Blast’ has been getting a lot of play over here since it dropped last month. The St. Paul rapper celebrated his birthday yesterday and followed up with a black-and-white visual for the Plain Pat-produced song, which provides a nice contrast to its colourful vibe and infectious melodic hook. A new mixtape is on the way, but if you need more Kingdom for your headphones, cop his Future Memoirs project here…
Sunday, January 4, 2015
DJ EVIL DEE | BROADCASTING LIVE | MIXTAPE ALBUM
1 half of the legendary Da Beatminerz, Dj Evil Dee drops a whole new mixtape album called “Broadcasting Live”. This that vintage grimey New York Hip Hop Boom Bap Sh*t! Alot of East Coast Independent artists on the album such as Stahhr, Dysfunkshunall Familee, Shabaam Shadeeq, Finsta & Bundy, & of course Black Moon. All production by Da Beatminerz and mixes done by Evil Dee…..as the saying goes “Dj Evil Dee is on the mix, cmon…KICK IT!”
BROADCASTING LIVE TRACKLISTING
1. INTRO – SWAY & HEATHER B
2. OPEN SEASON – STAHHR
3. HOW MANY MORE – DYSFUNKSHUNAL FAMILEE
4. REFUSE – THE MOOD DOCTORS
5. REAL LIFE – CHIEF JUSTICE
6. GIMMIE – RIZ THE GREAT
7. WHAT YOU SAYING – KARNIEGE
8. I JUS DON’T KNOW – NUTSO
9. CAN’T SAY GOODBYE – MAKEBA MOONCYCLE & YEJIDE THE NIGHT QUEEN
10. REALLY – DYSFUNKSHUNAL FAMILEE
11. GO TO WAR (2) – BLACK MOON
12. GULLY SEASON – PEARL HARBA & G POS FEAT. DJ RED BOY
13. IN THE MIX OF ACTION – THE VILLANZ
14. FREE THE DOME – SHABAAM SAHDEEQ
15. NOBODY – FINSTA BUNDY
16. ME & MY PEEPS FROM TWITTER (PARTS 1,2, & 3)!!! – THE REAL SUNDANCE, BUTTER B, ORZO, PLEASURE PETE, ROCK MECCA, YME, ROCK ON BALBOA, WISE FREEDOM, CARL MADISON & ZEEQ
Friday, January 2, 2015
A City Divided | Jerusalem's Most Contested Neighborhood
Throughout the past several months, Jerusalem has been a scene of clashes and violent attacks. Silwan, a Palestinian neighborhood just steps away from Jerusalem's Old City, has been at the heart of the unrest, and is becoming one of the most contentious neighborhoods in the most contested city in the world.
As settlement expansion into East Jerusalem continues, Israeli authorities have ramped up their practice of demolishing homes built without proper permits — permits which are near impossible for Palestinians to acquire. In addition to the demolitions due to lack of permits, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced in early November the reinstatement of the policy of demolishing terrorists' homes, which Palestinians claim is a form of collective punishment.
VICE News traveled to Silwan and met with Palestinians and Israelis living in this contested neighborhood at a time when Jerusalem is more divided than ever.
Read "'A Darkness in His Heart': Terror, Martyrs, Rubble, and Repetition as Israel Resumes Home Demolitions" - http://bit.ly/1xvIjZF
Read "Jerusalem Tensions Escalate As Netanyahu Pushes Settlement Expansion" - http://bit.ly/14aPn42
Read "Synagogue Attacks Mark New Level of Escalation as Jerusalem Inches Closer to Breaking Point" - http://bit.ly/1y46Doh
Watch "Jewish Settlers in the Hamas Stronghold of Hebron: Rockets & Revenge (Dispatch 6)" - http://bit.ly/1CRItik
Subscribe to VICE News here: http://bit.ly/Subscribe-to-VICE-News
Check out the VICE News beta for more: http://vicenews.com
Follow VICE News here:
Facebook: : https://www.facebook.com/vicenews
Twitter: https://twitter.com/vicenews
Tumblr: http://vicenews.tumblr.com/
Instagram: http://instagram.com/vicenews
Thursday, January 1, 2015
LUDO | CHAOS THEORY | NEW VIDEO
WRITTEN BY: ANI PALEN/GreenLabel
Last summer, Paris-based contemporary artist Ludo took the streets of Thailand as part of a series of global street expeditions.
"Thailand's capital was an obvious choice to hit for many reasons," he says. "First, because the city is not over saturated at all with art on walls. That makes it a new, interesting place to discover and a virgin land to cover."
Perhaps more important was his second reason: "The endless chaos. The unlimited mix of noises, smells, and colors."
He showcased all these things in his new film, The Chaos Theory, a video created as a way to push his exhibition of the same name at Lazarides Gallery.
As for possible reasons behind the chaos in the world, Ludo says this: "Disorder creates order or order motivates our disorganization."
Last summer, Paris-based contemporary artist Ludo took the streets of Thailand as part of a series of global street expeditions.
"Thailand's capital was an obvious choice to hit for many reasons," he says. "First, because the city is not over saturated at all with art on walls. That makes it a new, interesting place to discover and a virgin land to cover."
Perhaps more important was his second reason: "The endless chaos. The unlimited mix of noises, smells, and colors."
He showcased all these things in his new film, The Chaos Theory, a video created as a way to push his exhibition of the same name at Lazarides Gallery.
As for possible reasons behind the chaos in the world, Ludo says this: "Disorder creates order or order motivates our disorganization."
