I realized I hadn’t yet written any posts on hip-hop artists, and this is a misleading statistic. Most of my favorites have already been covered but there’s one I kept expecting Nirav to write which he hasn’t yet. For this reason, I now introduce you to Blackalicious. I realize it may sound more like a bubble gum flavor than a hip-hop act but don’t let that bother you. They’re a quality duo and I can think of a few reasons why you should immediately purchase their album Blazing Arrow.
OK fine, so they’re not amazing composers, instrumentalists, or singers. But they do play an impressively wide variety of musical styles. They’re also liable to make you laugh out loud often. If you’re a fan of their show on HBO then you already know what I’m talking about.
This is an album I’ve had for a week now. I had listened to it several times in the background while working, cooking dinner, or being preoccupied in some other way and I could tell it had potential. This weekend I finally gave it a dedicated listen with a respectable volume and 100% of my attention and I was really blown away.
What? Did he say Beethoven? …is he serious? Yes; yes I did, and yes I am. There’s a reason why we’ve all heard his name and excerpts of his work – it’s because he freakin’ rocks. But I bet most of the people reading this have never actually listened to one of his symphonies from start to end. In fairness, neither had I until this past summer.
Dead Soul Tribe is a progressive metal group that separates themselves from the pack in a variety of ways. How, you ask? Well here’s a hint: their name is an accurate reflection of their musical style… and no, it’s not death metal.
S.U.S.A.R. - Suspected Unexpected Serious Adverse Reaction – at first it just sounds like a nonsensical and possibly contradictory phrase, but it’s actually a real medical term. It’s also an album by the Polish prog rock band Indukti; an album that I thought was good after the first listen, but after the subsequent few listens it just seemed to get better, and better, and better.
Charlie Parker is the original true virtuoso on the sax, and the measuring stick for every horn player since. He almost single-handedly altered the direction of Jazz, and also gave Miles Davis his big break by taking him on as a protégé.
To give you an idea of my initial reaction to this album, during my first listen, 1) I laughed out loud a couple times, 2) I said “wow” a few times (either out loud or in my head), and 3) I had already started writing this review before the album had even ended.
Most people have listened to music containing classical string instruments, whether it was as a complement to a rock/metal band or as an added effect used by groups in various progressive genres, or simply in the form of classical music. But have you ever encountered a group in which the strings are the band, and they play some damn good metal? Well I had not… then I heard Apocalyptica.