Mirandom - The Memorandum

This episode of Music Cops was filmed on location somewhere inside the continental United States of America.  We pick up the action riding along with Officer Penfold.

Wednesday, 7:44 PM
“Attention all units.  This is dispatch.  We have received reports of a four fifty-five in progress near the corner of Commonwealth and Main.  Multiple suspects.  All units in the vicinity please respond.”
“Copy that dispatch.  This is Car Ripple.  I’m four blocks away from suspects’ location.  Officer Penfold en route.”
“Transmission received Car Ripple.  Proceed with caution.”
“Roger that dispatch.”
The cameraman in the passenger seat keeps his lens pointed towards Officer Penfold as he mashes the accelerator and activates the car’s siren.  Officer Penfold addresses him moments later.
“Man, another four fifty-five?  Persons listening to terrible music.  I’m telling you, these incidents are happening far too much for my taste.  This is the fifth call in the past two weeks!  It makes you wonder why people have such a hard time finding the cream of the musical crop.”
In less than a minute the patrol car reaches the corner of Commonwealth and Main.
“All right, let’s see what we’ve got here.”
The camera pans right to show beams of light pulsating through the open doorway and darkened windows of a nondescript, one story building.  The building’s interior is packed full of people gyrating in rhythm to some obnoxious song.  Three more patrol cars pull up moments later, and the four officers they carry quickly take direction from Officer Penfold.
“Okay, here’s the deal.  Our holstered hand speakers aren’t powerful enough to cut through this noise.  We’re going to need the heavy artillery.  I need each of you to position the rear of your vehicle so that it’s pointed towards the front of the building.  We’ll use our customized trunk speakers to play some high quality tunes that will draw the suspects out.”
“Will do Penfold.  What music are you going to play this time?”
“The same album I used the last three times Johnson.  It’s the new release from Mirandom.  Now go!”
All four cars backed into position, popped their trunks, and powered up their speaker arrays.  Officer Penfold wirelessly networked the other three cars’ speaker systems with his stereo, inserted the Mirandom CD, and hit play.  It took only a few moments before the righteous music blaring out of the monstrous police speakers lured the first few suspects out of the building.  One minute later the terrible music inside had stopped, and shortly thereafter everyone who had been inside the building was gathered behind the police cruisers.  Penfold stopped the music and addressed the crowd.
“Good evening everyone.  My name is Officer Penfold.  My fellow officers and I were called out to this location tonight because you were all committing a crime.”
“Are you going to arrest us,” asked someone in the crowd.
“Perhaps.  Listening to terrible music is a crime that not only affects you, but those around you as well.  Therefore, I’d like to now remind you of your Musical Miranda Rights.”

‘You have the right to listen to good music.  Any bad music you listen to can and will be held against you in the court of public opinion.  You have the right to speak to a music fanatic.  If you do not know a music fanatic, one will be appointed for you. Do you understand these rights as they have been read to you?’

The cameraman caught everyone in the crowd nodding their agreement.
“Very good.  I’m going to let you all off with a warning this time, but don’t let me catch you listening to sub-par music again.  For now take this Mirandom album and play it when you go back inside.  Have a nice night.”

My fellow waveriders, it’s that time again.  That’s right!  It’s time to discuss a terrific new hip-hop album!  Hooray!  What is the name of this fantastic work you ask?  I’ll tell you.  The album is entitled The Memorandum, and the dynamic lyrical duo which made it is known to the world as Mirandom (a combination of their two names, Random and Mr. Miranda).  This is an album that you all needed to know about yesterday, or better yet, last Wednesday.   Perhaps that whole ‘last Wednesday’ thing seems strange right now but trust me, after one listen to this album it will all make sense.

Those of you familiar with my work on The Ripple Effect may recognize the name Random.  One of my first writeups laid bare my love of Forever Famicom, an album he made with producer K-Murdock.  Random is far and away one of my favorite artists today.  Not only is he tremendously prolific, but his work has never disappointed me in any way, shape, or form.  Not once!  In fact my only problem with Random is that because I know with absolute certainty that I will like whatever it is he releases, I sometimes hold off on listening to his work in favor of trying to find someone new.  The Mirandom album neatly sidesteps around that pitfall thanks to the presence of Mr. Miranda.  While I had heard of Mr. Miranda thanks to a couple of song collaborations with Random over the years, I’d never actually sat down and paid attention to what he was about.  Well waveriders, I can tell you that The Memorandum changed that quick, fast, and in a hurry!

Both of these emcees have what I describe as an athletic lyrical flow.  Their wordplay speeds up and slows down based on the needs of the song and what type of feeling they’re trying to convey.  It is a great testament that both lyricists maintain an almost conversation-like atmosphere throughout the entire album.  This comfortable atmosphere succeeds at welcoming the listener into whatever world they are creating.  Speaking of world creation, Random and Mr. Miranda prove repeatedly that they are not only great rappers but great storytellers as well!  Anyone desiring proof need look no further than “The Untold Story” where the two create a new urban legend describing how they met.  Personally, I can’t help but laugh every time I listen to the highly amusing wingman’s lament “Busted One”.  Is storytelling not your thing?  Maybe you’re looking for some conscious hip-hop instead?  Take a listen to “Home” or “Eastsider”.   Still not satisfied?  Perhaps you want a little battle rap?  Well I won’t call it a straight up battle rap but “Big Beat Jawn” comes very, very close.  The bottom line here is that The Memorandum is an exceptionally versatile album.

Before I wrap this up I would like to make a couple of things abundantly clear.  First of all The Memorandum does not contain any misogyny, overt violence, or glorification of criminal activity.  I can’t even recall any serious curse words.  I’m not implying that music incorporating these elements has no place in the world.  I for one lost count a long time ago as to how many parental advisory albums I own.  No, I just want to clarify that if those things happen to be what you are looking for in your hip-hop you won’t find it on this album.  Second, and more importantly for me, this is intelligent music.  This is smart hip-hop made by two smart wordsmiths supported by a few excellent producers.  No element of this music has been dumbed down.  Don’t get me wrong folks.  Your enjoyment of this album does not hinge upon whether you’ve received your Doctorate yet.  Not one bit!  All I’m saying is that it’s always refreshing to hear hip-hop artists using impressive vocabularies inside sophisticated rhyme patterns.

Waveriders, do you need to hear an album that will lift your spirits?  Do you like music that makes you think?  Do you need an album that will make you smile?  Is clever wordplay something that you enjoy?  Would you like to listen to some tunes with production that will allow you to get your groove on?  If the answer to any one of these questions is yes you need to head over to http://megaranmusic.com/album/random-and-mr-miranda-the-memorandum and sample the wares.  Just don’t blame me when you too become a repeat customer!

