The Very Good Agency

Yaheard? Blackalicious – Blazing Arrow

If you’ve managed to get to one of the Parklife events currently being held across Australia, then you’d have been lucky enough to witness one of the most legendary underground hip hop crews going round. I’m talking about Blackalicious, Bay Area residents, alongside the likes of Jurassic 5, Lyrics Born and Dilated Peoples, and purveyors of some of the finest hip hop I’ve had the pleasure of listening to. If you’re like me and loathe the way hip hop has slowly imploded on itself over recent years, then you can take heart from the fact that albums like ‘Blazing Arrow’ exist. Timeless, and near flawless are two things that first come to mind. People Under The Stairs got it right with their ‘musical dope’ sample; ‘Blazing Arrow’ is my musical dope, and I get just as high hearing it now as I did when I bought it back in 2002.

The second full-length album from Gift of Gab and Chief Excel, ‘Blazing Arrow’ is an amazing collection of songs that push boundaries, provoke thought, and more often than not, get your head nodding. Blackalicious are part of the ever-diminishing pack of artists that are staying true to their roots, something that is apparent on every track of the album. Featuring a diverse array of guests such as Ben Harper, Chali 2na, Zach De La Rocha, and Gil Scott-Heron, as well as production assistance from Cut Chemist, ?uestlove and DJ Shadow, it is much more a musical journey than an album.

The first five tracks of the album alone will blow you away; you will be listening wondering how it could possibly get any better, only to be struck down by the following track. And the one after that. If I had to write this review in one sentence it would be simply: Good tracks – all of them, bad tracks – none enough said. From the funky organ-laced intro, into the bouncy-bass line of the title track, with its flute and horn-laden chorus and awesome Harry Nilsson sample from “Me and My Arrow”, to the intense chanting hook on “Sky is Falling”; you don’t know what to expect next! What you get is the smooth groove of “First in Flight”, where Gil Scott Heron steps in and blends beautifully with Gift of Gab, his soulful crooning proving he only gets better with age. Chali 2na and Lateef lend a hand on “4000 Miles”, a happy head-nodder that takes the listener on “a journey through music”; Chali 2na bringing his usual imposing bass-packed game (probably the best track he’s featured on, next to Roots Manuva’s “Join the Dots”), and Lateef kills it with his wandering party rhymes.

One of the major standouts is the furious “Chemical Calistenics”, where Cut Chemist steps in and throws everything at Gab, only to have it thrown back twice as hard. The two battle it out with beats and rhymes, with Gab spitting some incredibly complex lines incorporating the periodic table, really demonstrating his talent on the mic with the ability to change it up mid song and match his flow to the beat perfectly. “Make You Feel That Way” is another really strong track, a dreamy feel-good track with a haunting trumpet sample segregate Gab’s nostalgic verses that touch on all things that “make you feel that way:

“How you felt when you first heard the Daddy Kane,
Rakim, KRS, hey I had that tape,
Cooling out with ol’ girl on a phat ass date,
Find a hundred dollar bill, wow man that’s great,
Get promoted at your job up to management,
Plot a long time finally your plan has made it,
Time I feel I wanna shout, man its real that way,
When I think of things that make you feel that way”
“Nowhere Fast” is solid with ?uestlove’s cracking drumbeat, Chief Xcel’s cutting and Gift of Gab’s devastating rhymes tearing up the track, and the Ben Harper feature “Brain Washers” is not-so-surprisingly good also. Really though, I could sit here and tell you about each individual track; “Paragraph President” and “Aural Pleasure”, featuring the funky and soulful Jaguar Wright on the hook, are must listen tracks for sure also.

Gift of Gab is a bit of a ballsy name to call yourself really, when you think about it. But if anything, this is an understatement in this case; Gab is so fresh, creative, deep and profound in his rhymes, he is easily one of the most skilled and technically refined rappers you’ll ever hear. On a technical level, his flow is smooth as silk, his wordplay is intricate without going over your head, and his command and delivery are excellent, he effortlessly changes up his rap style depending on the song’s concept. And his combination with Chief Xcel is something special, the diverse production styles across the album really do take you on a journey, with little segues between many of the tracks that keep the album flowing brilliantly, such as the trademark DJ Shadow breakdown after the De La Soul inspired “Paragraph President”. He creates a cohesive sound that’s organic as well as progressive, lush and atmospheric, and the assistance he receives from outside producers can only be described as touches of genius. Yes, it’s safe to say the production is almost as brilliant as the rapping.

