Hip Hop is Not Dead (but it is dying)

"Yo, I was riding the train
And this Puerto Rican kid said simple and plain
Let's battle

It kinda took me by surprise
Cuz the brother was moving wit his eyes on the prize
I said screw it, I ain't got nuttin to lose but um

But I got to do this shit real quick so um
Hurry up kid, bust your joints and then I'll bust mine
And I be out cuz I got to see this hottie, he said ok

Now check it, check it out, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, that's what he said
Then I came back and just fucked up his head
Cuz yo, he thought an MC who was seen on TV
Couldn't hold the shit down in New York City
Aiyyo, I showed his ass, then I went off on my task." --Q-Tip 1996

In my years of music appreciation, I have developed a fondness for hip-hop and hip-hop culture. This coming from a guy who lists 'dry-heaving' and 'pop-and-lock' as my two biggest dance styles. But nonetheless, my lack of rythym only adds to my love affair with hip hop. This love blossomed in college where my buddy Roland and I used to share an affinity for rollin' fatties and A Tribe Called Quest. I took a history of American Music class one year, and we watched a movie called Ryhme & Reason which introduced me to the B-Boy culture. This led me to attend JMU's annual 'Circles' MC and Breakdancing contest. I know this sounds lame, a bunch of bumpkin B-Boys in central Virginia . . . but it was actually a regional contest, bringing in the best crews from Baltimore and DC and Virginia Beach and more. Ask some of my friends about these legendary events and they will tell you about the legendary "Pelican Face" this crazy MC from VA Beach, or the little asian kid doing a backflip and landing on one arm during a Break Battle. Just some really sweet stuff. For me, there was no denying the talent level, the dedication, or the heart of the folks who had immersed themselves in this culture. For someone like me, coming from perhaps the whitest (I'm sure there's a nicer way to say that) county in America, this was something I had never experienced, and I fully embraced it. There are many many more artists in hip hop I appreciate, but I am not going to waste everyone's time pretending to know all the greats. The fact is, I know very little about the history of hip-hop, but I am constantly learning.

So cut to 2008 . . . I am 28 years old, I have a corporate job, and hip-hop is dying. Am I qualified to make this claim? No. But I am barely qualified for my job, and that has never stopped me from showing up. But I have noticed the trend in hip-hop. It has gone from doom and gloom, tales of life on the street, B-Boy battles, drugs, killin' cops, etc. To bling, lambos, hoes, cristal, blah blah blah. What the fuck happened?

It reminds me of that recent song by Nickelback, something about a rock star . . . let me explain.

"Cause we all just wanna be big rockstars
And live in hilltop houses driving fifteen cars
The girls come easy and the drugs come cheap
We’ll all stay skinny ‘cause we just won’t eat
And we’ll hang out in the coolest bars
In the VIP with the movie stars
Every good gold digger’s
Gonna wind up there
Every Playboy bunny
With her bleach blond hair
Hey hey I wanna be a rockstar
Hey hey I wanna be a rockstar"

First of all, this song sucks so bad, I don't even know that words can describe it. Second, who does this song relate to? Third, there is nothing I hate more than when a girl says her and her lame friends partied like "rock stars" last night. No you didn't, and you are homely. Anyway, I digress. My point is, when did hip-hop/rap get so out of touch with it's fanbase? Besides the obvious negative socio-economic ramifications on inner-city youth, no one wants to hear this stuff. I mean, I guess people do, but where is the honor in being the hip-hop version of Nickelback?

Anyway, I could go on with this, but I am not going to. I just want to say one more thing. Hip-hop is not dead, but it is dying. This can be okay, because for hip-hop to be saved, it must first be destroyed. This happened with Rock and Roll (hair bands led to the Grunge era). This is nothing more than the industrial revolution of hip-hop . . . a natural step . . . evolution. If I had one piece of advice for the rap industry, it would be to put less focus on hoes and bling and OVER PRODUCTION. My god, the production on some of these albums is SO over-the-top. Especially that corny warbley vocal effect that is on every 'hit' rap song. Stronger by Kanye? Terrible. Move away from the cliches and lets get back to basics. There is a lot of plight in America that makes for a better message for fans of rap, no one wants to hear about 'makin' it rain' set to the sound of a ridiculously over done backdrop of beats and effects. Revisit songs like "The Message," "Everyday Struggle," "Fuck tha Police," etc. That shit was captivating . . . it's no different than Woodie Guthrie singing about the plight of the working class.

That being said. I have two recommendations. These are both decent in my opinion.

M.I.A. - Kala

A really interesting chick, great production, it might not be something that makes it into my regular rotation, but I dig what this chick is doing.

