Author Archive
Alice Russell is no Amy Winehouse
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You should get to know her. She has an amazing voice and a great ear for production (Nostalgia 77, Quantic, ect). The only thing she doesn’t have going is the whole “I’m a crack addict and life is pointless” strain and pain in her voice. Which Amy has dialed and does come through the speakers. Good or bad, it does add a ‘lil something.
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What Ms. Russell lakes in suicidal-ness she more than makes up for in pipes and sheer range. I mean wooooowwww… White English chicks are on some whole ‘nother shit these days. Must be all those crumpets or something (heroine?). Regardless, this is another soulful Brit to add to the list and she deserves a spot towards the tippy, if not for her production choices, arrangements, covers and whatnot, then I guess her voice will do. One must admit this woman has one of the most soulful set of vocal chords since Aretha. Yes, I do understand the comparison I just made.
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Her new album Pot of Gold is all over the place, and I mean that in a great 
way. She pretty much nails every note, genre, cover and vibe on each of the lp’s 11 songs. The production is great and gives her a near-perfect backdrop for the many styles and themes she tackles. My only complaints are it’s “cleanliness” and that she almost tries to outdo herself vocally. That may sound stupid. What do I mean by “cleanliness?” I like the gritty funk of Sharon Jones, the basement vibe of Breakestra/Orgone and the new Saadiq album has that Detroit circa 1961 sound. I know I can’t win em all. The stuff she does with Quantic Soul Orchestra is filthy. I’m stuck in a time machine and some types of music are meant to be raw. Also, she just sounds like she’s trying to shine a little too hard at times when subtler vocals would fit the vibe better. Not a major complaint cause she can sing WELL but as a producer I’d have told her to lay off a smidge on a few parts. I’m an ass I guess.
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Anyways, buy the album…if only for her rendition of ‘Crazy’ that shits all over Gnarls Barkley’s.
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NECTAR’s Head Talent Buyer Colin Johnson Moving to LA…Bummer
Line Out reported this morning that Colin Johnson is moving to LA at the end of the month. For those of you who have been living under a rock the past few years, Colin was the lead booker at Chop Suey up until about a year and a half ago. Then he was brought on at Nectar and did a stand up job turning it into my favorite music venue in town. He consistently brought in good acts and was really supportive of the local hip hop scene and music scene in general.
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The city will miss ya man. You done good.
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Here is the text from his email
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I’m really proud of all that has been accomplished at Nectar this past year and a half and the impact we’ve had on the ever-changing music community of Seattle. Many have expressed appreciation (and even a bit of shock!) with some of the quality shows that have been hosted here at our little club in Fremont and I wish Nectar the very best in its future. I’m going to miss Seattle, my home for the past six years, and all the friends we’ve made, both in and outside of the music business. My list of thank you’s would be quite extensive, but in quick summary I’d love to show appreciation to everyone who I’ve ever learned from, anyone I’ve ever worked with, and anyone who’s ever come to a show that I’ve been fortunate enough to put on in this great city. I will miss you all!
Get PHYSIC-all
Post-Subsonic Happy Hour this Thursday I will be walking a few feet west over to Neumos to get with the Program errr…show? and peep my good friends the Physics tear shit up. They are opening for the Massline tag team of Common Market and Blue Scholars and should be coming with some new stuff since they haven’t performed in quite a while. Don’t get me wrong, I can vibe out with some CM and BS, but I have seen each of them so many times I’ve lost track (mostly during my chai tea drinking, political scientist days at UW…zing!).
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Each act is sure to bring their “A” game. The new Common Market joint Tobacco Road is a great album and I haven’t seen any of that done live, so I’ll take full advantage. Plus, a little bird told me some very special guests from our good friends Sportn’ Life Records will be performing along side them. Blue Scholars have slowly been bumped farther and farther down my playlist these days, due mostly to the fact that Bayani, while being a solid effort, doesn’t get above 80 bpms and tends to make my eyelids heavy. Regardless, the Scholars always come correct live and won’t disappoint. BUT the Physics are and have been my shit for the last year or so and I’ve been blessed enough to have spent a couple sessions in the studio with them and know they’ve been hard at work.
