What Is Groove?

Ray Charles - "Bein' Green"

2009-11-11T18:05:00.012-05:00

This is my personal favorite musical performance on Sesame Street. Ray sings with conviction, emotion, and heart, taking a somewhat whimsical tune and making it a soul ballad. It's an incredible performance. The song may sound corny - especially if you're hearing Kermit sing it - but the movement from shame and self-doubt to pride and acceptance is truly touching. "Bein' Green" of course is a metaphor for feeling inferior, for being made fun of or discriminated against for whatever reason (race, disability, religion, social status, anything) and then realizing that you don't need another person's acceptance to feel good about yourself. You need your own. What better lesson for kids to learn than to love and be proud of who they are?

Happy 40th Birthday Sesame Street.

Behold ye DUBSTEP

2009-11-01T11:02:00.013-05:00

Dubstep, a British subgenre that derives as much from grime, jungle, and dub, is the next club music. The slow rolling grooves are punctuated by big bass, computer blips, thick synths, and the insinuation of a dub beat.

Joker's "Digidesign" (see video above) unites a nightstalker tempo to a hip hop inflected reggae beat. The funky come hither melody at times gives way to a dirty synth, who then takes over. The roles reverse before any one melody really has a strong hold. It's an unsettling, paranoid track, and it evaporates as quickly as it came to. It's easily one of the most adventurous tracks I've heard in the last year or so, and certainly deserves more exposure.

Most of the dubstep artists are on the Hyperdub label. A compilation was recently released, celebrating its five years in the genre. The next two videos are by label owner Kode9 ("9 Samurai") and Burial ("Distant Lights.") Hope you dig it.

Bombass Groove of the Week #5

2009-10-21T19:55:00.010-04:00

No words from me today. This is Iggy Pop on James Brown and "I Can't Stand It '76."

The one that flipped me out - I still remember being in the car, hearing it - is "I Can't Stand It." He was down to fuck the chorus, fuck the melody. This is barely a riff. But he pushes the group along like the coxswain on a Roman galley: Stroke, motherfucker, uh!

Amen, brother.

Temple of the Dog (briefly) reunites

2009-10-08T18:41:00.009-04:00

For a brief moment this week, Temple of the Dog reunited on stage. The band, formed in 1990 after the death of Mother Love Bone frontman Andrew Wood, released their eponymous record in 1991. Jeff Ament and Stone Gossard from Mother Love Bone joined Soundgarden vocalist Chris Cornell and drummer Matt Cameron, along with guitarist Mike McCready and vocalist Eddie Vedder, making his debut on record. If these names seem familiar it's because all members excluding Cornell, are now Pearl Jam. (Cameron has been Pearl Jam's drummer since 1998.) I can't think of another supergroup that didn't form as a supergroup. When Pearl Jam dropped their debut in the summer 1991, Temple of the Dog became a big deal.

At their recent show in Los Angeles, Pearl Jam brought Chris Cornell out on stage for "Hunger Strike." Click here for their full performance of "Hunger Strike." Another Seattle moment materialized at the end of the show when Alice in Chains lead guitarist Jerry Cantrell took McCready's place during their performance of "Alive."

Great day to be a grunge fan, no?

Too Many Rappers

2009-08-09T18:46:00.008-04:00

The first single of their upcoming record Hot Sauce Committee, Pt. 1 finds the Beastie Boys on firm Beastie ground. As far as hip hop traditionalism goes, it's not quite the return of the boom bap. The production is murky and heavy, making the mood of the tune slightly paranoid. The drums busily hack away at the beat while a distorted stream of bass, guitar, and sometimes turntables encircle the voices. Much like Erykah Badu's most recent record, the Beasties and Nas manage to sound simultaneously old school and futuristic.

"Too many rappers and there's still not enough MCs," Nas raps during the hook. MCA expounds on the wackness of said rappers in one of his verses: "Too many rappers to shake a stick at/I oughta charge a tax for every weak rap." No weak raps in this bunch. The mutual admiration society these veteran MCs belong to lash out at - what else - sucka RAPPERS and tell them who's boss.

[We wish MCA a swift recovery from his surgery due to a cancerous lymph node in his parotid gland.]