The Chaos Theory from ludo on Vimeo.
Genetically Engineering Everything | Nova Next
Posted by Tim De Chant/Nova Next
Just under 40 years ago, scientists created the first genetically modified organism by inserting antibiotic resistance genes into the bacteria E. coli. Since that time, researchers have modified everything from salmon to tomatoes and corn. But a new development, announced this summer, could exponentially increase our power over the genome.
Kevin Esvelt and George Church, both scientists at Harvard University, along with collaborators, published the framework for an entirely new way of modifying organisms, one that they say is mere months away from reality. It has the potential to alter the DNA of nearly any sexually-reproducing organism—tame or wild—at unprecedented scales.
Eleanor Nelsen and I reported on the technique, dubbed CRISPR-Cas9 gene drives, back in July:
Cas9-based gene drives could be one of the most powerful technologies ever discovered by humankind. “This is one of the most exciting confluences of different theoretical approaches in science I’ve ever seen,” says Arthur Caplan, a bioethicist at New York University. “It merges population genetics, genetic engineering, molecular genetics, into an unbelievably powerful tool.”
The technique could wipe out malaria or provide new, safer ways to control weeds. But they’ll only finish their work if we as a society give our assent.
The two-part system works by using CRISPR—a remarkably efficient way to modify genomes—to insert gene drives into an organism’s chromosomes. These drives then copy themselves between chromosomes, ensuring that each of their offspring contain a copy of the gene. Within a handful of generations, entire populations could contain the exact traits we desire.
CRISPR-Cas9 gene drives could not only limit the transmission of diseases, they could also alter wild populations to aid their survival in a ecosystems dominated by humans and upended by global warming. The technique’s remarkable potential will undoubtedly make it one of the most controversial—and important—issues of the coming years.
Eleanor Nelsen and I reported on the technique, dubbed CRISPR-Cas9 gene drives, back in July:
Cas9-based gene drives could be one of the most powerful technologies ever discovered by humankind. “This is one of the most exciting confluences of different theoretical approaches in science I’ve ever seen,” says Arthur Caplan, a bioethicist at New York University. “It merges population genetics, genetic engineering, molecular genetics, into an unbelievably powerful tool.”
The technique could wipe out malaria or provide new, safer ways to control weeds. But they’ll only finish their work if we as a society give our assent.
The two-part system works by using CRISPR—a remarkably efficient way to modify genomes—to insert gene drives into an organism’s chromosomes. These drives then copy themselves between chromosomes, ensuring that each of their offspring contain a copy of the gene. Within a handful of generations, entire populations could contain the exact traits we desire.
CRISPR-Cas9 gene drives could not only limit the transmission of diseases, they could also alter wild populations to aid their survival in a ecosystems dominated by humans and upended by global warming. The technique’s remarkable potential will undoubtedly make it one of the most controversial—and important—issues of the coming years.
Atmosphere | January On Lake Street | Official Video
Enjoy the new video from Atmosphere for January On Lake Street
iTunes: http://bit.ly/South_iTunes
CD/Vinyl: http://bit.ly/Southsiders
Amazon: http://bit.ly/Southsiders
Subscribe for more: http://bit.ly/RhymesayersYT
Director, DP, Editor: Braden Lee
http://twitter.com/braden_lee
http://bradenlee.com
Visual Effects: Coat of Arms
http://coatofarmspost.com
Special thanks to Nicholas Larkins Perez & Christine Miller
Tuesday, December 30, 2014
Joey Bada$$ f/ Maverick Sabre and Dyemond Lewis | On & On
With his long-awaited debut album, B4.DA.$$, set to drop on January 20, Joey Bada$$ debuts his latest offering, "On & On," which also features Maverick Sabre and Dyemond Lewis. With some smooth, piano-laced production from Freddie Joachim as the backdrop, Joey opens up about a number of personal feelings on the record, as he reflects about happiness coming and going and how as he grows bigger as an artist, his circle of friends continues to shrink.
Since the official announcement of the album, which is currently available for pre-order on iTunes here, Joey has released four songs from the project that are all available for download for free when the album is purchased in advance of the release date. Along with the early song releases and the debut of the new record tonight, Joey previously revealed the tracklist for the album, which includes guest appearances and production credits from BJ The Chicago Kid, Raury, Action Bronson, The Roots, DJ Premier, Hit-Boy, and many more. Both the full tracklist and the new record can be checked out below.
1. Save The Children (prod by Statik Selektah)
2. Greenbax (prod by Lee Bannon)
3. Paper Trails (prod. by Dj Premier)
4. Piece of Mine (prod by Freddie Joachim)
5. Big Dusty (prod by Kirk Knight)
6. Hazeus View (prod. by Kirk Knight)
7. Like Me ft. BJ The Chicago Kid (prod. by J Dilla & The Roots)
8. Belly Of The Beast ft. Chronixx (prod by Hit Boy)
9. No.99 (prod. by Statik Selektah)
10. Christ Conscience (prod. by Basquiat)
11. On & On ft. Maverick Sabre & Dyemond Lewis (prod by Freddie Joachim)
12. Escape 120″ featuring Raury (prod. by Chuck Strangers)
13. Black Beatles (prod by Chuck Strangers)
14. O.C.B. (prod. by Sam I AM & The Soul Rebels)
15. Curry Chicken (prod. by Statik Selektah)
(Bonus) Run Up On Ya ft. Action Bronson & Elle Varner (prod. by Statik Selektah)
(Bonus) Teach Me How ft. Kiesza (prod by Chuck Strangers & ASTR)
Monday, December 29, 2014
CLAIRMONT THE SECOND | PROJECT II | Album Stream
By Slava Pastuk/Noisey
STREAM CLAIRMONT THE SECOND'S 'PROJECT II' AND REALIZE THAT YOU WASTED YOUR YOUTH
Clairmont The Second doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue, but it’s his real name—no gimmicks. Clairmont doesn’t have much time to talk to me on the phone, so I have to call him during his spare period of high school, where he is currently enrolled until he graduates at the end of this year. His current day-to-day is typical for a teenager in Toronto, filled with the same mundane activities that most other 17-year olds have no choice but enjoy, like going to class and playing basketball extracurricularly. But Clairmont The Second doesn’t want to have a typical teenager’s life anymore, which is why he’s putting all of his efforts into music.
