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.

The Mystery of The Double Post

Alright kids, I promised a double post, so here we go!


I mentioned in my write up on Donald Glover and his musical endeavors that, in addition to his writing for 30 Rock and acting on Community, he also starred in the debut film from his comedy troupe Derrick Comedy. That movie, 2009's Mystery Team, is actually pretty darn funny and totally worth taking a look at if you're at all interested in the premise.

Directed by Dan Eckman and collaboratively written by Eckman, Glover, Derrick members D.C. Pierson and Dominic Dierks as well as Meggie McFadden, the movie is a hysterical take on the idea of Encyclopedia Brown/Nancy Drew type kid detectives and what happens as they grow up. In the movie Glover, Pierson and Dierks share top billing as the titular team, childhood detective heroes in their town who have since grown up yet haven't given up their business. While parents and the pressures of reality (graduating high school, attending college) bat at their subconscious, the team still spends their time solving mysteries for a dime apiece, like who stuck their finger in the pie on the window sill while still accepting payments in ice cream sandwiches. When a young girl in the neighborhood hires them to solve the mystery of who killed her parents the three detectives are forced to begin accepting their impending adulthood while investigating an actual crime. I have to confess, I think the concept is absolutely absurd and wonderful, and while the resulting film can be at times an uneven affair, it still is very funny and a great first outing for the comedy group.


The concept allows for a trio of incredibly naïve yet well-meaning characters, and the actors are all charmingly harmless as cases of arrested development. The team has their resident boy genius (Pierson), a master of disguises (Glover) and the strongest kid in town (Dierks, whose scrawny arms make it all the more absurd). The gang's reputation always precedes them, with even schoolyard hoods recognizing them before fleeing (the kid who ruined the pie: "Oh f#$%, it's the Mystery Team!" and he bolts from the swingset). SNL cast member Bobby Moynihan makes an appearance as a childhood friend/fan of the team, reminiscing about the adventures he missed out on while paying them in advance with the previously mentioned ice cream sandwiches. It's goofy stuff like this that I love - the premise for the movie allows for a very simple world view of better times in the past, which conflicts so well against the often unpleasant world around the main characters. There are other hey-it's-that-guy! moments with other NBC faces as well, like Parks & Rec's Aubrey Plaza, 30 Rock's John Lutz and Kevin Brown and The Office's Ellie Kemper. It's a wonder NBC didn't want to get involved in marketing the movie, considering how many of their actors are involved, but then again there's a fair amount of risque content to throw cold water on the idea. Oh well, their loss.

Mystery Team is a funny if at times unbalanced movie. The mystery does genuinely unfold but the humor starts to evaporate when the plot gets too serious about dolling out clues. Despite this, I found it to be genuinely entertaining and worth the look. It's available everywhere now, it seems - Netflix, On Demand, Dishnetwork. I would definitely encourage you to take a look if you've got a Friday night and you're into goofy comedies.

Accompaniment

Evening, all.


After yesterday's rantings about grilling and weather which resulted in a truncated post, I thought I'd go down the same route and just talk about a single song that's fantastic instead of having to cover an entire album. Additionally, look for another post later tonight as penance for shorter updates. Anyway, let's move on!


I wrote about Silverchair and their great album Neon Ballroom a few weeks back. After that album was released there was a bit of a hiatus for the band, and a few years passed with out a proper release. When the band went back to the studio to record the follow up, Diorama, they were older and wiser. For the first time in his career, Daniel Johns really seemed to be stretching his wings and flexing his song-writing muscles. It sounded, frankly, like he had grown up. The album that we got, as listeners, was a mixed bag - some heavy and in line with previous motifs (One Way Mule, The Lever) while others broke absolutely strange new ground (Tuna In The Brine, Across The Night). Splitting the difference for these disparate groups was a particular song that I feel really defines the band and stands as some of their best work. The song I'm referring to is the sweeping, dramatic 'Without You', the second single off the album. Ironically song is said to be a hold-over from Neon Ballroom, only reworked and expanded for Diorama after Johns decided to take more risks in his writing process.

