Go 3000

Things have been pretty sparse on Thursday Cover Page as of late, but I’ll be damned if another OutKast reunion tease isn’t worthy of a post.

Considering that “Da Art of Storytelling Pt. 2” is not only my favorite OutKast song but one of my favorite songs period, the fact that the new single is “Da Art of Storytelling Pt. 4” means expectations are at an obscene high. “Pt. 4” doesn’t come close to meeting those expectations, but it’s still a great track and further proof that Andre and Big Boi should reunite and reclaim the decade they let loose from their grip a few years ago.

The production on “Pt. 4” (which I guess can be found on DJ Drama’s upcoming compilation Gangsta Grillz) couldn’t be more different from the overwhelming sounds of “Pt. 2.” The earlier entry is a barrage of heavily distorted vocals and ominous, hypnotic chants designed to compliment lyrics about the end of the world, complete with racing cars on crumbling highways and jungle cats falling from the skies. A peaceful acoustic guitar riff also flows throughout the entire track, which gives you the choice of getting caught up in the apocalyptic chaos or simply riding it out on the rocking chair on your front porch.

“Pt. 4” has a middle-of-the-road production that isn’t so much sparse as it is just basic. A serviceable beat cruises along with a bland female vocal hook, and it doesn’t do much to attract attention. That’s fine for the first half, since Andre 3000’s verse is among his greatest ever. Rather than pick it apart line by line, just know that it’s always great to hear rappers say something, especially something from the heart, in their verses instead of simply trying to be clever.

Big Boi drops the ball on his verse. It’s not bad, just average, which is disappointing because he is consistently underappreciated on the mic, and his performance on DJ Khaled’s recent “I’m So Hood” remix is as good as anything he’s ever done.

Add it up and you’ve got another great OutKast track, one that hopefully signals the rebirth of the non-movie-related, non-solo-discs group that still owns the best single of the decade (“B.O.B.”). Now just drop another gem before 2010 and make it official.

No Hip-Hop In Onion's Best Music of 2007

Takes guts to release a best of 2007 that doesn't manage to include much diversity of any kind whatsoever. There's barely any hip-hop, and no country. Instead, it's just an endless sea of skinny white dudes in too-tight jeans whining about their terrible lives doing cocaine and making out with hipster chicks in town after town. You'll excuse me if my respect for The Onion's generally good AV Club just got sucker-punched.

Generate Gs then we stash them in the Swiss

So about a month ago I drove to Chicago to visit some friends from my first college. Chicago is about a 6 hour trip across Wisconsin. Tired of my ipod playlists and CD collection, I decided to turn on the XM satellite radio in my car. It took me almost 7 hours to get to Sarah's place on the northside (crappy, crappy tolls!), and for almost the entire drive, and most of the 6 hour drive back to Minneapolis, I listened to XM radio.

What I enjoy about the satellite is obviously the fact that I can listen to it anywhere (except in tunnels and between certain buildings downtown-weird), and there is a large variety of stations. I have the four hip hop stations programmed. The first is The Rhyme 65, which plays everything from Grandmaster Flash and Toddy Tee to Nas, Tupac, and LL Cool J. The station plays tons of old skool rap, and some great classic hip hop from the 90s and early 2000s. Ali Shaheed Muhammed has his own show in which he spins all kinds of great Tribe Called Quest, Black Sheep, Pete Rock, and Def Squad cuts, just to name a few. Sometimes during the day the emphasis on the real old skool is a bit much for me, but on the ride home from work, and especially weekend evenings, the playlists are chuck full of some great hip hop favorites. Sometimes during rush hour the DJs do interviews with artists, but generally there is no talk on this channel. I listen to it a lot.

The other three hip hop/rap channels, 66-68 are mediocre. 66 is XL RAW- mostly loud, griding, thug "artists" with mega production and little skill. But perhaps I'm just ill-informed, as I tend to skip over this channel since I'm not a big fan of tracks from Trick Daddy and Young Tre (or is it Young Dre? Young Joc?). 67 is The City, mostly pop hits with the occasional 90's or early 2000's pop throwback (who doesn't love Nelly's "Must Be the Money" from 2001?!). Finally, 68 The Heat plays all new pop stuff, and plays the same songs repeatedly, just like B96 or Hot 97, without the commercials. I do love the pop hits from time to time.

Other XM highlights include channel 59 LED. That's right, it's all Led Zeppelin all the time, with lots of live cuts and interviews and whatnot. Not something to tune on the commute, but definitely critical for the long road trip. Also, 80s on 8 and 90s on 9 provide great jams and entertainment. I keep turning to 90s on 9 and hearing songs that I don't remember but somehow I know all the lyrics. It's actually creating for me a fondness for the 90s which I hadn't really had before.... interesting. Oh yes, and the National Lampoon comedy channel. Sometimes it's really nice to listen to some Dave Chapelle stand up on the way home from work. And for those moments when I need to feel connected to the world, I tune in the BBC channel or the Bloomberg report. Yes. I am a nerd that way.