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So get your ass down to MOE Bar Thursday for Seattle Subsonic Happy Hour (!!!!) and then join me for some good ol fashioned hippity hop next door.
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Oh and by the way…peep The Physics brand spankin new website/blog @ http://www.thephysicsmusic.com/blog/ and tell em I sent ya.
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Big ups!
ATTN: Party Peoples
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Spokane resident, Stones Throw alum and all around party-rawker James Pants will be tearing down the house at Nectar this Saturday Dec. 13th. If you were in attendance for his set during the Solstice you recall just how live of a show he can put on. He is one uber talented dude and truly something to witness up close and in person.
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Honestly tho, I am even more pumped to see Daedelus do his thing live. I have heard rave reviews from friends that have caught him up and down the west coast, and rumor has it he brought down the house at the Stranger Genius Awards this year. This guy lays micro-chopped samples across an enormous mutli-hundred button interface/controller that he constructs himself (peep his weapons of choice in the image to the right) often risking electrocution during sets. Using these little magical boxes, he creates mash ups (I hate this word) and dance breaks to keep that ass shaking well into the midnight hours. This is not to be missed people.
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Rounding out the lineup we have Seattle’s own funky foursome (sometimes more) Velella Velella and DJ WD4D on the wheels of steel. You will probably want to get in the building early to catch their sets and to also have a chance to get your fade on before the masses get their rave on.
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This show will be packed as all hell and be one effing good time. Do yourself a favor and get your advance tixx here.
Albums You Should Own: Grand Funk Railroad - Closer to Home
I really liked Big Rob’s idea of picking a favorite album to rave about every so often so I think I might just have to throw my hat into the ring as well.
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Grand Funk Railroad is one of my favorite classic rock groups of all time. I know most people either love them or hate them, and I a proud member one of the former. They have such a huge sound for a group consisting of three white guys. The late 60s and early 70s had so many good musical trios but this one stands out to me as being one of the best. Not only do they mesh elements of hard rock, funk, blues, soul and folk music, but they fit so much soul and emotion into all of their songs. I wish I could have seen them live on stage in their prime.
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Closer to Home was the first Grand Funk record I purchased and one of the first records I ever sampled. It was first issued in 1970 and contains some of my favorite riffs and change ups in any hard (now deemed ‘classic’) rock record. The intro track ‘Sin is a good man’s brother’ is nothing short of epic. The strain and emotion in lead singer Mark Farner’s voice and the sheer amount of tempo changes and breakdowns really set the listener up for a wild ride. ‘Nothing is the same’ has one of the hardest bass and drum intros of that era and is one of the catchier rock riffs you’ll ever hear. On ‘Get it together’ the band shows their versatility with downtempo rhodes organ licks that slowly pick up the pace to become full fledged in your face rock. The guitar solo and change up midway through the song are face-melting. Then they throw you into a soul choir extravaganza that screams for a Who-style rock opera. ‘I don’t have to sing the blues’ also comes with an amazing guitar intro and a drum/bass break that would make the Creedence Clearwater Revival jealous. ‘Hooked on love’ once again starts with such a furious riff that begs to be looped over and over, and has some serious blues influence. You can see a theme here…the riffs are spectacular on this record. Finally we have ‘I’m your captain’ - probably their most famous song - is just an amazing amalgam of soul, rock and blues. It comes in at just over 10 minutes and the breakdown around 4:30 with the bass, flute and ocean sounds coupled with Farner’s croon are the stuff of legend. It’s musical storytelling 101. Then they come back with an instrumental section that brings it all ‘Home.’
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Do yourself a favor and check this record. You’ll find one at just about any record shop in the greater Seattle area for under 4 bucks…hell maybe even in the dollar bin. Don’t let that fool you though, this LP has some serious cuts and will take you back to a time when people made ALBUMS.
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Grand Funk Railroad - Sin’s a good man’s brother
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Grand Funk Railroad - Nothing is the same
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Grand Funk Railroad - Get it together
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Grand Funk Railroad - I don’t have to sing the blues
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Grand Funk Railroad - Hooked on love
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Grand Funk Railroad - I’m your captain
New Cancer Rising Video - “Let’s Start Some Shit” and FREE djblesone “West Coast” download!!
