Cape Cod Awesome Awesome
By now any vestigial feelings of elite membership in the “Have You Heard About This New Band Called Vampire Weekend?”-Club have all but faded. The self-importance of being privy to simply knowing who this band with a curious name was–vanished. Over the span of just a few short months Vampire Weekend seems to be everywhere, from magazine covers to late night talk shows to the restless fingertips of music bloggers. And though early in ‘08, their self-titled debut is already a premature favorite for album of the year. What’s next, commercials? Wouldn’t be surprising considering their potential for mass appeal with squeaking clean pop ditties, boyish, prep-school good looks, backgrounds we all love to hate, a penchant for imbuing musical unorthodoxy, and a wordlist straight out of, well, an Ivy League English class. Amazing? Perhaps, but probably not. Worth the hype? Absolutely. Read more…
By Ben De Leon Posted in Reviews Vampire Weekend
The Audience Approves
While known primarily for his work with renowned underground hip hop super-group, Jurassic 5, lionized fusion outfit, Ozomatli, and the iconic DJ Shadow, Cut Chemist has easily made a name for himself as scratch master extraordinaire. With that type of cachet, it was only a matter of time until the acclaimed DJ left the mother’s nest a celebrated collaborator and spread his wings – or should I say tables – taking the plunge into the world of solo artist-dom and giving us his major label debut, The Audience’s Listening. Read more…
By Ben De Leon Posted in Reviews
Hip Hop’s Poets
You want to resurrect hip hop / how can you save what isn’t dead? So implores Coaxial front man Beegs Alchemy on “Galatic Tusnami” in response to the music elitists, tastemakers, and record reviewers who claim that hip hop is moribund. It’s an interesting observation from one not within the halls of rap music’s “successes” and far from its accompanying prizes – monetary and otherwise. But perhaps Beegs is right in his assessment of the state of rap music. While other artists, in their quest for genuine hip hop legitimacy, are sounding off about the genre’s bling-bling aesthetic, the pair behind the Long Beach indie hip hop team see the game as evolving rather than withering away. Read more…
By Ben De Leon Posted in Reviews
Sugar Water
It’s said that if you’re not a liberal when you’re 20 you have no heart, and if you’re not a conservative when you’re 40 you have no head. Tweaking a few words here and there (indie for liberal, mainstream for conservative) and the same could be said for the music industry. Read more…
By Ben De Leon Posted in Reviews
Parlez-vous Français?
Fate brought me together with the Prototypes. Back in June, mxdwn.com compatriot and editor-in-chief Ray Flotat had a party. As the soirée began to die down, the DJ pulled out a shiny new 12-inch from a little-known French band and played a song that would haunt me for weeks. As chance would have it, this humble journalistic enterprise would have me review this transatlantic group and expose me to the next best thing since the French Revolution, the Peugeot, and Audrey Tautou. Read more…
By Ben De Leon Posted in Reviews
Still Holdin’ On To What’s Golden
Cries of Jurassic 5 becoming overly radio-friendly or too comfortable in their sound are just some of the claims being circulated by the music elite. While their third album Feedback is definitely their most accessible one to date (as if prior ones weren’t) and the fivesome stick to their modus operandi of funk-driven, ass-bumping melodic hip-hop, describing this album as a disappointment is nothing less than disingenuous. Read more…
By Ben De Leon Posted in Reviews
Pots, Pans, & Rock ‘n’ Roll
For all the cynics and disparagers believing that innovation and creativity are all but dead in popular music, forgive the cliche, but think again. British duo Galia Durant and Carim Clasmman, collectively known as the indie-electro group Psapp, are ready to raise a few eyebrows with The Only Thing I Ever Wanted. “Clunktronica,” “toytronica,” clink-clank-music” — OK, we made up that last one — the words used to describe Psapp not only add to our lexicon, but describe to a tee Psapp’s organic and strangely beautiful sound. Read more…
By Ben De Leon Posted in Reviews
Staying Focused
There was a time when artists like Jurassic 5, Black Eyed Peas, and Dilated Peoples were synonymous with Los Angeles underground hip-hop and the bands du jour to name-drop. In recent years, however, they seem to have lost some of that mystique fans gravitated to in the first place. Some have flourished in the mainstream all the while retaining their indie credibility; others have become sickening poster children for VH1 specials and car commercials. With their latest release, 20/20, Dilated Peoples manage to remain in the first camp. Read more…
By Ben De Leon Posted in Reviews
Not the
It seems as though England is constantly churning out the next big thing. For such a small country, the talent that emerges from the U.K.is truly amazing. For its part, the rest of the world listens attentively, ready to digest the latest export. Hard-Fi is no different and after reading many glowing reviews of their debut, Stars of CCTV, we awaited their impending takeover of rock ‘n’ roll as we knew it. After many a listen, however, we’re still reaching to find out what the hype is all about regarding these four suburban London boys. Read more…
By Ben De Leon Posted in Reviews
Better? Not This Time Around
Soul Position’s second full-length album, Things Go Better With RJ and AL, is difficult to gauge. It’s a record mired in dichotomies that lacks the consistency and quality — both musically and lyrically — of RJD2 and Blueprint’s brilliant debut. While calling it a disappointment would be far too abrasive and inaccurate, referring to the record as a triumphant follow-up to 8 Million Stories would be far from the truth. Read more…
By Ben De Leon Posted in Reviews
