This Is Book's Music

Manifesto is not only Inspectah Deck‘s forthcoming album (due out March 23rd), but his fifth solo album is also the third for his own label, Urban Iconz. Those who still respect the Wu-ness will be happy to know that the album features Raekwon and Cappadonna, along with Cormega, Planet Asia, Termanology, Kurupt, and Billy Danze of M.O.P. among others. The Rebel INS once again gets to display his production skills, with additional contributions from The Alchemist, MoSS, Lee Bannon, and more.

If that doesn’t get you going, here’s something that will, “Serious Rappin‘” (Free MP3 download, 4.69mb), featuring Termanology and Planet Asia.

If you are a regular visitor of ThisIsBooksMusic.com, you’ll notice that I don’t post links to MP3 blogs. I don’t have anything against them, but they’re everywhere and if you go out of your way to download whatever and whenever, then you do not need my help in telling you where to find what you what. However, I will make an exception in this case not for the music, but for the records themselves.

I’m not sure how I came across it, but most likely I was looking for something and it lead me to a blog of various experimental and avant-garde records, tapes and CD’s. One entry that blew me away was for a box set of sixteen 7″ records called 16 Dance Part Smash Hits. It sounds more like something you’d find on K-Tel or Ronco, not something avant-garde, that is until you take a look at the contents of this box.

It may look like a simple box with 16 different records enclosed in their own individual picture sleeves, but there’s much more. Along with a booklet put together very well, the records themselves either have etchings, silk-screened artwork, or designs on the actual records.

There’s 13 more records and as a whole makes for great packaging, and obviously helps to add something to the listening experience, or if anything, they look incredibly cool. You can see photos of the entire box set by clicking here to the Mutant Sounds blog.

A few months ago I considered Lullabye Arkestra‘s Threats/Worship, to be one of my favorite albums of the year. That was last year, this is a new one and with 2010 comes a new set of songs that the duo are releasing to fans as a free download.

The 3-song EP is called Heart Like A Wheel (Vice), and the group shows how much they’re going to rip it out no matter what anyone says. You can download and listen to it now by clicking here.

Lullabye Arkestra are also going to head on the road, with a number of dates featuring labelmates Pierced Arrows. Here is where you’ll be able to catch them:

March
05 New York, NY @ Mercury Lounge *
06 Hoboken, NJ @ Maxwell’s *
07 New Haven, CT @ Cafe Nine *
09 Philadelphia, PA @ Kung Fu Necktie *
10 Washington DC @ DC9 *
11 Baltimore, MD @ Golden West Cafe *
12 Pittsburgh, PA @ Modern Formations Gallery
13 Columbus, OH @ Scion Rock Fest RSVP
16 Denton, TX @ Rubber Glove *
17-21 Austin, TX @ SXSW
23 Tempe, AZ @ Sail Inn *
24 San Diego, CA @ Bar Pink *
25 Costa Mesa, CA @ The Detroit Bar *
27 Los Angeles, CA @ Redwood Bar *
30 San Francisdo, CA @ Bottom of the Hill *
31 Portland, OR @ Dante’s *
April
01 Seattle, WA @ The Funhouse *
03 Vancouver, BC @ Biltmore
06 Edmonton, AB @ Brixx
07 Calgary, AB @ Republik
08 Regina, SK @ Exchange
09 Winnipeg, MB @ The Albert
13 Pontiac, MI @ The Crofoot
14 Hamilton, ON @ Casbah
15 St Catharines, ON @ Level 3
16 Toronto, ON @ the Garrison
17 London, ON @ Call The Office
28 Peterborough, ON @ Red Dog Tavern
29 Montreal, QC @ Casa Del Popolo
30 Ottawa, ON @ Café Dekcuf
May
01 Kingston, ON @ AKA
* with Pierced Arrows

The last I heard of Clutchy Hopkins was with the album he did with Lord Kenjamin, Music Is My Medicine (which I reviewed over at Okayplayer.) Mr. Hopkins is back with what he calls The Story Teller (Ubiquity), and the mysteries about this audio wizard continues to grow.

