I’m a fan of Tom Krell’s music. Performing under the stage name “How To Dress Well”, his music has always has always resonated a sadness or longing in me. Whether its his airy falsetto, or the generally dark lyrical topics of his compositions, his music always makes me want to lay on a coach and contemplate life, love, at other personal topics.
When I saw him perform at The Roxy earlier this year, Tom performed “Repeat Pleasure” and noted it was a song about controlling emotions even though you know that “if you do something once, you’ll probably do it again”. He also noted that it was perhaps the most “poppy” songs he had had ever written.
That being said, I suppose one would have expected a music video with an airier, light hearted mood, but I think if that had been done, it would have been so out of character for Tom, his fans, myself included, would have said, “Huh?”
Tom’s music video for “Repeat Pleasure”, which is apparently part 1 of the “What Is This Heart?” (the name of his forthcoming album) trilogy, will pull on your heartstrings. It seems to tell the story of a young man who’s grandfather is gravely ill, and his efforts to take him somewhere familiar before passing. The video is appropriately “How To Dress Well”, and I fully appreciate Tom’s creative vision for his music.
I’ve been a big fan of J Dilla’s since Slum Village released “Fantastic Vol. 2“, so whenever someone posts some new J Dilla material, or music inspired by J Dilla, I take the time to check it out.
The video clip above released on Youtube back on December 20, 2013, but I just stumbled upon it. I’d never heard of BINKBEATS until now, but I’ll have to say that he’s impressed me with this 7 minute video. Performing all of the instruments himself, he’s able to recreate some of J Dilla’s unique sounds live to create a wonderful “live” video that mixes in four of J Dilla’s beats: “Make’em NV”, “E=MC”, “Wont’ Do” and “Fall in Love”. I’ve found videos of the foregoing tracks that you can check out, and compare, below.
Well done BINKBEATS. I’m sure J Dilla would be happy.
I was already excited to watch Atomic Ape do their thing at El Cid, but when Jason Schimmel messaged me that the band performing after them would blow my mind, my curiosity got piqued. I typically take statements like that with a grain of salt, but knowing how extraordinarily talented a musician Jason is, coming from him, that statement carried with it a lot more weight. A week before the date of the gig, I started my google research.
From allmusic.com: “Tim Young is one of the most creative guitarists out there. Best known for his work with Wayne Horvitz and Zony Mash, he’s been creating a very original style with his mastery of tone and effects and the near-complete absence of clichéd guitar licks. Thruster is his power trio project with bass player Kaveh Rastegar and ubiquitous Seattle drummer Matt Chamberlain […] Guitar fans will surely be impressed, but this is an album worth checking out for anyone interested in good instrumental rock.”
The more research I did, the more the musical dweeb inside of my brain started to squeal. Matt Chamberlain has worked, or toured, with Edie Brickell & New Bohemians, Pearl Jam, Tori Amos, Morrissey, Fiona Apple, David Bowie, Elton John, Peter Gabriel, John Mayer, and the list goes on. Kaveh Rastegar is a founding member of the Grammy nominated new music quintet Kneebody and has worked with, or written for, Cee Lo Green, Bruno Mars, Sam Sparro, Antibalas Afro Beat Orchestra, Joshua Radin, and the list goes on. Timothy Young has performed with, recorded with and/or produced the following artists: Beck, Rufus Wainwright, Belinda Carlisle, Dave Palmer, Fiona Apple, Nikka Costa, Lucy Woodward, Mike Patton, Stan Getz, Sophie B. Hawkins, and, again, the list goes on.
Thruster!’s performance, like their resume, did not dissappoint. Like a well oiled machine, the band performed a set that any lover of rock and roll would have appreciated. Tim’s superb lead guitar playing skills was mesmerizing accompanied by Matt’s succinct rhythms and Kaveh’s steady bass. Jason Schimmel joined them for a song which only added another layer to their already full sound. May favorite jam from their set is at the 5:26 mark of the video below. It’s so hard, dirty and uplifting at the same time, I couldn’t help but make a stink face throughout it.
It seems to me that these guys don’t necessarily get to play together on a regular basis due to their being in high demand for other gigs, so being able to catch their artistry as a collective live was a special treat that I’m glad I got to be a part of.
Unfortunately, the Flickr slideshow below is not currently available on mobile devices. If you are on a mobile device, please click THIS LINK to get redirected to the set of photos.
