Tag Archive for 'Music'

Kardinal Offishall - Numba 1 (Tide Is High)

Published
by
neal
on October 29, 2008
in Music Videos
. 0 Comments

Kardinal Offishall has been getting a savage amount of airplay around these parts. At first I wondered how a new artist could have so many music videos out already. A quick Wiki revealed that Offishall has been around for a while and that I really don’t know anything about music. Well, that’s never stopped me before - so keep reading as I give you the straight dope on his new joint Numba 1 (Tide Is High).

The Track: The Kardinal hails from Canada but loves that dancehall sound. I got real burned out on dancehall back in 2003 when Beanie and Elephant Man were doing it real big. I’m more of a gentrified reggae person and Kardinal’s version is easy to digest. That said, I think he may be trying a little too hard. Even as the scion of Jamaican immigrants - Ontario is hardly the Caribbean Islands. You’re steez is less beleivable than Yatismahu’s.

Interestingly, there are at least three versions of this song, each with a different IT girl doing the hook: Keri Hilson, Rihanna (probably the best), and Nicole Scherzinger. The video features Hilson who honestly needs the exposure.

I’m about 50% on Kardinal covering Tide Is High. Blondie did a great job with it back in the 80s, but this is a little different. It will probably grow on me - but I feel a little betrayed to see my favorite 80s hooks used this way. What’s next, Walking on Sunshine?

The Video: Remember Sean Paul’s Get Busy and Like Glue music videos?  Kardinal is basically an even more accessible version of Sean Paul. I don’t see much differentiation here. I’d even posit that Sean Paul and Beanie Man had better dancers. But, it didn’t bore me.

Of note: There is a bonus snippet of Nina at the end. Despite my thing about double videos, I enjoyed its briefness and double entendre. Look out for the new Dr. Dre headphones in this video too. They are being placed in almost new video right now. Lastly, I really really really hate Keri Hilson’s haircut and the bleached bang tips. I can not handle that.

The Bottom Line: Not mindblowing, but a solid non-sucky performance.

Podcast Episode 053 - The Prophylaxis of Evil

Published
by
nick marino
on October 28, 2008
in Podcast Episodes
. 0 Comments

Eraser, Total Recall, Sharon Stone, western Pennsylvania, You Kill Me, Zach Braff, 10 Items or Less, Escape from New York soundtrack, Bobby Byrd, Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, Original Soul, Beyonce, Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It), If I Were a Boy, Umbrella Academy, Paul Tobin, Marvel Adventures Super Heroes, Panera Bread, Gabriel Brothers, and more.

 
 AudioShocker #53 [40:17m]: Play Now | Download

Ne-Yo - She Got Her Own (So What?)

Published
by
neal
on October 22, 2008
in Music Videos
. 0 Comments

Remixes are a gift and a curse. On one hand, they can introduce a track to a new audience and increase the artist’s visibility astronomically. On the other hand, a remix can overexpose and detract from the quality of the original track. Of course, these days a remix is little more than a way to recycle a hook and split royalties with two other artists you barely know. In that vein, I bring you Ne-Yo’s She Got Her Own (or the far stretch remix to Miss Independent)

The Track: First off, this beat blows. The high pitched baby voice thing is about 3 years too old and the slowjam tempo does not fit. Also, is Ne-Yo even on this track? He puts in maybe half a verse. Jamie Foxx’s presence is an enigma. What is the point of an R&B singer featuring another R&B singer on his record? It works for rappers, (check Maino’s Hi Hater Remix) but only because they have distinctive flos and styles.

Speaking of rappers, Fab must have received my note about the streets hurting for a new track. This is the second time in about two months that I have written about him and the second time he’s collaboed with Ne-Yo. Sadly, the verse isn’t exactly top notch pimp. It sounds like he wrote it in the taxi on the way to the studio.

And While I can’t argue that having one’s own money isn’t important to me, you won’t see me atop parapets shouting “my girl is financially independent and fiscally responsible!” I like picking up the check on a date. It drives me nuts when a girl wants to go dutch. Let me have the satisfaction of doing something positive after an entire workday of sloth and work avoidance. You can get the movie or desert afterwards if it matters that much. Also - I don’t carry cash.

I mean it’s great if she has her own loot- but don’t let it define your relationship.

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The Video: Hey, does this sound familiar: black, white, 3 dudes, and 4 models? Thought so. I am tremendously underwhelmed by the visuals. There is so little to talk about that I’m stopping right here.

