Top Musical Moments of 2008 :: Part One (Guest List)
The Five Best Musical Things of The Year by Chin Chin
#1) Tye Tribbett and G.A.
#2) 88 Boadrum Boredoms Gang Gang Dance
#3) The Flashing, The Fancing
#4) Ween. Live!
#5) TV on the Radio on TV
Chin Chin: Official | MySpace
Chin Chin Go There With You EP (zip)
photo by Jennifer Brandel
Five of My Favorite Music Things in 2008 by Dave Fischoff
#1) Dave Tompkins
Dave Tompkins is a music writer I found out about this year. I was at the Printers’ Ball, a once-a-year Chicago event where you can check out bands and DJs and load up on all the free magazines you want. I picked up an copy of Stop Smiling, their “Hip Hop Nuggets†issue, and there was a story in it by Mr. Tompkins called “The Night Time Master Blaster.†He starts by talking about the time his friend collapsed on the front lawn from an asthma attack, then explains how this led to his discovery of electrofunk. It’s a personal essay that also doubles as a brief history of the Vocoder. Which, of course, couldn’t be more appropriate reading in 2008, the year of the Autotune.
#2) Playing the Building by David Byrne
This was a musical instillation that David Byrne set up in the Battery Maritime Building in New York this year. He put an old church organ in the middle of an empty warehouse and ran wires from the back of the organ to the windows, radiators, plumbing and other surfaces inside the space. The organ was set up so that any time a key was pressed, an electrical signal traveled down one of the wires to a little machine that would tap on a window, buzz in a radiator, or blow air through a pipe like a giant flute. Anyone could come in, sit down at the organ and literally play the building.
#3) Cassette From My Ex
Jason Bitner, one of the guys who started Found Magazine, has a new website project he’s calling Cassette From My Ex. The idea is simple and great: he asks various musician/artist/writer types to pull out that mixtape from an old flame that’s still tucked away in the bottom of a shoebox or the back of a desk drawer and share it with the rest of the world. Each mix is streaming in its entirety on the website, along with the homemade artwork and handwritten tracklistings that make these things still beautiful for the ears and the eyes. And the person sharing gives a guided tour behind the events that led to the tape being made in the first place. Mostly, they’re stories of young love, when relationships are funny and sad and awkward and wonderful and summed up perfectly in pop songs.
#4) Mark Ronson’s Authentic Shit show on East Village Radio
This isn’t a 2008-specific thing, but it’s the first year I started listening regularly to this podcast. Mark Ronson is a big time producer (Amy Winehouse, Lily Allen, Kaiser Chiefs), but there’s absolutely nothing slick or professional about his radio show, and I mean that in the best way possible. He hardly ever lets a song play through without breaking in to make some comment, and sometimes when he realizes he’s been talking too long he’ll just start the track back at the beginning. I know this sounds like it could be completely annoying, but I find it really endearing—he’s just so damn excited about the music he’s playing and he wants you to be excited, too. It’s like that friend you had in middle school, the one who’d come over with a new record for the stereo, put in on, and proceed to give a riff-by-riff analysis, never missing a note on his air guitar.
#5) Wild Combination: A Portrait of Arthur Russell
I moved to New York this year, and one of the first things I did was head over to the MoMA for a screening of this documentary about Arthur Russell. I first got into Arthur Russell’s music through his cello songs, where he uses his cello to accompany his voice the way most people would use a piano or a guitar. It’s such a beautiful and unique sound, but it’s only one of the musical personas he came up with in his short but very prolific life. I don’t think he saw many boundaries when it came to genre, and he seemed to think it was perfectly natural to float between pop, rock, disco, folk and modern classical. There’s a scene in the film of him walking around New York with his Walkman and I can only imagine how excited he’d be if he’d lived long enough to have an iPod. A whole world of shuffling, blurring genres, all of it equally exciting and good.
