Black Star x Madlib

Oh snap.


Heads have been waiting for more Black Star material since the last time around, about a decade ago. It doesn't matter now because what they're back with is pretty durn classic. Welcome to the "Fix Up"
Black-Star-Fix-Up by Hypetrak



There's another track produced by Oh No too.


Find out more here.

Cusses "The Wait is Over"

 If you have any contact with the rock n roll scenes in Georgia or the Carolinas, you might be familiar with Cusses. The Savannah trio seems to be friends with myriad awesome bands from Florida to Virginia, and they recently went up to Asheville, NC to record their first album under the guidance of Dan Hannon (who's worked with Manchester Orchestra, among others).

For those that have been familiar with the band, the lengthy pursuit of recorded material able to capture their incredible live show, and the fact that they leaked "The Wait is Over," might just be a coincidence, but I prefer to think that it is a declarative statement. Here, finally, is a song you can enjoy without having to go out past 10 p.m.
[Update] Cusses' drummer Brian Lackey says it was only a 24-hour preview, so now you'll have to wait until 2012 for the album release...

  THE WAIT IS OVER by CUSSES

Dare Dukes' new album

 Dare Dukes' new album Thugs and China Dolls hits the streets January 29, a true labor of love that took more than 2 years (if my memory serves), including a successful fundraiser via Kickstarter, and Dare becoming a father. All the while, he was recording himself and a parade of collaborators laying down some impressive new material. For those familiar with his first record, the biggest change is the instrument selections. Fairly traditional arrangements for guitar, bass, drums and the occasional mandolin or banjo now give way to horns, strings and any number of other sounds. What hasn't changed is Dukes' ability to pen great songs, from poetic and poignant narratives to more fun and loose material.

The first single, "Meet You at the Bus" sounds like you happened to wander into a thrift store where some free-spirited musicians are there playing a bunch of instruments they found in the shop.

Meet You at the Bus by Dare Dukes

[via Dare Dukes]

Jam of the Day

I heard this little gem on 1190 AM radio while driving to a meeting in Aurora. I must have missed Alex Ebert's solo project completely (I guess I wrongly assumed it would be the same exuberant flower power inherent in Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros. I can admit when I'm wrong. This track "The Truth" is a collab with RZA that would make Ennio Morricone proud.

Gonjasufi "Nickels & Dimes"

Here's a taste of Gonjasufi's upcoming LP on Warp. His last album (A Sufi and a Killer) was brilliant, so it'll be interesting to hear the follow-up. Judging by this track he won't change his style too drastically. Here's his usual mubbly moan delivery is stacked over a skittering beat held back from the pit of repetition by some carefully placed drum filters. The end effect is a 21st century hobo's lament.

Random Goodness #3

 

Here are a few tasty more tasty morsels from across the sprawling bounty of the digital info harvest: 

• I was never a huge fan of Richard Florida's economic principles (ie - creative urban redevelopment is really just a matter of attracting artists and gay people to economically depressed areas with unique real estate potential), but I am intrigued by this map for the Geography of Stuck that he shared (via the Atlantic).
• If you've been looking for some interesting perspective on the nationwide crackdown on the Occupy Wall Street movement, definitely read Naomi Wolf's piece in the Guardian that describes (and links to) some really crazy stuff about lobbying firms soliciting the American Banking Association for counter-ops + involvement by the Department of Homeland Security. Read it here.
• Finally, on a lighter note, Brooklyn rappers Tanya Morgan have a free EP called You and What Army that is definitely worth a listen. You can download it for free, or support them financially by pairing it with t-shirts or other merch. Via Bandcamp.

Making Non-Profit News Outlets Sustainable

A cool illustration of the challenges facing non-profit news orgs (click to see it full size):

via the Knight Foundation

P Villa "After We Meet"

I'm digging this new EP from SAV/ATL beatmaker and Blunt Guts Nation contributor P Villa. It's called After We Meet and the general direction is mellow electro-glitch-hop. The third track is a standout:


Check out the whole thing here.

Black n Red teaser

Two of my favorite Savannah MCs KidSyc (NekstUp) and Knife (Dope Sandwich) are collaborating on a new project due out in 2012. It should be crazy. Here they are chilling in the booth, flipping the BET cypher style (sans Sprite plugs) with the help of the guys from Savannah Film Co.

