A Quart of Ballantine

Carl Verheyen: Free as a Bird

noreply@blogger.com (dronkmunk) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 04:34:00 +0000

Unless you have been a fan of the British prog-rock outfit Supertramp since 1985 onward, you have probably never heard the name Carl Verheyen, who is that band's current lead guitarist; however, you are probably more familiar with some of his work than you realize. Carl is a versatile and constantly traveling musician, and has been an uncredited contributor to many popular commercial jingles and television theme songs. Carl spoke with Quart of Ballantine to talk about his latest solo album Trading 8s and to share some of the insight he's acquired from over two decades of making music.

How long have you been a solo artist?
Well, I have done my own band pretty much since 1988. but we didn't get on the road until 1997. Then I started touring. I got going in Europe pretty well in those days, and just kept that going. I actually just got back from a tour that took me from Italy to Spain, to England. It was fun.
I bet its hard to come home after a tour like that.
Well yeah, but it's hard to leave the family too. So you kind of end up with a little bit of heartache. But its a lot of fun. My band is actually leaving Wednesday for a tour from Seattle, Washington all the way down to San Diego. So there's another tour coming up.
A lot of people I know have heard of Supertramp, but can't name a lot of their songs. It's funny when I start naming the songs, you see this look of recognition on people's faces and they start to go 'Yeah!' Like 'Take the Long way home..'
...'Goodbye Stranger', 'The Logical Song'...
Did you have a hand in writing a lot of that?
I didn't, because that was all written before I showed up. I joined Supertramp in 1985, and so my experience has been sort of the latter-day part of it. That's been about 24 years in the band. We just had a really cool reunion not too long ago. We played over in The Hamptons where Rick Davies lives, the leader of the band. That was really fun to go over to his 40 million dollar house; we had a great party and it was really fun to play.
Has it been hard to keep you guys together all these years?
I guess you could say it has, because we all live in very very different places. I'm in California, and one of the keyboard players is here. But the sax player is in Yorkshire, England. The bass player is in Napa Valley..it just goes on and on. Everybody is in different places.
Do you have any interesting tour experiences or stories?
Oh yeah, with Supertramp and with my own band. I've played with Supertramp in places like a Roman Colosseum, and I've watched the moon come up right in between these two Roman arches. I have played with my own band in many different places. I mean, you name it, we've played there.
What is the significance of your album's title Trading 8s?
'Trading 8s" is sort of a jazz term, and its when you trade 8 bar phrases with another player. And in the jazz era, they would have these blowing sessions where, you know, the sax player, the trumpet player, the piano player would all play solos, and then at the end of the tune, they would trade 8 bar phrases with the drummer over the form of the tune. So I decided how fun that would be..I mean, you've heard rock bands do it too. Like what The Beatles do at the end of Abbey Road. The Allman Brothers will trade 8s for a while on their songs also. That's been going on forever in Rock n' roll. What I tried to do was enlist some of my peers and some of my heroes and say 'Can you play on my record?' It was a really wonderful thing; just the spirit in which everybody came together and was enthusiastic about the project.
I've seen that you have done some instructional work.
I have done two instructional DVDs I've done two books and 10 Cd's and a live DVD. I have been around for quite a while and a studio musician for almost 30 years. You may not realize it but you hear me everyday. I am on every episode of "Cheers", I played on the movie "Up", and I played on "Star Trek" this year. "Land of the Lost", "Scrubs", dozens of jingles, other peoples records. When I am not on the road with my band, I am definitely working here in LA.
So you play the "Scrubs" theme song?
Yeah, I play the main title and the little incidental music in between cues. You won't see my name on the credits though; all you get is the damn composers name. They never list the musicians on those shows. You know that movie "Ratatouille"?
Yeah sure.
I was one of the principal soloists on that movie. Which means me and a harmonica player and an accordion player and a violinist were the principal soloists and I didn't even get a credit for that. [laughs]
Did you get to go to the premiere?
Yeah, at least I got to go the premiere and take my family.
So you do a lot of commercials as well, right?
Yeah, there is a little bit of that, but its mostly touring. When you're like me you want to go out on the road with your band. I've always felt that I have had too much music inside of me just to be a side man for the rest of my life and play jingles and stuff. I've got my own music I want get out and play. So for that reason I'm leaving town for 3 or 4 months a year. But that's OK. i look at it like there's nothing more exhilarating than playing to a live audience and the people in the front row are singing along to a song I wrote in my kitchen, you know? That's a really beautiful feeling that you cant get when you play on people's jingles and stuff.
You are known for many different styles of guitar playing. What can we expect to hear on Trading 8s, as far as styles of music?
Well there's definitely some blues on there, and then I go into a real pretty ballad. I've got almost like a James Taylor style tune which is a duet with a female vocalist. There is some acoustic stuff on there, and a ska version of George Harrison's "Taxman" and that goes into a jazz fusion jam. I have a song called "Highway 27." I wrote it because this is the road that goes from my house down to the beach. I wanted to make a tune that I could listen to in my car when I'm driving. That was the impetus for writing it.
What kind of music do you listen to nowadays?
I pretty much hear everything. I like a lot of guitar music but I'm also listening to Sonny Rollins, and Miles Davis, and jazz singers like Betty Carter. Today I was listening to some Little Richard and some Weather Report. But then again, we'll put on some bossanova or samba music and stuff like that, some Brazilian stuff, occasionally during cocktail hour. I like to hear classical music on a Sunday morning...so I really listen to a lot of stuff.
I'm sure that informs a lot of the music that you make.
I think so. I mean, if you're a shred guy or a heavy metal guy, and all you listen to is heavy metal guys, you're not really going to expand the genre because everything you've heard has been done. But if you're a guy like Jaco Pastorius, who was thinking like a guitar player on the bass, almost like classical flamenco guitar playing, he was able to take the electric bass into a whole new area.
Do you do a lot of social networking? Like Twitter or Facebook?
I do the Facebook thing occasionally because I consider that to be like a marketing tool. Getting a whole lot of fans and friends on Facebook. Every once in a while I'll mention I have a tour coming up or something like that. I have a Myspace page where you can hear my tracks. I have been holding off on twitter, but I will probably have to [use it] one of these days.
What are your thoughts on the record industry?
I have been with various record companies for 22 years, but I decided this time to make my own record, because I realized that the advances that the European labels would give me, they would pretty much make back on the first European tour supporting that record. I realized what I should do is just advance the money to myself and I will make it all back and more that way on the first tour. Which I did. So my latest record has recouped itself and its only been out a few months. In my position, not being a Britney Spears or a Rhianna, it makes the perfect sense to keep it a cottage industry and do it yourself.
Is there anything else you would like fans to know?
If you're a budding musician, be true to what you believe in, but also try to open your mind and learn as many styles as you can. That way you'll ensure yourself a long career in the music business.

I played the academy awards this year. Three days before the actual taping of the show, they came up to me and said 'Can you play an acoustic guitar version of the song "Moon River?"' Sitting on the front of the stage. They told me 'You should have it memorized [rather than playing it from the sheet music] because you'll be sitting on the front of the stage with the host Hugh Jackman. Meryl Streep and Brad Pitt and Angelina, and Penelope Cruz and all these movie stars will be about 3 feet away from your toes, and it would be better not to have a piece of music in front of you. Oh, and remember 65 million people will be watching.' So I went home and pulled out the music and memorized it and made myself a little solo guitar arrangement and I did it. If I hadn't spent the time learning jazz and different styles of music, I never would have gotten that gig. It turned out to be really, really big gig for me, financially.
Was it nerve-racking playing in front of all those people?
Well, I had to forget about the TV audience. 65 million is incomprehensible. The biggest crowd I have ever played for was about 180 thousand, with Supertramp. The Kodak theatre where they do they Academy Awards only seats about 3 thousand people. But when you add in the 65 million, that changes. So I just put them out of my mind, and looked at the beautiful movie stars.

The Assignment

noreply@blogger.com (dronkmunk) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 02:06:00 +0000

When I was a child, either the age of 5 or 6, my parents asked what I would like for Christmas. My answer both stunned and amused them; what I asked them for that year was a little brother. My mother chuckled and told me 'No, that won't be happening, I'm afraid.'

7 years later, when I was 12, my parents did conceive a child and gave birth to him in November of 1995. I had gotten my wish. It was an event that would change my life forever.

When my brother, Ramsey, was born I had never so much as held a baby in my arms, but suddenly rocking him to sleep, feeding him and changing his diapers became my primary responsibility. My parents were busy folks, each of them working multiple jobs during the weekend meant that I would be home during those nights keeping my new sibling fed, happy, and alive while my contemporaries were out having fun at parties and developing into young adults. I felt a sense of loss for my freedom, but what I didn't realize was that I would be gaining experiences that none of them would be able to understand until their later years when having children of their own.

The experience of raising a person, especially as a young man myself, has been one that I have been able to carry along with me throughout my life. It turned me from a person without a care in the world into someone who was burdened with a level of responsibility that absolutely could not be shirked. I was suddenly aware of what my parents had gone though in order to make sure that I had a happy and well-nourished childhood. It was not an easy job, and I would never again take for granted the struggles and sacrifices that they endured to make it happen.

My brother is now the age that I was when he was born, and watching him grow up has been an amazing experience and one I wouldn't trade for all of the adolescent parties or sleepovers in the world. He has become a very mature and intelligent young man, and having a hand in raising him has allowed me to claim at least partial responsibility for his development; all because of sacrifices that I made as a young man, whether they were voluntary or not.