Dave Fischoff: Official | MySpace
Dave Fischoff “Ghosts of an Afternoon” (mp3)
Dave Fischoff “Landscape Skin” (mp3)
photo by Daniel Corrigan
The Top Five Shows I Saw This Year by DJ Soviet Panda
#1) Hercules & Love Affair @ Metro
#2) Gang Gang Dance @ 7th St. Entry
#3) Holy Fuck @ Triple Rock Social Club
#4) The Juan Maclean @ 7th St. Entry
#5) Foals @ 7th St. Entry
DJ Soviet Panda: Official | MySpace
Dimmu Borgir “The Chosen Legacy” produced by Ramzi Abed
Top Musical Moments of 2008 by Ramzi Abed
The Knife Silent Shout
Bitter:Sweet Drama
Jill Tracy The Bittersweet Constrain
My Ruin Throat Full of Heart
Ramzi Abed: Halo 8 | “The Devil’s Muse” | MySpace
photo by Jon Behm
The Top 5 Music Moments of 2008 by Bill Mike
#1) Biodegradable Music Download Cards
Yes, holding a CD or a record in your hand and looking at the art work and liner notes is a spiritual experience. I’m way with ya. But, musicians in an innocent way, actual contribute to the earth’s problems big time. You ever try to fucking tear that little security strip on the top of a CD? It takes me ten minutes and reminds me there are too many toxic components in a packaged CD. I love record stores and the people in them, but like any other business world these days technology is forcing all of us to be creative and smart. It’s a challenging music world right now, we’re in that transition phase that happens every few decades. Oh yeah, musicians can actually make a profit with these things and save a ton of dough on manufacturing. ARTIST FRIENDLY isn’t in the music dictionary so I’m thankful for the creators of these things.
#2) Cafe Maude
Um, the best and most progressive instrumental music can be heard at this little south Minneapolis spot and it’s free man. Go in after 9:00 p.m. when all of the Porsches are gone and bask in the tunage. Musicians get discounts and Kevin (owner) & Robyne (music booker) are the most artist friendly pro-musician people in town. Maude rules.
#3) RNC Music Marathon
I never saw so many diverse music events/benefits being hosted in one town in all of my life. Talk about some shit kickin’ causes. Minus the brutality of the Saint Paul Police, all musicians from every angle came together and played their guts out for their pro American rally’s. Now that’s punk rock and freedom of speech!
#4) Minneapolis Music Blockparties
Pizza Luce, Bryant Lake Bowl etc. Music is the urban uniter and brings all of the hermits out to celebrate all things Twin Cities. Good vibe central. I love all of these outdoor events and it makes me have hope. You ever go through your daily life and feel like your fuckin’ Tom Hanks in Castaway? Get outside in The Twin Cities in the Summer and you realize that you aren’t alone and like minded folks actually live on your block. Music rules.
#5) Bill Mike Band CD Release
Yep, I’m an ass for puttin’ this one down, but with all honesty, your talkin’ to a ten year music underground vet and to have that much support for such an off the radar band was overwhelming, humbling, and a new experience for us. It really wasn’t about the Bill Mike Band or people in the band. No egos that night, just a powerful reminder that music hits everyone’s DNA and that music is one of the biggest forces on the earth. Musicians are just little worker bees trying to do some good. I felt really small in a good way that night and I’m forever grateful. No peyote needed, just some rad rock n’ roll can do the trick.
Bill Mike Band: Official | MySpace
Top Five Albums of 2008 by Lazerbeak
The Killers Day and Age
Lil Wayne Tha Carter III
TV on the Radio Dear Science
Al Green Lay It Down
T-Pain Thr33 Ringz
(Honorable Mention/Shameless Promotion)
Doomtree Doomtree
Mike Mictlan + Lazerbeak Hand Over Fist
Cecil Otter Rebel Yellow
Top Five Musical Moments of 2008 by Chris Perricelli of Little Man
#1) Liz Phair @ First Avenue
Early Liz Phair albums have been a big influence in my guitar playing style. It was just amazing to me to stand a few yards from her and watch her play. To promote the reissue, she played the entire Exile in Guyville album plus more from Whip-Smart. Perfect concert.
#2) Playing Guitar with Ike Reilly
I had been on the road with these guys as a guitar tech/roadie way back many years ago and have kept up a great relationship with them over the years. Without connecting with these guys I would have never been introduced to the jewel that is the Twin Cities music scene. I was honored to take the lead guitar spot for the night at their always well attended Thanksgiving Eve show at First Avenue. Little Man also got to open and the whole night was a huge high for me. Had blast being a part of all that.
