Merry Thanksgiving Bonus.

The Orphanage – Hold Mine prod. by RJD2

Collaborating for the third time under the name Felt, Murs and Atmosphere’s Slug recently released Felt 3: A Tribute to Rosie Perez. On previous albums Felt had chosen a producer close to each member, working with The Grouch and Ant from the pair’s respective groups. Felt 3, however, sees the duo work with somebody mutually close to both Murs and Slug, with Aesop Rock manning the controls. Although much better known for his skills on the mic, Aesop’s production lights up the record with big bass filled hooks and truly original beats.

The first video from the album is for Felt Chewed Up and features mad tricycle skills. Seriously, this kid is tearing it up and is pretty much the coolest thing I’ve ever seen. Check it out below, and then your probably going to want to head over here and BUY.

Download: Felt – Felt Chewed Up

It isn’t perfect, but it’s fun: This church produced the video below; the story is told here and here. HT: Liturgy NZ

And I discovered video below via Martin Kelley’s Convergent Friends Ning network (Ning networks are awesome!); Jon Watts is a spoken word artist and multipreneur; his music reminds me of Eminem or maybe Aesop Rock, except that he’s a Quaker rapping about the Inner Light illuminating the world’s darkness. He’s also created a wicked-cool George Fox Friend Speaks My Mind t-shirt that could totally go head-to-head with the John Calvin Is My Homeboy shirt – if only he’d make it in sizes that men with more girth could wear. Anyway, this video is fun; many Christians will balk at its chorus line, but I think it’s great for continuing discussion about the tension Dallas Willard names in The Divine Conspiracy between traditional and progressive Christians, the former of whom worship Jesus for what he does, the latter of whom follow him for the example he sets. Taken as a koan, imagine this song as singing one half of this ‘battle rap’ and live into the tension.

…right here:

Books:

Missile Mouse: The Star Crusher by Jake Parker (Graphix/Scholastic)
Scholastic is really putting their graphic novel foot forward, and this first installment in an ongoing series from writer/illustrator Jake Parker is proof. Parker, an animator at Blue Sky Studios, has created an action/adventure sci-fi hero in Missile Mouse, a pint-sized secret agent who packs a big punch. The storytelling is fairly straight forward  for the genre (good versus evil, inter-galactic war, surprise double-crosses, et al.), but Parker’s illustration work is what really makes this book pop. His background in animation is apparent; with clean lines and solid coloring, each frame looks more like an animation still than it does a comic book panel. The humor is definitely there for kids–which is appropriate since the book is geared toward eight- to twelve-year-olds–but I do wish there was some subtle adult humor peppered throughout.

The Customer Is Not Always Right by A.J. Adams (Andrews McMeel Publishing)
A quick-read coffee table book that collects the best material from the website NotAlwaysRight.com. If you’re not familiar with the site, the gist of it is this: People email in recent on-the-job humor/horror stories, and bored worker bees visit the site daily to remind themselves that they’re not alone. The stories focus on the service and retail industries, as well as any other 9-to-5 where pain-in-the-ass customers are a factor. It’s not a hilarious read–I’d say there are more misses than hits here–but the occasional funny/tragic anecdote does pop up, reminding me of why I haven’t had a “real” job in nearly a decade. If you’re looking for a book to throw in the drawer next to your toilet (after all, that’s where I read it), this is an appropriate title for future sittings.

CDs:

Slug, Murs & Aesop Rock “Felt 3: A Tribute to Rosie Perez” (Rhymesayers)
In 2002, Slug (of Atmosphere) and Murs created a sex-inspired love letter to actress Christina Ricci. From that moment on, “Felt” was born. Three years later, in 2005, they returned to the world of love letter writing, this time aiming Cupid’s arrow at the heart of Cosby kid Lisa Bonet with “Felt 2.” And this year, the duo returns with the third installment in what has now become the “Felt” trilogy, now passing the tribute torch over to actress Rosie Perez. For the production of “Felt 3,” Slug and Murs turned to their good friend Aesop Rock for production. (The first “Felt” was produced by The Grouch of Living Legends, the second by Ant of Atmosphere.) But while I’m a fan of this disc’s entire creative team, I feel like something is missing from this third chapter. Or, more accurately, there’s too much. Unlike its predecessors, “Felt 3″ feels very heavy-handed both in what it is saying and how it is put together. Because of this, it’s missing a beat in both substance and style. With that being said, the collective talent of this trio is still worth the price of admission, but having the “Felt” label on the album set up an expectation for me that was never truly fulfilled. Oddly enough, I feel like if they had released this album strictly as a Slug/Murs/Aesop joint side project, sans all things “Felt,” I might have had a very different reaction to it. Instead, I was left thinking, “Is that it?” Guess I’ll have to wait for “Felt 4: A Tribute to that Robot Chick from ‘Small Wonder’” to get my next “Felt” fix.