Ramsey's birth absolutely changed my life in the way that I am eternally grateful for. He is someone that I have been able to share my own experiences with, and while the contributions I have made to his worldview has been beneficial to him, they have been extremely eye-opening (and life changing) to me. Now when I think about whether or not I want to have children, I don't have to think long; the answer is an absolute and easily given 'yes.'

get happy

noreply@blogger.com (dronkmunk) — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 00:34:00 +0000

Offensive line, pass rush, penalties

noreply@blogger.com (blaow85) — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 15:48:00 +0000

The result sucked, but that was a great game. You got a big, strong team up there! So it was a good way to see exactly how far away the Packers are. And only playing the struggling Lions and Browns before the rematch Nov 1, we needed that.

Much credit to Brett. He had a lot of time to throw, and Peterson took a huge load off his back, but he made some great plays too. It was weirder seeing him lined up on their first drive than I thought it would be after the last year +.

Great job by Minnesota getting in Rodgers' ass too. The pressure was coming all across the line, but just like Ogunleye, Odom and Little did in the other three games, Jared Allen got the weekly leg up on the Pro Bowl.

A few positives for the Packers too. And I wouldn't act like I've got the prescription other than in the title. The game was pretty close for how many things went y'all way, so we'll see if the team can pull together and do better from here. They seem to have the spirit to make that possible.

Updated: One more thing. I forgot to give coach Childress some credit for among other things, having a team with the discipline to not get hurt by penalties at all.

Run fits

noreply@blogger.com (blaow85) — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 17:47:00 +0000

A few nights ago I was sitting ripped rewatching the last Packer game, and this one play stuck out to me so I watched it about 40 times and caught everything I could.

Packers at Rams, 13:03 first quarter.

The Rams have first and 10 at the Green Bay 44, lined up in the I formation with a tight end on the right side and two receivers split out to the left. The Packers have Kampman and Poppinga flanking the three down linemen on the line of scrimmage. Woodson, Hawk, Barnett, Chillar and Harris are spread out about 5 yards off the line. Collins is 10 yards deep.

When the ball is snapped, the backs move forward toward a handoff to Steven Jackson and the right guard turns to his left to help against Pickett in the middle. Poppinga charges in from the slot on the snap, and the left tackle peels off to make him take a longer path around. He's out of the play by the time Jackson receives the handoff.

Pickett mostly holds his ground, but gets turned sideways toward Cullen Jenkins, who's engaged with the center and left guard. This makes it easier for the RG, C and LG to work together and wall off those two linemen.

Barnett chases inside as the LT moves toward Poppinga, but that takes him the long way past the 5-man wall of Pickett, Jenkins and blockers. He's 3 yards into the backfield at the same time as Jackson, but too far wide to make the tackle.

On the other side of the B gap (between the RG and RT), Jolly shoves on the RT while the tight end slows down Kampman long enough for the play to get by. Hawk takes on the fullback on Jolly's side of the gap at the line of scrimmage.

When Jackson rushes through the gap, he's already past 7 Packers as Woodson and Chillar move in on the next level. Chillar pushes past the slot receiver, and Woodson is the first Packer to touch Jackson, 5 yards past the line of scrimmage.

Woodson wraps around Jackson's waist and quickly slides down past the hips, but hangs on tight to Jackson's right leg and slows him down. Collins comes up to meet them and help make the tackle after an 11-yard gain, and Pickett of all people catches up with the play to hit the pile. Chillar and Hawk were the next closest to helping.

I don't have any claims or main idea to highlight with those 6 seconds, but it was interesting to me, and we know the run defense will be important Monday night.

Nick Collins should be important too, I think, since the Vikings have a few threats to get down the field. He might have a chance to make a big play, but if he just helps prevent big plays that'll be even better.

It's going to be tough to go in and win this one without getting a couple turnovers, or otherwise something unexpected happening.

From Wisconsin, Go Yankees

noreply@blogger.com (blaow85) — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 05:06:00 +0000

With the Brewers out of it, it's time for the big payroll teams to start earning it. If those teams keep underachieving, there'll never be enough motivation to change the rules and the system.

Last winter, while the Brewer pitching started to look thin on paper, New York made over $420 million worth of long-term commitments to just 3 players. It'd take Milwaukee roughly 5 seasons to spend that much on an entire roster.

We've seen a lot of balance and parity across baseball's playoff teams over the last decade, but there's no denying that only a few teams have such a huge advantage in their back pocket. As long as those teams keep fucking up, everyone else has to keep fighting long odds without much margin for error.

Jeff Suppan was not an exciting signing for me at the time. Bill Hall was. Mike Cameron wasn't but I appreciate him a lot more now. Ryan Braun was for sure, 7 years. And Prince was bittersweet, because in this weird-ass system where players are supposed to get underpaid until they get overpaid, his shorter extension was like a loud-ass clock counting down.

Congratulations to the team for hanging in there this year, and for many individual efforts. They just could never get back into it. In a way it was a good opportunity to see how fast we can get spoiled as fans. Prince's season... that had to be about the offensive equal of Sabathia's 2008, it was an all-time season, and Braun's was even up there too. Prince is only 25 years old, but we're stuck thinking how we kind of wasted his MVP-type business with this team, because he probably won't see 28 with us.

If the club made Sabathia a competitive offer, could they eventually do the same for Prince, instead of just cutting their losses in the best trade offer they can find? Not to pretend I spend 70 hours a week year round in the business, or to downplay how crippling it would be to imagine an albatross like Suppan that gets paid 2 or 3 times as much. I'll always show you both sides. The Richie Sexson haul was beautiful. But I hope they don't trade Prince for pitching this winter.

I hardly know where to begin. Fuck, what did we get for compensation for losing C.C., a #40 draft pick? The whole system of service time and skewed salaries is a mess, and it's hard to fathom how it sounded good to make arbitration such a big part of it. That's all Prince's extension even does. We didn't get an extra year, we just saved some stroking by avoiding that arbitration process through to his free agent year. What a surreal place.

Baseball doesn't do anything until their nuts are on a dresser with the spiked bat coming their way. That's why I need the Yankees to tear it up for as many falls in a row as it takes, because it seems like the situation requires some bullshit like that to make someone roll over and open their eyes a crack. The Yankees are good for the game, but the system is not.

Something about the long season or maybe the number of games and getting locked into your own players, I just can't get into baseball playoffs without the home team as much as I can for football and basketball. So I probably won't watch the Yankees, but I'll keep an eye out. Three, Fo, Fo, sweep that shit.

Updated 10/9: They're actually sucking me in this year, it's my first fall with HD. Red Sox got to lose. I thought about giving DM reasons why it's worth catching the Twins up there, but they're just gonna get smashed. Great Dodger game last night, just can't pull for the Cardinals yet.

Interview with Tyler Mane

noreply@blogger.com (dronkmunk) — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 15:05:00 +0000

Tyler Mane, perhaps best known as former WCW wrestler Big Sky, is the current star of Rob Zombie's rebooted Halloween series in which he plays the terrifying Michael Myers. Having acted in numerous other films such as Troy and X-men, Mane is now starting his own production company Mane Entertainment, which will specialize in low-budget, independent films. He took a some time to speak with us about working on the Halloween sequel, discovering what makes a killer tick, and Kanye West.

You are currently starring in the new Halloween movie, and you were in the first one as well, right?
Yes, Rob's first one in 2007. I played Michael Myers and reprise the role in 2009.

Are you going to be in the next one?
We are in talks. We shall see.

So you don't die in this new one, then?
Well, it's Michael Myers. It's the tenth movie I think now, and he hasn't died yet. Who knows, maybe they will hook the life support up to him and bring him back to life. You never know.

How was filming Halloween 2 different from filming the first Halloween?
You know, the first one kind of followed the format of the original Halloween movies. It told that story along with giving the back-story of Michael Myers and how he became a product of his environment. The second one picked up where that one left off, but with the second one, you see inside the mind of Michael Myers and how he perceives himself. And it's kind of creepy that he sees himself as that 10 year old little boy just before he made that decision to go out and start killing people. So he perceives himself as total innocence. And he's talking to the only person that's ever loved him, his mother. And he feels that she’s driving his thoughts. Which, of course, is totally in his mind. And then parallel to that you have Lori Strode, with her downhill spiral into total madness from what has happened to her in her life. The second one is more of Rob's interpretation of the Halloween movies and what happens with it, and I think he's just done a brilliant job with it.

Have you noticed any differences or growth in Zombie's style of directing? He really is a relatively new director. He had House of 1000 Corpses in 2003...
Right. And then he did The Devil's Rejects where I first met him, playing the Rufus character. And then the two Halloweens.

It's just been fantastic to watch Rob and see how he's evolved as a director. The thing is, he comes from an entertainment background and he realizes what an actor needs to get the best performance out of them. He, before directing the movies, directed all his own music videos. So, he's got visualization for what he wants to see. And, working with [him] was just fantastic.

