Jay-Z and Kanye "Otis"
We pray that all their pain be champagne.
Showing posts with label Kanye West. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kanye West. Show all posts
Kanye, G.O.O.D. Music and SXSW
Kanye's G.O.O.D. Music project generally produces just that, good music. His performances are notoriously fantastic as well and this one at SXSW is no different. These are really worth your time as they include performances by Mos Def, Jay-Z, Kid Cudi and of course, Kanye.
A Short Catalogue of Recent Kanye Rumblings
Kanye West's performance at the VMA's the other day made me remember that there are several things I have been meaning to post. Since his return to performance, short video release, and recitation at twitter and facebook Kanye has under-convincingly performed one of the most promising tracks, lyrically speaking, called "Mama's Boyfriend."
On a better note, he has released a remix for the excellent track "Power" featuring Jay-Z and Swizz Beats (who work well on their own too). The remix starts off normally enough with a (Taylor Swift name dropping) verse from Jay but then we get a new (lesser but still good) verse from Kanye wherein he gets political ("bring out troops back from Iraq/ keep the troops out of Iran) and drops a couple bars "in Islam". From there the track completely shifts and brings you back to the 90s ("I've got the power"). Kanye offers a few more verses demonstrating his ability to shift modes at the drop of a beat.
"Monster" is a song that I didn't really 'get' at first. Its a kind of seedy Raekwon-feeling back-beat that lets the actual rapping take precedent. Once you focus on the rapping however, the fact that Kanye works "sarcophagus" into his verse becomes entirely apparent. And then, of course, Nicki Minaj completely owns the track managing to sound like an angry schizophrenic thesaurus ("all up in the bank with a funny face/ and if Im fake I ain't noticed cause my money ain't!"). The track definitely took on an unprecedented intensity at Jay-Z's Yankee stadium performance this week. These people already know the words!
(For more of this incredible show including a performance of the "Power" remix, see here).
"See Me Now" is a definitely radio grabber. A summer feel good, cruising with the top down sort of track. Kanye gives us a few ringers ("Im Socrates/ but my skin more chocolaty" or "if you fall on the concrete/ that's your ass fault"). Beyonce attacks the song with her ferocious vocal prowess. The track clocks in at a little over six minutes and maybe drags on a little too long. "See Me Now" and the lustful rumination, "Devil in a New Dress," mark the weaker releases from the recent Kanye-internet complex. Both have their moment but would probably work better in the flow of an album.
And of course there is "Runaway" which West debuted at the VMA's (and which it looks like is the title of Kanye's new album?). It seems that the CD quality versions have been taken down but I have a demo version linked here. The lovable refain of the song; "Let's have a toast for the douchebags". Now we get the self-deprecating Kanye...Kan-yay! The recorded track is pensive and brooding but the VMA version (also the VMA closer) just feel really sad. Kanye invites us to hate him as much as he does. I don't think I really want to. Nice move Ye. Pusha T gives his verse and Kanye closes it out with a an auto-tuned interlude. Worth seeing.
Kanye West - Power
Kanye West - Power (Remix feat. Jay-Z and Swizz Beats)
Kanye West - Devil in a New Dress
Kanye West - See Me Now (feat. Beyonce and Charlie Wilson)
Kanye West - Monster (feat. Jay-Z and Nicki Minaj)
Kanye Recites New Songs
"Lost in the World"/ "Chain Gang"
"Mama's Boyfriend"
I don't know what he has been up to recently but Kanye's new lyrics sound pretty solid a capella. He looks pretty snazzy too. Lots about slavery it sounds. "Mama's Boy" is certainly full of rage so it sounds like Kanye is taking the Eminem route in order to deal with things. This is really good stuff. Chilling in this format. If the rest of the album is like this, it could be his best work work to date. I can't wait to hear the beats.
