EventsThe Dirty Dirtty South
You may think (just like me) that down south hip hop has killed the foundations and quality of hip hop today. And though you’re not far from being right, there are artists that have stepped up to the plate to produce and write quality music to strengthen the genre.
The Roots | Rising Down
Welcome, welcome, welcome to Obnoxious Hip Hop! What better way to introduce the genre of hip hop to this community than introducing the hardest working band ever to grace it, The Roots. This Philly group put out 8 albums, 22 music videos, and several mixtapes in the last 15 years. And while creating and producing music, they’ve managed to stay on a non-stop tour schedule. Today, they’ve managed to release their latest album entitled Rising Down (2008) and it is simply groundbreaking!
Mr. Beast | Mogwai
Usually, if everyone says so-and-so is great, you have to check them out… they suck. That’s not always true, but I’m just playing the odds. Mogwai was one of those bands that seemed like everyone but me knew. What I didn’t realize was that the only people suggesting it were people equally as obnoxious as me.
The Real Guitar Heroes
I’ve heard far too many conversations about ‘great’ guitarists that seemed to exclude the obvious choices. Well here’s my chance to list a few of the great guitar players that I feel aren’t referenced enough by the common listener, and this time I’m armed with audio clips.
The Next Step | Kurt Rosenwinkel
I’ll bet ten bucks that you don’t listen to nearly enough jazz. Don’t lie. I certainly don’t. I’ve been on such a long quest of seeking out obscure rock bands that I sometimes forget about other genres. But if you’re a fan of jazz guitar fused with some sax, you’ll dig Kurt Rosenwinkel.
Nil Recurring | Porcupine Tree
Porcupine Tree is one those bands that has managed to keep under the radar for nearly 20 years. I don’t know how they did it. I’m actually kind of impressed. Especially since they’ve had guest musicians like Robert Fripp (King Crimson) and Mikael Ã…kerfeld (Opeth). If you don’t know who King Crimson is then you probably weren’t aware that progessive rock has been around since their first album in 1969. If you’ve never heard of Opeth, I’ll let it slide… for now.
Michael in Reign | Shun
Somehow I stumbled across their EP Michael in Reign back in 2002 on Mp3.com. I subsequently downloaded all the songs they had to offer on the site, fell in love with every single one, and then noticed they had already broken up. Man was I pissed.
Samus Octology | Irepress
One of the best albums I’ve listened to in a long time. I bought their album after Dan found their name on the list of bands to play with God Is An Astronaut (who we were going to see perform at the Ottobar in Baltimore, MD).