I’m happy to call this one of the most inspiring hip hop albums I’ve ever heard, it was released at a time when I was searching for exactly what it offers, and it has subsequently shaped my hip hop tastes since; another fine example of hip hop being made for the right reasons. I would recommend ‘Blazing Arrow’ to people that aren’t usually hip-hop fans, to those that still think hip hop is all about bling, bitches, and gangsterism; this album will go some way to clearing that misconception for sure. Full of soulful grooves, liquid beats and thoughtful lyrics, ‘Blazing Arrow’s’ well-delivered fusion of melodic funk, jazz and hip hop creates one of the richest, most captivating albums ever released.

If you are lucky enough to be in Auckland, Wellington or Christchurch, then you can still catch Blacklicious in October touring with Gift of Gab’s new side project, The Mighty Underdogs. Always one to rock the party, Gift of Gab is sure to put on a performance that is not to be missed, so get your tickets now! Check out the dates below
9th Oct – Auckland at Fu
10th Oct – Wellington at San Fran Bath House
11th Oct – Christchurch at the Civic

You can hear more of Blackalicious at

www.myspace.com/blackalicious

…cracked

Tags: gigs, hip hop, Old School

The Good, the Bad and the Queen

If you like cinematic violence and vengeance, then you may know that Sergio Leone’s spaghetti Western “Dollars” trilogy featured Clint Eastwood as the man with no name. The today’s informational update deals with a band with no name, a project that has become known as “The Good, the Bad and the Queen”, which is the title of the album they created. Some in the music business have called it a super group, which is a convenient way to describe a collective of people who have all been in other bands.

Each member has had previous success as part of another group, or in the case of Drummer Tony Allen as a hugely influential solo artist in his own right. Just to let you know the team I will quote from pitchfork, who summed the band up in their usual droll but pretentious style, as “On bass, Clash veteran Paul Simonon. On guitar, Simon Tong, late of the Verve. On drums, the unimpeachable Afrobeat master Tony Allen. Behind the boards, somewhere, the ubiquitous, beloved Danger Mouse. And Albarn himself on top, his ego and voice the would-be X-factor that ties these disparate kindred souls together.” So yes I is a slightly odd mish-mash of talent, but their collective creativity has created a great sound.

To explain, the project began around the time of the demise of Damon Albarn’s previous band Blur, when he connected with Nigerian drummer Tony Allen. Guitarist Simon Tong got on board and they went to Mali, Africa to collaborate in 2004. The result was not completely productive and did not produce any released recordings, but after getting back to London Albarn got former Clash bassist Paul Simonon into the mix, and things went from there. By 2006 the group released the single “Herculean” and performed live for crowds around London. On April 4, 2007, “The Good, The Bad & The Queen“ became the first EMI album to be made available for download in the new DRM-free, high quality MP3 format.

So what’s it all about? No stranger to side-projects and oddities, Albarn has worked with some legends (including Dan The Automator) since his time in blur, not only as one of the masterminds behind animated band The Gorillaz. It’s definitely an intriguing sound, which is a bit of a mixture of other styles, that can be quite haunting and paints an atmospheric picture of modern life in London, or any chaotic urban area. As with most culture it is based in it’s on time and space, but also looks at the broader picture of society, in a dirty, brooding post-911 “War on Terror” world. I enjoy dark, claustrophobic and cryptic lyrics like these from the song Herculean:

“And the medicine man is here 24/7
You can get it fast in Armageddon
Everyone is on the way to heaven
Slowly”

Each individual member brings their own skills to the mix, Albarn’s song writing and lyrical abilities are honed and at the forefront. The drumming and general beats are brilliant. Allen’s skills turn, what could otherwise be thought of as simplistic songs, into something to keep you guessing, so good you’d think he was a drum machine. While most tracks can stand on their own two feet, it is the sort of album created to be listen to, as one collective output, on your headphones while you wait for public transport whisk you away to another place.

-Video: Nature Springs-

By the way: If you are keen to hear about Damon Albarn’s next project with Tank girl creator Jamie Hewlett, look out for Monkey: Journey To The West!