The Buzz Box #6
The Buzz Box #6 features the new single from Kanye West, plus some new (fantastic) music from rising acts Bodies of Water, Suckers, and recently P4K approved Wild Nothing. Also included is a Paul Simon cover from The Tallest Man On Earth, who at least impressed my (musically picky) roommates at this past weekend's Sasquatch Music Festival. Enjoy:
The Tallest Man On Earth :: Graceland (Paul Simon Cover)
Kanye West :: Power
Bodies of Water :: Rise Up, Careful
Suckers :: A Mind I Knew
Wild Nothing :: Chinatown
Kathryn Calder :: Slip Away
Sean Carey :: In The Dirt
Big Fan of Phantogram
Phantogram.I just wanted to jump on this before it was old news. I was bumbling around the blogosphere the other day and stumbled upon a new-ish band from New York called Phantogram.
I haven't really stopped listening to them since (minus an interlude for the new Yeasayer track, which is pretty sweet).
I've been trying to think of ways to describe Phantogram's sound, but I will let them speak for themselves:
"We wanted to incorporate all our own influences and created our own sound that's a combination of Serge Gainsbourg, sampling and Detroit hip-hop. How I explain it to the customers who come into the restaurant where I work is that we sound like a combination of Kanye West and Radiohead" - Singer, Sarah BarthelWell I don't really hear the Gainsbourg, but I can get behind the Kanye/Radiohead description. Phantogram has attempted to layer two genres that are rarely successfully combined (If it's safe to call Kanye West and Radiohead genres)--and they pull it off.
As far as other influences, lets just throw in School of Seven Bells, Beach House, The xx, TV on the Radio, and M83 for good measure.
All genre confusion aside, Phantogram just write good songs. Barthel's voice is dynamic and nuanced as it soars over thick beats and subtle electric guitar lines. The songs are crisp and fresh; new but utterly familiar. I highly recommend it. Lets just start with the first two tracks of their forthcoming LP Eyelid Movies:
Phantogram :: Mouthful of Diamonds
Phantogram :: When I'm Small
Kanye Apologizes + Performs w/ Jay-Z, Rihanna on Leno
If you live in a not-internet-gossip cave somewhere, maybe you didn't know why everyone still thinks Kanye West is a jackass. So, if you didn't see it, here is where Kanye stole the microphone from poor little 19 year old country music singer, Taylor Swift, squashing her moment in the spotlight (cause she probably never got attention growing up and all).Anyway, Ye went on Leno yesterday, as previously scheduled, which Jay is mighty thankful for. In the next couple uncomfortable minutes, Kanye gets all sincere and quiet and looks entirely shaken about the whole thing. He ends up dodging a question about what his mom would have thought by saying vaguely "I haven't dealt with pain..."
Then in a brilliantly strange transition, Kanye joins Jay-Z and Rihanna in a performance of "Run this Town" from Jay-Z's The Blueprint 3, which dropped on tuesday. Featuring a live band, it was good to see one of my favorite tracks on the new album play so well live. Kanye has to self censor most of his verse (which is the highlight of the song, I think) but that actually seems fitting considering all the not-censoring he's been doing. The whole thing is rather emotional I think.
Jay-Z - "Run This Town" - The Blueprint 3 [2009; Roc Nation]
Black Box 4/10/09
Friday's Black BoxFriday is a day to crash. Crash meaning "to kick back and relax." And also, for me, meaning to violently burn to the ground in a heap of broken pieces because of all of the things that I have neglected to write about during the week. Since this happens pretty much every friday, I've resolved to go the way of the airplane and record everything in a tiny black box. Also, for your convenience I have decided to forgo the inevitable casualties usually associated with plane crashes. Cheers.
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New Michel Gondry Video Collection
Michel Gondry directorial repertoire has embraced, in reverse chronological order (because I copied from IMDB), an episode of "The Flight of the Conchords," The Science of Sleep, Dave Chappelle's Block Party, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, White Stripes' "Fell in Love With a Girl", Björk's "Bachelorette", and Daft Punk's "Around the World" making him a good human being. But believe it or not, he has made even more visual candy throughout his career, some of which will be compiled on "Michel Gondry 2: More Videos Before & After DVD 1," due April 14 via Gondry's website. The vidlist is divided into a "Music Videos" section and an "Other Work" section. Some of the ones that I am stoked about are listed below.