Of note: Independent women Eve and Estelle stop by for a quick cameo. I can dig it. Really, when was the last time Eve came across as anything but an independent woman? And Estelle is pretty hot right now. She was nominated for the Mercury Prize you know.

The Bottomline: Hey Ne-Yo, if she’s got her own, why don’t you ask her to buy you a better video?

Ludacris - What Them Girls Like? (Our Podcast!)

Published
by
neal
on October 15, 2008
in Music Videos
. 2 Comments

Ludacris is a great lyricist and Chris Brown is a hot commodity. So obviously putting them together gaurantees a hit. That is the theory behind Luda’s new joint What Them Girls Like. I once speculated that I could tell what girls what were thinking. I was right - but unfortunately so: girls in fifth grade aren’t so much into Magic: The Gathering. From this I learned the important lesson that ignorance is bliss. But enough about me, let’s get down to the nitty gritty.

The Track: Luda says it best at the tail end of the track between shout outs to Chris Brown and Sean Garret: ‘It’s too easy’. He’s right. The hand claps, knock, and syrupy flow have me sprung. The track reminds me of Nelly’s E.I. mixed with Drop It Like It’s Hot. I could do without Sean Garret’s vocals. Oldboy should stick to producing - he’s actually good at it.

Luda is big on name dropping - but it’s part of his style. He owns it, just like how Agness Deyn owns that blonde pixie cut. Surprisingly, none of the punchlines are noteworthy. I didn’t find myself running the track back to hear a line again. That is kind of unprecedented for Ludacris. I still like the track, but I am a little disappointed.

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The Video: Luda’s videos typically involve a lot of girls. More specifically, girls dancing, looking good, and being flirtatious. It adds to the appeal of the party and Chris Brown doesn’t do videos unless he can show off his moves. Seriously, show me a video where he isn’t MJing around the dance floor.

I know that all sounds dangerously close to Ryan Leslie’s video, but Luda uses it. Sure, the girls are hot, but that’s not the point. They are a mean’s to a punchline, and the joke is on them. The speech bubbles give each girl a voice, but that voice is exactly what guys want to hear. The video portrays women with the mentality of an Axe Body Spray commercial.

Two more things - At the beginning of verse two Luda drops a line about girls wanting families and security. Look closely at the supporting bubble, you have to laugh. Also, the speech bubbles should really be thought bubbles.

The Bottom Line: Kind of mediocre - I encourage Luda to spend some time on punchlines. They are a signature part of his repetoire.

Podcast Episode 051

Published
by
nick marino
on October 14, 2008
in Podcast Episodes
. 0 Comments

Chucky, Katherine Heigl, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Russell Brand, Unbreakable, live sampling, cod pieces, chartreuse, iPod nanos, Nintendo, sequels, Watchmen, Batman TV show, Wanted, Mark Millar, and more.

 
 AudioShocker #51 [48:37m]: Play Now | Download

Culturology 003 - Rallying ‘Round the Rally

Published
by
pete
on October 13, 2008
in Culturology, Misc, Movies and Music
. 2 Comments

So I know in my first few columns here that I haven’t been quite as topical as I might be—more or less current, but not as current as I can be—I do aspire to one day being so on the pulse of American Popular Culture as to blog these things as they happen, but until then we’ll just keep turning back the clocks. This time, all the way back to the beginning of September and the Republican National Convention. Specifically, the following video of Rage Against the Machine rocking out acapella for a crowd of protesters (it’s a long video, so I recommend that you fast-forward liberally, watching just enough to become acquainted with its content (like the incredible lameness of the “acapella” guitar sounds everyone makes):

So, wow, it sure is a good thing that RATM got back together this year for the election, huh? If Obama wins, I’m definitely going to credit them for tipping the balance in his favor. But, I’d like to think that its more complicated than that—that I’m being unfair in rather flippantly blowing off RATM’s supposedly politically motivated reunion as rather being a cynical money-grab (though, maybe it’s more just an ego thing, not a money thing - they’re probably the types that enjoy thinking that they’re making a difference). They’re an interesting band, really (what, they totally, like, invented rap-rock, right?), and most interestingly, they’re the one band that I know of that draws listeners from both sides of the American political mainstream most successfully, despite their supposedly inflammatory leftist lyrics. I’ve definitely had jobs of several workplaces where the agreed-upon music to listen to as a whole group was Rage, with the Republican-types generally saying something to the extent of “I don’t really like their politics, but they sure do rock hard!” Exactly! No one has ever given a shit about what they’re singing, so long as it sounded cool (and it does sound cool).

