The namesake

Dear friends, fanatics, and faithful groupies: How hangs the brain waves? How rubs the knee pads? How now brown cow? I'm writing on behalf of my good friends John Cocco and Winslow Porter. Anyone who will be in the NYC tomorrow night looking for some funky rhythms, heady rhymes, dancey dance, fancey pants music should definitely check these dudes out. From 10pm-4am these kids will be keeping the beats going at the Leopard Lounge on 85th 2nd Ave at 5th St. No cover and drink specials all night long. Bring a girl and I promise she'll sleep with you...well either you or them. Also, rumor has it Natalie Portman is stalking them, true story. Enclosed is a live sample from one of their previous shows http://www.zshare.net/audio/3220772393b229/

Blockhead Live in NYC

Blockhead has always been my favorite post-Shadow instrumental hip-hop producer - his songs have so much built-in style and yet still retain a very natural feel. This bootleg, however, takes him up a whole other notch in my book. Recorded in 2004, it features mostly songs off of "Music By Cavelight", and here Blockhead just goes fucking bonkers, throwing in Phil Collins and M.J. vocals, old school rap samples, harmonicas, Bon Jovi guitar - the randomest storm of shit over these very simple songs...and makes it all fit together perfectly. In fact, I find myself preferring the versions on this set to his album versions almost completely. Give it a listen:




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Todd Terje Rekutts 1

So after a fairly indulgent night I have been playing house music all day long in the office to keep the brain waves flowing properly. This kid’s edits are pretty indisputable, especially “Can’t Help It”. I think it actually hit pop radio in Europe. As an aside, I think my boss is going through a midlife crisis, and has asked me send him an email with these links attached....poor guy.

http://www.zshare.net/audio/178414530fb6cd/http://www.zshare.net/audio/178418264b498b/

http://www.zshare.net/audio/178444563fdcc1/

Some Shit - You Know

Couple things - latest Brother Ali album is pretty hot. I've always liked this guy, but this album is a lot cleaner and more consistent than the the others, I think. This has been around for a little while now, but I still dig it - and hip hop seems to be the overriding theme around here.
http://www.zshare.net/audio/385316342cbc55/
http://www.zshare.net/audio/3853205188f3d5/
http://www.zshare.net/audio/385326928310e9/

Also, I know at least a couple people on this forum went to see the Kings of Leon this weekend. Ridiculous - these guys played so tightly, the sound was spot on and so hard the whole way through. Really impressed. They have the chops - they've made three completely different albums to date and they're like 22. Maybe.
http://www.zshare.net/audio/385324202d08a0/
http://www.zshare.net/audio/3853290ca3779b/

Uh sorry not to expound more, but I'm kinda drunk. Just listen.

NEW JAY

Only cause I love you.... Pharrell on the beat.

http://www.zshare.net/audio/37902189849033/

Every exec in my office left work early yesterday for a preview of "American Gangster" in the world stage downstairs... Needless to say I wasnt invited.

Why cant I post as a link....?? Oh well copy and paste bitches... and dont act like you arnt gonna, even you Lev...

Heres a bonus for you new from the ROC... "Rocafella Billionares" by "The Philly Freezer" Freeway. (FEATURING "HOVA"... so it's worth the download)

Roctober is coming bastards... but it got pushed back to Roc...vember???

http://www.zshare.net/audio/37903727e73293/

Represent the 1st

Hello My fello Hipsters, Snobs, and Openminded Music Lovers,

Here is some sick hip hop comming by way of Lupe Fiasco repping the 1st and 15th in Chi-City its a song off the new album, but not the first single... The chorus is stuck in my head probably 80% of my life these days. Interesting, sharp, flows on point, and its not about selling coke or killing people. When are rappers gonna start rapping about doing coke, that will really help propel the ghetto into ruins, I mean come on guys... well Juelz does, and he is quite the trend setter.

Read my response to the Kanye post you Bastards I have alot to say I write like a hiphop website with worse spelling.

http://www.zshare.net/audio/37900434a00152/

IConcertCal

I know I've mentioned this to a few of you before, but for those of you who haven't heard, this program is dope as hell. It's a free plugin for your ITunes that shows you when artists in your library are coming into town and when they are dropping new albums...essential for those of us with an outstanding habit of finding out about shows the day after they happened

http://www.iconcertcal.com/

Studio 54 Vol. 2

“Git Down Saturday Night” has got to be one of my favorite house tracks. It's pretty undeniable. I know it made the rounds a few years back but it always seems to come in handy and I’m sure there are still a few out there who haven’t heard it. I prob should call this an edit cause all it really is is a glorified 909 loop with a simple synth bass and some serious filtering of “Get Down Saturday Night.” One thing I particuarly like about this track (and most Dj Kom tracks for that matter) is the low end kick that is used. Good luck finding this on the dance 6 pressing with “And Da Beat Goes On” cause that shit is impossible to find! My friend Cocco even bugged the creator for about 6 months straight trying to get him to sell a copy and that didn't even work....I think it's now turned into his grail quest.