--Penfold

http://megaranmusic.com/album/random-and-mr-miranda-the-memorandum



 

Childish Gambino Camp

A week before the public schools let their students out for the summer my news station received a disturbing tip from an anonymous source. This tipster informed us that all was not right behind the cheery outer façade of Camp Glover, one of the premier summer camp destinations in Los Angeles, California. My station manager attempted to get more details from our tipster, but the only concrete statement he could get was that the children ‘were being brainwashed’. The tipster begged my manager to investigate, and he agreed. Due mainly to my seniority I drew the assignment. I checked out the necessary surveillance equipment from the station’s inventory and enrolled myself in the camp using their online registration form. Once I shaved my facial hair completely off, greased my hair, and put on some designer tees and a backwards baseball cap I resembled a seventeen year old boy. Huzzah!

I won’t bore you with every detail that emerged from the audio/video surveillance over the next couple of weeks, but I will highlight the event that I found most shocking and strange. On the very first night, the boys and girls were separated. The boys all gathered at the ‘Meeting Hall’ after the evening meal. My video cameras caught everything. Two young men addressed the assembled crowd from a stage at the end of the hall. One of the men sat in a throne-like chair and was identified as the founder of the camp, the Childish Gambino. He never spoke a word. Instead he allowed the second man (his Consigliere), to dole out all of the important information.

“Greetings campers. Welcome to Camp Glover. My name is Derrick. We are going to have a great summer, but first I need to let you know about a few important guidelines you’ll need to follow. First of all, the girls attending this camp along with their leader Belanie are not to be trusted. Treat them with respect, but never forget that they all live solely to break your heart.”

“Second, it is against the rules to refer to any of your fellow campers as a ‘bro’. There are NO ‘bros’ here, end of story. On a related note, you will not find any Nintendo gamecubes around this camp that ‘bros’ might ask you to play with them.”

“Third, every other Friday starting next week will officially be opposite day. We strongly urge you all to not go along with the scheduled activities on those days. Not attending these events will result in your ongoing residence at Camp Glover.”

“Lastly, I wanted to let you campers know about the exciting educational trip we have planned for the end of the summer. If any of you were unaware, there is a long running historical bond between Wallmart and Six Flags. History books willingly gloss over this subject, but trust me when I tell you that the connection is deep and profound.”


Attention waveriders, this is your captain speaking. If you would point your eyes towards the nearest available TV screen you will notice we are only running video clips highlighting a man named Donald Glover. You see, Donald Glover is a man of many talents. You might not know this folks, but besides being a terrific comedic actor (see Community) with hilarious stand-up material (recently featured on Comedy Central) he is also a very talented hip hop artist. The music is released under the name Childish Gambino, and for the next little while we are going to be discussing his debut album Camp.

Let me make this abundantly clear up front. Donald Glover is a very funny man but his music is not, I repeat not, a joke. Is it amusing? Absolutely! Could someone dismiss any of the songs on Camp as simply novelty music? Absolutely not! Each of these tracks provide exactly what I’m looking for when I listen to hip hop, honest expression based upon that artist’s unique perspective/experience. Seriously that is the main thing I’m asking for. The very first verse from album opener “Outside” is a great example.

I used to dream every night, now I don't dream at all / Hopin' that it's cause I'm livin' everything I want /
Used to wake up in a bed between my mom and aunt / Playing with this land before time toy from pizza hut / My dad works nights / Putting on a stone face / He's saving up so we can get our own place / In the projects, man that sounds fancy to me / They called me fat nose, my mom say you handsome to me / Mrs. Glover ma'am, your son is so advanced / But he's acting up in class and keeps peeing in his pants / And I just wanna fit in, but nobody was helping me out / They talking hood shit and I ain't know what that was about / Cause hood shit and black shit is super different / So I'm talking hood shit and cool it now like New Edition / Mom and dad wouldn't listen / They left the Bronx so I wouldn't be that / All their friends in NY deal crack / It's weird, you think that they'd be proud of him / But when you leave the hood they think that you look down on 'em / Truth is we still struggle on a different plane / 7 dollars an hour, with vouchers, it's all the same / Facebook messaging hopin' that could patch up shit / But all they get now is, "can your son read this script?"

Need another example of the kind of lyrical content I’m refering to? Try this second verse from “Hold You Down”.

The reason that they say I'm nothin' what they seen or heard's / The same reason Will Smith always opposite Latino girls / They only see you how they wanna see you / 'Til you make them see you in some other way / I'm trippin' off the other day / Cause God knows what these white kids sayin' / Dude you're not not racist cause The Wire's in your Netflix cue / Subtle racism / It's hard to pin it cause you'd only understand / If you were me for just a minute / This one kid said somethin' that was really bad / He said I wasn't really black because I had a dad / I think that's kinda sad / Mostly cause a lot of black kids think they should agree with that / If you're a father, you should stick around if you could / Cause even if you're bad at it, you get Tiger Woods / MJ / We warriors, we all need senseis / Change everything that we've done so far / I don't mean makin' B.E.T. T.E.R / I mean just the way that we see each other / I won't stop until they say, "James Franco is the white Donald Glover" / Yeah, these niggas wanted Cookie but instead I gave 'em Loch Ness / Sick Boi for life, my swag is in a hospice / Aimin' for the throne, Jay and Ye said to watch that / They ask me what I'm doin', I say I'm stealin' rock back

I’m not suggesting that every lyric in every song is going to set your listening world on fire. That’s preposterous since everyone identifies with and enjoys lyrical content differently. I’m merely suggesting that it would be well worth your time investigating Childish Gambino.

Now a few words about the production on this album. Camp maintains a solid, radio-friendly sound for its entire running length. Mr. Glover and production partner Ludwig Goransson clearly studied under the tutelage of Kanye West (no, not literally). Several tracks strongly remind me of Kanye’s work. I mean that as a compliment because I can easily imagine hearing every song on Camp being played on the radio. If the world is just, that may happen.

Waveriders, Childish Gambino is really good. No, scratch that. This Childish Gambino album is fantastic! If I had listened to my best friend and coworker (Horn) when they tried to expose me to this artist months ago, best believe you all would have heard about him much sooner. Ah well. Better late than never. Waveriders I urge you to pick up this album immediately. If you like quality hip hop, you’ll love Camp!

--Penfold

Elemental Zazen - Nothing To Lose But Change

It’s a rare occurrence for me to get excited about a hip-hop record. Over the past few years (decades?), hip-hop has come across more about the glorification of excesses than anything of substance, of fresh ideas, of empowering messages. The days of old, when Chuck D would wax poetic about the injustices of the world and the inequalities of the young black man; even the sometimes fantastical glorification of the thug life from rappers like Ice-T, Ice Cube, Dr. Dre, et al had substance because they were narrating warnings of the do’s and don’t’s of a depressed life and desolate options of life in the hood. And though, I’m sure, there have been masters of the rhyme game who have written and recorded material of substance since then, all I hear or see is someone yammering away about their lowered ride, their shiny-blingy rings, their downpour of cash, and though it all may be a metaphor for dreams of a better life and lifting oneself from the dregs of depravity, it never really digs into the root of the problem that these artists face.

