I heard that in order to be a true hip hopper, you have to know the works of Mr. MF Doom.  To my dismay and ignorance, I never took an opportunity to listen to his music until the past few weeks. I had been given a full collection of his music ranging from MM..Food (2004), Vaudeville Villain (2003), Venomous Villain (2004), and Take Me To Your Leader (2003). 

Also known as King Geedorah, Viktor Vaughn, Zen Love X, and Metal Fingers - MF Doom has been truly grinding (working hard) in the hip hop circuit. Not only has he published multiple albums in single years, he’s been non stop touring around the nation. With all that work and strong reputation, it’s weird to see him go unsigned. 

I’m sure people have tried though. Record labels who want the conscious emcee for reputation purposes but don’t necessarily want to deal with that same consciousness when it comes to talking about money or music ownership. Well I for one am happy that some of the best artists go unsigned as long as they themselves are ok with it. If you’re starving or in a place where its hurting you, then I don’t think it is worth the value.

Jumping back into MF Doom as an artist, I really can’t speak on behalf of his music. Listening to an album a few times won’t make me an expert and we at Obnoxious Listeners are not about cranking out posts for the purposes of getting it done. So I want to ask you, the readers, what do you know about him and what are your favorite MF Doom albums?  What do you like most about MF Doom? Is there a single you would recommend for first timers to his music?

Friends of mine yesterday gave me a quick insight into his tours in D.C. He apparently does not come without being very ummm …. done up on herbs/shrooms. He apparently has a batch of peanut butter shrooms that he likes to chow down on. Check out the 2-disk album entitled Special Herbs where each track name has a different root/herb as its title. I hope that ish is organic!

MySpace | Wikipedia | Last.fm

Though many have come before her to soul music, I believe Amel Larrieux embodies everything that is positive, fun, and really soulful in that genre. She’s got:

• Style: The way she dresses and presents herself makes her appear much like a modern day queen. Very different from a princess, she wears what’s respectable and still looks beautiful  nonetheless. I admire her style which displays motherhood, beauty, and respect.
• Confidence: Her stage presence is abnormally strong for her petite figure and soft speaking voice. She commands the crowd and subdues them with her music. I will admit that I have personally fallen into a trance by just admiring her being!
• Musical Talent: Not only a beautiful voice that can hold down a wide range of notes, I think she has the best pipes and range in the high ends, better than any vocalist I’ve heard today. Amel also writes and is very conscious about her lyrics which are no lesser in comparison than her voice.
• Respect For History: Though you can always hear her appreciating other musicians and mentors, she put out a full album entitled Lovely Standards (2007) which covered older American jazz musicians ranging from Frank Loesser to Duke Ellington.

You might have heard her name when she was lead singer and musician apart of Groove Theory, the group that brought you songs like Tell Me and Keep Tryin’. She’s also a Grammy nominated artist for her work with Stanley Clarke and Glenn Lewis. Regardless of her credentials, she’s an Obnoxious artist who’s got all the makings for the best soul and jazz singer of our generation. 

I’ve never heard a soul singer or any vocalist for that matter hit the high notes that Amel does throughout her various albums and liver performances. She not only hits them, but she stays on them over the course of her songs. At a few live shows, I heard her extend one of her songs five minutes just singing high notes with no lyrics. Sounded just like an instrument that kept up with the other sounds, but did not seem to have any specific agenda. It was like she was in the song and just tagging along for the ride. As weird as that sounds, that’s what she’s able to do with her music.

If you can appreciate the soul + jazz music genres and like what you’ve heard so far, my suggestion would be to start with her first two albums and work your way up. Her debut solo album was entitled Infinite Possibilities (2000) and her second album was named Bravebird (2004). Both are amazing albums that you can listen from start-to-finish and appreciate every song.

On a final note, I will go on the record officially to announce that she’s my favorite soul singer in the world. Though there are more popular and more well known artists in the genre (Jill Scott, Alicia Keys, Erykah Badu), I appreciate her music on a deeper level than the others. Not sure if it’s because I’ve seen her live over 5 times, because I have a huge crush on her, or the music is just that good that it blows my mind. Regardless, I love this artist!