Do you have any lines in this film?
I'm gonna be doing some grunting and groaning. It's kinda funny because my wife appears in this, and she plays one of the cops-she's the one with the princess Leia buns-and she likes picking on me and getting under my skin. And she goes "How many movies have you done? 2? I have more lines in a few seconds than you had in two movies!" [Laughs]

Well, she does have a point. Although, I think fans of the first Halloween movie that Rob Zombie did would agree that you are still a very effective and terrifying villain even without speaking any lines.
Yeah, that's why I took the project. Because it was a great opportunity to give this character some depth with body movement and body language. That is the one thing that I wanted to do with it. When Rob first talked to me about it he said 'I don't want just a one-dimensional killer, here. I want to give some depth to this character so that people perceive him more as a human.’ And that's what we did I think, and it came across great. People were even sympathetic to Michael Myers.

Is there any research or preparation that goes into playing Michael Myers?
I definitely did my research. The first thing I did was go back and watch the other Halloween movies that Myers appears in and watched their performances. Not to mimic them, but to see what they brought to the character. I noticed that they were mainly one-dimensional characters, and I wanted to bring more to that. So then I went from there and started researching serial killers and seeing how they interacted in society, and people [actually] perceived them as being this innocent person that could and did interact with society. No one ever thought that that person was who they turned out to be. So I wanted to bring that to the character just with my body language and how I moved and all of that. It’s kinda funny because the "Iceman" Richard Kuklinksi, who was a hit man for the mob, had the same traits as Michael Myers. He started with tormenting and torturing and killing animals and moved his way up from there. I think that’s how those killers become numb to the fact that they’re able to kill people. There’s definitely a chemical thing in their brains too that is different than the normal person, but it was fantastic to be able to research that and just see how that does happen.

Are you a big fan of Rob Zombie’s music?
Yeah. He is a fantastic artist. It was funny while working on the first Halloween, the sound guys had one of his music videos playing, where he had the dreadlocks and he’s whipping them around and going crazy, and then I’d look over and see Rob sitting behind the monitors in his director’s chair chewing his gum, analyzing the shot. And I’d look at the video and back to Rob…it was surreal. You wouldn’t think they were the same person.

Did you learn a lot about Rob Zombie from working with him?
He’s just a fantastic guy to work with. He’s not what a lot of people think. And I understand and I get it, because when I was wrestling, people would go ‘You’re a wrestler? You’re married and have kids? How could that be?’ It’s kinda like two different worlds, you know?

Did you wrestle for the WWE?
I wrestled for the WCW and the UWF. I did a lot of my wrestling overseas, internationally. In Japan, Germany, Austria, England, Mexico, places like that.

What name did you wrestle under?
I wrestled as Big Sky and Nitron. I was in there on two different occasions, and I was Kevin Nash’s tag partner for a while.

Do you ever wish you could go back to doing wrestling?
Oh hell no.

It doesn’t look very glamorous, the way that movie The Wrestler depicted it. Plus all the stuff you hear about steroids and that sort of thing.
Yeah, it’s a wild and crazy lifestyle. I used it as a stepping stone to get to where I am today, and I’m thankful I had all the opportunities and everything, but I’m glad that I’m not stuck in that lifestyle.

It’s good that you aren’t stuck in that lifestyle, but when you think of the Vince McMahon’s in the wrestling business, they probably not too different from the Hollywood sharks that are out there.
Yeah, that’s true. That is true. You just gotta try and avoid the shark infested waters.[laughs]

You ever use music to get you pumped up before you wrestle or before you start acting?
Oh yeah, all the time. I’ll be throwing in some good 70’s rock and have that on my headphones before I go to work and do my thing. I play the Pandora classic rock station all the time when I’m working out at the gym.

Are there any bands in particular that you listen to?
I’m a big fan of Rush, Led Zeppelin, the oldies.

What was the last concert that you attended?
Probably Rob’s, the show he had back at the Staple Center. He’ll do movies, and go on tour for a while, and just go back on forth. He’s got a tour he’s preparing for right now.

You have a new production company called Mane Entertainment. Tell me a little about the new film your company is releasing, Penance Lane.
We’re in the pre-production stages right now. We’re hopefully going to start filming at the beginning of the year. It’s going to be an indie low-budget horror thriller. It’s a smart horror film and there’s a lot of twists and turns, and people aren’t who you would perceive them to be. The reason why I picked this was to please the horror fans, and also to be able to do a picture and keep the budget down. I believe as indie film-makers, we owe it to the investors to get the best return for the dollar. I’ve been in a lot of big productions where I’ve seen them just take the money out to the middle of the street, pile it up and light a match to it, so to speak. I don’t think you need to do that to make a top-quality picture. I’m using all my years of experience in the business and compiling my resources and talented friends, and we’re well on the way.

Are you directing Penance Lane?
I’m producing and going to be acting in it. I have a director attached but we’re not going to be naming him yet because we don’t have the contract signed. I would like to get into directing eventually, but I don’t think the time is just right just yet.

That does seem like the natural progression.
Yeah, and the reason why I wanted to set up Mane Entertainment is to do the indie films and keep control of the picture. So many times you get into a studio with a picture and everybody has to put their two cents in and they come up with totally absurd ideas that end up ruining the film. It becomes more about people trying to put their two-cents in so that they can keep their job than it is to put out the best picture possible. I think we owe it to the fans to do that and get back to grassroots and go smaller to get bigger. Bigger results.

Do you have anything in the pipeline for after Penance Lane?
Yeah, we have about 4 or 5 different projects that we’re looking at, in various genres. There is a book that I just finished reading that a gentleman had sent me, and I’m going to be in the process of optioning that right away, for one of our projects. There’s one that I’m working on with my wife at the present time [as well], so we have several projects in the pipeline.

Are there any forthcoming acting gigs that are separate from Mane Entertainment that you’re going to be doing?
Yeah, I just finished filming a comedy-western in Canada called Gunless, that’s coming out in March of 2010 I believe. I play a blacksmith that gets into a shootout. It’s kind of comical because it’s set in a Canadian town where we don’t have any pistols to do any dueling with. This gunslinger comes into town and challenges me to a duel. And it’s kind of comical that I don’t have any pistols. But then I do end up finding a pistol and I end up getting shot in the ass. I come out and be a hero in the end though, so it’s all good.

I know everyone is already sick of talking about the Kanye West thing at the VMA’s, and actually a lot of wrestlers have been giving their opinion on it, saying they would beat Kanye’s ass if he ever did that to them. Do you have any input on that at all?
It’s kind of unfortunate for Kanye. He’s been going through a lot lately, and it’s sad that it had to happen. I think he will look back and realize that he screwed up, big time. It’s kinda sad. I hope people don’t destroy him over it. I think he needs to get his shit together and get back on track. But, on the other hand, if he did do that to me, I would beat his ass too!

Anything you want to tell your fans?
Thanks for the support. The reason why I do what I do is for the fans. It’s great to get their input and be able to chat with them. I go on my MySpace and Facebook and talk with my fans all the time. It really is me on there. I take the time to do that, talk to the fans, and I appreciate everything they do for me.

Review: Q-Tip - Kamaal The Abstract

noreply@blogger.com (dronkmunk) — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 05:30:00 +0000

Way back in 2002, former leader of hip-hop/jazz fusion group A Tribe Called Quest, Q-tip, created his second solo album, Kamaal the Abstract. Abstract, with its sprawling and chunky stretches of instrumental jams, was conceived 6 full years before the interbreeding between hip-hop and other genres was as prevalent and well-received as it is today. In fact, this album was such a large departure from what was going on with rap music at the time, much less from what people expected to hear from Q-tip, that it was shelved by his label for fear of being a commercial disaster. LA Reid, who would go on the following year to oversee the release of Outkast's Speakboxxx/The Love Below (their most experimental and unorthodox work to date, which is saying a lot), didn't believe the album could prevail while The Game and 50 Cent were topping the charts with their information-age spin on Gangsta Rap.

In 2009 Abstract has finally seen the light of day that it deserves. While Q-tip's prior release just last year, The Renaissance, further explored the jazzy meoldies that have always been at the root of his music since his days with Tribe, it was still standard Q-tip through and through, with all the rubber-necking sample loops and soulful basslines that entails. Those looking for a looser version of that kind of instrumentation will be pleased with Abstract, but might be puzzled when Q disappears for noticeable stretches of time. However, the spontaneity that having such an unhinged structure brings doesn't so much hurt the album, but instead lends it a live feel which reminds you when you least expect it that anything can happen.

Things ramp up right away during the opener "Feelin'." It starts off innocuously with Qtip on the mic as usual, but its not long before the organ solo and distorted guitar get their way under your skin. Q-tip sings us out and ends the song on his own, as if to remind you that, yes, this is still his album. "Do U Dig You" features a lengthy and aimless jam-session between Gary Thomas on flute and Kirk Rosenwinkel on guitar, and sounds like Prince's lost contribution to Bitches Brew. "Blue Girl" is typical Neo-soul a la Rafael Saadiq or D'Angelo (by now you shouldn't be expect a lot of actual rhyming on this album, although there is some), until Q-tip tacks a short verse on the end out of nowhere.

Q-tip takes further chances on "Barely in Love" which suggests Sly Stone as a Schoolhouse Rock cartoon and stops just short of becoming an all-out gospel jam with its light organ chord progressions and hand-clapping, foot stomping refrain. "Heels" sounds like an attempt 311's brand of palm-muted rap-rock, draped in a goatee stroking jam-bandish rhythm. The ending of the song sounds like everyone from P-Funk is on stage somewhere singing its hook. Synthesizers somehow make a very auspicious and unapologetic appearance right in the middle of it all.

