Thank you East of LA! But also, thank you Mick Boogie and Terry Urban!
While sometimes the result of speeding up a Coldplay track to fit Jay-Z's faster bmp rapping leads to mildly annoying vocals from Chris Martin (his voice sounds sort of high...), overall the beats that are on this mix tape are....fucking....good.
Haven't seen a Jay-Z mashup this good since DJ Noodles introduced Jigga to Cobaine.
Friday, October 31, 2008
Friday, October 17, 2008
The Clash - Live At Shea Stadium
The Clash's famous bootleg concert was just officially released over the last week, and I couldn't be happier. The energy of Joe Strummer and the rest of the band tickles your brain stem in a way that would probably be inappropriate in any other social scenario, but it makes everything sound awesome.
This is as close as I'll ever get to experiencing this band live, so I'm never opening my eyes when I listen to it. There's some pretty obvious bias here on my part, but there's a reason why this band was so influencial.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
And Every Night Finds Us Rocking And Rolling On Waves Wild And Wide
Lost Coastlines
This is a video of A.C. Newman, frontman of the New Pornographers, and Will Sheff, of Okkervil River, singing "Lost Coastlines," off Okkervil River's new album, The Stand-Ins. I went to see an Okkervil River concert with my brother on Sunday, so I thought it was appropriate.
Their performance was really amazing. The star of the show is certainly frontman Will Sheff - while he may not be the most technically proficient singer, he is incredibly emotive and engaging. It is clear that the rest of the band is a supporting cast, but a capable one. I was especially impressed by the lead guitarist, and I'm not just saying this because I'm usually attracted to female musicians. She plays subtle and beautiful parts that add to the songs not just melodically, but rhythmically as well. It supports my theory that, while technically talented musicians may not make a band great, in the hands of a great songwriter, they can certainly make it better (see also: Nels Cline of Wilco).
I also recommend the new album. My favourite song is "Lost Coastlines," which features a cool bass line and castanets. Altogether, the album is solid, but probably not as good as 2005's Black Sheep Boy, which I think is a truly great album. "Black," for me, is one of the most powerful compositions ever.
This is a video of A.C. Newman, frontman of the New Pornographers, and Will Sheff, of Okkervil River, singing "Lost Coastlines," off Okkervil River's new album, The Stand-Ins. I went to see an Okkervil River concert with my brother on Sunday, so I thought it was appropriate.
Their performance was really amazing. The star of the show is certainly frontman Will Sheff - while he may not be the most technically proficient singer, he is incredibly emotive and engaging. It is clear that the rest of the band is a supporting cast, but a capable one. I was especially impressed by the lead guitarist, and I'm not just saying this because I'm usually attracted to female musicians. She plays subtle and beautiful parts that add to the songs not just melodically, but rhythmically as well. It supports my theory that, while technically talented musicians may not make a band great, in the hands of a great songwriter, they can certainly make it better (see also: Nels Cline of Wilco).
I also recommend the new album. My favourite song is "Lost Coastlines," which features a cool bass line and castanets. Altogether, the album is solid, but probably not as good as 2005's Black Sheep Boy, which I think is a truly great album. "Black," for me, is one of the most powerful compositions ever.
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