Various Artists “In The Christmas Groove” (Strut Records)
I’m not really a fan of most Christmas music. Sure, there are a few exceptions to the rule (Elvis, the Muppets with John Denver, etc.) but, for the most part, it’s just not my thing. This collection of rare funk holiday tunes from the sixties and seventies, however, is the exception to the rule. Why? Because unlike most other holiday music, these songs don’t scream Christmas. In fact, most of these songs can be listened to year-round, whether Santa’s coming to town or not. Not all of the songs are A-plus material (Wild Honey’s “Angels Christmas” is laughable, especially when they sing about seeing the angels of Martin Luther King, Jr. and John F. Kennedy), but almost every other song on the disc is good music; the fact that it’s also holiday-themed is just a bonus. If you want a taste, track down “Home On Christmas Day” by Captain Elmo McKenzie & The Roosters.

J Dilla “Dillanthology” (Rapster Records)
This three-disc tribute to the late and great J Dilla is a pretty thorough look at an impressive career. The first disc collects thirteen tracks of Dilla’s famous production work, from The Pharcyde and The Roots, to Common and De La Soul. If hip-hop is a genre you’re deeply into, chances are you already own a lot of these songs on full-lengths. If not, this is an appropriate sample platter of what Dilla was capable of in the studio. The second disc collects a dozen Dilla remixes of tracks from Slum Village, The Brand New Heavies, and Busta Rhymes, among others. But for me, the two stand-out tracks are his remixes of Four Tet’s “As Serious As Your Life,” and DJ Cam’s “Love Junkie.” Both songs are a nice break from Dilla’s norm, and it’s refreshing to hear what else he was capable of beyond the realm of straight hip-hop. The third disc collects fourteen tracks of Dilla’s solo work, including songs from his team up with Madlib (known as Jaylib). Again, if you already own J’s solo albums and the Jaylib album, chances are you already own most of this work. But what’s really great about this set is that all three albums are sold individually. So, for example, if you already own most of what’s on the first disc but really want the second disc, no problem. If you are a rabid Dilla fan and already own all of his work, you might want to sit this one out. But if you’re looking for a solid retrospective that touches on each and every facet of who he was as an artist, this set’s for you.