Even if it loses a bit of momentum with the last few tracks, Q-tip's Kamaal the Abstract (named after Q-Tip's self appointed nom de Islam) is pretty solid for an album that never misses a chance to take one. It stands tall next to any of the highly regarded work that his experiment prone contemporaries Outkast and D'Angelo were doing at the time, and it's avant-garde detours are what keep it fresh after 6 years. Just as the rest of the urban music world seems to be catching up with his experimental quirks, Q-tip points out, and helps ensure, that there isn't so much that's new under the sun.

Grade: B+

Sufficient Evidence

noreply@blogger.com (dronkmunk) — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 18:49:00 +0000

Evidence, best known as a member of the celebrated west coast hip-hop outfit Dialated Peoples, is also the newest addition to Minneapolis hip-hop record label Rhymesayers, where he will be dropping his second solo album Cats and Dogs. We caught up with Ev at the 5th element record store in Minneapolis during a record release party for Us, his labelmate Brother Ali's latest album. Ali and Evidence are currently traveling the United States for their 'Fresh Air Tour,' where they will be joined by Toki Wright and BK-One.

How did the deal with Rhymesayers come about?
I was standing right here [at 5th Element] in 2006 with Little Brother and Dilated Peoples, doing an in-store. Slug [of Minneapolis rap group Atmosphere] was standing here also. The name Atmosphere has been popping up my whole career with Dilated Peoples. Even though I wasn't familiar with their work. So I finally got the chance to meet Slug, and I was like 'let me take a photo with you.' So I took a photo and I put it on my myspace page, and that picture caused more shit, than all my other pictures put together. People started talking about how us working together would be dope to see. A lot of girls, too. I could see that something was sparking. So I just sort of kept a loose relationship [with Slug]. In 2007 when I started working on the Weatherman LP, I just got on the phone and just cold called him. Everyone on my album, I know well. I just called him and asked if he wanted to be on my album, he said yes. I asked him how much, and he said "Just make a donation in my name to this foundation". I never heard that before. So I called my label and I told them to contact him and find out what that foundation is. And, God willing, it happened. [laughs]

So, I put him over an Alchemist beat, which is something that no one had ever heard before. So I was like 'you know what, his label is working out, dude's got a following like crazy.' I called him again a few months later and told him that I was interested in looking for a home for my second record. Weathermen LP had been out and doing really good, getting put on a lot of album of the year lists...so after putting out the Layover EP, I hit slug on the text message and said 'Do you wanna do my album, check yes or no. [laughs]

So the reason I am doing this is because Slug allowed it to happen. I think they saw my work ethic and I think they thought it would be beneficial to put me in the mix, and it happened. The greatest thing out of all this is Brother Ali called me to be on this tour before having any knowledge of me being on Rhymesayers.

Really?
Yeah, just totally natural. He had all these people he wanted on the tour who weren't really working out, so he was like 'can you do this?' and I was like 'I can.' So a week or two later I called him back and was like 'Yo, I'm actually on Rhymesayers now,' and his exact quote was 'that makes this so much more dynamic!' [laughs] That was his quote. So that's really how I'm here. I had four offers from four other labels, 2 of which for more paper. But I took the right deal for the right situation because it was right. And I'm very proud to be here. Its kind of like Kanye when he joined Rocafella, you know? It's like 'Wow I'm part of something powerful and all seems to fit.'

So I noticed your albums seem to have a weather theme..
Yeah, my next one is Cats and Dogs. More rain. I'm just a gloomy person, I guess. I'm from Southern California where they say it never rains. I don't do gangster rap. I just really figure, like, the weather, where I'm from, erases misconceptions. I live in a place that's very much a facade. We have palm trees growing everywhere but we are not tropical. So, if we stopped watering those trees, they would all die. It's like an illusion where I live, like a glorified resort. And the weather is just raining on all that shit.

So it's more of like a rain theme, then.
Exactly.

So how do you spend your rainy days?
Well, I always tell people if you're from Cali, you understand how not to get sidetracked by nice weather. So I can spend a perfect 85 degree day with no clouds in a darkroom all day. When it rains, I find myself going out more than I usually would [laughs]. It doesn't happen very much so I just like to be out there.

How many albums are you doing for Rhyme sayers?
I'm going to definitely do two, and hopefully do three.

It's been a pretty good year later for hip-hop, there's been a lot of good releases coming out lately. Do you have a favorite of those, like the new Raekwon, Jay-z, Kid Cudi etc?
My favorite release of 2009 was Exile's Radio. It's an instrumental album. He only sampled radio frequencies; so if he wanted good drums he would go to the mainstream stations, and if he wanted something dirty he went to an AM station. It's only radio frequencies for every single sample. It's such an amazing album that what I decided to do was take this album and make Evidence Radio: tribute to Exile, and make the unofficial vocal version of it [which is upcoming].

So how is the Step Brothers album you are doing with Alchemist coming along?
We are about 7 or 8 songs deep right now. That's just my best friend, we hangout every day regardless of we're making music or not. I look up to him and he's learned some things from me. I think we just give each other a good balance, and I feel like that record is gonna be something special. We don't want to rush it because in the big picture it's important to get it right. We have a song called "Just Step" out there that's leaking that's major, we have a song on that Evidence radio called "It's coming down." We have a a song called "So Fresh" which is on my Layover EP. So there's a lot of stuff leaking that's out there already.

Do you think that there's a difference between the Stepbrothers stuff and collaborations that you've had with Alchemist before?
Yeah, we're doing this thing where we're not focusing on choruses. Just a lot of rhyming and if a hook happens, it'll happen. Like, if you get a DOOM record, you don't want to hear DOOM and Mary J. Blige, you know what I mean? [laughs]

Review: Drake - So Far Gone

noreply@blogger.com (dronkmunk) — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 05:31:00 +0000

Mainstream hip-hop seems to exist these days in a precocious era of being either unable or unwilling to escape the tendrils of last year's 808s and Heartbreaks. What began simply as an ill-advised onanistic project for Kanye West continues to inseminate this year's most anticipated projects, including Jay-z's Blueprint 3 and Kid Cudi's superb Man on the Moon, with its lightly percussive DNA. The latest release in this vein is So Far Gone by Drake, a Canadian-American actor-ternt-MC and the newest allegiant to Lil Wayne's Young Money Records. Originally released online for free in February as a mix-tape teaser to garner fans with, Gone has been shipped to record stores and online retailers this week as an EP, giving those same fans the opportunity to pay for a slightly updated version with a smaller collection of songs.

In addition to successfully undertaking the momentous task of not being overly cheesy, Kid Cudi's Man on the Moon was able to establish its own sound and identity, where it probably would have been enough to basically make another 808s for 09. While Drake clearly also has his own style, So Far Gone lacks any real edge or semblance of innovation, and eventually loses its edge altogether as it succumbs to a lazy and actually quite boring cadre of songs about relationships. The biggest distinction between his and Kanye's effort is that Drake is the one doing the heartbreaking: "And these days women make offers/and who the hell am I to say/No no no/My ex sendin' late night text/cause she don't know how to let/Go go go," Drake sings on the EP's dreadfully slow moving intro "Lust for Life", the title of which is likely to send Iggy Pop to an early grave to spin around in. It doesn't help that Drake's strengths aren't primarily as a singer, so expect plenty of pitch adjustment-'Death of Auto-tune" this is not. The mediocrity, and confusion for those who wanted to give "next big rapper" a shot, continues with "Houstatlantavegas," which leans much closer to Jodeci than Joe Budden on the Hip-hop spectrum.

The shame of it is that Drake can actually be a pretty clever lyricist when he wants to be. "Wise words from a decent man/back when i was tryin' to put a ring on Alicia hand/this lost boy got fly without peter pan/and my delivery just got me buzzin like the pizza man," he raps on "Successful", on which he manages to outshine both Trey Songz and Lil' Wayne. At times Drake's way of dragging out his syllables, through that half-cocked smile that you just know is plastered on his face can be charming, but there really aren't enough of those moments to strongly recommend puchasing this EP over the version that was made available for free back in February.

So Far Gone will certainly have its audience, however; Drake sums it up himself the best on the lead single-and incidentally the EP's strongest track- "Best I Ever Had:" "When my album drop/bitches will buy it for the picture/And niggas will buy it too/and claim they got it for they sister." Indeed, this is one of those albums that takes shamelessly transparent aim at a younger demographic whose palette has been adjusted by the impossible-to-elude robotic slow jams on today's radio, yet might find Kanye or even Jay-z's recent stuff to be a little too rough around the edges. When his official album Thank Me Later drops next year, Drake will do well to come with heavier material than this if he expects to enjoy any longevity.

Grade: C

Review: Kid Cudi - Man on the Moon: End of Day

noreply@blogger.com (dronkmunk) — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 04:31:00 +0000

The landscape of popular rap music has changed. As reluctant as anyone may be these days to credit Kanye West with anything, his album 808s and Heartbreak has seemingly inspired a new generation of hip-hop musicians with that album’s low-key, quasi-melodical synthesized feel. The most recent protegee being Kid Cudi, hailing from Cleveland with a style of originality which should, by now, feel familiar. That’s not necessarily a bad thing though, because the latest mutation of the “future-core” of rap expands on the whole idea. While Jay-z recently appointed himself as the snazzy trend-setting leader of this new school with Blueprint 3, Cudi’s envelope-pushing debut, Man on the Moon invents its own sort of stoner prog-rock sub genre.