The song is a work in almost diametrically opposed concepts, embodying both the heaviness of the group's youthful work while displaying a new sense of of melody and song structure. This newfound direction allowed the band to express more nuanced ideas while still wielding them with the weight and power of a rock group. At times on Diorama you can get a feeling that Johns had been struggling with identity and expectations, and with this album he afforded himself the opportunity to take some risks and venture, ever so slightly, out of his comfort zone. 'Without You' would be the best example of that fresh expression on the album. Played in a drop-Db tuning, the song is a momentous, heaving affair in a waltz time signature that propels itself forward with the rolling drums that evoke feelings of a symphony, only scaled back to fit the three piece band. Making great strides as a writer using major key melodies (what a novelty, right?) Johns sounds more upbeat, even if singing the anguished lines "Miles away there's hopeless smiles better than mine, and I need for you to come and go without the truth falling out." The pre-chorus shimmers with clean guitar lines, the distortion momentarily dropping out as the tension builds. When the chorus does finally hit, its a satisfying affair, all major chords and I-IV-V chord progressions. Johns' voice has grown nicely and he's able to hold higher and more varied melodies while still maintaining the rasp he used in his earlier work. The song is full of little touches that make it fantastic, like the burning hum of a sliding, electric guitar lick and acoustic flair added in towards the back half of the song.

'Without You' is a fantastic piece of power-pop. I love the song and how it has such a great sense of weight and momentum behind it, giving heft to the light touches that serve as it's structure. That's kind of the key to the piece as a whole - there's a low skeleton that supports a fragile framework and the two compliment each other very well. It really stands out as my favorite track on an album showcasing Johns' growth and risky moves. This would be their last official release for almost five years, but the band would return with vigor, offering the further endeavors in envelope-pushing that is Young Modern. I'm sure in the future I'll get a chance to do a proper write-up on Young Modern, but in the mean time give a listen to this amazing song. Hopefully you'll find it as rewarding as I do.

This Changes Things

Oh man, the sun is still shining and it's 7:00pm. How do you expect me to write anything when I just put the grill out on the deck?

Sigh.

Alright, I'll meet you half way. Instead of giving another passionate diatribe about an album that you absolutely must hear I'll focus on one particular song, thereby saving us all the effort. That song? The phenomenal and criminally under-appreciated 'Can't Change Me' by Soundgarden and Audioslave frontman Chris Cornell.

The song was the single off of Cornell's first solo album 'Euphoria Morning'. Cornell had been the singer in the massively  popular Soundgarden for ten years prior, only to strike out on his own when the band began to dissolve. If you don't know anything about Soundgarden I am sorry for your ignorance; I would then direct you to these Youtube clips for some of their best work in melodic heavy metal/grunge: Black Hole Sun, Pretty Noose and the phenomenal Burden In My Hand. Those aren't even their heaviest metal songs, but they're some of the best writing they did. Then go to iTunes and download their greatest hits. When you're caught up, come back here and read on. Go, I'll wait. 

Anyway, by the end of the 90s the band was on the way out. Their last album, the experimental and wonderfully odd Down On The Upside, saw them trying new things but it was a scattered, unfocused effort. When Cornell started working on his solo album all eyes were on him. After all, great band behind him or not, he has an unbelievable set of pipes. When the first single off the album was released, though, we were treated to a surprisingly brooding number that didn't blow the roof off the place, but set us to simmer instead. 

'Can't Change Me' is a strange tune in the best way. From the palm-muted opening notes that preface the drums kicking in with the guitar lead, it's an interesting sound in a foreign key, instead of any sludge of the overdone grunge people were expecting. The verses are all loosely strummed acoustic guitars and moaned lines of anguished envy. The song speaks of finding a woman who can have anything at all, yet he can't become a better person for her. The pre-chorus shows the spark of life - "Wait just one minute more, I can see that she's trying to free me" - and we hit the stuttered flair of the drums bringing us to the chorus proper. "She's going to change the world but she can't change me..." It's a haunting, beautiful song of desire that speaks directly to the unmotivated slacker in the audience. You want to be a better person but know you're destined to be the same loser in the end that you are going in. This attitude is strangely honest and refreshingly frank - it's not the trite "No woman can change me!" view but rather the self loathing "She'll try but she can't" that makes it unique. It's a rarely expressed view and that only adds to the already striking tune.

As I said, Cornell's voice is astounding. It's evident in the opening lines. The structure of the song is fairly by-the-numbers, but man is the song a great work that's bigger than the sum of the parts. It's haunting and moody. Unfortunately I would be hard pressed to show you anything in the ensuing time that Cornell has done that could compare to this other than MAYBE his cover of Billie Jean (which later was done by David Cook). Even worse, no one seems to know this song! How can that be? It's an amazing, moving song that has only gotten better with time and yet I've never heard it anywhere other than my own iPod. Not fair at all, world. Not at all. Take a listen to this amazing song and see what you've missed.