Clairmont’s second ever project is imaginatively titled Project II and can be best described as being a post-Chance The Rapper, post-Acid Rap release. “I love it but I hate it at the same time” says Clairmont when asked about the comparisons to Chance, whose 2012 mixtape ignited the internet. “He’s one of my favourite artists and he’s a big inspiration, but I also want to be my own person.” But outside of the Chicago native, Clairmont counts some of his hometown Toronto peers as inspiration as well. “I listen to a lot of everything, but during this album I was listening to a lot of bizZarh, Dom Kennedy, and The OBGMs.” Clairmont recorded this project in the comfort of his own bedroom, which he has recently remodelled to help him achieve a better state of relaxation. “It’s a good environment and very chill space. I think better when I’m more relaxed and I’m more effective.”
Most of the raps on Project II are centred around the same tropes you’d expect an 17-year old to rap about: relationships with girls, the perceived invalidity of high school, and how terrible it is to take the bus. But the way that these seemingly insignificant topics get woven together through Clairmont’s sparse narration that builds into a sudden crescendo keeps the listener entertained throughout the tape. He also produced most of the tape on his own, adding to the already impressive laundry list of tasks associated with the project. With no classic training, Clairmont is learning lessons in unlikely places. “I have an orchestra class that I take this semester in high school, but it’s not really teaching me anything. It’s teaching me what not to do.”
When asked what he hopes people take away from this album, he pauses for long enough for me to assume the call has dropped. “I want them to take away that I’m mature for my age and ahead of my time. And that I can actually make music that's not like anything else.”
STREAM CLAIRMONT THE SECOND'S 'PROJECT II' AND REALIZE THAT YOU WASTED YOUR YOUTH
Clairmont The Second doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue, but it’s his real name—no gimmicks. Clairmont doesn’t have much time to talk to me on the phone, so I have to call him during his spare period of high school, where he is currently enrolled until he graduates at the end of this year. His current day-to-day is typical for a teenager in Toronto, filled with the same mundane activities that most other 17-year olds have no choice but enjoy, like going to class and playing basketball extracurricularly. But Clairmont The Second doesn’t want to have a typical teenager’s life anymore, which is why he’s putting all of his efforts into music.
Clairmont’s second ever project is imaginatively titled Project II and can be best described as being a post-Chance The Rapper, post-Acid Rap release. “I love it but I hate it at the same time” says Clairmont when asked about the comparisons to Chance, whose 2012 mixtape ignited the internet. “He’s one of my favourite artists and he’s a big inspiration, but I also want to be my own person.” But outside of the Chicago native, Clairmont counts some of his hometown Toronto peers as inspiration as well. “I listen to a lot of everything, but during this album I was listening to a lot of bizZarh, Dom Kennedy, and The OBGMs.” Clairmont recorded this project in the comfort of his own bedroom, which he has recently remodelled to help him achieve a better state of relaxation. “It’s a good environment and very chill space. I think better when I’m more relaxed and I’m more effective.”
Most of the raps on Project II are centred around the same tropes you’d expect an 17-year old to rap about: relationships with girls, the perceived invalidity of high school, and how terrible it is to take the bus. But the way that these seemingly insignificant topics get woven together through Clairmont’s sparse narration that builds into a sudden crescendo keeps the listener entertained throughout the tape. He also produced most of the tape on his own, adding to the already impressive laundry list of tasks associated with the project. With no classic training, Clairmont is learning lessons in unlikely places. “I have an orchestra class that I take this semester in high school, but it’s not really teaching me anything. It’s teaching me what not to do.”
When asked what he hopes people take away from this album, he pauses for long enough for me to assume the call has dropped. “I want them to take away that I’m mature for my age and ahead of my time. And that I can actually make music that's not like anything else.”
Rae Sremmurd | Sremm Life | Album Stream
After breaking out with their hit single "No Flex Zone" and following suit with the equally popular "No Type," young Mississippi duo Rae Sremmurd are ready to release their debut album, Sremm Life, on January 6th.
Before the date arrives, iTunes Radio is providing fans with an early listen to the 11-track album – which includes the Nicki Minaj and Young Thug-assisted "Throw $um Mo" and "YNO" with Big Sean.
01 Lit Like Bic
02 Unlock the Swag f. Jace (of Two-9)
03 No Flex Zone
04 My X
05 This Could Be Us
06 Come Get Her
07 Up Like Trump
08 Throw Sum Mo f. Nicki Minaj & Young Thug
09 Yno f. Big Sean
10 No Type
11 Safe Sex Pay Checks
Top Reggae Album of 2014 | United Reggae
By Erik Magni/United Reggae
Last year I made a list collecting 25 sets, but this year I aimed for 30, and succeeded. As usual no reissues or compilations were allowed.
