By shelz.

The Carpenters were a brother and sister musical duo from California whose tepid, all American pop sound took the world by storm in the 70’s and early 80’s. As high as they were on the music totem pole, it was predicted they could have climbed higher, but their careers were cut short by Karen Carpenter’s untimely death in 1983.

Plenty of their music can be found in the urban sonic universe.  9^th Wonder scooped up “Baby, It’s You” for The Listening’s “Nobody But You.” The late, great Dilla ripped a slice from “Knowing When to Leave” for Slum Village’s “Yum Yum” and Luther Vandross absolutely killed their seminal hit “Superstar,” making his version one of the most respected covers ever.

Now two more legends have plucked a song from The Carpenter’s immense catalogue to rework.  Ronald Isley and Lauryn Hill have gotten together to release “Close To You.”  It’s been covered by everyone from Perry Como to Isaac Hayes and as simple as it sounds, it’s a beast to sing.

Neither Mr. Biggs nor Ms. Hill do a bad job but you can hear the difficulty level in Isley’s voice and Lauryn Hill’s voice doesn’t seem to be with her at all. You can hear her, but she sounds very different than she did 20 years, which is to be expected.

The track is a very melancholy take on the original.  A lone piano starts the piece off then a soft cymbal and some strings are added.  It runs the risk of turning a bit Lawrence Welk-ish but the soulful deliveries of Isley and Hill fight off the bubbles.

The song is pretty and the melancholy tone is fitting for Ms. Hill.  Anyone who was expecting her to sound exactly like she did when she stepped off the stage for the last time before disappearing 10 years ago is crazy.  However, it’s still a bit sad to know the best years of her voice weren’t shared with us. Just like Karen Carpenter.

Ron Isley & Lauryn Hill – Close To You

ron isley – close to you feat. lauryn hill – hiphop-n-more.com

The Carpenters – “Close To You”

The Carpenters – Close To You

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By shelz.

How hard is it to reinvent; to not only change the entirety of your steez but have people buy into it?  I’d say it’s extremely difficult. Some folks can make it happen though.  Madonna, David Bowie, LL Cool J and a few others managed to move from one end of the style spectrum to the other without batting an eye.  (Did you know George Clinton started in Doo-Wop?) Obviously Rihanna is attempting to join those ranks and quickly.

Rated R’s content was dark, very dark. Her look crafted for the release was alternative lifestyle hussy chic.  She was rarely caught with a shirt on and sported a perpetual black eye thanks to all of that eyeliner.  Was that some subliminal marketing for the default domestic abuse poster child?  No telling. However, it appears all of that has been tossed to the wayside.

Rihanna’s new single, “Only Girl” is pure dance.  The promo picture featured her wearing something very Jacqueline Onassis, zipped up, prim and proper.  Now we have “Electricity,” and it’s chapter two of the reinvention.  Well, it might just be reversion as this is where Miss Rhi started, but I suppose the important questions is… Is it any good?  Yes, yes it is.

The track is exotic.  It dances around eastern sounds without being too literal.  The looped flute and what sounds like a trip down the scales of a sitar float on top.  The digital strings and horn stabs act as foundation and drive the song.  It’s sexy, but not overwhelmingly so and is a great base for Rihanna’s story of lust at first site.

You catch that glance from across the room that’s so expressive; you know exactly what he’s thinking.  What do you do?  Do you walk over there?  That would be too forward. Unladylike.  But you can’t help yourself.  Or can you?  That’s the dilemma Miss Rihanna has found herself in.  It’s a common theme, but its sounds good coming from her, especially after her Rated R bout with being a little too obvious.

Rihanna – “Electricity”

Rihanna – Electircity – dropTheVibe.com

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By Odeisel

It’s Terrace not Terrence Martin, and if you aren’t hip, he’s been making waves on the West Coast for some time now behind the boards. His melodic production has been graced by just about every member of the New West and some legends as well.  This new track “Roll Up” features  Overdose and one of the hottest cats from the East Coast, Pittsburgh’s finest Wiz Khalifa.

There is a real 80’s Mtume R&B Quiet Storm feel to the beat, with atmospheric  sounds, the boom-ba-boom clap and a subtle feathery thump that coalesces into a muffled explosion at the end of the measure. Light keys are interspersed throughout the composition and a talk box accentuates the vocals on the breaks. The crooner on the chorus isn’t that good and doesn’t maintain the quality of the notes but it’s enough to finish the song. The horns at the close are very sexy and melt into the track, serving as the afterglow.