Man on the Moon implicitly asks you from the very beginning to adorn your space-suit (or tie-die shirt) for an interstellar journey which most times sounds like a smoked out, chopped and screwed version of what 808s (which Cudi famously contributed to) could have been. Its concept is tied together as a 5 part epic narrated by Common, who is considerably (along with Andre 3000 of Outkast) one of the Godfathers of hip-hop’s newly acknowledged free spirited style. The end result is perhaps the most potent of all the experimental-and perhaps evolutionary-jabs that have been taken at the idea of what rap music is supposed to be.

Before we completely praise this thing, there are a few missteps. The opener, “In My Dreams” certainly could have used a second take. “Up and Away,” the end-of-the-album alarm clock, might be a bit more saccarhine than most listeners will be in the mood for. “Enter Galactic,” produced by Mat Friedman of ILFONICS, should just be a fun Pharrell Williams meets The Jimi Hendrix Experience club track, yet suffers from awkward wanna-be sex-god lyrics such as “I like when you talk because your voice is angelesque/aye, I want to kiss you on your space/below your naval-ette/the place that you keep meat so moist like/a towelette” Aside from that though, Man on the Moon really soars. The track following "Dreams," “Soundtrack 2 My Life” has a bubbly, hypnotic beat which plays the perfect back-drop for Cudi’s competently done sing-raps, and it’s lethargically upbeat mellowness sets a tone for the remainder of the album which doesn’t exhale until after the ultra-syrupy penultimate track, “Hyyerr,” is over.

Cudi’s lyrics, while not exactly versatile, for the most part uniquely reflect the struggle of an alienated loner who secretly knows that he has something to share with the world, and is waiting for his chance to express it. The lead single, “Day N Nite”, whose spacey thump was heard everywhere this year, to the point of being 2009’s “Hey Ya,” laments on having a cold season of being lonely and misunderstood. “My World” is the musing of an artistic geek who knows that his off-kilter vision will take him places :”None of ya’ll really cared about me/Now, guess what? I’m all you see/This will be my world/I told you so.”

Indeed, there are no guest appearances by Young Jeezy or T-Pain to extol the high-life or the thug mentality. Instead, this very impressive debut from the newest of the recent wave of space-rock hip-strappers, Kid Cudi, is a focused and personable work which is rife with themes of self-doubt and self-deprecation; yet just about every track on Moon gleams with crater-sized confidence in its ability to trip you out.

Grade: B

noreply@blogger.com (dronkmunk) — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 14:14:00 +0000

Review: Blueprint 3

noreply@blogger.com (dronkmunk) — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 02:05:00 +0000

“Welcome to the future,” the first line from "Off That", a self-congratulatory ode to the art of tastemaking, pretty much summarizes Blueprint 3, the latest release from rapper Jay-Z. With few exceptions, there isn’t much on the Blueprint 3 that will sound familiar to Jay-z loyalists. Last year’s 808s and Heartbreak, aside from being an uneven auto-tune festival, essentially ushered in a new sub-genre of hip-hop , that could be referred to as “future-core.” Jay-Z, featuring Timbaland, Pharell, NO I.D. and Kanye behind the boards, continues and further establishes this movement on Blueprint 3.

The weak album opener “Intro”, which is like a slower, duller “Flashing Lights” does not create great expectations for the rest of the album. However Blueprint 3 gains a certain momentum only three songs in, beginning with “D.O.A.” the album’s anti everything-currently-wrong-with-music lead single. Rhianna does an absolutley chilling hook on “Run This Town” with an eager to shine Kanye batting clean-up. “Empire State of Mind” will only add fuel to the feeling that old-school Jay-z fans have that Jay “went-all-coldplay” on this album; It’s also one of Blueprint 3’s best songs. Alicia Keys sings a stirring hook that will make non New-yorkers jealous, and residents of the city feel at home.

Unfortunately for some of the more established Jay-z fans, the “future-core” sound apparently involves a lot of synthesizers and R&B, which make Blueprint 3 sound a bit-watered down at times. It should be said though that the production on Jay’s albums, while usually supplied by whoever the most popular and respected beatmakers of that year are, has always taken a backseat to the man himself. Even when the instrumentals on this album isn’t always up to par, Blueprint 3 is one of Jay’s strongest turns lyrically. While Jay’s wordplay has always been about the same things (money, cars, women and money), the endless ways in which he finds to discuss those topics, often while employing double and triple entendres in the process, continue to be fascinating. The sort of “Don Draper of hip-hop” persona that he has established with his addictive charm (or plain arrogance) and lack of self-doubt continues here, and you get the sense that Shawn Carter can do in his sleep what other rappers can’t manage to do even after their morning coffee.

Jay’s boasting has never been less unwelcome than on the otherwise increasingly cloying Timbaland-produced track “Reminder”: “10 number 1 albums in a row/who better than me?/only the Beatles/nobody ahead of me/I crush Elvis in his blue suede shoes/Made the rolling stones seem sweet as Kool-aid, too.”Jay-z is probably the most acrobatic lyrically on “Venus vs. Mars”, boy-meets-girl story gone bad told entirely in metaphor: “Thought Shawty was the truth, found out she was a cheater/we were supposed to Takeover, I caught her bumping Ether/I thought shawty like Mike, found out she like Prince/thought she was Adrian, it’s been Rocky ever since.” The alluring, almost psychodelic Timbland instrumental ensures that this will be a strip-club favorite for many years to come. “On to the next” is one of the true gems on the album; Swizz Beats supplies the hook and a backing beat reminicenst of Snoop Dogg’s “Drop it like it’s Hot.” “Next” is appropriately followed by the hyperactive “Off That” featuring new-comer Drake. Another freshman rapper Kid Cudi has a guest turn on “Already Home” which features a lovely blend of horns, violins and hand-claps that are sure to enrapture any fan of good music after a few listens.

Blueprint 3 asks the question, much more effectively than Kingdom Come did, ‘Where to go from the top?’ Jay’s answer is to branch out and go beyond the archaic gun-talk and soul-samples that were prevelant on the first Blueprint album, and swerve into yet another lane going at least ’bout 80 and waiting for his contemporaries to catch up with him. Whether or not he will be succesful in blazing a trail for those that to follow is yet to be answered, yet those in doubt about his status as the king of rap are promptly quieted.

Grade: B

Review: Only Built for Cuban Linx II

noreply@blogger.com (dronkmunk) — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 21:13:00 +0000

While not exactly a concept album, Raekwon's 1995 solo debut Only Built for Cuban Linx, is considered by many to be one of the greatest gangsta films to ever be put on wax. Even back then, tales of sex, drugs, murder, and betrayal were nothing new to hip-hop; yet no one had been able to illustrate them with quite the cinematic quality that Raekwon was on Cuban Linx (think Scarface: The Musical). It was the album that essentially launched the sub-genre known as Coke-rap, which enjoyed a surge of popularity back in 2006 with Clipse's Hell Hath No Fury, and more recently with Rick Ross' Deeper Than Rap.

Gangster films rarely ever get sequels, though, since the main players usually end up dead or in jail by the end of the film. When they do get made, they often rarely deserve to share shelf-space with their predecessors. After 14 years, the Wu-Tang resident chef returns with his attempt at a true sequel to his own classic, appropriately titled Only Built for Cuban Linx II. But Linx II doesn't so much continue a story more than it continues the themes (deals-gone-bad, treacherous partnerships gone sour, and familial bonds kept strong) that were laced throughout the original. The result is an epic combination of lethal beats, vivid lyrics, and cut-ya-head-off swagger that has been missing from so many of the more recent Wu-tang releases.

The album's lead single, "New Wu" (alternatively titled Wu Ohh), was something that die-hard Wu fans thought they may never hear again after last year's dreadful 8 Diagrams: stunningly soulful production from the RZA himself with guest verses from Ghost and Meth. RZA (who single-handedly produced the first Cuban Linx) is all over Linx II, even when he isn't; J Dilla does his best impression of the Wu Abbot's style on “House of Flying Daggers” (which also features Ghost and Meth along with Inspectah Deck), and returns to handle production on the ODB tribute, “Ason Jones.” Along with the departed Dilla, Raekwon gathered beats from the best producers around; Alchemist, Pete Rock, and even Dr. Dre contribute enough heat to this product to make it harden.

The beats aren't the only reason to tune in, however. Wu-Tang members GZA, Cappadonna, and the ever-reclusive Masta Killa make appearances sprinkled throughout the album. Jadakiss, who seems to be sort of a journeyman of guest appearances these days, shows up along with Styles P on “Broken Safety.” Beanie Sigel drops by on “Have Mercy” to acknowledge and contemplate his own sense of aging. "Gihad" pretty much belongs to Ghostface Killah, who spins a dramatic tale of an altercation with his son in a verse which will remind heads why he belongs in their list of top rappers working today.

If it sounds like Cuban Linx II has the ingredients of a classic album, it's because it does. This is an album that's greater than the sum of its parts; Cuban Linx II should have been a total disappointment, yet it actually exceeds the standards created by its own hype. This isn't some hollow flash-in-the-pan collection of tracks to keep heads bopping only until the next big thing comes along; this is music that lasts. Hip-hop fans will be decoding the wu-slanguistics on this album for years, which hasn't been done with a Wu-tang release since the Forever days. After the recent wave of pretenders to the coke-rap throne, the originator has made a refreshing return to the game to show how it's done.

