Aesop Rock and Nike, Together

Ian Bavitz, otherwise known as Aesop Rock, has taken on the task of producing an extended track for the Nike + Original Run series, and the results are in.

The concept for the series, which has also seen work from LCD Soundsystem and The Crystal Method, is to provide a single, 45-minute capsule of inspiration for athletes in the form of a piece, or pieces, of music. Given a lack of hour-long hip-hop orchestrations on the market right now, it makes sense that Bavitz has chosen to produce one continuous mix. His T.S. Eliot-esque vision was to compose a piece in which mood and environment signal to one another. “I wanted to create something that evolved enough that the sound was constantly fresh and attractive,” he says, adding that the track should feel “as if the runner were moving through a set of differing cities or landscapes.”

Xiu Xiu Gets Remixed and Covered

Now that they’ve won the Plug Award for “Avant Album of the Year,” Jamie Stewart, Caralee McElroy, and Ches Smith (a.k.a. Xiu Xiu) place their tracks in the hands of others with Remixed and Covered, out April 10 on on 5RC.

The double CD from San Jose’s experimental indie rock trio marks the final release for the Kill Rock Stars sub-label, but before you start wiping your eyes and sniffling, check out the album. Disc one sees Kid 606, Oxbow, and others playing cover versions Xiu Xiu tracks, while disc two is the band itself remixing the likes of Gold Chains, Grouper, and some of its own work. A reworking of the band’s entire Air Force album (2006) ends things on a cheery note.

Tracklisting
Disc One – Covers
1. “Mousey Toy” by Larsen
2. “Saturn” By Oxbow
3 “Apistat Commander” by Sunset Rubdown
4 “Clowne Towne” by Marissa Nadler
5 “Sad Pony Guerrilla Girl” By Good for Cows
6 “Fabulous Muscles” by Kid 606
7 “The Wig Master” by Why?
8 “I Luv the Valley, OH!” by Her Space Holiday
9 “Support Our Troops” by Devendra Banhart

Disc Two – Remixes
10. Gold Chains “Hello from Eu Claire”
11. Xiu Xiu “Ceremony”
12. Warbucks “Suha”
13. Cherry Point “Ale”
14. Son “Over Over Over’
15. This Song Is A Mess But So Am I “Buzz Saw”
16. Kid 606 “Bishop, CA”
17. Grouper “Tonite and Today”
18. To Live and Shave in LA The Air Force

Later this spring, Xiu Xiu will embark on a tour that includes dates with Sunset Rubdown and Casiotone for the Painfully Alone.

Tour Dates
03/25 Pheonix, AZ – Paperheart
03/26 Tucson, AZ – Solar Culture
03/28 Oklahoma City, OK – Conservatory
03/29 Austin, TX – Emo‘s
03/30 Baton Rouge, LA – Red Star Bar
03/31 Birmingham, TN – Bottletree Cafe
04/01 Murfreesboro, TN – Casa Burrito
04/02 Raleigh, NC – Duke Coffee House
04/03 Wilmington, NC – Bella Festa
04/04 Washington, DC – Rock and Roll Hotel
04/05 Baltimore, MD – Ottobar
04/06 Philadelphia, PA – First Unitarian Church
04/07 Cambridge, MA – TT The Bear‘s Place
04/08 New York, NY – Bowery Ballroom
04/11 Montreal, QC – Lambi
04/12 Toronto, ON – Lee‘s Palace
04/13 Ann Arbor, MI – Blind Pig
04/14 Bloomington, IN – WUIX Radio Festival
04/16 Denver, CO – Hi Dive
04/17 Salt Lake City, UT – Urban Lounge
04/19 Seattle, WA – Neumo‘s
04/20 Portland, OR – WOnder Ballroom
04/22 San Francisco, CA – Bottom of the Hill
04/23 San Francisco, CA – Bottom of the Hill
04/24 Los Angeles, CA – Troubadour

Booka Shade Tours North America

Walter Merziger and Arno Kammermeier, better known by tech-house fans as Booka Shade, were showered with praise from Groove, Pitchfork, and, of course, XLR8R throughout 2006. The recognition was certainly deserved, given that they’ve been crafting their particularly progressive mix of electro and techno since the mid-’90s. It’s also undeniable that tracks from last year’s album Movements, notably “In White Rooms” and “Night Falls,” were among the biggest hits in just about every dance club worldwide, and that’s to say nothing of their abundant portfolio of remix work.

At the same time, the attention given to Booka Shade isn’t only for the team’s productions. They also co-founded the Get Physical label, produced tracks for labelmates DJ T and M.A.N.D.Y., and are known for their energetic, interactive live shows.