The shit has officially been broughten!
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Let’s Start Some Shit! F/ Bruce Illest from Nick Dale on Vimeo.
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Plus, Cancer Rising collaborator and one of my favorite artists/deejays/emcees/bboys in the town - djblesone - just release his newest mixtape “West Coast.” This mixtape is a MUST DOWNLOAD for anyone that loves that westcoast pfunk shit. Click the cover to download!
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I’ll let bles tell it
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THIS MAY BE THE MORE UNDERGROUND SIDE OF djblesOne BUT ANALOG KEYS = THE 70S & 80S WEST COAST SOUNDS I GREW UP ON…THE WEST COAST ISN’T JUST A PLACE, BUT A FEELING, IF YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT I’M TALKIN ABOUT THEN YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT I’M TALKIN ABOUT…BUT AT LEAST YOU CAN LISTEN…TAKEN FROM DIFFERENT ALBUMS AND MIXTAPES LIKE THE CANCER RISING ALBUM, MASSIVE MONKEE SOUNDTRACK, STRAIGHT OUTTA WEST COAST & SOME THINGS YOU’VE NEVER HEARD, ALL REMASTERED, ALL IN ONE PLACE, SO SIT BACK, RELAX AND ENJOY THE RIDE…
Label Spotlight pt. 3 - The MUSIC!
So pardon my tardiness with this final installment in the Sportn’ Life trilogy. The last week or so has been a mishmash of eating, drinking, and all around merry activities.
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With this, I wanted to provide material that would give you a nice cross section where the label is headed going into 2009. So without further ado, I bring you…the MUSIC!
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On the go
Special
Ahh
So Real
Movin’ On
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Fly den a mufka
Box n Pop
These are all fairly recent songs and won’t be found on any albums currently in circulation. If you would like to hear some of the material Sportn’ Life has released in the past year please hit up their myspace page and order copies of Fatal Lucciauno’s “Only Forgotten Son” and D. Black’s “The Cause and Effect.” Both are worth the price tag.
ALSO CHECK OUT SnL MEMBER FATAL LUCCIAUNO OPENING FOR THE WU TANG CLAN TONIGHT!!!!
Label Spotlight pt. 2 - Interview with Sportn’ Life Founder DeVon Manier
You’ve been in the local scene for a long time and have had you label for almost 6 years now. How has the town’s view of hip hop changed since you got started? Is the city more open to hip hop and live shows?
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No doubt that the city is more open to live shows, hip hop artists are not only booking local venues and throwing successful shows & events, but a lot of other opportunities have become available to us as well, from the likes of radio play, festivals bookings, various spotlights, tours, shows at colleges & high schools, spotlights & features…. oh yeah, and money.
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How do you figure smaller clubs and venues got hip to live monthly events and started to respect hip hops draw in the 206? Is Seattle becoming a hip hop city?
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For the last year or so, more venues have definitely opened their doors to hip hop acts. I guess that just comes with the evolution of the scene and the buzz that’s growing. As far as Seattle becoming a hip hop city, I guess we’ll have to wait and see. It sure feels like it is; there’s people doing real big things on a national level, a few are doing great things regionally and of course on a local level it’s growing very rapidly, not all of it is good, but it growing. I’d like to see Seattle Hip Hop continue to grow and become as strong as Seattle’s Indie Rock scene.
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Seattle has many different niches when it comes to hip hop: conscious/backpack rap, pseudo-revolutionary rap, hipster/electro rap, street rap, ect. I know most of the artists respect each other’s work and hustle, but do you feel as though the fan base here is diverse enough to support each part of the scene or could it be spreading itself a little too thin?
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I’m an old school guy; to me it’s all the same, Its Hip Hop. I don’t think as a whole that local live hip hop shows have the fan base to support all of the separatism of sub genres. It kind of thins things out. People should just look at it as music.
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You label has an incredible ear for talent. You started working with D Black at Fatal at a very young age and saw potential in and developed artists like Dyme Def and J. Pinder. What draws you to young talent? Does it bother you at all when acts move on from the label when you helped them refine their craft and hustle?