Elis and Sade

2009-05-28T18:57:00.004-04:00

I was listening to Elis Regina and Antonio Carlos Jobim a few days ago and was thinking a lot about bossa nova and how it had inspired the most vapid elevator muzak. (Exhibit A: "The Girl From Ipanema.") It's unfortunate, because it is a rhythmically and melodically complex genre, paradoxically profound by being supremely breezy and easy to listen to. Also, most people in the U.S. know bossa nova only through saxophonist Stan Getz and his Getz/Gilberto record (which Jobim is featured on), so it is not difficult to see how the bossa nova cliche arose. Anyways, I woke up in the dead of night yesterday and thought, "Elis and Sade" and immediately fell back asleep. That's probably the craziest shit that has ever woken me.

After some reflection the next day, the main commonality I heard was the emotional restraint combined with the sexual longing. It must be terribly difficult to express vocally because the sentiments are at odds with each other. Elis and Sade are brilliant vocalists, but stealthily so. Here are two clips for you to decide. The first is "Pois E" by Elis and Jobim (whose nickname is Tom) from their album Elis & Tom, the second is by Sade, "Nothing Can Come Between Us." By the way, please focus on the voice, not the visuals, otherwise you'd call me crazy.

The Beatles' albums to be remastered

2009-04-08T18:04:00.002-04:00

Well, it only took 22 years. Apple Corps and EMI have announced that the Beatles' albums will be remastered in individual stereo CDs and two box sets (one stereo, one mono) and released on September 9. The albums have been untouched since they were initially released on CD in 1987.

Allan Kozinn writes that the remasters series "will include only the 12 albums the Beatles released in Britain from 1963 to 1970, from Please Please Me through Let It Be, along with Magical Mystery Tour — an American album that was originally released as a two-EP set in England — and the two-CD Past Masters compilation of the group’s nonalbum singles."

'Bout time.

Photo credit: Miramax Films Copyright 2001

Ghostface Killah raps for Rihanna

2009-03-31T21:12:00.010-04:00

Ghostface Killah has recorded a song expressing support for Rihanna. Click here to listen to "Message from Ghostface."

Photo credit: Def Jam Records, Scott Schafer

Prince and Target

2009-03-03T20:36:00.018-05:00

Looks like The Purple One digs the government's recovery plan.

Instead of releasing his upcoming albums through a big time label and packaging them individually in record shops, Prince will bundle his two new albums, LOtUSFLO3R and MPLSoUND, and his protege Bria Valente's Elixer, in one package for $11.98 starting March 29 exclusively at Target. That's a real bargain. Admit it, even though you don't really care about Valente's record, it's pretty sweet to pick up two new Prince records for about twelve bucks. And if Elixer turns out to be good - or even a'right - then that's just a lucky boon. Prince is another in a line of artists, including AC/DC, The Eagles, and Guns n' Roses who have exclusively released records via massive retailers such as Wal-Mart and Best Buy. These retailers have been hit or miss with exclusive deals lately. AC/DC sold more than a million units while GNR has sold barely over 500,000.

[Note: Rolling Stone Magazine says the price will be $11.99. Billboard says $11.98. Penny's is a big deal, no?]

Small props.

Photo credit: Theo Wargo/WireImage

Top Ten Records of 2008

2009-02-21T11:33:00.012-05:00

1. Lil Wayne - Tha Carter III
2. My Morning Jacket - Evil Urges
3. Erykah Badu - New Amerykah Part One (4th World War)
4. Kings of Leon - Only By The Night
5. Porter Batiste Stoltz - MOODOO
6. Metallica - Death Magnetic
7. Gnarls Barkley - The Odd Couple

And a few reissues...
8. Dennis Wilson - Pacific Ocean Blue
9. Otis Redding - Otis Blue
10. Beck - Odelay

Photo credit: Nunez/WireImage

Two "new" Pearl Jam records?

2009-02-17T20:06:00.015-05:00

Pearl Jam is back in the studio with producer Brendan O'Brien for the first time in 11 years for their ninth studio album. They last collaborated on 1998's Yield. Bassist Jeff Ament says that vocalist Eddie Vedder just "keeps getting better." 2009 looks like it will be a busy year for Pearl Jam. On March 24, their debut album and grunge cornerstone Ten will be rereleased with brand new mastering and mixing, courtesy, of course, of one Mr. O'Brien. Here is a remixed Porch and fan fave B-side Brother.