Still getting free stuff,

-Shady

Aus der albernen Tourbuswette, wer wohl zuerst die Schauspielerin Christina Ricci aufgrund seiner Wortgewandtheit in die Kiste bekommt, entstand 2002 das spontane Albumprojekt Felt: A Tribute To Christina Ricci. Murs aus dem Kreis der Living Legends und Slug von Atmosphere waren die beiden Akteure, die sich dieser Herausforderung stellten – zu Gesicht bekam Christina am Ende jedoch keiner. Auf ging es also mit dem nächsten Wortgefecht um die Gunst eines Hollywood-Starlets: Felt 2 und das Tribut an Lenny Kravitz’ Ex, Lisa Bonet, war geboren. Mit einer Hommage an Rosie Perez geht die Kultserie nun in die dritte Runde. Diesmal hat sich kein Geringerer als Aesop Rock vom Definitive Jux Label den Produktionen angenommen. Nachdem mit dem Opener Protagonists besonders DJ Big Wiz durch erquickende Cuts auf sich aufmerksam macht, treibt Rock die zwei reimenden Wettstreiter anschließend mit seinem komplexen Bassmonstrum Felt Chewed Up zu ersten Höchstleistungen an. Abstrakt, verschachtelt oder einfach nur grotesk, lässt sich ein Zugang zu Aesop Rocks vielschichtigen Beats meist erst nach mehrfachen Hörgängen erschließen. Like You, bei dem Aesop die Hookline gleich selbst einrappt, schmiegt sich mit sehr eingängigem Thema hingegen direkt ins Ohr. Anders als die Vorgängeralben, die Ant und The Grouch produziert haben, trägt die Rosie Perez Widmung eine weitaus finsterere Handschrift, wie die düster komponierten Tracks Permanent Standby oder Ghost Dance Deluxe verdeutlichen. Mit brachialen Bässen sorgt Aes für mächtig viel Druck und ergänzt das bestens miteinander eingestimmte Felt-Team perfekt. Im Back-to-back sorgen Murs und Slug für ein ausgewogenes Zusammenspiel an Rapzeilen und überzeugen einmal mehr mit Wortwitz und ausgefeilten Lyrics. Neben ihrem Faible für weibliche B-Promis der amerikanischen Filmlandschaft, zollt das Independent-Rap-Duo auch Respekt an seine musikalischen Wegbereiter wie EPMD oder Run DMC. So liefern sie mit We Have You Surrounded einen postmodernen Ansatz einer Neuinterpretation des Klassikers Sucker MC’s. Murs und Slug in bestechender Form, unergründliche Beats von Aesop Rock und jede Menge Scratcheinlagen von Big Wiz machen Felt 3 zu einem innovativem Gesamtkunstwerk. Für den Fall, dass es diesmal mit Rosie wieder nicht klappen sollte, hat Slug vorsorglich einen vierten Teil von Felt angekündigt, bei dem bereits das in Hollywood-Kreisen umtriebige Callgirl Heidi Fleiss in der engeren Auswahl steht.

Andreas Margara (18. November 2009)

Further adventures in the Muddy Waters of hip-hop include an extension, a crossover, a bridge: I’m still tentative about my new found rap-love so thus far I’ve attempted familiar ground made unfamiliar.

FELT is a new project produced by Aesop Rock and it sounds good – you can sample a track there and a few more elsewhere.
- The Muddy Waters link comes in simply because I’m finding more and moar blues inherited projects in the Hip-Hop and I likes ‘em [e.g. Nas and using his own father's old riff.]

Seriously? We don’t look anything like Led Zeppelin!?!?

Well…I’m getting all geared up for my end of the year reviews and Top 10 favorites, so I haven’t been spending as much time checking out the new tunes that are buried deep in the hidden cracks of ITunes. However I have picked up some good songs here & there and I always check out the new releases. Here is what I have found in the last couple of weeks…

Norah Jones – “Even Though” (adult contemporary)
I’m not a huge fan of Jones’, however there is something smooth about this track. And you can’t deny that she has varied up her sound a bit on her latest album. I like the subtle guitar in this song and it’s easy on the ears.

John Mayer – “Heartbreak Warfare” (adult contemporary)
This album is listed as “rock”, but I don’t know how anybody could ever say that Mayer is a rocker. Sure…he can play a decent guitar, but overall? He’s easy listening chick music. That being said, I don’t mind me some Mayer when I’m in a easy-going frame of mind and I kinda liked his “Room For Squares” album. This album? I dunno…but this track is catchy even if it is maybe :30 too long.

The Crash That Took Me – “Tragic Sense Of Life” (alternative)
This is an AWESOME track from a band with a really odd name. Don’t know anything about them other than that this track is cool and poppy. I dig it.

Wolfmother – “White Feather” (rock)
Here is a band that is unafraid of showing their rock roots! Seriously…close your eyes and listen and you hear Led Zeppelin. And it is awesome! Oh…and by the way…we need MORE cowbell!!!

People Under The Stairs – “Trippin’ At The Disco” (rap)
Picking up where Jurassic 5 left off, this band is one of my favorite rap bands. Very old school and catchy as hell. Guaranteed to have you shakin’ your butt while you’re hanging in your cubicle…

Train – “Hey Soul Sister” (pop)
My wife likes this track. It’s getting a lot of airplay around here so I downloaded it for her. It’s easy enough on the ears and decent pop. Check it out of it’s your thing!

