Archive for November, 2010
Lamin Fofana, “Happy 2010 // Dark Days Are Coming” from Dutty Artz on Vimeo.
Well, I’ll be damned if that isn’t the darkest title for a song I’ve heard in a minute. And while the visuals might support that side of things, Lamin Fofana’s Happy 2010//Dark Days Are Coming is actually pretty chipper. Although, I suppose if you put expectations down that low, then anything’s a step up (we call this the Wet Sock Phenomenon – anything tastes better).
Anyhoo…
Fofana’s part of the Dutty Artz family, and he’s been getting especially prolific recently. H2010//DDAC is off of his recently released What Elijah Said EP, and duders dropped a wide-ranging mix to accompany it. The mix, titled Calypso despite containing no calypso, is a nice fresh mix featuring some LxNxM favorites (Mount Kimbie, Spoek Mathombo) and a clutch of new names that promise good things.
Stream it below, and download the mix here, ka pow pow.
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Lamin Fofana Calypso
Krieg put me on to Lunice a little over a month ago when he posted this remix of a Deerhunter track that he did with Diplo. I liked that song, and it was as catchy as Krieg purported it to be. But after listening to that song a couple of times, I kinda forgot about him. (Nothing on Krieg or Lunice, it’s just that I got busy and, you know, I have a million other songs in my head at any given moment that I am either trying to soak in or get out. It happens sometimes.) Then, as I was perusing the always informative, always classy and always fresh pages of Put Me On It this week, I saw that that one of my favorite bloggers, Amelia, was lamenting that Lunice’s Stacker Upper EP hadn’t been released yet. So, I decided to pop over to Monsieur Lunice Fermin Pierre II’s Soundcloud page to see for myself what the homie had in store. Sure enough, I found nothing but a bunch of heaters. This kid is ridiculous.
Here’s his latest, a remix of Elephant Man’s “Shake It.” It’s a headbanger, that’s for certain:
Don’t get it twisted though, Lunice is no one trick pony/only-remix-other-people’s-shit kinda dude. He’s also got quality material that is all his. For example, check out the laid back yet sharp “Clear Eyes” below:
You should also check out this mini-preview mix for the upcoming EP. For under four minutes, it’s actually a really good teaser mix:
I want more. I know you want more. Do yourself a favor and go to Lunice’s Soundcloud and stream everything he has. It’s pretty much all that good. If you still can’t get enough Lunice, go over to his youtube channel and check out his sweet dance moves. No, seriously, he has some pretty sweet moves.
Two things: 1) I have been absent from these beautiful pages for too long, but elections are over (life offline? Say it ain’t so), and I’m back. 2) There are few things that make me drool like an extended video showing Seattle “genre-of-one” crew Truckasauras building a beat from the bass on up (shouts to Big Shot Mag for the nice video work).
If you’re West Coasting, these gents are probably playing in a town near you soon, starting off with LA’s infamous Low End Theory this Wednesday. Definitely worth checking out and, yes, even supporting.
Nov. 17 – “Low End Theory” @ The Airliner – Los Angeles
Nov. 18 – Soda Bar – San Diego w/ Sister Crayon and guests
Nov. 19 – The Bunkhouse Saloon– Las Vegas w/ Sister Crayon and guests
Nov. 21 – Luigi’s – Sacramento w/ Sister Crayon and guests
Nov. 22 – Milk Bar – San Francisco w/ Sister Crayon and guests
Nov. 23 – Refuge – Portland w/ Sister Crayon and guests
Nov. 24 – Chop Suey – Seattle Truckasauras Vinyl Release Party w/ Sister Crayon, Thee Satisfaction, and DJ’s Introcut and Absolute Madman
lykke li is easy on the eyes. good song, and i’m feeling this video as a companion to that el guincho one from awhile back.
Shoutouts to Das Racist for introducing Seattle to K. Flay. She got thrown on their bill at the last minute, most people didn’t know who she was, and yet she managed to impress the hell out of everybody in the audience. She sings, she raps, she makes and programs beats live on stage, and she’s humble about being talented. For the most part. Her latest cut is called “No Duh” and in typical rapper fashion, she raps about how she’s styling on everyone. But aside from that, she seems like good people and more folks should hear her music. Cop the new EP here if you like the track below.
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K. Flay “No Duh”
RIFLE RECOIL ~ Lonely Sailor from StudioBlue on Vimeo.
Here’s a new video from Brooklyn’s RIFLE RECOIL that’s instantly making me wish I was on a beach somewhere instead of rainy Seattle. It’s a good tune too. It’s called “Lonely Sailor” and I dig the not so creative visuals. Sometimes, simple is the move.
(via Nehru Jackets)
Toronto stand up! This is straight fire and makes me think of the many days I’ve spent posted in the T-Dot kicking it with “Trini’s and Yardies” on Yonge street. Or the GTA (Greater Toronto Area) where there’s always good people, great food, and damn good music. That city doesn’t get nearly enough credit for how fresh it is so Kardinal Offishall decided to give it a proper anthem. And believe when I say, this joint is an anthem. In a recent interview with k-os, he commented how interesting it is that the most popular rapper in America this year was a Canadian dude. That’s Drake for 2010, but hopefully it’ll be Kardi for 2011. He’s got a new album dropping soon. Peep the single below.
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Kardinal Offishall — “The Anthem” produced by Kardinal Offishall
Daseca (David Anthony, Serani and Craig Andrew) just released a riddim that puts the dance back in… Okay, okay, that’s corny. I won’t take it there, but it would really convey how I feel about this riddim.
The Dancehall Again riddim is a straight throwback to the 80s and 90s, the golden era of dancehall music, and it stands in stark contrast to the heavily hip hop-influenced dancehall that dominates the landscape nowadays. It basically sounds like Daseca hopped into their time-traveling Delorean and brought this one back from Kingston circa 1989. If someone were to plop an old Ninjaman, Shabba or Buju a capella on top of this riddim and play it for you, you could be forgiven for thinking that it was an original song.
Assassin basically sums up the vibe of this riddim in the title track, “Dancehall Again,” when he explains: “Stagalag, Real Rock, Pepperseed and Giggy/Nuff a dem rap like Tupac and Biggie/New York represented by Jay-Z and Diddy/But I and I represent Kingston city.”
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Hit the jump for a couple more streamable versions and a link to the complete riddim album. If you weren’t already tempted to keep reading, perhaps I should also mention that Daseca got the likes of Aidonia, Beenie Man, Elephant Man, Mr. Vegas, and Tony Matterhorn to leave their mark on this tune as well, just to name a few.
The Ladykiller is out now. You should probably buy it.