#3) Rock For Pussy
This is an annual benefit show for local no kill cat shelters held at First Avenue in which local guest musicians sing their favorite David Bowie songs with an all-star band backing them. I’d been a guest singer a few years back, but this time I got to play lead guitar with the band on many of the classic tunes.
#4) Faux Jean Reunion Show at The Turf Club
The Faux Jean original line-up came together for two shows back in March. This was one of the bands that my wife introduced me to when I lived in Chicago and really got into but I never had the chance to see them back then, so it was cool to see them play. The show completely rocked from the get go and most of my favorite songs were played.
#5) Recording Of Mind And Matter
Being in the studio is one of my favorite things. Getting into the environment to create and realize my songs is a really good feeling. I went down to Chicago to work with producer Ed Tinley (who actually worked with Liz Phair for a couple years), drummer Dave Cottini (a past Little Man band member and now drums for Ike Reilly) and St. Cloud bass player Andy Ferkinhoff. We tracked live to tape in an old hunting lodge and got alot of one-takes. We then spent a couple weeks overdubbing at Ed’s house. The album includes strings too and coming up with those parts and hearing Ed’s mixes really brought a smile to my face.
Little Man: Official | MySpace
Top Five Songs People Have Laughed At Me For Loving (But That Only Goes To Prove They’re Fucking ‘Tards) by Kenyata Sullivan of The Majestic Twelve
#1) New Order “Fine Time (Messed Around Mix)”
I grew up in a small town outside of Houston in the late 1980’s, and a quick lie to the parents plus a short drive led to a youth club called “Fast Times.” Ecstasy was not only legal, they gave it away as door prizes, and this was the kind of stuff they played. Extended remixes with weird noises, proto-techno, today it feels minimalist. Still awesome. Lump it in the same category as “Everyday Is Halloween” by Ministry and Dead Or Alive’s album Mad, Bad & Dangerous to Know.
#2) ABBA “Dancing Queen”
The Abba cult is beyond ridiculous and most of it’s proponents are would-be divas, wannabe drag queens or tasteless high school drama club lemmings who also think Andrew Lloyd Webber is a fucking genius (God help us all), but this Abba song is awesome. The words and tempo are upbeat, but the melody is sad, minor key, and fucking desperate. Perfect. While disconnected from the theme, “Afternoon Delight” by The Starland Vocal Band and “Wichita Lineman” by Glen Campbell also completely kick fucking ass in the 70’s light rock genre. And don’t even get me started about The Carpenters. Honkey, please.
#3) The Blue Nile “Tinseltown In The Rain”
When I tried to turn my buddy Dan on to The Blue Nile, he was disgusted, he heard it as bad 1980’s synthpop, and our relationship has never been the same since. The Blue Nile are one of those pivotal bands upon which friendships are either built are destroyed. Either you get The Stooges, or you don’t. Either you get Nick Drake, or you don’t. And while The Blue Nile sound nothing like either of them, either you get The Blue Nile, or you don’t. And if you don’t get it, well… nice knowing ya.
#4) Eydie Gorme “My Favorite Things”
Eydie Gorme has been thoroughly shortshrifted, she’s mostly remembered as a Rat Pack also-ran, but man, that girl had fucking pipes! She could sing circles around most modern divas, but had the great misfortune of being a white girl in the whitest whiteass era of pop music, damn. Tough to be a white coloratura in the early 60’s, sucked into the talk show circuit, and denied her place in history as one of the premiere vocalists of the last century. Love to Ella, love to Sarah Vaughan, but Eydie was a badass, and she needs respect. Also check out “Go Away Little Girl” by her husband, Steve Lawrence, “Wheel Of Fortune” by Kay Starr, and don’t forget that Tony Bennett’s version of “My Favorite Things” is swingin’ as fuck.
#5) The J. Geils Band “River Blindness”
I bought the album seduced by singles like “Centerfold” and “Freeze-Frame”, but “River Blindness” was the song that truly kicked my sixth grade ass. Dark and repetitive, sparse and minor key, it won’t mean shit to you, but for me it stands aside Adam Ant’s “Made Of Money” as one of the cornerstones that dictates how I hear and make music even today.
