This Is Book's Music

Something I enjoy about hearing certain albums by bands is being floored, or feeling like I’ve been brutally attacked by sound, wondering how could this be missing from my life for so long. I’ve never heard of them until now, but now I will become a devoted follower of a 1-man/1-woman powerhouse known as Lullabye Arkestra. When I first heard their music, I thought they were a four piece, and that their name was somewhat yin yang in nature. You know, a “lullabye” is soft and delicate, an “orchestra” is big, bold, and loud, although they spell it “Arkestra”, which brought to mind Sun Ra and his intergalactic adventures in Earth-bound sounds. That left me wondering what this could sound like.

I’m playing the album, and keep in mind I had no idea what they looked like or who made up this group. I heard a man and woman alternate vocals in each song, occasionally uniting in some tracks. What I hear are heavy, distorted bursts of metal and hardcore punk, I’m hearing shades of L7, Monster Magnet, Christ On A Crutch, and St. Vitus. The guitars are on the low-end, but as I move into the album a bit deeper, I realize “is this album just all bass guitar?”, with loud drums Some of these songs sound like ruthless battle cries, other sounds sound like having a kegger in hell. This isn’t Freedom Rock, this is more like extra-secluded rock not meant for outsiders, and everyone who is inside will have an incredible time. They go back and forth betweeen playing incredibly heavy, but aren’t around playing willy-nilly solos. Instead they prefer to do it punk rock style by playing a song, playing mindlessly, and then moving to the next track. One builds up a lot of energy during a song, only for the next one to start immediately so by the end of the album, you have to release that energy somehow.

It wasn’t until after listening to this album, when I was to look for an album cover scan, did I realize that Lullabye Arkestra are a duo, in this case vocalist/bassist Kat Taylor-Small and vocalist/drummer Justin Small. They are small but basic in the same sense that Jucifer are a 2-piece, but if you love Jucifer slothing around in their rich stoner metal gumbo, Lullabye Arkestra come off like the prankster sibling, the one with an itchy ass but there’s no wall corner to scratch out the relief. At the end of “This Is A Storm, Kat lets out one of the most wicked Roger Waters/Kelly Canary/Kim Shattuck screams I’ve heard in a long time, and the only thing one can say after that is “fuuuuuuuuuck”. In “Floating Graveyards” they turn the tempo down and grind in a sludgy fashion, with choir-like vocal harmonies that is a signal for LORD SATANA to enter the world. At the end, they completely switch to do a song that sounds like it could be done at a honky tonk. If you remember Best Kissers In The World‘s “Hungover Together”, it’s that type of song where you tell everyone “one last round” and head home, with vomit in your shirt or blouse.

Threats/Worship (Vice/TVT) is an album you put on, turn up very loud, and wait until you’re thrown out of your apartment or a cop pulls you over for violating city ordinances. It’s a spirit that I’ve always enjoyed, when punking it up doesn’t mean putting on sk8r boy clothes and going to the mall on Saturday to hang out at Old Navy. It’s ugly rock’n'roll the way it’s meant to be heard and played. A few of these songs have extra synth/keyboard elements that only helps to take songs to an elevated level, showing that they not only know how to have a good time, but they can be anthemic if they want.

Deto-22 and Sketch Tha Cataclysm decided they need to get together to brainstorm and come up with music that would not only represent what they do as individuals, but perhaps let people into what was going on in Connecticut. The end result is something called The Sharing Is Caring EP, and I like the fact that they came out with an EP, so that fans that didn’t like them can move on. Those that do find a liking, they can hold on and prepare for what will be a bigger dose.