That Was All It Took

Happy Monday, cats. One day down, four to go. Until we get to the weekend we'll have some sunshine and warmer weather to get us through. 

Last week The Strokes were on Saturday Night Live with someone who shall not be named, While watching them play their new single 'Under Cover of Darkness' my better half remarked how it felt like a great summer song, that "we should be grilling and having a drink on the balcony!" I told her it would all come soon enough, but in the meantime we had this great new song to tide us over. It did get me thinking, though, about how fantastic their first album was - NME has actually hailed it as the album of the decade, if that says anything. 

The Strokes were New York's darlings, products of the city and making lo-fi pop songs under the guise of garage rock. Their first proper album, Is This It was unlike anything else at the time of its release in 2001 (I know, I know, but c'mon - there was so much good music that gets forgotten!). Instead of relying on over production and five part harmonies the Boy Bands were using or the bombastic idiocy by the likes of Limp Bizkit (oof), The Strokes went 180 degrees on the general movement in pop music - that is, they just wrote killer songs and played them with a lot of heart and soul. When other groups were being over produced or clinically mixed and mastered, Is This It was just a straight-ahead piece of guitar pop-rock, short and sweet. It was like a breath of fresh air. I remember vividly first hearing the single 'Last Night' and thinking it sounded both amazingly, simultaneously retraux and nouveau. It was at the forefront of the DIY revival, the garage-rock ethos making a resurgence in collective pop culture. The White Stripes and The Hives broke wide open around the same time, marking the collective zeitgeist.

Interestingly, rather than being a drab, simplistic affair, the album is deceptively complex. Rarely do the bass lines just double the guitar; they often run in contrapuntal or divergent lines that have their own sense of melody. I think what really sums up the feel of the whole album is front man Julian Casablancas describing what the overall aim was in recording Is This It: he wanted it to feel like a "band from the past took a time trip into the future" to record this record. The result was the urgent, vibrant work of New Yorkers throwing down, piece by piece, a quick and dirty record of power pop. Clocking in at just a hair under 37 minutes, there's not an ounce of fat on the album. Not to say songs don't have  a chance to grow, rather they just do so in an incredibly concise and efficient way. You know how the rest of the world looks at New Yorkers and the way they plow through the sidewalks, never slowing down or stopping to gawk at anything? Same thing with this album, just straight ahead, no slowing down, get the job done. You would hardly know it though, from the opener. The titular Is This It? gets off to an almost lackadaisical start, the drums barely chugging as the incredibly hooky, descending guitar line reminiscent of the Pixies kicks in(Gil Norton produced the album, who had done extensive work with the Pixies). The bass hops and leaps in little jumps as Casablancas moans his lines and brings us to the chorus, where everything synchs up and we get a real sense of what's happening. It's new but with the sense of history that signaled it as part of the movement in pop culture that is constantly winking at the past. Irony is part of everything that happens now, it would seem. This album was first in on the joke.

While the afore-mentioned 'Last Night' was the big single off the album, to me it was eclipsed by the infinitely superior follow-ups 'Some Day' and 'Hard To Explain'. Both songs are catchy in their unrelenting momentum. The jangly strumming of 'Some Day' provokes an almost instinctual head bob with it's laid back but fervent energy. Like my fiancée described the new single, this song instantly conveys the sunny days of summer, shooting the breeze and sharing drinks in a warm breeze. Maybe that's not NY but it's how a couple kid from MN chose to partake. The other in the pairing, 'Hard To Explain', rides a little harder, and while it has an insanely catchy melody it still pushes the band harder and faster than anything else on the record. Casablancas' wailing is phenomenally realized here, and when he gets to the word-salad that is the chorus you don't necessarily follow his exact phrasing but the attitude is there, regardless. That seems to be the real vibrancy to the whole thing, anyway - you may or may not be in on all the references but it hooks you regardless, and once it does it's a hard album to shake.

The Strokes have followed this incredible first effort with some strong follow ups, but nothing quite possesses the same punch and joix de vivre as this record. It's fantastic and comprehensible, the rare rock record that anyone can understand yet is impossible to really dissect. It's no wonder it has such a sterling reputation. I have to say I'm incredibly excited for what they have to offer later in the month, hipster darlings or no. They make great, gratifying pop songs that are unparalleled. Let's keep our ears open, shall we?