Ludacris "Bada Boom"

I don't put much stock in rap beef since it became a marketing ploy for a lot of folks, but what is undeniable is that the smackdown is a crucial part of hip hop, and this new Ludacris video is a monster open handed slap to the tender cheeks of Drake and Big Sean. I don't know how this started, but Luda clearly finishes it. Opening with a flip of The Fifth Element and then unleashing a proper verbal fury. "Nothing been new since Big Daddy Kane."

Ital Tek x Doom

Wow. Here's a tasty morsel I didn't expect to find while emerging from a post-Turkey Day coma. A lovable space funk remix of a DOOM bootleg by Planet Mu's Ital Tek. If you're looking for some powerful electronic mayhem, turn an ear toward Ital Tek's new EP, particularly the track "Gonga"
ITAL TEK X DOOM (2009 BOOTLEG) DOWNLOAD by ITAL TEK
[via Passion of the Weiss]

Young Buffalo "Baby Demons"

 It's a shame this single didn't hit ears closer to the summertime because this is some road trip music. Young Buffalo is a Mississippi duo who I had the pleasure of meeting in Savannah during Stopover last spring. They recorded a Stopover Session at Meddin before hitting the road. They were hungry for Arby's, and I think drove across the city to find one before leaving town (we gave them the best directions possible, and since they're still putting out music, I can assume they survived). Skittering, two-steppin' drums are racing a power-pop guitar riff and distant, melodic vocals for a sound that is sure to titillate college radio listeners.

Watch the Couch

I can't remember whether I posted something about this at the time, but if I didn't shame on me, and if I did, then you know it's worthy of some more love. This "Watch the Couch" project dropped the same week as the slightly better known Watch the Throne, thanks to Superbuddah, a collaboration between ATL underground heads Ethereal and Spacebar. The second cut off the EP is a favorite of mine recently - it's got this ATCQ vibe translated into a post-Madlib hip hop aesthetic. This is a smooth classic. Don't sleep. The whole thing is solid from front to back.


Check the whole project here.

Random Goodness #2

A few more things worth sharing:

• via McSweeney's - A great piece about playing chess for money in Zucotti Park and waiting for the cops to come and break up the Occupy scene. Read it here.
• via New Yorker - A 1978 profile of Atlantic records mastermind Ahmet Ertegun. Read it here.
• via RCRD LBL - a nice remix of a new Tom Vek song:

Random Goodness

 Here are some very unrelated things that caught my eye or ear today...

• via Foreign Policy - a closer look at the emerging gray market economy known as System D, a $10 trillion/year economy that functions completely outside the "real" global economy. Read it here.
• via Friends of Friends - a retrospective mix by Laurent Fintoni that covers some gems from the West Coast label's first two years in business. If you like hard-to-categorize-but-generally-left-field-downtempo, then this is worth your time. Listen or download here. 
• via Wired - Is Chernobyl a Wild Kingdom or a Den of Decay? Find the answer here. 

G-Side "Island"

The new album from the Huntsville, AL duo is up on their bandcamp page. If you like real hip hop, don't think the South is only serving up K.R.I.T. to rattle the wood paneling in your caddy. These guys are on next - even NPR gives them shine. Definitely give "Look Up" a listen...

yU's "Garbage Beat Tape"

yU is a DC MC best known outside DC hip hop circles for his role as 1/3 of Diamond District (alongside Oddisee & X.O.) One thing he's not been known for is producing, but apparently he wants to rectify that. The MC has been spending some time with a beat machine and this tape is proof positive that he's getting some chops.
 

There's some gems on here, which helps balance out some of the more forgettable material. He's got a new album called The Earn on the way soon.

Has-Lo remixed by J-Zone

Has-Lo's "Light Years" gets re-cast over a J-Zone beat and the results are a real workout for your neck. Go ahead and bob your head, tap your feet or whatever you do because this is tight number right here.


The track is a friendly reminder that Has-Lo's Conversation B is out on vinyl today, and there's a limited edition pressing (500 only) available from FatBeats.

On a side note, if you're not old enough to remember J-Zone's 2002 record Pimps Don't Pay Taxes, you need to go back and find that. There's some incredible punchlines and nasty beats.