Resurrected unified MUSIC thread.

[JustOneFix]

My personal favorite band is Snuggle (sort of Primus meets Slayer. must hear their 3-song tribute to Leprechuans)

Primus meets Slayer?! I got to catch that. That sounds crazy.

Thx for the info

[JustOneFix]

Some of my favorites artists

Ministry
Laibach
Primus
Les Claypool's Frog Brigade
Revolting Cocks
Mule
Rammstain
Rambo Amadeus
Morphine
KMFDM
Hawkwind
The Doors
Jimmy Hendrix

...bunch of them.

[daSwami]

On the live music front, Buckethead with That 1 Guy is coming to Richmond, Norfolk, and Falls Church in October. It's sure to be an awesome show. For those of you unfamiliar with Buckethead:

Buckethead rules. I like him best in colaboration with Les Claypool in Les Claypool's Frog Brigade. That's insane music.

I'm curently waiting for new Revolting Cocks record "Sexo Olympico"! It's the very last record by uncle Al, i can't miss that.

Thanks for the bucket "heads up." buckethead is amazing. In fact, he wrote (the guitar parts for) a lot of the new GnR album. He used to rock out with p-funk on occassion, too. Amazing player, probably the best rock guitarist I've ever seen play live (apologies to Steve Vai, Eric Johnson, Steve Morse, Warren Haynes, and, of course, Van Halen). Buckethead literally wears at bucket on his head and to this day his true identity remains a secret. Theories abound, but no one knows. There was a rumor for a while that he is actually a dude named Paul Gilbert, who was one of those cheesy Satriani disciples from the 80s. I don't think it's him though, Bucketheat looks to be at least 6' 6", while Gilbert is definitely not that tall.

[JustOneFix]

I've heard he grew up with the chickens, in a chickenhouse and his grandmother gave him a guitar not to be alone or something like that. Hence, the bucket on his head.

I know he was playin with GnR before on some tours but was droped cause it was almost impossible to communicate with him, he's like a total weirdo. I've also seen some list (from a Guitar Player or something like that) where he was being called "the 7th best guitar player in the world". Yeah, he's killer. Amazing skills.

You like metal sound? Ever listened to Ministry?

[ZonkertheBrainless]

Here's my podcast:

http://zonkerbrainless.com/mixes/zzonikmeltcast.xml

Past that into itunes "subscribe to podcast" and you're good. Or you can click here:

http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZSt ... =296998915

[Pitbull]

Hrmmm... This isn't exactly new music, but it kind of qualifies, so I figure I'll give it a go (sorry if this sounds like shameless self-promotion, but... well... it is).

I'm a founding member of a collective called Diggers With Gratitude. Made up of three guys in London (and me here in the DC area), we dig up old unreleased tracks from the hip-hop's Golden Age (87 to 90) and release them for people that miss the good stuff. To put it simply, we go BACK in history to MAKE history.

We've released four critically acclaimed, limited edition slabs of wax as well as a poster. Our newest release is a mix CD called "Lungbutters" (hosted by yours truly and mixed by DJ Format) along with a 7" of lost Main Source tracks intended for their unreleased sophmore album. Amazing stuff that has already started to bring us press in mags like "XXL", "WARP", "Record Collector" (Label of Love feature), and "Hip Hop Connection" among others (something with "Wax Poetics" will likely be going down shortly as well).

Anyway, we're also a few weeks away from releasing our fourth EP -- a five-song set of incredibly dope lost Juice Crew songs in collaboration with Marley Marl (read: Kool G Rap, Big Daddy Kane, Tragedy, and Craig G).

In essense, we're in it for the people who feel uninspired and disenfranchised by most of the stuff that passes for hip-hop these days. Listen to the radio... It almost all sounds the same now - unimaginative rhymes laid over obsessively chopped-up and repetitive tracks. Hip-hop has lost its way. Remember African medallions? Or when MCs actually spit battle rhymes? Whatever happened to rocking clever lyrics over stripped-down drums and a funky/jazzy/soulful loop? And don't get me started on a DJ scratching on choruses.