Today, February 6th, 2013, is Bob Marley’s birthday. Taken from his Wikipeidia:
“Nesta Robert MarleyOM (6 February 1945 – 11 May 1981) was a Jamaican singer-songwriter who achieved international fame through a series of crossover reggae albums. Starting out in 1963 with the group the Wailers, he forged a distinctive songwriting and vocal style that would later resonate with audiences worldwide. The Wailers would go on to release some of the earliest reggae records with producer Lee Scratch Perry. After the Wailers disbanded in 1974, Marley pursued a solo career which culminated in the release of the album Exodus in 1977 which established his worldwide reputation. He was a committed Rastafarian who infused his music with a profound sense of spirituality.”
There is a lot of music out there, but there was something about Bob’s music that evoked a mystic sentiment. It can be a rainy day, or you could be snowed in, but as soon as you press play on one of his records, I guarantee your spirits will be lifted … with or without “herbal” supplements.
The first Bob Marley CD I owned was “Legend”. I purchased it at a used CD store in college town during my sophomore year with the money I had earned the previous weekend serving beers at a frat party. I had just started dating a girl around the time of the purchase and as I placed the disc into my Discman to listen on the walk back to my apartment, I remember hearing the simple love song “Is This Love”. It felt like Bob was feeling what I was feeling, and at that moment I felt a connection to his words and music … a connection that is often hard to come by these day. Though the relationship with the girl ran its course after graduation, I remember one of the first songs I played in order to cope with the loss was “No Woman No Cry” off the same CD. At that moment, no other song, except perhaps Brian McKnight’s “One Last Cry”, helped me to deal with the heartache. I came full circle with Bob, and I am certainly glad he was there for me.
Bob Marley is one of the most important musical, and social, figures in music history. I have compiled a few of the videos I found online that I enjoyed. I hope you enjoy each of them and fall in love with his music like I did.
If you have the spare time, this full live concert is a great view and a good collection of his amazing music:
1.Positive Vibration 1:20
2.Wake Up and Live 6:30
3.I Shot the Sheriff 11:45
4.Ambush in the Night 16:20
5.Concrete Jungle 20:10
6.Running Away 25:10
7.Crazy Baldhead 28:40
8.Them Belly Full 33:20
9.Heathen 36:42
10.Ride Natty Ride 41:15
11.Africa Unite 45:25
12.One Drop 49:55
13.Exodus 54:00
14.So Much Things to Say 1:00:10
15.Zimbabwe 1:03:40
16.Jamming 1:07:45
17.Is This Love 1:12:45
18.Kinky Reggae 1:16:00
19.Stir It Up 1:19:35
20.Get Up Stand Up 1:23:15
It’s been a while since I’ve heard a good concept album. A Concept Album is an album where “all of the musical or lyrical ideas contribute to a single overall theme or unified story.” In this decade (the 2010’s) there have been some solid, highly regarded concept albums that have left their mark: Adrian Young with Ghostface Killah collaboration called Twelve Reasons to Die (a black mafia member who gets betrayed by his lover), Arcade Fire‘s The Suburbs (its themes focus on regret and lost youth) and Danny Brown‘s XXX (about growing up, the fall of Detroit, and the impact of drugs on both).
A concept album was even nominated for both Album of Year and Rap Album of The Year at this year’s Grammy Awards (2014), Kendrick Lamar‘s “Good Kid, m.A.A.d City” which centers around Kendrick’s life in Compton, California and how he strived to escape it. Each song in the album follows this theme and furthers the story line. As an aside, even though I loved “The Heist”, Kendrick should have won the best rap album award … just sayin’ …
Coincidentally, a producer on Kendrick’s album released a pretty damn good concept album in 2013 as well. His name is Terrace Martin, and the album is titled “3ChordFold”. Terrace is a musician’s musician, who has produced tracks for and worked with artists like Kenrick Lamar, Snoop Dogg, 9th Wonder, Stevie Wonder, Quincy Jones, etc.
Though the album is filled with many guest appearances by notable artists (Ab-Soul, Kendrick Lamar, Musiq Soulchild, Robert Glasper, James Fauntleroy, Wiz Khalifa, Snoop and Lalah Hathaway), Terrace’s songwriting and musical sensibilities shines through with his latest effort, use elements of jazz, soul, R&B and hip-hop, creating an album that is based on a theme of the three types of “loves” one may encounter in the search of their true love: The Freeloader, The Renter and the Buyer.
Everyone can take what they want from the music, but listening to the album in a vacuum, I came up with my own “summary” of the album. Perhaps, I have missed the mark on a song or two, but hey, it’s music. Take from it what you will. You need to listen to it for yourself and make your own determinations.