This year’s list is however a little bit different compared to previous lists. Why? I have included two straight dub albums. And it could actually have been no less than four dub sets, but Natural Numbers’ Natural Numbers in Dub and The Lions’ This Generation in Dub, the roaring dub counterpart to their beautiful This Generation, didn’t make the final cut.
The list below collects 30 roots, ska, rocksteady, dub and dancehall albums in no particular order.
Jahmali – We I Open
We I Open equals sun-burnt skin, sand between your toes and salty hair. A cheerful contemporary rub-a-dub set with lots of light to wash your troubles away.
Black Roots – Ghetto Feel
Deep and profound vintage roots reggae. This album could easily have been released in the early 80s.
Sly & Robbie – Dubrising
Heavy as lead, yet melodic and refined, and with adventurous dub mixing by the legendary Paul “Groucho” Smykle.
Blue King Brown – Born Free
A powerful sonic experience with slower jams and militant anthems.
Etana – I Rise
Another excellent set from one of Jamaica’s leading voices. A set that effortlessly blends infectious love ballads and tough roots anthems.
Tuff Scout Allstars – Inna London Dub
Harder than most contemporary dub albums with ridiculously deep bass lines and hypnotic grooves.
Sara Lugo – Hit Me with Music
Bright and positive from start to finish. Sara Lugo explores the gentle side of reggae with influences from soul, jazz and light electronic pop.
Earl 16 & Manasseh – Gold Dust
Beautifully crafted with Earl 16’s delicate and dreamy vocals floating on top of the at times partly acoustic backing.
Lloyd Brown – LB 50
Yet another harmonious set from one of most reliable and hardest working artists in the reggae industry.
Roberto Sánchez & The Rockers Disciples – Blackboard Jungle Showcase Vol. II
Excellent vintage-sounding roots and dub from some of Europe’s finest musicians.
Popcaan – Where We Come From
A remarkable, exceptional and unique dancehall effort that hopefully can start a new trend in the otherwise very busy and non-consistent dancehall industry.
Raging Fyah – Destiny
The melodies and the arrangements are beautiful and it’s impossible not to get struck by a sweet piano ballad like Brave or pulsating non-stop rocking rockers like Barriers and Step Outta Babylon.
Hezron – The Life I Live(d)
Hezron’s debut album, but it sounds mature, partly because of the well-produced riddims by some of Jamaica’s finest, and partly because he sings like he has never done anything else in his life.
Lee Perry – Back on the Controls
A dark and dense album showcasing Lee Perry’s signature style.
Soul Majestic – Setting the Tone
With its angelic vocal harmonizing and alternating male and female lead vocals – this is a sublime, beautiful and uplifting album.
Hollie Cook – Twice
Nine tracks and over 40 minutes of discofied reggae in its greatest form. Free your mind, take off your shoes and hang on, this is a rollercoaster into dreamy territory.
Earl Sixteen – Natty Farming
Organic and analogue with Earl Sixteen’s pleading voice floating elegantly over the throbbing and syncopated riddims.
Bugle – Anointed
Probably best known for singles like Doh, What I’m I Gonna Do, Journey and Don’t Give Up, and if you dig those you’ll love this album.
Sizzla – Born a King
Wickedly well-produced, balanced and detailed. This scorching album is definitely one of the strongest sets from Sizzla’s more than extensive catalogue.
Alpheus – Good Prevails
Skip the poorly sounding rocksteady reissues and go for this meticulously constructed and well-produced set. This is the sound of real reggae music.
Chronixx – Dread & Terrible
Solid debut set from this youthful and passionate singer that has focused on quality rather than quantity.
Clinton Fearon – Goodness
Yet another fine example of how Clinton Fearon and his Boogie Brown Band takes the reggae legacy into contemporary territory.
Black Symbol – Journey
A spiritual and sometimes meditative journey with sublime harmonizing and beautiful back-up vocals courtesy of Empress Bev. Her touch gives the album a character of its own.
Addis Pablo – In My Father’s House
Its 17 tracks takes the listener on a meditative, haunting and melodic roots reggae journey.
Tarrus Riley – Love Situation
Slick, polished and timeless with lots of classic and vintage sounding riddims.
Gentleman – MTV Unplugged
The MTV Unplugged format was immensely popular in the 90s and I thought it was dead, but this album shows that it’s still very much alive and kicking.
I-Octane – My Journey
The culture and lovers themed My Journey is an entertaining and lively album filled with lots of energy, beautiful hooks and memorable melodies.
Ziggi Recado – Therapeutic
A little something for both body and mind.
Pressure – The Sound
Pressure’s fourth album and is his best to date. It includes the usual sweet arrangements and backing provided by Zion I Kings.
Nicodrum & Friends – Back to Fundechan
Music with a big heart, a solid pulse and lots of soul.
The list below collects 30 roots, ska, rocksteady, dub and dancehall albums in no particular order.
Jahmali – We I Open
We I Open equals sun-burnt skin, sand between your toes and salty hair. A cheerful contemporary rub-a-dub set with lots of light to wash your troubles away.
Black Roots – Ghetto Feel
Deep and profound vintage roots reggae. This album could easily have been released in the early 80s.