How did they, the artist, get to this point? How did we, the people, get to this point? I don’t have one singular answer for the questions. I don’t think one exists. Sure. It would be easy to point the finger at racism, but that doesn’t explain how we, the people, go to this point. Greed? Too simplistic of an answer and, as heinous as it is, that doesn’t quite feel like the correct answer.

Where am I going with this? Well . . . I’ve been doing a lot of thinking, and I blame it on Elemental Zazen’s record, Nothing To Lose But Change. Released in 2011 through Gnawledge Records, it’s a hip-hop record that has done something that no hip-hop record has done for me in well over two decades . . . made me stop and think. Not simple, whimsical thoughts about saving the whales, but deep, life changing, life affirming ideas that now have me questioning a lot of what I’ve believed throughout my entire life. Powerful shit, man. Corporate greed, capitalism, class inequality and warfare, social perceptions and judgments, internal strength . . . Nothing To Lose But Change is a bubbling cauldron of percolating ideas that give the listener just enough meat to feed their appetite and leave them hungry for more information and knowledge.

“Bricks and Mortality” has a dense groove that is the musical moment from this album that made me fall back in my seat and take a deep breath. The music has an ominous tone and the lyrical content matches perfectly as the MC paints an image of the have-not’s fighting for every morsel of survival while the have’s simply fight amongst themselves to make themselves richer, and ultimately distance themselves even more from the have-not’s. This is an amazingly crafted tune that captures the desperation the working class faces day in and day out to simply put food in their mouths, their inevitable need for escape through drugs and alcohol, and never getting closer to that comfort level that we all desire.

“Kill ‘em With The Beat” is a bit of a change of pace . . . a little more upbeat sounding, though still with a dark undertone, yet dance-able. The lyrics have an ambiguity to them, but I’m getting a message of living with one’s beliefs, being open to change, and inner strength. The chorus has the deadliest catch of them all, instantly memorable and infectious, and the best line is early on, “hell is a hell of a place to hide”. The tune is a mover.

Every so often, a song comes along that makes me think, “Damn. If I had a theme song for when I enter a room . . . “, and in the case of Elemental Zazen, “Words That I Write” would be that one. The intro, the build up, and the sheer intensity of the vocal performance sends chills across my skin, gets me fired up and energized. The music makes a statement that can’t be ignored. Lyrically, the tune is a stream of conscious dose of poetic majesty. The dynamics of the music works in natural harmony with the vocal attack, and I can’t help but get excited and pissed off at the same time. It’s the kind of song that makes you look long and hard in the mirror, making you question what you’re here to accomplish, and how are you going to meet your life goals? Are you here to just take up space and breathe in, breathe out, contributing nothing to your society, or are you that game changer who was put on this earth to help your community, to bring a better life to those around you? Fuckin’ strong song and creeping up my All Time Favorite List.

I’m excited about this album. Flat out. It has power to it that I haven’t felt from this particular genre in a very long time and I don’t think I would be along in feeling that. It’s a universal message of power, or at least, taking the power back from those who currently hold it. Listen to the track called “Greed”, which is more of a narrative or sound bite from a college lecture about the harmful effects of capitalism. It’s the kind of message that will make you stop and re-think your stance on the subject, or investigate it more to become better educated on the matter. And really, that’s what I think I was looking for from a hip-hop record. Make me question my own beliefs. Make me re-think my positions on the topics that matter. It doesn’t mean I need to change my beliefs, but I’m being open to new views on them and being that I have the freedom of choice, I can then decide what my future holds. For now, though . . . my future holds another spin of Nothing To Lose But Change.

-- Pope

http://www.myspace.com/elementalzazen

http://www.facebook.com/elementalzazen

Two Faces Of Gookin feat. D. Gookin and 2 Ton Bug

I stormed into the claustrophobic room and slammed my hands palm down onto the table situated in front of the suspect.

“Listen up Gookin!  I’ve had enough of your games.  Do you realize how much trouble you’re in?  Wipe that smile off your face!”
“Detective Penfold, I don’t understand you.  Only a moment ago we were having a nice, pleasant conversation.  You left the room in a jovial mood, but now you’re back and clearly upset.  Why is that?”
“Hey!  I’ll ask the questions here Gookin.  Got that?”
“Of course Detective.  Of course.  You mentioned that I was in trouble?”
“Ohhhh yeah.  Big trouble.”
“I’ve done nothing wrong Detective.”
“Hahaha.  Play dumb all you want Gookin.  We’ve got enough evidence to put you away for a long time.”
“You can’t be serious.  What’s the charge?”
“Inciting excessive happiness and good cheer among the depressed, dejected masses.”
“That’s a crime?”
“You’d better believe it mister!”
“But I’m an artist.  Cheering people up is my job.”
“Can it Gookin.  I don’t want to hear any more of your socio-emotional ranting.  It’s bad enough that I had to listen to your so-called music.”
“You listened to my music Detective Penfold?  Which album did you listen to?”
“First I listened to your own Spiral Style EP, and then I listened to Wedding Of The Century where you play drums.”
“Did you like the music?”
“Did I like the music?  You bet I did.  It was great!  I loved it!  Say, is there a way I might be able to get a hold of some of your other relea…”

“Oh you’re good Gookin.  Too good.  In fact you’re so good, you’re dangerous!  You nearly had me there for a second.  All right.  Enough talk.  I’m leaving now.  When I come back I’ll have a formal confession that you will sign whether you like it or not.  And didn’t I tell you to get that smile off your face?”

D. Gookin - Spiral Style

I admit it.  I did not think it was possible.  If I had not heard it with my own ears, I would swear on anything you had handy that it was physically and theoretically impossible to capture the properties of sunshine inside a piece of electronic music.  Preposterous!  Can’t be done!  Well waveriders, I was wrong.  Dead wrong in fact.  Allow me to introduce you to an artist by the name of D. Gookin, and his newest EP entitled Spiral Style.

The music on this EP is electronic sunshine, plain and simple.  Joyous, effervescent, celebratory electronic music.  I’m telling you the truth.  Spiral Style effuses such good cheer and glee that it feels like your birthday and Christmas morning rolled into one package.  You’ll have to excuse me folks.  I listen to so much anger-fueled music that when I hear something great that is engineered to produce happiness instead of rage or gloom it is pretty shocking.  And I’ll be completely honest.  While I am not at all adverse to purely electronic music, it’s simply not my normal go-to genre.  Thus, when I stumble across someone like D. Gookin it helps to expand my horizons and make me a better listener.