To find out more about “The Good, the Bad and the Queen” album, check out these sites:

Official Site

Offical Fan Site

Myspace Site

“Drink all day coz the country’s at war
You’ll be falling on the palace walls
I can’t be any more than I say
In the flood you’ll get washed away
When the sunset world begins”

(The Kingdom of Doom -TG TB & TQ)

By the good/Bad…Yossarian

Tags: Collaborations, Dub, Jazz, Soul

Nas hits Australia… oh, and some dude called Kanye

Yo…

Kanye West has announced he is returning to Australian shores courtesy of Michael Coppel Presents. Bringing his Glow In The Dark Tour in December, he brings also for the first time in Australia, NAS. Two of the most recognised voices in hip-hop today, they will be at Melbourne’s Rod Laver Arena on December 5, Sydney’s Acer Arena on December 6, and Brisbane’s Entertainment Centre on December 7 (tickets on sale October 13 through Ticketek).

Kanye always seems to get mixed reviews depending on the day of the week, his most recent publicity, and what angle his cap is placed backwards, so here is a blog from some guy called Sean, that happened to catch the concert in America and seemed to think it was ok;

With 9 albums released over the last 14 years, it’s surprising that Nas (formerly known as Nasty Nas) has never toured Australia or New Zealand. With the recent release of his latest album, originally and controversially named ‘Nigger’, controversy was widespread even reaching discussion in American congress before hey withdrew the title. Political statement, or marketing gimic? who knows considering his public feud with Jay Z culminated in joint concerts, and Nas signing to Jay Z‘s label ‘Def Jam’, either way everybody talked about it (including me). Nas will perform a mixture of new songs and classics fans have been awaiting for all this time, surely warming the crowd up for Kanye to finish off.

Love him or hate him, with the work he’s put in over his lifetime, there is no doubt that Kanye‘s concert will be inspiring for anyone who’s fallen for Hip Hop… for every bit of cheese he may have put out, he comes back with tracks like ‘Heard ‘Em Say’, which only solidify his place in musical history as one of our generations classic writers, composer, and rappers, check it out;

You can check out more from Kanye:

practically anywhere people, come on

…bs

Tags: gigs, hip hop

Braille Interview

A couple of weeks back we took a look at a couple of albums by Portland-based MC Braille and his group Lightheaded. Well, Braille was kind enough to lend us some of his time to discuss his new album, possible tours down-under, and life in general.

Whats up Braille? Thanks for taking the time to talk to us. To kick things off, can you give our readers a quick rundown of who you are and what you’re about; how have you got to where you are now?

My name is Bryan “Braille” Winchester. I was born and raised in Portland, OR, and I’ve been rhyming for over 13 years. My first notable record dropped in 1999 titled “Lifefirst: Half the Battle”. I was only 17 at the time. I followed it up with an album called “Shades of Grey” in 2004 that featured contributions from 9th Wonder, Rob Swift, Illmind, Supastition, Pigeon John and more. I’m also part of the group Lightheaded with Ohmega Watts and Othello. My most recent release is my forth solo record titled “The IV Edition”.

The IV Edition, was released back in April, how’s the response been so far? Care to inform our readers of the complex nature of the title?

The response has been great. It’s been a lot of work though. I spent 3 and a half months touring the U.S. with my wife and daughter. We just packed up in a mini van and rocked shows non stop. I was in The Source Magazine for the first time, and my song “The IV” is featured on a video game, NBA Live 2009. It’s all been progress, so it’s an exciting time for me as an artist.  The album title basically has 4 meanings with different acronyms, metaphors and word play. The “IV” represents the roman numeral four, because it’s my forth record. “IV” is also used to describe medicine going into the veins. The acronym is International Vision – and really it’s talking about different social ills, social commentary and talking about solutions; water for the thirsty, food for the hungry and mercy for the sinner. Taking care of physical and spiritual needs world-wide.

What can listeners expect from the album?

I worked with a different producer for each track on the album. The production is crazy with artists like Marco Polo, OhNo, J-Zone, 88 Keys, Kno from Cunninlynguists, S1 from Strange Fruit Project, Ohmega Watts, M-Phazes and many others involved. I was really picky with my beat selection and tried to find tracks that would challenge me as a lyricist.

Was this always the plan when writing the album? To work with a vast range of talented producers? What producers have you found you gel with the best?

Yeah, I actually decided to take that approach early on with the record. There were a lot of producers I never got a chance to work with, so I just wanted to use this opportunity to try new things, build new relationships and find more producers that I had good chemistry with. I did find that my chemistry with S1, Kno and Marco Polo was really good. Those are all guys I want to consistently work with in the future. I’m a huge fan of everyone who is involved with the record and of course I have a really strong relationship with Ohmega Watts. So yeah, the album helped me dig deeper into my sound and expand my resources a bit.

