May 21, 2013 • 1 note

CITY PAPER: Review of 'Kon-Tiki'

Reviewed the Oscar for “Best Foreign Language Film”-nominated movie Kon-Tiki for the Baltimore City Paper. It’s the story of Thor Heyerdahl, who you’ve probably heard about at some point in your life, done in this weird CGI-soaked, John Ford-gone-Wes Anderson style? This is definitely not a great movie and it’s got some problems, but I really enjoyed it, flaws and all. A secretly fucking weird as hell movie.

May 21, 2013 • 4 notes

No Trivia @ SPIN: Rap Release of the Week, Mykki Blanco

This week’s pick is Mykki Blanco’s Betty Rubble: The Initiation. More all-over-the-place than Cosmic Angel (and that seems to be the point), it includes a rap-and-bullshit throwback track, and a dramatic monologue that mentions Christiane F. Yep!

May 20, 2013 • 2 notes

CITY PAPER: On Blaqstarr's EDM Abortion DJ Set

Despite what your cool friends will tell you, there is nothing inherently wrong with EDM and dubstep. When done well, EDM and dubstep afford the same anim…

So, I went and saw Blaqstarr on Saturday night in Baltimore. It was pretty lame. Some local types are mad about this which is to be expected. But this stuff needs to be called out. When like, excellent DJs get lazy and/or caught up in the LCD “crowd-pleasing” vortex, we need to call them on their shit. Similarly, Mannie Fresh did an EDM-ish set in New York a few months back. No one wants this! 

May 20, 2013 • 6 notes

No Trivia @ SPIN: On Kanye's Performance Art Weekend

Something about “New Slaves,” “Black Skinhead”, and his SNL appearance. Kind of skeptical of these noise-rappy, half-corny “rock star” moves, but it’s Kanye, so it will probably end up awesome.

May 17, 2013 • 6 notes
Haven’t done this in a while! Got lazy, and also haven’t bought that many records lately. But last month, when I was doing my taxes, I realized it was super helpful for keeping track of the occasional record or digital purchase that I write-off. So, I’m resurrecting it. Also, everybody loves lists. (Physical Music Purchased) Boyfriend, Secret City Cassette ($5.00) The xx, “Jamie xx Edits” 12-Inch ($11.98) Main Attrakionz, Bossalinis & Fooliyones LP ($14.98) (On My iPod) Anika, Anika EP Antwon, In Dark Denim Chance the Rapper, Acid Rap Cities Aviv, Black Pleasure Gene the Southern Child, Artillery Splurgin’ Gil Scott-Heron & Jamie xx, We’re New Here Gunplay, Inside I’m Sufferin’, Outside I’m Stuntin’ The Hold Steady, Boys and Girls of America The Hold Steady, Stay Positive Iamsu!, Suzy 6 $peed Kevin Gates, The Luca Brasi Story Peter Allen, The Very Best of Peter Allen Screaming Females, Ugly suicideyear, Japan Thin Lizzy, Chinatown Tim Hecker, Harmony In Ultraviolet Tim Hecker, Mirages Toro y Moi, Anything In Return The xx, Coexist The xx, xx

Haven’t done this in a while! Got lazy, and also haven’t bought that many records lately. But last month, when I was doing my taxes, I realized it was super helpful for keeping track of the occasional record or digital purchase that I write-off. So, I’m resurrecting it. Also, everybody loves lists.



(Physical Music Purchased)

  • Boyfriend, Secret City Cassette ($5.00)
  • The xx, “Jamie xx Edits” 12-Inch ($11.98)
  • Main Attrakionz, Bossalinis & Fooliyones LP ($14.98)

(On My iPod)

  • Anika, Anika EP
  • Antwon, In Dark Denim
  • Chance the Rapper, Acid Rap
  • Cities Aviv, Black Pleasure
  • Gene the Southern Child, Artillery Splurgin’
  • Gil Scott-Heron & Jamie xx, We’re New Here
  • Gunplay, Inside I’m Sufferin’, Outside I’m Stuntin’
  • The Hold Steady, Boys and Girls of America
  • The Hold Steady, Stay Positive
  • Iamsu!, Suzy 6 $peed
  • Kevin Gates, The Luca Brasi Story
  • Peter Allen, The Very Best of Peter Allen
  • Screaming Females, Ugly
  • suicideyear, Japan
  • Thin Lizzy, Chinatown
  • Tim Hecker, Harmony In Ultraviolet
  • Tim Hecker, Mirages
  • Toro y Moi, Anything In Return
  • The xx, Coexist
  • The xx, xx
May 16, 2013 • 2 notes

No Trivia @ SPIN: Rap Songs of the Week

Eve with Pusha T & Juicy J, Fergie with Q-Tip and Goonrock, Locksmith, Mayalino, and Vampire Weekend. 