There are six songs on the Spiral Style EP.  All six are appropriately upbeat and bubbly, but I don’t want to imply that they are simple copies of one another.  Not at all.  Each song has a strong, unique melody line that makes them easily identifiable.  Another element that changes from song to song is the vocals.  While there is a limited amount of clean vocals scattered throughout the EP it often sounds as if the vocals are being pumped through a vocorder, and at other times it sounds as if they were recorded underwater.  I can’t be sure, but I would guess Mr. Gookin sometimes uses a wah pedal to manipulate the vocals as well.  Regardless, I am very impressed with how immensely the vocals add to the overall sound and musical vibe.  I suppose if I were forced to pick one I would say that “Freak On A Cloud” is my favorite song of the bunch.  It’s a close call however as there is not a slacker in the bunch. 

Alrighty then people.  It’s time to sum up.  If you are having a bad or off day and need a musical pick me up to turn your frown upside down look no further than D. Gookin’s Spiral Style EP.  One listen and you’ll be skipping along chanting ‘happy happy, joy joy’.

Listen Here- http://www.moodgadget.com/dgookin/

2 Ton Bug - Wedding Of The Century

Watch out waveriders because you’re about to be run over by a musical Mack truck coming straight out of left field!  I’m not joking folks.  I hit the play button on this album with absolutely no idea what to expect.  All I knew was that D. Gookin, whose excellent solo material made me very happy, plays drums in 2 Ton Bug, a band led by Joe Rumrill.  Wanting to prolong my happiness and expand my knowledge of Mr. Gookin’s work I dove in ears first.  Am I still happy after listening to Wedding Of The Century?  The short answer is absolutely!  A more refined answer would be yes, I’m incredibly happy, but in an entirely different manner than before.

2 Ton Bug is a direct shot of adrenaline to your brain.  Wedding Of The Century is an electro/punk/riff rock extravaganza with more energy than a collapsing star.  When the band kicked into ultra-high gear the first time it literally made me sit back in my chair.  Filthy is the adjective that most easily comes to mind when I think about this band’s sound.  They combine distorted guitars, washed-out keyboards, and overexposed drums (including a trash can) with megaphone-enhanced or strained vocals (female and male) to produce a sound that punches you right in the solarplexus. It sounds perfect!  It sounds fantastic!  I love it!

There are eight songs (all written by Mr. Rumrill) making up Wedding Of The Century.  I guarantee you won’t notice the first few times.  Nope.  Your brain will unconsciously rebel against this album ending and automatically force your finger to hit the play button and restart the ride.  It happened to me.  It will happen to you too.  But what about those songs?  Opener “Time Trabblin’” explodes with punk energy until about halfway through when it slows down to match up with a devastating guitar riff.  “Burn the Witch” has the potential to spark a combative hoe-down with its punk/country vibe.  “Tank Wipe” and “Meth Mouth” are fast and furious hardcore workouts.  “Follow the 2 Ton Bug” offers a fantastic Hendrix-like portion of “The Star Spangled Banner” before launching itself into orbit.  For crying out loud!  The only song which allows the listener to draw breath would be the slightly slower, ultra-groovy “Hurricane Lemmy”.

Waveriders I implore you.  Take the time today to head over to the 2 Ton Bug bandcamp page and listen to this album.  Do it now, thank me later.

--Penfold

Buy and Listen Here- http://2tonbug.bandcamp.com/

Tyler, The Creator – Goblin

 

Talk about someone who has blown up.  When I first started listening to Tyler, The Creator in early 2010, when he first released his debut album Bastard, he and his cohorts in his collective, Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All, had barely made a dent in the music world.  Now it seems like they are making an asteroid-sized crater on the musical industry.  Whether it is from Kanye West tweeting that Tyler created the best music video in 2011, to Diddy saying that they are the future of music, to Sony partnering with the group to create their own label, Odd Future records, it just seems like they are on a high that will never go away.  However, Tyler proves on his new release that what glitters isn’t always gold.  Goblin is boiling over with Tyler describing his internal struggles with his newfound “fame”, however slight that fame might actually be.  The finished product is an album that is long, angry, and sometimes even challenging to listen to, but at the same time rewarding, interesting, and an insightful glimpse into the life of Tyler.

Right off the bat, you can tell that Tyler is not going to change his style just because he has gained a certain level of fame among the musical blogosphere.  The title track is a near-seven minute rant about his fame, fortune, friends, fans, mindset, and everything else that just happened to pop into his head.  He is just as terse and furious as he was on the opening track on his 2009 album Bastard, not afraid to wear his emotions on his sleeve, and let you know that he isn’t impervious to the world around him.  He readily admits that he is just a nineteen-year-old kid, not a role model; in fact, this is the very first thing he says on Goblin.

For the most part, this release delivers in every manner possible.  There are the typical Tyler songs that are slow, dark, introspective tableaus of self-loathing (Goblin, Nightmare, She, Golden).  Then, there are the tracks that are quicker paced, and the beat and lyrics will stay lodged in your brain for days, never mind how morbid or inappropriate those lyrics may be (Transylvania, Sandwitches, Tron Cat, Analog, Her).  Also, the fact that he wrote and produced almost all of the songs on the album is incredibly impressive.  Tyler makes a giant leap from Bastard to Goblin as a producer.  He has found his own sound, and has been slowly perfecting it over the last few years, and it is most certainly showing on this album.  Finally, there are tracks that go above and beyond in all aspects.

"Nightmare" is the one track that perfectly sums up the album.  The song is a track that, like others on both of his albums, has him talking to his “therapist”, Dr. TC.  It is one of the very few tracks on this album that has a hook on it, and it is one of the more depressing hooks I can think of when placed in the context of the song (“I told her I’m her worst nightmare/This is hell you don’t ever got to fight fair/My spirit floats around in the night air/Or in your daydreams, that’s how death seems”).  However, then Dr. TC brings up the mysteriously missing OFWGKTA member Thebe Kgositsile, AKA Earl Sweatshirt, and Tyler launches into a rant about parents blaming him for messing up their kids.  After this he continues his own downward spiral of self-loathing, with lyrics about drinking to forget his problems (“My nigga Jasper said if I drink and get drunk enough I won’t feel the feelings I be feeling when I sobered up. / But that’s a fucking lie, why would he say that I’m as emotionally strained as Travis when he’s…”), his loss of his missing “brother” Thebe (“Don’t look at me, I’m 6’5” about to fucking cry about another guy”), and his OF brothers leaving LA (“I finally had a family.  But, Domo’s in another state, and where the fuck is Riley?”).  All in all, “Nightmare” is a perfect summation of the album as a whole.

