Wick-it the Instigator - The Brothers of Chico Dusty

Artist: Wick-it the Instigator
Album: The Brothers of Chico Dusty
Genre: Mixing
Link to the Music: Wick it the Instigator - The Brothers of Chico Dusty

I am back in St. Louis and have a college buddy visiting from the Old Line State. I don't have much time to write, bu a few quick words about this album.

Wick-It mixes two 2010 albums Brothers by the Black Keys a blues rock band and The Son of Chico Dusty a hip hop album by Big Boi. This is a cool innovative mashup worth giving a listen if you liked either of the albums. It doesnt rise to level of mastery that Girl Talk has mixing tunes, but it is still entertaining.

Keep Rocking.

ArtOfficial - Fist Fights and Foot Races EP

Artist: ArtOfficial
Album: Fist Fights and Foot Races EP
Genre: Funk/Hip-Hop
Link to the Music: ArtOfficial - Fist Fights and Foot Races EP

Happy New Year readers. I have been away from the blog for the first couple days of the year because of the whirlwind of activities that were happening in Trinidad. I left Trinidad today and instead of heading to the cold of St. Louis, I stopped off in Miami for a quick visit with my sister. Readers, cold weather is overrated. I don't know why anybody yearns to see snow. Today I have been to the beach, walked down the street in a t-shirt, and sipped frozen margaritas on the beach. It's January, this weather baffles me.

To add to it all I found a new band today to share with you that comes from, you guessed it, Miami. The band, ArtOfficial, is a Jazz/Hip-Hop fusion project. The band arose a glorious phoenix from the ashes of two previous bands, one Jazz and one Hip-Hop. The conglomeration of the two styles results in a sound that makes you want to sit up, listen and groove. When you're not listening to the sick sax/flute melodies, the pumping bass or the drums that don't quit, you hear the seamless lyrical styling of two emcee's sharing a stage flawlessly. The lyrics are intelligent, quick and creative. For instance in Word Bending the emcee's spit out for the hook:

This ain't rapping, its word bending,

 Lyrical acupuncture for your nerve endings.

 Ya'll ain't rhyming, ya'll just pretending 

you can't fathom the way that we we twist a sentence.

The verses only get better from the hook but were too quick for me to catch and write down. The lyrics however aren't the only ingenious area in the song. The saxaphone at the song's conclusion really steals the stage with a solo that keeps pace with the lyrics and coupled with a flute melody they really drive the song home. Throughout the album the combination of the two emcee's, keys, sax, flute, bass and drums stays fresh and each song has its own ipseity, yet remains a coherent flowing album.  

ArtOfficial  identifies their sound with that of the bands Soulive and The Roots. The comparison between the bands, particularly The Roots during the  Do you Want More? to Phrenology phase and Soulive's songs with Black Thought (surprise?), is understandable, those are two of most well known Jazz/Hip-Hop bands. Although they undoubtedly draw inspiration between these two titans of the genre, ArtOfficial has managed to carve out their own distinct sound that certainly has the potential to make it to the big time.

This album is only two dollars on bandcamp and I highly recommend spending the cash for it, you won't regret it and this is music that after hearing you will want to support.

Art Official

I am headed back to the 'Lou tomorrow, but for you Miami readers January 8th there will be an ArtOfficial show at the Electric Pickle on the 8th, from what I've heard their shows are sick, if you have a chance check it out. Details for the show can be found on the ArtOfficial Facebook page: ArtOfficial Facebook Page

Keep Rocking.

My Dear Disco - Dancethink LP

Album: Dancethink LP
Artist: My Dear Disco
Genre: Dance/House/Electronic
Link to the Music: My Dear Disco - Dancethink LP

New Years Eve! Wow has this year flown. I want to thank all of you who have stuck with the blog over the course of the year (even during that 8 month hiatus) and I hope all you new readers will stick around for the new sounds that will be coming out in 2011.

Today I have some House/Dance/Electronic from Michigan based band My Dear Disco. While you all are out swinging in the New Year and looking for hot new tunes to play, try cranking out this bad boy. You can dance to it, rock out to it, drunkenly fall down to it whatever strikes your fancy.

I am off to bring in the New Year in Caribbean style. Once again thanks everyone for a great year and I look forward to sharing new tunes with you all in 2011.

Keep Rocking.

Gorillaz - The Fall

Artist: Gorillaz
Album: The Fall
Genre: Alt. Rock/Electronic Rock/ Cartoon Rock
Link to the Music: Gorillaz - The Fall (Only streaming, unless you are a paid fan club member)

I am always intrigued when I hear the Gorillaz are putting out new music. My curiosity is usually peaked by the constantly changing Jamie Hewlett cartoon band members. The seemingly perpetual fluctuation of band members changes the sound from album to album and show to show so you never really know what you are going to get. So when the sole constant member of the Gorillaz, front-man and founder Damon Albarn, announced that they were going to be releasing an album online Christmas Day, I was excited. When I heard it was going to be recorded solely on an Apple Ipad, I knew I had to hear it. The album is impressive, inspired and ordinarily, I wouldn't believe that this was recorded by a band while traveling on tour. However, the Gorillaz are anything but an ordinary band. The album was created over 32 days while the band was on its North American Welcome to Plastic Beach tour. The tracks were written across the United States, and this is reflected in the different track names. The album is at times, instrumental, other times vocals are added in and it concludes with thirty-nine seconds of golden yodeling. Each track has it's own identity, but its doesn't have the same divaricate sounds that characterized Plastic Beach.