Sly & Robbie – Dubrising
Heavy as lead, yet melodic and refined, and with adventurous dub mixing by the legendary Paul “Groucho” Smykle.
Blue King Brown – Born Free
A powerful sonic experience with slower jams and militant anthems.
Etana – I Rise
Another excellent set from one of Jamaica’s leading voices. A set that effortlessly blends infectious love ballads and tough roots anthems.
Tuff Scout Allstars – Inna London Dub
Harder than most contemporary dub albums with ridiculously deep bass lines and hypnotic grooves.
Sara Lugo – Hit Me with Music
Bright and positive from start to finish. Sara Lugo explores the gentle side of reggae with influences from soul, jazz and light electronic pop.
Earl 16 & Manasseh – Gold Dust
Beautifully crafted with Earl 16’s delicate and dreamy vocals floating on top of the at times partly acoustic backing.
Lloyd Brown – LB 50
Yet another harmonious set from one of most reliable and hardest working artists in the reggae industry.
Roberto Sánchez & The Rockers Disciples – Blackboard Jungle Showcase Vol. II
Excellent vintage-sounding roots and dub from some of Europe’s finest musicians.
Popcaan – Where We Come From
A remarkable, exceptional and unique dancehall effort that hopefully can start a new trend in the otherwise very busy and non-consistent dancehall industry.
Raging Fyah – Destiny
The melodies and the arrangements are beautiful and it’s impossible not to get struck by a sweet piano ballad like Brave or pulsating non-stop rocking rockers like Barriers and Step Outta Babylon.
Hezron – The Life I Live(d)
Hezron’s debut album, but it sounds mature, partly because of the well-produced riddims by some of Jamaica’s finest, and partly because he sings like he has never done anything else in his life.
Lee Perry – Back on the Controls
A dark and dense album showcasing Lee Perry’s signature style.
Soul Majestic – Setting the Tone
With its angelic vocal harmonizing and alternating male and female lead vocals – this is a sublime, beautiful and uplifting album.
Hollie Cook – Twice
Nine tracks and over 40 minutes of discofied reggae in its greatest form. Free your mind, take off your shoes and hang on, this is a rollercoaster into dreamy territory.
Earl Sixteen – Natty Farming
Organic and analogue with Earl Sixteen’s pleading voice floating elegantly over the throbbing and syncopated riddims.
Bugle – Anointed
Probably best known for singles like Doh, What I’m I Gonna Do, Journey and Don’t Give Up, and if you dig those you’ll love this album.
Sizzla – Born a King
Wickedly well-produced, balanced and detailed. This scorching album is definitely one of the strongest sets from Sizzla’s more than extensive catalogue.
Alpheus – Good Prevails
Skip the poorly sounding rocksteady reissues and go for this meticulously constructed and well-produced set. This is the sound of real reggae music.
Chronixx – Dread & Terrible
Solid debut set from this youthful and passionate singer that has focused on quality rather than quantity.
Clinton Fearon – Goodness
Yet another fine example of how Clinton Fearon and his Boogie Brown Band takes the reggae legacy into contemporary territory.
Black Symbol – Journey
A spiritual and sometimes meditative journey with sublime harmonizing and beautiful back-up vocals courtesy of Empress Bev. Her touch gives the album a character of its own.
Addis Pablo – In My Father’s House
Its 17 tracks takes the listener on a meditative, haunting and melodic roots reggae journey.
Tarrus Riley – Love Situation
Slick, polished and timeless with lots of classic and vintage sounding riddims.
Gentleman – MTV Unplugged
The MTV Unplugged format was immensely popular in the 90s and I thought it was dead, but this album shows that it’s still very much alive and kicking.
I-Octane – My Journey
The culture and lovers themed My Journey is an entertaining and lively album filled with lots of energy, beautiful hooks and memorable melodies.
Ziggi Recado – Therapeutic
A little something for both body and mind.
Pressure – The Sound
Pressure’s fourth album and is his best to date. It includes the usual sweet arrangements and backing provided by Zion I Kings.
Nicodrum & Friends – Back to Fundechan
Music with a big heart, a solid pulse and lots of soul.
