brndn
[Album Review] tAz Arnold – rAd americA
Before Taz Arnold aka TI$A ever brought his branded snapbacks to all the cool kids, I knew him as a musician, albeit one of a very eccentric caliber with his brethren in SA-RA.
He and his creative partners not only make some of the rawest, dirtiest funk out of LA and NY respectively, they also come armed with philosophies and spiritual messages that aren’t always reflected in their music per se, but show that these guys are educated and would like to affect people in a number of different ways.
Taz was always the wilder one in SA-RA, from his appearance to his solo work. He’s made songs that range from endorsing Barack Obama to freaked out jazz-funk street music (“$outhSide Blood Cuz’n”) not to mention an array of interesting visuals you can find on YouTube that really allow you to experience this personality and his philosophy although in the end his enigmatic persona doesn’t get any clearer.
In 2012, he’s already released two projects, a 2-song EP titled, Louboutin $yndrome employing a style I can best describe as sound collaging. There’s a somewhat chaotic approach to the production reminiscent of the 90’s production crew, The Bomb Squad. Continuing with this heavy sample, collage style, we’re now introduced to the second project, the Rad America LP, a fast-paced project that works like the musical version of what a lot of news channels look like nowadays with multiple things happening simultaneously. The perfect music for the tabbed browser information consumption era we live in now.
I first came across Rad America from my email subscription to tisavision.tv but went searching for a download link which I found along with many slanderous and dismissive comments. By no means will I scale this LP between good or bad because I recognize that it’s valuable in the indie music lexicon and the Internet age. I don’t have a whole lot to say in terms of what songs you should listen to or whatever from the album because that’s not what Rad America is about. It’s about offering people an experience, and if you make it through to the end of that experience, it’s clear what his mandate, ‘We Run This Art S#!T’ is all about.
Themes run the gamut here, from talking about freaky girls and shouting out GOD, to mentioning the gold under the rocks in San Fran as well as introducing an extension of his ‘branding’ with the ti$A te$lA gAng. There is a lot to digest here, and I am interested in exploring what else I discover with repeated listens to the album. Take the challenge for yourself though and see what you get out of your journey through Rad America!
— Brendan Philip
Download: tAz Arnold – rAd americA HERE
Check tAz Arnold out online: Website | Twitter (@tAzArnold) | Tumblr
Hit the jump to watch the ti$A Mission statement:
[Album Review] THEESatisfaction – awE naturalE
I touched on this group briefly the other day but as promised, Kitchen contributor, Brendan Philip delves a little deeper into their official debut album release, awE naturalE. The album is a monster, trust! Let Brendan explain exactly why he thinks so too:
It feels like it was almost three years ago that I was introduced to the music of Stasia Irons & Catherine Harris-White, better known as THEESatisfaction, by my dear friend and 88 Days collective founder/member, Leilani who was simply geeked to show me what these ladies were up to. I proceeded to sift through their bandcamp and became completely entranced by not only the sound of the music and vocal delivery, but also the overall tone of the subject matter. They touched on so many topics with a cool that you rarely find when people mesh art and political fare. It reminded me of how Curtis Mayfield could take socially conscious thoughts and still make you want to dance.
I could go into the various songs that I enjoy but we’re really here to discuss their debut full-length album, awE naturalE which is being released through Sub Pop Records, as a whole. If you’re not familiar with Sub Pop, they were the leading record label at the heart of the grunge rock scene rooted in the Pacific Northwest back in the early 90s. They seem to have come a long way since then with the signing of left-field ‘urban/hip-hop’ acts, THEEsatisfaction, Shabazz Palaces and Spoek Mathambo.
awE naturalE is a few different things all at the same time: funky, jazzy, literate and also a thorough-yet-brief project that I’ve kept on repeat since first getting it. It only runs about 30 minutes front to back but within that scant half-hour journey, the album totally wraps you within a world that is the sister universe to Shabazz Palaces’. Speaking of whom, Ish aka Plcr Lazaro of SP makes appearances on a couple tracks on awE naturalE that appear back-to-back as well.
