Wednesday, November 28, 2007

Kanye West - Stronger Remix (f. Wonda)

me and maya

hmmm. when can i get some rep like this dude. keep doing your thang.

Gossip

do it yourself

How We Know - The Thermals

The Thermals

Alias making beats for Sage Francis

MF Grimm / MF Doom Live

I Love You - by MF GRIMM

MF Grimm - Book Of Daniel (MF DOOM Diss)

Yak Ballz - Making of Scifentology II (2)

Har Mar Superstar - Power Lunch

Har Mar Superstar- Cut Me Up ft. Karen O (Live)

Karen O dancing

Karen O Let Me Know

Radio 4

Radio 4 - Party Crashers

Radio 4

HMMMMMM

HE IS ON A MAJOR NOW, BUT HE IS AN INDIE KING

INTERPOL REMIXES

Interpol Live, Remix EPs Available Right Now


Photo by Matt Ziegler

Today, right now, at this very moment, at select ThinkIndie.com-represented independent record stores, you will find a new Interpol record! Well, sort of. Interpol Live, the band's first officially released concert recording, is a six-song disc of live tracks culled from a set at London's Astoria Club this July.

It's a well-pared bunch: Turn On highlights "Obstacle 1" and "Stella Was a Diver and She Was Always Down" rub up against Admire's "Pioneer to the Falls", "Mammoth", "Rest My Chemistry" and "The Heinrich Maneuver". You'll want to check ThinkIndie.com to see if your local noise emporium will be carrying the disc, and, if so, start movin'.

Also today, a remix EP creatively titled Our Love to Admire Remixed has showed up on iTunes. It includes that Phones remix of "The Heinrich Maneuver" as well as a take on that same track by the Scientist and a "Mammoth" rework by Erol Alkan.

In other Interpol news, the band is presently on a globe-spanning tour, though we're beginning to wonder if those photos they sent back from safari are Kosher. [MORE...]

Video: Interpol: No I in Threesome [live on Jimmy Kimmel Live]

Posted by Paul Thompson and Amy Phillips in EP, remix on Tue: 11-27-07: 03:15 PM CST | Digg this article | Add to del.icio.us | Permalink

BLACK LIPS ANNOUCE TOUR

Okay, that's it, Black Lips are bored. After a 2007 where they released two records, played countless (and still ongoing!) shows, and lent member Cole Alexander's vocal talents to that Fucked Up holiday seven-inch, you'd think the Atlanta foursome would want to use the beginning of next year to take a break before shooting starts on Let It Be, their upcoming silver screen star vehicle.

But nooooo, instead the band has scheduled a reallyreally big U.S. tour. The new dates start right at the beginning of February, three months before Let It Be kicks off production.

Also on the Lips' plate in May: their appearance at our very own ATP vs. Pitchfork doohickey.

Restless Lips:

11-30 Atlanta, GA - Variety Playhouse *#
12-05 Athens, GA - Georgia Theatre *
12-07 Charlotte, NC - Neighborhood Theater
12-08 Asheville, NC - The Orange Peel
12-15 Meredith, Australia - Meredith Music Festival
12-18 Sydney, Australia - Oxford Art Factory
12-19 Melbourne, Australia - The Arthouse
12-21 Melbourne, Australia - The Tote
02-01 Denver, CO - Bluebird
02-04 Seattle, WA - Neumos ^
02-05 Portland, OR - Dante's ^
02-06 Eugene, OR - WOW Hall ^
02-08 San Francisco, CA - Great American Music Hall ^
02-09 Pomona, CA - Glasshouse ^
02-10 Costa Mesa, CA - Detroit Bar ^
02-13 San Diego, CA - Casbah ^
02-14 Los Angeles, CA - El Rey ^
02-22 New Orleans, LA - One Eyed Jacks
02-23 Austin, TX - Emo's Outside
02-24 Dallas, TX - The Loft %
02-25 Lawrence, KS - Bottleneck %
02-26 Omaha, NE - Waiting Room %
02-28 Minneapolis, MN - 7th Street Entry %
02-29 Madison, WI - Memorial Union (University of Wisconsin) %
03-01 Chicago, IL - Logan Square Auditorium %
03-02 Milwaukee, WI - Turner Hall %
03-04 Columbus, OH - The Basement %
03-05 Oberlin, OH - Club Dionysus %
03-06 Detroit, MI - Magic Stick %
03-07 Pittsburgh, PA - Mr. Small's %
03-08 Buffalo, NY - Mohawk Place %
03-10 New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom %
03-11 Brooklyn, NY - Music Hall of Williamsburg %
03-13 Cambridge, MA - Middle East %
03-14 Philadelphia, PA - Johnny Brenda's %
03-15 Washington, DC - Black Cat %
03-16 Chapel Hill, NC - Local 506 %
03-20 Nashville, TN - Mercy Lounge %
03-21 Memphis, TN - Hi-Tone %
03-22 Atlanta, GA - The Earl %
05-09-11 Rye, England - Camber Sands Holiday Centre (ATP vs. Pitchfork) *$

* with Deerhunter
# with Snowden, the Selmanaires
^ with Pierced Arrows

A NEW YORK ROCK BAND MOVIE

SAVE YOUR CITY
New York rock in the years to be hated
Story Eric Ducker Photography Colin Lane, Mark Hunter and David Belisle


Squabbles and footnotes aside, in the pages of history books and The FADER, New York rock in the 21st century began with the Strokes. Of course the Strokes always evoked New York rock of the 20th Century, but that was kind of the point. The band captured the city’s borrowed nostalgia for a time when young men wore tight jackets and let their hair fall into their faces, then wrote thrilling songs about the dejected glamour such lifestyle decisions would lead to. At the time of their arrival, downtown Manhattan was still stuck in the orange plastic/white vinyl hangover of lounge culture, but the Strokes were a band for dark bars where the bathroom door was always broken and you could sink into a booth and hide out from adulthood for a few more years. They were a great band for New York because no one could agree on them: they were either the best or the worst thing that could have happened. People would tell you they hated them and everything they stood for, then a couple of beers later they’d confide that they’d never actually heard them or that they secretly loved them. They were one more part of the city you could endlessly kvetch about, then take pride in because no other city had anything nearly as good.

I went to England for four days in the early summer of 2001 to write a piece for The FADER that would be the Strokes’ first cover story. The band hadn’t done many shows outside of New York before then—some opening dates for Doves and Guided by Voices, another brief trip across the Atlantic—and they were still learning to deal with life on the road. They hugged and bickered like brothers. They turned up the volume when they heard their song on the car stereo and took trips to HMV to see their EP at the listening stations. There were no rumblings of stifled creativity. There were no rumors of breakups. Their drinking wasn’t problematic yet, it was the point.




The band wrapped up their UK tour by playing a club in London called Heaven that was usually a gay disco. It was the most important show in their short career and they dazzled a crowd that had already decided they were in love with them. When they left the next day with rock & roll hopes pinned to their collars, they were on their way to Amsterdam. The plan was to take mushrooms and look at the hookers, a goofball adventure that seemed more post-college Eurotrip than needless hedonism. The Strokes spent the rest of their summer vacation touring the world, before returning in the fall of 2001 to a New York that would become a very different city. Two weeks after September 11th, they finally released Is This It, a 35-minute bender made for the jukeboxes of those same dingy, downtown bars they reawakened.

During the months that followed, in the midst of the mourning when everything was about “now more than ever,” the city’s young responded by hitting the streets even harder. Andrew WK’s “I Love NYC” took on new meaning, proclaiming: this is our town and we decide how we tear down the walls. Go ahead, smash yourself in the face with a brick. Get wet. Party ’til you puke.

There were more bands to put on your finest threadbare T-shirt and leave the apartment for. In Brooklyn, there was a thrashing group of liberal arts graduates called Yeah Yeah Yeahs whose lead singer Karen O wore insane outfits on stage when she wasn’t just wearing pasties, and who spit beer at the crowd when she wasn’t pouring it over her head. Yeah Yeah Yeahs usually did shows with Liars, a band that made experimental dance punk and had one song that was basically their towering Australian frontman Angus Andrews barking obtuse phrases over ESG’s classic “UFO.” If you were into ESG you would check out the Rapture, indie rock refuges from California and Washington DC who had holed up in an West Village studio with the DFA, a transcontinental production duo that pushed old Detroit house 12-inches on guitar bands like it was audio MDMA. The list went on: ARE Weapons, Radio 4, Interpol, Panthers, !!!, the Walkmen, the Moldy Peaches, the Secret Machines, the Witnesses, the French Kicks…and those were just New York outfits to keep track of. The EP was at Kim’s or they were playing an abandoned transmission repair shop in Bushwick. It was the year to be hated, and there were so many bands you had to check out.




By the summer of 2002 you could still spot Karen and Angus holding hands in Williamsburg or spend the day counting how many German tourists photographed the sign for the Bedford Ave subway stop, but the chase to find the Next Great New York Phenomenon had become draining and pointless. Groups that seemed to have had just five rehearsals and one gig were being championed like they invented amplification. In the quest to try to plant a flag on a band, the question changed from whether they were any good, to whether anyone else had done it yet. The tiger had caught his tail and eaten himself whole. While instant messaging one August afternoon, I asked an acquaintance if she was going to the destined-to-be-legendary Strokes and White Stripes show at Radio City Music Hall. She told me she had tickets, but probably wouldn’t be there. She said she’d rather see the Prosaics play at a record store in Brooklyn, and anyway, her “mom knew those bands.” Not long afterwards I left the city and the country. There were too many things that I had had enough of.

Over three months later and back in town on my way to California, I met up with the FADER editors for lunch. We were just getting into 2003 and they told me that New York rock was over. ARE Weapons were finally putting out their first album—much better and heartfelt than anyone could have predicted, but sure to be hated. The Walkmen’s “We’ve Been Had” was in a commercial for Saturn. The Rapture were going on the cover of the next issue, though as it turned out, their long-finished Echoes would still be stuck in the disco incubator for another nine months until the major label deal had been worked out. A new venue called Piano’s had opened on the Lower East Side, and everybody was already sick of it.