Amel Larrieux Music | MySpace | Wikipedia

It’s no secret, I’ve clearly got a fetish for progressive/post-rock/metal or whatever us kids are calling it these days. Isis, Pelican, Del Rey, and Russian Circles are among my favorites… but these guys are all pretty well known at this point (some more than others obviously). I’ve recently found (well, actually they found me) another band among this genre that brings a fresh look. From what I can tell, they’re still up and coming, so it’s likely you don’t know them just yet.

Danger Invites Rescue somehow came across my personal myspace music page. I’m not entirely sure if they found me just looking for new music and thought I’d dig their music or if I’m just within a couple degrees of separation within this whole myspace world. Regardless, I received a message from them saying they’re offering free downloads of their EP. How could I resist? Danger Invites Rescue is an instrumental four piece post-rock/metal band residing in Los Angeles. The free EP download certainly got my attention initially, but it was their unique sound and careful attention to composition that kept it.

The recording itself isn’t spectacular, but in the grand scheme of things it’s really not that bad. Then considering these guys are passionate enough about their music to get it out to you for free, it’s a no-brainer. The recording is clean, but it just doesn’t have the umph you get out of a high-end studio. Honestly, I’m not so sure it’s the recording that is the issue so much as the producing/mixing. These are all just minor faults in my opinion. What’s important is the music itself. If you’ve had any interest in the aforementioned bands, you have no reason not to download their EP via the link below.

Danger Invites Rescue | MySpace | Free EP Download

It took them seven years to release a studio album following their debut and roughly another seven years for their third. I swore they were finished after their second release, but their first release was so good that their diligence makes me a little hopeful for their third release due next week.

I’ll always remember the Toadies as the band that managed to get out a radio single that everyone knew but no one could remember who played it for the life of them. I’m not sure anyone could even remember the title of that single. Do the phrases “Be my angel” and “Do you wanna die?” ring any bells? Play the clip above and I’m sure you’ll either know the song right away because you figured out how good Rubberneck (1994) was or you’ll have an “Oh yeah, that’s who played that” moment. Rubberneck is one of my favorites from its genre and should be part of anyone’s collection who likes grunge or good alternative rock.

The Toadies separated themselves from the pack because of their unique sound with simple but thoughtfully layered parts. They even threw in some odd-meter to their single… now that’s something you don’t see every day. These guys aren’t super technical, but that kind of goes with the genre. Anyone who listens to grunge for crazy guitar solos and the like probably doesn’t own more than a couple CDs. The Toadies are all about a tight sound with strong and intricate transitions forming top-notch compositions. I’ll be honest, I didn’t much care for their second release… but maybe the temporary break up is what they needed to come back with a strong third studio release; which is due August 19th.

Toadies | Wikipedia | MySpace

What happens when you toss some of the most technically articulate progressive rock musicians in the studio at the same time to both write and record an entire album essentially on the spot? This is the premise of the Liquid Tension Experiment.

The Liquid Tension Experiment was initially a side project for John Petrucci (guitar) and Mike Portnoy (drums) from Dream Theater with Jordan Rudess (keyboards) and Tony Levin (bass). Shortly after this little project, Jordan Rudess was asked to play keyboard for Dream theater. At this point, three of the four members were also in Dream Theater. So, I didn’t expect them to produce anything else under this name. However, just last year, they attempted another recording. Apparently John Petrucci had other obligations to attend to, so he didn’t finish the recording. Thus, the release became the Liquid Trio Experiment’s Spontaneous Combustion (2007).