Lupe Fiasco - The Cool

This guy gets it at times, and other times he oversteps his boundaries (over production). But this is a guy I am keeping an eye on, he is two albums into his career, and he is one away from his breakthrough.

Album Review: Vampire Weekend

Vampire Weekend hit the scene in early 2008 with their self-titled debut release. Spin magazine has already declared them "Band of the Year 2008." They are all former Columbia University students (smart kids?). So why is that most people I ask have not heard of these guys? Well it appears the hipsters are keeping this one to themselves . . . .


Fucking Hipsters. [shakes head disapprovingly]

Anyway, I am already touting these guys "The Decemberists of 2008." The reason I say this is not because Vampire Weekend sounds anything like The Decemberists, but because when The Decemberists released 'The Crane Wife," it seemed like they graced the cover of every music magazine and did every late night talk show. Well, we are only about ten weeks into 2008, only six weeks since Vampire Weekend released their album, and they have already played SNL and Later with Jools Holand (a major BBC music showcase). The major difference is that the Decemberists had several albums under their belt when they became 'all the rage.'

So what are these guys all about? Well picture the Kinks in 2008. Or maybe the Talking Heads on xanax. Two very different things I have just described, but Vampire Weekend has them both covered (and perhaps everything in between).

The band has developed a sound that focuses on some very intricate and heavy drum and bass interplay; the drums focusing on a very tom-heavy sound, with a manic walking bass line. The guitar is an energetic ska with brains (smart kids), and the vocals are cleverly used with lyrics and harmonies that bring all of the energy to a boil. It is also evident that these fellas are influenced by music that comes from outside the borders of the US and UK (yeah . . . smart kids). A few highlights of the album include "A-Punk" which sounds like the Clash with hipster appeal, the african-influenced and infectiously-catchy "Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa." On "Blake's (Got a New Face)" the percussion and keyboard take the lead with some amazing call-and-response. And then there is the reggae-tinged "Kids Don't Stand a Chance" which ends in an array of classical piano and strings.

Overall, I find myself extremely impressed with the depth of the album. On first pass I saw it as a few catchy tunes, on second listen it was a strong album, and by the third time I found this album to be a top-10 of 2008. You heard it hear first folks.

Assuming of course none of you read SPIN magazine.

Buy Vampire Weekend at iTunes

Wilco Show Available Online

Hello out there. I just wanted to post this link of a Wilco show that was broadcast on NPR. The show originally aired February 27th. Performing at the intimate 930 club in Washington DC, the show is in FM quality, and includes a few surprises such as a full horn section on a few selections. I am sure I will write about Wilco on here again, but I will just say this for now, if you haven't seen or heard them live, you really must. For most fans of Wilco, it was that first live performance that reeled them in, this writer included. This also represents a great way to break in your work week on a Monday morning for those of us who can listen to music at work.

I have seen Wilco three times in the last year. I had never seen them before last summer. I really believe that Wilco has gone the way of the veteran band who has 'mastered' the art of the concert. Jeff Tweedy has one of the most stunning 'live' voices out there, and Nels Cline is sure to get anyone's attention with his explosive/avante-garde stylings. Throw in some exquisite playing from drummer Kotche, and superb backing from Pat Sansone and John Stirratt (and that other guy) and you get six guys who look like absolute naturals on stage. But please, don't take my word for it, listen to the show.

Also, a DVD all Wilco fans need to check out is Jeff Tweedy's "Sunken Treasure." It is a concert DVD/touring diary of Jeff Tweedy's solo gigs. Check it out.


Jeff Tweedy on iTunes

MUSIC.DOOD's top 20 albums for 2007

I mentioned in my previous post about my top 20 albums of 2007. Although I said I am not going to repost the list, here is the link to the list. Check it out, tell me what you think, or don't. Whatever.

My Top 20 Albums of 2007.

Album Review: Okkervil River - The Stage Names

So earlier this year, I sent out a Friday morning email to my friends titled "Metz's top 20 Albums of 2007." This caused a flood of email, emotion, and finger-pointing which eventually led to the creation of this blog. I thought about reposting my list on here, but I read it over, and a lot of it had personal references and things that were intended for a specific audience. So I likely will refrain from reposting that list and you will all have to wait until 2009 to get my next edition. However, one of the fringe benefits of making a definitive best-of list and sending it to all of your opinionated music friends, is that you get a crossfire of albums being thrown around. I consider myself to be pretty ambitious in my quest of constantly finding new music to check out. The problem with this activity is that there are so many new artists that I often pigeonhole an artist based on one song I have heard by them.

