hello gamecube!

So, I haven't gotten round to doing my compilation posts for the past coupla weeks. And I'm running out of compilations for FLFD, so if you've got any ideas, send an email to me or even leave a comment in this post.

Anyways, compilation post! Last week first of all: Soundbombing III, released on Rawkus Records in 2002, mixed by Cipha Sounds and the delicious sounding Mr. Choc, (obviously) the third installment in the series of hip-hop comps. This one wasn't as warmly received as the previous two installments - basically, Rawkus was a long way away from the "independent as fuck" days thanks to a bunch of mini-blockbusters that were inescapable when I was eleven years old: Mos Def's Black on Both Sides, Reflection Eternal's Train of Thought, and Pharoahe Monch's Internal Affairs, the album that pretty much changed the label forever on the back of that single.

So long story short - Rawkus went on a joint business venture with MCA, so everything got a little more commercial friendly (to the disgust of some long-running Rawkus fans) on the following records, but then things weren't working out. Interscope swooped in and bought Rawkus after MCA folded in 2003; the next year, Rawkus split from Interscope with pretty much all its big artists off on other labels. Recently, it's brought out records by Marco Polo and Kidz In The Hall while trying to relabel the brand as less record imprint, and more superblog. No offence to their hustle, but it's a bit disappointing to see.

So even if Soundbombing III is arguably part of the era where Rawkus lost its way, is it any good? Well, like all compilations, it's got bangers and it's got lame ducks - the bangers mostly outweigh the lame ducks here though. The lead single, "The Life" - Styles P on the verses, Pharoahe (the label's golden kid at the time) on the hook - is still gorgeous seven years on, and I played it on my show last week. I also played Cocoa Brovaz' "Spit Again" (featuring, no shit, DAWN PENN) which is just the filthiest, nastiest banger possible. (Note: Cocoa Brovaz had a good run on Rawkus comps - I still know all the words to "Get Up", just like I did when I was in high school. I need to have a Lyricist Lounge post someday.)

But I didn't play all the other cool shit on this compilation: Q-Tip coming across all smooth and impeccable on "What Lies Beneath"; Talib Kweli and (deranged, fucked up misogyny put to the side for one minute here) DJ Quik somehow letting their polar opposite styles melt like gumbo on "Put It in the Air"; world famous granola rappers Common and Kweli cutting a track with Zap Mama, who I remember most for singing "Iko Iko" while Tom Cruise climbed a mountain in M:I-2. And yeah, there's chaff here: Missy Elliott on a Rawkus comp (sorry, shouldn't happen - it's like characters from Stargate SG1 showing up on The Wire); Mos Def slipping into post-BOBS irrelevance on "Freak Daddy"; an all-star remix of Jonell's "Round and Round" that drains all the quiet sadness out of the supreior original remix.

But the good moments are worth it. So check these tracks out already:

Cocoa Brovaz feat. Dawn Penn - Spit Again

Styles P feat. Pharoahe Monch - The Life

Q-Tip - What Lies Beneath

Talib Kweli feat. DJ Quik - Put It In the Air

If you like these, buy Soundbombing III. It's about 60p, so c'mon. (Expect a post on the really interesting The 49th Parallel sometime next week.)

late pass pt 2: yeesh

Not to talk shit about other bloggers, but whoever wrote this review of the Teriyaki Boyz' Serious Japanese needs to get their facts straight: this is garbage. True clothes horse music, so don't import it or whatever. There are a lot of problems with this album but psssshhhhh, hear some for yourself.

Teriyaki Boyz (feat. Ad-Rock and Tagakikan) - Can't Bake That Fape

That song shouldn't be six minutes long. But it is.

Pulling Teeth are awesome. Everyone knows this. So listen to their new album HERE and when you're finished, email me and tell me how you feel like punching every wall you come across.

eugch

If you like Gallows like me (which is to say that you like them a lot), you'd like to hear their new single "The Vulture (Part Two)" in good quality. But you can't. So here's the poor quality version of the video. NSFW, by the by.

UPDATE: Quality's patchy, great one moment, appalling the next. Song's fucking nang, if you were wondering.

awww, guys

So, I came back to my flat just there and found the copy of Crocus' The Worst Kind of Joy is Hope that I ordered last week propped against my door. This is the envelope it came in.