Check Up

Happy Daylight Savings Time!


I can't be the only person who is glad to see a little extra sunshine in the evening. It's gonna make a world of difference in the time running up to spring. 


A couple weeks ago I wrote about the amazing remixes and mash ups of Max Tannone, including the awesome re-ordering of The Beastie Boys album Check Your Head. I mentioned how much I dig that album and it really is great. We all know the Beasties are legends in modern music and the rap community but this album of theirs is some of their best work. It's another of my favorites that, while well regarded, should really be lauded by a wider audience. I remember picking it up a long time ago and realizing how great it can sound when a hip hop group plays their instruments and really jams together. It's no wonder Tannone was able to construct a great recontextulizing of the source material - the group is in great form here with plenty of A-material to choose from. It's hard to believe they were still only two albums in to their legitimate rap careers at this point, having only put out License to Ill and Paul's Boutique before this. At that point they had barely gotten past the joke-rap, party-and-girls scene of their first album. Let's look a little closer at what was going on and why this album is so great, shall we?

The Beastie Boys had originally been a punk outfit from New York, playing hardcore and opening for the likes of the Bad Brains and Dead Kennedys. When they released a joke 7-inch of them rapping/prank calling Carville, the single 'Cooky Puss', they hooked up with producer extraordinaire Rick Rubin. Rubin convinced the group to switch up their style and go full on for the rap game. Their first release with this style, License To Ill, was a huge success. But while it was the first rap album to hit number one on the Billboard charts the group largely disavows its existence today, due to the sexist and homophobic material on it. Their next album saw them breaking out of their narrowly defined ideals, making new headway with their lyrics and teaming up with the Dust Brothers to make what Rolling Stone referred to as the 'Dark Side of the Moon' of hip hop. Paul's Boutique was rich with samples and layering, and earned them the respect and recognition of the rap community and critics alike. Their next effort, one of my favorite albums ever, saw the band marrying their past to their present, creating a new found identity.

Check Your Head saw the band return to their instruments, while still making deft use of eclectic samples. The Beasties incorporated their punk roots into the hip hop vibe they'd grown comfortable with, resulting in a groove-heavy album full of energetic and passionate music. The group's flow and sense of swagger stayed strong but there was a new vigorous vitality. There's even some legitimate punk on display, like the cover of Sly & The Family Stone's 'Time For Living'. The legendary Biz Markie makes an appearance on the short and goofy 'The Biz Vs. The Nuge'. 'Pass The Mic' has some of the best beats I've ever heard, the loose and behind the beat drums swing wide open as the Boys rap over the top, swapping verses. One of my favorite songs they've done, the crazy and wild 'So What'cha Want' has a great little guitar lick on top of the massive drum beat. The energy in that track is frenetic and loose. It's crazy and I love it. 

It's not just the rapping I love here. There are some great instrumental tracks, like the funky 'Professor Booty' or the laid back 'Groove Holmes'. Tracks like these show where the Beasties started experimenting with their more esoteric ideas. Future albums would show the development and growth of these risky moves and it really pays off. The group was really starting to flex their creative muscle here. But it's not just these grooves, either. It's the honest feeling that it's not just three separate musicians throwing ideas in a pile to be edited down - there is real feeling of a group collaborating and making something vibrant and new. There's another Rick Rubin-produced album that evokes this same feeling, the Red Hot Chilli Peppers album Blood Sugar Sex Magic. It's a similar work that feels like a definite group effort that I'm sure I'll end up doing a post on, down the line. Until then, I'm gonna throw my headphones on and finish out my Sunday night doing the dishes with these young punks laying down some weird grooves while I scrub. See you tomorrow night.

More Found Sounds

Afternoon, all.

How's the weekend finding you?

Instead of driveling on about another album I loved when I was a teenager I thought I'd spend today's post writing about an artist whose work deserves more widespread appreciation. I write of the musician Kenna. I discovered the joy that is Kenna's first album, 'New Sacred Cow', while watching MTV2 one night in 2002 or 2003, the specifics are a bit fuzzy. What I do recall vividly (aside from the instant dating of this piece by referring to MTV2 playing actual videos) is the nature of the video for the song 'Hell Bent'. The video is essentially a mash up of Kenna's excellent single with the heart-breaking short film 'More' by Marc Osborne that incorporates stop motion elements to tell a tale of devotion and aspiration. The result is a video of hope and sorrow, about a young...person...who finds himself lost in a miserable world of endless toil. By putting the essence of his passion and person into a project he innovates and changes the world, only to lose that special spark inside forever. It's a little Twilight Zone-ish and more than a bit heavy on message but it still broke my heart as an idealistic young person. To this day I still find it moving, and the original short 'More' is considered to be one of the best shorts ever created, ranking in the top ten shorts on IMDB. 