10 Best Music Books of 2014
By: Rolling Stone
From the stage to the page: The year's best biographies, rock crit, photo essays and more
In 2014, the rock star tell-all autobiography train rolled on with Jimmy Page, Joe Perry, Carlos Santana, Mick Fleetwood, George Clinton, Paul Stanley and Billy Idol among others all getting their turn. But some of the years best books were the stories you didn't already know, including a great alternate history from Greil Marcus and a closer look at a post-punk pioneer
10 'The Haight: Love, Rock, and Revolution: The Photography of Jim Marshall,' by Joel Selvin
Jim Marshall, one of rock & roll's greatest photographers, was at counter-culture ground zero in San Francisco in the mid-to-late Sixties. This gorgeous oversized book documents the era through iconic images — the Beatles at Candlestick Park in '66, the Grateful Dead at a mobbed street fair in '68, Hendrix torching his guitar at Monterey Pop. Just as illuminating are verité shots of street life, hippies and straights rubbing wary shoulders as the Age of Aquarius, for a magic moment, dawned over them all. By Will Hermes
9'Special Deluxe: A Memoir of Life & Cars' by Neil Young
Neil Young is a man of obsessions. Over the years he's fixated on everything from toy trains to digital audio quality, but the one constant has been classic automobiles — which meant many fans groaned when they learned his new book would focus on the many cars he's owned over the years. Thankfully, their fears were unfounded. The car angle is merely a clever framing device for Young to tell his life story in a more linear fashion than his scattershot 2013 memoir Waging Heavy Peace. Along the way we learn about the making of After The Goldrush ("I had just purchased a pound of Panama Red"), his regrets over his mistreatment of the members of Crazy Horse and Buffalo Springfield ("I was mostly juvenile and had no patience") and a crazy morning last year when his electric car LinkVolt broke down in Manhattan on his way to film a bit with Bill O'Reilly and Stephen Colbert, almost stalling out in the Lincoln Tunnel ("It was not a good day for us"). People wanting a straight account of Young's life will still be better served by reading Jimmy McDonough's definitive biography Shakey, but Special Deluxe is an enjoyable trip into the singer's endlessly fascinating mind. By Andy Greene
8 'Brothas Be, Yo Like George, Ain't That Funkin' Kinda Hard on You?: A Memoir,' by George Clinton with Ben Greenman
As funk's bravest cosmonaut, George Clinton spent the acid-fried Seventies in a world of Doo Doo Chasers and Thumpasorus Peoples and Psychoalphadiscobetabioaquadooloops. But his look back on the methods to his madness are as clear-headed as a textbook, reading less like a gauntlet of antics (and there are antics — including a donkey taking a "regal shit" on the steps of London's Albert Memorial) and more like a great piece of rock criticism with himself at the center. He's a fan first, with omnivorous taste, and can break down theories with zeal, whether its meetings with fellow boundary pushers ("Listening to Sly Stone was like taking a master class in brilliant nonsense") or talking about how keyboardist Bernie Worrell used Bach-esque counterpoint. By Christopher R. Weingarten
7 'Clothes, Clothes, Clothes. Music, Music, Music. Boys, Boys, Boys.,' by Viv Albertine
If Viv Albertine's memoir had only focused on the broadest outlines of her life — her six years as the guitarist in influential post-punk band the Slits, her return after a decades-long absence — this would have been fascinating enough. But Albertine's approach is far closer, pushing past candor into the uncomfortably honest. Some of this memoir involves talk of romantic liaisons in the heady days of London's late-Seventies punk scene, but there's also a harrowing account of her struggle with cancer and grapplings with suburban isolation decades later. A fully realized portrait of its author. By Tobias Carroll
6 'Songs Only You Know: A Memoir,' by Sean Madigan Hoen
"My bandmates saw me at my most inspired, screaming every pain I had access to," Sean Madigan Hoen writes in his gritty, gripping punk-rock memoir, "though I had told them next to nothing of where I'd come from." Hoen, it turns out, had plenty to scream about — a father addicted to crack, a sister consumed by depression, his own feelings of alienation, helplessness, adolescent angst; if his former band, Detroit art-core self-immolators Thoughts of Ionesco, was his young-adult self's cathartic outlet, Songs Only You Know is his older, wiser reevaluation, no less vein-bulgingly visceral but infinitely more nuanced and poetic. It's funny at times, always brutally honest; a half-healed bruise, tender and multi-colored. Few books convey the fever-pitch intensity of youth with such vividness and so little glamorization, or as deeply explore the heartbreaking complexity of family — both those we're born into and the ones we choose. By Brandon Geist
5 'Dancing With Myself' by Billy Idol
In his self-penned memoir, Billy Idol fleshes out his charmed life with an even mix of thrilling tales of sex, drugs and rock & roll. The singer is refreshingly candid about his heavy heroin addiction in the Eighties, a regrettable Rolling Stone cover story interview when he got too drunk and yelled at the writer, an unrequited threesome that landed him in court on sexual deviancy charges and the harrowing motorcycle accident that stymied his acting career (he says he'd tried out for the T-1000 in Terminator 2 but lost the role due to a limp). He also recounts some of the weird stories behind some of his greatest hits — "Dancing With Myself" was inspired by a Tokyo disco where people stared at themselves in mirrors and "Rebel Yell" was named after a whiskey he drank once with the Rolling Stones. He also writes about his post-drugs fallout in such a heartfelt way that he almost makes a case for reconsidering Cyberpunk. By Kory Grow
4 'Glow: The Autobiography of Rick James,' by Rick James with David Ritz
Those looking simply for stories of sexual and pharmaceutical excess can re-read Mötley Crüe's The Dirt. In Glow, Rick James' posthumously published autobiography with author David Ritz, the funk pioneer surprisingly eschews repetitive freaky tales for a deeper look at an insane life. Sure, there are unflinching looks at the singer's crack binges and violent behavior — an already unbridled id made worse by the death of James' mother — but it's the lesser-known adventures that make this essential reading for those only familiar with James' dark side. A mob-connected dancer mom who smuggled James into the club as a child to see Miles Davis; a chance encounter with future members of the Band, who saved a teenage James from getting his ass kicked; a headache that prevented the musician from hanging out with people who would be murdered by the Manson Family that night. Any hack can make a lost weekend enthralling, James and Ritz can make the history of "Super Freak"'s four-note descending bass line as intriguing as a pipe-filled motel-room breakdown. By Jason Newman
3 'Respect: The Life of Aretha Franklin,' by David Ritz
Back in 1999, David Ritz helped Aretha Franklin write her memoirs, sanitized enough to be allowed into an operating room. This year, he issued Respect, his uncensored 520-page biography of the Queen of Soul, and it's clearly the book he's been preparing to write his whole life. It's stuffed full with revealing interviews from Franklin's family, her musical collaborators and subjects of Ritz's other books, from Smokey Robinson to B.B. King. MVP interview: the saucy Etta James. ("Who wants to admit that you're praising the Lord at the 8 p.m. service and servicing some drop-dead gorgeous hunk of a singer an hour later?") Knowing the details of Franklin's complicated, sometimes painful life — starting with the two sons she had at ages 12 and 14 — helps deepen an appreciation of the pain and passion that fueled her music. By Gavin Edwards
2'Jerry Lee Lewis: His Own Story,' By Rick Bragg
"He did not need a song to make him inappropriate. Jerry Lee Lewis had always been inappropriate, and being a little bit famous did not change it; you can paint a barn white a thousand times, but that won't make it a house." In this gripping biography, Pulitzer winner Rick Bragg tells the story of rock legend Jerry Lee Lewis with the full force of history, poetry and two years of exclusive interviews with the Killer himself. Bragg grounds his story in the texture and tradition of the South, but when he tells the epic tale of the creation of "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On," he captures Lewis's divine madness. Reading the saga of rock's piano pioneer, you will likely agree: "It was like any life, really, but with the dull parts taken out." G.E.