Photo credit: Spark St. Jude

D'Angelo is coming back! For real!

2009-01-20T19:22:00.007-05:00

D'Angelo is expected to collaborate with none other than Prince on James River, his follow-up to 2000's bongepic, sultryfunk suite, Voodoo. He has already teamed with Raphael Saadiq (who was the axeman behind "Untitled [How Does It Feel?]), Cee-Lo from Gnarls Barkley, and trumpet/cornetist Roy Hargrove. D will also tour Europe and the U.S. in support of the album, which is slated to be released this summer. All we need is Dr. Dre's The Detox and we're golden.

Photo credit: Phil Bonyata

Selected Retrospective: Ghostface Killah | Fishscale

2008-12-13T20:13:00.022-05:00

"You ain't been hungry since Supreme Clientele," a raspy voice imitating Mickey the trainer from Rocky tells Ghostface Killah. He's right. Ghostface's albums between Supreme and this his fifth album were often uninspired and lacking his fevered need to get on the mic. Fishscale, produced by MF DOOM, Pete Rock, J Dilla, among others, isn't a return to form. It greatly surpasses his previous best effort and firmly establishes him as one of the best rappers alive.

Proof isn't hard to come by. Dig "Shakey Dog," the first track off the album. Lyrically, it's a first-person account of a drug heist gone terribly wrong. The level of detail in the lyrics ("Back seat with my leg all stiff...tartar sauce on S Dot kicks") is worthy of the strongest crime fiction. Rapnoir, anybody? But the tune's structure is what freaks me out. Ghostface raps for 64 straight bars without pausing for a hook or chorus. Given that the standard hip-hop verse is 16 bars long, this is extraordinary. Absurd thoughts crossed my mind listening to the narrative: Does Ghostface breathe? If so, has he learned circular breathing? Is it possible this is a freestyle, no pen-and-pad, rap? Just when those thoughts began to interfere with paying attention to the song, something uncommon happened with the horns and the loping bassline -- tonal modulation. "Wait," you say, "he raps for 64 bars nonstop and the song changes chords too?" Yeah, that's right, homie. 12 bars in the A sections and four bars in the B sections. That's how Ghostface rolls, though the structure is loosened up the first time around. For good reason, it took me quite a while to get to track two. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that "Shakey Dog" bests "Nutmeg" and "Run" as far as prime Ghostface Killah jams go.

Fishscale, slang for uncut cocaine, mostly focuses on coke slanging, or "pyrex scholars," as Ghost says. "Kilo" introduces the metric system while Ghost and Raekwon cook coke, "Big Girl" cautions ladies to lay off the nose candy, and "Crack Spot" spotlights the dangers of paranoia. When Ghost's next album drops, I hope he's as hungry as he is here.

NOTE: In "Whip You With A Strap" Ghostface samples a J Dilla song off of Donuts, the last album Dilla cut while alive. The song he sampled is called "One for Ghost." Glad Dilla was keeping an eye out.

Selected Retrospective: Ghostface Killah | Supreme Clientele

2008-11-30T20:37:00.011-05:00

Four years after Ironman and a stint at Riker's Island, Ghostface Killah proclaims on Supreme Clientele that he doesn't mean to harm anybody, but that it happens when he encounters wack MCs. At first glance, this seems like another prideful boast in the hip-hop "I'm-the-best-and-you're-wack" continuum. Yet after digging the whole record, it becomes apparent that far from boasting, Ghostface was stating his mission.

The first five songs are about as unsurpassable as Ghostface gets, culminating with the unforgiving horns n' strings of "Apollo Kids." It's hard to understand how this was only his second record. True, he collaborated with some of his Wu brethren before, but that can't account for Ghostface going form solid to outstanding, can it? On "Nutmeg," Ghostface raps,

Scientific, my hand kissed it
robotic, let's think optimistic
you probably missed it
watch my dolly dick it
scotty watty cop it to me
big microphone hippie
hit Poughkeepsie crispy chicken verbs
throw up a stone richie.

