10 CD Thurdsay: "Where Brooklyn At?" edition
All of our music today comes from the Borough of Kings.
Tall Firs "Tall Firs"
Downtempo dirge rock that's right at home on Ecstatic Peace — Sonic Youther Thurston Moore's label, if you didn't know. Quality, but a little too slow for my tastes. I really need a nap right about now, and this is not helping.
The Rub "European Tour"
Featuring the talents of DJ Eleven, Cosmo Baker and DJ Ayers, this album is a mix tape by which to shake your rump. It's a good soundtrack for a rooftop party or a barbecue. I wish I was at a barbecue.
"A Rollerskating Jam Named Saturdays, Afro Heat 4, Let's Dance, Ghetto Life" — Featuring De La Soul, Afrodisiac Sound System, West Street Mob, Rick James
Life in a Blender "The Heart is a Small Balloon"
These guys send me a lot of email, and they seem really nice and funny.
The Beasts of Eden "End Times" EP
Not too bad. I don't know that I'll spin this album again, but if I were out and they happened to be playing where I was, I wouldn't leave.
Mudville "Iris Nova"
Vocalist Marilyn Carino does her best Beth Gibbons here, but it's not quite enough.
Action Painters "Chubby Dancer"
It's growing on me.
Locksley "Don't Make Me Wait"
I was beginning to despair. The only decent thing I've listened to so far was a mixtape. Does anyone actually in Brooklyn make good music? Looking at the remaining no-names in my pile, my hopes were low. These guys were a pleasant surprise. Derivative retro pop complete with handclaps, yeah, but they do it well and you can tell they're having fun. Title track is definitely best, but I think we can expect good things in Locksley's future.
And from the video you can see, they have a sense of humor about their derivative-ness. Or their entire act is an homage.
Seems So Bright "Blinds Down"
Oh, dear.
Luff "Blanket Ice"
Serviceable instrumental noodling.
Ta-Shma "Come Listen"
"Ta shma" is a Hebrew (?) phrase meaning "come and listen," and is used to invite discussion and promote understanding. Ta-shma is a Brooklyn group that raps about Torah-related issues, kind of following in the footsteps of Matisyahu (who appears on their track "Rachamana"). Umm...not really my cuppa.
Final score: 2 out of 10.
To be fair, I really had to dig to come up with these 10 Brooklynites; anyone with any notoriety (We Are Scientists, Sufjan, etc.), I would have listened to straight away. And, looking back at the other 10 CD Thursdays, that's pretty much the average. So, way to go Brooklyn!
Appropriately enough, the Brooklyn Hip-Hop Festival (with Ghostface) starts this weekend. Visit www.brooklynbodega.com for more.
2 Skinnee J's (718) would be perfect here, but I cannot find the video anywhere online. :(
eh, www.amNY.com
Comments (1)
The only album by a Brooklyn act that I acutally bought recently was Awesome Color, picked it up after their set at Cake Shop. The video for that album is really fun and its a good song I think: Free Man http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NMJAW3KkuwU&eurl=
btw- yeah I still have not opened those albums, just too busy...