All of this served as an amazing introduction to Kenna's awesome album New Sacred Cow. Released in 2003, the album was critically adored but didn't see massive sales. It's really a shame that the album never took off in a big way because it really is a gorgeous, nuanced piece of work that shows just how talented and expressive Kenna can be. Due to label and management conflicts, the New Sacred Cow was delayed over two years before it was finally released, to which some have attributed the lackluster reception. Who could argue that artists can lose steam or buzz when going through two solid years of indeterminate delays? Regardless, the album was finally released in its complete form, to open arms in the right circles. The wider public, not so much, unfortunately. 

Personally, I love the album. I had it in the back of my mind for the intervening years of hearing 'Hell Bent' and actually being able to buy it. It was the winter of my sophomore year in college, the ever present night fall of St. Paul's winters weighing heavily on my psyche. This was just before the internet exploded with massive amounts of blogging and free-exchange of ideas (p2p, torrents) so I never was able to download it. I was at a Cheapo Records with my friend Jimmy (yeah, this was right as iTunes took off, too) and he held up a copy and said "You ever heard of...Kenna?" with hesitation. My head snapped up from the used racks. "Oh my God, are you kidding?" I asked with excitement. It was the only copy in the store. I wouldn't let Jimmy buy it - I insisted I had to have it and would rip him a copy when I got home (sorry Kenna!). We listened to it in his car on the way back to my apartment, engrossed in what we heard.

The album is a wonderful mix of electro, synth-heavy new wave and piano-and-drum beats. Some tracks, like the single 'Freetime', are quite dance-able and up beat. The new wave tones of 'Redman' are strange and haunting, but nonetheless catchy and hypnotic. The verses have a great stuttering, off kilter back beat the hooks your ear with its unusual rhythm. 'Hell Bent' is all somber keyboards and electro loops, with Kenna's soothing voice over the arrangements. Kenna's voice is really the driving force here, but it never gets too in-your-face or upfront about the presentation. The entire sound scape is what Kenna is really creating on this album instead of a musician simply trying to show off their chops. His voice is smooth, but has great range. The beautiful and brooding 'Man Fading' is a great example of the textures and layering Kenna creates, with his voice complimenting the music instead of leading it. 

New Sacred Cow is an album I not only listened to obsessively when I first bought it, but one that I keep coming back to in the following years. Some of the other posts and reviews I've written for this blog can give insight into my tastes - it should be no surprise this album fits so snugly into my wheelhouse. It's at different times smooth, funky, sorrowful and hopeful. The tones vary but the voice and mode stay the same. Kenna came right out of the gate with a phenomenal album that deserves much more love than it received. His follow up efforts, Make Sure They See My Face and his recent EPs Land 2 Air Chronicles and Songs for Flight, have brought more acclaim and steady buzz. Over the years his clout has grown, but near fast as it should have. Give him a listen and see what so many have been missing out on.

Deux Foo

Happy Friday evening, people.

I wrote about the Foo Fighter's fantastic first album last week. While it is indeed a great piece of rock and roll history, I realize now that I wrote that post solely to facilitate arriving at today's post, which is all about the follow to that album, The Colour And The Shape. It's an amazing album that spawned hit singles and earned the group a Grammy nod. To this day it stands as their highest-selling album with over 2 million copies sold. Another in a series of my favorite albums that come from the 90s, huh? Let's dig in.

The one problem with being in a band with Dave Grohl is that your drumming better be good. The guy is, no exaggeration, one of the best drummers of the last twenty years. You could play any drum track from Nirvana's album Nevermind and stand a good chance at picking it out - he displayed a real musicality to his approach, even if it is ultra-powerful and heavy. He hits hard and fast, accurate with deftness, unlike so many out there. So naturally there would be tensions when William Goldsmith wasn't performing up to Grohl's expectations. Having toured in support of their debut and tracking several new songs in preparation for their next record, Grohl decided he had had enough and moved the sessions to LA from Seattle and re-tracked almost every drum part with his own playing. Understandably Goldsmith was hurt and soon left the band. In his place Dave recruited touring drummer for Alanis Morrisette Taylor Hawkins to fill in on the road work and he proved to be an excellent match; he is still with the band to this day. The finished album was mixed by Grohl and Gil Norton, whose British background is responsible for the spelling of 'Colour' in the title. What they ended up creating is (in my humble opinion) the best work of their career. 