With Goblin, Tyler, The Creator solidifies his continued rise from a kid rapping for fun with his friends to someone who is perfecting his craft at an alarmingly quick rate.  Tyler is already at work on his next album, tentatively scheduled to be called Wolf and to be released in 2012, so he has seemingly not lost any of his hunger to be the best.  All we can do is listen to Bastard and Goblin and imagine where he can go from here.


--Genesis

Buy here: Goblin (Deluxe Edition) [Explicit]

K. Flay - I Stopped Caring In ’96

My legs dangled off the examination table swinging to an off-time rhythm.  I had been staring at the optics chart on the wall in front of me for the better part of ten minutes.  Other people might see boredom set in after awhile, but I was completely indifferent.  To be blunt, that feeling of indifference was in point of fact the main catalyst behind this well being check up.  Since neither I nor anything mechanical in my room was producing any noise, I was able to hear the doctor’s footsteps as she approached from down the hall.  The door opened and the doctor greeted me warmly.

“Good morning Mr. Penfold.  I’m Doctor Clinique.  This is your first visit to my office?”
“Yes ma’am.”
“What seems to be the trouble?”
“Doc, I’m really not sure how to describe it.  I’ve simply stopped caring.”
“Mr. Penfold, I’m going to stop you for a moment.  You do realize that I am not a psychologist, yes?”
“I certainly do ma’am.  My troubles are physical in nature.”
“All right.  Do you remember when these troubles began?”
“Yes ma’am.  I’ve gone over my situation time and time again.  Although I cannot pinpoint one exact moment or event as the harbinger of my current predicament, I am absolutely certain about the timeframe.  I stopped caring about the world around me back in 1996.  This led directly to strange physical conditions that I’ve experienced ever since.”
“Can you elaborate on these physical conditions for me?”
“Of course, Doctor.  From early 1996 to halfway through 2000 I felt nothing.  Literally.  It was as if I were wearing a suit of heavy padding over my entire body.  My hands and feet gave very little tactile feedback.  I would hold an object in my hands, but without actually looking at the object I could not have identified it.  No nuance of the item’s surface would be gleaned from my touch alone.  Also, objects would impact my body with little or no immediate result.  My skin would bruise up after heavy contact like normal, but it was as if my nerve endings had gone to sleep.”
“I see Mr. Penfold.  Has that problem persisted?”
“No, ma’am.  The lack of feeling did stop, but a new problem took its place.  From late 2000 to the end of 2006 I felt everything.  I’m not just referring to the temperature or how hard or soft something is here.  No, I was hypersensitive.  The world was brought into sharp relief, and I was even able to feel other people’s emotions.  When someone spoke to me angrily it was as if their words were punching me in the stomach.  On the opposite end of the spectrum, when someone whispered something to me it felt like a feather running along the inside of my ear.”
“Very interesting Mr. Penfold.  You said these feelings ended back in 2006.  What happened next?”
“Well Doc, for a few months everything went back to normal and I felt fine.  But since the spring of 2007 I’ve been encountering stretches of time where I flip flop between my two previous conditions.  One day I feel nothing, the next I feel everything, and the next I’m normal again.  I know that you’re not a psychologist ma’am, but this constant turnabout has altered my worldview substantially.  I now strongly believe that everything is nothing.  While I’m not sure that I want that to change, I would certainly like my nerves to stabilize and give me a rest from this merry-go-round I’m stuck riding.  Can you help me Doc?”
“Mr. Penfold, I’m going to be honest with you.  I’ve never run across someone with your problem before.  If you’re willing to wait here for a few minutes, I need to make some phone calls to a few of my esteemed colleagues.  With any luck they will know exactly what can help you.  Is that okay?”
“Yeah sure, Doctor.  I’ve got some music to listen to while you’re away.  I’ll be fine.”
“Great.  I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

With the doctor gone I reached into my pocket and removed my mp3 player.  The earbuds went in my ears, the player was turned on, and the play button was depressed.  A bass heavy beat signaled the beginning of K. Flay’s new mixtape, coincidentally titled I Stopped Caring in ’96.  What followed was a nine track musical juggernaut.  If you’re looking for an interesting hip hop artist who offers something different than the norm, your search just ended.

What makes K. Flay different you ask?  Well for starters she’s a female emcee.  I’m not saying that there aren’t any other interesting female emcees producing music in the world, just that they are fairly difficult to locate if you’re using the mainstream media as your guide.  But hey, that’s why The Ripple Effect exists!  Another difference is that K. Flay doesn’t hide or downplay her intelligence.  Her lyrics jump from clever thought to clever idea with the clear understanding that the listener is either smart enough to follow along, or they will be left in the dust.  Speaking of her lyrical prowess, K. Flay utilizes a sick and varied lyrical flow which consistently captivates her audience.  Seriously, it’s borderline terminal.

I Stopped Caring in ’96 was released in three song increments, on three separate days over the course of the month of April.  The first block of tunes was entitled ‘I Feel Nothing’.  The three songs share feelings of detachment and disillusionment from the world.  ‘I Feel Everything’ came next.  As you might have guessed these three songs are more emotionally charged affairs.  “Doctor Don’t Know” happens to be my favorite song on the mixtape, and “Danger Starts” is harrowing.  The last piece to the puzzle is called ‘Everything is Nothing’.  This portion is fairly cathartic for the listener following the serious subject matter discussed in the earlier songs.  These last three tracks, including the standout “Elle Fanning” and especially “PARTY”, are far lighter in tone and content than the other six. 

I’m guessing at this point that you waveriders would appreciate a sample verse to help get a better feel for what to expect.  Happy to oblige.  This is the second verse from “Doctor Don’t Know”.

All these folks telling me I’m about to be something big, but you see joke’s on them / Sitting in a board room hella bored, can’t hear a thing though my amp’s on ten / Mind in a permanent state of flux, mental double dutch, had a bag of cheetos ate ‘em up / 3 PM and I’m still waking up / Wishin’ I could save myself but I’m not brave enough / Sick of all these handshakes, before knowing every morning bran flakes / How much bullshit can a man take, till she finally breaks? / The difference between getting what you want, and what they want, is nuance / So listen baby girl get your boots on, here’s something to chew on / In the end we might go to hell, or we might go to heaven, so you might as well / Cut it out with the crisis of faith, and then crushed in the dome like a vice to the face / And you might just escape all the time that you wasted, if you stuck to the basics / Get a grip, buckle up / Take a pill, what the fuck?

Mmmm, hmmmm.  By the way, this is a free mixtape.  That’s right!  There is absolutely no barrier to entry.  Simply surf your way over to K. Flay’s website, www.kflay.com, and get downloading.  The sooner you start listening, the sooner you can recommend K. Flay to someone else!  Waveriders, you all have your signed prescription sheets.  Disperse and be healed!