You grew up in Portland,Oregon, somewhere that isn’t really known for its hip hop; how did this environment influence your music? What types of music were you raised on?

Portland has a really strong hip-hop scene right now. Growing up, I was a tape collector. In the early 90’s the mainstream was leaning more towards gangsta rap, and the people around me were mainly into gangsta rap as well. I didn’t really connect with it and I was more drawn to A Tribe Called Quest and the Native Tongues movement. I started discovering more underground stuff during the independent boom in the mid-90’s, and it gave me more confidence that I could be myself and I didn’t have to follow all the industry trends and politics. During high school, I moved to New Jersey and lived there for a couple years. I would visit New York and Philly all the time – I started getting a more aggressive style to my flow and started finding my “voice” during that time.

As a happily married man and father; how does your family feel about your career? Do they come on tour with you?

I was an artist when I met my wife, so she knew what I was about from the start. We’ve been married since 2002 and she has been on tons of tours with me. Even before we were making any money… we would just live in our van, sleep on floors with an air mattress and travel around.  She took some trips with me to Europe as well. My daughter is only 22 months old and she’s already been on two tours as well! My family and I toured with Ohmega Watts, Theory Hazit, Galactic and Charli 2NA of Jurassic 5 in Feburary. That was like 3 weeks. Then this summer we did our 3 and a half month tour as well. She loves coming to my shows. I don’t bring her to shows in the bars, but when I’m doing all ages gigs, stuff in parks and stuff, she always checks it out haha! During most of the bar shows my wife and daughter will just chill in the hotel cause my daughter doesn’t stay up that late and I don’t want her breathing in a bunch of smoke.

What have been some of the highlights from your recent touring then? Anything else that stands out over your career?

It’s all a blur in my mind. Just being with my family is one of the main highlights. One of the touring highlights of my career was during 2005 and 2006; I used to be the opening act for James Brown and I did 20 shows with him. I don’t think anything will ever top that.

You have also pretty successful with your releases with the Lightheaded crew, you guys have a truly amazing chemistry; how did you meet Ohmega Watts and Othello?

Me and Ohmega have been working together since 1999. I met him while I was living in Jersey.  He was in Florida at the time and during my senior year of high school we would get together twice a month and work on tracks. We had a group called Return to Sender. In 2000 I moved back to Portland and Ohmega came to visit shortly after. He decided to stay in Portland and we were going to start working on the official Return to Sender album. We met Othello at a show, turned into a trio, changed our name and now we got two Lightheaded records out. Our chemistry is really natural because we are literally best friends. We all grew up on the same artists and music, yet we also have our own unique qualities as well. We spent two years touring together non stop and that really builds up the chemistry as well.

Despite solo projects from all involved, I hear you guys are working on a new album; whats the status here? Have you confirmed a release date?

We are working on our third album. It’s called “Lo-Fi Heights”, and so far we have a single finished with production from Waajeed, Stro of the Procussions and Ohmega. We don’t have a release date set but hopefully we’ll have the album done by the end of this year so it can drop in 2009.

Do you have plans for youself or Lightheaded to tour down our way anytime soon?

Man, I’ve been wanting to tour Australia for the last 3 years! I’ve done Europe and Japan – so Australia is the next on my list. I’ve actually been building with some of the guys at VERYGOOD and hopefully I will be out there next year!!!!

After working with M-Phazes (Australian producer doing it large in the States), are there any other artists from Australia or New Zealand that you are now a fan of, or are keen to work with?

M-Phazes is incredible. He’s really fresh behind the boards. I also worked with Weapon X on my “Shades of Grey” album. Both of those guys were a pleasure to work with so I’m interested to build with some more artists in the area. I did some features as well with Figg Kidd and The Flow Dynamics. I love international collabs, traveling around the world has taught me so much as a person and artist.

What other artists would you like to collaborate with?

My dream is to collab with DJ Premier, but I guess every MC shares that same dream haha! My dream collaboration list would be Primo, Al Green, Andreas Vollenwieder and hopefully one day collaborating with an Orchestra. Besides that, it’s an honor to just be working with the guys I’m already connected with.

As well as releasing music yourself and with Lightheaded, you also somehow find time to run your own record label! Is this something you always wanted to do?