Oh yeah! And channel 101 is the Joint--the reggae station! Also a favorite. Everything from Desmond Dekker to Collie Buddz!

So the XM has been a pretty good investment so far, especially since my commute is 35-40 minutes each way. I spend a lot of time in the car so it's worth the $12.95/month for the subscription. Of course I think that XM and Sirius have a total monopoly on the market and are pricefixing, but it's the equivalent to having 2 drinks out at the bar, and I think I'd rather have the music than the drinks. The downsides to the service, other than the price, include the limited collections. Alas, I can tell by listening that the service doesn't have as wide a variety of actual songs in each genre as I hoped. I was hoping to hear a lot more unfamiliar tracks on the Rhyme. Either I am encyclopedic in my knowledge of hip hop, or the station just doesn't have the authority to play everything that's out there. Hmm, methinks it's the latter. Also, I wish NPR was part of XM (it's with Sirius), and I'd love to hear KCRW on the satellite too. There are like 150 channels total, including sports and other talk stations, but in general, they're inapplicable to me. I never check into the Big Band channel, or 40s on 4. But I bet someone loves it. My dream satellite radio would be way more personalized. Right now XM is trying hard to please the masses. It's does a pretty good job, but it could do so much better.

In short, it's nice to have the satellite, but I'm glad I've still got the Current.

Can't conclude a post without sharing a favorite song of the moment. So folks, enjoy my hip hop clip de jour: Roots Manuva and his video for "Witness." So great.

Not gold...

If there was any doubt as to whether or not Dave Wyndorf would remain his zany self after a drug overdose, the track “Wall of Fire” from the new Monster Magnet record puts all speculation to rest. “Well I’m back! I got a cock made out of platinum…” goes the first two lines of the song, and from there you’re thrown into an alternate universe of raining money, weird references to chocolate and masochism. There are enough hammering riffs and rattling drum fills that you may never escape. Not that you’d want to — this assertion requires Maury the Beetle’s stamp of approval, but I’d say that this track is MM’s best single since the “Negasonic Teenage Warhead” days. Having an edge over the satisfying but uneven material on Monolithic, Baby and God Says No is no grand feat, but it even manages to be rock harder than Powertrip classics like “Space Lord” thanks to a renewed focus on dialing down the huge, Leppard-worthy choruses. Using drugs to the point of near death and using that experience as inspiration for an album may not be the classiest approach to making music, but hey, if you’re offended you can always go back to listening to Keane.

Five Songs By A Band I Don't Know What To Do With

(After doing what some reporters call research, I just realized that I fucked up a bunch of facts in here, particularly about the band's country album. World keeps on turning though. Read a real profile here.)

I really, really, really want to like Ween. But Ween's a band better left to this site's Password; I'm just not versed enough to understand exactly what it is that I'm listening to. Still, the band has put out some dynamite tracks, and even if I can't fully endorse full album's, I can certainly come up with five songs worthy of your attention at an iTunes like distributor.

1. "Baby Bitch" off of Chocolate and Cheese

Hey, Elliot Smith, and all of your downtrodden, stabbed-in-the-chest-edness - get a load of this song. It sounds like something you would have done, only more angry, more bitter, and more listenable. Put that in your Prozac and drink it down.

One of Ween's supreme talents has been its ability to blend its sound into music not otherwise associated with the band; they released a country album for Christ's sake. Maybe understanding that is understanding the band itself: it isn't going to be pigeonholed by anybody or anything. Maybe that's why they appeal to me.

2. "Gabrielle" off of Shinola

Just balls to the wall, American sounding rock. I always thought chameleonic should be a word. Sadly, it isn't. But it takes something for a band to seemlessly shift gears, from depressing emo hipster to upbeat rock band. Honestly, you could potentially make a full-length Ween CD in which a first time listener wouldn't realize that the same band was playing all of the tracks.

3. "It's Gonna Be A Long Night" off of Quebec

"Heard that you were new in town/someone said you party down/well later I'll be coming round/we'll rack 'em up and suck 'em down/don't call your mother/don't call your priest/don't call your doctor/call the police/you bring the razor blade/i'll bring the speed/take off your coat/it's going to be a long night." Boo-yeah! If those aren't lyrics, what are? Ween's songs are so fucking good. The albums struggle, but the individual genius on display in some of these songs is awe-inspiring.