Cameron Octigan

Tour Dates
03/15 Brooklyn, NY: Studio B
03/16 Toronto, ON: The Mod Club
03/17 Montreal, QC: Musee Juste Pour Rire
03/19 Chicago, IL: Funky Buddha Lounge
03/22 Miami, FL: Studio A
03/23 San Francisco, CA: Mezzanine
03/24 Los Angeles, CA: Avalon

Promoe: The White Man’s Burden

Swedish rapper Promoe‘s new album mixes learned social lyricism with party vibes, a slew of quality international guests… and a whole heap of hair. “I made a vow never to cut my hair,” says Promoe (born Märten Edh). “Not because of anything to do with Rastafari, but as a way of rebelling against society. At college I noticed you had to look a certain way to be accepted and seen as cool. I wanted to say ‘Fuck that.'”

Promoe’s conscious “fuck that” attitude has manifested itself in many more ways than just the unruly mass of thick dreadlocks that cascades from his head to his chin. As a youth he was part of graffiti crew Babylon’s Falling; “My tag was SHIT,” he recounts. He’s a vegan. “Not because I disagree with killing to eat, that’s natural,” he says. “It’s the meat and diary industries I disagree with.” And his latest album–a choice amalgam of hip-hop flow, reggae beats, and dancehall chat–is bravely titled White Man’s Burden.

“I’ve had it in my head for years but no one else I worked with was into it before,” he explains of the title. “For me, it sums up so much with what’s wrong with today’s society.” Explaining such a weighty issue is not an easy task, but a necessary one. “I’m not saying white people are responsible for their ancestors’ actions,” Promoe begins. “But I am saying the negative repercussions of the slave trade are still being felt today. Not only that but I’m referring to the ruthless nature of global capitalism, corrupt politics, and the continuing destruction of the environment for monetary gain.”

He pauses, mentally arranging his next point. “I mean, look at Sweden, a country that’s supposedly a social model. Try applying for a job with an Islamic or African name in Sweden; then see what kind of social model it really is.” Defying the intrinsically heavy nature of the issues that occupy his mind, Promoe’s music is far from hard work to listen to. He delivers his gripes over accessible uptempo beats and boasts simple, clever, and almost poppy turns of phrase; you may even find yourself merrily singing along to lyrics about fatal anorexia, colonial heritage, and confused identities.

Four of the tracks feature killer vocal takes from Jamaican reggae/dancehall artists–Capleton appears on “Songs of Joy,” Assassin on “Time Travellin’,” Daville on “In the Morning,” and Kardinal Offishall on “Trapped.” “I felt much more confident recording Jamaican artists for this album,” confesses Promoe. “I used to let them just do their thing, but for White Man’s Burden I directed them. I was in the studio with Capleton for ages and we were getting nowhere. I asked him if he really wanted to do it. I think I offended him but the next cut he gave me was amazing so it was worth it.”

Black Milk Popular Demand

In the tradition of Dilla and Ta’Raach, Black Milk represents Motown’s hip-hop landscape with fiery flows and battle-ready beats. Milk’s style recalls Method Man’s surging, visually poetic verses, the kind that hit your cranium with acute urban imagery and vicious metaphors. “Sound the Alarm,” with roughneck MC Guilty Simpson, is signature 313 hip-hop: distressed snares, spacey soul samples, and dropouts that punctuate like aural potholes. “Say Something,” which features Nametag and Slim S.D.H., sounds like Madlib and Oh No on a Kanye beat as pianos and Michael McDonald samples tiptoe around Milk-and-crew’s stop-start verses.

Barrington Levy Englishman

Appearing from nowhere at the end of the 1970s, Barrington Levy astounded the reggae world: The epitome of non-digital dancehall, Levy’s yodeling was backed by Roots Radics rhythms cut at Channel One, and voiced and mixed at King Tubby’s-all prime ingredients for classic material. Picking up where Shine Eye Gal, Bounty Hunter, and Shaolin Temple left off, Englishman is pure niceness, containing mostly roots reality tunes about everyday life and relationships. Sterling production by Henry “Junjo” Lawes and two bonus 12-inch mixes from Errol Scorcher are featured as well. Top notch!

Southport Weekender Turns 40

Southport Weekender–hailed as one of the friendliest and most musically diverse festivals around–celebrates its 40th edition this year, and it looks like you’ll have to find a scalper and lots of extra cash to attend. Tickets to the three-day event are already sold out.

Begun in 1987 at a caravan park in Berwick-Upon-Tweed, UK the festival has seen all sorts of greats pass through its doors, from Mr. Scruff and Theo Parrish to Frankie Knuckles, Francois K and Bugz in the Attic. For the big bash this year festivities will be housed in four gigantic arenas, with a lineup that so far includes Kenny Dope, Giles Peterson, Jazzanova, Marc Mac (4 Hero), IG Culture, Norman Jay, Ron Trent, Kerri Chandler, and Louie Vega, among others.