Grade: A

There are no words...

noreply@blogger.com (dronkmunk) — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 18:38:00 +0000

Here we have a perfect sync of the the legendary clip of Bill O'Reilly's meltdown and the audio from the "Stop calling me a homo" kid's youtube video. Easily the most brilliant thing to come out of youtube so far. Have a seat, Fat Iraqi Kid.

All I Really Need to Know about Research

noreply@blogger.com (blaow85) — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 05:59:00 +0000

...I learned after high school, actually. It probably started when I saw the $91 million research center my school was getting ready to put together, while my tuition went up as much as was legally possible every few months. Eventually they just changed the laws, and I found a way to get glad to be able to to get in and out when I could.

It seemed like everything I see about science or advancement news these days is just a bunch of speculation. How am I supposed to take it seriously when it's about to change again? There may be tiny black holes in the air all around us every day. Important traits might be largely controlled by eating carrots. This kind of learning and thinking is invaluable, but for the amount of money it better be.
I'd guess there are a bunch of passionate scientists out there with piles of school bills who can't find jobs or money, and that is too bad. But there have to still be some sweet teats out there when people are working with mice to test heart patches that are totally impractical for use with humans.

This large hadron collider in Europe, this lab is fucking huge, there's cranes driving around just to help run the shit, and one day they hope to use it to prove the existence of those miniature black holes that a microscope wouldn't even be able to detect. In theory they're so small that they collapse and disappear in less than a second after causing no noticeable effect. Compelling, but a top priority?

What happened to discovering LSD by accidentally rubbing up against some shit you forgot in a drawer, and using a kite or an apple to explore electricity and gravity?

Tarantino Makes History with "Basterds"

noreply@blogger.com (dronkmunk) — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 03:16:00 +0000

Ever since the age of 12 when I tricked my grandmother into taking me to the theater to see Pulp Fiction, I have been a fan of Quentin Tarantino; however plagued I have been with doubts about his actual talent level ever since its follow-up, Jackie Brown. While that film has only appreciated with age, when I first saw it I wondered if he would ever be able to attain the greatness of Pulp Fiction ever again. The Kill Bill films and Death Proof were dumb fun, and never aspired to any higher goal than that, but to me they lacked what I would call The Tarantino Charm (Kill Bill 2 had its moments for me, though). This is why I am beyond thrilled to report that his latest film, a revisionist World War II shoot-em-up called Inglourious Basterds, is indeed a glorious return to form for the greatest director to emerge in the last 15 years.

I don't know what it is about his style, but Tarantino's movies always make me feel like I am watching something that was made 30 years ago, and in a good way. I think it has to do with the lighting that he uses, as well as tricks such as the accidentally-on-purpose film blemishes that were found throughout Grindhouse. The trademark dialogue is back too; the characters don't necessarily talk like real people, however they do talk like characters in movies should. He even finds a way to show off his genius by shoehorning in a few references to 1940's pop-culture, reminiscent of the table full of gangsters sitting around ruminating on Madonna in Reservoir Dogs. As a matter of fact, if Inglorious Basterds recalls any of Tarantino's earlier work, it would be that film.

Basterds opens with a French peasant farmer chopping wood in an idyllic farmland while his daughter dries clothes on a nearby clothesline. She is alerted by the sound of an approaching Nazi caravan, and from then forward the film achieves a level of tension that does not relent until the beginning of the next chapter, of which there are five. This tension often returns though, and is rampant throughout Basterds. It is most thick in scenes that have the involved characters sitting at tables and speaking quietly; voices, for the most part, are raised only in the films few moments of celebration.

Tarantino continues the fascination with blondes he's seemingly had since Jackie Brown, centering the film around the sublimely beautiful Melanie Laurent. Laurent plays Shoshana Dreyfus, an escaped Jew living under an assumed name in Nazi-occupied France, and whose movie theater the Nazis want to use for the climatic premiere of their latest propaganda film Nation's Pride. In another subplot that converges with all of the others that the film offers up, Shoshana is relentlessly courted by the film's star, Fredrick Zoller, who happens to also be a Nazi war hero himself.

The character of Shoshana is more central to the plot even than the eponymous Nazi-hunting Basterds (led by a hilariously scene-chewing Brad Pitt as Lt. Aldo "The Apache" Raine), who get sort of shuffled off the side and are barely tangential to the plot. This works however because it turns Inglorious Basterds into a very different movie than you expect going in, and the results are a pleasant surprise to say the least. Consequently, when the Basterds are on screen, they quite literally steal the show.

Christolph Waltz portrays the film's most repulsively alluring character, Nazi detective Col. Hans Landa, with a terrifying smugness. His presence on screen will cause many to shift in their seats; no matter how pleasant his demeanor or how much he smiles, he has an underlying menace that simply cannot be concealed.

QT even sneaks in some effective stunt casting: see if you can identify who is behind the two disembodied voices heard in the film. Also amusing is the cameo by Mike Myers, playing a British Officer (imagine a rejected Austin Powers character) who briefs Michael's Fassbender's film critic-turned-spy while Winston Churchill sits in a corner and looks on silently. It is a very effective scene that, like many in Inglorious Basterds (and Tarantino films in general), stop the story completely without slowing the film down. All in the name of providing exposition which gives the following scenes more meaning.

And Basterds is easily Quentin Tarantino's most meaningful and sophisticated effort yet. Nation's Pride is a film-within-a-film that seems to consist of nothing but a Nazi sniper in a tower taking head-shot after head-shot at defenseless American Soldiers. The fictional audience simply laps up the display of gratuitous violence, much like the crowd that I sat in the theater with did during the film's ultra violent feel-good climax. It's at this moment that Inglourious Basterds poses a question about violence-as-entertainment that seems like it's barely meant to register; don't blame yourself for having too much fun to think about it.

Grade: A-

Temporary Reflection

noreply@blogger.com (dronkmunk) — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 19:26:00 +0000

Talib Kweli & Hi Tek + Slaughterhouse + Slum Village + Supernatural @ First Ave

Pete Rock spins in the only arguably decent photo I could get with my shitty camera phone.

Pete Rock, the MC of the event, took the stage last night at First Avenue without much ado and congratulated us Minnesotans on our recent aquisition of Brett Favre. This was met with jeers and boos from the audience. Recognizing his misstep, Rock put the mic down and quickly redeemed himself by getting on his DJ tables and warming the crowd up with some Dilla beats. It was great watching him mix, and he returned to the stage during the short wait in between sets to keep the crowd moving.

The first official act of the show was an underrated MC by the name of Supernatral. If you don't know who this guy is then you should get familiar. He is renowned by his incredible freestye ability, and actually freestyled live in front of a crowd for 9 hours straight once, in an attempt to break a world record (he didn't make it but..c'mon). His short set last night actually raised the bar to a level that would never be met again.

First, he came out and told the crowd he was going to just go off the top, and he made some references to MN and Prince, to sort of authenticate that these were spontaeneous rhymes. This is an easy thing to fake, though. So after doing another song where he impersonates other rappers flawlessly (Biggie, Busta Rhymes and Slick Rick), he asked the crowd to give him three words which he would incorporate into his next freestyle. The words were Compromise, Relentless, and Xylaphone. It was quite the spectacle, but nothing compared to his stunning finale, for which he had audience members in the front row hand him things from out of their pockets, which he would incorporate into his rhymes at the moment he was handed the items. People handed him cell phones, cameras, and even drugs. He took one person's blunt, rhymed about it, lit it onstage, and handed it back. Then he made fun of the low-potency of the guy's weed. Entertaining shit.

Supernatural

It would have been nice if he had been the headliner, but he was followed once again by Pete Rock, who got the crowd ready for the two remaining members of Slum Village R.I.P. J Dilla and Baatin). This part of the show was a little less than impressive after Supernatural, but mainly because they had so little stage presence and felt the need to scream all of their rhymes which is in sharp contrast to how their low-key albums actually sound. They also frequently seemed like they couldn't quite and agree on the set list. They further interrupted their set by handing out some RIP DILLA t-shirts.

After another interlude by Pete Rock, Slaughterhouse (the newly formed super-group including Joe Budden, Royce the 5'9". Crooked I, and Joell Ortiz) took the stage. Comically, Ortiz was dressed in U of M gear, I wonder if he does that in every city. Budden made dispariging coments about Favre ("I like Jackson, myself") to cheers from the crowd. Together they ran through some tracks from their eponymous new album, and paid tribute to each of their own respective hometowns. They also screamed a lot into the mic and had a lot of stage banter which kind of killed their momentum. Although I do have to give them props for graciously signing t-shirts and meeting with fans after their set, during the next Pete Rock scored intermssion.

From left to right: Ortiz, Budden, Crooked and Royce are Slaugterhouse.

Finally, Talib Kweli and his DJ Hi-Tek, who together form the duo Reflection Eternal, took the stage. Talib did a great job of holding sway over and bantering with the crowd; however it seemed like either he was having some issues with breath control or was forgetting some of his lyrics because of the odd pauses he would take during verses. Still, he ws great and got the crowd really moving during his performance of classic RE and Blackstar songs. Hi Tek came from behind the boards and did some verses as well, including his from their classic "The Blast."

