What I’ve Been Listening To: May/June Edition

For the most part I’ve been a hip-hop head in 2010. It’s hard not to be with all the greatness that has and will continue to flow into the scene over the course of the year, combined  with disappointing efforts from some of my favorite bands (I’m looking at you Coheed and Cambria). With that said there have also been a few diamonds in the pop and rock rough to keep my playlist diversified.  In fact, I think I’ll share them with you right here. Right now!

First with the hip-hop:

Reflection Eternal: Revolutions Per Minute

10 years ago Talib Kweli and DJ Hi-Tek put out one of the greatest rap records of all time with Train of Thought. In between both guys have been busy. Releasing solo albums (Hi-Tek with 3 and Kweili with 4), as well as countless mix-tape appearances, collaborations and production credits. All the while they both discussed their desire to do another RE album. I honestly never thought a sequel would see the light of day, putting its chances right up there with ever hearing a new Postal Service album or Detox even really existing. Thankfully I was very wrong. Revolutions Per Minute is hot. It’s not on the level of Train of Thought, but nothing ever could have been. What it is though, is an air-tight collection of 17 tracks that showcase the incredible talents of both artists. Kweli’s flow is in top form, especially on “Ballad of the Black Gold”, “City Playgrounds”  and “Got Work” to name a few, and Hi-Tek delivers his trademark soul-filled, sample laden beats that are tailor-made for Kweli’s delivery.  This is mandatory listening or any true fan of hip-hop.

Key tracks: Ballad of the Black Gold, City Playgrounds, Got Work, Get Loose, Ends, Back Again (single)

Rating: 9/10

B.O.B : The Adventures of Bobby Ray

Back in February of this year I went to Asheville to see the Goodie Mob reunion show at the Orange Peel. At the time I was hyped soley for the return of one of my all-time favorite hip-hop acts, paying little attention to the at the time, an obscure opener named B.O.B.  The show opened pedestrian enough with B.O.B performing a few straight rapping tracks with a DJ behind him. It was good and got my head nodding but didn’t blow me away. At the exact moment that thought danced across my brain B.O.B threw on his guitar and was joined by his live band. What proceeded was one the best live shows I’ve ever witnessed. So good in fact,  that the rest of the night Goodie Mob (even though they were amazing) were an afterthought. I was an instant fan. I copped every B.O.B mixtape ever released and patiently awaited his debut album. As a stand-alone album, The Adventures of Bobby Ray is excellent. He is an artist ahead of his time who isn’t afraid to collaborate with anyone (from Haley Williams and Rivers Cuomo to Eminem) and he’s a breath of fresh air into a stale commercial rap scene.  The only problem for me is that his mixtapes are so excellent they dampened the impact of his album (a.k.a they are better). This isn’t a negative, it’s a testament of the skill of B.O.B. This guy is going to be around for a long time and he’s only going to get better.

Key Tracks: Past My Shades, Magic, The Kids, 5th Dimension, Airplanes, Nothin’ on You (duh)

Rating: 8/10

Now onto other stuff……

Minus the Bear: OMNI

Minus the Bear is one of my all-time favorite bands. They have yet to put out a bad album, and Menos El Oso is one of my favorites of the OO’s. OMNI is what would happen if you took every one of their previous albums and threw it in a blender, added some fine liquor and fresh fruit and made your self a baddass musical drink to swallow down.  This is Minus the Bear at their finest. From the vocals and guitar to the programming and synth, it’s 11 tracks of pure MtB sex, culminating with the track “Into the Mirror” which is my favorite song by them period next to “Pachuca Sunrise” off Menos El Oso. If you have never heard of them run quick to your nearest music watering hole and get you some.

Key tracks: Into the Mirror, Summer Angel, The Theif, Dayglow Vista Road

Rating: 9/10

Kate Nash: My Best Friend is You

Kate Nash is a very interesting artist. Interesting mostly in the fact I either love her songs or hate them. She can write some of the most creative and catchy pop songs I’ve ever heard, but then the very next track can be pure rubbish (she’s a Brit so I’ll use her terminology). On this album, her sophomore effort, Nash delves even further into this territory. Balancing amazing tracks like “Paris” and “Kiss that Girl” with ear bleeders such as “Mansion Song”. I can’t hate her for trying to tread new ground, but I can hate the new ground she treads on. Despite some setbacks, My Best Friend Is You is still a very enjoyable album. If you like Brit-pop then you should at least give it a go.