This project isn’t quite the same as Dream Theater, and it does have one particular difference from Dream Theater… it’s all instrumental. That’s right, no singing from James LaBrie. Don’t get me wrong, James LaBrie is good at what he does, but I got sick of it after the first couple Dream Theater albums. That aside, both the self-titled Liquid Tension Experiment from 1998 and Liquid Tension Experiment 2 (1999) were top notch releases in the progressive rock genre; even compared to albums that took years to write. And these were written on the spot out of jam sessions and improvisations.  If it’s technical and flashy progressive rock you crave, then it’s the Liquid Tension Experiment you need. QED.

Liquid Tension Experiment | Wikipedia | facebook

There’s something missing among the selection of artists I’ve chosen to share. Every so often it hits me that I don’t have nearly enough jazz to properly represent my personal tastes. Well, today it hit me I’m slacking not just in jazz, but on the blues end too. I aim to change that, and I’m gonna kick it off with some good ol’ Texas blues.

It just wouldn’t be fair to call me an Obnoxious Listener if I didn’t kick off a series of blues posts to come with an obscure artist that I feel not nearly enough people know. His first release was without a doubt Texas blues, but his writing styles changed completely towards some sort of folk and pop mixture. I’m not here to criticize those choices. I personally don’t like that style of music and wouldn’t give a fair opinion on the matter. However, he certainly knows how to play Texas blues, and anyone who has heard of him through his last five releases would probably have never guessed that unless they did some research. From what I can tell, the Ian Moore I’m writing about is the very same Ian Moore releasing folk music and hosting IanMoore.com, but that site doesn’t even acknowledge his self-titled from 1993 or Modern Day Folklore (1995). That’s a shame. 

Word on the street is that he didn’t appreciate the comparison to Stevie Ray Vaughan, but how could the comparison not be drawn? Maybe it was just time and place, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t valid. I’ll agree Ian Moore was certainly different from Stevie Ray Vaughan, but I sure hope the common comparison wasn’t the instigator for his stylistic transformation. His self-titled was a solid album and any Texas blues guitar enthusiast will enjoy it all the way through. I might even go so far as to call it progressive blues… but I’m sure that gets the right message across, or even means anything.  My point is that Ian Moore’s self-titled album has some well-written compositions with synchronization, well crafted arrangements, and some deep-seeded Texas blues. Ian Moore is a great singer, great guitarist, and he had some great musicians with him for at least that album. Modern Day Folklore veered away from the Texas blues in comparison and his subsequent releases kept on that track. But if you’re a fan of Texas blues, Ian Moore’s self-titled is a must have for your music collection.

Common is one of my personal heros and role models. He’s spiritual when it comes to religion and the way he goes about living life. He looks fcuk’in amazing and he’s gotta be somewhere in his late 30s. He used to be a vegan and he still eats really healthy (my friend has seen him at the Brooklyn Food Coop picking up organic food). He’s recently gotten into the acting game and he’s kicking butt (recently in Wanted with Angelina Jolie, alongside Denzel Washington in American Gangster, and bodyguard to Ari Gold in Smokin’ Aces). He’s a father to a beautiful daughter who he talks about in his songs, “My daughter found Nemo, I found the new Primo” and expresses his love and admiration on a daily basis. He’s been recently linked to being in a relationship with Alicia Keys and Serena Williams in the past year alone (btw. I am infatuated with Alicia Keys). And to top all of that, he’s one of the best emcees in the hip hop game signed to a fantastic record label and linked to one of the best producers. Even though that could have been a post in itself, I’m only just getting started!

Linked to Kanye West apart of his record label G.O.O.D., Common is due out to release his 8th solo album entitled Invincible Summer (2008) on September 23rd. And like a music crack fiend, I’m itching and scratching to get my hands on a copy of it.

Before signing with G.O.O.D., Common was still considered an underground emcee. Though he had a few tracks that got him noticed in the mainstream, he was still relatively unknown to the masses. His first critically acclaimed album dropper early in his career entitled Resurrection (1994) and it created stirs in the underground hip hop community. It was completely produced by No I.D. (former mentor of Kanye West) and you could easily rock out to it. I have included my most favorite track from this album (and I think overall from his entire career) entitled I Used to Love Her. The entire song is a personification of the genre/culture/music known as hip hop. It’s done with such eloquence and lyricism, it will blow your mind if this is your first listen to it.