Sketch Tha Cataclysm is the man behind the rhymes, and outside of enjoying how he rhymes and what he has to say, it also sounds like he’s very much into the music created by Deto-22, known for his work with Phenetiks. To me, it doesn’t sound flown in, or “here, I’m a hot producer, just rhyme over it since you’re really using my name to sell product, not my beat.” It’s not empty or anonymous, and that’s what I think people will want to hear, some level of mental activity between these two. With Sketch, he’s able to write something that is a means to confront someone for hip-hop supremacy, but he’s also good at writing story rhymes and to get a bit cinematic when trying to write about personal hopes and fears in metaphor, as he does in “Inspired By A Conversation Last Night”

it keeps pulling back everytime i’m at the cusp
the lights are messing with me, this whole room is such
I keep moving, daps are plenty and I tremble at the touch
these people keep talking, I wish I didn’t feel them
this music’s overwhelming I continue with my reeling
breathing, choking, as their smoking hits my heels and
with contact that could have your tims pushing off the ceiling
time to swim in this water bottle
in hopes to stop my mind from sifting, drifting in its hallows
piling on the misery to forget it all tomorrow
I need to wipe the maps of these directions that i’ve followed
fuck the stresses, its time to face it
and put the stones through this glass box attempt to break it
clutch the amplified and vocalize my cages
standing naked, with these walls of pressure buried in the pavement

It might come off a bit like Buck 65, but by saying that, it means that I do hear someone who is willing to push himself forward and not reply on whatever hip-hop templates may exist. In “Things That Start With H” (which is coincidentally the 8th song, appropriate since H is the 8th letter of the alphabet) Sketch is doing some damage over a beat with a slight rock/metal edge, but it feels more like Mike Shinoda than Fred Durst, and again, he sounds comfortable. I like it when an MC is not only willing to rhyme over anything and everything, but because of his listening habits and adaptation of it through hip-hop, he knows how to fill the pockets.

Then there’s Deto-22, who is a perfect match for Sketch. As a producer, I know what it means to get your word across and express yourself through music, what I hear is much more than just an assemblage of beats, basslines, and carefully selected samples, it’s all of that. What he does with Sketch is, if we are to use a comic boon analogy, pencils around the edges and fills in the colors to make Sketch’s colorful lyrics more vivid. Sketch is also a producer too, and then you’ll also hear Deto-22 drop some nice rhymes. I would have loved to have heard more old school-style rhymes where they would trade off lines, but people would’ve said “oh wow, another group trying to copy the Beastie Boys” but that style existed long before the Beastie Boys switched over from hardcore to hip-hop.

The EP ends with a Deto-22 instrumental in the form of “Welt In 12″, which would fit in with everyone from Lady Gaga to Black Eyed Peas, and that’s not something to laugh it, because if there’s a chance he can work and collaborate with other artists, he’s going to go for it. On the plus side, he’s good at it too. Sketch shows a respect for writing and comprehension, he’s an MC that isn’t just there to be the lyrical hi-hat for anyone, he’s the full drum set and he’s laying anchor. What they’re trying to day with The Sharing Is Caring EP is that yes, open yourself and share, be it talent, ideas, and concepts, musical or otherwise, you may find more about yourself than you did at the starting line.

Perhaps they’ll continue doing EP’s in small doses, or we’ll be patient and wait for a full length, but I also think they’re of a generation that doesn’t want to hold themselves back due to the conventions of what came before. I see them as adventurists, and I hope they proceed with anxiety and fearlessness.

(The Sharing Is Caring EP is scheduled for release on November 3rd, and will be available through LittleAx.com.)

Even though it may be in a different language, or at least “non-English”, Latin music in the United States is American music as much of it comes from the American experience. Beginning tonight, October 12th, PBS is presenting a 4-part documentary called Latin Music USA, exploring the roots of the music as it goes through and mixes up with country, rock, jazz, gospel, and R&B, perhaps reflecting not only its creators but maybe a true look at the evolving fabric of a nation. If music opens the heart and spirit of a people, then people by default unite while retaining its core for all to see.