“A lot of bands tour for many years and they're learning as they go along. We took all this time to understand music. We were rehearsing every fucking minute of the day. If you think we got off easy, that's bullshit, because we fucking know what we're doing.” -Julian Casablancas
New York rock wasn’t really over, it just didn’t belong to the city any more. The best of the boroughs had risen up and were now out there for the rest of the world to pour over. Who knows how many seeds would be watered by Karen O’s video tears.

When thinking about that era now, the first memory that comes to mind doesn’t even take place in New York. It is in London, during the morning that was actually the afternoon after the Strokes show at Heaven—before they would become a touring band, perpetual headliners that never open for anyone besides idols like the Rolling Stones and Tom Petty. The gear was packed, the hotel bill was paid, and everyone had been recovered from whatever bed they slept in the night before. Talk turned to laundry and when they would finally get to do it. “I’m really starting to smell like a bum. An old, dirty bum,” said permanently good-natured drummer Fabrizio Moretti, holding the sleeve of his jacket to his nose to take in the layers of foreign smoke, booze, body odor, bus rides, shows and after parties that were already caked into its fabric. I took a whiff. He did.
















The Strokes, "Last Night"


Andrew WK, "Party Hard"


Yeah Yeah Yeahs' television debut on Late Night with David Letterman


Liars, Live at DCAC, 2002


Radio 4, "Save Your City"


Moldy Peaches, "Who's Got The Crack?" live at WFMU Record Fair, 2001

Walkmen, "We've Been Had" Sponsorship

INDIE WEDNESDAY

Monday, November 26, 2007

yes sir-New Cadence Weapon-enjoy

Cadence Weapon

Ciara - OH! ( Cadence Weapon Remix )

YO. FO REAL MY INSPIRATION OF WHAT I AM ABT TO UNLEASH TO THE WORLD

Cadence Weapon

NEW ALBUM

OSCAR G BREAKS IT DOWN

Known for his productions as Murk and Funky Green Dogs alongside Ralph Falcon, and a DJ residency at Space Miami, Oscar G is one of America’s most influential house heads.
With his new mix album for Cr2 — ‘Oscar G Live & Direct Space Miami’ —out now, DJmag snagged Oscar to talk dance music in the US, club memories and new productions...

Being resident at Space Miami must have provided some memorable moments. Any recent occasions that stick out in your mind?
“Having an audience like the one I have at Space, in my hometown, is a DJ’s dream come true. There's a level of trust built over the years with that audience that allows me to experiment at will. That makes for a lot of memorable nights.
“One morning that sticks out in my head was during a Winter Music Conference a few years back. We had a closing party on the terrace with a last minute line-up. I ended up playing with Danny Howells, Sasha and Sharam. Halfway through it began pouring with rain and people just seemed to take it up a notch at that point. It was pretty amazing, it lasted till 7pm the next day.”

Much of North America is immune to the charms of house music. Why do you think that Miami is an exception?“Miami has a long history of dance music so it’s no surprise that it has welcomed house as well. I think the combination of so many different cultures that live in Miami make it a hot bed for music. It’s similar to New York, Chicago and other big American cities.
“House has remained somewhat like jazz is in the US. It was born here but is appreciated greatly across the globe. Yet it remains a niche market and small club scene in the US.”

What kind of vibe did you want to capture with your ‘Live & Direct’ mix?
“I wanted it to be honest and unpretentious, to give people a feeling of what a Saturday night at Space Miami is about. I prepared this set for a live audience, playing music I felt would move that room and define what I like to play. I set up microphones across the room to capture the audience’s reactions. I wanted to hear them because I felt they would really bring an element of energy to the CD with their reactions to the music.”

What’s going on with your Murk project alongside Ralph Falcon?
“We have recently re-released Funky Green Dogs’ ‘Reach For Me’ with great new mixes on Cr2. They will also be re-releasing our Murk Records catalogue with all new mixes. We are also re-launching the Murk label digitally and have several original things in the works.”

Do you have any more production work in the pipeline?
“I’m releasing a new track titled ‘Chunky Buddha’, which is also featured on the ‘Live & Direct’ album. I think Ralph and I may also have a new Funky Green Dogs single finished soon.”

DINKY DINKY PART TWO

Dinky delights
Dinky delights
Get lost with the new first lady of techno
Words: Ben Murphy

Dinky - Alejandra Iglesias
Alejandra Iglesias

Chilean electronic queen Dinky — or Alejandra Iglesias — is back to claim her techno throne with a stunning new mix for Crosstown Rebels: ‘Get Lost 3 Mixed by Dinky’, out 26th November.
An excursion deep into foreboding ghost-house and warm post-minimal beats, she pushes far into the uncharted realms, those Detroit tech inter-zones between electronic and organic rhythms, where many would fear to tread.
Like a somnambulist stroll in the woods after dark, this mix is mind-altering, mysterious and not a little scary.

“I worked on the concept of the mix,” Dinky explained. “It’s a bit more of an after-hours mix, a bit more mysterious, which extends to the whole concept of the artwork as well.”
A spooky illustration of a girl in a dark corridor, the image warped out of recognition, it perfectly reflects the music within.
Containing several of Dinky’s own new tracks, including the ghostly ambient intro ‘Lost in the Forest’, and the hip wiggle of ‘Horizontal’, her new compilation collects cuts from Dennis Ferrer, Dan Berkson and Radio Slave, illustrating a cosmopolitan and creative approach that takes the most potent grooves from all over and always avoids the obvious.

It’s a natural approach for the DJ/producer born in Santiago, Chile, who’s lived in New York City and Berlin, absorbing the rhythms inherent in all three cities and emerging with her own sound. First entering our consciousness in 2005 with the strange, burbling lysergic tech-funk of ‘Acid In My Fridge’ on Sven Väth’s Cocoon imprint, now she’s hooked up with the Crosstown Rebels crew, who’ll also be putting out her eagerly-awaited debut artist album next year.
“I really like the Crosstown Rebels crew, they’re like my little family, which I was missing. This mix for them is kind of like a preview for the album so people can get more used to my name,” Dinky declared.
“The album itself is sounding different. It’s definitely very danceable. I’m working with vocalists and I’m singing myself on a couple of tracks. It’s a little bit pop-ish but still underground,” she revealed.

Her label Horizontal also has a deluge of new releases due to drop, with cuts from several Crosstown heads as well as new names.
“I’m putting out a new single from Matthew Styles in a couple of weeks, and another single from Andrés Bucci, Pier Bucci’s brother, a really good artist. And then Hector as well, he works at Phonica, and he also just joined Crosstown Rebels,” Dinky asserted.
Like fellow females Cassy, Magda, Chloé and many more, Dinky is carving her own niche in the male-dominated realm of techno, and she’s only just begun. And is there any acid in her fridge at the moment?
“I have something else but no acid in my fridge right now. It was gone a long time ago,” she giggled.

DINKY DINKY DOO

Dinky delights
Get lost with the new first lady of techno
Words: Ben Murphy

Dinky - Alejandra Iglesias
Alejandra Iglesias

Chilean electronic queen Dinky — or Alejandra Iglesias — is back to claim her techno throne with a stunning new mix for Crosstown Rebels: ‘Get Lost 3 Mixed by Dinky’, out 26th November.
An excursion deep into foreboding ghost-house and warm post-minimal beats, she pushes far into the uncharted realms, those Detroit tech inter-zones between electronic and organic rhythms, where many would fear to tread.
Like a somnambulist stroll in the woods after dark, this mix is mind-altering, mysterious and not a little scary.

“I worked on the concept of the mix,” Dinky explained. “It’s a bit more of an after-hours mix, a bit more mysterious, which extends to the whole concept of the artwork as well.”
A spooky illustration of a girl in a dark corridor, the image warped out of recognition, it perfectly reflects the music within.
Containing several of Dinky’s own new tracks, including the ghostly ambient intro ‘Lost in the Forest’, and the hip wiggle of ‘Horizontal’, her new compilation collects cuts from Dennis Ferrer, Dan Berkson and Radio Slave, illustrating a cosmopolitan and creative approach that takes the most potent grooves from all over and always avoids the obvious.

It’s a natural approach for the DJ/producer born in Santiago, Chile, who’s lived in New York City and Berlin, absorbing the rhythms inherent in all three cities and emerging with her own sound. First entering our consciousness in 2005 with the strange, burbling lysergic tech-funk of ‘Acid In My Fridge’ on Sven Väth’s Cocoon imprint, now she’s hooked up with the Crosstown Rebels crew, who’ll also be putting out her eagerly-awaited debut artist album next year.

RIP

R.I.P.Guitarist Dies Aboard Band's Tour Bus

Posted Nov 26th 2007 6:25PM by TMZ Staff
Filed under: Music, R.I.P.
Casey Calvert, bassist for the band Hawthorne Heights, died Friday while on the band's tour bus. There has been no ruling on the cause of death, though it has been reported that Calvert suffered from asthma and that may have played a role.
Casey Calvert

Lupe Fiasco -

NOW HE GOT IT. LISTEN PEOPLE. YOU SAID HIP HOP IS DEAD. HERE IT IS. SOMETHING YOU CAN THINK AND DANCE TO.

Chromeo - Bonafide Lovin' (Promo Video)

Chromeo - Rage

CANADA MAKES GOOD SONGS.

Chromeo - Needy Girl

thecobrasnake Mickey Avalon Jane Fonda LIVE

Mickey Avalon - Jane Fonda Video

SO I SAW THIS GUY IN A BOOST MOBILE COMMERCIAL WITH YOUNG JEEZY AND JD. WHOA

A SILENT RIOT. RIP

DuBrow

Kevin DuBrow and Quiet Riot hit No. 1 with "Metal Health" in 1983.

DuBrow died at his home in Las Vegas, Nevada, according to TMZ.com. The Clark County coroner's office was examining the body to determine the cause of death, according to TMZ.