Someone asked me if I was Hopkins, and sadly I had to say no, but I’d love to collaborate with him or her. Until that happens, the new Hopkins album will be released on CD and the trusty vinyl format on April 13th. You can have a brief hint of the album to come by downloading “No Contact…Contact” (5.82mb).

London’s East Strike West have come out with a new 7″ single, “Stumble” b/w “Shuffle”. They are an indie rock band with hints of power pop that help push their music over the top when needed, and they could be making tomorrow’s anthems if this new single is any indication (you can take a listen to “Stumble” on their MySpace page).

Thirty Days Of Nights Records are the label behind the record, and they are taking pre-orders for it now (click here for details). It will be available in digital form as well. When you order, let them know where you heard about the record.

East Strike West will be touring the UK throughout March, check their MySpape date for full tour itinerary.

If you needed another reason to head to Bonnaroo this summer, here it is. Daryl Hall will be hooking up with Chromeo this year at the Bonnaroo festival in Manchester, Tennessee on Friday, June 11th. If you are an artist that can take advantage of these type of collaborations, why not, right?

This is not the first time the two have met, as Chromeo found themselves on Daryl Hall’s online show, Live From Daryl’s House. In 2010, the Bonnaroo performance will not be just Hall jumping on stage to do one of his classic songs with musical partner John Oates. Hall & Chromeo will be performing songs from both of their catalogs. No word on if Garfunkel & Oates will be sitting in.

Chromeo are already gearing towards a busy year, with their third album scheduled for release sometime this summer (August 2010 is the plan.) You can take a look at them talking about the creation process by watching the video below.

It is now official: MTV: Music Television is now just MTV, and the “Music Television” tagline has been removed.

Four months ago, I wrote an article on the MTV that once was. It seems foolish to be nostalgic about a cable network, I should have been outside at the park, playing with my best friends. But I love music, and seeing people move to it on a regular basis was a true addiction.

The new logo is cut by 25 percent, so it seems shorter but still retains its bold M and graffiti-influenced “TV”. The network abandoned music years ago, so this shouldn’t come as a surprise, but what may come as a surprise is the fact that the success of Jersey Shore helped make the network realize that they needed a new look.

MTV closely but surely became a lifestyle network, less to do with the music and its creators, and more about what you do if and when the radio is on. Remember the early days of The Real World when some of the people on the show were wanna-be music artists, hoping to catch that big break on a music cable network? No longer. The logo will be utilized with the current breed of MTV “talent”, whether it be Snooki, Dookie, or Fungfunklaputukii. By no longer being “Music Television”, wuill there be a need for the annual MTV Video Music Awards? Most likely that will disappear into the cable sunset.

MTV used to be a beautiful woman, in a metaphorical sense. It then went Hollywood, loved the attention, abandoned its original mission, and made a visit with Dr. 90210. It’s had a new face for years, but it looks like, to quote an album title by original MTV enemy Jello Biafra, a “plastic surgery disaster”. Everyone has the same face, same puckered mouth, same eyes, same everything. The sameness isn’t unique, but someone is making money off of that sameness. The almighty advertising dollar is what changed MTV, nothing else, and their greed turned them into the mess they are now. Let them go, for it knows no longer what it used to be.

Rapper Common once said “I Used To Love H.E.R.” in reference to hip-hop music and the changed it went through. In the song, he said no matter how far hip-hop travels, “she” knows where home is and will always be welcomed back. The same can’t be said for MTV.

The original MTV died a long time ago, but it fortunately motivated many singers, songwriters, artists, filmmakers, photographers, journalists, comedians, and sure even a few fashion designers and choreographers, to create. That you can never take away: inspiration. Inspiration has always been around, but between 1981-1996, it was presented all day and all night, in stereo. It was the nightclub we kids wanted to enter, and it made us look forward to growing up.

Maybe when actor/director Alex Winter created a comedy show for the network called The Idiot Box, when one could watch fictitious battles between a fake Wilson-Philips and the real Boo-Yaa T.R.I.B.E., he had already seen what the network was becoming.

Ashes to ashes, funk to funky
we know Major Tom’s a junkie
strung out in heaven’s high
hitting an all-time low
-David Bowie‘s “Ashes To Ashes”

david bowie ashes to ashes
Uploaded by kareem93. – See the latest featured music videos.