That's our target market. People scratching their heads at the current state of hip-hop who want to be reminded why they fell in love with the music in the first place. Our job is to find that music and share it with the masses. We like to think we know what our target market likes because we are our target market.

So yeah... I'm not sure how many people on this board grew up on Public Enemy, BDP, Native Tongues, Slick Rick, the Juice Crew (Kane, G Rap, Master Ace, Biz, Tragedy, etc.), and so on, but if you did, check us out.

[Pitbull]

As for hip-hop/rap check out:

Team Demolition

I used to be down with Team Demo back in the late 80s to mid 90s. This was before they really started the whole Team Demolition thing and just went by Lower Lifeforms. Then I went off to JMU, got signed to a small label out of NYC, got married, had kids, and lost touch.

Anyway -- funny that you mention them. I just took our latest release to be mastered at Wise's studio three weeks ago.

Real good people and great to reconnect with an old friend.

[barelyawake]

FYI my friend who runs a recording studio, and freelances for music mags, wrote an article about "Obama songs" -- songs written about Obama from 'round the world. He catalogued some of his research under the following link, and I thought some of you Obama supporters might enjoy it for the inauguration celeb. Doc, check the M.C. Yogi and Joell, if you hadn't heard 'um eariler.

http://www.youtube.com/user/gotchaquestion

[daSwami]

for serious hip-hop heads only:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xEzGIuY7kw

[doclinkin]

I was in the Random thoughts thread mindning my own. When a hiphop crossfire broke out. On the significance of Biggie:

. Ain't nothin' monumental about Biggie.

I disagree. BIG's significance can't be denied. Just b/c he wasn't rappin about politics, religion, science or state of the hood doesn't detract from his importance in the rap game. All them dudes laid the foundation...he took it to another level. Its like MJ taking his cue from Dr. J. The East Coast was damn near irrevelant in terms of national sales and prominence before BIG really came back. Yeah you had a few folks hears and there that made hits but for the most part it was all about the West Coast. BIG put Brooklyn on his back. He put NY on his back. And he put the East Coast on his back. His legacy is Jay-Z, Diddy, Jadakiss, Little Kim, and every other NY rapper that followed in his path.

You forget the island of Shaolin. The Wu was knocking heads crosseyed for a while there, the five boros weren't dead by any stretch. That said, some might argue that your 'Legacy' of BIG is to his discredit, even while they agree with the point. To some it'll say something about the debauched state of the genre today. That's in part I think Barely's point.

I agree with your statement that Biggie prob'ly gets his head on a Rushmore of hiphop. Maybe not top 4, but I'd put him in an argument of the top 10, based on his current influence, again for better or worse. You can debate the finer points (Slick Rick was the seminal and quintessential storyteller. Heavy D had the PG version of a big man's bounce and lyrical flow a decade before. Biggie tread the ground stomped into a rut by copious new york heads before-- cf Kool G Rap is prob'ly the most direct antecedent for Biggie's crime storytelling, etc-- Nothing mad new) But no question Biggie has a specific gravity in what came after.

Curious though what folks would say are the building blocks and most important figures in hiphop history.

[barelyawake]

My point would be if you've ever tried to deal with a four track recorder, or have any idea about the music of the 80's, you'd be just dumbfounded at what those guys did. You're talking about guys who were actually tapped by the FBI as "enemy combatants." And Biggie did exactly what? I mean honestly. When you sit and put it in perspective, there is no question. If you heard 80's radio, and then got a "Public Enemy" or even a "Metallica" tape back then, you'd be like, "Wow, these guys are really doing something COMPLETELY different than everyone else." Same with Sex Pistols. Same with Devo. Same with Parliament. Same with Daft Punk. Same with NWA. Same with Rakim. Same with Korn. Etc... Biggie was not one of those guys.

