Living Slightly Larger

Saturday, day 2 of my multi-stage Doomtree diatribe. 

Today I want to look a little farther back in the canon and celebrate what was one of the first major outing for Doomtree, namely the first official album for P.O.S. - the curiously titled 'Ipecac Neat'. Released in 2004, the album was one of the first official records put out under the Doomtree banner and stands as some of P.O.S.'s best work, made all the more impressive by the fact that he was only 22 at the time. 

The Promise Of Stress (or Piece Of $#!% depending on his mood, born Stefan Alexander) is a lifelong Minneapolis native, having grown up here and attending Hopkins High School, where he met fellow crew members MK Larada, Cecil Otter, Mike Mictlan and Lazerbeak. Initially averse to rap and hip hop in general, in wasn't until a punk outfit he was playing with did a one-off gig as a rap-parody that the wheels turned in his head. Following the example of his friend Mike, P.O.S. took to rapping like a duck to water. He quickly became one of the best young MCs on the scene. For particular proof, track down a copy of his now-defunct group Cenospecies' first and only album - it's a fascinating look into the talented rapper's early work. His signature style is there, just not fully formed (it's a great piece of local history, if you can ever find it). When he began writing and rapping with eventual Doomtree crew member Cecil Otter they recorded and released a series of EPs, all under the title of False Hopes, not unlike, say, Nine Inch Nails' method for titling each release another in a series of Halos (Halo I, Halo II, etc.)  These Eps, (False Hopes, False Hopes Mega! and Cecil Otter's first solo foray, Hungover Seas) quickly established them as rising stars on the scene. When P.O.S. released his first full album there was no question about his talent and the potential that lay within.

The album, Ipecac Neat, is titled as such because P.O.S. wanted to conjure the image of "mental vomit" of which he identified his rapping - loose and free associating, yet personal and revelatory. Well played, sir. The album is definitely all those things and more. As an introduction to the astounding canon of material that would ensue, Ipecac Neat could serve as a primer for neophytes. Like any artist who is crafting their first album, P.O.S. drew upon the series of False Hopes eps for a couple choice cuts in addition to freshly penned (at the time) material. In particular the opener, Gimme Gunshots, is a fantastic illustration of personality contained within. The slower sections of verses show P.O.S.'s sly sense of humor and wit, cracking jokes and making winking references to the late Notorious B.I.G., even singing a bit, even if only in jest. When he switches up the rhyme scheme and tempo in the chorus we see his deft word play and knack for hooks - phrases fly by like shots and you can hardly decipher them before you're trying to catch the next line. I, personally, was hooked and blown away by the personal yet universal appeal of 'That One', an amazingly insightful song about the effects romantic entanglements. Just the opening lines had me enthralled when I first heard it "Gimme  a pen, a pad, a couch, a blanket, pillow and I'm out - I wrote this thing from 31st to Clinton foaming at the mouth, can I sleep in your den?" Those little details make his story telling very real and beleivable. The song is a heartbreaker, with P.O.S. spitting rhymes about suicide by cop and the moving refrain "I'm not waving, I'm drowning".

The whole album holds up as you listen through. 'Music For Shoplifting' is a speedy but sparse tune that makes a case for minimalism in hip hop. By crafting a beat around a broken kick-snare combo and putting just a hint of flamenco guitar on top, P.O.S.'s wit and wordplay get a chance to really shine through what is other wise a sonically dense album. Favorite line: "I'm not trying to save hip hop, I'm just trying to save my baby cousin from Jermaine Dupri". 'I Play The Matador' creates its energy and momentum seemingly out of thin air just from the beat, all snapping guitar licks and popping drums. The closer to the album, the personal 'Duct Tape', gives an even closer look into P.O.S.'s childhood and what he went through that made him who he is. The tales of home drama clearly made an impact but it gave birth to the passion on display here. Culled from an earlier ep, I'm guessing it was a natural choice for inclusion on the album. It's a moving, vivid piece of music that is quite affecting.

On a whole this is a fantastic album. I think, though, that part of the genius on display comes from the fact that P.O.S. had so much to prove when he was making it. Now, with three fantastic and varied records under his belt and all the critical adoration one could hope for, he may not have the same drive to prove his worth. On Ipecac Neat he had that desperation, the hunger of a young artist with the fire inside him. It's still there now, of course - he's tearing up the scene here and abroad, not only with solo sets and the Doomtree crew, but also with hardcore bands Building Better Bombs and Marijuana Deathsquads. He was also a highlight of the phenomenon that is Gayngs' album Relayted. all these cats are making huge waves at SXSW this year, so if you're not there, start with this amazing album and get acquainted quick, before you miss out. 