"I'm at a loss for words. I've just lost my best friend," Quiet Riot drummer Frankie Banali told CNN. "Out of respect for both Kevin and his family, I won't comment further. There's going to be a lot of speculation out there, and I won't add to that. I love him too much."

Quiet Riot hit the top of the charts with its 1983 album, "Metal Health," considered by some sources as the first heavy metal album to hit No. 1. The album was driven by the group's cover of Slade's "Cum on Feel the Noize," which hit the Top 40.

The band's other hits included "Bang Your Head (Metal Health)" and another Slade cover, "Mama Weer All Crazee Now."

The band formed in the mid-1970s behind DuBrow and guitarist Randy Rhoads, who later joined Ozzy Osbourne's band and died in a tour accident. After several years, during which time the band disbanded, regrouped and built an audience, everything came together for "Metal Health," which put Quiet Riot in the vanguard of the Los Angeles heavy metal movement.

But the band's rushed follow-up, "Condition Critical," didn't do as well, and DuBrow started taking shots at other L.A. bands, such as Motley Crue and Ratt, according to Allmusic.com. Within a few years, the band had mutinied (leaving DuBrow at a hotel in Hawaii while other members returned to California, Allmusic's Eduardo Rivadavia observes) and taken on a new lead singer. The bad blood prompted a lawsuit from DuBrow.

By the 1990s tempers had calmed and the band got together again, putting out a live album in 1999 and a new studio set, "Guilty Pleasures," in 2001. According to Allmusic, the band broke up once more after its release.

FRAT BOY BAND OF CHOICE

France has produced some killer DJs of late. And the resurgence of gritty electronic music fusing raunchy rock and pop with even raunchier house beats has created a sound of its own. Much of this popularity can be attributed to the electro music label Ed Banger Records, which has been globally broadcasting their tracks over the last five years. But beyond bringing electronic music back, a hype has evolved -- not only amongst the nü-ravers, but with the jock rockers as well.

Electro duo Justice (the most popular of the Ed Banger crew… so says Wikipedia) seem to appeal to a younger and more pop-oriented audience. MTV’s college division, mtvU, aired its annual Woodie Awards the other night to celebrate university-student-approved music. Amongst the TRL-favorite nominees like Motion City Soundtrack and Say Anything, Justice was up for Best Video Woodie with their single “D.A.N.C.E.” They lost. But their music still made it onto the iPods of beer-pong-playing students (and even into the crime drama show C.S.I.: NY).

This past October, New York City concertgoers were graced twice by Justice members Gaspard Augé and Xavier de Rosnay -- once for a CMJ showcase and again for the final set of their world tour. Justice kept the crowd rowdy as they spun their anthem hits both nights at the Mad Max-esque venue Terminal 5. But what miffed some fans was the crowd that the show pulled in. The floor was covered with frat boys protecting their underage girlfriends. Just when we thought the boy band sensation was over, Justice comes along!

RIP

blodgett

Was sad to hear to the passing of Michael Blodgett, who was so memorable in Russ Meyer’s 1970 cult masterpiece Beyond the Valley of the Dolls as L.A. studmuffin Lance Rocke. As rock promoter “Z-Man” Barzell (John La Zar) describes Lance: “Greek God and part-time actor. See how he performs. His is a special talent. The golden hair...the bedroom eyes...the firm young body. These are the tools of which he plies his trade. All are available for a price.” Blodgett, who also acted in such movies as The Velvet Vampire (1971) and alongside Kirk Douglas in There Was a Crooked Man (1970). He was also a novelist (Captain Blood, The White Raven) and wrote screenplays (with Dennis Shryack) such as Rent-A-Cop (1987) and Turner & Hooch (1989). But he’ll always be burned into my brain as the cocky, sexy, Lance Rocke getting beheaded in Beyond The Valley of the Dolls.

Pitbull ft. Trina: Go Girl

Pitbull -

Ay Chico - Pitbull

old pitbull but so nice

new video for Birdman

Cash money is an army

CADENCE IS BACK PART 2

Afterparty Babies explores friends and feelings, crews and club nights, hometowns and heroes, media and fashion. The recognized wordsmith continues to push the theme, surrounded by socially conscious commentary, and personal subject matter while dropping it over punishing electronic dance jams.

This remarkable achievement will be available March 2008 in Canada on Upper Class Recordings/EMI, the U.S.A. on Upper Class Recordings/Anti-/Epitaph and in the UK & Europe on Upper Class Recordings/Big Dada. (Press Release)

CADENCE WEAPON IS BACK

Roland Pembertom (aka Rollie) says he "wanted to make music that afterparty babies are created to" and the Afterparty Babies experience takes shape from this premise. Afterparty Babies is an explosion of ideas, feelings and musical genius fuelled by Mr. Weapon's experiences over the last few years as a writer, producer, touring artist and club DJ.

In the course from his debut album Breaking Kayfabe to his sophomore record, 21-year-old Roland Pemberton has come of age. While most youths were struggling to focus on a sneaker brand for more than a week; the young (and underage) Pemberton would slip into clubs to play shows with Spank Rock, Lady Sovereign, Jurassic 5, TTC, New Pornographers, Final Fantasy, and De La Soul. He rocked guest performances with The Klaxons, Hot Chip and Islands; he remixed Lady Sovereign, Kid Sister, Disco D, Busdriver, Rick Ross/Simian Mobile Disco; he's been featured on tracks with Buck 65 and Anti MC. He inked deals with legendary labels, Epitaph USA and Big Dada for the UK and Europe; all before he was barely legal.

Pemberton's explosive debut, Breaking Kayfabe was an impossibly accomplished hip-hop album stacked with clever writing and impressive rhymes, paired with the electro-tones of UK grime and West Coast hip-hop. The album yielded instant praise and notoriety, culminating in nominations from the Polaris Music Prize (modeled after the Mercury Prize), the Canadian Indie Awards and "Best Rap Album of 2006" at the Plug Independent Music Awards, and won the CBC Radio 3's Bucky Award. Cadence Weapon and Breaking Kayfabe garnered fans from Pitchforkmedia.com, Urb Magazine, XLR8R, CMJ, Q Magazine, Uncut, Drowned In Sound to name only a few.

Pemberton is back and he is firmly establishing his legacy as a pioneer in a passionate crusade to push the rap and electronic music envelope. His new offering, a 14 track, 58 minute dance rap party epic is dedicated to 'all the accidents out there' as a testimony to Rollie Pemberton's first influence, his father, Teddy Pemberton. A native of Brooklyn, NY, Mr. Pemberton created The Black Sound Experience radio show on the University of Alberta's CSJR station in 1980, and is credited for introducing hip-hop to Rollie's hometown of Edmonton, the capital city of Alberta.

Following in his father's ground-breaking footsteps, Rollie discovered that he wanted to rap at the tender age of 13. His mother had other plans; she wanted him to pursue a career in journalism, so he attended journalism school in Virginia. Finding the insular environment stifling, the burgeoning rapper quickly decided to ditch the books in pursuit of his goal, and still, by 18, Rollie had established a name for himself as a tough music critic, writing for the Brooklyn-based Stylus webzine and the influential Pitchfork Media.

HOUSE / TECHNO / CLUB MONDAYS

GLAD TO BE BACK FROM TURKEY DAY. I SAW SOME WILD TURKEYS, SOME DEER, SOME BUCKS AND ATE THE TURKEY DOWN TO ITS BONE. WE ARE BACK AND READY TO ROLL.

Friday, November 23, 2007

Masters At Work - Work

Club Night cont.. Lets go

Kate Nash - Pumpkin Soup

i like sweet potatoe pie

DAFT PUNK BEGINS AGAIN

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x3kckg_daft-punk-something-about-us_music

Kate Nash -Foundations

they say she is the next lily allen. You decide?

just jack - mourning morning

Glory Days

sitting back listening makes me feel like i am in a lounge/club. Uk mc does different.

Just Jack - Starz In Their Eyes

this is an old school masters at work type jam with a new mc. I like it. A good starter to the night.

PDC Underground Kingz

Project Mayhem PDC Freestyle Grim Grime Garage DVD

Mr Vegas - Hot Wuk

Club Fridays Lets Go

ELEPHANT MAN - HOT WUK - LITTLE MAN REMIX

Kat DeLuna feat Elephant Man- Whine Up

Your boy Elephant Man has a new deal-Bad Boy and a new energy. The Energy god is back. My mentor fo sure

IT'S THANKSGIVING!! THE ONLY DAY IT'S OKAY TO BE A GLUTTON!!

i do not know this dude but yes sir

This the remix for the clubs

Soulja Boy Crank Dat IMVU style (Travis Barker remix)

ok, so it is overplayed. My cousins are going crazy for this and the rock remix makes me crank dat .

Derrick Carter Live @ Coachella Music Festival (2006)

killing it out there.

Derrick Carter at Apple Store 5th Ave.

pioneers-i love it. Club Fridays-Lets Go

carl cox @ space ibiza

Jordin Sparks - Tattoo

i swear i heard this before.....hmmmm...

Bloc Party - Helicopter

i still like it

Bloc Party - Flux

i am not sure what went down with their second album, but this track lets me get loose. Club Fridays-Lets Go

Los Campesinos - You! Me! Dancing!

yes sir

Simian Mobile Disco - Hustler

i still love this song and this beat

Simian Mobile Disco - It's The Beat

stay focuse. I will rap over this soon, Its the beat. CLUB FRIDAYS lets go.

Scarface - G Code

old school scarface

SCARFACE INTERVIEW IS REAL

Scarface, the sometimes morbid, always enlightening herald of Southern Hip-Hop, period, makes his return.

The cream always rises to the top. While it may seem like the world is suddenly the land of one billion rappers, only a select few deserve or will receive the prestige of a lengthy career. Of that handful, an even smaller minority will possess the longevity to remain just as relevant in their twilight (no offense, please) years as they were during their precocious rise to rap infamy. In that regard, Brad “Scarface” Jordan is truly a rap icon, in every sense of the word.