Lyrically, there is nothing otherworldly but on a track like this the delivery is what makes the song and both Khalifa and Overdose deliver in that aspect. Khalifa’s assertive, calm mellow is the perfect accoutrement to the track and a step away from his Snoop-lite normal smoked out delivery. “Them hoes fight for you boy like Flavor Flav,” but the Pittsburgh woman Steeler does his job.  He is however outshined by Overdose whose flow is a bit more dynamic and who shows more wordplay. Their differing deliveries pull the suave out of the song and bring it home.

We need more producers like Terrace Martin. It’s not like this is something we’ve never heard but its well crafted and a departure from todays’ production. No double snares no trap music and no boom bap. There are an infinite number of avenues in music and Terrace Martin is bent on taking the road less travelled.

Terrace Martin Feat. Wiz Khalifa & Overdose-”Roll Up”

Terrace_Martin-Roll_Up_(Feat_Wiz_Khalifa)-2dope

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By Odeisel

It doesn’t take much talent to be a pop sensation these days. There’s almost a color by numbers approach. Take a blank yet charismatic canvas (i.e. a Rihanna) who you can style like a human Barbie doll. You can make them quirky or edgy or All-American depending on the tenor of the music at the time. Then you bring in some very big beats to overwrite the probably pedestrian talent of said canvas. Install a catch repetitive refrain that stays in the heads of listeners isteners isteners (see what I just did?) and there you have it.

Willow Smith is a bit different.  She’s got that Smith blood running in her veins. That charisma and that charm add a lot to the pedigree so the canvas isn’t exactly blank. She’s got a new song, “Whip My Hair” which has all the above elements. But that star power I mentioned is evident and it forces you to take note of what, with someone else would be another kiddie pop record.

It has that big beat, and that repetitive chorus, but Willow’s voice can deal with it. The pop arrangement doesn’t contain any vocal runs, but you don’t need them with everything going on production wise. She snatches Rauce’s “whip it hard” for entirely different purposes and it’s cute. A song about hair is innocuous and just what someone her age can sing without you raising an eyebrow. Thankfully nothing “sexy” and grownup is here. Your kids can listen and teach you how to Dougie and all that.

It looks like Will has another hit on his hands. With a son in the movies and a daughter poised to breakout, he may not have any hair left to whip around.  But Willow does. Back And Forth. Enjoy.

Willow Smith-”Whip My Hair”

Willow-Whip_My_Hair_Clean_81bpm

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By shelz.

Dance Dance Revolution is territory a lot of American pop and R&B artists have stepped into recently.  The disco cycle has come full circle and women who once resided solely in the realm of soulful ballads and Hip-Hop hooks, have traded their urban sound in for synth driven electro pop tracks and lyrics with repetitive shake your ass demands.  After a year inundated with albums from dance newbies, it’s become obvious few can do it like Swedish boogie queen Robyn.

After 5 years with no fresh material, Robyn is back with not one, not two, but three new albums for 2010.  The Body Talk trilogy began in June with Part 1.  It was an edgy multi-genre fusion romp through the ever expressive imagination of the songstress.  Now Part 2 is upon us and while it lacks the dark energy that drove Part 1, Robyn still manages to provide a club ready album that’s sure to keep her fans happy.

It’s a bit safe for Robyn.  The production is good but it lacks her normal forward thinking style. It relies more on the tried and true production technique, but it’s still slick and well arranged.   The intro to “Include Me Out” even mentions the simplicity. An electronic voice states flatly, “It’s just a single pulse repeated at a regular interval.”

Where this is album truly wins is in its ideology. It’s not presented as just another dance album.  None of Robyn’s music is.  This is a movement; a safe haven for sonic youth, a place to dance away depression and celebrate living outside of the box.  If that sounds corny to you, it’s because you are an enemy of the glow stick state and you just wouldn’t understand.

The principles of the dance movement come across loud and clear on the galvanizing cut “We Dance to the Beat,” a song with a definite old school house feel. Robyn suggests there is more at work than just the 808’s.  The bass is compared to shifting tectonic plates as she incites her followers to dance in celebration of their individual talents and abilities that go unnoticed by the world.  There is mention of radioactive exits, lies pretending they are truth and even a shout out to bad kissers.  They need love too you know.

