Brett Uddenberg
Web: http://deadmusic.tumblr.com/
Twitter: @BrettUddenberg
Profile:
Another URB.COM Author.
Most Popular
Most Recent
Random Posts
Ceschi
The One Man Band Broke Up
Released by Fake Four Inc.
Fake Four founder Ceschi Ramos has returned to the fold with his first solo effort in four years by way of the gloomy, conceptual The One Man Band Broke Up. Not only does Ceschi seamlessly fuse hip hop, folk and psychedelia on the new record, he does it with panache. In an industry flooded with artists deluded into seeing themselves as jacks-of-all-trades, Ceschi is the real deal. He can transition from a straight folk ballad ("Lament For Captain Julius") to rapid-fire, tongue-twisting flows on the next track without missing a beat.
The One Man Band Broke Up tells the story of a well-traveled musician at odds with the industry and himself. Ceschi speaks through the character of Julius & the Bearded Saviour as he weaves narratives about the perils of the road, failure and self-destruction. "Bad Jokes" is a gut-wrenching anthem of defeat set to an exquisite composition by Germany's DJ Scientist, who produced the entire album. While it is a concept record and thus prone to recurring themes, it bears mentioning that The One Man Band Broke Up is engulfed by suicide and death. And there is little offered to remedy the fatalistic polemics as Ceschi declares "When they reminisce over you and speak as if your life is through, it just might be true." Even the album-closing "Julius' Final Song," with its warm and uber-infectious chorus, speaks of the musician meeting his end in a hotel room.
Rakaa
Crown Of Thorns
Released by Decon
After years of sharing the spotlight, Raaka finally takes center stage with his Crown Of Thorns solo debut. As one third of the much heralded Los Angeles-based Dilated Peoples crew, Rakaa has had his share of hits on that thin line between mainstream and underground courtesy of "This Way," "Worst Comes To Worst" and "Ear Drums Pop." While the solo record is an extension of what he has accomplished with his group, it is unlikely to spawn any memorable hits. The beats are excellent and the flow is solid, but there's something missing here. At times it feels like Rakaa is creating paint-by-number songs rife with tired clichés.
Baths
Cerulean
Released by anticon.
The anticon sound has experienced a discernible shift from weirdo rap to ambient, richly-textured soundscapes in recent years. While I can still enjoy the dadaist raps of yesteryear, the recent electronic chaos unleashed by the likes of Tobacco, Dosh and now Baths, is hard to resist. Will Wiesenfiled, the artist better known as Baths, taught himself various instruments including the viola, contra bass and guitar and has been recording music since the age of 13. His densely-layered orchestra on Cerulean includes everything from snapping scissors to running water in addition to his delicate, awkward crooning.
|
06/07/10
Who said the underground rap scene was dead? On Monday night, a sold-out Belly Up Tavern welcomed Strange Famous Records’ revolutionary-bearded duo Sage Francis and B. Dolan to town with open arms and some of the most enthusiastic call-and-response I’ve heard in years. As B. Dolan relayed the opening line from “Joan of Arcadia,” (”Joan of Arc had a dildo named Jesus made of wood from the cross of its namesake”) audible gasps arose from the uninitiated which quickly gave way to knowing laughter. With a voice like a jackhammer and stage presence to spare, Dolan is a prime example of art imitating life. Having founded the consumer awareness site Knowmore.org in 2005, Dolan uses witty spoken word pieces and boom-bap anthems to illuminate social ills ranging from the fallout from the Bhopal disaster to the political career of Sarah Palin. Obviously this style of art can be off-putting when done wrong, but Dolan knows how to use his sense of humor and the earth-shattering beats of Alias to his advantage.
Dolan’s all-too-brief set was primarily a showcase of the impressive Fallen House Sunken City record, which dropped earlier this year. His juxtaposition of “Fifty Ways To Bleed Your Customer” with M.I.A.’s “Paper Planes” got feet moving to tales of corporate greed and his powerful tribute to Marvin Gaye resonated through the jaw-dropped walls of the tavern. Lest things get too heavy, Dolan had a couple tricks up his sleeve such as the Evel Knievel-inspired stunt jump over a fan which has become a trademark of his performance. With momentum at its crescendo, Dolan closed things out with a brilliant, take-no-prisoner rendition of “One Breath Left” to heavy applause from more than a few new fans. …MORE
Sleepy Sun
Fever
Released by ATP
Perhaps there is something in that Northern California air that breeds a wildly optimist, left-of-center approach to making art. Whether it be music, painting or literature, there is an unspoken ethos that has trickled down through the generations on the coast of the Pacific. That mighty wave that Hunter S. Thompson spoke of rolling back into the ocean remains alive for a handful of creative folks such as Sleepy Sun. Their second-full length record is an earthy, brazen affair simultaneously speaking to the romantic idealist and weary traveler.
4comments