Abstract, to say the least, but hard-hitting and unrelenting in its rhythmic pulse. In "One," the rhyme scheme for more than half of his second verse is based on the sound "ash" and its variations. He moves the accents of the rhyming words from the end to the beginning of lines, and sometimes the rhymes are only internal. Add his bewildering, spontaneous reversal of "supercalifragalisticexpialidocious" in "Buck 50," and it's all too clear that nobody else raps like this or would know how to. Wack MCs beware.

NOTE: The Bootsies for Supreme Clientele also apply to Ironman.

Selected Retrospective: Ghostface Killah | Ironman

2008-11-09T15:41:00.016-05:00

After superlative solo records by Wu-Tang Clan members Raekwon (Only Built for Cuban Linx...) and Genius/GZA (Liquid Swords), it was Ghostface Killah's turn. His debut Ironman, released in 1996 and also billed to Raekwon and Cappadonna, makes its den in old soul samples and ripe tales of drug deals gone bad ("260," see video above), violent misogyny ("Wildflower"), and well, everyday gangsta shit. Wu-Tang architect RZA produced the whole album and his trademark hard bass drums and crisp snares, rolling basslines, eerie keys, and razor-sharp samples abound (see "Camay" and "Motherless Child" as ideal examples.)

Ghostface Killah here is beginning his assent to MC superiority. At his most unleashed, Ghostface is a free-associative MC, searching for words and phrases that might rhyme but will seldom make logical sense. No matter though. His kinetic, freeform rapping style is only matched by his barely controlled enthusiasm and the level of detail in his rhymes ("Grab the pliers for the channel/fix the hanger on the TV.") His gangster alter ego, Tony Starks (note the alternate spelling to the Iron Man comic book hero) would continue to reappear on future records, often concocting morbid tales of coke-slanging. It would be another four years until his sophomore record Supreme Clientele would be released to widespread acclaim.

Grateful Dead biopic in the works

2008-11-05T18:45:00.006-05:00

Steve Parish's recollection of thirty years on the road with The Grateful Dead, Home Before Daylight, is reputedly the source material for a Dead biopic. Jonathan Demme, Oliver Stone, and Sean Penn are among the filmmakers in the mix for directing duties, according to producer Stephen Emery. Neil Young and Bob Dylan have already agreed to perform on the soundtrack, with Bob Weir acting as musical director.

Mr. President, Barack Obama!

2008-11-05T11:09:00.007-05:00

It's about time. Barack Obama, elected 44th President of the United States. Unbounded joy is an understatement. Every kid of any race or ethnicity in this country can now feel like anything, truly anything is possible. Including becoming President. Amen to that.

Bombass Groove of the Week #4

2008-11-03T21:38:00.046-05:00

Some songs smack you across the face and say, "Heyo, drop your shit and listen to me!" "Smells Like Teen Spirit" and "The Message" fall in that category. Other tunes just creep up on you. They might sound pedestrian at first, the aural equivalent of driving past a rolling green field. But upon revisiting it, you begin to appreciate how the wind unfurls itself on the blades of grass, how small birds surf that same wind, surrendering their internal GPS to the fates. Enter "Paper Planes," a single off M.I.A.'s second album, Kala.

Musically, the song opens by busting a hole through reality. The Clash's "Straight to Hell" guitar and bassline are the main skeleton of the jam, with some 808-style snare and bass drum hits courtesy of producer, Diplo. The rhythmic bottom of the tune is thick with G-Funk synths, finger snaps, and hiccuping hi-hats. Add The Clash's sample on top of that, and you have one of the illest beats of 2008. Part of me wishes Ghostface Killah would use the instrumental for one of his cokedrama tunes.

The chorus must be considered holistically, not just sonically or lyrically. M.I.A. sings: "All I wanna do is [four gunshot blasts]/And a, [cash register sounds] take your money." If that chorus isn't a straight descendant of Public Enemy's Bomb Squad, nothing is. My cousin Jeremy and his wife Alex were upset about the glorification of violence, which was amplified by the chorus of kids singing the chorus and the poppiness of the melody. I can understand that. Kids who listen to the tune might sing along and think everything's all good, without realizing that, A), violence is bad; and B), what the song is truly about.