--Penfold

www.kflay.com

Pigeon John - Dragon Slayer

Another heavy gust of wind viciously tore at my clothing, and there was a strong possibility that the ominous darkness on the horizon was a suffocating sandstorm that would shortly overtake my position.  Indecision, the arch nemesis of all brave adventurers, had suddenly fallen on me like a ton of bricks.  I was standing a few steps away from my vehicle staring at a massive door which had been built directly into the side of a mountain.  I knew that what I sought would be behind the door.  All I had to do now was muster up the courage to enter the dwelling and complete my quest.

I took a deep breath and put one foot in front of the other…but on second thought, I could just come back some other time.  Yeah, that’s the ticket!  I could come back when it was more convenient.  Now that I thought about it, I did have to run some important errands back in town today.  Those movies needed to be returned by this evening, and I think I forgot to pick up my mail.  It’s not like this mountain was going anywhere.  Mountains don’t move for crying out loud!  They’re stationary.  That’s why they’re called mountains!

Unfortunately my inner dialogue/deliberation must have taken considerably more time to conclude than I imagined, because the sandstorm was right on top of me when I came to my senses.  Now I was left with no choice.  I could not drive anywhere in the sandstorm, so I had to seek shelter behind the door in the mountain.  Curses!  It took a determined effort to pull the massive door open to the point where I could slip inside.  The howling of the storm was truly demonic.  Pulling the door shut completely muffled the noise and left an eerie silence in its place.

“Oh hello there sir.  I say, it sounds like quite the storm outside doesn’t it?”

Terrified, I whipped around to face the mysterious, heavily accented voice and came face to face with an imposing dragon.  I say face to face, but actually, the dragon was about ten meters away reclining on an extremely large couch in a vertical humanoid manner, wearing a red smoking jacket, and sipping from what appeared to be a porcelain tea cup.  It was reading from a large book that was lying open in its lap.

“Oh my…I can’t…You’re…!!”
“Yes, yes, yes.  Let’s just skip the formalities shall we.  I’m the dragon that you didn’t actually believe existed.  You must be that Penfold fellow I heard about on the radio come to slay me, hmmm?  Don’t bother responding to that.  The truth is written all over your face.  And close your mouth.  That awestruck look you humans have is quite unbecoming.”
“Look Mr. Dragon…or sir…or whatever it is you wish to be called.  Please don’t kill me.   I’m rather fond of life at the moment.”
“Well now.  The way I see it, your continued existence depends entirely on you.”
“Huh?”
“Look Penfold; you don’t mind if I call you Penfold do you?  I feel like I’ve known you for eons.  You are just the latest in a long, long…long line of humans who have come to shuffle me from this mortal coil.”
“What happened to the others?”
The dragon raised his tea cup and pointed its pinkie claw at a rather large pile of bones off in the corner of the room.
“Oh.  I see.  I take it you’re drinking their blood from that cup?”
“Good heavens no!  This is my daily cup of Earl Grey.  I always take it when I sit down to read.  But back to my point.  I’m rather tired of you adventurers.  So here is what I propose.  I’ll let you live if you go back from whence you came and tell everyone that you slew me, the dragon.”
“You’re kidding?  No one will believe me!”
“Oh yes they will.  I’ll give you one of my scales along with some of my collected artifacts as evidence.  You’ll be a hero!  And I’ll finally be left in peace.  What do you say?”
“Can I have a minute to think it over?”
“No.”
“Okay then.  I’ll do it!”

Waveriders.  Allow me to introduce you to Pigeon John.  He is an utterly charming individual who will greet you like an old friend upon your first introduction.  You may not know him now, but trust me.  After you listen to some of his music he’ll become that long lost relative whom you’ll never lose track of again.  Sure, there might be times when you don’t pay close attention to his goings on, but sooner or later a voice in the back of your head will cry out, demanding to reestablish contact.  With that in mind it’s a very good thing that Pigeon John’s latest album, Dragon Slayer, has hit the market.

Quite a few years back, I was properly introduced to Pigeon John when he opened for one of my favorite hip hop groups, Blackalicious.  His performance was stupendously entertaining!  At the end of the show I approached his merch table where he was peddling his wares.  I shook his hand, exclaimed how awesome his show had been, and asked if I could buy a copy of four of the five CDs that he was selling.  Essentially, I wanted to buy everything he had ever done in one fell swoop (only lack of funds stopped me)!  The years have since come and gone waveriders, but my appreciation for PJ’s music has never wavered.

Taking that into account, it is with great remorse that I must relate I was not initially blown away by Dragon Slayer.  It had been four years since PJ’s last album, Pigeon John and the Summertime Pool Party.  During the lead up to the release of Dragon Slayer, I built up significant expectations as to what this new album would sound like.  Those expectations were shattered upon my very first listen.  PJ, like a lot of great artists, decided to take his music in an exciting new direction (much more singing, less rapping).  Unfortunately for me, it took about two weeks for my stubborn nature to accept this fact.  Once I let go of my expectations however, Dragon Slayer quickly became essential daily listening.  In fact, this may be my overall favorite PJ album ever!

So what makes this album so likable?  Dragon Slayer is a feel good, wonderful ride from beginning to end.  Unlike some other hip hop albums that come to mind, it is chock full of material perfectly relatable to the everyman.  As a matter of fact, that is a strong part of the appeal of Pigeon John’s music.  He is himself an everyman, just like you and me.  His concerns often match up very closely with our own.  A perfect example is the song “Buttersoft Seats” in which he worries about making enough money to adequately support his family.  Tell me.  Has your significant other/domestic partner ever left you a list of things to accomplish while they were away from home?  Take a listen to “To Do List” and have a laugh at PJ’s expense.

One of the other aspects I hang my hat on when recommending PJ is how soberingly honest his songs can get.  The tale spun in “Davey Rockit” of a boy stubbornly pursuing his dreams in the face of great personal adversity is beautiful, touching, and bittersweet.  “Rock Bottom Again” recounts the artist’s battle with substance abuse.  But hold on a second.  It’s not all doom and gloom here.  Dragon Slayer has plenty of happiness and cheer to spread far and wide.  The album opens with the electro-thump rave up “The Bomb”.  Later on one finds the highly energized “Hey You” (reminds me of early Arctic Monkeys musically), and the swaggerific “So Gangster”.  And the last track, “Ben Vereen”?  Ridiculous!

The bottom line is this.  Pigeon John has created an album that will appeal to anyone with open ears and a keen mind.  Get this album now.  You’ll love it!