The Majestic Twelve: Official | MySpace
The Top Five Reasons Why Minneapolis Music Continues To Grow by Jon Jon Scott of Black Corners
#1) Muja Messiah
The hard-core rapper delivers two critically acclaimed records, the 27-track mix-tape Mpls Massace Vol. 1 with its internet jumps “Amy Winehouse,” “Paper Planes,” and “True Lies” with exclusives from St. Paul Slim, I-Self Devine, Manifest & Dodi Phi. Followed by an explosive full length Thee Adventures of a B-Boy D-Boy, riding shotgun are The Roots’ Black Thought, Slug, Maria Isa, Black Blondie, Musab & I-Self Devine. In 2008 Muja finally began to put a few cracks in the ceiling that is Minneapolis emo-centered hip-hop.
#2) Aby Wolf
Laptop, electro-folkie writes warm strummers and tosses in glitchy cool – imagine Bjork doing Joanna Newsome with a healthy dose of Patsy Cline (debut Sweet Prudence).
#3) Solid Gold
The bands massively seductive “Who You Gonna Run” single suggests Beck and MGMT. The critically acclaimed Bodies of Water leads the band to blogs, years end list, cover of City Pages and review in UK’s Guardian. Minneapolis enters the indie-electro era with grace.
#4) Black Blondie
Minneapolis’ answer to Amy Winehouse gone art deco, though singer Samahra Linton-Daly is more Sharon Jones meets TLC. They started the year on URB’s next 100 without a record and already getting airplay at Radio K and The Current, early track “Hunger” was featured on Twin Town High Vol. 10, while Stuck On AM 6: Live From Radio K has in-studio version “For The Taste.” Debut coming early 2009.
#5) Doomtree
Doomtree – the massive collective delivers in 2008 with an array of records, DVD, national touring, press in Pitchfork, and CMJ. Also a new P.O.S. record, Never Better, on deck.
Jon Jon Scott: Black Corners MySpace | Sound Verite
Not Necessarily The Five Best Albums of the Last Year, But Rather Five Albums That Caught My Attention (And I Spent A Decent Amount of Time With) by Big Cats!
Prolyphic and Reanimator The Ugly Truth
This is an album I had been anticipating for a long time. I saw Prolyphic at the 7th St. Entry in 2006, and had been awaiting new recorded material from him ever since. I was familiar with Reanimator’s work through his work producing for Sage Francis. Pairing the two together seemed like a brilliant move by Executive Producer/Strange Famous Records founder, Sage Francis. Reanimator’s layered, luscious beats, full of change ups and surprises provide a perfect background for Pro’s raps. Speaking of raps, Prolyphic has taken another huge step forward as an MC, as he seems to with every release. He sets the bar so high with his verses on “Flashlight,” “Two Track Mind” and “On The Side,” it’s hard to imagine him continuing to improve. Pro is consistently on point throughout the album. His straightforward delivery, severe East Coast accent and working man style begin to grow stale by the end of the 50 minute plus record however.
The production is a little more hit or miss. There are huge highlights, like the brooding “On The Side” and “Artist Goes Pop,” but there are also some less than impressive tracks such as “Ugly Truth” and the album’s closer, “Playing With Old Flames.” It sounds like Reanimator took a shot at incorporating some live drums into his beats, and it sticks out horribly. Some of the mixes are peculiar as well, with some very strange panning (drums panned hard to one side, for example) and low end deficiency. Overall, The Ugly Truth is an impressive “debut” for Prolyphic and Reanimator, but could have benefited from more stringent editing.
Mike Mictlan and Lazerbeak Hand Over Fist
2008 was a huge year for Doomtree. With their debut crew record, Cecil Otter’s Rebel Yellow, a False Hopes or two and Hand Over Fist all dropping last year, it was hard to pick just one to write about. I found myself drawn back to Mike and Beak’s album more frequently than the others though. Like Prolyphic and Reanimator’s album, this is one I’ve been waiting on for a long time. Lazerbeak has been one of my favorite local producers for years now, and the more times I see Mictlan live, the more I want a record that captures his energy and persona. Well, shit, we got it this year. Hand Over Fist is a fantastic blend of Beak’s “Lava Bangers” and Mike’s in your face raps. The first half of the record is unbelievably hot (the intro beat is the most banging shit I’ve heard in a while), but the intensity trails off slightly after that. If this album were a couple tracks shorter, (say it skipped from Butcher’s Lament to Prize Fight) it would definitely be my album of the year. Regardless, this is album is just good rap. Clever writing, good delivery, hot as fuck beats, it’s all here. My only real complaint is the number of times “Doomtree,” “DTR” or “Doom Unit” is said (approximately 28 times per song). We know who you all are by now, let it go.