Rumored to be a concept album about the life of a relationship (Grohl's marriage to Jennifer Youngblood during the writing and recording of the album, fittingly), the album is a classic piece of energetic rock songs with strong pop sensibilities. The opening track shows the band was heading in a more nuanced direction, 'Doll' being a jangly, strummed piece of angst that clocks in at just under a minute and a half. It sets the precedent for the album both in its tone and brevity - they waste no time on filler and sing of being scared of commitment yet the contrasting need to change to please someone. The first single for the album, the up-tempo 'Monkey Wrench', is fast and poppy, which put it at odds with other things on rock and alt radio at the time. While there were plenty of angsty grunge clones on the radio, here among them was a furious melody that was both upbeat and energetic. Grohl admitted to feeling nervous about the squirrely guitar lick over the main riff of the song, but realized its positive tone made it stand out in the best way possible. The next track, 'Hey Johnny Park!', has a powerful riff that gets its steam from the single notes played through the gaps over heavy, contrasting chords. The verses on this song again show the newfound sensibility of the band, feeling light and chilly, almost like their take on a surf band, before they gear up for the grinding chorus filled with killer harmonies. It's a diverse mix of styles in one song, but it holds together really well. Other songs show this same sense of balance, like the dual-moded 'Up In Arms'. The song's first half is all garage-rock clean chords from the mid-to-late 60s. The second half of the song flips the first on its head, taking the same chord and melody but cranks up the distortion and tempo. It's a credit to the song writing that you can take the same structure and melody and make it work so well in different ways.

That's really the secret of the album (and Grohl's career). You can dress it up in distortion and screaming all you want, but the truth of the matter is that Grohl is a phenomenal writer. His innate sense of hooks and structure make for music that is both engaging and memorable. For example, while there are balls-to-the-wall rockers on the album, one of the best songs on here is the light and breezy 'See You', a stomping acoustic number that has a bright and fun melody, totally at odds with some of the more aggressive tracks. Note, though, that I said one of the tracks. The two real stand outs on the album, and two of my favorite songs in my life, are both on this album. 'Everlong' is one of them. The song is both moving and rocking, a track that builds from drop-d tuned chords that don't quite resolve, creating tensions that rise and rise, until they finally get satisfaction in the immensely powerful chorus. The choices Grohl made in constructing the song really speak for themselves - it's a gorgeous piece of romantic alt-rock that grows and ebbs and grows, getting better with each chorus. I can't really say more than that about it, just listen to it and hear for yourself. 

The other song that moves me really breaks my heart each time. 'My Hero' was written not about Kurt Cobain, as many have suspected, but about normal, everyday people in Grohl's life when he was young. It's about looking up to people you can depend on and wanting them to get the recognition they deserve. It's also a phenomenal example of space in a sound scape. The driving force of the song is the drum and bass combo, Grohl's insanely heavy drumming giving gravitas and momentum, while the bass sets the tone for the whole song. The bass notes, repeating E and C#, have served as the basis for countless songs that equally rock and move people. I would guess its from the depth of their range and the affect they have on the ear - its amazing how just two notes on a bass can conjure a feeling of nostalgia or saudade. The guitar lick that is played on top of it just adds to its beauty, the light and airy notes creating a tension that keeps rising and falling. It stays in the foreground when the rhythm guitars finally kick in, and it's here that the sense of space really shines - all the elements compliment each other amazingly well and nothing feels crowded or overlapping. The low, middle and high ends are all playing in wonderful relation to each other, with Grohl's voice fitting in the pocket wonderfully. The fresh, rising riff in the chorus shifts the whole song into new gear, from E to A. The octave chords the guitars play stagger along with the drums, creating a sound that moves the air in an astounding way. In line with what I said earlier about song craft, acoustic versions have shown that it works just as well when stripped down. 'My Hero' is really just a phenomenal song, through and through. 

'The Colour And The Shape' is a fantastic album that shows just what these musicians are capable of. The Foo Fighter's first album was them getting their feet wet - here we have them jumping right into the deep end and swimming laps. Grohl's fantastic songwriting drives them to create amazing songs that still sound fresh and vibrant almost fifteen years later.