TAG: Culture

May26

CunninLynguists @ El Rey Theatre 05/20/11 (Live Review)

Being a long time fan of the CunninLynguists since their debut record Will Rap for Food, and surprisingly having never seen their live show, I had huge expectations coming into this performance.   Rocking with rapper Homeboy Sandman, Blue Sky Black Death, and affiliate and often-collaborator Tonedeff (pictured below), the CunninLynguists had quite a bit of opening performers to ready up the crowd. While some of the sets felt a bit long (such as Homeboy Sandman’s and Blue Sky Black Death’s which I will get to later), ultimately, the CunninLynguists delivered. Given the departure of one of the Lynguists’ members—the always ill Mr. S.O.S. (departed half a decade ago but still on the QN5 label)—left CunninLynguists with Natti, Deacon and Kno with DJ Flip Flop spinning the mentals on his Serato …

Share/Bookmark
May16

Some Further Thoughts on Goblin

Tyler the Creator, frontman of L.A. hip-hop convoy OFWGKTA (Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All), won’t admit to it but I’m sure he understands his audience to be predominantly white, suburban, indie-teens-in-training. Let’s try to keep that in mind here, now that there seems to be a somewhat recognizable consensus on Tyler the Creator’s second full-length album and first major label release, Goblin on XL Records. From where I’m standing it seems like folks are a bit dissatisfied. Granted there hasn’t been too many local hip-hop acts with this kind of trajectory since the astronomical rise of Lupe Fiasco, the quizzical introduction of Wiz Khalifa and others, this record leaves a lot to be desired. The album is choppy, draining, and quite lengthy. Some of the standout tracks (“Yonkers” and “Sandwitches”) on the record feel somewhat superfluous since they’ve …

Share/Bookmark
May16

DJ Premier @ Echoplex 5/14/11 (Live Review) (Video)

A celebration dedicated to too many people to mention both living and resting (R.I.P. Guru), DJ Premier and the Beat Junkies (including DJ Rhettmatic and DJ Babu) absolutely obliterated hip-hop at the Echoplex on Saturday only to reconstruct it via expertly crafted golden age-inspired sets.  Babu and Rhettmatic made their way through the likes of James Brown, Dead Prez, …

...MORE

Share/Bookmark
May03

Dirty Beaches @ The Echo 04/28/11 (Live Review)

I knew what I was getting myself into. I made the appropriate mental adjustments to enjoy a show with a crowd I readily don’t frolic with, partly by chance, partly by destiny, and wholly by confusion. Still, I made the trek to “cosmopolitan” mecca Echo Park, California. I was there to enjoy the up and coming talent and doo-wop drone sounds of Dirty Beaches. Amongst the painfully nonchalant frequents of the now reputable The Echo, Dirty Beaches did work and interpolated some furious toe-tapping, of which I was no doubt a part of. Out the window went any concerns or reservation I had about thoroughly enjoying myself in an alien environment. Good tunes have a good habit of doing that.

Alex Zhang Huntai, the man behind Dirty …

Share/Bookmark
Apr04

Röyksopp @ The Wiltern 3/29/11 (Live Review)

“That’ll be 28 dollars,” said the bartender at The Wiltern, as I cautiously slid my debit card to him thinking he might have made a mistake. “Wait, 28 dollars for two beers. Are you sure?” He nods, annoyed. Enter the heavy bass and vocal sirens of Röyksopp to refresh a beer and make it taste like, well, a 14 dollar beer. Norwegian duo and electronic music veterans Röyksopp prove once again that they’re still relevant and should be excused for their uncharacteristic work with pop artist (and fellow Scandinavian) Robyn. The duo, composed of the unassuming yet brilliant Svein Berge and Torbjørn Brundtland, performed in front of the appreciative crowd at the historic Wiltern in Los Angeles last Tuesday March 29th. Admittedly, not very well versed in the vast catalog of music Röyksopp has produced since their inception …

Share/Bookmark