Saturday, January 10, 2004
Outkast, Air, Saddam, Gamefly & Turducken?
Image courtesy: Astralwerks Music
On my "Best of 2003" singles list but actually officially out this month is "Cherry Blossom Girl", the first single from Talkie Walkie, the new album by Air. Talkie Walkie will be available as a limited edition CD/DVD package featuring a 35 minute film of Air in concert with behind-the-scenes footage and live versions of "La Femme d'Argent" and "Talisman." Question though: why is the limited edition DVD package $4 cheaper than buying just the CD on Amazon.com, what sense does that make?
Bonus: the good folks at Astralwerks are offering a free download of another track from the album called "Alpha Beta Gaga" although, in typical record company style, the download will time out on the release date of the album, Jan. 27.
Related reading & listening:
Click for the official Air website here.
Astralwerks' Air website here.
Listen to an mp3 snippet of Air sound-alike's Zero 7's cover of reggae artists Johnny Osbourne's classic "Truth And Rights" here. (courtesy: TurntableLab)
If, unlike me, you've already digested the Speakerboxxx/The Love Below album and are ready for more music from Outkast, look out for "I Can't Wait" by "The Way You Move" featured vocalist Sleepy Brown with Big Boi and some sly references to Rosa Parks by Andre 3000 which should avoid getting the group in legal trouble this time around. (VH-1 News)
Speaking of Outkast though, here's a question prompted from reading a discussion on Anil Dash: in 2004, major "urban" radio station WBLS in NYC can't play a vocal version of "The Way You Move" on air and instead opts to put, what basically sounds like, an instrumental without Big Boi's rhymes into rotation? Why?
Besides Outkast being just about biggest hip hop act out right now, NYC being the birthplace of hip hop (and still the #1 market for the music, I believe), and "The Way You Move" sounding about as radio-friendly as you can get without veering in cornball P-Diddy c. 1996 territory, urban music is pretty much in the dead-center of mainstream culture right now. So what is it BLS is scared of by not playing the version with Big Boi's rhymes intact?
Granted 'BLS's demo is a much older than over at either of rival stations Hot 97 or Power 105, but their listeners are probabaly the same people who grew up listening to Marley Marl and Mr. Magic spinning on the station back in the day. The average 'BLS listener isn't likely to be turned off by hearing a radio-friendly crossover hip hop track on the playlist. Most of them would probably actually enjoy hearing "The Way You Move" the way it was recorded rather than as a ridiculous disembowelled music bed. It's unbelievable that nearly 25 years on from "Rapper's Delight," the battle for full respect is still being fought by hip hop.
Outkast-related discussion part III: plenty of buzz on Kanye West but why none about the upcoming album from Cee-Lo (ex of Goodie Mob) Cee-Lo Green Is the Soul Machine? I'm definitely looking forward to hearing it after diggin' his last album and the current Timbaland-produced single "I'll Be Around" from his new set. Cee-Lo Green Is the Soul Machine is scheduled to drop February 3.
Also spotted via Anil Dash: Worst Hypothetical Rapper Names. I'm not sure if that is actually funny or just mad corny.
The new Erick Sermon jumpoff "Relentless"? In a word: blazing. Find this now (and email me a copy if you get a hold of it)
Rawkus Records R.I.P.? So says DJ Enuff via his afternoon drive mixshow yesterday.
Image courtesy: GiveMeToys.com
From the action figure world: these might have been around for a while but my question is what does it say about the world that Give Me Toys can charge $20 more for their Saddam figure than for the Donald Rumsfeld figure or the two George Bush figures available through their site. If you order Saddam as a package with the Osama Most Wanted figure though, you can save $10! (Give Me Toys)
Blog alert: check out Taj's beautifully-designed Ascensions, a personal chronicle of an aspiring young beat-maker enarmoured of 9th Wonder, Ghostface, Pete Rock and the Native Tongues. Can't argue with taste like that.
Via the Skrufff-E newsletter:
- A Ninja fighting game
- I didn't even know Muzik magazine was dead, along with dance music in the UK apparently (Independent). Can Disco-punk save the day?
Image courtesy: P2Pnet.net
Someone please get the RIAA some competent media relations advice quick because they're really looking like they don't know what the f-ck they're doing: Music Industry Puts Troops in the Streets -- Quasi-legal squads raid street vendors. (LA Weekly)
This is just embarrassing, for real: New Private Social Club Wants You... If You're "Pretty" -- Women must be eye candy and childless. (EURWeb)
Related reading: the official website for the Harlem Club here (via American Black)
There's only 320 days until Thanksgiving 2004 (give or take) but it's never too early to get prepared so why not try some Turducken at this year's family gathering?
This shows how out of it I am, I didn't know Time Warner and MGM were even in talks about a merger in the first place: TW, MGM Call Off Talks On Merger (NY Post)
I'm diggin' the TV ad for the new BMW X3 but no linkage to give you so look for it on air wherever you can (I saw it on M2).
Not sure if this is new or not but check out GameFly, it's like Netflix for video gamers.
And finally the oystermen, waiters, cooks, dishwashers, and bussers of the Grand Central Oyster Bar are still on strike. Click here for more details and/or to show your support.
Related reading: For an independent, critical look at Oyster Bar franchising, click here.