Kweli and Hi-Tek: Reflection Eternal

I left the venue satisfied, however the experience did not last long in my mind. Maybe its because I am a middling fan at best of Kweli and Slaughterhouse; however their more ardent fans will definitely want to catch this tour. To me though, with the exception of Supernatural's super-set and seeing Pete Rock on the 1s and 2s, it was more of a saturday night distraction than the epic event it could have been, and possibly was for some.

When you think of oil

noreply@blogger.com (blaow85) — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 17:38:00 +0000

Every once in a while I look around for an update about Mohammadu Bello Abubakar, to try to see how things have been turning out with him and the 86 wives he had. To my knowledge, nothing else has come out since last year when they were deciding what to do, but Nigeria's still keeping it interesting in other ways.Shit's been going on there between the people, the government and Shell Oil. The first I heard about it, there were pipelines flaring gas and sometimes shooting 10-foot flames through the countryside, and it just stayed that way for a while when no one fixed it.

The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta has been running raids on Shell, saying the oil industry and its profits haven't done much for Nigeria. Today, their leader, Ebikabowei Victor Ben, a.k.a. General Boyloaf, accepted a government amnesty offer and agreed to resign his role. In Yenagoa, about 40 miles from the coast, he surrendered about 300 assault rifles and some rocket launchers, along with 12 gunboats.
Who knows what it means for the cause, and the majority in Nigeria. Probably that they're welcome to sit tight indefinitely.

Link

Underwear goes inside the pants

noreply@blogger.com (dronkmunk) — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 05:15:00 +0000

I have nothing to add.

I sympathize, Tavaris

noreply@blogger.com (blaow85) — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 19:54:00 +0000

I'm around 8,000 on the Packers season ticket waiting list. After a bad season last year, I only moved up about 200 spots, but supposedly there are about 60,000 people on the list.

So my name might come up by the time I'm 60? Hopefully I can afford them by then. But I won't be surprised if TV cameras, or holoview capture pods, will still be showing Brett Favre tossing a ball around with high school kids. He'll still have the arm.

Other than that, this has been going on every year since at least 2002 that I can remember. That was around when I saw Byron Leftwich win a game for Marshall with a broken leg, and hoped the Packers could get him since Favre was already talking about retiring. Seven years, and more of a circus every time.

A lot of the weirdness is already out of the way from
last year, seeing him playing with the Jets. To me, it's great when the division is strong, and you get to see more often how you stack up against the best. I don't know about your receivers, but good lines and Adrian Peterson will go a long way. That schedule looks helpful too, he can go the whole regular season without playing in cold weather.

Did he do enough in the offseason to be able to maintain his best through the end of the year? And how serious is that talk about the Vikings moving? Brett helped get Lambeau Field updated here and it sounds like you need something up there too, they can't be taking your team.

Battle Rappers Need Teachin’

noreply@blogger.com (dronkmunk) — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 02:28:00 +0000

Why can’t they make decent albums?

The Battle Rapper: Poet. Soldier. Wordsmith. Battle rappers have the occasionally astounding ability to come up with couplets on the spot, designed to do only one thing: destroy their opponent. Somehow, these guys are able to get up on stage or in the middle of a crowd and improvise, usually acapella, a few stanzas of disses that rhyme; essentially playing the dozens in pentameter. Naturally, a select few of these guys are given record deals. And why wouldn’t they get deals? If they can make up compelling and suspenseful rhymes on the go, they should be able to get in the studio and knock out an album with ease, right? So far, with Eminem as an obvious exception, no battle rapper has been able to translate their skills into substantial record sales. Why is this?

I have a theory: None of these guys can can become successful because they lack the ability to make songs that people can relate to. Day after day, their focus is on their craft. Practicing ways to put rhymes together on the spot means spending a lot of time in your room (or mom’s basement) rewinding your instrumental beat tape and challenging yourself to keep up; seeing how long or how fast or how dope you can be in 60 secs worth of time.

You can’t do that day in and day out for years and then go into the studio and make a song that someone can feel. I’m sorry, you just can’t. The best you can really hope for is to make some of that hackneyed gangsta shit. But really, if you spend that much time studying anything, you’re a nerd. Battle rappers are the biggest geeks in the game, aside maybe from producers. But it’s not the beatmakers job to make you feel anything; the guy on the mic is the one that has to reach out and touch you. Battle rappers don't have this charisma because the very thing that makes good at what they do ultimately destroys them.

In addition, these rappers are too mean to make a splash. You think someone like Arsenal or Tech 9 can make a song that appeals to the teeny set? Nah, right? These dudes get theirs by separating themselves from the other guy. I’m not you, and you can never be me. How many people are going to plop down 15 bucks to listen to that for 70 minutes?

Take Serius Jones: Literally a beast in the battle circuit, yet he is still basically at the level of a myspace rapper as far as his level of success is concerned. When he steps in the ring though, he’s a winner; I wouldn’t want to be on the business end of his lyrical barrels.

Eminem, if 8-mile is any indication, spent a lot of time before blowing up engaging in battles. What made em stand out, besides being white, was the original and honest content of his music. Like a lot of rappers, he came from nothing; however he also had a confounding relationship with his mother. He made people stand up and pay attention. Biggie Smalls was able to freestyle his way into a legend status by making songs about getting played by girls and wanting to commit suicide. Em and Big were also able to make conspicuously good pop songs.

I don’t honestly know if battle rappers crave commercial success; after all, It has got to be difficult to be find a high akin to dismantling your opponent during a live performance. You just don’t get that rush by sitting in the lab churning out love songs or club joints to make it on the radio.

Things always seem to work out best when everyone just stays in their lane.

The Moon ...& Africa

noreply@blogger.com (dronkmunk) — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 02:10:00 +0000

I had a bit of a sci-fientific weekend, which I was not a expecting. I had planned for the last week to see District 9, a semi-dystopic/apocalyptic what-if about humans on earth learning to co-exist with stranded aliens who want nothing more than to return to their home planet. While the concept held a lot of promise, the execution proved to be less than stellar; especially in comparison to the other movie that I saw this weekend, Moon.

The back-story of District 9, which is told in a sort of documentary style, goes like this: a mysterious alien ship arrives within the stratosphere of Johannesburg, where it hovers for three months with no indication of its purpose or intent. The African Government finally decides to intervene and bust open the ship, revealing an entire race of starving aliens who are taken off the ship and placed in slums to reside temporarily where they come to be referred to by unhappy locals as the pejorative "prawns." The aliens inexplicable love of cat food is exploited by merchants who sell them vittles in exchange for lots of cash and weapons from the ship. Somehow they also manage to pimp out human female prostitutes to the aliens as well. Whatever. I was willing to overlook silly details such as this given the premise of the film. At first.

District 9 is centered on Wikus, a field operative of a fictional agency called the MNU (Multi-National United), which aims to confiscate as many alien weapons and technology as possible for military use, which it turns out, only the aliens have the ability to use. Wikus is sent into the alien ghetto to round up as many “prawns” as he can for shipment off to concentration camps, and here the film begins to arbitrarily switch between documentary and narrative storytelling.

At first a sympathetic character, Wikus before long succumbs to the xenophobia and hatred of the alien race shared by his fellow South Africans. While raiding one house, occupied by an alien named Christopher Johnson and his son, Wikus finds a cylinder filled with a curious black liquid that sprays all over him. This liquid happens to be an energy source that Chris planned on using to power the ship back up so that he can get his alien brethren home. This fluid turns out to be the deux ex machina (see Quantum Flux) of the film which catalyzes a major plot point in District 9. You see, not only is the liquid some sort of the fuel for the ship, but it also has the ability to fuse human DNA with Alien DNA. This is one of many eye-rolling contrivances in District 9 that is hard to swallow.

Once he begins to transform from man to prawn, Wikus is forcibly withheld by the MNU for testing with the already confiscated weapons. When they find out that Wikus has the ability to operate the alien guns, they plan to keep him indefinitely before he finds an opportunity to escape. He becomes a fugitive being tracked by the MNU, and one big bad mercenary in particular. His infamy is widened by news reports that he is part alien because he had sex with an alien, complete with photographic evidence. Because that makes sense.

Wikus is also wanted by the local African warlords, portrayed as barbaric cannibals, who believe if they eat the aliens, they will inhabit the alien DNA which will in turn give them the ability to use alien weapons. Sigh.

Wikus, now realizing the folly of his prejudiced behavior, eventually teams up with Chris Johnson, and together they break into the MNU labs and steal the precious liquid, which will not only get Chris and his son home, but will also somehow transform Wikus back into a human so that he can return to his wife and children.

And it continues to get sillier from there. I’m all for suspending disbelief, but I haven’t been challenged so aggressively to take a film seriously like this since I watched Haute Tension. Especially for a movie that attempts to be allegorical about race relations on earth, namely Apartheid, it is especially audacious.

At the halfway point, D9 sadly turns into a sort of low-budget version Transformers, albeit with half a brain. Shame on Peter Jackson for putting his name anywhere near this; District 9 makes Lord of the Rings look like a historical tome. Please wait for the DVD.

We had some free time, so afterward we snuck into Moon, which I had heard of, but was not aware of the exact plot. Being a fan of the lead, Sam Rockwell (Confessions of a Dangerous Mind), was the only motivation I needed. The movie centers around an astronaut, also named Sam, on a three year solo-mission to harvest an energy source called Helium 3 from the moon. The movie begins as Sam is reaching the last two weeks of his mission, and his understandably anxious to return to his family. He is kept company only by a robot named GERTY, who I expected to turn evil and try to kill Sam a la HAL 9000; however this is not the case.

