The Very Good Agency

True Live – Found Lost

Listen up kids… because following ‘The Shape Of It’, one of the greatest Australian hip hop albums of the decade, Melbourne six piece jazz, hip hop, classical, crossover group True Live have announced their new album release ‘Found Lost’.

With the album hitting the streets on April 4, True Live will play in Melbourne tomorrow night (March 10) if you can make it to ‘The Toff in Town’, before undoubtedly touring more extensively post release to give all of their new and old school fans a chance to catch their energetic live show (which is really responsible for this group’s massive reputation after a relatively short career so far). Maybe it’s the classical training and wealth of experience that these guys have that brings such a raw energy to their performance, or maybe it’s the breath of fresh air they promote from such an array of influences, but who really cares where it came from, all I care about is that feeling you have every time you walk away from one of their gig’s that you have worn your legs out from bumping to the madness they always inspire in any crowd.

True Live are unlike any other Australian crews really, and with the rumours i’ve heard surrounding the new release suggesting MC Rhyno has twisted their sound, with a heavier reliance on vocals as well as his traditional smooth rap style, maybe the new True Live will even be unlike True Live… if that can make sense? hmmm anyway…

here’s a look at the old True Live, and you can go from there I guess

True Live -Keep Myself Awake

nice huh

You can check out more from True Live at:

www.myspace.com/truelive

…bs

Tags: Australian Artists, Funk, gigs, hip hop, Soul

Batucada Sound Machine hit Australia

New Zealand’s 13 piece hip hop, funk, samba mash-up group Batucada Sound Machine are bringing their crazy Brazilian percussion based performance to Australia for a week long tour this February. As they explain, “Loosely translated, ‘batucada’ means percussive samba jam, which aptly summarises BSM’s musical roots. BSM began in 2003 when five passionate drummers met once a month in the dimly lit lounge bar of Galatos nightclub in Auckland to experiment fusing ‘batucada’ with more local beats and influences. Before long, a talented group of diverse musicians had joined in and the band had grown to 13 members”.

Batucada Sound Machine – Rivers of Rhyme

With the individual members of the band involved in various solo and group projects outside of BSM, you might recognise some of them from earlier works, most recognisably in upcoming MC Hazadus showing his own style of soul infused vocals after years of fame in Che-Fu and The Krates.

If your able to make one of these performances then your in for a sweet night, and from what i’ve heard and seen in their performances locally and in Europe, you might need to get your boogie shoes on for this one.

Batucada Sound Machine will play:

Feb 12 @ East Brunswick Club, Melbourne

Feb 13 @ The Factory Theatre, Sydney

Feb 14 @ Canival In The City, Canberra

Feb 15 @ Becks Music Box, Perth

Feb 28 @ Music Mountain Matakana, NZ

You can check out more of Batucada Sound Machine at:

www.batucadasoundmachine.com

www.myspace.com/batucadasoundmachine

and you can check out the interview we are doing with them over the next week

…bs

Tags: Funk, gigs, hip hop, New Zealand Artists

Not such Good Vibrations

The unfortunate news has come that the legendary Roots Crew have pulled out of ‘Good Vibrations Festival’ due to committments in America in February, 2009. As one of the headlining acts for the popular festival (which is already sold out in Sydney), hip hop fans as well as most who have had the pleasure of experiencing their unique blend on contemproary jazz and hip hop will definitely be dissapointed with thisdevelopement, especially given that this was said to be the final tour we can expect to see them doing on our shores for at least the next 14 months. (see recent article on Roots ending touring)

On the positive side of things, Jam Music has somewhat made it up to fans by securing Q-Tip, front man for A Tribe Called Quest, a.k.a the brother abstract, to replace them on the bill. From his days in A Tribe, myriad of collaborations, and two solo albums, Q-Tip is a suitable replacement for The Roots being one of the forefathers of modern hip hop. For me personally having seen The Roots three times before, and never having had the fortune to catch Q-Tip, I feel the organisers have made the best out of a bad situation that all concert promoters have to face at some stage in their careers. Bumping Tip’s new album ‘The Renaissance’ a lot recently, I know that we are in for a great show from an equally heralded artist who

we otherwise wouldn’t have been likely to see on our shores soon. I’m guessing at the end of the day all of the people who signed up for their last opportunity to see The Roots live show won’t be as forgiving as I am though, as I can confirm the rumours that The Roots have one of the most powerful, dynamic, and theatrical shows I have ever seen…  straight up.

If you’ve got your ticket, and your a ‘lil sad… pucker up kid, find someone willing to give you a hug, and just think… with Q-Tip and The Pharcyde reuniting… Good Vibrations is almost becoming a little Rock The Bells tour for Australasia… and there’s some dude called Wale who has a few nice beats, but seems a little gangster for my liking.

Q-Tip – Getting Up

…bs

Tags: Festival, gigs, hip hop, Jazz

Reggie Watts – God Bless Youtube

If you like like chilling out on youtube looking for interesting loop based performers, crossover artists, or just creative randomness, then your going to like Reggie Watts. spending a little time playing on youtube with some of the artists that we work with exposes me to some amazing talents, whether they be in their bedroom or onstage, and youtube even helps for the transition of some of these artists from their bedroom to the stages. Video’s can be altered to change reality, but there’s no trickery behind Reggie Watts, it’s seems to be the product of many nights alone in the bedroom potentially for long periods of time… and man I think it’s worth it:

Reggie Watts – Out of control

So you look a little further and find that Watts not only makes improvisational music, but also comedy. Winner of the ‘Annual Andy Kaufman award’, now awarded by Andy’s father and long time manager George Shapiro, following much recognition from the ‘Edinburgh Fringe Festival’, he now plays regular club and festival gigs around his hometown Brooklyn and America rolling his talents into a completely random and soulful comedic musical set.

If your short for time while your reading this, skip to 5min 24 seconds in this video for a taste of the funniest and tightest rap I have seen in comedy… Damn!

You can check out more of Reggie Watts at:

www.reggiewatts.com

www.myspace.com/reggiewatts

…bs

Tags: Comedy, Funk, gigs, Gospel, hip hop, Soul

How The West was won

Hey everybody, just a quick note to let everyone in Melbourne know that there are two great gig’s on this weekend. This Saturday 29th November at Bar Open is a benefit music extravaganza for the Kokatha Mula Nation in the far West of South Australia, who are fighting the onslaught of the mining and exploration boom in the largest stretch of malle woodland in the world. Playing will be:

NFA (No Fixed Abode) of 1200 techniques
Pataphysics
Elf Tranzporter
Lady Lash & DJ Mz Rizk
Plus special guests

Musicians and media exhibits will raise awareness of the contentious nature of development in this ecologically unique region in the far West of South Australia and the impacts upon regional communities and will suitably be a donation on entry.. Bar Open is 317 Brunswick St.

Friday the 28th November will see the awesome Sydney funk, hip hop, rock group King Farooq playing at the Night Cat just off Brunswick st, if you haven’t seen these guys before you should, and what better way to see them then at a free concert in one of Melbourne’s funkiest night spots with a centre stage, and couches all around. I’ll see you all there huh.

King Farook – Zabbadouai

Peace

…bs

Tags: Australian Artists, Funk, gigs, hip hop