1 'The History of Rock 'n' Roll in Ten Songs,' by Greil Marcus
Greil Marcus carved his stern visage into rock criticism's Mount Rushmore decades ago, but he won't rest on his laurels — and he won't let rock & roll either. And so he kicks off this ferociously cerebral and warmly empathetic super-listicle with a monster sentence that reels off lots of critically acclaimed musicians — it takes, like, five pages — and by the time you've gotten from the beginning (Chuck Berry) to the end (Jay Z), his intent is clear: Forget all of this. Rest assured the 10 songs he picks from there will surprise, and/or amuse, and/or enrage and undoubtedly challenge you: They span from Joy Division (as filtered through that goofy Ian Curtis biopic) to Phil Spector (as filtered through Amy Winehouse) to Etta James (as insufficiently filtered through Beyoncé) and beyond. Whether he's talking Buddy Holly or Cyndi Lauper, Robert Johnson or the Flamin' Groovies, Marcus writes with a philosopher's zeal and a superfan's joy, drawing connections between artists and eras and solar systems you'd never even imagined. It's revisionist history of the best and most necessary kind. By Rob Harvilla
Jim Marshall, one of rock & roll's greatest photographers, was at counter-culture ground zero in San Francisco in the mid-to-late Sixties. This gorgeous oversized book documents the era through iconic images — the Beatles at Candlestick Park in '66, the Grateful Dead at a mobbed street fair in '68, Hendrix torching his guitar at Monterey Pop. Just as illuminating are verité shots of street life, hippies and straights rubbing wary shoulders as the Age of Aquarius, for a magic moment, dawned over them all. By Will Hermes
9'Special Deluxe: A Memoir of Life & Cars' by Neil Young
Neil Young is a man of obsessions. Over the years he's fixated on everything from toy trains to digital audio quality, but the one constant has been classic automobiles — which meant many fans groaned when they learned his new book would focus on the many cars he's owned over the years. Thankfully, their fears were unfounded. The car angle is merely a clever framing device for Young to tell his life story in a more linear fashion than his scattershot 2013 memoir Waging Heavy Peace. Along the way we learn about the making of After The Goldrush ("I had just purchased a pound of Panama Red"), his regrets over his mistreatment of the members of Crazy Horse and Buffalo Springfield ("I was mostly juvenile and had no patience") and a crazy morning last year when his electric car LinkVolt broke down in Manhattan on his way to film a bit with Bill O'Reilly and Stephen Colbert, almost stalling out in the Lincoln Tunnel ("It was not a good day for us"). People wanting a straight account of Young's life will still be better served by reading Jimmy McDonough's definitive biography Shakey, but Special Deluxe is an enjoyable trip into the singer's endlessly fascinating mind. By Andy Greene
8 'Brothas Be, Yo Like George, Ain't That Funkin' Kinda Hard on You?: A Memoir,' by George Clinton with Ben Greenman
As funk's bravest cosmonaut, George Clinton spent the acid-fried Seventies in a world of Doo Doo Chasers and Thumpasorus Peoples and Psychoalphadiscobetabioaquadooloops. But his look back on the methods to his madness are as clear-headed as a textbook, reading less like a gauntlet of antics (and there are antics — including a donkey taking a "regal shit" on the steps of London's Albert Memorial) and more like a great piece of rock criticism with himself at the center. He's a fan first, with omnivorous taste, and can break down theories with zeal, whether its meetings with fellow boundary pushers ("Listening to Sly Stone was like taking a master class in brilliant nonsense") or talking about how keyboardist Bernie Worrell used Bach-esque counterpoint. By Christopher R. Weingarten
7 'Clothes, Clothes, Clothes. Music, Music, Music. Boys, Boys, Boys.,' by Viv Albertine
If Viv Albertine's memoir had only focused on the broadest outlines of her life — her six years as the guitarist in influential post-punk band the Slits, her return after a decades-long absence — this would have been fascinating enough. But Albertine's approach is far closer, pushing past candor into the uncomfortably honest. Some of this memoir involves talk of romantic liaisons in the heady days of London's late-Seventies punk scene, but there's also a harrowing account of her struggle with cancer and grapplings with suburban isolation decades later. A fully realized portrait of its author. By Tobias Carroll
6 'Songs Only You Know: A Memoir,' by Sean Madigan Hoen
"My bandmates saw me at my most inspired, screaming every pain I had access to," Sean Madigan Hoen writes in his gritty, gripping punk-rock memoir, "though I had told them next to nothing of where I'd come from." Hoen, it turns out, had plenty to scream about — a father addicted to crack, a sister consumed by depression, his own feelings of alienation, helplessness, adolescent angst; if his former band, Detroit art-core self-immolators Thoughts of Ionesco, was his young-adult self's cathartic outlet, Songs Only You Know is his older, wiser reevaluation, no less vein-bulgingly visceral but infinitely more nuanced and poetic. It's funny at times, always brutally honest; a half-healed bruise, tender and multi-colored. Few books convey the fever-pitch intensity of youth with such vividness and so little glamorization, or as deeply explore the heartbreaking complexity of family — both those we're born into and the ones we choose. By Brandon Geist