M.I.A. is a London-based Sri Lankan immigrant, whose dad used to be (or is, if he's alive) a Tamil Tiger. Life as immigrants, in England or anywhere else, is closely linked to how they are viewed by others - read: non-minorities. She suggests fake visas can be made in a jiffy; drugs are looking to be sold; and both can be delivered, no problem. It can be interpreted that the verses are from the immigrant's point of view and the chorus is the xenophobe's view of the immigrant. In the ending hook, she sings, "Some I murder/some I let go." No matter what or what for, she might kill somebody; or, then again, she might not. Moral ambiguity in the age of xenophobia isn't the exception, it's the rule.

The song is a cynical indictment of how immigrants and/or minorities are viewed by the majorities. In the video, she rides around in a skull & bones truck selling sandwiches, as she raps about visas and drugs. All the customers, including Mike D and Adrock from the Beastie Boys, pay with jewelry, not cash. That suggests that they've already spent all their money and can only use jewelry to buy the sandwiches, which are a cover for illegal shit. (Note that when she raps "I make 'em all day" referring to the visas, the sandwiches multiply on a cutting board.) Yeah, she's slanging, but people are buying, she seems to postulate. What does that say about you, homie? Or as political scientists Ronald Inglehart and Christian Welzel wrote, "[W]hen resources are so scarce that it is a question of one group or the other surviving, discrimination against outsiders...and insider favoritism are inevitable."

Sarah Palin's First Amendment Rights

2008-11-01T15:45:00.013-04:00

In yet another absurd, idiotic moment, GOP VP candidate Sarah Palin said her First Amendment rights were being threatened by "attacks" from reporters.

"If [the media] convince enough voters that that is negative campaigning, for me to call Barack Obama out on his associations," Palin told WMAL-AM host Chris Plante, "then I don't know what the future of our country would be in terms of First Amendment rights and our ability to ask questions without fear of attacks by the mainstream media."

Translation: "Mainstream media:" members of the media who disagree with her.

Given that Palin doesn't know what the VP's job is - even though it is explicitly written in the Constitution - it is safe to assume that she also never read the First Amendment, which also protects the freedom of the press. So actually, the First Amendment is what allows journalists to investigate and write reports about public figures without fear of retribution from the government. In fact, the opposite of what she said was true. I'm starting to think that Palin doesn't know how to read.

Led Zeppelin without Robert Plant?

2008-10-31T15:04:00.001-04:00

Bassist John Paul Jones has confirmed that he, guitarist Jimmy Page, and drummer Jason Bonham, have been "trying out a couple of singers" for a possible reunion tour and album. "There's no point in just finding another Robert," Jones said. "You could get that out of a tribute band, but we don't want to be our own tribute band." Good luck with that. Led Zeppelin without Robert Plant is a little like Parliament/Funkadelic without George Clinton.

Sources told Billboard that the frontrunner for the gig is Myles Kennedy, the lead vocalist of Alter Bridge, which is comprised of the non-singing members of...gulp...Creed. If Plant refuses to join, it very well might end up being Kennedy rocking with Jones, Page, and the son of original drummer John Bonham. Here's to Plant coming to his senses.

(Photo credit: Halfin/AT/Getty)

Today's Tom Toles cartoon

2008-10-30T14:24:00.004-04:00

Barack Obama en español!

2008-10-25T16:20:00.007-04:00

Mustache | Le Probleme C'est Toi!

2008-10-24T08:44:00.022-04:00

For the men of Mustache, the last great movement in rock n' roll was grunge. They continue that proud tradition with some modifications on their debut EP Le Probleme C'est Toi! ("You Are The Problem!"), crafting an altogether refreshing outlook on angst. Yes, the dual piston pumps of aggression and melodicism are there, but the cynicism is not. What, you ask, is sincere grunge? No, it isn't the antithesis to Seattle's best export. It's riff-crazy rock n' roll with an uncanny ability to nail down buoyant melodies that don't assault or shock the listener's sensibilities. If some of the melodies sail where the lyrics sink, it's a measure of the band's growth and potential.