The album was recorded using the Ipad and plugging in a Korg Vocoder, Ukele, Microkorg, Omnichord, Moog Voyager, Melodica, Guitar, Piano and a Korg Monotron into the tablet computer.

The following Apps were used to create, mix and record music: Speak It!, SoundyThingie, Mugician, Solo Synth, Synth, Funk Box, Gliss, AmpliTube, Xenon, Korg iElectribe, BS-16i, Mellotronics M3000 HD, Cleartune, iOrgel HD, Olysynth, StudioMini XL, BassLine, Harmonizer, Dub Siren Pro and Moog Filatron.

Everything's better with Cartoons

If you unwrapped a shiny new Ipad this holiday season, head over to the apps store and start downloading these apps and start making music. This album is probably the best advertisement I have encountered for the Ipad. So check it out, get inspired, start making music and as always:

Keep Rocking.

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas everyone!

(If you don't celebrate Christmas, Happy Chinese Food and Movies day!)

I hope you all are having a good holiday wherever you are in the world.

Where I am in Trinidad.

Today I have some electronic "Christmas" music for you all courtesy of Soundcloud. Personally, it doesn't replace Little Drummer Boy in my heart, but to each his own.

 Christmas Songs 2010

Enjoy the music and have a happy holiday!

Keep Merrily Rocking.

Iration - Time Bomb

Artist: Iration

Album: Time Bomb

Genre: Indie Hawaiian Reggae Rock

Link to the music: Iration - Time Bomb

Today's album is a bit of Indie Hawaiian Reggae. Before I go any further I should clarify the genre lest I cast Iration's album into a genre in which it doesn't belong. When researching this album. the artist and the sound that they produced, my first thought was "this is hawaiian reggae". It wasn't reggae like that you hear from Jamaica, most often categorized by the style of singers voice, a mellow guitar, and steady percussion. Reggae most notably emphasizes the second and fourth beat of a bar so you get that iconic upstroke sound that most people would associate with a Reggae melody. Time Bomb isn't that. Iration does have heavy Reggae influences, and it would be a disservice to say that they're not Reggae. However, the music can't be described as reggae in the common use of the word. There is a type of music known as Jawaiian music, which is music that retains native Hawaiian influences, but is mostly centered around encompassing the Reggae style and culture. However, this is still not an appropriate classification for Time Bomb. So after all this, you might be asking yourself "then why the hell did you bother to classify this as Hawaiian Reggae?!". Well dear readers, it just is. The modern music that I have heard from the 50th state has a pretty distinct sound, it combines light guitar strumming, lighter guitar sounds, a clear vocal lead and prominent crash cymbals. Combine this style some keyboard/synth and Reggae and then finally we have what I characterize as an Indie Hawaiian Reggae sound. 

Hawaii

Whew. That was a lot of background, if you just skimmed down here, well I don't blame you. At the start of this blog I mentioned I am not a music expert, I am just a guy who likes music. So if you disagree with my assessment well, comment box.

This is a chill, easy listening album. The lead singer has a clear, strong voice that is the real force behind this production.The title track Time Bomb is a great song, describing that girl who we all known or have seen who at some point in a night out is going to become the center of attention. This album features some quick guitar solos like in Love/Hate, a song describing two opposite people in love trying to make it work, and Get Back to Me, which you may have guessed is about a guy waiting for someone to get back to them. The lyrics aren't deep or thought provoking, they are sweet and simple. 

Check it out, it's a solid production. Let me know if you think it is Hawaiian Reggae, but not Jawaiian. 

Happy Festivus Everyone!

Keep Rocking. 

Christmas in Trinidad

Hi folks.

I have landed safe and sound in the motherland. After a tumultuous journey from St. Louis, stops in Miami (for what felt like forever), and Grenada (for about 15 minutes) I have arrived in Trinidad. Three days after my arrival, my bags have made it too! So all is well. I am having a grand time here, but I do not have internet access everywhere, so posts may not be as frequent. But do not fear! This won't become a"hiatus" like back in April.

Today I wanted to share with you all some more music from Trinidad. Today it is Parang. Parang is a music from Trinidad, played mostly around Christmas time. It's like caroling, but with more instruments and way more fun. For a time, parranderos (the parang players) came to houses and played, or you could find them playing around the country, but now parang is mostly played by established artists. Below you'll find a few Christmas parang songs I was able to find on youtube.

Scrunter: I want a piece ah pork


Scrunter: Leroy


Lord Kitchner: Drink a Ru,


And a Christmas Calypso from Baron:


I had the fortune of seeing a live parang band the other night, they came to a party for my aunt. It was really a great experience, but I regret not having my camera. I did have my camera yesterday when I went to the beach and took this beauty:

Palm Tree at Maracas

I can't think of a better way to spend Christmas.

Hope everyone is having a good holiday!

Keep Rocking.