5 'Dancing With Myself' by Billy Idol
In his self-penned memoir, Billy Idol fleshes out his charmed life with an even mix of thrilling tales of sex, drugs and rock & roll. The singer is refreshingly candid about his heavy heroin addiction in the Eighties, a regrettable Rolling Stone cover story interview when he got too drunk and yelled at the writer, an unrequited threesome that landed him in court on sexual deviancy charges and the harrowing motorcycle accident that stymied his acting career (he says he'd tried out for the T-1000 in Terminator 2 but lost the role due to a limp). He also recounts some of the weird stories behind some of his greatest hits — "Dancing With Myself" was inspired by a Tokyo disco where people stared at themselves in mirrors and "Rebel Yell" was named after a whiskey he drank once with the Rolling Stones. He also writes about his post-drugs fallout in such a heartfelt way that he almost makes a case for reconsidering Cyberpunk. By Kory Grow
4 'Glow: The Autobiography of Rick James,' by Rick James with David Ritz
Those looking simply for stories of sexual and pharmaceutical excess can re-read Mötley Crüe's The Dirt. In Glow, Rick James' posthumously published autobiography with author David Ritz, the funk pioneer surprisingly eschews repetitive freaky tales for a deeper look at an insane life. Sure, there are unflinching looks at the singer's crack binges and violent behavior — an already unbridled id made worse by the death of James' mother — but it's the lesser-known adventures that make this essential reading for those only familiar with James' dark side. A mob-connected dancer mom who smuggled James into the club as a child to see Miles Davis; a chance encounter with future members of the Band, who saved a teenage James from getting his ass kicked; a headache that prevented the musician from hanging out with people who would be murdered by the Manson Family that night. Any hack can make a lost weekend enthralling, James and Ritz can make the history of "Super Freak"'s four-note descending bass line as intriguing as a pipe-filled motel-room breakdown. By Jason Newman
3 'Respect: The Life of Aretha Franklin,' by David Ritz
Back in 1999, David Ritz helped Aretha Franklin write her memoirs, sanitized enough to be allowed into an operating room. This year, he issued Respect, his uncensored 520-page biography of the Queen of Soul, and it's clearly the book he's been preparing to write his whole life. It's stuffed full with revealing interviews from Franklin's family, her musical collaborators and subjects of Ritz's other books, from Smokey Robinson to B.B. King. MVP interview: the saucy Etta James. ("Who wants to admit that you're praising the Lord at the 8 p.m. service and servicing some drop-dead gorgeous hunk of a singer an hour later?") Knowing the details of Franklin's complicated, sometimes painful life — starting with the two sons she had at ages 12 and 14 — helps deepen an appreciation of the pain and passion that fueled her music. By Gavin Edwards
2'Jerry Lee Lewis: His Own Story,' By Rick Bragg
"He did not need a song to make him inappropriate. Jerry Lee Lewis had always been inappropriate, and being a little bit famous did not change it; you can paint a barn white a thousand times, but that won't make it a house." In this gripping biography, Pulitzer winner Rick Bragg tells the story of rock legend Jerry Lee Lewis with the full force of history, poetry and two years of exclusive interviews with the Killer himself. Bragg grounds his story in the texture and tradition of the South, but when he tells the epic tale of the creation of "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On," he captures Lewis's divine madness. Reading the saga of rock's piano pioneer, you will likely agree: "It was like any life, really, but with the dull parts taken out." G.E.
1 'The History of Rock 'n' Roll in Ten Songs,' by Greil Marcus
Greil Marcus carved his stern visage into rock criticism's Mount Rushmore decades ago, but he won't rest on his laurels — and he won't let rock & roll either. And so he kicks off this ferociously cerebral and warmly empathetic super-listicle with a monster sentence that reels off lots of critically acclaimed musicians — it takes, like, five pages — and by the time you've gotten from the beginning (Chuck Berry) to the end (Jay Z), his intent is clear: Forget all of this. Rest assured the 10 songs he picks from there will surprise, and/or amuse, and/or enrage and undoubtedly challenge you: They span from Joy Division (as filtered through that goofy Ian Curtis biopic) to Phil Spector (as filtered through Amy Winehouse) to Etta James (as insufficiently filtered through Beyoncé) and beyond. Whether he's talking Buddy Holly or Cyndi Lauper, Robert Johnson or the Flamin' Groovies, Marcus writes with a philosopher's zeal and a superfan's joy, drawing connections between artists and eras and solar systems you'd never even imagined. It's revisionist history of the best and most necessary kind. By Rob Harvilla
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)