Musical Musings
"I say one two three, peace to the real G's/Still me till these motherfuckers kill me."
Just some quick musical things. I saw Ted Leo and the Pharmacists last night. It was my fourth time seeing them, and undoubtedly their best show I've seen. I'm sure some people reading this are fans, and others have no idea who Ted Leo is, but for anyone who hasn't been to his website, you should go here. and read the post from the day after the election. It's great to see someone taking so much passion from one part of his life and pouring it into his music. I don't know that I've ever felt as much energy in music as I did last night. I left Bowery Ballroom with an incredibly hopeful feeling, and as I nursed what is now becoming my 'traditional post-Ted Leo' Oreo McFlurry from McDonalds, I felt a kind of peace I haven't known in a while. Do yourself a favor. Obtain Shake The Sheets, Hearts of Oak, and Tyranny of Distance somehow, and then do someone else a favor and let them in on the secret too. This man is brilliant, and these albums are amazing, and the whole world should know.
In other aural matters, those with whom I have talked music in the past few months have probably heard me rant and rave about hip-hop. It's a bit scary to admit that I, who once denounced hip-hop in the same way that Rick Santorum denounces gays, have been listening to more and more of the ghetto music. Obviously rap could not have survived as long as it has without some serious talent, and with a more open musical mind, I have come to appreciate this. Strange as it may seem, this came in good part due to Eminem. A few years ago, kind of as a joke, I bought The Marshall Mathers LP on tape to listen to in my car. Not only was I impressed with Em, but the song, "Bitch Please II," the mere utterance of which makes me sound whiter than an albino in a snowstorm, features Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Nate Dogg, and Xzbit in a collaboration that made me want more. Naturally though, I forgot about the whole hip-hop thing for another couple of years. Then while I was in London, I dedicated The Eminem Show as my official walking CD, and on "Till I Collapse" he namedrops rappers such as Jay-Z, Tupac, and Nas as some of his favorites. When I returned from London, I bought The Black Album and the rest is history.
The point of this is that I've grown to appreciate some of the intricacies of hip-hop involving delivery and production. Loyal To The Game, Tupac's 9th posthumous album, drops tomorrow and is produced entirely by Eminem. It was with some intrigue that I meandered over to allmusic.com and checked out the samples they offered, hoping that the album would not be a repeat of The Black Album's "Moment of Clarity" debacle, but instead would certify Marshall Mathers as a brilliant producer. I was sadly disappointed. The problem that Em encounters, similar to "Moment of Clarity," is that he has a very unique delivery, and the tracks that he creates for himself don't work with more traditional rappers. Though the title track accurately complements Tupac's abilities on the mic, the rest of what I heard sounds awkward at best. This can be confirmed by listening to the bonus tracks from other producers which are, in fact, quite good.
Eminem obviously wants to follow in the footsteps of Dr. Dre by using his skills in the booth to create new rap superstars, but to do so he needs to learn what sounds good, not just what works for himself.
Alright, enough distraction, time for...could it be...a paper being worked on before 9 pm...the day before it's due??? {Gasp} Yes it's true. It's paper time. What can I say, I'm being overwhelmed by indifference and the promise of an early bed. And if you get that reference then score for you.
Pizz-eace
Just some quick musical things. I saw Ted Leo and the Pharmacists last night. It was my fourth time seeing them, and undoubtedly their best show I've seen. I'm sure some people reading this are fans, and others have no idea who Ted Leo is, but for anyone who hasn't been to his website, you should go here. and read the post from the day after the election. It's great to see someone taking so much passion from one part of his life and pouring it into his music. I don't know that I've ever felt as much energy in music as I did last night. I left Bowery Ballroom with an incredibly hopeful feeling, and as I nursed what is now becoming my 'traditional post-Ted Leo' Oreo McFlurry from McDonalds, I felt a kind of peace I haven't known in a while. Do yourself a favor. Obtain Shake The Sheets, Hearts of Oak, and Tyranny of Distance somehow, and then do someone else a favor and let them in on the secret too. This man is brilliant, and these albums are amazing, and the whole world should know.
In other aural matters, those with whom I have talked music in the past few months have probably heard me rant and rave about hip-hop. It's a bit scary to admit that I, who once denounced hip-hop in the same way that Rick Santorum denounces gays, have been listening to more and more of the ghetto music. Obviously rap could not have survived as long as it has without some serious talent, and with a more open musical mind, I have come to appreciate this. Strange as it may seem, this came in good part due to Eminem. A few years ago, kind of as a joke, I bought The Marshall Mathers LP on tape to listen to in my car. Not only was I impressed with Em, but the song, "Bitch Please II," the mere utterance of which makes me sound whiter than an albino in a snowstorm, features Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Nate Dogg, and Xzbit in a collaboration that made me want more. Naturally though, I forgot about the whole hip-hop thing for another couple of years. Then while I was in London, I dedicated The Eminem Show as my official walking CD, and on "Till I Collapse" he namedrops rappers such as Jay-Z, Tupac, and Nas as some of his favorites. When I returned from London, I bought The Black Album and the rest is history.
The point of this is that I've grown to appreciate some of the intricacies of hip-hop involving delivery and production. Loyal To The Game, Tupac's 9th posthumous album, drops tomorrow and is produced entirely by Eminem. It was with some intrigue that I meandered over to allmusic.com and checked out the samples they offered, hoping that the album would not be a repeat of The Black Album's "Moment of Clarity" debacle, but instead would certify Marshall Mathers as a brilliant producer. I was sadly disappointed. The problem that Em encounters, similar to "Moment of Clarity," is that he has a very unique delivery, and the tracks that he creates for himself don't work with more traditional rappers. Though the title track accurately complements Tupac's abilities on the mic, the rest of what I heard sounds awkward at best. This can be confirmed by listening to the bonus tracks from other producers which are, in fact, quite good.
Eminem obviously wants to follow in the footsteps of Dr. Dre by using his skills in the booth to create new rap superstars, but to do so he needs to learn what sounds good, not just what works for himself.
Alright, enough distraction, time for...could it be...a paper being worked on before 9 pm...the day before it's due??? {Gasp} Yes it's true. It's paper time. What can I say, I'm being overwhelmed by indifference and the promise of an early bed. And if you get that reference then score for you.
Pizz-eace
posted by Mike at 7:48 PM
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