I’ve always been a hands on type of artist. I never had a mentor or label take me under their wing during my career. I had to build most of this from scratch. During the process I learned a lot about the industry, trying to pave my own path. I met a lot of artists during my travels who weren’t getting love from any labels, so I figured I would step in. It’s been such a blessing. I’m only a one man operation, and with the industry going through hard times, it makes it that much harder to keep pushing forward but I’m constantly learning new ways to be wise as a label owner and set up our future the right way.

As you mention, its a difficult time to be in the industry; do you see any strategies on the horizon that might lessen the effect of illegal downloads? Do you approach new releases and signing new artists with a different kind of caution these days?

I do really flexible contracts with my artists. I’m not trying to lock anyone in or own them. My goal is just to put out 2 or 3 records a year on the label and do it the old fashioned way. Let the music speak for itself, build an audience and stay consistent. We can’t change the download situation….. we are at the point of no return. The really big challenge now is getting people to download the music haha! If a million people download it illegally, then hopefully the people who really connect with it will support. At the very least, concert attendance would increase. So yeah… it’s all about using the current situation with the industry to build a fanbase and surpass their expectations with every release.

Who are some of the artists you have on the label? What should we be listening out for at the moment?

The roster includes Surreal, Theory Hazit, Poems, Sivion, Othello, Sojourn and Big Rec.  Our back catalog is great.  I would suggest everyone grab a copy of Surreal “Future Classic”, Theory Hazit “Extra Credit”, Sivion “Spring of the Songbird”, Poems “Blooming Sounds” and Othello “Alive At The Assembly Line”.  Next up is a solo record from Sojourn.  He has a single produced by OhNo that we intend on leaking very soon.

So whats next for Braille? Any other projects on the go?

I’m actually half way done with a new collaboration record. It’s me on the microphone and S1 on the beats. The record is called “Cloud Nineteen”. We hope to drop it early next year and I’ll definitely keep ya’ll updated.

Thanks so much for your time Braille, any final thoughts?

I hope to visit Australia soon, in the meantime, keep in touch at www.braillehiphop.com – peace and GOD bless.

There you have it y’all, check out his music and keep an eye out here for updates regarding new tunes and tour info in the new year.

Until next time,

…cracked

Tags: Collaborations, hip hop

Kia Ora – Kora

Last Thursday night in Melbourne, we were lucky enough to finally see one of New Zealands leading bands, Kora, perform at Hi-Fi Bar. With a reputation as a must see live act spreading thoughout Australia, New Zealand, and more recently Europe, and having listened to the music they have been releasing over the last 6 years, we were intrigued as to how they would live up to the expectations we had.

It’s worth noting the callibre of artists coming out of New Zealand, especially in their live performances, when considering their reputation as one of New Zealand’s best. The bar has been set in more recent times by such a strong aray of NZ’ers such as Fat Freddy’s Drop, Katchafire, The Black Seeds, Olmecha Supreme, Che Fu, and countless other musicians. Set to this backdrop this comparison was always going to be difficult to deliver on… but deliver they did.

From the cheeky, playful performance they brought to Hi-fi Bar, it was no surprise to learn that some of Kora‘s members have studied performing arts, with as little as the raise of an eyebrow causing the audience to erupt into screams all evening. These four brothers (literally) and “one token white guy”, as they described themselves, kept the mojo flowing all night, even into the second encore the audience demanded.

Kora live in Whakatane

Even in Australia’s music capital, Melbourne, it’s unusual to attract sell out shows on a Thursday night, but this prominent live venue in the heart of the city was stretched to it’s 900 capacity, including the 16th step where we were chilling out with our champagne (apologies to the guy we spilled a little bit on… twice… sorry bro).

Our group, which at the beginning of the evening was filled out with Kiwi’s, Aussie’s, Americans, Dutch, and English, among others, united at the close of the evening to sing the crowds obviously favourite track “Politician”, only re-enforcing the universal appeal which has recently seen them receive offers from Europe and further abroad.  We all left the concert with a new must see group, hoping that the recent success won’t take away our opportunities to see them locally on Thursday nights if their fan base continues to grow at the rate it has been.

Kete Aronui – an insight into Kora

They talked the talk,

They walked the walk,

and they brought us comfort…

You can check out more of Kora at:

www.kora.co.nz

www.myspace.com/koraroots

…bs & Miss Peti

Tags: Dub, Funk, New Zealand Artists, Reggae