[doclinkin]

Some milemarkers or significant artists in hiphop, without real reference to the underground, who kept they heads down. And never mind James Brown, George Clinton & Bootsy, Last Poets, Gil Scott Heron or earlier, since you might as well say Led Zeppelin for the Levee Breaks drum beat:

Sugarhill Gang
Run DMC
LL Cool J
Herbie Hancock's rockit
Beasties (for the suburban crossover effect)
Rakim
EPMD (sorta inventing the underground by effectively dodging success)
BDP & KRS-one
Ice-T (for the west coast storytelling pimp thing, first gangsta rap, pissing off Tipper Gore et al.)
Public Enemy
Tribe/De La Soul (critical acclaim) then Black Sheep, the JBz, and Busta Rhymes (Leaders of the New School)
NWA (for Cube & Dre more than Easy E, Yella, and the voiceless DOC)
Geto Boys (horrorcore)
Brand Nubian
Nice & Smoove (sometimes I rhyme slow).
GangStarr (Premier producing everyone: Pete Rock & Cl Smooth, etc, working in the jazz fx).
Naughty by Nature (rap anthem effect, followed by DMX et al)
Nas
Snoop (Chronic-- rebirth of Dre, and the Cali synth sound)
Wu Tang
Bone Thugs for the songrap thing
Biggie (thus Puffy, and the commodification of rap)
Pac ('born again gangsta'-ism)
The Timbaland sound (Missy, Busta, et al)
Fugees
Jurassic5 and the west coast alternative sound
The Roots
OutKast
BlackStar
JZ
Eminem (ditto the suburban crossover)
Lil Jon's Krunk sound.
Luda

.... There are large gaps and holes in that. But that skips a rock across the water of a few that sounded significant to me at the time.

[doclinkin]

But alot of this turns into cranky old man-isms. "In my day we made our hippetty hop with two rocks bangin' tic to the tock non-stop to the actual break of the dawn. Everybody said 'ho' when we said 'ho' and better believe every hand was in the air, not like nowadays..."

Fact is I'd like to see the eras go toe to toe, see a year by year breakdown of what songs/artists/albums/classic mixtapes were released to definitively say, okay 1991 was the best year for hiphop hands down... or whatnot.

[queridiculo]

Wanted to throw a few local names out there.

If you're into HipHop, from the DC area and haven't heard from the lowbudget guys shame on you!

Odisse
Kev Brown
Kenn Starr

Unfortunately their latest releases date a couple of years back already but it's a great listen nevertheless.

[go'stags]

You can throw XO into that list as well.

Odisee is the best of the low budget crew IMO, but Kev Brown is pretty sick also.

[barelyawake]

Influential albums I think you missed:

Black Sheep (was part of the Tribe triad)... "We got brothers in the jungle (jungle brothers), cousins on the quest (tribe called quest)... You can get with this, or you can get with that."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGwonG3iGaI

D.O.C. is my favorite album that never got any play at all. At the time, I thought the toughest rhyme I'd ever heard was Eazy-E's bit on the Grand Finale:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_F4fBSq5Cs

That whole album was hot. Literally, almost every track classic. And it never got any run.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4QdgC6w0 ... re=related

First off, I think "Jam on it" spread rap more than the Sugar Hill Gang.
Then, there was the Island album (which began reggae/political rap) and then Beat street.
Digital Underground (comedy rap)
Guru's solo work (besides Tribe, first to really explore Jazz)
Busta's solo work
Big Daddy Kane is a must on any list...
Disposable Heroes of Hiphopcrisy (continue of poli-rap, post-P.E., broke ground with William Burroughs, broke ground with the crossover California Uber Alles, and first political rap album addressing larger political statements about America as a whole -- not just black culture).
Basehead (the first chill/emo/druggie rap band -- god I love basehead)

There's more... Let me think...