Aesop Rock – “None Shall Pass” (electronic/dance)
Going back a couple of years but I heard this track over the sound system at Pac Sun and had to download it! Yeah…I’m a bit late to the party but this track is AWESOME in a workout mix. Another guaranteed booty shaker!

Adam Lambert – “For Your Entertainment” (pop)
I totally thought THIS one was gonna be a flop but it is pretty damn catchy and, while overproduced a bit, shows that Lambert might very well be the latest hit maker from the American Idol line. I really like this track and I can’t wait to see what else he has lined up!

Kris Allen – “Before We Come Undone” (pop)
The 2009 American Idol winner released his new album this week and, like the Lambert track, sounds a little overproduced (which is an AI debut album trait), but for his style, vocal ability & his audience, I think he’s put together a decent collection of pop tunes here. Just listening to the snippets, they all sound decent enough. But this is the track I downloaded and it’s good pop stuff with a little rockin’ edge. Check it out!

Rakim – “Won’t Be Long” (rap)
This guy has been around forever (remember Eric B & Rakim?) and deserves your attention. Critics love him and he has a great flow. Anyway…this track is excellent and will work great in a spinning mix. Could I be smelling a hit? Dunno…

Puddle Of Mudd – “Spaceship” (rock)
Coming off sounding like a Nirvana wanna-be band (which they might be, I honestly don’t listen to them), I heard this song on the radio and decided to download it. After repeated listenings I realize it has it’s place on rock radio but it’s not something I’ll be listening to in January. But for now…I got it in my workout playlist!

Impulse Buy Of The Week: Blacklist – “Midnight Of The Century” (alternative)
I was gonna download the new album by Them Crooked Vultures, but after listening to the snippets I didn’t think it was anything to write home about. So I searched around and came upon this band. Although the sound definitely isn’t new (think The Cult, Peter Murphy, any other number of 80’s alt bands), I thought they sounded worth downloading. If you’re in the mood, it’s like a trip back through time. For me, it put me right back in college, spinning albums for my college station at 1am in the morning. Good stuff and the entire album is pretty consistent. Not gonna break down any walls but not bad for a band I’d never heard of. $10 well spent…

And that’s all I got…

Felt [comprised of Murs and Slug] dropped their latest cd, Felt 3, today. If you have any sort of love for legit hip-hop you will run out and cop this ASAP!

Shout out to my boy Neezy F. Baby for the heads up!

50 Cent – Before I Self Destruct (CD & DVD)

Morning all, We’ve got some quality discs dropping today. I’m especially diggin’ the new John Mayer Battle Studies and Fiddy’s Before I Self Destruct but I was surprisingly disappointed by Rakim Allah’s The Seventh Seal. I need another run-through to finalize my opinion on each, though.

The new Felt record is impressive but I’d rather hear Murs & Slug over Ant’s production than Aesop Rock’s, something just doesn’t fit. The duo sounds more natural over Ant’s backdrops but their third effort A Tribute To Rosie Perez isn’t bad at all.

Ready to support the artists? Click on the covers or text to scoop your very own copy at Amazon and listen for yourself, Enjoy!

John Mayer – Battle Studies

Felt - A Tribute To Rosie Perez

Rakim – The Seventh Seal

Ol’ Dirty Bastard – Message To The Other Side (2 CD)

Edan – Echo Party

The rapping duo Felt, one part Slug of Atmosphere and one part Murs, drops their third album, Felt 3: A Tribute to Rosie Perez, November 17th. They’ve kept the theme of dedicated their albums to random actresses (with former albums declaring their love for Cristina Ricci and Lisa Bonet) however they have changed the production, moving from Ant (one of the best producers I have ever heard and the other member of Atmosphere) to fellow underground name Aesop Rock.

Felt has produced a number of quality songs including my very favorite, “Dirty Girl”, but it’ll be interesting to see what the album sounds like without Ant’s signature production. Give it a go, then tell me how you really feel.

“Felt Chewed Up” – Felt ★★★

Slug and Murs are back again with their tribute to B-list actresses as they drop Felt 3: A Tribute To Rosie Perez. I love Gloria because one day I dream of being on Jeopardy teehee. Album drops Nov. 17! With Aesop Rock behind the boards, I’m pretty excited to hear what he has to say.

