Cut Chemist: Spinner Extraordinaire

Cut Chemist is one of the best hip-hop DJs around. His name is spoken in the same breath as DJ Shadow, Q-Bert, etc. His collaborations with Jurassic 5 was just sweet. URB magazine, which I use to read back in the day (the late 1990s), has a nice interview with him:

Grand Master Citizens: Cut Chemist from Society Theory on Vimeo.

Why Lady Gaga Is A Superstar!

Lady Gaga is on the cover of the September issue of Vanity Fair.

I presume this is what she "really" looks like, without the excessive make-up, outrageous costumes and teased-up hair. I honestly never seen her in a "normal" way.

In spite of her overpowering flamboyance, I love her music. She's pure pop. Closest thing we have to a superstar since Madonna, who Lady Gaga shamelessly emulates, from style to sound. Like Madonna, Lady Gaga is a product of the dance club scene, where she absorbed countless hours of disco-inflected music. It is this glue that binds her music together into high-energy dance anthems.

Is Lady Gaga a genius? These days the word 'genius' is used to describe anyone with a modicum of talent. Geniuses are defined by their uniqueness, as much by their eccentricities. In my opinion, Lady Gaga has both. Her skills as a singer, musician, and producers are so unfathomably great, that it's not much of a stretch to call her, well, a genius.

This is only my opinion, of course. I don't have to justify them to anyone.

What Lady Gaga has done, like Madonna before her, is she made dance music cool again. I've been a dance music fan since I first heard my first disco song in the late 1970's (Most probably the Bee Gees, but I can't remember the specific moment or song). The arrival of Madonna and Michael Jackson made the 1980's cool. Can Lady Gaga do the same for the post-internet era?

I hope so

Jermaine Says What We Are All Thinking

Jermaine Jackson said the following after hearing of his famous - and more talented - brother's untimely death:

"I Wish It Was Me."

If it makes Jermaine Jackson feel better, I wish it was him too. And Tito. And, most definitely, LaToya. But not Janet.

Listen To Duffy

I haven’t written much about music on this blog. The fact is, I haven’t been really listening anything worthwhile to spend time writing about it. But I’m really digging British (actually Welsh) chanteuse Duffy. She is one in a long line of soulful British imports, including Amy Wimehouse, Joss Stone, and Lilly Allen (who is more poppy but interesting, nevertheless. There is nothing in the United States that is close tocomparable, at the moment.

My favorite song, of course, is “Mercy”, which is getting heavy rotation on my music player. A song so classy, so silky, you could swear it came from the 1960s. Check out the official video, and its U.S. version, on YouTube.

Amy And Kanye Win Big At Grammy's

Congratulations are in order for Amy Winehouse’s multiple Grammy wins. Well deserved, in my opinion. And boos for Kanye West, who is increasingly becoming an insufferable, pompous windbag. His Grammy wins will do nothing except to burnish his already oversize ego. And he's not even a good rapper. He may be a great producer, but his pop rants are just that, rants. Obviously, members of the musical establishment that vote for the Grammy’s have no clue what hip-hop is.

UPDATE: Singer Natalie Cole is complaining that Winehouse didn’t deserve to win:

“I don’t think she deserved it,” previous Grammy-winning singer Natalie Cole said. “I think she needs to get her life together first, and then get the awards later."

…Cole also called Winehouse “crazy,” and complained that we are teaching youngsters that they can get rewarded for bad behavior.h

Unfortunately, rock n’ roll rewards bad behavior, and in the case of Amy Winehouse, she is the archetypical rock princess—simply bad, bad, bad. And people love her for it. Whether this is a good or bad thing is debatable; or it simply doesn't matter. Perhaps Winehouse was judged on her talents alone?

Review: Fabric 01 By Craig Richards

Craig Richards is a British tech house DJ that I never heard of before listening to this CD, I'm sorry to say; but he kicks off this new series by Fabric, a famed dance club in London, England. Unfortunately, I came to this series a bit late (Fabric has well over 30 releases to date, and an equal number of their other series, Fabriclive). Like many of my musical choices, I accidentally stumbled up on it. How, I don't remember, nor does it matter.

Fabric 01 is a progressive mix of richly-layered, dubbed and filtered techno and house, with minimal vocals, seamlessly blended together. Filled with deep atmospherics, it puts you in the mood to dance the night away. It's also well-suited as a sort of after party aperitif-listening to it while going home, or lounging around with your friends, waiting for the sun to rise. Since I don't go to clubs anymore, or lounge around with friends, I listened to the entire CD in my car while driving to and from work. It's very relaxing and a great way to get rid of the stress. I often find myself gently bobbing my head back and forth.

The selection of tracks on this CD is, for the most part, a mix bag; but my favorite tracks are Dubby Disco by Antonelli Electr. and Wavescape by Silicon Jazz. They are most danceable tunes of the set, with complex layers and a driving beat that just seems to get faster and faster with every passing second. It may be an illusion on may part, and it may not, but it's all bliss.

Tracklist:

1. Gemini - At That Café
2. Cpen - Pirate's Life
3. Antonelli Electr. - Dubby Disco
4. Dub-Tech Soundsystem - Sugar Rush
5. Jamie Anderson - Montage
6. SCSI-9 - Cozmoport
7. SCSI-9 - Cologne
8. Lo-Kee - Sinners
9. Ernst Viebeg - Nightlife
10. Bushwacka! - Bluntski
11. Swag - Drum Hydraulics
12. Roman IV - (14x7x4)
13. Wavescape - Silicon Jazz
14. Terry Francis - Took From Me
15. Helmet - Early Riser
16. Schatrax - Mispent Years

New Music From Portishead

Here’s a video of Portishead performing new songs at a concert.



It’s definitely harder and edgier than what they did with Dummy and Portishead, both classics, in my opinion, as is their live album, Live: Roseland NYC.

Portishead are a bunch of creative recluses, living in the English countryside, producing an album every now and then - a definite sign of genius, madness, or both. Hopefully, these songs are an indication that a new album is in the works.

Their sound can only be described as a combination of downtempo, trip-hop, acid jazz, and psychadelic pop. Similar artists include Massive Attack, Tricky, Cocteau Twins, etc. Dreamy - somtimes nightmarish- soundscapes pervade the senses. It's the type of music I listen to while lying in my bed, unable to sleep. It's one hell of an experience: it's like a narcotic, but doesn't inolve going to rehab.

Check out this site to download more MP3s from the concert.

[via rock & roll daily]

Britney Spears' New Song

I know Britney Spears gets a lot of flack (much of it deserved) for, well, everything. But her latest song “Gimme More” is better than average—from a mainstream dance music perspective anyway. Nevertheless, the video below is just atrocious: the girl just can’t dance; and her talents as a stripper are questionable, to say the least. She’d be lucky to get pennies thrown at her.

Smart Rock Stars

Brian May, guitarist and songwriter for Queen, is getting a doctorate in astrophysics; and to be referred as Dr. Brian May. Sweet! I always considered Queen to be one of the brainier rock bands out there; you can tell by their experimental sound, which is both complex and sophisticated. In fact, the band was formed during the member's university days. On the other hand, there are plenty of musicians who are dumb as dirt and it's often reflected in their music.

[via marginal revolution]