May 16, 2013 • 3,615 notes • punvni
Danny Brown Laughing

bombedatapollo:

CRUCIAL

(via duhdoydorothy)

May 15, 2013 • 3 notes
I reviewed Homeboy Sandman’s Kool Herc: Fertile Crescent for SPIN. Another impressive, very weird release from this guy. I also LOL @ “a New York Renaissance” that hangs its hat on Smoke DZA types. Click below to read the review:  “Last month, Hot 97 morning-show host, notoriously aggressive “real hip-hop” defender, and professional Nicki Minaj antagonizer Peter Rosenberg released the pointedly titled free mixtape New York Renaissance. Verily, the tape declared the riotous return of New York City hip-hop, mostly focusing on Internet-built buzzing talents like blog-rap cipher A$AP Rocky, tough-guy foodie Action Bronson, teenaged traditionalist Joey Bada$$, Tumblr-hop meme-grabbers Flatbush Zombies, coke-rap contender Troy Ave, and so forth. The tape’s standout, though, was the expressionistic, sore-thumb sincerity of Homeboy Sandman’s “The Plot Thickens.” Repurposed from the rapper’s 2012 album First of a Living Breed, it boasts a bumpy, vinyl-hiss beat wed to relaxed, virtuosic lines about the evils of stop-and-frisk, the multicultural wonders of his Queens hometown, and the reasons why he’s a better rapper than everybody else. It had no business on such an in-the-pocket and obnoxiously right-now mixtape — Sandman is far removed from the pan-regional trends and post-swag lyrical expectations of this forced “movement.” His affable attitude doesn’t match the aggression-cribbed-from-the-South snarl of A$AP or the low-stakes, weeded, and totally whatever rhymes of the Curren$y-cosigned pot-rapper Smoke DZA…”

I reviewed Homeboy Sandman’s Kool Herc: Fertile Crescent for SPIN. Another impressive, very weird release from this guy. I also LOL @ “a New York Renaissance” that hangs its hat on Smoke DZA types. Click below to read the review: 

“Last month, Hot 97 morning-show host, notoriously aggressive “real hip-hop” defender, and professional Nicki Minaj antagonizer Peter Rosenberg released the pointedly titled free mixtape New York Renaissance. Verily, the tape declared the riotous return of New York City hip-hop, mostly focusing on Internet-built buzzing talents like blog-rap cipher A$AP Rocky, tough-guy foodie Action Bronson, teenaged traditionalist Joey Bada$$, Tumblr-hop meme-grabbers Flatbush Zombies, coke-rap contender Troy Ave, and so forth.

The tape’s standout, though, was the expressionistic, sore-thumb sincerity of Homeboy Sandman’s “The Plot Thickens.” Repurposed from the rapper’s 2012 album First of a Living Breed, it boasts a bumpy, vinyl-hiss beat wed to relaxed, virtuosic lines about the evils of stop-and-frisk, the multicultural wonders of his Queens hometown, and the reasons why he’s a better rapper than everybody else. It had no business on such an in-the-pocket and obnoxiously right-now mixtape — Sandman is far removed from the pan-regional trends and post-swag lyrical expectations of this forced “movement.” His affable attitude doesn’t match the aggression-cribbed-from-the-South snarl of A$AP or the low-stakes, weeded, and totally whatever rhymes of the Curren$y-cosigned pot-rapper Smoke DZA…”

May 15, 2013 • 2 notes

No Trivia @ SPIN: Rap Release of the Week, Eve

First, read Julianne Escobedo Shepherd’s review of Eve’s new album Lip Lock. I just added some extra thoughts about this pretty good record that hopefully finds an audience. RIYL: The first half of Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded, the idea of that Rye Rye album, SoundCloud weirdness.

May 13, 2013 • 7 notes

No Trivia @ SPIN: The RIAA's On-Demand Stream Policy is Hostile to Hip-Hop

Last week, the RIAA announced that streaming (audio and video) would count towards Gold and Platinum record sales. Of course, sites like DatPiff and WorldStar aren’t considered. Here’s why that stinks!