Hand Over What?

Holy Hannah, am I glad it's Friday.

As long as my week has been, one thing I can't stop obsessing over is all the amazing shows at SXSW I'm missing this year. Admittedly, I'd rather take a week off to go somewhere tropical and sit on the beach, but all that good music is too tempting. So I sit here in Minneapolis, reading constant updates about shows I can't see or movies I'll have to wait for. One thing I can console myself with, though, is the knowledge that I've had my fair shake at seeing Doomtree live. Knowing they're down there riding a huge wave of positive buzz and playing an obscene amount of shows makes me so proud of all the good things Minneapolis can create. I've dropped the Doomtree name in more than a few posts here and it's time I give them the full round of praise and explanation they deserve. Unfortunately it is literally a crew of people, so this will be no small undertaking. In order to keep this manageable I'm going to spotlight a release from each of the MCs and give proper credit to the beatmakers that make it all possible. I might end up hopping around a bit in the process but in the end there should be a nice collection of articles on the best hip hop to come out of Minnesota since Rhymesayers first made waves. First up - Mictlan and Lazerbeak's magnum opus 'Hand Over Fist'. 

Mike Mictlan is the proverbial Juggernaut of the crew - a rapper who, once he gains the momentum, cannot be stopped by any obstacle you throw in his way. His lyrical skill is unparalleled, with the ability to construct lines that approach Dada-ist absurdism in their twisted linguistics, while still maintaining coherence through complex similes and references. A Cali transplant, Mictlan spent separate chapters of his life traveling back and forth between MPLS and LA, gathering friends and influences in both states while honing his craft. His first official album under the Doomtree banner, 'Deity For Hire', was excellent and a strong indicator of things to come, but his talent and sound quickly grew beyond the parameters the album established. The album was reworked and expanded, released under the title 'Deity For Re-Hire' but again time passed and fans wanted more. Working with producer Lazerbeak, the duo set about constructing something massive. 

Lazerbeak, whom I previously wrote of in the Plastic Constellations post, was splitting time with both crews. From his time as a guitarist and vocalist in TPC he brought a refreshingly unique perspective to hip hop production, crafting beats and samples that displayed unusual musicality and sounds not often used in the genre. His songs show an affinity for real instrumentation instead of broken sounds - pianos, horns and guitars all serve as frequent backdrops for the tracks he creates. Beak and Mictlan were longtime friends and the collaboration came naturally as the two set about the long process of making the record together. What ensued is an album that is both heavy, full of banging drums and beats, while conversely musical and insightful, with Mictlan's lyrics delving into his personal life with intense candor.

To set the mood for the album, the opening, eponymous track sounds like a machine winding up in the first few seconds. When the song jumps to life, it's clear the energy is not a question here - Mictlan and Lazerbeak are going full steam, drums banging and Mike inciting the audience to hold up the signature hand signal of the crew, the bird gesture representing the Teeth & Wings of the Doomtree logo. Dropping references to ice-cold MN winds and rapping in his fluidic style, the track isn't even half over before we know exactly what the album has in store. The two lock into step and stay that way for the entire album. Tracks like 'Clam Casino' feature drop-in and out beats, with Mike bouncing along effortlessly. 'Shux' is a manic, barreling affair that features fellow crew member P.O.S. trading verses and double teaming the chorus. The song itself seems to follow the shouted instructions to grab a shovel and start digging, the beat digging farther and farther down. Maintaining the energy isn't simply a tempo trick, though. Tracks like 'Wolf Tickets' slows the pace but make up for it in the soundscape and ear-hook of the music. 'LA Raiders Hat' sees Mictlan talking about growing up in LA and it's a candid look into the rapper's life. It's easy to forget he's not solely a MN resident and his love for California is clear. 

The real standout track, however, is the album closer, which has also closed more than a few Doomtree sets. The massive and epic 'Prizefight' is an absolute highlight of what Doomtree, and Mictlan and Lazerbeak specifically, are capable of. The song is a grandly structured example of the musicality and range of styles hip hop can embody. It's essentially Mike rapping about keeping his "eyes on the prize" even though he might not know what he'd doing. It's a rundown of his life and how the passion for rapping he possesses has kept him moving forward and how it's paid off. It's also insanely danceable. The piano motif is both striking and funky, a testament to Lazerbeak's talent. Listening to this song winds the audience up no matter the occasion and it's no wonder they choose to close so many performances with it.