--Penfold

Buy here:  Dragon Slayer
Buy here mp3: Dragon Slayer

Ryan-O’Neil - Hyphenated & Apostrophed

This whole escapade began like any other night.  I went to sleep at the appropriate time, but shortly thereafter things went awry.  As everyone knows the mind is a very dangerous place, and it often takes you to terrifying places while you are unconscious.  Some call these instances nightmares.  I like to think of these bad dreams as new episodes of ‘The Twilight Zone’.  The nightmare I experienced that night took me back to school.  I know…the horror!

“Penfold, have you finished your writing assignment yet?”
“Umm…yes?”  I look down at my desk and see a piece of paper with my writing on it.
“Well hand it to me you insolent brat!”
“All right, jeez.  Here you go.”  The teacher roughly snatched the paper from my hands and began to read.
“Penfold, Penfold, Penfold.  You continually amaze me.  This chicken scratch is some of the worst writing I’ve ever seen!  If it were in my power, I’d have you remanded all the way back to remedial English.  Look at this!?  Your grammar is astoundingly bad, even for a dimwit like you.  Seriously, how do you expect to graduate fifth grade and move onto middle school if you can’t figure out where to put an apostrophe to properly indicate possession?”
“Wait…did you say sixth grade?”
“What’s the matter Penfold?  Is simple addition beyond your grasp too?  I’ll tell you what.  If you can write down five convincing arguments in the next three minutes as to why I shouldn’t fail you right now, I’ll let you graduate.  Sound good?”

I was so emotionally devastated at that moment I couldn’t speak.  My response was limited to a half-hearted nod.  I set about my task with a sense of impending doom.  To my dismay every time I tried to write something my utensil failed.  Pens ran out of ink after one letter, or the ballpoint collapsed in on itself.  Pencils snapped or shattered.  Markers went bone dry.  Crayons dissolved into fine grains.  All the paint tubes around my desk had been squeezed flat and were empty.  When I reached for the watercolors in desperation I was unable to find a water-source, or even manufacture enough spittle to wet the brush.  At the three minute mark I was left with a patchwork of multicolored letters scattered randomly across two sheets of paper.  The teacher triumphantly tore the papers off my desk.

“Let’s see what you’ve come up with Penfold.  Hmmm?  In three minutes time it appears the only thing you can effectively demonstrate is command of less than half of the individual letters of the alphabet.  Truly, I’m in awe of your genius!  Can I have your autograph?  Wait, it doesn’t appear that you know the letter X so it looks like that’s not possible.  Too bad.  But on the positive side, I’ll have all next year to get that autograph because you’re not going anywhere.  Forget graduation.  Be thankful if you only have to repeat fifth grade!”

Waveriders, I’m here to tell you that waking up screaming and flailing your limbs wildly in a cold sweat is never fun.  Thankfully after this particular nightmare I was able to quickly banish all negative thoughts under a deluge of awesome tunes.  What artist provided this elixir you ask?  Why, it’s Ryan-O’Neil with his album Hyphenated and Apostrophed.  How did that work exactly?  Oh that’s easy to explain.  Hyphenated and Apostrophed is a multi-faceted explosion of lyrical goodness that will steer fans of intelligent music from whatever stormy seas they’ve run afoul of back to the calm, placid waters of musical enlightenment!  Pretty cool, huh?

Ryan-O’Neil is a talented emcee born in Jamaica, but who has lived in New York City since early 1994.  His musical education is impressive, boasting a bachelor’s degree in music from Hobart and William Smith Colleges.  You could confidently proclaim that he knows his way around a song’s composition.  Now I know what you’re going to say waveriders.  All the training and accreditations in the world don’t mean a thing if the end product doesn’t measure up.  I agree with that statement wholeheartedly!  And based on his music, Ryan-O’Neil does as well.

I mentioned before that this album is multi-faceted lyrically.  That wasn’t a joke.  With few exceptions, all hip-hop heads can find at least one track off of Hyphenated & Apostrophed that they can really get behind and enjoy.  Are you in the mood for a bouncy, straight up battle rap?  Try album opener “Knock Knock”.  Not your thing?  That’s okay.  Are you more interested in music addressing society’s ills?  Cool!  Just skip to track two, “The Way the World Is”.  Not interested in the big problems?  That’s all right.  I know!  You’re in the mood to hear a sophisticated entreaty towards a prospective love interest.  Great!  Take a listen to “Treat me so Bad”.  Still not finding something that tickles your fancy?  Fine.  I bet you would like to hear a captivating storyline told from multiple angles.  Would that be to your liking?  I thought so.  Listen to the devastating album closer “Perspectives”.  You’re welcome.

At this point, I’m going to step aside and let the actual lyrics do the talking.  My flattery can only go so far in convincing others of the artistic merit held within these songs.  So without further ado, straight from the artist’s mouth, here is the third verse from the song “The Way the World Is”.

There’s a war going on in a sandbox / Leaders acting like they big dogs, it’s a sandlot / The world’s in a mess but yes we can stop / The hole in the ozone so it ain’t so hot /
No stop I’m not trying to be your next president / Ain’t on the ballot, not quite legit I’m not valid / ‘Cause I wasn’t born in this country / But if I wanna go to war they take me promptly / Situation’s comfy, immigrant’s a scapegoat / If you want a job done but don’t want to pay for it / Why outsource it while we got a source of workhorses / Right here in the workforce? / And it’s growing like moss on the North side of trees / Of course I can see how some folks just can’t cope with ease / Well let’s face it, when we get down to the basics / None of y’all are natives / We all on vacation / I’m wasted /

Pretty slick, eh?  But that’s not all.  How about this smooth first verse from “Treat me so Bad”.

Just to court you, one must first approach you / I had to let you know that I am quite social / So I talk a lot and mingle / Yeah I’m single, see I made you giggle / And I talk in riddles / It’s this thing that I’m into / A fling sounds sinful/ A ring? / It’s much too early / Let’s get to know each other, there’s no need for us to hurry / Baby don’t worry, I’ll cook you curry once I learn it / Stick with me in the kitchen just to make sure I don’t burn it / It’s turning the tide, I can see it in your eyes / You done seen through all these lies, and games played by these guys / And lames they want dimes and dames, I want a lady / We can make war or make babies, yeah / The world’s gone crazy, so maybe I’m an optimist / Once we get together, you know there ain’t no stopping us / Disregard the populous, the majority they hate us / The schemers try to play us, they don’t want us to be greatness.

As impressive as these lyrics are when written out, they are even more so when performed with Ryan-O’Neil’s rhythmically solid lyrical flow.  To put it mildly, this man is a disgustingly entertaining lyricist and performer.  To top it all off, there is no barrier to entry to check out this album.  Yes sir, you can download Hyphenated and Apostrophed for free on either www.freeicecream.net or Ryan-O’Neil’s bandcamp page.  So why are you still here?  Get listening people!