http://www.zshare.net/audio/174652224b8c30/

Shout Out Louds

The Shout Out Louds are a band from Sweeeeden that haven't really blown up here...but they should. Here is one of their songs (remixed). This guy's got an awesome voice and if you like, I'll put up the rest of the album.
(Shout Out Louds - Impossible)
http://www.zshare.net/audio/376233542d3250/

American Gangster

So, here's another reason to get excited about hip-hop these days... Apparently everyone's favorite CEO was so impressed by the new Denzel/Russel Crowe movie American Gangster, that he felt compelled to put some tracks together and is dropping a new album the first week of November. Can't say that I'm not doubly excited -- both for the the movie being really good (it apparently inspired Jay to get back in the studio), AND the thought that we'll be getting (finger's-crossed) another great Jay-Z album for the collection (cause Kingdom Come has its place, but certainly not at the top). Check out the article link here: NY Times article

Science Fiction Disco Part 1: Chrsytal City

So I've been listening to this a lot lately on my way to work. It's my favorite track from the Rubicon EP. For the uninitiated: if you like Daft Punk, you'll like Braxe & Falke.

http://www.zshare.net/audio/2733331574bf1e/

Russian Futurists - Our Thickness

Speaking of summer jams, I've been thoroughly addicted to this album for a few months now. The best description I could offer of the Russian Futurists is "Beach Boy crunk", which is a terrible sounding combination but turns out so well I wonder why there aren't more bands (well, actually its one dude) exactly like this. Ridiculously addictive, and apparently he gets drunk and listens to AM radio for inspiration, so serious style points as well.

Listen:
"Still Life"


"Our Pen's Out of Ink"



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Girl Talk is the shit

Greg Gillis is a maniac. Go see him. You will have more fun than you've ever had at a concert - 2 hours of shake-your-ass-as-hard-as-you-can, balls-to-the-wall, jump around dance music. Unrelenting - like you don't think it's possible to dance so hard, so long and that he can keep putting such fantastic fucking music on that will make you want to keep dancing. Ridiculous mixes. Up on stage the dude was completely engulfed in a mass of sweaty fans for the entire set. There are no words really - just go.


http://www.myspace.com/girltalkmusic

Preemptive Strike

So as summer comes to a close, I've decided to share with you my all time favorite summer jam. For the past 3 months this has been my go to eazy breezy, late night summer tune. The type of song that should only be played after hours. I just got the live version this past weekend while digging through some crates. Holy fuck! If only I had this 3 months ago. This track is better than the studio version for a few reasons.

Reason number 1: Its slower and has a much more relaxed “summer sweaty” vibe.

Reason number 2: The synth riff which is by far the best part of this song is much more drawn out and played with attitude and conviction.

Reason number 3: The piano doesn’t have that annoying out of sync vibrato.

Reason number 4: This song is meant to be played live and the studio version just doesn’t do it justice.

I know the summer is pretty much over, and if I could have posted this back in June I would have. However the weathers still nice, and this song still deserves some play time. Enjoy.

http://www.zshare.net/audio/1844285eb2c006/

MIA - Kala

So I picked this up last week and have listened to it for two straight days now. Gotta say...pretty hot. The album is dense, to be sure, but packed with sounds and verses that kind of make you go, oh that's interesting. There's something about politically conscious hip hop that is usually kind of off-putting to me. Most of the time it's very in your face or the artist seems to be trying to use content to make up for what's lacking in style or skill. M.I.A seems to pull it off beautifully.

The lyrics, the content, are almost more suggestive than explicit. She seems to say a lot without trying very hard. And the beats are pretty ridiculous ("my beats are too evil" yeah). The Timbaland track is so sick...mellow, smooth, the whole thing is on skates. The Clash sample she lifts on Paper Planes is amazing, tweaked and spaced out and sounding not at all like the Clash - using gun shots and cash registers to get the point across (who needs lyrics anyway?). Overall the whole thing is just hard - no other word. The rawness and mix of sounds, from all over the globe, recall an excitement and creativity from the early days of hip hop - experimental, less glossy and stylized - I wish more rappers were so unconcerned.

Plus I just think she's a badass. (http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/news/44529-mia-confronts-the-haters)

Kanye West - Graduation

I was pretty disappointed with this at first but its grown on me a bit, though its clear its no Late Registration. The beats are nowhere near as consistent and there's not as many ridiculous quotables as I expect from Kanye. I was so pumped after "Stronger" leaked, but the rest just isn't as original as I'd hoped...especially after listening to Timbaland for the past 6 months straight, which makes about half of this album sound like bad imitations. Don't get me wrong, I'm enjoying it a lot now, but I'd be really surprised if most people are still listening to this in 2-3 months. Oh, and the album art sucks balls.

What can I say, I'm a hater

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