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Published
August 18th, 2008
in
Collaborations, MP3s, Music |
3 Comments »
I never in my wildest dreams would have thought that this existed, nor would I have ever imagined it listenable had I known that it did, but yes, a Jay-Z/Pavement mashup album has been made. And, you know what, it’s not actually that bad. In fact, it’s pretty cool.
My never-ending mancrush on all things Pavement is pretty well documented, but I actually spent at least a year of my life convinced that Jay-Z – huge pop star and all – was the best rapper of all time. His last couple albums have tarnished the luster a bit, but regardless, The Black Album was one of the all-time greats.
The Slack Album (which I found, via gyeeker) is a mashup of Jigga’s The Black Album and Pavement’s Slanted and Enchanted by DJ N-Wee, who, based on his (or her) non-existent Web presence, is … well, not around anymore. It’s not new, but the fact that somebody thought to mix Jay-Z with Pavement’s off-key, broken rhythm masterpiece is a testament to their sense of adventure, and that it actually works, is pretty amazing.
I’ve included a couple stand out tracks, but the whole thing can be downloaded here.
MP3s:
Jay-Z vs. Pavement - “Zurich Your Shoulder”
Jay-Z vs. Pavement - “Our First Singer”
Published
August 18th, 2008
in
2008 Releases, Collaborations, Media, Music, New Music, News, Video |
1 Comment »
Today, David Byrne and Brian Eno announced the release of their new album, Everything That Happens Will Happen Today. The release marks the first time the two have collaborated since 1981’s My Life in the Bush of Ghosts.
The album is currently only available through their website, which also features a free download of the single “Strange Overtones.” You can stream the entire album in the player above.
Track list:
- Home
- My Big Nurse
- I Feel My Stuff
- Everything that Happens
- Life is Long
- The River
- Stranger Overtones
- Wanted for Life
- One Fine Day
- Poor Boy
- The Lighthouse
Published
June 19th, 2008
in
2008 Releases, Collaborations, Music, News |
1 Comment »
Gorilla vs. Bear, one of our favorite music blogs, informed us of an upcoming Stones Throw release that has us salivating in expectation:
In late 2005 Ghostface Killa and MF DOOM were both recording over tracks from J Dilla’s instrumental opus, Donuts, which saw release the following February. Some of these were released on Ghostface’s Fishscale in 2006, while others, including a Dilla-Doom project, were postponed indefinitely after J Dilla’s passing. Two of these tracks, “Sniperlite” and “Murder Goons,” will be released digitally, exclusively through Stones Throw’s webstore, due to launch in late June.
I’m speechless. You can bet your ass that as soon as Stones Throw makes these downloads available we will let you know. When is “late” June anyways? Isn’t late now? Come on, Stones Throw, we can’t wait any longer.
Published
May 28th, 2008
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2008 Releases, Collaborations, MP3s, Music, New Music |
2 Comments »
Al Green is the man. There really are no two ways about it. There was a stretch during the ’70s where Al Green was soul music. His work during this golden period is still inspiring artists today.
It’s fitting then that Reverend Al turned to his acolytes for his latest release, Lay it Down. Produced by the Roots’ Ahmir “?uestlove” Thompson, Green’s third release for Blue Note also features appearances by neo-soul musicians John Legend, Corinne Bailey Rae and Anthony Hamilton.
Instead of using current artists to update his sound or appeal to a new audience (à la Santana’s Supernatural), Lay it Down is an homage to his ’70s glory days. As a result, there are few surprises on this disc, but that’s not what you want from Al Green. Instead, the disc is filled with falsettos and coos, Hammond organs, strings and brass, and the down-tempo soul that made him a household name. Green sounds like he hasn’t aged a year either. At 62, he still slides between growls, falsettos and howls with ease.
Best of all, Green sounds like he’s having a great time (see “Just for Me”). His guests play their role well - particularly Hamilton and Rae who manage to briefly steal the spotlight - and Green seems rejuvenated playing off of them.
Lay it Down is like reuniting with a childhood friend - it’s familiar, fun, makes you nostalgic for the old times, and excited for the good ones to come.
MP3s:
Al Green - Just for Me
Al Green - Take Your Time [f. Corinne Bailey Rae]
Al Green - No One Like You
Published
April 14th, 2008
in
2008 Releases, Collaborations, Music, New Music |
No Comments »
 In an interview with TwinCities.com, Minneapolis-based underground hip-hop outfit Atmosphere talks about it’s new album When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold, due out April 22. During the interview, Slug reveals that Tom Waits beatboxes on the song “The Waitress”:
“I’m friends with his son. We’ve known each other for quite a while now, going on five or six years. And I finally asked him, I think literally, ‘Have I known you long enough now to ask if I can get in touch with your dad? Or is that offensive?’ So, I sent him the song and asked if he’d sing the chorus. He sent it back and totally avoided the chorus, but instead beatboxed on it. And it sounds good. It worked. We kept it subtle. I didn’t want to be exploitive. I wanted to make sure it made sense musically, and I think ultimately it really did.”
Atmosphere’s been one of my favorite indie hip-hop groups for years, and I’ve made no secrets how big a fan I am of Mr. Waits’ music, so I’m obviously very eager to hear the fruits of this collaboration. (Check out the Waits MP3 below for a sample of his beatboxin’ skills.)
MP3:
Atmosphere - 66th Street
Tom Waits - Bonus
Source:
The Band: Atmosphere [TwinCities.com]
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