You should know the history. Texas rapper (Scarface) rises to enough prominence to inadvertently overshadow his none too shabby group (Geto Boys), achieving critical and commercial rap success in the process (four gold albums, three platinum plus albums), while maintaining as much street cred as cats with names like Hoover and Tookie. Notoriously finicky with prodding media, if you catch Face on a good day, you’ll be privy to the rap OG’s fascinating takes on everything from Black music history to the Feds to his appreciation of Soulja Boy. Sure, his new album Made is out December 4, but when the Houston native opines this much, it’s all the more clear why his mastery on the mic has touched so many souls.

That lyrically uncommon sensibility is why even when he gets bored and takes a hiatus to pursue a hobby—lately, playing golf on the daily—Mr. Scarface knows his true calling involves thanking the Lord that his voice is recordable, and especially you, the listeners.


AllHipHop.com: What do you think has been the key to your longevity in the rap business?

Scarface: I think just to make the best f*cking records man. Continue to make records that are relevant, rather than just making f*cking fad records. People make fad records, man. They make records for the times but they don’t make records that’s timeless. My approach on a song is to make sh*t timeless. I go back to my sh*t and be like, “Damn man, can somebody play this in ten years and get the same feeling they got when they first heard it?”

I remember when I first heard the “Kashmir” record by Led Zeppelin. Damn! I had to go get that record. That’s a bad ass song dude. I remember where I was; I was in my momma’s Monte Carlo and we was jamming. Even my momma was like, “Damn!” You play the record today you get the same feeling. Like when I heard the “Eric B Is President.” I was in the back of my partners blue Cutlass Oldsmobile, he had about a 1977, I’ma say. He took the springs out of it so it bounced. It was riding five deep, we was going to this place called Rosalie. And everybody from Houston know what the hell was on Rosalie back in the gap. We heard, “Clap your hands to what he’s doing!”; the car bouncing with the beat, baby.

We heard that sh*t man, smoking that god damn fry; some people call it clickums, some people call it sherm. [Ed. Note: Scarface is reminiscing, don’t use drugs.] I don’t know, we was formaldehyde funk men, that’s what we were. I heard that record, I just knew it was something special man. It was going to change the face of what Hip-Hop was. When I first heard LL’s “Rock the Bells” record, oh sh*t! When you heard the, “Too black, too strong…,” the Public Enemy “Welcome to the Terrordome” record. When you heard, “Listen to my 9 millimeter goes bang.” Those kind of records are the records that are timeless. Those are the records that I want to try to create. Not re-create. But I want to be responsible for making those types of records.

You can’t even make records like that no more. Cause the artists today didn’t take the time out. See we studied this sh*t man. We studied R&B, we studied Rock & Roll, we studied Blues. My house is like a f*cking school of music.

AllHipHop.com: You’ve mentioned great artists with great albums, have digital singles affected album sales?

Scarface: F*ck what it affects man. If ringtones is your hustle…I ain’t going to knock no one's hustle. Digital f*cked up records sales. But it didn’t f*ck artists up. The downloads don’t mean sh*t. The downloads are paid for, the artists need to be getting their f*cking money.

You remember when the record came out “Video Killed the Radio Star”? Okay, that’s what’s happening right now. The Internet killed the record selling star. Some exceptions are Kanye West when his sh*t dropped or Eminem when his [album] finally drop, you know his sh*t is out of here. Them the kinds of artist that Internet sales don’t affect, in my opinion. Keep in mind this is just my opinion now. This is how I think. It doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the truth.

AllHipHop.com: You’ve long been able to maintain your lane without pandering to radio or the clubs, how have you pulled that off?

Scarface: That’s Face, that’s my life man. That’s how I was raised. I always tell people, if I give you a bag and I tell you there’s a million dollars in quarters in this bag, you can take that motherf*ckin’ bag with you. Cause you know that it’s a million dollars, in that bag, in quarters. That’s just way I am. If I tell you I’ma do something, I’ma do it. It may not be today, it may not be tomorrow, but it’s gonna get done. I make the records that I feel. If I did a f*cking song with a catchy f*cking hook and I wasn’t talking about sh*t, how could I face my kids?

AllHipHop.com: Or your fans too.

Scarface: Fans is one thing but them kids is heartless man. Them the most brutal, kids, when it comes to making records. I got an 18 year old son in college, I got a 20 year old daughter in college. Dude, if my sh*t ain’t up to par man, they be like, “Man dad it’s a-ight, but I don’t know bruh.” Now my nine year old, he’s brutal and my five year old, he’s brutal. You be playing your sh*t and they be like, “Man, I don’t know who that is dad but you need to cut that sh*t off. We want to hear some Soulja Boy!”

I coach a Little League football team. The kids ask me what do I think about his record, the Soulja Boy kid. My kids love the record. Now me on the other hand…I love that record man! [laughing] I don’t know what the f*ck he said man, but you one hundred with me pal! Good for him. That’s a huge f*cking kiddie record. I never knock a hustle. I like what he do for the kids when that come on.

We need records like that so when Dr. Dre drops a record, you appreciate it. When Kanye drops a record, you appreciate it. I appreciated Kanye’s record man. Cause it let me know that there’s still some heart in it. My honest opinion man is music [is] looking real dumb right now. Let’s go back to the early 1920’s. Let’s even go back further than that. Those records were so timeless. I’ma give a rundown of my music. If you think about the records and how innovative these musicians were. Imagine how innovative Son House was, how innovative Robert Johnson was. How innovative Blind Willie McTell was; he played a 12 string guitar, and he made it sound like a piano, and he was blind. Start picking these records up. They mean something. And then you go to the 60s records, the Chuck Berry records, the Little Richard records. Go to the 70s and then you look at Brass Construction and how innovative those records were and the Parliament records and the Bootsy records and the Prince records.

Think of how innovative these Black artists were to music, and what they gave to music and what these people mimicked, okay? Innovators, of music. And then you get off into the 80s. You got Cameo and look at The Time and just f*ckin’…beautiful records man. Then you think of “The Message.” Then you think of Kurtis Blow, wow. Then you think of Run-DMC, then you think of LL, then you think of what the Beastie Boys did for Hip-Hop, the Joeski Loves and f*ckin Kwame’s and, Kane, Marley! Kris, ya know, Boogie Down Productions Kris. Uh, Ludacris [chuckling]. Look at what Eric B and Rakim did for Hip-Hop. Then you gotta stop and say god damn dog, when did we stop evolving? When did man turn into a machine? We have made some of the best f*ckin’ records known to mankind. And right now we stuck at a standstill. Even R&B. It’s the same f*ckin’ melody over and over. Come on dude. Let’s turn this sh*t back into some innovative sh*t again.

I always wanted [laughing] to be like Jimi Hendrix, when I was a little boy. Who do you want to be like?

AllHipHop.com Who do you see lasting from today’s crop of artists?

Scarface: You know who I really like man, I like that Talib Kweli cat man, he’s f*cking bananas. I like the sh*t that Lil Wayne is doing. I like Jeezy. I like all these little ni**as man. These ni**as got some great sh*t.

Twenty years, umm, we’ll see. I remember the Master P era. I remember when Master P had 30 records spinning at one time. I remember the Def Jam era. Remember when every record you heard was Def Jam sh*t? Like damn, is these motherf*ckers going to ever fall off? You just gotta think about it man. What records have you heard in the past 10 years that’s going to last another 10 years. Ten years ago was ‘97, the “Smile” record is still playing. Tupac’s Don Killuminati came out in ‘96.

AllHipHop.com: OutKast dropped ATLiens in ‘96

Scarface: Outkast will be forever, okay. Those kids are exempt. They can go in a studio and put on a record and package it, and I’ma get it. They can just put they ass on a mic and fart, and I’ma buy that b*tch. Man, these motherf*ckers just farted on a record and sold like 10 million. What?! “Man, check the fart out.” [lauging] You know whatever they come with is going to be so far out there and so innovative to what music is. Hip-Hop is just one kid to music, music is the mother of all that sh*t.

OutKast is forever. Makavelli is forever. Biggie is going to be forever. Hey man, that big old heavy motherf*cker was a rhyming son of a b*tch man. He was cold man, he was cold blooded. “Escargot, my cargo, 160, record by a new one…” His sh*t was freestyle cuz! Look at [Ice] Cube. Cube got a song called “When Will They Shoot”. I think it’s from The Predator. You got to hear this sh*t man.

I remember Tupac playing the Don Killumanati record in the studio and that ni**a got mad as f*ck at me. I was doing The Untouchable album and I was trying to get my singles out the way. Pac was like, “Man, you sitting in the studio all the f*cking time, just get your sh*t out the way man. Just write your sh*t and let’s go! This bullsh*t, just make some records man, just do that sh*t!” [yelling] That’s what he said. From there I just make f*cking record man, you pick it.

You talk about a f*cking mule, a f*cking horse? That f*cking Tupac Shakur, that was a working motherf*cker. Tupac worked from the time he got out of jail to the time he died. He got so many records right now that people ain’t heard. Man, I got some old Tupac sh*t that he laid. This kid worked his @ss off. That’s another thing I wanna tell these little ni**as, keep working bruh. Don’t do like I did. I took off. I was tired of this sh*t. I started coaching Little League football, playing poker, started learning how to play golf. F*cking bored man. If you put your heart and soul into what you do, don’t nobody appreciate you but your fans.