Though the festival is no longer selling the £140 tickets, they’ve advised interested people to check back from time to time for cancellations. Who knows? You might be lucky.

Southport Weekender takes place Friday, May 11, – Sunday, May 13, 2007 at Pontins Holiday Centre, UK. 

Rawkus Invites Artists To Submit Work

Rawkus Records–the legendary label that pulled indie hip-hop from its mid-‘90s slump by championing the careers of Company Flow, Jurassic 5, and Mos Def–is ready to discover the genre’s next generation.

The label is inviting submissions from unknown (but prolific) producers, 50 of whom will be selected and touted collectively as the Rawkus 50. Chosen ones will receive extensive promotion through showcases, magazine ads, blogs, podcasts, and more.

“This is such a great opportunity for both artist and label,” says founder Jarret Myer. “There are so many talented artists with substance and a do it yourself spirit that deserve a larger promotional outlet.” 

With that in mind, a minimum of 10 mastered tracks must be submitted, and artists must have a solid Internet presence (ie: popular MySpace and YouTube pages). Although the label will promote anyone chosen to participate, those who come on to the project will remain fully independent and free to sign with any other label they desire.

Submissions should be sent to [email protected], to the attention of Slopfunkdust, with “Rawkus 50” in the subject line. Submissions over 10Megs should be send via yousendit.com.

Eliot Lipp’s Top Ten Picks

A master beatsmith and lover of abstract hip-hop, Eliot Lipp joined the Hefty Records family in 2006 with his second full-length, Tacoma Mockingbird. Much touring and love from the media followed, then last October, Lipp released his 30-minute, 10-track Steel Street Scraps EP, which saw him subtly incorporate rock, electro, soul, funk, and disco into his usual sound.

XLR8R caught up with Lipp this week to find out what’s in heavy rotation on his stereo these days, and, as expected, his list is as eclectic as his production.

Eliot Lipp’s Top Ten 

1. Cool Breeze
East Point’s Greatest Hits
Interscope
This dude is very underrated as an MC. The beats are super-dope too, all done by Organized Noize.

2. Hieroglyphic ImperiumPresents:
The Building
Hieroglyphics Imperium
Everyone comes through on this record, especially Pep Love & Casual. The Z Man track “No Cure For Sugar” is insane.

3. George Duke
Faces in Reflection
MPS
This record is very chill. All the synth lines are dope, and you might even find a 2Pac sample in here.

4. Return to Forever featuring Chick Corea
No Mystery
Polydor (Germany)
This record almost turned me into a Scientologist.

5. Hal Galper
The Guerilla Band
Mainstream
Basement recording of some weird-ass fusion-jazz. Very fresh.

6. Gershon Kingsley
Music to Moog By
Audio Fidelity
This classic is still getting proper bumps on my speakers. “Hey Hey” and “Popcorn” are the jams.

7. Roger (Troutman)
The Many Facets Of Roger
Warner Brothers
This is like if you could cut out the middle-man and just let a pile of cocaine make a record. Do it Roger, do it!

8. Telex
Neurovision
WEA International, Inc.
Early French electro-pop. Very unique.

9. Drexciya
Harnessed The Storm
Tresor
This record is the shit, but Neptune’s Lair by Drexciya is good too.

10. Reed Dollaz’s YouTube Clips
This guy can really really rap. Seriously. He takes that Philly style to a new level.

In Memory of Disco D

Three events are planned to honor the late David “Disco D” Shayman, who passed away on January 23, 2007. He was known for his musical innovation, which eventually led him to produce beats for the likes of Trick Daddy, 50 Cent, and others, as well as his own Gringo Louco imprint.

Proceeds from each event will go towards Ann Arbor, MI’s teen center, Neutral Zone. Come celebrate the life and work of a much-loved figure in the music world.

Washington DC
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
Music By DJ Godfather, Federation Sound, Billy Stoppless, Matt Nordstrom, and more.
Five, 1214 18th Street NW
All night, $5, 21+

New York
Friday, February 16, 2007
Music By DJ Godfather, Federation Sound, Fresh, Lauren Flax, and more.
The Delancey, 168 Delancy Street
10pm – 4am, 21+

Brooklyn
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
Music By DJ Funk, DJ Assault, MC Spank Rock, Annalyze, Stretch Armstrong, Derek Plaslaiko, and more.
Studio B, 259 Banker Street
$10, 21+

Page 3232 of 3781
1 … 3,230 3,231 3,232 3,233 3,234 … 3,781