His next album entitled One Day It’ll All Make Sense (1997) got his first big label record contract with MCA Records. It has collaborations with some of the best during that time like Q-Tip, Lauryn Hill, Black thought, etc. After obtaining the contract, he did well on his first release Like Water For Chocolate (2000) and pretty much flopped his second release Electric Circus (2002). These are known as his Soulquarian days and I like to think of it as him dating Erykah Badu days. Some call these his best days, I call them his exploration/growth days. He did alot of unconventional things during this time and took spouts of time for himself where we didn’t see much of him. But I think it was needed for an artist of his caliber. It’s growth that all human beings go through and many artists/famous people actually don’t.

Two years after his breakup with Erykah Badu and three years after his last release, Common grabbed hold of his life and signed with Kanye West. And everything went up from there. His album sales, his skillz, his ability to hit the masses, his credibility, his mojo, and his career. To me, this was the single biggest step and decision that he could have made in his life (after dropping out of college of course :->).

His entire life journey and the decisions he made makes for a E! True Hollywood Story. Not really, but you get my drift. Ontop of everything I’ve stated thus far, what I truly admire above all else is the sincerity, modesty, and consciousness that he’s done all the actions around his life. And I felt that personally when 1) seeing him perform live, 2) reading his interviews in magazines and online, and 3) the way he explores life in terms of spirituality, health, music, career, etc without any bounds or without any fear of rejection. I love that and to me, that not only makes for a great person but also a great artist.

If you like him already or are starting to, check out this 3-part interview:

• Tim Westwood: Part 1
• Tim Westwood: Part 2
• Tim Westwood: Part 3

Common Music | MySpace | Facebook | Wikipedia

I have a habit of trying to ascertain the essence of a band’s sound by mixing sounds well defined by two or more bands. I recently ran into a band with the most peculiar mix bands that I could only describe as Tool, Radiohead, Jeff Buckley, and Coldplay. Four completely different tones merged to form a unique, yet familiar sound.

I stumbled upon Seer shortly after our interview of Pilot’s Wish. Katie let me know they recently picked up a new bass player and hope to get back to some shows soon. I was hooked almost instantly after following the link Katie sent me. My interest only grew with time as I found out the diversity of their sound. The aforementioned bands really hit the nail on the head. Personally, I prefer the heavier side of rock, but I still very much enjoy mellower aspects as found throughout much of their latest album 2020 (2006). However, their latest demo track, Mechanical, is definitely heavier… and I love it. I haven’t heard such a conglomerate of rock sounds put together this well in a long time.

Something more bands should really spend more time developing, is the over sound the band provides. I get can easily get sick of flashy solos and gimmicks that many upcoming bands depend on. I much more prefer a full sound with layers and complex compositions. Seer does just that and does it well. Lucky for me, Seer is based in Brooklyn and I just happen to frequent NYC. So, I can’t wait to catch these guys live in a local setting while I still can.  If the audio clip got your attention, Seer’s official band site streams several of their tracks in full.

Seer | mySpace | facebook

You’re either going to love or hate this band. The Mars Volta is on a fine line. The music snob is likely to say they’re too commercial and structured, while the common listener is likely to say they’re too unconventional and off the wall. To be perfectly honest, I can’t really handle the long drones at the end of many of their tracks, but everything leading up to that is near blissful.

I was pleasantly surprised to find that The Mars Volta includes ex-members of At the Drive-In, who split in 2001 to The Mars Volta and Sparta. I was a big fan of At the Drive-In back in high school (another one of my random purchases), but I never got the chance to see them live before they split.  The Mars Volta took At the Drive-In to a whole new level bringing an even more unique sound with more progressive and ambient influences.

