Last year, Stones Throw achieved a rare feat for an indie hip-hop label-it reached its tenth anniversary. To celebrate, label founder PB Wolf presents a collection of 25 of its most riveting tracks from Madvillain, M.E.D., Koushik, and others. But this isn’t just a “best of” disc. Despite the absence of a few classics (namely Rasco’s “Take It Back Home”), this compilation thoroughly documents how much Stones Throw’s roster has grown in size and sonic variety. From the Lootpack’s freestyle marathon “Whenimondamic” to Aloe Blacc’s soulful slow jam “Arrive,” nearly every inclusion provides a fresh outlook.
Cappablack Faades and Skeletons
From the moment the pounding drums and scratched vocal samples kick in on the intro to Cappablack’s new album, it’s obvious that these Japanese instrumentalists rep a new hip-hop paradigm. Throughout Faades and Skeletons, members Illeven and Hashim B don’t lose sight of the rhythm, especially when providing featured MCs Awol One and Japan’s Emirp with dark, speaker-shaking productions. While not quite as head-nod-inducing as these collabs, the duo’s more daring work is done alone, as on the dancehall/glitch mash-up “Evil Clap” or the tribal anti-war beat of “5th Dimension.”
Caural Mirrors for Eyes
With his second full-length, Mirrors for Eyes, Caural (born Zachary Mastoon) doesn’t so much propel the glitch-hop format forward as fill in the spaces left behind. It’s a quietly rich album, a rusty treasure chest spilling over with broken diamonds and gilded leaves. Over a fairly straightforward boom-bap framework, Caural embroiders his tapestry of undulating harps and flutes, pixie-dusted washes of audio fuzz, and vocoder-filtered angel choruses. Admittedly, cuts like “Re-experience Any Moment You Choose” tailgate Prefuse 73’s earlier works a little closely, but they hold a sense of sweetness and wonderment all their own.
Black Moth Super Rainbow “Sun Lips”
Black Moth Super Rainbow‘s name says it all: T-R-I-P-P-Y. These five Pennsylvania-based artists make psychedelic pop with reality far out of their grasp. “Sun lips” is the band’s acid-drenched expedition into the coldest moments of Can and the rhythmic warmth of Air, where hazy guitars, prog-synths, and affected vocals complete this musical collage that’s simultaneously pastoral and radical.
Sally Shapiro Disco Romance
Swedish dance chanteuse Sally Shapiro, who sounds even more childlike and earnest than hipster-approved Euro diva Annie, one-ups the competition with sappy Italo-disco love songs more plastic and delicious than a crate of Twinkies. While Shapiro’s shy, adolescent coo and wounded heart are key-she supposedly demands solitude in the studio when laying down vocals-producer Johan Agebjørn’s indulgent tracks make the record. His songs are a hazy, neon-colored synth-pop dream, keytar solos mixed with the cheesiest of escapist, electro-fueled ’80s film soundtracks. Shapiro doesn’t showcase much range or dimension, but it’s unnecessary when floating atop beats that are the guiltiest of guilty pleasures.
DJ Vadim The Sound Catcher
Russian-born globe-trekker DJ Vadim has made a habit out of collecting countless nations’ sounds and adding them to his global brew. On The Sound Catcher, Vadim catches plenty, though Caribbean riddims are the primary port of entry. Dub tracks and reggae-tinged soul (“Black Is the Night”) can all be found in Vadim’s repertoire of good vibes. But hip-hop isn’t left in the dust. The Bongo-laced “Got to Rock” (with MC Zion) nicely resurrects that ’83 Kurtis Blow flavor, while “Ballistic Affairs” (featuring Skinnyman) puts a modern British spin on BDP’s “Stop the Violence.” Instead of pretending to be a pioneer of some ridiculous new sub-genre, Vadim succeeds simply by putting his stamp on the music he loves.
Bassnectar Underground Communication
Bay Area DJ Lorin Ashton emerges again as his alter-ego Bassnectar, dropping 16 cuts destined for dancefloors. Throughout Underground Communication Ashton’s production hand proves as trustworthy as his DJ skills. Hip-hop melts into breaks, chest-throbbing basslines pump the heart chakra, and synth-oriented cascades ebb and flow beautifully. The title track, featuring a rugged flow by Seasunz, sets the stage; a variety of slick-slinging wordsmiths keep things moving. The disc gets repetitive midway through but then he drops his stellar remix of Cheb i Sabbah and puts everything immediately back on track.