[Da HomeTeam]

[quote="doclinkin"]
I agree with your statement that Biggie prob'ly gets his head on a Rushmore of hiphop. quote]

And that's all I was saying. Again, 'Pac is my guy. But Big gotta get his too.

[doclinkin]

Influential albums I think you missed:

Black Sheep (was part of the Tribe triad)... "We got brothers in the jungle (jungle brothers), cousins on the quest (tribe called quest)... You can get with this, or you can get with that."

D.O.C. is my favorite album that never got any play at all. At the time, I thought the toughest rhyme I'd ever heard was Easy-E's bit on the Grand Finale (YouTube it). That whole album was hot.

First off, I think "Jam on it" spread rap more than the Sugar Hill Gang.
Then, there was the Island album (which began reggae/political rap) and then Beat street.
Digital Underground (comedy rap)
Guru's solo work (besides Tribe, first to really explore Jazz)
Busta's solo work
Big Daddy Kane is a must on any list...
Disposable Heroes of Hiphopcracy (continue of poli-rap, post-P.E.)
Basehead (the first chill/emo/druggie rap band -- god I love basehead)

There's more... Let me think...

I snuck a few in on the crossposted edit. I should have slipped pharcyde and bahamadia in with the West Coast alternative crew, Hieroglyphics et al.

Yeah Jam on it. And Roxanne Roxanne. etc. The one I really should have tagged was Grandmaster Flash "The Message". "It's like a jungle sometimes it makes me wonder how I keep from going under... huh huh huh"

I know I'm missing a ton from here but I was too young to buy any albums, just heard people playing them at school parties on those little record players they used with film strips. Like "Le Freak" by Chic, or "Another one bites the Dust" by Queen, or even Chic's "Good Times" segueing into 'I said a hip, hop, hip to the hippetty...' and even all us little white kids jumping in '...and the chicken taste like wood.' Same way the black kids rhymed along with "The Devil went down to Georgia" country rap, like. Classes were about 50/50 mixed in my elementary school. I just felt bad for the jehovahs witness kids who had to stay home when we had parties.

Digital Underground is notable as the place where Pac got his start, as a roadie...

I also missed 'bout all the female emcees, plus:

Fat Boys. Never had so much spit been sprayed and bad breath displayed, but what the hell, who needs a DJ.

Speaking of fat boys: Biz Markee. Nobody beats the biz. You still hear cats pay homage today to the Biz, a genuine nice guy in an industry of scheming thieves.

Cypress Hill (begat House of Pain when DJMuggs produced them and suggested Everlast go with his Irish roots thing same way they did the Latin thing. Though they were SoCal punkrox listening to suicidal tendencies way before the hiphop hit 'em)

I missed the whole Reggaeton thing (Daddy Yankee et al).

Plus 2Livecrew introducing the Miami 808 bass sound.

I'm sure I'm still missing a key cornerstone.

=================
But Michael Franti's thing (Spearhead, I think, wasn't it? Disposable heroes was the album if I remember it right) eh, I dunno how impactful or influential that was. Ditto Basehead. Each had one nice album, but dunno how many heads heard it.

Might as well have put "Tennesee" on there by what's their faces. Arrested Development. Probably should've, I just didn't really like 'em. Or PMDawn or whatever. One dropped rock, no ripple effect.

(And I liked basehead's album, anytime I wanted to get nice and depressed).

I just didn't include a ton of cats I liked at the time either for lack of long lasting effect. Onyx. Or Das EFX. Fu-Schnickens. Whatever.

[Zerocious]

Please listin to a minute or two of these songs, guaranteed to be enjoyed!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JR83LB5dAOc you are everything - the low life (local balto band, knew the drummer who ditched the band right before they got a record deal, the schmuck!)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-pMQtXb1 ... 7&index=14 maybe i'll come down - soul coughing

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RR0k7AvROfw $300 - soul coughing

[Zerocious]

i'm tellin you.....doesn't get better than this....except for maybe 'opera singer'


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nbzt1HnVzIQ


Here it is!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUTesgz6lko