--Penfold

Bully Blinders - City of Dirt

My investigative team and I were standing in the middle of Balboa Park in San Diego, California.  All of our research had led us to this exact location a month ago.  Upon scanning the area with subterranean radar we discovered the tunnel entrance.  It took a month of careful excavation to arrive at this point, the day that we would enter the tunnel.  We arrived a little before seven forty five in the morning, ready to document this momentous occasion.  All three trucks were unloaded, our two large tents were erected, and our prodigious supplies and equipment were organized and readied.  With any luck, it was going to be a long day filled with illuminating insights into a long forgotten society.

The cameras began filming at eight thirty while my team removed the last impediments blocking the mouth of the tunnel.  After everything was cleared away, I turned on my powerful flashlight and strode into the unknown with my camera crew following close behind.  By my estimation I walked about a hundred meters down the tunnel with not one twist or turn before I reached a modest sized room.  The room was a rectangular space with no ornamentation on the walls, and what appeared to be a clay pot on the ground.  To be frank, I was upset.  I expected much more from this tunnel than a featureless room that held nothing of interest, and I voiced my displeasure.

“You’ve got to be kidding me!?  Why go to the trouble of tunneling a good distance underground if all it leads to is an empty room?  I’m sorry…a room with a pot?”
“Mr. Penfold.  Why are you so upset?  This room might appear to hold nothing but a pot, but we need to properly analyze it before jumping to any conclusions.”
“Analyze this room?  Are you serious!?  I can hardly believe that anyone could…okay…breathe man.  Take a few deep breaths.  You know what Mr. Underling?  You’re right.  I let my hopes run away with me.  Of course you’re right.  Thank you my friend.”

No matter what I might admit to the others, I was still disillusioned.  Not thinking, I leaned sideways and put my hand against the wall right above the pot letting it support my weight.  Suddenly the wall around my fingers crumbled and gave way!  Half my arm disappeared inside the opening before I gained my balance!  Flashlight beams danced every which way as my crew rushed to my side.  Thankfully my careless stupidity had not been rewarded with any physical injury, only monumental embarrassment.  The same could not be said for the wall however.  Fissures continued to form, and the affected portion of the wall completely disintegrated all the way down to the floor.  All in all, this was not one of my shining moments as an archeologist.

The disgust I felt for myself was quickly wiped away when I cast a glance towards what lay beyond the hole in the wall.  Nothing interrupted the pitch black darkness beyond the opening.  When I shined my flashlight through the opening I received the same visual result.  This new room/area appeared to be very large, perhaps massive.  Now I was becoming excited.  This could be it!  Without consulting anyone on my team, I ducked my head down and passed through the wall.  Once I was on the other side I took ten steps forward and began shining my light in all directions.  I simply could not believe what my eyes were seeing.  Stretching away into the distance before me was an ancient cityscape.  This was the fabled City of Dirt!  We were standing in what might be the greatest archeological find of the new millennium!

Waveriders, I want to tell you about another important find.  This one is of the musical persuasion, and it could not have come at a better time.  For whatever reason I often encounter stretches where I am unable to find new hip hop artists (new to me at least) that genuinely pique my interest.  I know that they are out there waiting to be discovered, but I apparently lack the means to make their acquaintance.  In these circumstances I rely on others to steer me in the right direction.  Thankfully I have a few friends and coworkers who can do just that, including the great Racer X of The Ripple Effect.  Recently, Racer sent me out onto the internet superhighway to investigate a group named Bully Blinders, and the rest as they say is history.

Bully Blinders is a hip hop duo based out of San Diego made up of William Talls and Chad Tuthill.  In January of 2010 they put out their debut album entitled City Of Dirt, and it is that album which we are going to be talking about today.  To put it mildly, City Of Dirt is fantastic!  Honestly, I knew from the very first song that I was in for something good.  Track number two let me know I was in for something special!  This album is a perfect example of what I’m looking for in hip hop; intelligent, well-delivered lyrics backed by interesting, organic-sounding music.  As I alluded to before, these elements coalesce immediately in the first song.

“The Spirit of John Dewey” bounces to life behind an ultra funky organ/base/drum backdrop.  Honestly I’m not familiar with American philosopher John Dewey’s work, so I am not able to fully decipher the meaning behind this song.  That being said, when the first lyric concerns man’s ‘connection to insects in general / and to anything else in the world boasting wings, legs, and tentacles’, you have my attention.  The second song, “Aim Low Kid”, guaranteed my full and undivided attention with its attack upon the it’s okay to be dumb mindset and the rationale offered behind it.  Here is part of the first lyrical verse to illustrate what I’m referring to.

‘Well okay, it’s cool to be dumb in school / Girls you can play the bimbos, guys you can be the tools / But it’s not your fault, you just do what your told / and what you keep getting sold is the idea just to aim low / Single family homes are up to sixty percent / No time to raise your kids, so they end up learning from the TV sets / eliminating arts from the curriculum and class, so they do just enough to get up, make the grade and pass.’

The highlights keep coming.  There is the feel good ode to delicious cereals “Continental Breakfast”, and the fantastically woven together pastiche of eighties sitcom characters, show titles, and storylines entitled “The Charlie Sheen Theme”.  On the emotional flip side there is the seriously contemplative “Can’t Imagine”, and the sobering look at reality of “You Only Hear What You Want To Hear”.  My personal favorite is called “30 Feet Above Dirt”.  This song is a smooth, laid back story of a man who builds a treehouse to get away from his worldly troubles.  It’s awesome!  Actually, analyzing everything there is not one song out of the nine that I would not consider a highlight.  All nine are keepers!

So there you have it waveriders.  If you are looking for something funky and interesting that deviates from what can be considered the norm in mainstream hip hop, look no further than Bully Blinders’ album City Of Dirt.  If you are anything like me, this album will act like a breath of fresh air.  A palate cleanser if you will.  Oh, and the group has stated that a new full length album is in the works, with a planned release date later on in 2011.  You can bet that I’m looking forward to that release with great anticipation!  Now to check back in with the team.

I just couldn’t bring myself to believe that all our work had paid off!  We were standing in a whole city lost to time!  My team and I rushed out of the tunnel to get more cameras and equipment.  We were in the process of loading ourselves down when the small army of men in black suits approached.

“Who are you?”
“Mr. Penfold, we’re with the government.  I’m afraid that your excavation is finished.  For your own safety, we are going to seal that tunnel.  Also, it would be wise for you and your team to never mention what you have seen here today.  Am I understood?”
“Hold on a second!  You can’t do this!”
“Yes we can sir.  Now pack up and leave the area.  Anyone who does not leave will be forcibly evacuated.”
“But…I…fine, have it your way…for now.”
“Thank you for your cooperation sir.”

--Penfold


Buy here: City of Dirt
Buy here mp3: City Of Dirt