El Guante El Guante’s Haunted Studio Apartment
Don’t get me wrong, El Guante is one of my favorite MCs right now, but his debut full length is kind of a mess. If there was one word to sum up this record, it would be inconsistency. Guante has his fair share of “holy shit” moments (“Orwell Oh Well,” “Flicker”) but there are plenty of “what the hell?” moments (“Home Sick Home”) here as well. Guante himself is responsible for far more of the “holy shit” than the “what the hell” though. The rapping is top notch throughout the record, but the production and recording/mixing quality is all over the damn place. At nearly 80 minutes, the album is probably about twice as long as it should be too. Haunted Studio Apartment will undoubtedly earn Guante some new fans and a reputation as one of the Twin Cities most insightful, coherent rappers, but to really leave his mark on hip hop, the production end of things will need a lot of work.
Jake One White Van Music
Plenty of amazing beats here, ruined by some very uninspired verses from some of raps biggest names. “Kissing the Curb” for example, is a RIDICULOUSLY hot beat with Bishop Lamont rhyming all over it like a drunk frat boy minus the education. “I ain’t got shit to prove, unlike you fag-ass rappers that’s packaged on YouTube… you see a bitch when you peer in the mirror, I’m not you.. Bitch ass N…. got sand in they vagina… Prolly caught your girl on myspace, when she fucking you she seeing my face”. Really? Not to mention Busta on the bullshit hook… Brother Ali’s verse on “The Truth” makes him look like a god compared to the other horseshit raps that made the cut here. Jake One has amazing chops as a beatmaker and arranger, but good god, you got the worst of the worst rhyming. MF Doom contributes a couple Doom-esque verses that are pretty nice, and there’s Ali’s aforementioned verse, and Little Brother comes OK, but man, there’s really not much else here. If you can, pick up the instrumentals, skip the record.
Bernard Dolan The Failure
Maybe the best record top to bottom on this list. The premise is that rapper/poet/general awesome dude, Bernard Dolan, is the last man alive on Earth. There has been some sort of catastrophic event that leaves Dolan trapped in an underground bunker, drinking and arguing with himself. The record is an amazing combination of poetry, theatre, and rap. It may not be the most original concept, but Dolan pulls it off nearly flawlessly. Dolan’s versatility is in full effect, jumping back and forth from live spoken word to aural chaos, to self produced instrumentals, all without missing a beat. By far the most innovative record I heard this year. Didn’t really seem to get the push/recognition it deserved.
Big Cats!: Official | MySpace
Big Cats! “Civilization Goes Like This” (mp3)
Big Cats! “Ballad Northwestern” (mp3)
Five Favorite Twin Cities Records of 2008 by Mark Miller of Dallas Orbiter
Maps of Norway Die Off Songbird
Vampire Hands Me and You Cherry Red
Knife World Knife World
Private Dancer Trouble Eyes
Mute Era Light Dreams Of Darkness EP/Night Dreams Of Day EP
And the five non-local releases that excited me the most this year:
Sic Alps U.S. EZ
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds Dig, Lazarus Dig!!!
Deerhoof Offend Maggie
Lil Wayne Tha Carter III
Thee Oh Sees The Master’s Bedroom Is Worth Spending a Night In
Dallas Orbiter: Official | MySpace
Top Five Minneapoliscast Musical Moments From 2008 by Tony Thomas
#1) Brian Just
Brian released my favorite album by a local artist last year with lush production and beautiful songs. He played on the show with his full band and the live performances were just as gorgeous. Rick Widen and Andrew Bartelson from Tuesdays Robot also play in the Brian’s band, so it’s not a surprise that they wound up as number one. It’s the Minneapoliscast performance that you shouldn’t miss.
#2) Tuesdays Robot
One of my favorite local bands from last year, Tuesdays Robot really pulled off a fantastic live performance for this show. It was one of the most fun sessions for me to record last year. The playback was even better.