Hand Over Fist is an amazing album that shows just what Doomtree can do - it's all passion and drive, bolstered by insane talent and joy for the grind. Stay tuned for more posts about the crazy good music this collective can make!

Please Reunite

Hello, hello.

After yesterday's glorious surplus of a double post, today I thought I'd share something with you that is a little more personal. Friends of mine first gave me the drop on this excellent but now sadly defunct group. They were mainstays and darlings of the MPLS scene, gathering a devoted following and some national buzz until their dissolution at the hands of divergent personal lives and careers. By the time I got on board they were almost at the end of their road, releasing just one more album and doing only a handful of shows. Still, I was thrilled to hear The Plastic Constellations live just the few times I could, and their awesome music still lives on in various forms.

Formed by teenagers in the mid 90s, The Plastic Constellations (or TPC as I'll allow myself to truncate from now on) were all students at Hopkins High School. By scoring a lucky gig at First Ave early in their career, the band quickly created a buzz around their passionate sound and set to steady gigging on weekends. As years went by they continuously released record after record, making a lo-fi yet intricate canon of indie rock that is, at times, difficult to describe. When my friends introduced me to TPC and their sound, the only words he would use were "passionate" and "motivating". I honestly didn't know what to make of it, but hearing them brought the idea sharply into focus.

Turns out he was right.

The music these guys were creating was pretty much that - just passionate songs performed by intensely devoted, motivated people. While their early work certainly shows the talent they were cultivating, it's their last two albums that really move me. From the opening chord of 'Phoenix & The Faultline', the first track on their penultimate Crusades, it's all systems go. They immediately kick into high gear and don't stop for the next 36 minutes. Just the first line of the album could stand as a motif for the band's entire style and stance - "We're not going to the Belly of The Beast! We may be wrong but we refuse to just retreat!" The album never loses that momentum either - it's full bore until the last song. In a true test of their song craft, though, it doesn't become a draining affair. There's not an ounce of fat on Crusades, all the songs are fantastic. From the heavy grooves of 'Quixote' to the menacing mystic picking of 'Bring What You Bring', they throw down infectious, engaging tunes that have a life of their own.

Their final album, the epitome of their work, was the awesome 'We Appreciate You'. The album is the apex to their hard-won career. Full of the leveled-up versions of their signature riffs and whip-saw time-signature changes, the 'We Appreciate You' is an album that showed them at their A game. Songs like 'Stay That Way' and 'Black Market Pandas' are excellent examples of the band's sound. They're phenomenal mixes of the bombastic, shout-along choruses and mathematically detailed rhythms of the verses. The album is clearly TPC at their zenith, it's just a shame it had to be the end.

The one bright side to the band's demise is that they can still be heard and have an impact. They're not only a great example of what the Twin Cities can produce, but some members are still making great music, like guitarist/vocalist Aaron Mader, aka Lazerbeak. Lazerbeak makes the lava-bangers for the hip-hop collective Doomtree, who quite frankly make the best music in the Middle of America (pending post is forthcoming, give it time, people - there's ten of them). Regardless, The Plastic Constellations made some great, great rock music that is sorely missed in Minneapolis. Despite having recently reunited for a show to celebrate another Doomtree record release, there's no definite plans on the horizon. Until they do we have all their amazing albums to hold us over.

Collabo

Evening!


Another day full of errands and tasks after yesterday, so today's post is, again, truncated. The week coming, though, will allow for a little more proper writing. It's snowing again, of course. It's Minnesota in March, after all. I'm at home, having downed massive amounts of curry in the hopes that the endorphins can counteract the weather's mood killer. Speaking of killer moods, though...


Last month I wrote a post on the amazing Gayngs and their awesome album Relayted. They're still riding high on their acclaim, ready to rock SXSW and (much to my sorrow, as I can't attend) playing their Affiliyated showcase at First Ave tonight as I type this. Due to time and budget I find myself so close yet so far from what is no doubt an amazing show, with member's originating bands playing all over the venue, including the massive Doomtree crew, Solid Gold, Megafaun and the Leisure Birds. For those able to attend, I'm sure it was every bit as awesome as could possibly be. For those like myself, though, there is one small consolation - the free and amazing EP, Affiliyated.