Robyn’s pop sensibilities come across loud and clear on the track, “Hang With Me.” The song is a reprise of the acoustic version found on Pt 1, just with the full electronic vibe. It’s odd that an album full of so much inclusion and outreach takes a negative turn when considering romantic love, but “Hang With Me” is a lucid statement to suitors that she is down to hang and nookie is an option, but your heart should go home with you at the end of the night. She revisits the idea of tender love being awful in “Love Kills.” The title is pretty self-explanatory, no?

Diplo adds to the party with the track for “Criminal Intent” and while his production is laser sharp as usual, the lyrics are pretty cliché.  I’m so hot; it should be against the law.  We’ve never heard that before, have we?

The lone feature, Snoop, shows up to cosign Robyn’s assertion that “U Should Know Better.” The track is electro-post punk with a touch of Max Headroom.  Snoop seems to be big on awkward features these days.  He brings his normal steez and Robyn follows suit with comical results.  This is still better than “California Gurls.”

Body Talk Part 2 is a grouping of little catchy tunes that stay with you whether you want them to or not.  Robyn has a fragile voice, but the digital enhancement isn’t overboard and she stays in her lane. The production is paint by numbers at times but the unfussiness allows it a proximity to flawless that many of Robyn’s counterparts haven’t been able to find this year.  So Robynites unite.  The movement is in full bloom, the music is good and the floor is all yours to dance your troubles away as you anxiously await part three.

Robyn – “Hang With Me”

01-robyn-hang_with_me_(original)

out of 5

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By Odeisel

After languishing in the dark dimension of her post Chris Brown reality, Rihanna has come back to the light and the dance floor with new single “Only Girl (In The World).” The track is unabashedly club and returns her to the pop mindset that characterized most of her hits.

The song finds Rihanna imploring the target of her affection to treat her like she’s the only woman that matters in his life because she’s the only girl that understands how he wants to be treated. She wants to pervade his mind with thoughts of her doing whatever he likes.

Towering synths and electro thump about throughout the composition and her vocals are arranged to both hide behind the big sound and play with it. She makes the best use of her fairly ordinary vocal talent and doesn’t tray outside of her range, albeit the upper end of it. In the second verse she flattens out and delivers like she’s riding a bull (or getting it) while singing. That repetitive la la la in the beginning is sure to end up as back ground music for “Gossip Girl” “America’s Next Top Model” or any other show aimed at 18 to 30 year old girls who lavish in excess.

Get your glow sticks ready as Rihanna joins the legion of artists who have embraced 2010’s dance revolution. Detractors will note the lack of originality and the lateness with which she has arrived to the party while most will mark her as fashionably late and give her the pass. Of course she ain’t the only girl. It still bumps though. “Only Girl (In The World).” Enjoy

Rihanna-”Only Girl (In The World)”

Rihanna-Only_Girl_(In_The_World)_[Mastered_CDQ]

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By Odeisel

Life for Young Buck ain’t been no crystal stair. He’s been in recording limbo since his 2008 ouster from G-Unit, had tax issues with the IRS, culminating in an August 5^th search and seizure at his home, and has been relegated to general oblivion. And then there was light. After 50 let him out of his contract a few weeks ago the stage was set for Buck to release his long-awaited album The Rehab, initially intended as the last album of his G-Unit obligation. Gone are 50’s ear and G-Unit’s overall executive production. The result is an album of limited scope and onerous feel.

“The Streets” opens the album with Buck talking and shouting out every hood he can think of. “This Is Mine” finds Buck claiming kingship of Cashville, taking collect calls from Lil Boosie and Turk taking your chick. The subtle electric guitar undercurrent and the keyboards bring out the flavor.

“Smoke Our Life Away” has him shouting out Max B on the locked up rapper list. The song is a solid if unspectacular track chronicling the depressed state of the hood and what people do to escape their reality. The plodding, pedestrian “Keep It Moving” blends into every other trap tale you’ve ever heard. “Leave It Alone” is another low light, adding weak R&B singing to the boring production and weak storyline.