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Yeah, D.Black and Fatal have been with the label since day one and they are both a great part of who we are as a label. We spot potential in younger artists, mainly because a young artist is easier to develop, and I feel it’s my obligation to bring to show the community that black people do make hip hop in Seattle.
I wouldn’t say that we developed Dyme Def or J.Pinder. We definitely aided in them both being recognized in Seattle and the NW region. Loosing an artist always hurts a little, but its part of the journey. Whether they leave you, or you help advance them to a better situation, it’s all part of it. I do this for the journey of music from beginning to end, no matter what the outcome.
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What was the feeling you got when you heard the first versions of “God Like” and “Big Homie Style” off of WVM? Those were some huge moments for SnL in my mind.
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Yeah, it’s a big deal to have two of our artists be a part of that project. When I first heard both songs I was proud of D.Black and Spaceman; I felt like they both made a strong contribution and even stood out against some of the current heavyweights, and feedback on both songs has been incredible and is a testament to that. It’s also exciting to see “God Like” stirring up quite a buzz on the national level.
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What projects can we expect to see from the SnL camp in the coming months?
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You can expect to hear a mix tape/CD from Spaceman soon. The buzz about him is growing every time he performs, so it’s only right that we make some music available to the people ASAP. Other than that D. Black’s sophomore album “Rejuvenation” will be released in the first quarter of 2009; the project took a new direction than first intended so it has been pushed back, but I think it’s worth the wait, the growth on the album is evident and I think his fans will really appreciate it.
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Is your roster pretty much set for the foreseeable future or do you always keep your options open regarding new talent?
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One day hopefully we can open the doors to other acts, but in the interest of not spreading our selves thin and to continue toward our goals, it has to be family affair for now. Traditionally, if a new artist comes on board with Sportn’ Life, it’s an inside recommendation.
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Explain your relationship with D. Black. You gave him partial ownership of the label, correct?
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When Sportn’ Life was started, Damian (D.Black) was solely an artist and just fourteen years old. His father was one of my partners and as an eighteenth birthday gift he gave up his share of the company to D. I was more than okay with it because D.Black and I have pretty much seen eye to eye since day one. So, he’s the labels flagship artist, he’s my business partner, and a good friend.
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What do you see happening in the town musically in 2009?
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I see a lot of trends coming. I also see artists and labels all taking a step forward, getting stronger independently.
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How does a Seattle-based label like yourself feel about the lack of opportunities to get your music onto mainstream radio? Do you see a need or demand for an expanded local show/playlist?
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It seems like achieving mainstream airplay gets more difficult for every generation of music. At least now with today’s technology, there are many different avenues to get your music heard by the masses. Satellite and internet radio are both great outlets, and in answer to your second part of the question, yes in Seattle there is ALWAYS a need for an expanded local show/playlist
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Come chat with DeVon, the Sportn’ Life crew and some of us blog peoples tomorrow the 20th @ MOE BAR for Seattle Subsonic Happy Hour.
SeattleSubsonic Happy Hour this Thursday!!
So it’s that time again…time to crack some bottles, raffle off some free goodies and chop it up. This month we have Sportn’ Life Records coming through to provide some gear and talk shop. I will be at the helm of the 1s and 2s providing a great soundtrack to get drunk to.
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MOE BAR
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925 E. Pike St.
Seattle, WA 98122
Phone: 206-709-9467
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Thursday, November 20th. 5-8 pm
$2 Wells, $2 domestics and $2 off food.
Label Spotlight: Sportn’ Life Records
‘Tis the season for hip hop in the 206. Around the same time every year, as the leaves start falling and the nights get colder, venues all over Seattle begin filling with heads. National tours start rolling through and the locals bring out their best. Lineups are always solid in the fall and this month is no exception.
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November is especially significant this year because SeattleSubsonic, People United Saving Hip Hop and Sportn’ Life Records are coming together and shining a light on the best our city has to offer. Starting today, we will be running a three piece article on the label, its roots, its future and most importantly…the music. These pieces will all lead up to the Novermber 15th edition of Graffiti Rock! at the Sunset Tavern in Ballard, where their top artists will take the stage. Then, the following week SeattleSubsonic Happy Hour will feature the Sportn’ Life camp and they will be on hand to talk music, provide some giveaways and crack a brew or two. So sit back and learn something, then go check out the show, and the happy hour, to get familiar with this crew that’s about to have its big come up.
