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With eight members in the Wu-Tang Clan and countless affiliated performers kicking around, only a few of the crew’s MCs have issued music acclaimed in the same way as “36 Chambers.” Disregarding his appearance on “30 Rock,” Ghostface Killah’s career’s been one of the most consistent, beginning with the 1996 “Ironman.” Read the rest of this entry »
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There’s no shortage of throwback bands copping to sixties pop and psych. Top-shelf purveyors are able to replicate and expand on all those wasted classics, inserting twenty-first-century ideas into what we’ve all become accustomed to. Austin’s the Black Angels almost weave their way into success. Naming anything “Mission District” is bound to be questioned by listeners—the song these Texans work up isn’t regrettable, but for some reason, singer Alex Maas takes a more melodic approach to droning out his lyrics than elsewhere. The approach doesn’t clash with the dumb thud of the ensemble’s psych stuff, but sets up a contrast better suited to the Doors than fourth-generation stoners. Read the rest of this entry »
Céu/Photo: Renan Costa Lima
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Throughout her career, São Paulo-born Céu (pronounced SEH-uh) has been inspired by electronica and American soul music, but on her recent release “Caravana Sereia Bloom” (loosely translates as “Mermaid Bloom Caravan”) she goes into a different direction. The music is influenced by various elements of Brazilian regional music. An example is the lead single “Retrovisor” (“Rear View Mirror”), a tune whose main rhythm is reminiscent of the sounds commonly heard in countryside nightclubs around the country’s southeastern region. Read the rest of this entry »
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As the David Grisman-Jerry Garcia gospel continues to spread and constitute a musical template to emulate, scores of new bluegrass players seek to enliven the traditional music with innovations they’ve found in third-generation recordings. The Infamous Stringdusters is one of those ensembles. Extending the possibilities of the genre and extolling the technical talents of a group’s players sometimes gets in the way of the music. But far more frequently, the new crop of bluegrassers—everyone from Railroad Earth to the Yonder Mountain String Band—toss in a heap of country-styled crooning. And it doesn’t always turn out too well. Read the rest of this entry »
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Brand Nubian was—and remains—an understandable extension of critical views expressed by DeLa, Gang Starr and any number of other East Coast ensembles, dating to the late eighties and early nineties. The trio, which existed in its first phase just long enough to issue 1990’s “One for All,” did its damnedest to relate the collective’s religious views explicitly. What made tracks like “Ragtime” so memorable is that the beat sounds positive enough to negate any casual mention of Farrakhan. Read the rest of this entry »
Photo: Mike Schreiber
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Though pianist Robert Glasper is mostly considered a jazz artist, he seamlessly travels through other genres, which makes him comfortable enough to do different things on his recordings and on a live format. Back in 2009, he toured with neo-soul pioneer Maxwell during his comeback tour in support of “BLACKsummer’s Night” while also promoting his own well-received “Double Booked” (Blue Note), a CD that featured collaborations with Mos Def and Bilal.
In anticipation of his upcoming album “Black Radio” (Blue Note), jazz keyboardist Robert Glasper has released “Ah Yeah” a tune that goes more into soul territory. Read the rest of this entry »
By Dave Cantor
Kool G Rap, Pete Rock and Mobb Deep all issued new recordings during 2011. Each met with a mixed reception, and rightfully so, since all of those acts still may have something left to give hip-hop, it just didn’t happen last year. Pharoahe Monch released “W.A.R. (We Are Renegades)” during March in partnership with Duck Down, an independent New York label. The disc, the MC’s third solo endeavor since disbanding Organized Konfusion after 1997’s “The Equinox,” met with more uneven acclaim. While “W.A.R.” might not be Monch’s pinnacle, it does represent the sturdiest 2011 album issued by an MC who might be considered one of underground hip-hop’s progenitors. Read the rest of this entry »
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If you ever wanted to revisit the first three Iron Maiden albums—just heavier and without all that lamentable wailing that passes for singing—Saviours are probably going to fill that void in your life. What makes the Bay Area group as engaging as their British predecessors, albeit dramatically less important historically, are their brief flirtations with some of the more avant leanings of their metal brethren. There aren’t any twenty-minute excursions through drone listeners would expect on an offering from Om, but Saviours hint at such predilections. Read the rest of this entry »
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When I was a kid, the Meat Puppets’ “Too High to Die” was released on a major label as a result of big business’ realization that independent bands could be marketed just like everything else. At some point, in my adolescent enthusiasm, I proclaimed the band inspiration to Kurt Cobain during a discussion with my father. His response was, “What’d they inspire him to do, kill himself?” Read the rest of this entry »
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If you’re in a band seeking to define itself and carve out a specific audience, releasing work on a label called Bong Load will probably go a long way toward reaching your goal. Fu Manchu, a SoCal rock act lost in a haze of exhaled smoke, Sabbath records and distortion pedals, might not have been out looking to get tagged as simple stoners. Read the rest of this entry »