Hip-Hop, that sh*t went off the street to into one of the biggest f*cking businesses man. I give that to anybody that’s out here getting legal money, be real careful because you have people that want you down. You have people that want to see you on your ass. You have people that want to be on your ass because you escaped the plan. And the plan was to keep ni**as in the field.
I look at Michael Vick situation, it just makes me think man, these motherf*ckers hate ni**as so much man they’ll pull some sh*t out the closet about him doing some dog fighting. God damn it, come on man. I got an 18 year old son that’s in college, that plays football. And he doesn’t have time to do sh*t, okay?! Even in the summertime, he’s always working out. And when he’s done working out, he’s too f*cking tired to do anything else. And my son play college football. Think of a dude that’s in the pros man. All this f*cking sh*t he gotta memorize; the playbook, his workout regimen, his eating and all that, you have to know this. And the man gonna have time enough to fight some dogs? F*ck outta here man. What he did is probably gave one of his partners some money to buy some dogs and start a dog breeding business and them ni**as took it to another level and started squabbling them motherf*ckers, and turned on him. That sh*t ain’t cool man. Ya know luckily he can get out of that sh*t. He can do 18 months. He’ll go to a little pre-release program or some sh*t, they’ll let him go.

But T.I. on the other hand. Have you seen the federal sentencing guideline book?

AllHipHop: No, but that mandatory sentencing is…

Scarface: Ni**a…sheeit. I got a partner that was in federal prison for 18 years. He know the book by heart. He told me where to look in this book. It’s called the Federal Sentencing Guidelines Book, it’s a book for lawyers and sh*t. One of them books. Dude, do you know that a silencer is a mandatory minimum [of] 30 years? Do you know that an automatic weapon, mandatory minimum, fully automatic, is 30 years. Imagine two silencers and two fully automatic weapons? And that’s not counting the guns that was in the car, or the guns that was in the house and him being a convicted felon. For every gun they find you add, like a level or two, I think. That sh*t is life. All because…motherf*cker couldn’t hold it, told on him. Oh man, "He told me to do this." He told you to jump off that skyrise right there too didn’t he? Did you jump? Hell no! Motherf*ckers know the difference between sh*t and tar, don’t let nobody fool you man. They set this kid up man. Damn Tip! F*ck! They set him up man. They set that dude up man. He ain’t going to get nothing but a f*cking conspiracy. He going to get a conspiracy case. They’ll probably give him 8 to 10 years, damn!

AllHipHop.com: You’re all too familiar with that, Rap-a-Lot and the Feds.

Scarface: You feel me? They tried to put me in that sh*t. The same sh*t they did to T.I. Get a motherf*ckin’ snitch to come in and infiltrate and start talking about dope. Ahh, this ni**a here like weed, start talking about weed. Nah, man! You not going to get a motherf*cking word out me. Read it. It’s on the Internet. Indicted, never. You can’t. You couldn’t indict me for a motherf*cking thing.

AllHipHop.com: Do you think that the Feds are targeting rappers? Or brothers in general?

Scarface: I mean, ni**as is in trouble man. I can’t even begin to tell you how serious this is man, with the ni**as and feds. Know this, as long as they fishing, they ain’t got sh*t. [But] the minute they do, you got a 2% chance of getting out. They have a 98% conviction rate. As long as they ain’t got sh*it—they keep turning over stones, they keep shaking trees. But the minute them motherf*ckers have it, you're assed [out].

Just remember man, they can say whatever the f*ck they want to say about you man, just don’t let it be so. That’s something to live by. That’s something to grow up and grow old on. Man, they can say whatever the f*ck they want to say about you, just don’t let it be so.

KEENAN'S CORNER

Tis' the season to be thankful and as such I’d like to show some thanks to a couple of things that while loved worldwide, just don’t get the recognition they deserve. There will be no ranting today, simply raving about things that we’ve all come to love! These things stand out to me not only because they’re fantastic but, also because they were never met to be created. So out of nothing, I’ve found something…they’re real and they’re wonderful!

Sidenote: I’m buying a drink on Friday night for the 1st person who knows where that “they’re real and they’re wonderful” line is from!!!

1) Cereal Milk – We’ve all had it. We’ve all grown up on it. For those whom it hasn’t clicked for yet, Cereal Milk is what’s left after you’ve had a big bowl of your favorite, be it Cheerios, Frosted Flakes, Rice Krispies, Raisin Bran…you get the picture! Right after you’ve had that last spoonful of cereal, there’s nothing left but milk flavored with the goodness of your cereal. You put the spoon down, grab that bowl with both hands and take the Cereal Milk straight to the head! It’s best when you have some of the sweeter cereals like Trix or Fruit Loops but, either way, it don’t get no better!

2) Soda Juice – This is when you got a tall glass of your finest carbonated beverage. I don’t get advertising dollars so, I’m saying that it really doesn’t matter which one you got, Coke, Pepsi, Sprite, Mountain Dew, Fanta, who cares! The key here is that something pulls you away from your drink. Could be you rushing off to the club or your jump-off just got to the door and he or she is ready to get it going (yes, females have men as jump-offs too!!!). Anyway, you leave your drink and don’t get back to it till the next day. If you’re lucky, you got a chance to put it in the fridge cuz Soda Juice is oh so good when chilled. The point is that by now, your soda has gone flat since it wasn’t covered and you have the yumminess of a drink that has the taste of your favorite soda but, goes down smooth like grape juice or red Kool-Aid, without all the bubbles and acid. Thank you Mr. Soda Juice! The ultimate in a two-in-one drink!

3) Ham – This one doesn’t really fit with my theme so I’ll keep it short but, I just love ham. I always say that pigs were made to be eaten because they have such fat bodies and little legs. They can’t run, you don’t see anyone eating cheetah and cheese sandwiches do you???

Happy Thanksgiving y’all! And there’s no better way to celebrate it than eating all you can on Thursday and partying with all your family and play cousins at Opus 22 on Friday night. Yes, I said Opus 22 and NOT Dirty Disco. We’re still doing Dirty Disco every Friday but, before we started there management had a pre-booked party for Thanksgiving weekend. We’re calling it Sweet Potato Pie and it’s our 2nd annual Thanksgiving weekend event as it’s huge for partying cuz everyone comes home from college or wherever they moved to for work and wants to do it up in the Big Apple nightlife. It's 3 of the 4 teams that brought you Wish 26 for the last year and a half on Thursdays afterwork so, you know it's gonna be a problem in there. We also got Commish on dem wheels of steel so I know I got my two-step, which means I’ll be at the bar getting my drink. Hit me for the guestlist and come early as it will definitely be packed. Gotta do a quick shout out to bonita Kristen Carter as she’s gonna party like it’s her birthday (cuz it actually is)

Keenan “Does Raving About Food Make Me Fat?” Davis

CLUB FRIDAYS

REGGAE / DANCEHALL UPDATE

As we round up 2007, one certainty is times are changing for reggae and dancehall. Vinyl production in Jamaica is at a virtual standstill, the apparently unstoppable flow of riddim albums on international labels such as VP and Greensleeves has now come to an end, Jah Cure can no longer make records about being in jail, and some of the best roots music of the year has been made by white people. It leaves me at a bit of a loss for anything definitive to say, really. But while the industry faces an uncertain future as it adapts to the realities of digital music formats, piracy, and file-sharing, plenty of great songs have been written, awesome stage shows have taken place, and sound systems have continued to clash all over the world.
Specialist radio shows, including Robbo Ranx's Dancehall Splurt on BBC 1Xtra, are still playing groundbreaking music, dances remain rammed, kids on my bus today armed with antisocially loud cellphones were playing and singing along to songs that have yet to see the light of day as retail product, websites are buzzing, and the inspiring Woofah magazine-- a wilfully anachronistic and obsessive do-it-yourself paper-based zine specially made in East London by enthusiasts for enthusiasts-- has proven to be an unqualified success. Add all these things together and they prove that there's still a huge audience for reggae. As long as that enthusiasm and love is there, it's hard to be anything but hopeful for 2008.

While there may have been less music compared to the torrential release schedule of previous years, the quality of the songs that have been released has been almost universally high. Just flick through Greensleeves' recent Biggest Reggae One Drop Anthems 2007 compilation, for example. Although it's half as long as usual at only 20 tracks, killer tunes including Ray Darwin's "People's Choice" and Tarrus Riley's "Protect Yuh Neck" are as good as anything we've heard so far this decade. Clear winner on this album with "King Selassie", and the best artist of the year for my money, is Alborosie. A little while ago and few had even heard of this guy. Even less had any idea that he was, in fact, not Jamaican at all, but a pale-faced Sicilian dude with even less Yard credentials than Collie Buddz or Gentleman (both of whom have been doing well lately). Say what you want about white reggae-- you'll only need to hear him once to eat your words, especially the fantastic summertime hit "Kingston Town".

Despite having listened to less dancehall than ever before, it's been imposibble not to get a serious kick out of old favourites including Buju Banton, Mr. Vegas, and Sean Paul all on firing form, and my favourite party-starter by grade-school deejay QQ. With a wealth of revivals and re-released albums commemorating various anniversaries, notably Greensleeves' 30th birthday, and exhibitions of Tony McDermott's seminal sleeve art for the company occurring in both London and Manchester, there's been a lot to be happy about amongst all the gloom.

As ever this round-up is a collaborative affair and adding their vews on the high points of the past 12 months are friends and collaborators Masta G and Gabriel from London sound The Heatwave and don selector and writer John Eden. You'll see a fair amount of crossover between our charts and a lot of agreement of the state of the game, but there are also plenty of points where we differ. From John's inclusion of dancehall-inspired grime tracks to the Heatwave's set of bashment bombs, there's enough versatility and fire in this music to meet even the toughest challenge. Far from being dead in the water, reggae will keep making a splash for a little while yet.