From "Music Videos"
Paul McCartney: "Dance Tonight"
Queen [ft. Wyclef Jean, Pras and Free]: "Another One Bites the Dust"
Radiohead: "Knives Out" *
The Rolling Stones: "Gimme Shelter"
From "Other Work"
"The Simpsons" White Stripes Parody
Booker T and The Michel Gondry’s
Michel Gondry Solves a Rubik's Cube With His Feet
Michel Gondry Solves a Rubik's Cube With His Nose
Jack Black Beats Michel Gondry With His Rubik's Cubes
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Sigur Rós' Jónsi has Side Project, Album
Ethereal Icelandic vocalist Jón Þór Birgisson aka Jonsi from Sigur Ros is planning to debut a side project entitled Riceboy Sleeps with his partner Alex Somers. You may have already encountered RS via the Philip Glass-y eight and a half minute Dark was the Night track "Happiness," which you may have noticed, was all instrumental. This is apparently true to form as July 20th will bring the debut release from the duo which is also completely instrumental.
According to a press release all of the songs are "played solely on acoustic instruments in Iceland (and featuring long-time string collaborators Amiina, as well as the Kopavogsdaetur choir) and then endlessly toyed with on solar-powered laptops in a raw food commune in some far corner of Hawaii." Awesome! Check the tracklist here, a video for "All the Big Trees" (which looks like a photo from Jonathan Safran Foer's Extremely Loud) and "Daníell in the Sea."
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Stream Part of Animal Collective's Remix of Yeah Yeah Yeahs "Zero"
While most 7"s are a chance for diehard fans to hear that b-side or alternate take that makes their collection complete, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs/ Animal Collective split 7" is generating a bit of buzz mostly due to AC's remix os YYYs "Zero." If you are that interested, you can listen to about 30 seconds of it here. There is an annoying little beep that interrupts the song so you dont steal it or something, but other than that it seems pretty interesting to me....................................................................................................................................
Stream Part of Animal Collective's Remix of Yeah Yeah Yeahs "Zero"
While most 7"s are a chance for diehard fans to hear that b-side or alternate take that makes their collection complete, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs/ Animal Collective split 7" is generating a bit of buzz mostly due to AC's remix os YYYs "Zero." If you are that interested, you can listen to about 30 seconds of it here. There is an annoying little beep that interrupts the song so you dont steal it or something, but other than that it seems pretty interesting to me.
Kanye West is a Gay Fish Says South Park
This sounds compellingly like "Heartless"
Bat for Lashes "Daniel (lo-fi version)" Live
If you've been checking out Natasha Khan's new Bat For Lashes album, Two Suns, via myspace (or otherwise...) than you will most likely want to see this live version of an alternate lo-fi take of the excellent song "Daniel." I definitely love to see all the instruments they use. What is that tinkly thing?
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Ryan Adams + Mandy Moore =
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Ryan Adams + Mandy Moore =
Swagga Like Us
I don't know if you all caught the grammy's this year. Regardless, you have got to see this video. In all likely hood its not going to be up for very long, but its definitely worth seeking out. Starts out with a ridiculously prego M.I.A. singing the slumdog anthem, 'paper planes' and fades into T.I.'s 'Swagga Like Us" which features the most unbelievable lineup of T.I., Kanye, Lil' Wayne, and Jay-Z himself while M.I.A. held down the chorus. Incredible.I guess Kanye has to go first because he is the only one without punctuation in his name. At least if there was an olympics of badassery, this would be the '92 dream team. I cannot tell you how refreshing it is to hear Kanye and Lil' Wayne actually rapping for a change.
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