The real plot kicks in as Sam goes on a reconnaissance mission to retrieve more Helium 3. A hallucination causes an accident which knocks him unconscious, and he wakes up an unspecified amount of time later with little memory of what happened. He tricks GERTY, who is put under instructions from home base not to let Sam outside, into letting him leave the spacecraft. Sam takes the rover back out on the surface of the moon to try to investigate the site of his accident and makes a startling discovery. To go any further would ruin the experience, and this is a film that I do not want to spoil.

While District 9 sets its sights on making a statement about the connectedness (or lack thereof) of humans, Moon explores what happens when that connection is broken, and questions whether or not that connection even actually exists; it also manages to take a few jabs towards the end at the lengths of corporate greed. Although a little slow in parts, I really enjoyed watching Sam’s story unfold, as Sam himself became increasingly unraveled. Catch it while you can.

Alchemist - Chemical Warfare: Album Review

noreply@blogger.com (dronkmunk) — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 05:41:00 +0000

Let's see what Alchemist has been cooking up for his second solo album. Does he still have Mida's touch behind the boards, or is his latest effort a bunch of fool's gold?

INTRO
Intro starts off with a light piano tinkle backed by various record scratches and sound clips of people discussing imminent chemical warfare. “I don’t think they’re dropping them on us right now, but they seem to be preparing.” The calm before the storm.

ALC THEME ft. Kool G Rap
Then the gauntlet drops. The beat of ALC Theme reminds me of the track that slid alchemist into my top 3 producers working today, “Letyourselfgo” from Evidence’s Weatherman LP. In order words, this track’s a banger. Alchemist leads the track with a verse of his own, making up for his famously lacking flow with some clever wordplay: “You can T-ell/I ain’t a p-unk/ I was raised off the P-funk/getting blazed and d-runk..” Then Kool G Rap jumps on the joint, employs the same flow, and effectively murders Al on his own shit. Oh well.

LOSE YOUR LIFE ft. Snoop Dogg, Jadakiss, and Pusha T
The beat on this one is kind of boring; your usual run of the mill horror core beat. However, the guest verse from Jadakiss sounds gritty as fuck and keeps it from being totally skippable. And I guess I would rather hear Snoop Dogg do the hook than Alchemist. Pusha-T from The Clipse kicks the last verse.

"Lose Your Life" ends with another in a series of skits featuring the ever shady and out-of-touch Jerry from Swindle Management, which carries over from Alchemist’s debut album, 1st Infantry. This time Jerry is heard trying to convince Al to focus on “bigger and better things” such as ringtone sales and endorsements for Listerine, which will make him bigger than “That other white kid, what’s his name, Justin Timberwolf.” Ha.

CHEMICAL WARFARE ft. Eminem
Now here is a ringtone I wouldn’t mind having, even though I can’t stand the things. Alchemist lays down an funky organic bass line for Eminem’s freestyle, which eviscerates everything from Sarah Palin to The Jonas Brothers to the Octomom in a single freestyle verse. It’s too hilarious and condensed to quote from. It’s a return to form for Eminem and safely better than anything on his last album Relapse. It’s also probably the best beat on Chemical Warfare; Alchemist really rose to the occasion on this one. And yes, Eminem, you did say Octomom twice in the same rap.

GRAND CONCOURSE BENCHES ft KRS-ONE
I am not a fan of KRS-ONE. In some circles, that’s blasphemy, I know. His voice just grates on me. However, this track really grown on me over multiple listens. It doesn’t hurt that the beat is vicious, and KRS really shines on it while recalling the beginning of his rap career. He even throws a few subliminals at Nelly.

“Benches” ends with a skit about hip-hop credibility, featuring a debate between an internet nerd/underground rapper named Lyrical Scientific Superior and a gangster rap duo called G and Eric (get it?). The backpackers feel that Alchemist has sold out for making his beats too gritty, and threaten to ban him from the blogs unless he returns to his Rawkus days. G and Eric don’t like this, so an altercation ensues. It has its moments.

THERAPY ft. Evidence, Blu, Talib Kweli, and Kid Cudi
Alchemist loops a blissful, noodling guitar lick which gives Therapy a sort of hypnotic effect. In two words, this song is blunt fodder. In a few more words, this one was meant to blaze to; most of Alchemist’s music is. Al’s childhood friend and frequent collaborator Evidence (as well as lead member of Dilated Peoples) opens with the first verse. The track also features Blu, an unrecognizable Talib Kweli, and Kid Cudi on the hook. I would have liked to have heard a little more from Cudi since I personally think he is among the most promising of the “freshmen class” of new rappers.

The track ends with a collage of sound clips that sound like Al pressed all of the buttons on his MPC at once. Next!

THAT’LL WORK ft. Three-Six Mafia and Juvenile
Alchemist’s stuttering bass line and shiny computer blips attempt a southern bounce which accommodates guest verses from Three-Six Mafia and Juvenile. One thing that I have noticed about Alchemist is that he seems to do his best to make other rappers comfortable so that they can be themselves on the records he produces. This is in sharp contrast to uncompromising beatmakers like Dr. Dre and J-Dilla, who seem to force rappers to step their game up in order to match the quality of the music. It's good to hear Juvie again, and Juicy J is once again puts his tongue-in-cheek ignorance on display: "I ain't ashamed/to make it rain/but I rather buy/cocaine."

This track ends with what sounds like a voicemail from an aspiring rapper seemingly trying to justify his own existence and oersuade Al to listen to his demo. “Smoothing out my rapping” makes me lol every time I hear it.

SMILE ft. Twista and Maxwell.
This conga drums on this reminds me of “Boost the Crime Rate”, from 1st Infantry, except the tone of that song is very different. Al actually opens the track with an inspirational verse about keeping a positive attitude and working hard. This is probably the most radio-friendly track on the whole jawn. Twista shows up and it’s not long before he is spitting in double time and decimating the track. I know I have been critical of his flow, which Al himself has admitted is lackluster in various interviews, and while he isn’t completely terrible he is so easily outshined by his guests it makes you wonder why he even tries. Maxwell does the hook.

“Smile” ends with a phone conversation between Al and Prodigy of Mobb Deep, who is calling from jail. It segues nicely into…

KEEP THE HEELS ON ft. Prodigy
Prodigy, who isn’t exactly known as a romantic, attempts to bring sexy back on this one. Even though the song is purely about sex, the beat is so sinister it sounds like gunplay could break out at any moment. I am guessing this is one of the few verses P gave to Al before going into the clink for gun possession. Prodigy imparts some advice for those trying to close the deal with that jumpoff from the club: “Keep 'em talking/don’t let ‘em think for a moment/turn the music up/lights down/we gon' fuck/right now/start sucking they tits/and push they head right down.” Nice. There aren’t many rappers other than P who can make a sexual encounter between two consenting adults sound so violent. Speaking of which..

ACT OF VIOLENCE ft. Gangrene
This is the debut of Gangrene, Al’s upcoming side project with Oh no. They both lay down a verse. Not especially notable. Skippity.

LIGHTS CAMERA ACTION ft. Lil’ Fame
This one has Lil’ Fame from M.O.P., who G and Eric from the debate skit earlier in the album kind of remind me of. These guys are always threatening to put a hole the size of “blank” in someone’s head. Zzzz.

SOME GANGSTA SHIT ft. Fabolous
Fabolous lays down what I think is sort of lackluster verse with exactly memorable line: “I ain’t getting no younger, bitch/I ain’t Benjamin Button.” His lethargic flow matches the sparse drum track rather well, though.

ON SIGHT feat. Dogg Pound
Daz and Kurupt from the Dogg Pound, along with Lady of Rage (I wonder what rock she’s been under) stomp all over a thick synthesized bassline. Pretty good, but nothing exceptional, other than the fact that Lady of Rage is still alive.

TAKE A LOOK BACK
I am pretty sure this is a sample from Pink Floyd’s “Shine on You Crazy Diamond, Parts I- V” (can’t seem to find my liner notes), but I’m not sure. It would make fitting source material though, since this album closer is essentially Alchemist calmly reflecting on his career and assessing his current status as a budding legend in the hip-hop game. Not a bad way to wrap up the album, although not really what you would call a “hot joint.”

BONUS – UNDER SIEGE ft. Gangrene
This should have been on the album in place of the other Gangrene track. I didn’t care for this song when I first heard it with the accompanying lo-fi video, but it has quickly become an addiction because of its odd marriage of clean sounding church organs and messy distorted guitars. Al redeems any lackluster verses that were on Chemical Warfare with his spot on this one.

All in all, a very solid effort from Alchemist, who is evolving into a more and more consistent producer with each release, although his mic skills still need some work. Recommended.

Grade: B+

For Your Health!

noreply@blogger.com (blaow85) — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 23:26:00 +0000

Did you know that the warning signs of heart trouble are different for women and men? Men might experience chest pain, or other symptoms I don't know about because I'm not an expert and I should have a good 5 years before my lifestyle catches up to me.

But for women, even unrelated effects like jaw pain or shoulder pain can be signals, along with things like shortness of breath and tiredness that make more sense. I understand we have a large female readership of all ages and I wanted to get the word out.