The Pitchfork Year in Reggae/Dancehall Top 10
1. Alborosie: "Kingston Town" [Forward]
2. QQ: "Tek It to Dem" [Greensleeves]
3. Buju Banton: "Crazy Talk" [Black Shadow]
4. Sean Paul: "Pick It Up and Drop It" [Birchill]
5. Alicia Keys [ft. Jr. Reid]: "No One (Remix)" [J Records]
6. Ray Darwin: "People's Choice" [Tads International]
7. Various Artists: Summer Records Anthology [Light in the Attic]
8. I Wayne: "Book of Life" [VP]
9. Maxi Priest & Richie Stephens: "My Girl Dis" [Joe Frazier]
10. Capleton & Jah Mali: "Mama Love" [Kickin]

///

Bashment Top 10 from London sound The Heatwave
1. Natasja & Enur: "Calabria 2007"
2. Mr Vegas: "Tek Way U Self"
3. Shaggy: "Heathen"
4. QQ: "Tek It To Dem (Rum Ram)"
5. Macka Diamond: "Hula Hoop"
6. Damian Marley: "One Loaf of Bread"
7. Sean Paul: "Pick It Up and Drop It"
8. Busy Signal [ft. Mavado]: Badman Place"
9. T.O.K.: "Masculine Gender"
10. Beenie Man: "Reverse Di Ting"

2007 may well be remembered as the year that the long and glorious tradition of the Jamaican 7" single, loved by reggae collectors the world over, entered its death throes. It's an eloquent comment on the changing face of the music industry that this iconic format is falling out of use. Some of the riddims that have run the dancehalls throughout the second half of the year (e.g. Tremor and Rae) are still only available as mp3/CD promos, and QQ's massive dance tune "Tek It to Dem" is only out on vinyl as a Greensleeves 12" single. Veteran selector David Rodigan now announces ironically on his radio show that certain tunes are available on vinyl, commenting "That's a Jamaican 45, remember those?" Still, that's not to say there wasn't a lot of great dancehall music being made on the island and around the world this year.

Despite (or because of?) the various controversies surrounding his private life, Beenie Man continues to defy the rules of the novelty-obsessed dancehall fraternity and churned out yet another 12 months' worth of big tunes. Mr Vegas staged a return to form, with hits like Hot Wuk and Tek Way U Self, while artists like Sizzla, T.O.K., Shaggy, and Sean Paul have been as dependable as ever. Young talents like Mavado and Busy Signal have developed and brought their fresh. distinctive vocal styles to the scene. Outernationally, Bermudan Collie Buddz and Sicilian Alborosie have both had big years but it's Denmark's Natasja who takes our number one spot for 2007 with her wicked bashment vocal on the funky house anthem Calabria. Sadly, Natasja died in a car accident in the summer, a great loss both to her friends and family and the world of music.

///

John Eden, proprietor of the Uncarved blog and editor of Woofah magazine

1. Bitty McLean: "Lately" [Silent River/Taxi 7"]
Bitty's return to reggae a few years back was warmly embraced by "big people" everywhere, not least because of the slew of tunes he released over original Treasure Isle riddims. From then on he's continued to amaze people. This single features his soaring vocals singing Stevie Wonder's classic over Sly and Robbie's "Unmetred Taxi" riddim, with added Saxon soundsystem "bloop" sound effects. His forthcoming "No Love" single looks to be just as good. Perfect.

2. Alborosie: "Kingston Town" [Forward 7"]
Last year's "Herbalist" was a classic out of nowhere and we've since discovered that Alborosie is a white Italian who rocked up in JA to record some songs that are so great, that the debate about his "authenticity" has had to take a back seat. This features some nice "biddley bong" scatting with growling vocals about the harsh realities of his new home over a hard 21st century roots backing. If you were to buy any Alborosie single on sight you would be happy, and I can't think of anyone else you could say that about this year. In 2008 this guy is going to be massive.

3. The Bug [ft. Killa P and Flowdan]: "Skeng" [Hyperdub 12"]
For me, 2007 is the first year for ages when I didn't buy any JA bashment. Compensating for this with tunes from nearer home has proved ridiculously easy, with a vast quantity of grime mixtapes. This landmark release sees Roll Deep MCs Killa and Flowdan ramp up the bleak yardie bizzness over Kevin Martin's 22nd century grimy ragga. So scary you'll be chuckling maniacally.

4. Levi riddim [Roots Garden 2x7"]
A lovely bit of laid back digital roots which brings to mind some of the early Unity Sound productions from the 80s, but with those little deft touches that Manasseh are famous for. Three excellent conscious vocal cuts by Jah Mali, Luciano & Ras Zacharri and Ava Leigh (who continues the "white people making jaw-droppingly high quality reggae in 2007" meme). Plus a dub that you want to go on forever.

5. Tippa Irie: Talk the Truth [Lockdown Productions CD]
Finally the UK foundation MC gets an album that does him justice, probably because it's on his own label. An embarrassment of riches here, not least because of the high quality productions from people like Curtis "Necessary Mayhem" Lynch, Peckings, Pow Pow, and more. Collaborations include Frankie Paul and Elephant Man, and Tippa walks a steady path between revisiting his classic lyrical slammers and newer material. I have to admit I was sceptical about this album, but it's been on rotation since the first time I heard it.

6. 007/Shanty Town riddim [Big Yard 4x7"]
Shaggy's label revisits the Desmond Dekker classic which came to prominence on the "Harder They Come" soundtrack. Rayvon's conscious "Arm of the Wicked" rubs up against Screechy Dan's "Panty Town" but any lyrical contradictions get lost in the sheer exuberance of the party vibe here. Shaggy's cut is of course essential and anyone who raises their eyebrows at this needs to get beyond their hipster inverted snobbery about "pop" reggae.

7. Alicia Keys: "No One (Curtis Lynch Reggae Remix)" [J Records]
Our boy done good! From knocking out wicked sevens in south London to remixing Alicia in New York, Curtis is definitely going places. 2007 has been a really good year for pop remixes and mash ups: and this one is the cream of the crop. Which all bodes very well if you ask me.

8. Ashtech: Walkin' Target [Interchill CD]
Shockingly good electronica/reggae crossover which brings to mind the cinematic remixes of Primal Scream by Andy Weatherall and Adrian Sherwood. Yes, the production really is that good on here. The album features vocals from MC Cheshire Cat who has previously worked with Leftfield, who would be another reference point. This is just great: a proper varied 13 tracker from an unknown which makes you wonder how much other great stuff you've missed out on. Investigate!

9. Continuation riddim [Penthouse 7"s]
Is it reggae, one drop, roots? Call it what you like, but there is some amazing music coming out of Jamaica during the death throes of vinyl. Donovan Germain comes up with a lilting rootical riddim on which everything has its own place. The Beres Hammond & Buju Banton vocal cut is one of the highlights of Greensleeves' essential "The Biggest Reggae One Drop Anthems 2007" compilation. Meanwhile Queen Ifrica's "Put on Yu Thong" is a bittersweet romantic reality lyric worthy of your attention.

10. Rihanna: "Umbrella" remixes [Black Chiney 7" and mystery mp3]
Everyone's soundtrack to a torrential summer, a couple of refixes of this showed up when the original was beginning to get on your tits. The first is in a pounding bashment style from Black Chiney featuring Vybz Kartel, whilst the other is an unreleased mp3 on a one-drop tip featuring Collie Buddz.

Monday, November 19, 2007

NEW NELLY VIDEO-POP MAN IS NOT SO BACK

FAVELA ON BLAST preview

DJ BLAQSTARR EPK

NEW VIDEO-DIZZEE RASCAL

CAN YOU SPOT SKINNER?

dj funk on the money$$$

Deep Dish - We gonna feel it

DeEp DiSh - FlashDance

dj klever

CHANGING THE GAME IN AND OUT OF THE STUDIO

Sharon Jones - Dropped In To See What Condition My Condition

Tiga - Hot In Herre

Tiga - You Gonna Want Me

uffie live @ ourdisco

UFFIE LIVE IN NYC feat. AMANDA BLANK

AMANDA MIGHT BE ONE OF THE MOST UNKNOWN FEMALE MCS THAT YOU SHOULD GET A HOLD ON. SHE HAS A REMIX ON HER MYSPACE PAGE.

TECHNO UPDATE

Techno moves fast, always has. It's the genre's boon and its bane. To borrow a phrase from post-punk, techno's a speed trial, though not so much for its beats, but its turnover. The music industry may be slumping, but house and techno's deluge of new material continues unabated, fast and furious as ever. To get a sense of the genre's cruising speed, just spend a few weeks reading the Hot 100 Sales chart on the website of the German vinyl mailorder retailer Decks.de. Updated every week, and tracking sales over a three-week span, the chart's turnover is mind-numbing. Few records last more than two or three weeks before being displaced by new entries. No wonder that over the course of a given DJ's set, I might only identify a handful of tunes, despite the fact that this is a genre I devote most of my waking hours to. The pace of techno's output is like capitalism on speed, with innumerable, virtually identical products hitting the market in quick succession. Along the way, there are the interpretations, the innovations and the occasional improvement-- and that's why we keep listening. The rest of it is churn.

To be honest, I've been dreading writing this column. Going over a year's worth of notes and reviews and charts, what is there? Plenty of great tracks, of course-- some I'm still playing, some I've forgotten about. But can anything sum up the year in any kind of elegant fashion? In an article I wrote for the German magazine De:Bug's 10th anniversary issue in August, I noted the uncanny similarities between 2007 and 1997, from Carl Craig's chart supremacy to the fetishization of the pioneering Finnish label Sähkö's minimalistic aesthetic. It's not that techno went retro this year. And I hate to invoke the (capitalistic) concept of "diminishing returns." But 2007 felt less like a year of innovations, of bold leaps and technological alchemy, than a year of tweaks to the form, of honing in on what I've long called the "boom-tick template."

HOUSE / BIG BEAT / TECHNO MONDAYS

Thursday, November 15, 2007

Tuesday, November 13, 2007

RIP DR DONDA WEST

Our deepest condolences and strongest sympathies go out to Kanye this morning for the loss of his mother Donda at the young age of 58. We're at a loss for words other than we're sorry.

RIP DR. DONDE WEST

FOR ANYONE TO LOSE SOMEONE IS TRAGIC BUT ESPECIALLY WHEN THEIR TIME AND INSPIRATION HAS NOT PASSED. MY BLESSINGS TO THE FAMILY.