This sick EP is brought to us by Minneapolis deities Doomtree. What the group did is the kind of creative process that fascinates my brain with its unlimited, diverging possibilities. Essentially they stripped the original album, the aforementioned Relayted, and drew straws for the elements laid bare. By drawing at random, different members of the crew took on tracks and rebuilt them from the ground up. It's a great reworking of what was already a phenomenal album. Songs have gone from sexy, subdued ditties to ethereal, ambient beats. Instead of the soulful crooning on the original versions, here we have Sims and P.O.S. spitting new raps over these regrinds. It's still the same moody, gorgeous music, just tweaked and rebuilt by the best damn rap crew around. On top of all this awesomeness, it's free - a token of love from crazy, prolific artists who push themselves on every project. 


I may be bummed out I can't make it to the massive spectacle at First Ave, but having this rad EP makes up for it. All the artists involved continue to blow me away with all they do. SXSW is looking a whole lot better, I can say that much. Do yourself a favor and head over here to pick up the EP.

Referential Humor

Hey kids, what's shaking?


It's the weekend and I'm trying to fit this in around a busy schedule of normal get-it-done-while-there's-time kind of errands, the usual life stuff that gets done as soon as you have time. What that really means is today's post is gonna be a short, concentrated blast of love. To pack the most love possible into it, the subject is a dense, knotted ball of referential music. Mashup time, once again.


If you're not familiar with The Hood Internet you really oughta be. Remix/mashup artists from Chicago, they are best known for taking commercial rap and throwing it on top of indie music. The resulting mix either elates or infuriates hipsters - I can't tell because I honestly haven't had a chance to ask a genuine hipster about it, but then again this is focusing entirely too much on labels. I digress. Point is, The Hood Internet make these great, indulgent mix tapes and put them on their blog totally for free. I've written many times about the wonders of free things on the internet and this is another classic example. So these guys are mixing all this great stuff together, I'm sorting through and downloading it while thinking "This is great stuff for party music, having people over" and I notice one of the smaller or shorter releases they did:

Looks like the duo took the acapella tracks from Felt and put them over the awesome and strange electro music of Tobacco, specifically his album Maniac Meat. It is phenomenal and weird at the same time. Felt, in case you don't know, is the project of local deity Slug from Atmosphere and Oakland's Murs from Living Legends. The two have been making a series of albums together for the last few years as tongue in cheek tributes to celebrities they wanna bed, like Lisa Bonet, Christina Ricci and Rosie Perez. They're both incredibly talented, insightful rappers who have had both critical and commercial careers that establish them as legends in their respective stomping grounds so hearing them together is always great. So when a mashup team who I also love take their vocals and lay them on top of another musician's work we then spiral into a deeper level of Inception-like referential awareness. It's like an ouroboros at this point. The meta-context of the EP is so thick it approaches impenetrability, which amuses me to no end, and yet listening to it, it's just electro-hip-hop. 


This awesome(and free!) EP is a mutli-leveled beast of dance music the could be deconstructed by much smarter minds. I've wondered in the past about how music evolves and how our collective minds influence the direction of culture - I think this is another sign of where we're headed. Like Girl Talk's endless, segueing jams or Kids & Explosion's more ground-up approach, we have artists whose work becomes so causality-focused that the listener's personal history and ability to place context with the presented material becomes wholly ingrained to the experience. It's not just listening to the music anymore, now there is a level of awareness that goes along with it. One could relate it to the rise of cultural memes and how they spread and become jokes about the jokes themselves, like LOLCats, the self-aware schlock-fest Snakes On A Plane or the resurgence of Family Guy after its premature cancellation. Pop culture is eating it's own tail at this point. Good or bad, we're so connected to our own hive mind that ideas reference themselves in ironic or winking ways so fast that a generation gap appears after a point. However, this gap is not strictly based on age but on the effort put forth by the participant. If you don't want to care about it, your experience is much more surface level and straight forward, while connectedness and awareness of the in-joke makes it an endless spiral into meta-context. 


Holy Hannah, looking at all that text, you know what's really apparent? I need to abstain from espresso before I write these pieces. Looks like my mind is speeding up to the point of humming bird status. Instead of making my keyboard burst into flames from furious typing, I'll let the music speak for itself. Head to their blog to download this EP as well as the rest of their awesome mix tapes. Play it while you entertain this weekend.

Gaynging Up

Feeling the malaise here folks.

Feeling gray and mish-mashed.

Could be daily life. Could be the fact that here in Minneapolis we had a just a tease, a taste, a smidgen of spring, only to have it cruelly snatched away and replaced by that blizzard I mentioned. Such is life, can't fight it. You can only play the hand you're dealt and other comforting platitudes. But life is not so grim. It could certainly be worse, just take a look at the world around us and there is inevitable some form of struggle and heartbreak within arms reach. No matter what I do today,though, I can't seem to shake the 'meh'. To take my mind off the matter I'll break down one of the best releases the Midwest has put out in the last year, and what has been called by some the album of the year for 2010. It's an album I put on when I'm in a funk, to chase away the bad vibes. At this point you either know 'em or don't.