"Deep in the Ocean" opens the album with a bit of feedback that bursts into two separate riffs, one hard as bricks, the other a spiral. Lead guitarist Rubén Aybar plays multiple roles in the tune, from joint riffing with bassman Robert Fernández and rhythm guitarist and vocalist Jonathan Schmidt to a slide lead in the fabulous chorus. The various guitar layers are balanced by Rubén's brother, Carlos, on the drum kit, crashing cymbals with chord changes and changing textures with his brother’s licks. If only the lyrics matched the musical makeup. The chorus lyrics (“Deep in the ocean/no one can save you/it’s up to you/to survive”) resemble a survival show voiceover in the Discovery Channel. Schmidt’s vocal histrionics at the song’s end mimic Chris Cornell. And like Matthew Bellamy of Muse channeling Thom Yorke, it’s not a good thing.

The most successful songs of the bunch are and “Connect” and the album-closer, “So Bright.” “Connect” is a lilting ballad that partially suffers from the awkward song title-as-chorus. With hints of Incubus and early Live, the song leaves a lasting impact through Rubén’s stuttering lead and Fernández's spacious playing. Similarly, “So Bright” benefits from being at a slow tempo, which gives the band room to move and breathe, unlike the breakneck, riff-fests of the previous tunes. Schmidt’s voice sounds like his own on this song, too, a deep tenor with restrained emotion. Rubén and Carlos trade syncopated accents in the song’s middle breakdown, before the guitarist lets it fly and creates a synesthetic moment with his trusty slide.

Le Problem C’est Toi! has two phases: pre-“So Bright” and “So Bright.” The song represents the band’s ability to loosen the grip on their influences and take bold, independent steps forward without the use of a rearview mirror. Their next album should thoroughly explore that territory. For now though, with their strong debut EP, Mustache has established themselves as rock n’ roll disciples on a mission to restore order to a genre gone emo on our asses.

John McCain's "new" stump speech

2008-10-16T10:19:00.014-04:00

No, that's not John McCain in drag. That's his mother, Roberta. If anybody thought that us here at What Is Groove? wouldn't stoop so low (or take a chance at a hearty laugh), think again. Oh, and here is McCain's new stump speech. Jon Stewart makes an excellent point at noting that the "new" stump speech is actually THE SAME SPEECH McCain delivered at the Republican Convention. Dig the split screen and audio splicing of the current speech with the convention speech. This is why The Daily Show is such an important program, it revels in hypocrisy and exposes truths through hilarity.

Bombass Groove of the Week #3

2008-10-15T20:22:00.016-04:00

No podcast this week, but we've got something better. The Dead (sans "Grateful" in honor of Jerry Garcia) played a show on October 13, 2008 at Penn State with the Allman Brothers Band. The lineup included Warren Haynes on lead guitar and Jeff Chimenti on keyboards, complementing Phil Lesh on bass, Bob Weir on rhythm guitar, and Bill Kreutzmann and Mickey Hart on drums, respectively.

The set was basically a greatest hits collection. (See setlist below.) After Barack Obama's prerecorded video speech, which included a hilarious "Touch of Grey" joke, they opened with "Truckin'," which segued into a formulaic "U.S. Blues." The big bust out of the night was "Help on the Way>Slipknot!>Franklin's Tower." The crowd enthusiastically cheered as Lesh dropped his signature opening bass bombs. Initial vocal flub notwithstanding, the performance was spirited and refreshing. Haynes and the band have a loose rapport, letting the songs lead them down unknown paths, in the hopes of reaching a transcendental moment. See "St. Stephen."

It's a privilege to hear the boys get back together and play for a good cause. Who knows what Jerry would have thought? The Grateful Dead was loath to make political endorsements during their career. Perhaps because there was a possibility of alienating some fans, especially when the point of the band and their music was to unite people in a shared experience. Regardless, here they are, The Dead, live on stage, playing together for a crucial cause. Let's just hope that they reunite for a tour in the near future.

Setlist:

Barack Obama Speech Video

Truckin'

U.S. Blues

Help on the Way>

Slipknot!>

Franklin's Tower

Playin' in the Band>

Dark Star

St. Stephen>

Unbroken Chain>

The Other One>

Throwing Stones>

Playin' Reprise

crowd

Touch of Grey>

Not Fade Away