I first got into The Mars Volta with Frances the Mute (2005) and Tremulant (2002). Tremulant is an EP consisting of only three songs, which could be a good reason to start with it as you could find it pretty cheap. Even still, it’s a great EP and certainly worth purchasing. If you’re not used to / into experimental, you might need to skip the first two minutes of ambient noise. Frances the Mute is my favorite thus far. Cygnus… Vismund Cygnus is an incredible track, as is The Widow (which received quite a bit of critical and media attention when it was released). I’ve since purchased Deloused in the Comatorium (2003) and was equally pleased. I have yet to purchase Amputechture (2006) or their most recent release, The Bedlam in Goliath (2008). From just a glance, their latest album seems even more experimental and would probably not be the best album to start with as I have a feeling only the hardcore fans will appreciate it.

The Mars Volta is definitely a strange band, but they keep my interest with their easily recognizable technical articulation, fantastic creativity, and excellent use of odd-meter and tempo changes. Every album is a sound mixers nightmare (or dream if they’re crazy enough) since there are so many over-laying parts, but the band is still able to pull it off live. I’ve read that the band records each part in the studio without having the luxury of hearing the rest of the band, only a metronome. If you’ve haven’t tried playing by your self with just a metronome, it’s far more difficult than playing with the feel of the whole band… but that skill makes for a playing a very tight set live.

Delaware is a rather small state and has an even smaller music scene which becomes far more apparent when you experience cities not all that far away, e.g. Philly, DC, NYC, etc. I had been to very few shows with bands exclusively from Delaware; they were usually from PA or NJ. However, there was actually one band from Newark, DE that managed to get signed and go on to tour nationally. But wouldn’t you know it… just when I was inspired to write a post about the only band to get signed out of our home state, I find they’ve broken up and in a rather tragic way.

I actually had the pleasure of meeting most of these guys in person since we shared a few common friends (Delaware is a small state). I particularly remember an in depth music conversation with Josh at the Apple store. That was the first time I had met him and didn’t realize who he was until he gave me his email address which begged the notion that he was from Boy Sets Fire. I found Josh to be a down to earth guy and he was very pleasant to talk with. Sadly, he had a terrible accident falling three stories flat on his back sometime in late 2006/early 2007 from what I gather. Miraculously, he did survive and is not paralyzed, but he did fracture several vertebrae and break his neck and hips.  I haven’t found any updated information about the accident on their site, but I hope that he is doing well.

To me, Boy Sets Fire is the first band I think of when I hear the genre post-hardcore. But in fairness, that’s because they were the first band I’d heard in this genre, so I might be a little partial. The biggest appeal to this band was their energy, not just in the rhythm and hard guitars, but also in the vocals and politically driven lyrics. This band had a lot more depth than the typical hardcore bands at the time. Aside from having a great mix of sounds, they also had multiple intricately laced guitar parts, driving bass lines, syncopated drums, and a great vocalist. Of course, they were from Delaware. So, it took a little too long for the rest of the world to catch on. I saw so many bands come through opening for Boy Sets Fire shows only to be headlining their own shows months later. For example, I remember them headlining a local show with Thursday opening. Mere months later, you could find Thursday on MTV. Luckily for Boy Sets Fire, they did eventually catch a break… it just wasn’t a long one.

Boy Sets Fire has four studio albums, and several other releases. My personal favorite is After the Eulogy (2000). In my opinion, this is the strongest album as a whole before they signed with Wind-up Records. I was rather upset when I heard they changed to Wind-up, but perhaps a bit over-critical of the subsequent release until I actually gave it a chance recently. It’s too easy to discard a band when given an unexpected change. Truthfully, Tomorrow Come Today (2003) wasn’t drastically different, just a much better recording and perhaps a little over-produced. This just came as a shock as they had been an indie band with against-the-grain political messages. Wind-up just wasn’t the best way to get their music out there. They were just a bad choice… and the band has publicly stated that. They did eventually get released from Wind-up and signed with Equal Vision. They had since toured through Europe, but have broken-up.  It seems like a few of them have found new projects that will hopefully go on to do well.