BIG BEAT, TECHNO MONDAYS

Friday, November 9, 2007

Dubstep Rave

HMMMMMM

Roll Deep - 'Racist People' Behind the Scenes

Roll Deep - 'Racist People' Behind the Scenes

Roll Deep - Racist People (Official)

NEW ALBUM-BUY IT FOR FREE

There's two novel ideas at work behind this album, but only one of them's getting much attention. Trent Reznor has been pretty upfront recently about his general disdain with the way the music industry works, encouraging concertgoers to share his music and going public with his irritation at the cost of his own CDs. It became apparent once Reznor parted ways with Interscope that he'd be looking for a new business plan that would circumvent your garden-variety industry bullshit. All it took to set a solid-enough precedent was Radiohead's pay-what-you-want model for In Rainbows-- after that, the "try it for free; pay $5 if you like it and you get to download higher-quality audio files" plan for the new Saul Williams album The Inevitable Rise and Liberation of NiggyTardust! was enough to get some attention all by itself.

But the other novel idea, being overlooked in lieu of the distribution plan, is the album's stylistic approach. Saul Williams, despite being more of a straight-up poet than an MC, is one of those rare artists who justifies the notion of a hip-hop/rock interchange in a post-nu-metal world. His aggression is focused, pointed, and self-aware enough to avoid falling into temper-tantrum emptiness, and it's backed by music that focuses on the aesthetic slipperiness of heavy rock's capabilities. After 2001's Rick Rubin-produced Amethyst Rock Star and his self-titled 2004 record (featuring guest spots from Zack de la Rocha and Serj Tankian), it isn't a shock that Williams paired up with Reznor for this new album-- especially considering Saul's opened for Nine Inch Nails on more than one tour over the last couple of years. But to hear Williams' firebrand rhetoric about black identity delivered over an album filled with punk and industrial undercurrents-- and to hear Reznor infuse those undercurrents with moments of hip-hop inspiration ranging from Southern bounce to straight-up Public Enemy tributes-- is eye-opening.

As for whether it results in an entertaining record, well, that probably depends on whether you like to be less comfortable going out of an album than you are coming in. There's plenty about the production for NiggyTardust! that makes it initially accessible-- opening track "Black History Month" makes like a drumline facing off against skyscraper subwoofers; there's a touch of Timbaland gone malicious in the supple but abrasive electro-bounce of tracks like "The Ritual" and "Break"; there's even a semi-faithful cover of U2's "Sunday Bloody Sunday" stripped down to the rhythm and augmented with flashes of buzzing synth. But those moments don't sustain or define the album as much as the anxious, creeping-tension moments do; apparently Trent put together the bulk of NiggyTardust!'s beats with the ingredients he left out of Year Zero for not being immediate enough. The slow-grower songs, like the Boards of Canada soundalike "No One Ever Does", the sleepy, minimalist, dying-808 pulse of "Raw" and its clangy, semi-organic counterpart "Skin of a Drum", mostly act as rhythms for Williams' voice to ricochet off. And even when the production gets intense (the post-rock-vs.-Neptunes clamor of "Convict Colony"; the classic Downward Spiral-isms of dirge "Raised to be Lowered"), Saul's voice still acts as the dominant instrument-- wailing, murmuring, jousting sneeringly with his own overdubbed voice, and even veering fascinatingly close to Reznor's own stylings; credits notwithstanding I'm still not 100% convinced it's not actually Trent singing on "Banged and Blown Through", which attests to Williams' versatility as a singer.

GRIME UPDATE CONT.

The rise of funky house sees an unlikely parallel with the new direction of dubstep's Kode9 that take a refreshing, percussive direction. With Coki & Benga's "Night", the years biggest anthem and fully adopted by the funky house crowd, there's definitely parallels. One of Kode's battle weapons right now is the Martyn remix of TRG's "Broken Heart", due out on Hessle Audio in the future. The last track on the Burial album, "Raver" is an amazing excursion in offbeat and double time 4x4 kicks. After the traditional swung garage release of TRG, Hessle Audio have recently been pioneering the minimal, techy side of dubstep. New singing Untold takes a deep, synth lead approach that on tracks like "Purify" is hard to tell who, out of dubstep and techy microhouse, is assimilating who. Hessle's Pangaea has been steadily gaining momentum and identity, with "Nest" deep and mournfully haunting, such that the whole camp, from TRG, to Untold, Ramadaman and Pangaea are developing a strong sense of direction, identity and purpose, fulfilling the promise set out by Ricardo Villalobos' Shackleton remix and beyond.

Another promising percussive newcomer is Narcossist, who hails from a small village in the north of rural England but sounds like he has a hotline to Croydon circa 2004. He's perhaps best known for his track which opens Grievious Angel's amazing Dubstep Sufferah Vol. 3 mix. New dub "Sunblind" however, is definitely worth investigating, with it's garagey bass stabs, clipped drums and sense of rolling propulsion.

Finally returning to Martyn, after releases on Revolve:r/Soul:r, Tempa, one forthcoming on Applebim's new label Applepips ("Suburbia"), and remixes for Hessle Audio and Offshore, he's starting his own imprint 3024 (perhaps to upstage fellow European dubstep producer 2562, by using a bigger number). With a focus far more on the classic, warm Detroit/Chicago influence rather than the colder Hessle, minimal influence, the label's first release is the melodic killer, "Velvet".

In many ways it is the next installment after Skream's awesome "2D" (due out on Skreamism 4 soon), which itself felt like a dubstep reword of melodic techno anthem "Beau Mot Plage" by Isolée. Word is Skream is working on a twisted remix of "2D" amusingly entitled "2LSD." The flip of "Velvet" however, takes Martyn's new found love of 2001 era dark swung garage, into deep house territories. The label will include artwork from Dutch graphic artist, Erosie. As first releases on a label go this gets full marks: 3024/3024.

One final addition to look out for on the techno flavor in dubstep, is "Stand" by Anti Social Entertainment. Quest, Silkie, Heny G and the boys have formed a musical alliance with Deep Medi label. Look out for both this truly epic dubplate in current Mala sets and the Anti Social camp as a whole for 2008.

---

While dubstep didn't invent the warehouse party, this year has seen the scene attending some pretty amazing squat/warehouse raves, with Dubstep After Hours and House Party notable must-attend events.

With dubstep's emphasis on the environment it's heard in, the warehouse/squat parties have brought a new dimension to the scene, an added element of danger, excitement and an outside chance to have dubstep the last music hear before you're buried alive in an east London Victorian era basement. Putting on one of these parties isn't without risks for the promoters either, as the most recent Dubstep After Hours party found when it was sadly shut down before it began. However House Party's new line up looks great, with a Kode9 garage set, live performance from the Bug ft Warrior Queen, Tubby, Anti Social, shanty house mashers Faggatronix, plus party specialist Oneman.

GRIME UPDATE

JME casually let it slip during his Rinse show: He is doing an album. About time, too. The best thing, however, was how he said it, using that infectious Boy Betta Know blend of slang and humor. "Can anyone text in with a good name for my album? Otherwise I'm gonna have to call it 'Ya Dun Know the Album'," he joked, deliberately mutating his "ya dun know the MySpace" catchphrase that half of grime have subsequently adopted.

Live on stage at last week's A Night in the Life of Rinse FM showcase, it became clear that if lots of the lesser MCs are suffering from a lack of personality, it was probably Boy Betta Know who stole it. With a slick and room-enveloping stage presence, tightly honed after a summer performing in Ayia Napa, they had four times the entertainment value than all the other acts that preceded them.

Brothers Skepta and JME complement each other well to make a great on-stage double act. Skepta is a huge, physical presence. He MCs stood upright and comparatively stationary, his clear bars cutting right to the back of rooms. By contrast JME is small and wirey, he bobs and weaves when spitting, he has actions that fit his lyrics and his clever and witty lines jab at your funny bone. One set of bars centers around a possible attempt to bootleg his now legendary t shirt range: "You can get fake tees off eBay/ Let me explain/ Girl betta blow?/ Girl betta show?/ Girl betta know? They're all boog/ If you've got them t-shirts there/ You're on your own."

Imitation is the highest form of flattery, though JME doesn't seem to find the funny side of the frankly hilarious "Girl Betta Blow" range. He shouldn't be so serious. Don't say serious, say humorous!

Skepta, despite making his name as a fearsome clash MC with bars like "Go on then/ Go on then/ Draw for the mash!" also has some pretty funny lines, the most recent of which is "my last name is 'is the best.' First name Skepta." As long as BBK keep all these sides to their game, the only way is up.

Another genre on the up is funky house, the East London variety. While this at first was a bit of a shock, it's now clear the hardcore continuum tree has a new branch. History has consistently shown that once a given demographic is involved with a genre, from hardcore to jungle, UK garage through dubstep and grime, it evolves and mutates rapidly in interesting new directions. It's a tide that can't be swum against.

GRIME / CLUB FRIDAYS

TGIF. LONG WEEK BUT AN EVEN BETTER WEEKEND. PARTY AT PLAN B. YOU KNOW HOW WE DO. BOOM.

Wednesday, November 7, 2007

Interviews with Gym Class Heroes

By Archna Sawjani

Melding elements of rap, rock, R&B, and funk into one cohesive and melodic sound, upstate New York's Gym Class Heroes had diverse appeal based on their impressive musical dexterity. Often touring with indie rock and pop-punk bands, they didn't fit comfortably into one specific genre; the quartet's music was rooted in traditional Hip-Hop, but featured live instruments instead of looped samples or beats. Lyrics were often socially conscious, but also incorporated humor and wry perceptiveness.

After years under the radar, Gym Class Heroes has emerged as this year’s breakout band. And Travis McCoy, 26, the charismatic rapper-singer and goofy star of the band and the music video of the group’s huge single “Cupid’s Chokehold,” has gotten plenty of attention.

The Heroes have watched their profile rise after “Chokehold” hit the radio last year; the undeniably catchy song — which samples the hook of Supertramp’s oldie “Breakfast in America” and they now have the 2007 MTV VMA Award for best newcomer. Travis breaks down the highs and lows of fame with AllHipHop Alternatives.

AllHipHop.com Alternatives: Hey Travis, how are you?

