El Guapo were an electronic-driven, art-rock/experimental group that started as a two-piece from Washington, DC. Most of their discog operated as a three-piece, but prior to breaking up they had four with the inclusion of Orthrelm drummer Josh Blair. They released two albums on Dischord records -- after six months of recording, the second of the two was released in 2003, "Fake French". I haven't looked into their first on Dischord, which the band later changed their name to -- 'Super/System'.
Much like the Unicorns post a few prior, this album has filled a niche in my catalog of quirky/odd experimental-pop. Unconventional singing, a good mix of man/machine aesthetics, some interesting lyrics, varied instrumentation including oboe's, accordians, etc...
If you dug the Unicorns, or are just looking for a slice of something different, really recommend checking this.
Friday, May 15, 2009
El Guapo - Fake French
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Azat - Slow Down
New Azat joint, can get it straight from his page, re-upping it here for your convenience. Another 20+ mins of beats and sample goodness. Check it out, and his older 'Make a Record of Your Voice and Send It to Him' that I linked above. Dude is quickly becoming one of my favorites in the craft.
Mastodon - Crack the Skye (Instrumental Score)
Hey fam, I've been out for a minute, so I can't really share anything that isn't directly on my computer...
But, thought I'd leave everyone something until my return, so I'll share the instrumental score of Mastodon's 'Crack the Skye' for those who haven't heard it. I'm still digesting Mastodon's latest album, it's def a different direction for the fellas, but the talent is still there -- especially on standout tracks like "The Czar". The instrumental score really lets you focus on what's going down behind all those polished vocals -- recommended listen no doubt.
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Del The Funky Homosapien - Funk Man (The Stimulus Package)
Bay Area's Del The Funky Homosapien is among the most consistent MC's in quality hip-hop. His diverse solo albums, work with his crew Hieroglyphics, the Deltron 3030 project(s), guest-spots...Del is usually on-point.
His last full length in 2008, 'Eleventh Hour', admittedly, was a bit of a disappointment to me. Del had dropped connections on the production aspect of his work, further pursuing his knowledge and understanding of musical theory.
Del usually takes his time releasing new works, so it went completely over my head that he released a new full-length just last month. The album was released on his site as a free download, his official 7th full-length, 'Funk Man (The Stimulus Package)'.
Even after one listen, Del has brought it back fresh.
Some absolute-essential Del albums if you're unfamiliar: 'No Need For Alarm', 'Both Sides of the Brain', and his project with Dan the Automator/Kid Koala, 'Deltron 3030'. After that, you'll likely be scrounging for whatever you can find, and take it from me -- it's quality (minus the record label fuckery of 'The Elektra Years').
Future developments include another 3030 album in the works, some collabs (like his project with Tame One), and whatever else he drops at will.
Del has slowly transformed from "Del tha Funkee Homosapien" to "Del The Funky Homosapien", but he still brings the realness. Essential.
"Get It Right Now"
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
fbcfabric & Reindeer - It's Not Who You Know, It's Whom You Know
fbcfabric & Reindeer are an underground duo from the UK, who make an offshoot of shoegaze/hip-hop music. fbcfabric composes all of the sounds, and Reindeer handles the vocals/rhymes.
Their sound could be compared to the likes of certain Anticon artists (more liek Anticolor mirite), with their blending of shoegaze/ambience, and nasal-pitched flows. Personally, I think the majority of Anticon output I've heard is bunk garbage -- I only mention as a means of separation for this album, cuz while the philosophies might be the same, this album breathes more substance in my opinion.
All that aside, 'It's Not Who You Know, It's Whom You Know' made a tiny splash when it was released in 2005, enough to the point that the original has sold out. The album has since been re-released (this past Feb) as a CD/DVD package, so it's nice to see they're getting more play-time.
This album features Reindeer on like the first four tracks, followed by a few downtempo numbers, then Reindeer rejoins for the last couple songs...which makes the album flow together really nicely. fbcfabric uses everything from television infomercials, organs played backwards, to trains and rain in the distance to sound-out the album's mood. Quality stuff.
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Blonde Redhead - Misery Is A Butterfly
Blonde Redhead are an American joint, maybe say, the Cocteau Twins of our generation. The band is a trio featuring the (twin) Pace brothers, and guitarist/vocalist Kazu Makino. The band initially caught the eye of Sonic Youth drummer Steve Shelley, who ended up producing their debut in 1995. Some of their early work is comparable to Sonic Youth, but over the course of their discog they've def marked out their own unique sound; Makino is known for her high and eerie voice floating around the music, sometimes accompanied by Amadeo Pace, which stands at the forefront of their uplifting yet melancholy sound.
My favorite Blonde Redhead album is their 2004 release, 'Misery Is A Butterfly'. The album's release ended a four-year gap in the band's inactivity -- of which Kazu Makino spent much of the time recovering from injury after being trampled by a horse (daaag). Many of the lyrics reflect this event/recovery, which I think made for Blonde Redhead's most emotive release.
I'd say you can go about anywhere from here, but in my opinion 'Misery Is A Butterfly' is the pinnacle of Blonde Redhead...and for the unfamiliar, the ultimate introduction.
Saturday, May 2, 2009
El Grupo Nuevo De Omar Rodriguez Lopez - Cryptomnesia
Some punky humansThis album originally was released on vinyl during Record Store Day on April 18th, following with a fairly lackluster rip to boot (well I mean, at the time, it was still pretty good)...
So I thought I would share the 320kbps/CD rip version of the album, as it's a pretty substantial jump in quality from previous rips. If you're a fan of TMV/Zach Hill at all, this is probably a no brainer -- but for everyone else, give this some play -- really interesting output from everyone involved.