You can check out the schedule for the series by clicking here. The entire series will be released on DVD on November 24th, along with a soundtrack CD that is in truth a sampler of the vast world of music that is out there. You can pre-order the DVD, CD, or a combo of both by heading to ShopPBS.org.

Now this was an interesting listen.

Torben Ulrich and Soren Kjærgaard united to create a collection of sounds while in Seattle two summers ago. They brought a wide range of items that made sound, everything from Chinese steel balls and a jar of dice to a drainpipe and marbles, and went into the studio to make something. In this case, Suddenly, Sound 21 songlines for piano, drainpipe, etc. (ILK) consists of 21 pieces, I don’t know if you’d even call them proper songs but proper this isn’t. You’ll hear someone tapping something, leading to Ulrich speaking over it. The page is so slow that I felt like pulling my hair a few times. Arguably it goes nowhere, but there’s an objective in hearing 50 minutes of nowhere. I mean, there’s a steady pace throughout, but don’t listen to this for deep rhythms (although in truth there are a few sections that are worthy for sampling).

It’s poetry spoken over sounds, with each layer being revealed one by one at an eerie pace, that you can’t help but just wonder in amazement “what is this?” But allow each layer to make itself known and you’ll sense something, even if the objective mentioned in the last paragraph is not made clear.

June 17, 2009 is when you’ll want to mark your calendars as Ozomatli will be performing on The Today Show on NBC, as part of a profile on Latin music. They will be performing between 8:30am-9am, so set your DVR’s.

From the men who gave you a “Dick In A Box” comes a song in time for Mother’s Day.

McDonald’s thought their commercials would improve when they moved their advertising agency to Hollywood, but someone has them beat. I just think it’s funny that “Baby Got Back” was a song that was considered very offensive by some people over 15 years ago, and now the song is being used by a fast food restaurant to sell meals to kids. From ass to 1st grade class, even janitors got to shout, Sir Mix-A-Lot got bank.

Wouldn’t it have been logical for Mix-A-Lot to do a commercial for Taco Bell or Dick’s, something to the effect of:
but Taco Bell was closed… (yo, Mix, we’re open all night)
I want to get a Fourth Meal, and that’s a’ight

Anyway…

Jimmy Fallon replaced Conan O’Brien for the Late Night show on NBC, and I’ve watched every show so far, a full 25 shows. I know it’s 25 not only from memory, but because The Roots, the show’s house band, always mentions the number of the show when show announcer Steve Higgins mentions “the legendary Roots crew”.

But this is not about a great band, which oddly enough is the primary reason why I’m watching the show. I guess you could say I’m a casual fan of Fallon, and I hadn’t watched Saturday Night Live religiously again until last year, when Tina Fey received a lot of attention for portraying Sarah Palin, but really it’s all about Amy Poehler. Anyway, the point is I haven’t watched SNL since sometime in the 90′s, when I felt it was last funny, but I have seen the movies many members and former SNL members have created, including Fallon. His humor is often straightforward, not always in your face, as if he’s playing the casual guy and he may be mocking you and you don’t know it. I hadn’t watched Late Night With Conan O’Brien for years too, I guess when you’ve worked in a news department at a television station for a long time, the last thing I want to do is watch more TV.

So with the wonders of DVR’s, I’m able to watch a show without having to stay up late at night, and I wanted to become a fan of Fallon’s new show. Verdict: the show still has a few kinks to get out but I think it’s a really good show that is open to changing, rearranging, and a new direction in late night TV. I like the fact that he incorporates his love of computing and gadgets into his shows. At times it seems he can’t get away from doing SNL-type skits, as if avoiding them will make viewers forget where he came from. Unlikely. Sometimes his interviews can get awkward, as if he’s not quite prepared to take on the subject when they throw him a curve ball, or when he gets very talkative and it ruins the whole momentum of the interview. There was a segment where he was interviewing actress Emma Roberts, and when she talked about her love of books and reading, he asked her what she may be reading on her Amazon Kindle, and she said something to the effect of “what? what is that?” Or the dreaded first show, where it was one awkward moment after another.