There are some good points.“The Hood Documentary” brings the level up as Buck chronicles a day in the life of a hustler with a thumping beat as his theme music. The use of other voices, to flesh out the story, gives the song a cinematic feel.“When The Rain Stops” is a nice change of pace song with a smooth bassline that breaks the monotony of dated southern production. “Not Killing Me” keeps Young Buck on the road getting money in every city and dealing with being stressed out. He’s “on his grind” and counting his blessings as “God’s best friend.”

Many of the songs begin with unnecessarily long intros that get tiring as the album plays. You just wish he would jump into the song with that energy that made him G-Unit’s most talented artist next to 50 Cent. 30-40 second long intros designed to artificially ramp up anticipation with Young Buck yelling out “It’s Young Buck, n***a”  every other song really bring down the album. On a 14 track album, two interludes and an intro and a close that aren’ t songs renders over a quarter of the album waste. When you factor in how much of the content is Young Buck ad libs, that number goes higher.

So much of an album called The Rehab concerns itself with Buck being in the streets and selling dope. Where exactly is the rehab? Perhaps if this album dropped in 2008/9 when it was intended, it wouldn’t sound so dated. The rhymes aren’t bad, but the production is retread, the subject matter is limited, and Buck’s boasts ring hollow. It’s time for Young Buck to prove if he has legs without the G-Unit backup. This album is not proof of that.

Young Buck-Hood Documentary

06-young_buck-hood_documentary

out of 5

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By Malice Intended

After being nearly killed by the ruthless drug lord Torrez (Steven Seagal), Federale Machete Cortez (Danny Trejo) finds himself living a meager existence as a day laborer in Texas. His deadly skills come in handy when shady businessman Michael Booth (Jim Fahey) commissions him to assassinate Senator McLaughlin (Robert De Niro), whose anti-illegal immigration stance threatens to cause major problems down the line.  When Machete realizes he is actually a pawn in a larger game, he enlists the help of immigration and Customs Enforcement agent Sartana (Jessica Alba) and Taco Truck owner Luz (Michelle Rodriguez) to clear his name and bring the bad guys to justice.

Machete started out as a fake trailer that was meant to accessorize 2007’s Grindhouse.  Director Robert Rodriguez has expanded it into a full length feature that is very much in the same vein as his double feature collaboration with Quentin Tarantino.  Coming at this point in Rodriguez’ career, it is more or less a variation on a theme.  Viewers who are familiar with past Robert Rodriguez films such as Desperado and From Dusk Till Dawn will find themselves in instantly recognizable territory while less seasoned viewers may feel a bit disoriented and underwhelmed. 

Visually, Machete goes out of its way to resemble the rather primitive action films that became fixtures of late night cable during the 80’s.  It repeats many of the same tricks that were employed in both Grindhouse and Kill Bill, but to considerably lesser effect.  Curiously they are used in much more subtle and sparing fashion than in either of those films, but the diminished novelty value makes them stand out like a sore thumb.  Such window dressing is gimmicky and unnecessary. Rodriguez’ constant allusions to Machete’s B-movie roots have the unintended effect of making the film seem like an elaborate spoof.

The action scenes revel in cartoon violence.  Though this is to be expected, that doesn’t stop it from being tiresome.  Over the past decade, action cinemas approach towards violence has become less serious and ever more detached from reality.  Rodriguez lays it on thick but the lack of consistency becomes irritating.  Certain gags achieve the desired shocks and laughs; others are there simply to fill screen time.  A more straight forward approach to the violence would have suited the film better.

Lengthy dialogue scenes pad the running time and bog the film down.  A film like Machete doesn’t need a ton of exposition or character development to do its job, but the usually economical Robert Rodriguez ignores this.  There are far too many slow and talky moments.  Machete should feel like a well oiled machine.  Instead, it feels like a bloated director’s cut.  The script and plotting are as uneven as the action scenes.

Machete shines brightly in the casting department, as everyone in the ensemble provides the film with more than a few bright spots.  Michelle Rodriguez and Jessica Alba are surprisingly the most pleasant and relatable characters in the entire film.  Danny Trejo’s weathered visage and imposing presence say more than any amount of dialogue ever could.  Robert De Niro is entertaining, though his presence in the film is hardly necessary.  Jeff Fahey hams it up appropriately.   Steven Seagal’s shortcomings as an actor serve him well as the one note villain.

