Shabazz Palaces may have delivered one of the most interesting and innovative albums of 2011. I’ve been listening to Black Out incessantly for a few weeks now – strongly encourage all musical explorers to reach for it – you’ll be impressed.
You can download their latest single ‘Swerve’ (for free) here.
Anyways – the band recently took part in a ‘Daytrotter Session’, which for those (like me) who don’t know, are two hour sessions performed by artists using “borrowed instruments, [playing] with their touring mates” leaving behind “a pile of ashes, sometimes a forgotten stocking hat and four absolutely collectible songs that often impart on whomever listens to them the true intensity that these musicians put into their art”.
DJ Jazzy Jeff & Ayah team up once again this time delivering a free album called Back For More. Judging from the tracks that have surfaced thus far and with productions from Jazzy Jeff, James Poyser, Pete Kuzma and Demien Desandies – you know this is gonna be tight.
Listen and download via the bandcamp player below. Tracklist after the jump…
‘Brain’ is the first Hip Hop release off Jack White’s Third Man Records label. The track, performed by Detroit’s Black Milk, was co-produced by White, who also plays guitar on it. This along with it’s B-side ‘Royal Mega’ is released digitally & on 7″ vinyl tomorrow (July 3th).
Look what just dropped in my inbox – some freshness from camp FE+!
Zo! continues to rework some of our favourite songs from some of our favourite artists on his latest cover EP entitled Just Visiting Three. On this one he take on jams from the likes of Anthony Hamilton, Phonte, Eric Roberson & Sy Smith – download (for free) by clicking the cover up top.
Can’t stand radio rips but I believe this is one of those ‘need to do it’ situations.
DOOM & Ghostface Killah finally release something off their collaborative DOOMSTARKS project – it comes in the form of ‘Victory Laps’ (Madvillainz Remix) which is due out on iTunes on July 26th.
Max Tannone sent me his latest remix album which combines Ghostfash Killah with the sounds of “vintage African Funk, high-life & Psychedelic Rock”. I’ve given it the once over and concur – this is very much worth your time. Beats for days.
Tomorrow night (July 12th) the ever-dope J*DaVey return to London, along side soul man Jesse Boykins III for a special 6th Birthday celebration of Aesthetic Sounds. The night will also double up as an album launch party for event founder Sarah Fonteyne.
Don’t have to tell you why you need to attend, it’s a no brainer. We’re offering one lucky winner a pair of tickets to the event…
To win them you’ll need to do one of two things, either: tweet us (@PinBoardBlog) or ‘LIKE’ us on facebookand tell us you want the tickets – we’ll then pick a winner at random. Easy.
Winners will be notified no later than 10pm on Monday 11th 2011.
Submotion Orchestra’s new album Finest Hour came out in May – I only just got round to listening to it a couple weeks ago but since pressing play – I have been somewhat consumed.
Based in Leeds, this 7 piece band have built quite a strong reputation, gaining influential fans such as Giles Peterson along the way (“one of the most interesting and original projects emerging from the UK today” – G. Peterson).
Live instrumentation gives Submotion Orchestra’s sound an entirely organic feel – warm, intoxicating and bewitching. Their core shattering basslines and perplexing drum patterns seamlessly accompanying lush strings, horns and keyboards. And with heartbreaking precision lead singer Ruby Wood connects music to melody with a delicate yet sultry vocal. Every song found on Finest Hour leaves you breathless and reaching for more…
Engulfed in influences reminiscent of Zero 7, Submotion Orchestra have birthed a rich sound embedded in 2-Step, Neo-Soul, Jazz, Funk and Dub. It is without exaggeration I say – this is among some of the best music I have heard this year.
You can listen to the album in full after the jump starting with ‘Angel Eyes’ below…
Submotion Orchestra’s Finest Hour is out now – buy it via iTunes.
I was recently introduced to Shabazz Palaces – a rather mysterious outfit hailing from Seattle led by Palaceer Lazaro otherwise known as Ishmael ‘Butterfly’ Butler – a name Digable Planet fans will be familiar with.
I found their recently released new album Black Up completely mesmerising and fresh. The combination of sounds they blend is quite inspiring – Shabazz Palaces have found a unique way of amalgamating dub-style basslines (sans wobble), electronic glitches and samples/loops with classic Hip Hop tendencies. Further more, lyrically speaking they address some rather heavy subjects too – politics, insurrection, sex etc. Some parts sound ghostly and haunted, others sound completely left, while some tracks simply bump hard – and it’s that box-of-chocolates style unpredictability that kept me focused and engrossed throughout.
‘Swerve…’ (real title ‘Swerve…The reeping of all that is worthwhile (Noir not withstanding)’) is the albums closing track and is being offered as a free download. The song will give you an idea of what Shabazz Palaces is about but I would definitely recommend listening to the album as a whole to get the full picture.
Here’s some really dope footage of Drake, SBTRKT and Sampha performing ‘Wildfire’ live for the first time in Toronto.
LDN, stand up.
Quite an incredible moment – SBTRKT & Sampha are still relatively underground/niche artists, even on these shores – someone like Drake can (and probably already has) offer serious exposure. And fact that Drizzy’s ‘on it’ and listening to this type of stuff is a great example of his musical peripheral. Really hope his new material reflects his eclecticism.
I didn’t really connect with Jhené Aiko’s .sailing soul(s). mixtape, I know many did – but something about it didn’t really work for me. There were a few tracks on there I liked though, ‘Stranger’ being on of them – peep it’s video up top.
Adele performed at the iTunes Festival last night in Camden Town, it was without question the hottest ticket in town. Due to a long series of complications I / we weren’t able to make the show, which sucked, but thanks to iTunes who were streaming the event live – we were able to enjoy her magnificent voice. If you missed it entirely, you can watch her entire set, consisting of material from both her albums – but be quick, labels are snatching the links down quick time…
Watch ‘Turning Tables’ up top and the rest after the jump…
I had such a crush on Hinda Hicks back in the day, lol! In 97/98 Hicks was one of the illest emerging R&B artists in the UK – I mean do you remember ‘I Wanna Be Your Lady’? But unfortunately like UK artists back then she was often over shined by similar American acts, her career never really ‘popped off’ like it should have. Don’t forget during that period R&B was at an all time peak with female singers like Brandy, Monica, Aaliyah, TLC, Destiny’s Child etc as the competition.
… But she’s back! And her voice is still very much there, she sounds really good. The song isn’t doing it too tough for me admittedly, but it’s not terrible – it just sounds a little… Old. But she looks incredible still and like I said, that sexy voice is still very much there.