Skeletons & Ariel Pink Take Over L.A.
Ghostly’s freak folk-inspired Skeletons & The Kings of All Cities readies for a one-time show with Paw Tracks’ one-man master of all things weird, Ariel Pink (pictured below). Skeletons’ recordings may stand in stark contrast to the rest of Ghostly’s catalog, but they mesh perfectly with the creamy sounds of Mr. Pink, creating an event made in heaven and one weird Sunday evening.
Sunday, May 5, 2007
Skeletons & The Kings of All Cities (Ghostly)
Ariel Pink (Paw Tracks)
The Mae-Shi (5RC)
El Cid, 4212 W. Sunset Blvd., L.A.
Doors Open 10 p.m., $10, 21+
In the City
The XLR8R Office Top Ten Album Picks, April 30
BarbedDouble Click CountrysideLoaf
Unlike labelmates Black Devil Disco Club, Barbed kicks out dark, experimental free jazz. Lush pads melt into skittery drums and horns that make you want to jive and then crawl under a rock. Double Click Countryside is creepy, pretty, and danceable all at once. Nice.
The NationalBoxerBeggars
There’s no surprise that Peter Katis (Interpol) produced Boxer, because this long-player summons the spirit of really dark Interpol B-sides. That said, it’s still an awesome record. These five New Yorkers pump out melancholy jams that will make a few Midwestern 20-somethings have the bedroom retrospective thinking session of a lifetime.
Attractive and Popular Money Equals MagicGold Standard Labs
Comparable to GSL labelhead Sonny Kay’s past endeavors (Angel Hair, The VSS), Attractive and Popular makes post-punk of the spazziest and synthiest variety. These newcomers please the punks with their potent California vibes.
Dub TrioCool Out and CoexistROIR
Dub Trio are one of those bands that we can’t help but love. Any dudes who mash up noise-rock, dub, and punk (and do it well) are OK in our book. Cool Out and Coexist was recorded live at Brooklyn’s Union Pool and this shit is heavy, deep, and ready for bass deployment.
MochipetGirls Love BreakcoreDaly City
Breakcore is a pretty easy genre to map out, but Mochipet has completely broken the mold. With contributions from Otto Von Shirach, Twink, and Aaron Spectre, Girls Love Breakcore may make any dreadlocked hardcore enthusiast who is stuck in the ’90s ready to move into the future.
MapsWe Can CreateMute
Any frequenter of our top ten knows that most new Mute releases get our full backing, and Maps is no exception. James Chapman knows the way we like our space rock–atmospheric and consumed with swelling guitars. The folks in Spacemen 3 will surely have to get back together after they hear this bad boy.
American CatastropheExcerpts From the Broken Bone ChoirOxblood
While we don’t usually cover gothic Americana we’re making an exception for American Catastrophe. Part Sol Invictus, part 16 Horsepower, this Kansas City quartet has mastered dark-folk songwriting–plus the album comes sealed with red wax and a black feather. Spooky.
TurziAKemado
Turzi’s new record is so fresh, it’s hella fresh. Like Alan Vega jamming with Motorhead, Turzi spits freak-prog fire. With Lots of whispered vocals, trippy synth stabs, and driving drums, A will make a damn fine soundtrack for a homicidal maniac’s rampage, or some dude on the way to rage central.
MaseratiInventions For the New SeasonTemporary Residence
It’s been four years since Maserati’s released anything, and we couldn’t be more pumped on its new instrumental crop. If Sonic Youth were making an amazingly-produced Kraut-rock album, they’d turn to this quartet for advice. Listen to this loud and get blown to bits.
Dog DayNight GroupTomlab
Tomlab puts out some pretty weird releases (Hey willpower, Khan), but Dog Day makes pop the way its meant to be made–driving, straightforward, and memorable. Fans of any contemporary Sub Pop band will shit themselves. This, we promise.
