LP Classics: Minutemen, Double Nickels On The Dime

 LP Classics  3 Responses »
Mar 262009
 
double-nickels  

Viet Nam
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Cohesion
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The Glory Of Man
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Jesus And Tequila
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Album: Double Nickels On The Dime (1984)

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How to define punk rock? Is it the sound (electric guitars, hard drums, screaming vocals)? The lyrics (anti-establishment)? The attitude (do-it-yourself, be different)? In a lot of ways, the rise of punk was later mirrored by the explosion of hip hop — it’s as much a cultural movement as a musical one.

Growing up, I can’t say that I was heavy into music that would be neatly categorized as punk, but the punk ethos inspired the bands that I loved (e.g. Talking Heads, R.E.M., The Cure). When I heard Minutemen’s Double Nickels On The Dime towards the end of my high school years, it really opened my mind to how liberating punk rock — and, for that matter, music of any genre — could be. My appreciation of this record has only grown in the two decades since I first heard it.

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 Posted by -G. at 9:51 pm  Tagged with: , , , , , ,

Musical Cousins: MF DOOM & Quincy Jones

 Musical Cousins  No Responses »
Mar 152009
 
operationdoomsday  

MF DOOM
Rhymes Like Dimes (Edit)
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Album: Operation: Doomsday (1999)

thedude  

Quincy Jones (w/James Ingram)
One Hundred Ways
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Album: The Dude (1981)

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MF DOOM may be my favorite rapper at this point in time. He is one of the best rhymers in the game, and the combination of his cryptic lyrics and hoarse voice makes him stand out from other MCs.

Formerly known as Zev Love X, MF DOOM first came on the scene as part of 90s underground hip hop group KMD, until the group came to an untimely end after his partner Subroc died tragically in a car accident.

Many years after KMD fell off my radar, I started hearing tracks from MF DOOM with no clue that he was Zev Love X reborn. Me being an obsessive sort, I started looking into this talented rapper/producer only to be confused by all the different names he recorded under. Was he MF DOOM? Viktor Vaughn? King Geedorah? It didn’t really matter, all incarnations were dope. (And big up to Wikipedia for helping me sort through all of MF DOOM‘s personas.)

One of the recordings I picked up was, Live From Planet X, a ferocious live set from 2005 that included a selection I hadn’t heard yet, “Rhymes Like Dimes.” As usual, MF DOOM’s rhymes and phrasing were amazing (e.g. “Classical slapstick, rappers need chapstick”), but what really got me pumped were the snaky keys. Where did I hear them before?

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 Posted by -G. at 5:18 pm  Tagged with: , , , , , , ,

Crate Diggin’: Rose Royce, In Full Bloom

 Crate Diggin'  No Responses »
Mar 092009
 
rose-royce  

Wishing On A Star
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Do Your Dance
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Album: In Full Bloom (1977)

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About six months ago, the music world lost Norman Whitfield. Whitfield was one of the driving forces behind the Motown label, writing and producing a jaw-dropping litany of hits including “I Heard It Through The Grapevine,” “Papa Was A Rolling Stone,” “Smiling Faces Sometimes,” and “War (What Is It Good For).” After leaving Motown in the early 70s, Whitfield stole some of the label’s underused assets and started his own eponymous shingle.

Whitfield Records biggest success was the 1976 soundtrack album for Car Wash, with the title track, “I Can’t Get Next To You,” and “I’m Going Down” representing on the singles charts. Their follow-up record, In Full Bloom didn’t include a hit as infectious as “Car Wash,” but still produced a few memorable tracks.

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 Posted by -G. at 6:57 am  Tagged with: , , , , , , ,
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