The Roc!

...Marciano that is.

I haven't dropped a post in while (Big Tiny needs much attention these days), but I've been waiting for this one for a very long time.

It's coming April 20.

Sleep at your own risk.

Bonus update: The Unkut Marcberg album review

Radiohead Live From The Basement

Live From The Basement is a fantastic, intimate Radiohead performance. "The Gloaming" bit by Yorke is wicked. He's got the spirit of an MC. What really differentiates this live version from the original album cut from Hail To The Thief is the bassline and live drums - an infinite improvement from the original.

Dilla!

Check out the Stussy J-Dilla documentary series dropping here.

It's always a treat to hear stories about J-Dilla from his peers. It goes to show just how far reaching his music was and how much his music affected people.

Bonus:

The J-Dilla lost interview

The Revolution Will Not Be Televised

Gil Scott-Heron's first recording in 16 years.

I'm New Here drops next week via XL Recordings but you can check out the stream of the entire album at his website.

Scattered Shots

I come across some very cool sites once in a while and this (food for the right side of my brain) is one of them. Animation is his occupation... Pixar stays winning.

This (snacks for the left side of my brain) is another. Now I wouldn't go so far as to say that Adrian Peterson is a "liability" to his team per se. But he sure was vs. the Saints D.

Oddisee's got a site. And a very good one.

R.I.P. Howard Zinn, the people's historian. The People's History of the United States is indispensible.

I caught a very interesting interview with John Mannion, Urban Youth Culture Photographer (?), on KPFA's Hard Knock Radio the other day. Pretty good stuff.

The Great Dat X

There's a steady stream of Hip-Hop sequels on deck to hit the masses. You already heard the Blueprint 3 (Mr. Knowles) and Cuban Linx 2 (the Chef). The War Report 2 (CNN) and Doe or Die 2 (AZ) are coming soon. Who's next?...

Sadat X is poised to drop the sequel to his stellar solo debut Wild Cowboys (you guessed right), Wild Cowboys 2. If this track is any indication of how the rest of the album is going to come together (and it never is with sequels)...holy shit! Tony Touch premiered this on his Shade 45 Tony Toca Tuesdays show the other night.

This is why Pete Rock is my hero - the best, not even a question.

"Turn It Up" - Sadat X feat. Pete Rock

(Seent at Nahright)

Is Hip-Hop Criminal Minded?

Check this excellent documentary on the legal/artistic implications of sampling.

PBS stays winning.








(spotted at Miss Info)

10

From the absolutely catastrophic earthquake in Haiti to the deaths of Willie Mitchell and Teddy Pendergrass, two of souls undeniable greats, it's definitely been a very somber way to start off 2010.

It's been stormy all week. I haven't seen or experienced wet and windy weather like this in a long time. Thankfully, there's been a slew of new music I've come across so far so I've managed to weather this storm with a calm. Some to consider:

Vampire Weekend: Contra - Not as good as last year's Vampire Weekend but who cares? "Diplomat's Son" is fantastic, in all it's electro-bleepness. Does the description "tropical" make any sense?

Method Man, Ghostface, & Raekwon: "Our Dreams" - Will The Wu Massacre be any good? If it even comes out? This cut isn't what I expected to be the first to leak from their collabo but I'm not complaining. I understand what they're trying to do with the "Ice Cream" approach (minus RZA's icey touch). New Wu is always welcome.

____________________________________________________

R.I.P. Willie Mitchell - He produced any Al Green album that was good. He was pretty much the Memphis sound behind Al Green's most endearing tunes. He's been sampled a bit too, but you already knew that.

R.I.P. Teddy Pendergrass - I only discovered he was a member of Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes after I became familiar with his solo hits. "Turn off the Lights", "Come Go With Me", and "Love T.K.O.", all "syrupy lovesong" classics. But man, his stint with Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes produced this uber-burner (and talk about "syrupy lovesong") - "I Miss You".

Looking Back

Songs Discovered/Re-discovered


1. "Ready, Able": Grizzly Bear
2. "We've Got A Good Thing Going": Michael Jackson
3. "Begin Here": Brother Ali
4. "Exhibit C": Jay Electronica
5. "Darkness": Roger Saunders
6. "Chunky": Ghostface
7. "Samsonite Man": Fashawn feat. Blu
8. "Kids Thats Rich": Raekwon
9. "Just A Gigolo": Thelonius Monk
10. "Just Begun": Reflection Eternal feat. Jay Electronica, J. Cole, & Mos Def
11. "Quiet Dog": Mos Def
12. "Minute By Minute": The Doobie Brothers
13. "Start The Show" (Original Version): Common
14. "Cavatina": Stanley Myers