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Set against a strong saxophone line, Ab Soul introduces the idea of the trials of love, and the perils associated in the quest of looking for someone who is not a freeloader, or a renter, but someone who will “buy me out” (Intro). The problems are more fully set forth in the next song which explains the conundrum of when a “circle and a square don’t fit (Triangle Ship). The soft and sultry voice of Wyann Vaughn (the “poetess”) introduces in spoken word the idea of the “The Freeloader” which immediately has Terrace (the “protagonist”) romancing the freeloader with offers of leaving it all behind and taking off with him (Get Away) only to have those hopes shattered when he realizes that the person he is in love with isn’t as into him, as he is her (Something Else).
Still in love with freeloader, the protagonist has his first epiphany, learning that “love changes over time” and in this case, “you don’t call, you don’t text, no love, not even sex,” asking “what I’m supposed to do? Sit around and wait for you?” After the first epiphany, both the freeloader and the protagonist admit and realize that this relationship wasn’t meant to be (No Wrong No Right). Even though the protagonist knows that the freeloader can never be his, he still mourns the loss of the little things from the relationship lost (Watch U Sleep).
The poetess’ voice fades back in, and explains the situation of “The Renter”, where both parties already know “the terms” of the relationship at the outset, as they’ve both signed “the lease”. The protagonist and the renter then sing about the possibility of building a bridge between them, perhaps to erase the renter moniker, but really the renter’s modus operandi is already deeply rooted, and turning the renter into a buyer seems an unlikely scenario (Move On).
In trying to move on from the renter, the protagonist is offered the advise that “love can’t hurt you, it should be motivation” (Motivation), which seems to be taken to heart as the protagonist tells the renter that he doesn’t want to rent, he “just want[s] a happy home”, and he’s willing to do it with “The Buyer” (Happy Home), who will be his “angel” (Angel).
The protagonist then further goes into what qualities it would take for his buyer to have his love (You’re The One). On the outro, the protagonist, in spoken word, professes his love to a potential buyer, and during his preaching of what love means to him, the poetess fades in and completes the thought stating “Freeloaders get expensive, Renters never stay […] but me, I can’t help how I feel […] I’ve signed the final paperwork [.]” The protagonist’s voice then fades back in to join the poetess on “finished up in escrow, I got you baby. Long haul […] Let’s go.”
The album seems to be heading towards a happy ending as the next song is a profession of both parties swearing that they won’t play games with each other’s hearts (I’m For Real), even going a step further by offering words of encouragement with the mantra of “just pray and be patient” (Gone). There is, however, a sense of rough waters ahead as the vocals seem to warn that they are “moving to fast”. Following a wandering instrumental, the music morphs into a cover of Michael Jackson’s “I Can’t Help It” which on the one hand could be seen as a reaffirmation of the love that the protagonist has of the buyer, but on the other hand, reading into the lyrics, just who is the “angel in disguise”? Didn’t the protagonist already acknowledge the buyer as his angel? Could it be that the protagonist finds another angel and can’t help but retread the 3ChordFold again?
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These days, the consumer predominantly tends to only purchase singles off an album. And though those individual tracks are able to stand alone, sometimes they are much more meaningful when listened to in the entire context of the album as a whole. I think Terrace Martin’s album is an album that needs to be listened to in its entirety if you are to really appreciate the music’s overall sentiment. I’ve told Terrace that his album is an album that should be released on vinyl, not only because I selfishly want to own a copy for myself being a record collector, but also because it’ll force the “buyer” to listen to the entire album without fast forwarding or skipping tracks.
On January 15th, 1929, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was born. He was an American pastor, activist and humanitarian who helped advance the case of civil rights for all. I thought I would share with you a couple of my favorite songs that pay tribute to, or was inspired by, Dr. King. I hope you enjoy. In no particular order:
“Why? (The King Of Love Is Dead)” by Nina Simone: This song was written, recorded and performed within three days after his murder.
“MLK” by U2: A haunting lullaby. My college a cappella group did a cover of this song, and it gave me chills each time we sang it.
“Up To The Mountain” by Solomon Burke. I love Patty Griffin’s original, but Solomon’s cover is more moving to me insofar as Solomon knew Dr. King.
I’ve included Patty’s version too.
“People Got To Be Free” by The Rascals: This song was written in reaction to the murder of Martin Luther King, Jr. In a sad twist of fate, right before the single was released, Robert F. Kennedy was assassinated. It was The Rascal’s last top ten single.
“Shed A Little Light” by James Taylor: As James’ soft voice reminds us to “[l]et us turn our thoughts today to Martin Luther King”, the sound alone makes me feel the meaning of Mr. King’s nonviolent, civil disobedience.