#3) Roundtable Discussion with Ben Kyle as Musical Guest
The roundtable discussion gang is always fun. The usual suspects are me, Stook!, Kyle Matteson & Steve McPherson. This one featured Ben Kyle from Romantica to make it a truly memorable show.
#4) Lucy Michelle’s Appearance Back in July
Lucy Michelle is the real deal. I just knew I had to get her on the show after first hearing her. Her and Chris were consummate professionals and pulled off a truly memorable performance as a duo. Definitely one of my favorite live performances on the show last year.
#5) Rich Mattson’s February Song a Day Submission: “Stihl B. Rokken”
This was a demo recorded to 4-track and as far as I know, Rich played everything. A more produced version later wound up on The Tisdales’ debut release Baker’s Dozen. It’s lo-fi, but it’s a great song about playing music even if you don’t get paid. That what Minneapoliscast is all about.
Minneapoliscast: Official | MySpace | Facebook
Great Albums of 2008 (and why I’m a dumbass for not writing about them on MFR) by Jon Graef
Truth be told, most of the editorial decisions in my life have been informed by my realization that I am being a dumbass. There are a multitude of examples from which to draw (including: why is homeboy writing about MPLS bands when he lives in Chicago?).
But one particular, stinging example came when I was organizing my best-ofs into nationally-known, local MPLS, and local Chicago categories. I realized that, with a few exceptions, I had not written about music that I had regarded as the year’s best. We might have written blog posts about what these various artists had been up to during the year. But as far as an album review? No. Which makes me, someone who has a hobby of wanting to tell people about great music, a dumbass.
Hopefully, I can remedy that with this list.
First, I’ll start out with two MPLS examples: one obvious, one less so.
Dosh Wolves and Wishes
Why it’s great: The Master of Puppets to The Lost Take’s Ride The Lightning, multi-instrumentalist multi-tasker Martin Dosh’s latest effort, Wolves and Wishes, finds the polyrhthymic songwriter further refining a sound that he’s developed over the course of four solo records. So granted, Dosh, a frequent collaborator of Andrew Bird’s, hasn’t evolved much stylistically. But when you start out with such a dense, limitless world of constantly coalescing musical motifs, you can’t be knocked for wanting to explore it endlessly. In a strange way, listening to Dosh’s Wolves and Wishes is to be constantly processing a new stream of musical ideas from the instrumentalist’s effortless blend of jazz, hip-hop, indie, post-rock and electronica. That’s a shit-ton to process in one sitting, and Wolves and Wishes sometimes puts together so much that the music becomes jarring. But the thrill also lies in hearing tracks like “Capture The Flagâ€, “First Impossible†and “Bury The Ghost†become musical puzzles put together before your very ears.
Why I haven’t written about it: Because I’ve made the conscious effort not to sit down and listen to this music, but, rather, to literally live with it (no more Frosh philosophizing after this, I promise). Wolves and Wishes is great for listening on a train or bus on your way to the city. I’ve enjoyed it so much that it will probably be my local album of the year. And yet: not a peep, album length review wise. So that makes me a…you guessed it; a dumbass.
Why I’m a dumbass for not doing so: Because once Girl Talk fans start maturing, they’ll want something with a similarly schizophrenic-seeming quality; a sampler-driven collage-making style, but with original music. This is what they should get.
Dark Dark Dark The Snow Magic
Why it’s great: Like The Decemberists’ brand Eastern European prog-folk (well, I guess that’s really Neutral Milk Hotel’s) broken up into 12 bite-size pieces, the debut album from Dark Dark Dark delves into the oeuvres of those previously named bands. The Twin Cities quartet certainly has similar instrumentation to those two aforementioned groups (accordion, banjo, cello and bass are the norm here). But by exploring each instruments timbres and colors in music that’s driven by their own idiosyncratic sense of whimsy. Having percussive help from Martin Dosh doesn’t hurt either. Songs “Ashes†and “A Spell for Letting Go†like rumble and tumble like the best of sea shanties. The Snow Magic plies on catchy minor-key melodies, tragic lyrics and a wildly creative approach to folk music, and each of the album’s 12 songs is worthy of in-depth exploration. So…
Why I haven’t written about it: Having bought the album this past summer at one of the group’s live show, I put off writing about the record after I blogged about the concert in Chicago. I just figured that the album write-up would come up eventually.