Getting into a few specific tracks from the album, the lead-off single, “QueenS” took me for a bit of a loop, being that it’s so totally dance floor ready. Admittedly, I feel pretty dumb for saying this so I danced off my stupidity! It’s truly a valuable experience for people to share their many sides in their music like THEESatisfaction do. “Enchantruss” was the second glance into this thang. It’s also the second of the two songs Ish appears on and it really goes hard with its sub-bass kick drum, heavily manipulated vocal sample and menacing lead melody line. It is one of the standout, must-hear tracks from the album, especially with Cat’s June Tyson-esque vocal juxtaposed with the ill beat. I bring up these two tracks first because they really represent the yin-yang nature at the core of this album. awE naturalE is a well-balanced project that features insightful observations, necessary questions and also light nature (I had to do it…-__-).
My personal favorites on awE naturalE I could say are really all the songs, but just to lend further insight into the yin-yang nature of the album, the light principle is represented by tracks like: “Bitch”, “Existinct” and “Sweat” while the dark principle is embodied in tracks like “God”, “Deeper” and “Needs.”
There is tons more I could say about awE naturalE, but I feel like there is no better way to get to the heart of this thang than listening to it at a wretchedly high volume. Congratulations on releasing what will no doubt stand by year-end as one of the best albums of 2012, ladies!!!
LISTEN:
Stream awE naturalE on NPR’s First Listen or when that link dies, hit the jump for a full preview of the album via Rdio or go cop the album on itunes.
BONUS:
88 Days Of Fortune interview THEESatisfaction:
[Music Video] M.I.A. – Bad Girls
Following the ‘controversy’ with former hipster ‘It girl’ and ‘activist’ MC, M.I.A. occasional guest blogger here at The Kitchen, Brendan Philip weighs in on her new video that dropped just days before The Big Game….
Overall I love this song, the fusion of what sounds like traditional Indian music with hip-hop/dancehall percussion is just genius. But for me this is the combination of the song AND the video that really sells it for me! I was pleased with her first collaboration with director, Romain Gavras (“Born Free”) and although this new one doesn’t follow a storyline of that magnitude, it still has strong imagery. The most important part of the imagery is the depiction of women driving cars (on two wheels no less) throughout the clip as a middle finger to the Saudi Arabian law that prohibits women from driving by themselves or driving in cars without men. ENJOY….
Related:
albawaba: Bad Girls or Bad Arab Stereotypes?: MIA’s New Gulf-Cool Rap Video Offends.
USA Today: M.I.A. latest: Her video’s hot, her love life’s not.
Brendan Philip’s Top 10 Album Picks For 2011
10. Blood Orange – Coastal Grooves
This is a self-produced album by the multi-talented/instrumentalist Dev Hynes (formerly of Test Icicles and Lightspeed Champion) with a seedy nostalgic, 80s downtown New York feel. A conceptual piece, that moves at a very slow and steady pace but is very atmospheric, if you give it a fair chance there is a lot to like about this. The bass is really the thing to watch out for on this album, it’s a really dark centerpiece that works so well.
*Notable Tracks: Sutphin Boulevard, Can We Go Inside Now.
9. Gil-Scott Heron/Jamie xx – We’re New Here
A remix project that doused a lot of light on Heron‘s rather bleak narratives; the original album, ‘I’m New Here’ was not something I actually got through. Although Jamie xx functions as the MPC wiz in British Goth R&B band, The xx, here he offers a freer expression and alternate reality to his intricate compositions and of course paired with the brilliance of Gil-Scott Heron, this certainly makes for a great listen on a bus ride or actually in the club, which I feel is an additional charm when you think about Heron.
*Notable Tracks: Ur Soul and Mine, I’ll Take Care of You.
8. The Weeknd – House of Balloons
The Weeknd – House Of Balloons by The_Weeknd
For sure this is a no-brainer for most people that this would appear on an end of year list. But to be honest I was beside myself on this one because I didn’t love everything that was featured here, but then my objective side came into play and I realized that sometimes we are very comfortable and when we’re introduced to new sounds with no reference or context it isn’t always easy to digest. With all that said, this is a very precise piece of work that ironically to mostly everyone outside of Toronto is shrouded in mystery. There are some great samples used from Beach House and Siouxsie and the Banshees and all around really engaging songs that make you feel like the best way to hear the music at a party is through the bathroom wall… where perhaps another party is happening. I don’t think I need to say much more than that because if you haven’t heard this you probably don’t have the Internet.
*Notable Tracks: What You Need, Party/After Party, Coming Down.