Albums


1. Veckatimist: Grizzly Bear
2. In Da Ruff (Retail Version): Diamond District
3. My World: Lee Fields & The Expressions
4. The Salaam Remi Collection (Mixtape): Presented By Uggh...Nice Watch
5. Disintegration: The Cure
6. Ghostdini: The Wizard of Poetry: Ghostface
7. The Aretha Mix (Mixtape): DJ O-Dub of Soul Sides.com
8. My Maudlin Career: Camera Obscura
9. The Ecstatic: Mos Def
10. Anything Michael Jackson

Listening

**The Black Keys and Hip-Hop are BlakRoc. NPR did a quick write up. This group is Damon Dash's baby and the album figures to be an official mash up with some Hip-Hop heavyweights (Mos Def, Raekwon, RZA, M.O.P, and Pharoah Monch to name a few). I like what I've heard so far but this kind of collaborative, cross-genre effort is nothing new. Peep the Mos Def and Jim Jones collabo "Ain't Nothin' Like You (Hoochie Coo)":



**If there's something you're looking to do, get familiar with Blu and Exile. I've still got 2007's Below The Heavens on heavy rotation. Blu recently collaborated and lended production duties to Sene's ADayLate&ADollarShort, which is out now. Not mindblowing by any means but very consistent and solid material.

**Listened to Thelonious Monk's Monk's Dream last night and spun "Just A Gigolo" for 30 minutes straight.

**On a Lauryn Hill note, I don't remember where I came across this song but I sat down with it the other day and played it several times over. I know I didn't care for it much when I first heard it so I never really went back to it. But after running through some Fugees back catalog and the J. Period's L-Boogie mixtape from way back, I went back to it and let it kind of grow on me. It's really nothing spectacular. It's something that was not officially released so the sound quality is pretty shitty and it kind of drags at 8 plus minutes but I like the melody and it's cozy, acoustic quality. What do you think?

Lauryn Hill: "The World Is A Hustle" (unreleased)

Fugee Flashback!

Free L-Boogie!



I tend to tune out at the 1:24 minute mark. The "Vocab" remix is classic material minus Pras and Wyclef...

Post-Turkey Day Notes

**Soulsides' first podcast brings you an excellent assortment of funk instrumentals.

**Method Man feat. Raekwon: "Meth vs. Chef 2" - Not sure where it's from, not sure where it's going to end up (if anywhere). More of a mixtape cut.

**Common feat. John Legend: "Strange Fruit" - Left over from Common's 2007 Finding Forever, produced by Kanye West. Kind of snoozy, but judge for yourself.

**Fashawn feat. Blu: "Samsonite Man" (Produced by Exile) - Excellent cut from start to finish, lyrics to production, this track is fantastic.

**Mick Boogie and Terry Urban bring you 20 years of the one of greatest groups of all time. Not what you'de come expect in that the mix features different artists on interpolated De La cuts. Solid though nonetheless.

**Why is Beach House so good at creating music that sounds like this. It brings your weary mind the instant calm and relaxation it deserves.

The Blackstar Embassy

Late Night with Jimmy Fallon live performance, backed by ?uesto and company.

Alas! A video!

More Cinema

Wow. Red Cliff is going to be an amazing piece of work if only for its stunning visual presentation and action sequences.

If you have any familiarity with John Woo films you know that action plays center stage to the plot and storylines. I hear this picture boasts the biggest budget ever for an Asian motion picture. After all, you can't assemble some of Asia's most esteemed actors and cast them for peanuts.

"I keep it Pharrell with the Clipse"

Cinema

Besides music, bloody, ultra-violent martial arts movies are near and dear to my heart. Especially ones that feature Korean mega-superstars in them.

(Spotted at Angry's)

Cosmic Slop

ODB is for the babies! "Don't Do Drugs! Say No!"

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I was perusing through the Altantic the other day and came across an October 28 Gore Vidal interview, a really good read. His take on Roman Polanski's soap opera was interesting. I especially liked how he closed out the interview when asked "Who is the best leader in the Democratic party right now?"

"Do you mean, Who can give the best speech? Who can raise the most money? Look, I’m not a sentimentalist. Nor am I a romantic. I don’t believe in the Great Man theory of history. Great men come along very seldom – and when they do, it’s pretty bloody. But, as Chancellor Bismarck once observed, God looks after alcoholics, little children, and the United States of America."

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O-Dub's got some choice mix's at Soul Sides you need to get upon right now.

They Reminisce

Considering all the bad blood between these two over the years I would have never figured them to reunite together for anything.

So this came as a surprise. A pleasant one.



(Spotted at Nahright)

The Humble Magnificent

There's been an Edan sighting.

Rejoice.