On Tuesday November 17th, Felt, which consists of Atmosphere’s Slug along with Murs, are dropping Felt 3: A Tribute to Rosie Perez.
Click the image for their first single “felt chewed up”.

Info: Nahright

I always been a fan of behind the scenes type

Hot of the press some new Felt. This time with emcee/producer Aesop Rock pushing the buttons behind scenes.

You didn’t get this from me. Go support good Hip Hop.

Touch Me Hear

Molemen feat. Slug, Aesop Rock and MF Doom – “Put Your Quarter Up” ["Ritual Of The...", Molemen, 2001; producer: PNS]

samples

Kraftwerk – “Spiegelsaal” (“The Hall Of Mirrors”) ["Trans Europa Express", Kling Klang, Kling Klang/Capitol Records, 1977]

Antonio Bra Smiraglia

Now, this weekend was a nice and relaxed one. Friday was another theatre directing session that gives me faith in knowing i made the right choice coming to the institution that currently houses myself and the other vagrant artists… a hot pot of wannabe’s of a variant of niches.

Working with Kane’s 4:48 psychosis and Zarrilli and LeCompt assortment of techniques, I was restored to a few years ago when working with a theatre company from back home, a nostalgic feeling of ‘I-know-what-I’m-doingness’. Even if i dont like the text, I fulfilled my duty to do it all to the best of my ability reminded me of a greek tragedy that i forget the name of which was performed in my first year of college over at Barnsley, after the first show two girls in a year above told me how much presence I had when I entered the space, I was reminded of that again as i stepped to the microphone to deliver a speech of this open text. I must still have presence, presence cannot be lost? Can presence be absence even if you once possessed it?

These questions were going through my head hours later as I met friends for drinks before a performance of Villa by Untill Thursdays: Oliver Bray which in my head was not only a satirical jab at Forced Entertainment and their (In my opinion) lack of change in form over the past years, and a nice new original piece about britishness, russia, loss and presence, for most of an hour the artist took control and with stability held everyone’s attention with a playful necessity. The message wasnt complete, or coherent but it was refreshing to see something unpretentious, yet clever, witty and sure of itself.

The confidence was one that reminded me of works long dead and buried, forgotten in a sea of the NEW – the search for a viable form where you cannot hide.

http://www.youtube.com/v/coxoEhQmjzY&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0×5d1719&color2=0xcd311b” type=”application/x-shockwave-flash” allowscriptaccess=”always” allowfullscreen=”true” width=”480″ height=”385″>

Swimming to Cambodia by Spalding Gray.

Spalding Gray had a presence that was a nice refreshing change to the other work him and the Wooster group was performing at the time. It held a beat-generational story telling aesthetics – everything was simple, everything had a function and wasnt the big-collage of entertainment that you are being taught in the post-modern-theatrical event.

–

On another note, I have been composing work up for my own event I’m hoping to showcase at the taster event EMBRYO at Studio Salford.

We performed there two years ago doing my short sketches Morning Smell & Nothingtolose featuring myself, Darren White and Gemma Salsubury and I cannot wait to get back in there.

Lately since the hiatus of performing (given a small one at that (2-3 months)) I feel should try and inform anyone whose been feeling down, uninspired and generally fatigued about making work as artists or just getting off your bottoms as actors – I know it’s hard to find inspiration during the poverty-stricken times, but wasnt the poverty and depression that created most of the art you hold special at the moment?

Also if you want to make work – make it. Its one area where running before you can crawl usually helps – fuck the baby steps – its head first territory!

SO here are a few more videos that have inspired me today, yesterday and tomorrow.

Franko B – I miss you

Aesop Rock – None Shall Pass

Alan Rickman and Juliet Stevenson- On Beckett

David Amram – On Kerouac’s Pull My Daisy with an excerpt of the original movie.

and finally

Buddy Wakefield with his poem Convenience Stores

Now maybe I’m just being self-indulgent and lazy there, showing everyone what i want to see…

but isnt that a point of most art?

I have my drive back, now I need my audience.

Hip hop that’s actually good. Enjoy =P.