Travis: I’m good thanks. How are you?

AHHA: Great thanks. Congrats on a great year....

Travis: Thank you. It’s appreciated.

AHHA: Gym Class Heroes won best newcomer at the MTV VMA’s this year. Is that weird for you as you’ve been with the group for ten years?

Travis: It’s great being recognized and too win an award, it is a little weird but it’s better than getting an award for "Best old group who finally made it" I guess? Seriously though the award really means a lot to us.

AHHA: How would you describe your relationship with Fall Out Boy?

Travis: That’s family. We had to spend almost every waking minute together while we were touring. So we now know what ticks each other off, each other’s sense of humor, when someone needs space; so we’ve really become like this big dysfunctional family.

AHHA: Let’s talk about the Gym Class Heroes’ sound. Your music can’t really be defined...

Travis: People give themselves restrictions, people allow themselves to be defined or pigeonholed into a category and we’ve never done that, we’ve never said “we’re this type of band” and so on. I think when you start to let people put you in a box; you end up being forced to stay within it. I think musicians and artists get bored of doing the same kind of music for a long time but when you say your this kind of act and then you try doing something different; then the fans persecute you so that’s why we’ve never given ourselves any restrictions. We’re in a good position and its cool people consider us as a breath of fresh air and I think we are. People need to stop worrying about staying in their lane so much.

AHHA: Who would you say your inspirations are, as you incorporate everything from Hip-Hop, R&B, rock, and ‘80s samples into your sound?

Travis: I love ‘80s R&B music, old Soul music, Prince, ‘90s Hip-Hop, Brand Nubian, early Tribe Called Quest...My taste is a little bit all over the place. That’s why I think our music appeals to a wide variety of people, because we add a little bit of everything into our music.

AHHA: I loved the video for “Cupid’s Chokehold.”

Travis: Thank you. Whenever we do a video, it’s important for us to capture who we are – four f**king nerds, mixed in with a little humor. The video for “Cupid’s Chokehold” is definitely fun to watch, and you can get a little giggle from it. Everyone’s making these politically charged videos and trying to make some huge statement or they’re trying to make like a three minute commercial. I just look at videos as short films, you know?

AHHA: Yeah. I think the video for “Cupid’s Chokehold” is really cute with the little cupid...

Travis: Well we’re kind of cute too.

AHHA: I’m sure you are. You guys always look like you’re having the best time, and you never seem to take anything seriously. Is that part of your image or are you guys really just laid back and enjoying the ride?

Travis: Yeah, I think we don’t think about the politics too much. We just have fun. We’re living our dream right now and getting paid for it. [laughs] It almost seems like a crime not too be happy. Sometimes I think I’m getting something over somebody you know?

My job’s not really that hard, I don’t think I have anything to complain about. We love what we do, and we want to show our appreciation to the people who are supporting us and the people who come out and see us. People come to the shows to get away from the stress of their days and to let loose; if we’re all depressed and not putting our all into the shows, then we’re letting them down.

So we pride ourselves on the fact that we don’t take ourselves seriously, and we just try to make sure people have a good time. When I was young, I went to a lot of cool shows and sometimes people would look at me, this 6ft tall Black kid and be like, “What the hell are you doing here?” It was f**ked up, and so it’s important to me that everyone feels comfortable coming to a Gym Class Heroes show and that our music is for everyone.

AHHA: You’ve kind of become the front man and the main face of the group. Why do you think that is?

Travis: Man, it sucks!

AHHA: You don’t enjoy the extra attention?

Travis: No. I hate it.

AHHA: It must be a little flattering?

Travis: I prefer to keep to myself, and I have certain issues like being a private and proud person. Even when we were first starting off, and I was really excited about one of our songs or a project, I always worried that I would be coming across as an arrogant and sadistic bastard when talking about how great our song was or something. I’ve always worried how I come across and now I’m in this position where I’m in the rumor pages and I’m on TV and it’s just strange too me.

It’s definitely been a hard adjustment for me. Certain people can just deal with it or eat it up, but I’m realistic. I’m not going to allow this to give me a big head, as fame doesn’t last forever. Fame is just like a drug and if you got too caught up in it...once it’s gone and people don’t care about you anymore; that’s when you’ll end up on Celebrity Fit Club or some other f**king reality show. I don’t want that ever to happen to me. I’m a simple man.

AHHA: How does this affect the group dynamics? When one member is getting most of the attention?

Travis: I mean the guys are just as reclusive and weird about this sh*t as I am, so I think they’re happy that they don’t have to deal with the shit as much as I have to. [laughs] They’re like, ‘”F**k it dude, rock on. Less sh*t I have to deal with.” [laughs] Anyway I like interviews, I like talking. I don’t like face-to-face interviews as much so I wear a mask...

AHHA: You wear a mask during your interviews?

Travis: Yeah...

AHHA: Ok, well least we’re on the phone so you don’t need to worry about the mask today...

Travis: Oh I still have it by my side just in case...

AHHA: Wow I’m not sure if I can take you seriously right now. Let’s move on... How did your collaboration with Lil’ Wayne come about?

Travis: I’m a huge, huge Lil’ Wayne fan and I wanted to do a remix of one of our songs, so I thought let’s get Weezy on and we sent him a song on Friday evening and Wayne sent it back on a Saturday morning completely finished and I was like, “Holy sh*t, this dude’s crazy.”

We’ve spoken to each other a few times, and I met him last year at the MTV VMA’s and then we bumped into each other a few times after and he asked me to be on his new record and I said, “Fo sure.”
I think his record is more eagerly anticipated than both Kanye’s or ‘50s were.

AHHA: So have you heard Lil’ Wayne’s new material for his new album?

Travis: I’ve heard some of it. It’s f**king brilliant. Absolutely f**king brilliant.

AHHA: You and Lil’ Wayne are an interesting collaboration...

Travis: Yeah. I don’t like to do conventional collaborations or what people would expect. Just artists people wouldn’t expect, you know? Artists we’re into as opposed to an artist that would look cool featured on our record. Nowadays you buy a Hip-Hop record and every f**king song has a feature, it’s more like a mixtape than a record. So we do collaborations in good taste, not just to sell more records. For our next record, I’m thinking about a collab with Alex Turner from the Arctic Monkeys, I’d like to do a song with him and we’ve written a song with Ne-Yo also.

AHHA: With you getting so much attention, you must have a lot of solo offers on the table? Is solo work something that interests you?

Travis: Oh definitely. I mean I’m too introverted to embark on my own solo record. I mean I’ve done it before, but it’s not something I see myself going back to – being solo and not being with a band and being by myself on stage – but I’m always recording, always trying to stay creative, and working with other people on there projects is something I am definitely doing. I’ve been doing a lot of guest appearances. I‘m actually recording a song with Kelly Rowland this week for some soundtrack for a French movie or some sh*t.
AHHA: So what do you think of music right now?

Travis: I’m not really interested in whose beefing with who, who said what, and the whole controversy side of things. The more and more we become a part of this, we kind of get away from the actual music. In terms of the actual music, I think people are finally starting to realize that things need to change, and so people are actually trying new shit and I’m really, really excited right now. When I heard Kanye West’s “Stronger” for the first time, I was like “Holy sh*t, that dude has balls.” People aren’t scared anymore to try new things. It’s not a case of if you’re a rapper; then you have to do this and nothing else.

I think you really have to do something clever, something different and special these days to stay relevant. All the fads don’t matter anymore, like in rock with all the guys wearing black eyeliner and looking like your creepy cousin who you don’t want to sit next to at the dinner table or with Hip-Hop and all the Bling-Bling, Oh my God, I hate saying Bling-Bling, I sound like such an a**hole, but my point is that’s all pretty irrelevant, it’s becoming all about the music again.

AHHA: Ok so I need to address some rumors. You were in London recently, and I hear you were telling press that you were dating Kelly Osbourne...

Travis: Yeah me and Kelly met a while a go at a party, she’s totally awesome. Anytime two people whose faces are recognizable are seen speaking to each other, then it’s automatically assumed they are dating. But it’s not the case with me and Kelly. No way.

AHHA: Ok, but you were reported to have told some journalists you and Kelly were married?

Travis: No. Oh actually you know what? I might have said that but I was really drunk and I just thought I’d screw with the press.

AHHA: So do you have any celeb crushes?

Travis: Lily Allen. I met her before very briefly. She’s cute. Yeah...

AHHA: Ok. So are you happy right now musically and personally?

Travis: Honestly. I’m absolutely miserable. [laughs] Nah, I’m happy with the way things are going. Like I said I’ve had to make a lot of adjustments, like not being able to go out and get a pizza, and in New York people just come up and grab you and I’m not really a people person, so when people are touching me I kind of spaz out. So in that sense I’m miserable but in every other sense; like my band being successful and me being f**king rich. [laughs] I’m happy. Hopefully I’ll have 17 kids by next year all with different women to top it off…

AHHA: Seventeen kids with different women in one year?

Travis: Yeah...

AHHA: On a serious note...do you want kids? Do you want to settle down? Is that something in your five-year plan?

Travis: I don’t want to settle down, I just want 17 kids. They can all be rappers when they grow up and I’ll name them the Jackson 17. [laughs]

AHHA: Ok good luck with that. So were you bothered about the gay rumors that plagued you for a while?

Travis: Initially it did. I think it would bother any straight guy. It hurts. I remember the first time I saw gay rumors about me on the internet and I was like “F**k! I’m never going to get p*ssy again.” But then the more I started to see it pop up on the net; the more I started to think it was hilarious. The internet is so f**kin’ hit or miss, you can’t take the rumors seriously. It can be great and build you up or it can try to destroy your whole mindset. So yeah at first it messed me up, but now I’m more secure with whom I am as an artist and as a person so that the rumors don’t bother me. But for the record – I am not gay or bisexual. Is it gay that I think I’m hot?

AHHA: You think you’re hot? I wouldn’t say that’s gay. No, I’d call that confidence…

Travis: I’d hang out with myself all day...