Machete is neither one of Robert Rodriguez best nor one of his worst.  It treads over familiar ground and finds nothing new to say.  Rodriguez seems to have made this film with the express purpose of providing Danny Trejo with his own franchise.  While the prospect of such an endeavor is more than welcome, surely Rodriguez could have come up with something a bit more inspired and lively than this.  The original trailer for Machete provides much more entertainment value in a scant few minutes than its feature length companion is able to manage.

 2.75 Out of 5

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By shelz.

Interpol’s impending self-titled release is a study in misery. Even blues masters tend to find a silver lining somewhere or at least concede defeat to the sadness.  It is that acceptance that keeps the genre from being presented as absolute sonic depression.  Interpol, on the other hand, finds itself wedged somewhere between the third and fourth stages of grief, flailing aimlessly in the fog of heartbreak.

Ironically,Interpol is stringently cohesive; the few hopeful moments presented are there only to contrast how dark the rest of the album truly is.  There is a momentary tease of light and then you are dumped back into the abyss.  The band does its best to capture the emotion of a man at the breaking point and in this regard they win.  The musicianship is great as usual, but the base of any great album is the song construction and this is where Interpol comes up short.

The group pays close attention to detail. The vibrating distortion of the guitars on “Memory Serves,” the melancholy strings from “Always Malaise (The Man I Am),” even the Kraftwerk inspired digital bleeps that bookend “All of the Ways” all add depth and texture to the songs.  The elements are layered on thick, making the songs more odd than enjoyable. The multi levels of sound bog the songs down and since the structure is weak, the worst of the songs collapse into directionless sputtering.

The problem with the lack of simple song craftsmanship is made most obvious by “Lights.”  It is Interpol at its most brilliant; five plus minutes of slow, deliberate build that culminates with a wall of sound substantial enough to make Phil Spector proud. “Barricade” is another gem.  It’s a sprightly piece of music with a dance worthy quotient high enough for “American Bandstand” despite the anxiety ridden lyrics.

On the flip side is “Safe Without.” The intro is deceiving as it promises an enjoyable experience, but the track barely develops from the initial drum pattern and riff.  The brief progress that does occur, a scale hopping bass and some eerie digital strings do little to save the tune from its monotony.  “Try It On” features a piano loop that should have been left on the cutting room floor and “The Undoing” is yet another song that suggests a pay off at the beginning that never happens (and for some unknown reason Paul Banks does a section of the lyrics in a foreign language.)  Instead it brings Interpol to an unremarkable close.

Interpol proves that cohesive isn’t always equal to good; intricate doesn’t always mean the parts work well together and dark overtones don’t always produce a thoughtful project.  There are highpoints and they are good enough to stand in the dreariness that is the rest of the release, even though that’s the majority of the album.

out of 5

Interpol-”Lights”

Interpol – Lights
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By Odeisel

J.Cole is trying to dig his heels in and go for the gusto.  With word of a coming mixtape to serve as the final primer before his coming album, he grabs a hold of Kanye’s Friday G.O.O.D. music and beats it to death, faster than we could give Yeezy a thumbs up for no Pop music, on Cole’s latest-“Villematic”.

Yeah he’s inexorably linked to Drake in a Nas/Hov sort of way and now that Drake has under-delivered he’s got the cross to bear as a fellow leader of the new school. He’s heard the whispers of his supposed inability to craft songs.  He’s also heard his coming exalted as the new school standard bearer.  He’s dealing with all of that in stride with punch line after punch line winning him more and more votes

The slow groove of the beat allows Cole the pace to express himself spitting out his soul and his stress. He knows the expectations and admits that “these Vietnam tales be paying off well.” He also notes his ambition to be greater than those who came before him, which in this market of lowest common denominator should be applauded. He weaves in and around the dips in the beats, giving and taking with the soul sample that runs throughout the construction with more agility and lyricism that Kanye did on the beat. Cole also mentions the added temptations and pressures that come along with the notoriety. J. Cole doesn’t over do it and try to kill it a la Slaughterhouse, but he lets it breath and balances the beat nicely.

After listening to this, the ears should be a bit more wide open, and he should win a lot more fans over a beat that got a lot of attention over the weekend with its Kanye West association. “Villematic” is enough to make you want to hear that next mixtape. Enjoy.

J.Cole-Villematic

J. Cole – Villematic

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