So in response to my list, my friend Devon offered a few of his favorite albums in response. Very little commentary was added to the list (which is fine), and most of the artists I had very limited knowledge of. Now just like the way I pigeonhole artists, I also pigeonhole my friends' respective music tastes. Devon has always striked me as the type of guy that would like to put the Talking Heads, the Flaming Lips, Phish, and Jeff Tweedy in a blender, set to puree, and consume out of a martini glass. Weird . . . I know, but don't ask what it is I think about YOU.

So that being said, Devon has suggested a lot of music to me, and I always put it in a certain context (read: this weeks Flaming Lips knockoff). But sometimes (read: constantly) I am fed a big hot bowl of humble soup.

I always knew Okkervil River as a river in Russia (I read this on wikipedia ten minutes ago). I had never heard of the band, shockingly, and I had no idea what they were about. But now I get it, a bunch of guys who live in the woods made a pop record.

So I guess the 'hit' song of the album is the opener, "Our Life is Not a Movie but Maybe." A really great song. The song evokes the feel of an Elvis Costello cover done by Bruce Springsteen in 1988. Good lyrics, driving feel, and radio friendly. Sweet. But things go in many different directions from here.

Something that is going to surprise people about my assessment of this album is that I like the overall album, however I am a bit skeptical about the boys from New Hampshire. What happened to me in the end was that I simply got annoyed with the lyrics. I am a huge fan of simple linear lyrics, but Okkervil has taken this to new heights (or lows). Some of the songs have a great feel, a solid message, and are told with proper accompaniment. Others sound like someone went to happy hour, had three beers, paid their tab, and went home and wrote a song about it. Allow me to demonstrate . . .

"Our Life is Not a Movie or Maybe"

It’s just a life story, so there’s no climax.
No more new territory, so pull away the imax.
In the slot that you sliced through the scene there was no shyness.
In the plot that you passed through your teeth there was no pity.
No fade in: film begins on a kid in the big city.
And no cut to a costly parade (that’s for him only!).
No dissolve to a sliver of grey (that’s his new lady!)
where she glows just like grain on the flickering pane of some great movie.

I dig this, and it is seamlessly put to a nice composition. But check this one out . . .

"John Allyn Smith Sails"

I was breaking in a case of suds
At the brass rail, a fall-down drunk with his tongue torn out and his balls removed
And I knew that my last lines were gone while stupidly I lingered on, other wise men know when it's time to go
And so I should, too

I mean if you are going to try to work a guy into your song who takes out his balls, you should at least do it in a way that is smoother than, well . . . a guy at a bar taking out his balls.

So maybe I am being harsh, but it just seems to me that too many of these songs suffer from subpar lyric writing. In the end I wondered if Okkervil may be nothing more than a good band with no songwriter. But all that being said, I do dig the band enough to give them another chance.

So what is positive about the album . . . well actually a few things. The vocals are crisp, and punctuate the songs very well. Think 'Bright Eyes' with more pop appeal. The whole album kinda sounds like the Beach Boys moved to the mountains and traded their surfboards for flannels and long-johns. This could explain why during the aforementioned "John Allyn Smith Sails," they break into two verses of "Sloop John B" by the Beach Boys.

"Savannah Smiles," is an example of how their over-simplified lyrics can work in a certain context. The song is a bare bones ditty about a daughter growing up too fast. It is folky but with vocal runs and melody that have no place in a folk song. The minimalistic arrangement and metronome beat highlight the feel of the song. "Plus Ones," seems like a good idea, borrowing themes from outdated pop songs to make a point (about what, I don't know).

All in all, I dig the band, I get what they are going for, but I am left feeling unconvinced. I picked a few songs to go in my "highest rated" list on my iPod. As trivial as this sounds, that truly is the proving ground for music for me.

So there it is folks. Have a great Friday!



Buy the Album on iTunes

Introductions

Hello there.

So most of you reading this undoubtedly know me already, but I'll over-explain this blog thing anyway. For most of my life, I have been writing in some capacity about something. I have written for local newspapers, school papers, blogs, and the occasional prose-fiction that would never be published. I guess since I moved back to NJ in 2004, I pushed my writing hobby to the side and became immersed in the local music scene as an artist manager. Four years later, I am a free agent again, and decided to start this blog.

Obviously at this point, this thing is in its infancy. I am not 100% sure what my goal is in the end, however I am sure of a few things I will cover with my keen wit, and sophomoric sardonic humor.

• Music, Music, Music
• Concert Reviews
• CD Reviews
• Music DVD Reviews
• Local Music Articles, Interviews, Reviews
• Overly wordy posts about the minutia of my seemingly boring days
• Revealing posts about the mistakes I make as an "adult"
• Music
• I'm sure there will be other stuff too . . . who knows.

So thats about it. I am not sure exactly how often I will be posting, but I will shoot for at least twice a week. So welcome to my world, and we'll see how many overly opinionated music posts and dick jokes you can make it through.