Key Tracks: Paris, Kiss That Girl, Doo-Wah Doo

Rating: 7/10

So this is what I’ve been spinning as of late. I also have a few albums on deck that I excited to give their due diligence including the new Drake, Janelle Monae, Band of Horses, Jack Johnson and the Roots, and I’m always on the lookout for new stuff.

Now get out there and listen to some music

The End of LOST

Over the years I have devoted a super-human amount of time to LOST. LOST is my Star-Wars. My geektastic pop-culture phenomenon. If I was 6 I would have a LOST lunch box and action figures. I’ve seen every episode at least twice, I’ve followed the Valentzi equation, frequented DarkUFO, and was a regular lurker on the Fuselage. I would dissect Doc Jensen’s crazy ramblings and have endless discussions with friends and co-workers, LOST wasn’t just a show, it was a friend and an experience. When the last episode aired that is exactly what it felt like for me and I’m sure millions of others. It was like your best college friend moving to a snow cave in Northern Russia. You are sure you will never see them again, but the years you had with them were unforgettable, and at the very least you’ll always have the memories (and DVDs). LOST was never a perfect show, but it came pretty close at times. Even  if you disagree, you can’t deny that LOST set a new bar for television quality. The writing, the acting, the cinematography and even the score were top-notch. In fact the only thing that ever held the show back from true greatness was its own ambitions (i.e too much mystery)

I’ve read and heard so many different reactions and interpretations of the finale. Some think the island never existed, some think the island was a test, some feel they didn’t answer enough questions, and others straight out hated it. It’s a wide-array of responses that only a show like LOST could produce. You either bought in from the beginning or you didn’t, and for someone who did, I felt the finale was extremely gratifying. At its core LOST is defined by its characters and in the end every single character achieved the redemption they fought their entire lives (and after-life) to achieve. That’s not to say the shows mythology isn’t equally important. It gave the show context, and was every bit of what made the show intriguing. CSI has characters, but LOST had characters and mystery. Mysteries that were based in science, pop culture, religion, the supernatural, and the cultural. They were sometimes blatant, and sometimes the clues the mysteries were embedded in easter eggs or scattered across multiple episodes or seasons. Which brings me to the great debate over “answers” to those mysteries.

Sure, there are a few mysteries it would have been nice to know the answers to, like the true nature of Ms. Hawking, Jacob’s Cabin (which was really smokies cabin), and Walt. But there are some that I am perfectly okay with being left open to interpretation. I’m happy they didn’t exactly define the energy at the core of the island, why Jacob could live forever, or what exactly would happen if the Man in Black left the island. I’m sure the writers could have answered this if they wanted to, but leaving it open leaves it not only open to interpretation but to imagination. Answer they provided to the supernatural would have surely pissed most people off if it wasn’t what they imagined. I like to use the Star Wars example to back this up. Remember when they defined what the force was in Episode 1. Instead of some deep spiritual or supernatural force it was some bullshit chromosomes. Yeah. There are somethings better left un-answered.

What mattered to me is that the characters I had devoted 6 years of my life to met a resolution that was appropriate to their development.  Mythology is timeless, but people age (cough, Matthew Fox). So in the end, “The End” was everything I hoped it would be and more. That being an emotional end to a show I cared about on an emotional level. LOST will be missed, but never forgotten.

Now what do I do with myself on Tuesdays?

I leave you with a shot from what could possibly be one of the best closing TV frames ever.

Janelle Monae’s Got Soul!!

Janelle Monae has been around for awhile, but my exposure to her music in the past has been limited to her guest spots. I definitely want to dig deeper after hearing this track. It also doesn’t hurt that it features the one and only Big Boi.

It’s Been A Long Time

The bad thing about a blog as opposed to regular old pen and paper is that you always know exactly when you last wrote something. Sure, in a journal you can date the pages, but I usually avoid that to avoid the guilt. And to avoid instances like today when I logged onto my blog to see that it had been nearly 5 months since I had written anything. ANYTHING.

Now that doesn’t mean I’m not writing (ok maybe a little). It just means I’m not blogging. That’s going to change however.  I need to get the juices flowing in all directions.

Blog Updates. COMMENCE!