Got the Pack's new EP "Skateboards 2 Scrapers." Nothing earth-shattering but I'm definitely feeling their sound. Not to mention their fits.
I have been a fan since they caught national attention with their single, "Vans," but their sound is not the traditional bay hyphy. They remind me a lot of 80s/early 90s old school rap with their heavy electronic influence, minimalism, and laid back flows. But they are also on some futuristic shit too with the synth sound, I guess a comparison to the Neptunes could be made. The rappers even have Pharrell's nonchalant lazy flow although I think it works better here. The rhymes never overshadow the beats, especially in the staccato "Candy." This song is hot, it reminds me of the good old fashioned raunchy ass rap songs in the tradition of 2 Live Crew - the types of songs where I would blush when they came on the radio in the car with my parents. Rap and gratuitous sex/booty go together like peanut butter and Chinese food. I guess rappers can't resist sex/candy metaphors either. Shake that laffy taffy, I'll take you to the candy shop, etc...if only Donne was as ingenius. Along with 2 choice cuts from the Pack, I have included a few other booty jams for your listening pleasure. Don't blush.
Here are some random songs stuck in my head lately:
Gwen Stefani ft. Akon - Sweet Escape Props to my boy Chris Yi for introducing me to this one, much better than that yodeling single. Her new album sucks and I am glad. Isn't it ironic that the annoying ass catchy shit that she popularized with her last album was jacked by Fergie to become even more annoying and now its just a competition to see who can be more ridiculous. I feel like this is a contest with no winners. If we made a game tree, it might resemble a Prisoner's Dilemma with both parties inevitably killing each other in a race to the bottom. Sadly, Gwen comes off sounding like a Fergie knock-off when Fergie initially sounded like a knock-off Gwen Stefani. Wtf? The meta-musicalicality of this moment just made my head explode. That's some perverse post-modernist shit right there. Bee tee dubs, Akon is the guilty pleasure of the moment. There is no way to bump his shit and not nod your head while at the same time feeling like a complete asshole. Good thing he says, "Convict" before all his songs. That definitely is reassuring to my masculinity.
Fijiya & Miyagi - Collarbone This song is cool. Dirty, funky ass groove and lyrics about copping new kicks. "Got to get a new pair of shoes / To kick it with her, not kick it with you." "Air Force Ones" for hipsters and pre-meds.
Pure Essence - Third Rock Funky, Spacy - from the Adult Swim and Stones Throw compilation. So "Ghostwriter" by RJD2 happened upon my shuffled Ipod the other day. I think it is impossible to listen to this song while walking on a sunny day and not feel good. Anyways, "Third Rock" sounded soooo familiar. RJD2 - Clean Living
Ratatat - Wildcat In regards to RJD2, I was trying to think of some other artists with utterly captivating, never boring instrumentals. I first heard "Seventeen Years" on the way to a Warriors game. As you can imagine, it was magical. Somehow, I slept on their new album. I like to think Eli Cash from Royal Tenenbaums would enjoy this track. Oh, it has great sound effects too.
MIMS - This Is Why I'm Hot When DJing turned rapping goes right. The flows are okay but the beats are insane. Yes, I said beats, plural. The main beat is hypnotic and catchy as hell, but then he busts out all these samples that totally work with the song. For example, when he raps about the Bay, the beat switches to "Tell Me When to Go." Ah, that's some mixtape shit, the marriage of form and content is positively heartwarming. Oh, and I also love his logic. "Why is he hot?" you might ask. "I'm hot 'cause I'm fly / You ain't 'cause you not." It's that fucking simple.
Deerhoof - +81 This song is crazy and catchy. I guess I like singers with Asian accents for some odd reason. I looked them up when I walked by some place on Wilshire where they were performing.
Cibo Matto - Know Your Chicken I have been obsessed with theses two Japanese girls since Christmas break after I picked up their first album from the library. I had heard of them from Dan the Automator and the lead singer, Miho Hatori is featured in Handsome Boy Modeling School, but never heard their individual stuff. This is some weird, quirky, irresistible music - like the Beastie Boys gone crazy from drinking sea water on the trip from Asia. It's a feast of break beats, jazz, unicorns, MSG, and outer space.
cerca 1996
Cibo Matto - Sugar Water directed by Michel Gondry, featured on Buffy...one of the best uses of split screen ever
speaking of Automator (my favorite producer), he hooks up with Hiero again