7. A$AP Rocky – LiveLoveA$AP
I will openly admit that when I first heard this, I didn’t give it much of a chance but at the encouragement of a few friends I threw it on the iPod and walked with it. So I suppose it goes without saying that it really grew on me and indulged my raw-er sensibilities quite a bit. A$AP is the crew, Rocky is the star on this ‘mixtape’, but there are other members who shine here and I’m sure have their own projects ready for deployment with all the Houston swag that makes this project really deliver. A$AP as an emcee has a great flow and is concerned with what you would think a young dude would be concerned with.
*Notable Tracks: Peso, Trilla, Brand New Guys.
6. Van Hunt – What Were You Hoping For?
From its strange cover photo to its adventurous music, this is an evolution for an artist that it wouldn’t hurt if you got to know them. Having started as an R&B artist, not to mention having Randy Jackson as his manager (YEAH, THAT RANDY!) it is a wonder why a lot of people aren’t familiar with Van Hunt… their loss I suppose. If you listen to his work in succession, the material found on this album makes perfect sense, it takes the kind of maverick twists and turns found in Prince‘s career, that also means it is incomparable to anything I’ve heard. Sliding from punk to country to funk, to songs about ass and cross dressing, it may be safe to say there is something here for everyone… even if your indulgences aren’t as out there as Van Hunt expresses his.
*Notable Tracks: Watching You Go Crazy Is Driving Me Insane, Falls (Violet), Eyes Like Pearls.
Hit the jump for Brendan’s #5-1 picks….
Brendan Philip’s Top 10 Singles of 2011
I will start this by saying that I really had no difficulty selecting the albums [post with my album list forthcoming] that I really enjoyed this year because there weren’t that many albums I was into. HOWEVER, there were far too many songs that I resonated with, but I got it down to ten choices. The thing about this list is I now I can’t really pit them against one another, but I will try. It may be best to look at the list’s order as a loose competition: they’re really all my favourites.
10. The Internet – She DGAF
The Internet – She Dgaf by Deutsch Schokolade
This duo is part of Odd Future, but fall more in the vein of Frank Ocean, for whatever that may be worth to you. This song and the album that it accompanies is a mostly spacey affair, this particular track having this samba (or is it bossa nova? :s) rhythm for the verses and a nice dirty double time kick drum for the chorus. If you’re curious as to what the DGAF stands for, its (She) Don’t Give A F***, the song being a narrative about this rad girl and the things she does that show she doesn’t give a f*** what you think.
9. Lianne La Havas – No Room For Doubt
Lianne La Havas – No Room For Doubt by PluggedIn
This is a spooky drum-less number by a young British girl featuring Willy Mason, who also co-wrote the song with her. It’s my favourite type of song, melancholy lullabies. She has a couple EPs out and is also on tour with the band Bon Iver. But check out the video for this one, it was shot really well and is just as creepy as the song.
8. Toro Y Moi – I Can Get Love
10 Toro Y Moi “I Can Get Love” by wearevanenewyork
There’s just some artists who have a great work ethic and in a short time Chaz Bundick, the man behind this project has put out two full lengths and has a few EPs and bootlegs floating around. This song comes from his most recent EP, Freaking Out. I can hardly describe the sound of this one; it’s driven by piano with a four on the floor stomp, crazy psychedelic vocals nuanced with light airy female vocals. It’s a fresh groove that even at its 5-min length deserves to be pulled up a few times.
7. J*DaVey – Queen of Wonderland
J DaVeY – Queen of Wonderland by freevisions
The hardest working independent genre-less group out for the past few years! This song is featured on their long awaited full-length album, New Designer Drug. This song is way genre-less, left coast weirdo s***. It’s composed of strange sounds through and through. Aside from the drums, I couldn’t even begin to describe what is happening in this song. Then we have Miss Jack Davey with her underplayed vocals that erupt into her actually summoning the spirit of the Queen of Wonderland. I have really never heard her sound this ferocious before but I really like the sound of this. Check it out.
6. Little Dragon – Ritual Union
Ritual Union by Little Dragon
With it’s minimalist song structure and the vocally well-endowed Yukimi Nagano this song makes me want to dance as much as I want to be still and engaged with the mysterious imagery that makes this song really potent. The brilliance of the lyrics, “Ritual union got me in trouble again”, I am sure we won’t all have the same response to what this may mean, but hearing it will surely draw some response out of you?
Hit the jump for Brendan’s #5-1 picks….