Continue reading ‘Culturology 003 - Rallying ‘Round the Rally’

Podcast Episode 050

Published
by
nick marino
on October 7, 2008
in Podcast Episodes and Video Games
. 4 Comments

The Street Fighter movie, Super Mario Bros movie, Wes Anderson, Outsourced, Iron Man on DVD, Rampaging Hulk magazine, and reviews of new albums by TI, Skillz, and Solange Knowles are how we celebrate the big five-oh. Then, after the end theme, a special update as we learn about Street Fighter - The Legend of Chun Li.

 
 AudioShocker #50 [82:25m]: Play Now | Download

I Am Listening To: Skillz - Million Dollar Backpack

Published
by
neal
on October 6, 2008
in Music
. 0 Comments

SkillzI’m not really familiar with Skillz. According to Wikipedia he’s been active for a while as an artist and ghostwriter. I first found out about him via NothingButEverything. I watched the video for Be Alright and I was hooked. I sent the link to Nick and he felt it too, ‘decent feel good track’. It was so laid back that when I got home I decided to peep the whole album, Million Dollar Backpack.

The album features a ton of producers including DJ Jazzy Jeff and ?uestlove. Black Thought, Common, and Freeway are the only named guests.

My favorite cuts:

So Far So Good - Reminds me of a Slum Village cut.

Sick - Great brag track. I dig the beat and all the references. This would be good for a dance battle.

He Don’t Own Me - What is it with handdrums? They are so hot right now!

My Phone - Another name dropping brag track like ‘Sick’, but about girls. Builds up to a great ending.

Hold Tight - The horns do it for me and the rhymes are tight.

Be Alright - Like I said, it’s smooth and upbeat.

Preachin To The Choir - Remember story tracks? This is a rare treat these days.

The Bottom Line: The album has some solid tracks. But as LeVar Burton would say, you don’t have to take my word for it.

Beatcast 012: Frisky (ringtone) by Nik Furious

Published
by
nick marino
on October 5, 2008
in Beatcast, Music and Podcast Episodes
. 0 Comments

Frisky, a text message ringtone (that means it’s a super short song!) that I (a.k.a. Nik Furious) made for Justique a few months ago.

 
 Frisky by Nik Furious [0:09m]: Play Now | Download

Ryan Leslie - Addiction Would Be an Overstatement

Published
by
neal
on October 1, 2008
in Music Videos
. 4 Comments

Ryan Leslie. What can I say that hasn’t been said already? You gave us Cassie and Diamond Girl, and for that I am grateful but conflicted. Cassie is hot, but she’s a mess as a performer. Diamond Girl was a hot track but the video tried too hard to channel OutKast and Michael Jackson. Well, I finally got around to watching the new video for Addiction and it’s more of the same. Read on for more.

The Track: The beat is mellow and I’m all about that. Not every track needs wicked knock. I didn’t like the synth at first, but I’ve really warmed up to it. The percussion is well designed too. Hand drums playing off a synth? Yes. Cassie provides the backing vocals, natch. She sounds a little flat and detached, like she’s in a daze - perhaps that’s the point? It’s sort of hypnotic in its monotony.

Fab’s verse had me hooked because of how it handles a pet peeve of mine. I have reviled name-dropping in the past, but Fab turns it around. He incorporates the names into the verse as punchlines and not just as obnoxious references. His lines get better and better: ‘I got you Amy Winedout’, ‘I hop out the suicides looking so Cobain’, and ‘They come back want more grams, right back, like Lindsey out the program’. If that doesn’t get a rise of out of your punchline meter, perhaps you should stop listening to hiphop.

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The Video: The ‘official’ video is your typical ‘white background’ video but in gray. The treatment must have read like this: 2 guys, 4 models, all gray. The ‘2 guys and some models’ concept is not new either. Schwayze did it. So did Lil Wayne and Lloyd. Remember Golddigger? SAME THING. There are plenty more examples. It’s the buddy cop equivalent of music videos: you’re not really sure if Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan belong in the same movie, but it’s easy to watch and you’re too lazy to change the channel.

The ‘alternate‘ version of the video is fairly unremarkable except that it is in color. Alternate videos strike me as a sign that the album isn’t going to stand by itself without being crammed with extras.

Remember George Michael’s Freedom video? No one ever does stuff like that anymore, which is sad. It is the closest thing to a perfect music video I have seen to date. It had models, explosions, good set and costume design, new technology, replay value, and it wasn’t just a taped performance!

The Bottom Line: Decent track, routine video. It happens.