Most of the times it seems the audience doesn’t quite get his jokes, while other nights the audience are laughing their asses off. Are they turning on the laughter light, or did his writing staff work overnight to come up with a funny joke? Or is it the audience, a New York audience that refuses to take anything that is second rate? Fortunately he senses this and tries to steer into something else, and he does that with grace.

The big highlight of the show, however, is indeed The Roots. I’ve been a member of the band’s forum at Okayplayer for about ten years, and the community there is incredible. When drummer Ahmir “?uestlove” Thompson revealed that The Roots were going to become Fallon’s house band, it was met with a number of responses. 1) it was now possible for anyone to see The Roots play and perform five days a week. 2) it was now possible for The Roots to get more mainstream attention than ever before. 3) The attention may lead to the members of the band getting more work outside of The Roots proper.

But it also made some fans wonder if this was a sell-out move, something they played around with in the Spike Lee film Bamboozled, where The Roots were the blackfaced houseband for a guy who sold himself out. Was this the ultimate sell-out? Maybe not, since the group were often well received with their connection to The Dave Chappelle Show. In the end, fans and naysayers have found The Roots to be the perfect band for the show, and almost every guest who appears have given nothing but praise for ?uest, Black Thought, Kamal, James Poyser, Tuba Gooding Jr., Captain Kirk, Owen Biddle, and Knuckles. The group have interacted with the show, showing their individual personalities, and often enhancing some of the skits used in the show such as “Shared Experience”, where everyone in the studio audience does something for the sake of audience unity, and “Lick It For 10″, when someone licks a random item for $10 and when that footage is played in slow motion, they’ll play a slow jam that looks like a borderline porn trailer. Fallon doesn’t have a proper sidekick, but interacts with announcer Higgins a lot, but sometimes it feels like The Roots are his sidekicks, sometimes offering the more humorous moments of the show.

Everyone balances out, and this is not to say that Fallon isn’t funny, because he is. I hope NBC decides to keep the show for another year or two, because I see it growing into something big. Maybe for now he will pull on every member of Saturday Night Live because it’s more convenient for him to do, but he’s also bringing in musical guests that you would never see on mainstream TV these days, especially with musical outlets on TV disappearing. It would be great for Fallon to find an audience that understands his humor, and a lot of times the lack of understanding in his humor is what makes it work. Anyone who has ever listened to classic comedy albums know that not every joke is going to be a winner, so it’s not like Fallon should be perfect 100 percent of the time. But what he is doing is pulling something that will hopefully keep people to his show, bring in a new audience to late nice TV, and of course bring The Roots to a bigger audience.

Prince (as in Rogers Nelson, as if you couldn’t tell from the photo above) will be performing on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno three nights in a row, beginning on March 25th. He will be doing this to promote three new albums he’s releasing this year. Three nights, three albums, make sense? The albums will be called Lotusflow3r MPLSOUND and Elixer, the latter a project by an artist he discovered, Bria Valente. All three albums will be sold at a packaged price of $11.98 exclusively through Target, but you can catch a preview of it during his Tonight Show appearances, or heading to the official website, lotusflow3r.com.

Let’s hope with all of this activity, he’ll also move someone to tap into his older albums and release deluxe editions of his albums, or at least get them properly remastered. While they’re at it, get Madhouse‘s 8 and 16, The Family‘s self-titled debut, and Sheila E.‘s Romance 1600 remastered and out into the market again, with appropriate B-sides included.

I was too young and 3000 miles away when this show was broadcast in New York City, but Soul! was the premiere place to listen to and watch Black music without fear. WNET-13, the public television station that originally broadcasted it, are placing some episodes online, which you can watch by clicking here. The performances are incredible, you will definitely spend a few hours enjoying this. If you’re at work or at a library, you may want to make some room to dance.