Why that makes me a dumbass: The Snow Magic is one pleasure after another, and the more people will hear it, the more people will be enchanted by it.
Seun Kuti & Fela’s Egypt 80 Seun Kuti & Fela’s Egypt 80
Why it’s great: Any one familiar with the Kuti family legacy—as in Fela, Nigerian pop star and founder of jazz-funk fusion genre Afrobeat—will know that Seun’s definitely borrowing a few moves from his Dad. But unlike the real world, musical nepotism can yield some amazing results. Singing in a gruffer voice and playing with his father’s band, Egypt 80, Seun, the youngest of Fela’s sons, at 26, makes his own voice heard on Seun Kuti & Fela’s Egypt 80. Using tight, taut funk rhythms and horns, chicken scratch guitar, and the loose, improvisational spirit of jazz, Kuti crafts lengthy anti-authoritarian anthems that are executed with the discipline of the fascist mentality that Kuti is rightfully opposing. No song is shorter than five minutes, which should allow you plenty of time to be rhythmically hypnotized.
Why I haven’t written about it: Too busy dancing my ass off.
Why that makes me a dumbass: Because this record is too good to not to sit down and spend the time telling people how awesome it is. Check out “Don’t Bring That Shit To Me†as a righteously funky successor to James Brown.
Unicycle Loves You Unicycle Loves You
I’m cheating a little bit with this one, as I wrote it up for another website. But that has, unfortunately, been the only time that I’ve waxed enthusiastically about this energetic Chicago quintet. Though their self-titled debut album begins with a lot of percussive belles, whistles and whimsical harmonization, Unicycle Loves You eventually ditch the sonic shenanigoats for classic power-pop music that any fan should recognize. There are certainly times where the band echoes strongly the work of contemporaries like The New Pornographers. They also should know that resisting effervescent song-craft on track is utterly futile. But Unicycle Loves You are also smart enough to pull sudden musical transitions, like going from Beach Boys melancholia to bright, bouncy Beatles-esque pop rock in one fell swoop. Such unpredictability makes live shows essential, and it makes songs like “Great Bargains for Seniors†and “Hawaii†endlessly playable.
Why I haven’t written about it: Actually, “why I haven’t blogged about it†seems to be more appropriate. After writing 1,000 words about a power-pop album—what kind of dumbass does that?—it felt like I had nothing more to say.
Why that makes me a dumbass: One should use as many outlets as possible to critique—or in this case, celebrate—music. Technology has made that goal a reality.
Kristoff Krane This Will Work For Now
For those wanting to hear the outer-space sounds of rap at its most bizarre combined with the verbal dexterity and social conscious of East Coast hip-hop should definitely have those desires satiated with Minneapolis rapper’s Kristoff Krane’s latest record, This Will Work For Now. Krane’s emcee skills are at their most impressive when he gives Chicago rapper Lupe Fiasco’s go-go-gadget flow a run for its money on tracks like opening shot “Escapeâ€. From there, the claustrophobic likes of “â€Drousy Dreamer†and the frantic Afronaut sounds of “Empathy Makes MacHine†stand next to more easygoing fare like the raga reggae flow of “bemetooconfused†and the idiosyncratic free-jazz stylings of “Finding Good Friends.†What’s most impressive is the fact that This Will Work For Now all fuses together under Krane’s masterly flow and skill as a lyricist. This record should work for now, later, or whenever you happen to listen to it.
Why I haven’t written about it: This year has been a great one for Minneapolis hip-hop, with a myriad of Doomtree releases (including their crew record from earlier this summer) and Muja Messiah’s official debut album. Krane’s debut release simply fell through the cracks.
Why that makes me a dumbass: Because Krane’s album is as good, if not better, as any of those mentioned in the previous paragraph.
Kristoff Krane “Easy Way Out” (mp3)
Honorable Mentions:
Lucy Michelle and the Velvet Lapelles
Maps and Atlases
The Minneapolis Henrys
Philip Morris
Records that I’ll undoubtedly kick myself for not hearing in 2008:
Q-Tip The Resurrection
The Gaslight Anthem The ’59 Sound
The Bug London Zoo
Harvey Milk Life…The Best Game In Town
Minneapolis Fucking Rocks: Official