“Pride In The Name Of Love” by U2: “Early morning, April 4/Shot rings out in the Memphis sky/Free at last, they took your life/They could not take your pride.”
“Like A King” by Ben Harper: If you don’t know about the 1992 Los Angeles Riots, you should read up on it.
Finally: “Black Bird” by the Beatles: Though this song isn’t about Dr. King, it was inspired by the civil rights struggle for blacks, written by Paul McCartney after reading about race riots in the US.
The Los Angeles traffic gods were kind to me on this Thursday as I got to the festival grounds earlier than anticipated. I checked in and decided to walk around the various venues just to get an idea of what settings to use on my camera. I’m not a photographer. I’m just a dude who loves music and takes photos guerrilla style with a Sony Cybershot.
I walked into a room where a band named Wooster was playing. Rather, I was drawn in by their funky baseline. A California based band from Santa Cruz that describes themselves as a blend of Soul/Reggae/Rock … “[t]hink of Sublime after anger management, or No Doubt on soul serum.”
I could hear the “Sublime after anger management” description, but wasn’t sure about the “No Doubt on soul serum” one. Their website has them listed as a quintet, but when I saw them perform they were only a quartet. Their female vocalist wasn’t with them wasn’t performing with them, so I’m guessing I only really got a partial sense of what the band was capable of.
I liked what I heard, and followed them on Facebook to keep up with how their music evolves.
Unfortunately, the Flickr slideshow below is not currently available on mobile devices. If you are on a mobile device, please click THIS LINK to get redirected to the set of photos.
Phaze is a 19 year old rapper/singer from Los Angeles whose style and flow had me hooked the first time I heard his demos. He has been working relentlessly on new music and projects to build up his fan base and is planning to release a new album very soon.
His latest project, a video for his track “Limelight” from his forthcoming project “Camping Trips”, is directed by Peter Sobat and has cameos from the likes of DJ Prophet, DJ Melz, Snoop Dogg aka Snoop Lion aka Snoopzilla, and Daz Dillinger.
If this track/ video are any indication of what’s to come (i.e. unadulterated, west coast, hip hop), I suggest you follow his fan page on Facebook and Twitter to keep his upcoming plans. After all, if Snoop approves of what this young fella is trying to do, you just may too.
My parents raised me on classical music, and having spent years learning how to play the piano and violin, and playing in a my high school’s orchestra, I have a great appreciation for orchestral music and sounds. The Section Quartet is a Los Angeles based band consisting of a cello (Richard Dodd), viola (Lauren Chipman) and two violins (Eric Gorfain and Daphne Chen). They have been performing since 1998 and their music consists of covers of popular rock songs.
Their music served as the perfect soundtrack for the late afternoon at the port, with patrons of the festival, sprawled out on blankets on the lawn in front of the stage, soaking up with last bits of sunlight as the sun set into the Pacific; their stomachs working to digest all of the Lobster consumed. Their classical renditions of popular rock songs the band performed was fun to listen too and was a good appetizer for what was to come the rest of the evening.
The Section Quartet/ (c) Derrick K. Lee, Esq.The Section Quartet/ (c) Derrick K. Lee, Esq.The Section Quartet/ (c) Derrick K. Lee, Esq.The Section Quartet/ (c) Derrick K. Lee, Esq.
Brothers Sam and Django Stewart are legacy in the music industry. After all, their father is Dave Stewart. You know … Half of that really popular band known as the Eurythmics? Yeah. I’d put some money on it that they have music in their blood.
It was the first time I had heard of the band, so I had no expectations or preconceived notions about their music. When doing some research on the band, I read reviews that stated that “’the Cold War Kids with the ambition and control of Arcade Fire’ Nightmare & The Cat is all we love about indie rock: Rough and ready drive with a blues edge.” Hmm…. The band was greeted warmly to the stage, with their female member receiving a few cat-calls from the more inebriated members of the audience.
Musically speaking, the band’s sound was quite polished. Each of the songs were very well written, complex even. I could see the Cold War Kids comparison, but I felt that Nightmare’s sound was a bit more polished. I would have said that they were more Muse than Cold War Kids.
They are currently signed to Capitol Records and have released an EP titled “Simple”. Currently on tour with Bastille, throughout September, you can catch them play at one of these venues.
Nightmare & The CatNightmare & The Cat. I’m assuming this is the cat.Nightmare & The Cat. The Stewart brothers.Nightmare & The Cat.
#DKLPHOTOS 