If you can't read what that package up there says, I blame my grainy camera phone. It says "Thanks so much for the support dude! Love, Crocus. XO." I'm officially a bigger fan of the band than I was an hour ago.

Go listen to Crocus by clicking on the link above, you won't regret it. They rule, have a really interesting blog and are, judging from the picture above, total sweathearts.

BONUS CONTENT: My radio show, download by clicking HERE!

DOUBLE BONUS: Deleted Scenes, who are great and definitely deserve a moment or two of your time...

Deleted Scenes - Ithaca

ouchhh.

So, a few updates before I go cook for me and my lady. (It's haddock, if you're wondering.)

The big thing on my mind is that Hip Hop Connection, the longest running (and BEST) hip-hop magazine in the world is apparantly closing up after twenty years on the market. Reliable UKHH source Disorda of Suspect Packages broke the news on Thursday, which only goes to show you just how out of the loop I am (big up to Certified Banger for posting the link, btw):

"Gotta tip our caps to Hip Hop Connection magazine today, it looks like the news has finally leaked out that they will no longer be in print. Sadly another slice of Hip-Hop has been taken from us, they fully repped the culture for 20 years and for me personally who remembers buying the very first issue it's a sad loss. Big ups to the Andy Cowan and the whole team past and present for keeping it on the shelves for so long when others failed. The good news is that they will still live on in other forms: from April 7th it will become the world's first dedicated digital Hip-Hop magazine, available for download from www.hhcdigital.net..."

Waiting for an official reply from the magazine's editors themselves. I know people aren't buying magazines anymore (I've had to cut down from five a month to two at most, including not being able to cop HHC, sadly) and things are more accessible on the net, but it's never really gonna be the same. I remember buying my first issue back in the Ministry of Sound era, barely remember who was on the cover but it was written up as the 100 best singles of all time. I just went through the attic and can't find the damn issue, which sure is annoying... but I'll always remember number one. And for the guys at HHC, who gave us this awesome print medium that FULLY REPPED HIP HOP MUSIC IN BRITAIN AND BEYOND (never forget that!), I'm posting their number one single from back in the day...

Public Enemy - Rebel Without A Pause

Le sigh. On a slightly cheerier note (but only slightly), I had My Bloody Valentine's "When You Sleep" stuck in my head all day at work. The most annoying thing about MBV is that you can't really singalong to their stuff, even when you know how damn catchy it is. Aaaagh! The second most annoying thing is trying to understand when the fucking vinyl remasters of Loveless and Isn't Anything (not to say anything of the oft-rumoured Japan-only box set)? This band confuses me.

Anyway, here's an awesome bootleg video of the band playing "When You Sleep" in London waaay back when I was two, maybe three years old.

And finally, Goodlife, the Glasgow streetwear/expensive shit boutique, dropped special Daft Punk Bearbricks today, announcing to their mailing list at ten past three today that they were available. Hilariously, by the time I got off work at five, they'd already sold out. Guess I can put away any hopes of selling my DPBBs later in life to put my kids through uni, then.

Daft Punk - Indo Silver Dance Club

Friday's show should be online at the Air3 website. If it ain't yet, engage in peaceful protest.

no image here

So, er, I played some Pulling Teeth on my show on Friday because they're awesome and have a new album, Paranoid Delusions/Paradise Illusions, dropping on Deathwish at the end of the month, with A389 Records taking care of the vinyl (which is sold out on the back of the totally fucking awesome cover art). However, I played a track off '07 bruiser Martyr Immortal called "Sick and Tired". Now, while this song is heavier than a bluegeoning of badger corpses, I didn't get to play the PT song I truly wanted to play. Why?, I hear you ask. Well...

Because it's called "Shiteaters".

Pulling Teeth - Shiteaters

ps. I'm listening to Brokencyde for some reason. Jesus, this shit makes me seriously upset due to its existence (and the fact it's a cult band despite the vocals being a joke that I've done in various clubs. For years). Brought them up because the guy from Senses Fail who can't sing is publically talking shit about them while on tour with them. As back-handed and assholish as that seems, dude's a hero.

late pass

So, majorly late on two things this week:

1. started listening properly to The Smiths

2. found out that Radiohead did a cover of "The Headmaster Ritual" from Meat Is Murder for a Scotch Mist podcast

Playing catchup can be great from time to time.

Radiohead - The Headmaster Ritual
via Ryan's Smashing Life