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The label got it’s start almost 6 years ago in Seattle’s Central District. An area that once thrived with hip hop culture and had a nationally known chart-topping rapper as it’s ambassador saw itself disintegrate in the mid to late 90s due mostly to drugs and gang violence. The music had been absent from the CD since the days of Mix and Nasty Nes and left a large void in the local scene. This lead founder DeVon Manier to take it upon himself to set out and put it back on the map. The first step was to get the town reacquainted…
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Sportn’ Life put out its first compilation focusing on artists that made the CD their base of operations in 2003 and the town took notice. Acts like Vitamin D and Old Dominion impressed new listeners and wiley veterans of the scene alike and paved the way for the label’s younger generation of talent to take over. Since then they have put out some of the most heavily rotated albums in any Seattlite’s collection. D. Black’s ‘The Cause and Effect’ and Fatal Lucciauno’s ‘Only Forgotten Son’ are two of the best albums to come out of Seattle, let alone the Central District, in years and deserve a listen from anyone that claims to be a hip hop fan.
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D. Black and fellow SnL crew member Spaceman were featured on the excellent debut from Seattle beatmaker extraordinaire Jake One’s White Van Music. D. Black has been showing a more introspective and philosophical side as of late and his track ‘God Like’ is a perfect example of what can go right when an MC steps outside of the box. It’s an amazing song. Then Spaceman blesses ‘Big Homie Style’ with one of the fiercest verses I’ve come across in 2008. Lines like “Speak when you see me, say ‘what up homie?’ My name’s Space, you gotta look up to me” put the exclamation point on a solid track by of some of the towns best up and comers.
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One of the things that stand out about Sportn’ Life is the fact that their artists are all fairly young. Everyone on the roster is in their early 20’s or younger. D. Black and Fatal were first discovered when they were 14 years of age and have really come up nicely. Being surrounded by a solid production team and promotional machine are one thing, but that doesn’t necisarily translate to good records. SnL has the best of both worlds. They have found some of the most talented raw lyricists in the town, paired them with good beats and strong promotion and have developed them into headlining artists that can sell solid numbers and draw large crowds. In Seattle’s somewhat over saturated scene, it is nice to see the cliques that have all their ducks in a row, know how to market themselves and put out a quality professional product become succesful. You get out what you put in, and clearly SnL knows how to invest it’s time and energy wisely.
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Get Familiar.
New FREE Grynch EP - “Something More”
01. Something More
02. I’m A Dreamer (Feat. Geologic of Blue Scholars & Thig Natural of The Physics)
03. Missed Connections
04. Jaded
05. All Right (Feat. Tunji of Inverse)
06. Take A Trip
Produced by Two Good Men
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CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD!
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Dig It!
Digable Planets at Neumos tomorrow night, Nov 12th! Come out and give our boy Ish (Butterfly) a proper homecoming celebration. You may know these guys from their classic Grammy-winning hit ‘Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like That)’, which is just fine. It’s a dope track. But, this crew’s got plenty up there sleeves and are ready to bring their blend of fusion, hiphop, jazz and soul live and direct to your face. By no means are they a one trick pony. Ishmael “Butterfly” Butler (from Seattle), Craig “Doodlebug” Irving (from Philadelphia), and Mary Ann “Ladybug Mecca” Vieira (from Washington, DC) posess a style all their own and reunited back in 2005 to give you a dose of that good shit. They have a new album in the works and will hopefully be performing some new material alongside the classics.
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Also, Ish deserves daps for his stellar verse on “Home” the last track on hometown hero Jake One’s White Van Music. One of the best Seattle-centric cuts I’ve ever had the pleasure to bump.
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Rounding out the lineup we have:
GODSPEED, BIG WORLD BREAKS ONE FAMILY INC. HOUSE BAND & FRIENDS
DJ TOPSPIN A.K.A. BLENDIANA JONEZ
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CLICK HERE TO BUY TICKETS
8PM DOORS, 21+