Gayngs.

Look at that party. Who wouldn't want to get down with this group?


These cats are hip. They're hep. The roster for the group is a who's who of indie music darlings. The brainchild of Ryan Olson (of Digitata), the album was essentially a joke or one off project of novelty and giddy goofiness from too much lite-rock and free time in the studio. It's a love letter to the easy listening tones of Air Supply, 10cc and other smooth acts of the late 70s. No joke, the sprawling supergroup (and ensuing album 'Relayted') is composed of whoever could be drafted in, from Doomtree rap crew members P.O.S. and Dessa (master word-smiths that they are), members of hipsters beloved Bon Iver (whose label Jagjaguwar released the album), the Cook brothers from Megafaun and local loves Solid Gold and Lookbook. 


While those who created the album can swear up and down that its a tongue-in-cheek homage to these easy listening tunes (the entire album written intentionally juvenile and laid back 69 beats/minute) it's actually a phenomenal slow jam record, a groove album you can put on whether you're getting down or feeling down. That kind of a record. You put it on and whatever you're doing just got that much better - its an intensifier despite the molasses tempo to the entire project. 

Drawing from the diverse-yet-interconnected social scene that is the Midwest music scene, the album was slowly drafted over a year by Olson and friends as he slowly brought individuals together to craft individual tracks. Working on songs was mostly a labor of love, all the artists having their own careers and livelihoods to focus on. Musicians would unite to lay down tracks almost against their will at times, having to be cajoled to break out of their comfort zones or established wheelhouses. At this point in his career we've heard rapper P.O.S. sing his share of hooks to his songs (at least you should have, if you haven't you're seriously missing out on some of the best talent in the American rap industry) but who could have guessed he could straight up croon the way he does on 'No Sweat', his voice simultaneously smooth like caramel but rough around the edges. Others expand on known strengths, like Justin Vernon flexing his R&B chops, or Dessa on the pulsing 'Faded High'. It's curious to note that despite all the songs having identical tempos, Relayted feels like a broad album. 'Faded High' bounces and skips out of the speakers, sounding not unlike recent Gorillaz, while 'Crystal Ropes' slowly trudges along with its thumping, staccato synths.

If you haven't been up to speed with this massive and massively talented collective, hopefully you are by now. Riding the wave of critical success from last year, they're slated for even bigger and better things in 2011. Showcases at home (their Affiliayted showcase at First Ave), SXSW, Austin City Limits and Coachella. A new EP of remixes, Affiliyated, is dropping soon. The whole crew is going on a crazy tour, do yourself a favor and pick up some tickets and check them out when they come through your town, all the swagger and romanticism included. The buzz is only gonna build. Snag a copy of their debut and look for them all over the place in the future. 

Their first show was called "The Last Prom On Earth". How can you not want to see where they go from there?

Still Sick

Alright friends and neighbors, I'm still fighting the bug. Cold medicine can only do so much for a man and I'm feeling tapped.

So what do I do whenever I'm feeling empty and rundown?

Same thing every time - I highlight some art that I love and let it speak for itself, thereby letting me rest my head and giving props to a deserving artist. Today is no exception and I want to put the spotlight on a local artist who I stumbled across this summer in Uptown.

Lolamade Monsters are the work of Laura Holewa, who had a stall at the awesome yet all-too-short Uptown Farmer's Market, located at 29th and Colfax. Quick side note if you live in Minneapolis - support this Farmer's Market next summer! It was a fantastic place to get fresh veggies and meats at great prices, locally grown, without having to head all the way downtown. Okay, back on track. Her stall was simple and straight-forward, letting her work put it's twisted and most endearing foot forward. Laura's creations are bright and vibrant little monsters made of clay, absolutely bursting with personality. Here she is on Twitter and Facebook, as well as her space site on Etsy. Check out her awesome clay monsters.

Look at these things! How can you not love them? It was fortunate for my own sake that I had no cash with me when I first found her spot at the Uptown Farmer's market or I would have spent way more than I could afford on her devious little creations. I would love to fill a whole shelf with these monsters. 


Like I said, still under the weather, so today's post is shortened. Tomorrow should be back to form. Also, I wanted to give a quick thanks to the massive influx of traffic for the write up on Analog Heart, I appreciate all the feedback on that underrated piece of music. Nice to know so many people already had the drop on it!


See you tomorrow, friends and neighbors.