4. "Friends" off of La Cucharacha

I'm totally sucked in here by the synthesizer. I read somewhere that this was supposed to be Ween's "party album." I guess so...but this song is catchy as hell, and I don't owe anybody anything more than that. Again, I think you could legitimately make a 15-track-album and nobody would know all of the songs were by the same band.

5. "Japanese Cowboy" off of 12 Country Greats

Game set match - this is one of the songs off of Ween's country album, produced immediately after they were signed for their alternative, hard-edged sound. Any band this committed to walking their own road has my attention. The fact that they gave this to their record company for their first big time release is probably the most telling Ween story you'll ever find. Incidentally, this is just a great country song. The sound is great, authentic, and quite frankly, perfect.

Activist judges legislate from the bench

Phil Anselmo made good music on drugs. Mostly. The impenetrably dense, aimless speed metal he made with Superjoint Ritual sticks out as a low point, but his mix of violent rants and dark introspection reached its peak on Pantera’s The Great Southern Trendkill, on which he somehow managed to brilliantly balance violence-baiting macho rants (“for every fucking second the pathetic media pisses on me…”) with cries for punishment (“wash away us all/ take us with the floods”).

Outside of Pantera’s best moments, though, Anselmo’s work with his side project Down will forever be known as his greatest accomplishment. The band’s debut, Nola, holds a permanent spot on the short list of the greatest metal albums of all time. The first single from the recently released Down III: Over the Under expands on the sound of the severely underrated Down II, dulling all of the sharp edges of the riffs, drums, guitar, Phil’s voice — into an oddly aggressive mid tempo beast.

At first it sounds a little dull, similar to the stuff fellow Down-er Pepper Keenan did on Corrosion of Conformity’s In the Arms of God. But “Three Suns and One Star” quickly hammers your brain into submission both with the further refinement of the Down sound and with Anselmo’s impressive lyrics.

It wasn’t guaranteed to work out this well. This was the first album Anselmo ever made “clean” (after 20+ years), and he’s pictured in the liner notes barefoot with (comparatively) neat neck-length hair, appearing one step away from a Keith Caputo hippie dance. But outside of some short trips to cliché-ville (“the old dog has to learn a new trick,” “a square will never fit a circle”), Anselmo is in fine form on “Three Suns,” whether overtaken by thoughts of his past life (“desire/ haunt me long/ the light of/ three suns and one star/ watch over me”) or exhibiting a Dio-like refusal to let a song go (“Three Suns! One Star! Three Suns! One Star! Whooaw!”). He sounds less reborn than simply reawakened. His body may now have been recast as a drug-free temple, but the spirit sounds very much the same.

Five Hot Phrases

Been a while since I've been around. Been awhile since anybody's been around. But maybe now's the time, now more than ever. I've been away, been busy, been doing the things that needed to be done. Listening to some hip-hop, found some lyrics that absolutely blew my mind, not because they're mind-blowing, but because they're so damned arcane.



5. "Grey Goose and Cranberry/The Raspberry Bikini on honey/with the Blackberry/Had my eyes bulging/plus my pants bulging." RZA on his international release "Saian."

There's something downright dirty about what RZA's telling us. Sipping this drink and seeing some beautiful woman and he's ready to go, just like that. He could have ended it at "Had my eyes bulging." We're smart enough to have then filled in the blanks. But nope - he gives us the rest of his anatomical occurences. Positively brilliant.

4. "I'm gonna rub your ass in the moonshine," Ol Dirty Bastard, on Wu-Tang's "Killer Bees."

That's a rub-your-eyes, did-you-just-hear-that lyric. What in the hell does it mean? Is it threatening or a mean-nothing threat? How does one begin to decide?



3. "I've got more flavor than 7-11 Slurpees/it Magic can admit that he got AIDS/Fuck it, I've got Herpes," Pharcyde on "Soul Flower."

My favorite hip-hop group, dearly departed, after two albums worth discussing and some subsequent production that makes you want to dig out your eardrums with a spoon. Sigh. Still, what's one to make of that line? Was whomever sung it serious? Are they just joking around? I have absolutely no idea. That's the brilliance of it - you're left completely confused, and yet the song's positively fantastic.

2. "I've been to the club about fifty-eleven times." L'iL Jon and the Eastside Boyz on "Get Low."

Greatest number ever. I'll assume that he literally meant 61 times, but I think from here on out, I'm teaching my daughter to use permutations of fifty-eleven. The rest of the song is...umm...dirty? Honest? Both? I've only listened to it about fifty-eleven times. I'll let you know when I figure it out.



1. "Dedicated to all the pretty girls/All the pretty girls in the world/and the ugly girls too!/to me you're pretty anyway baby." Ol' Dirty Bastard on "(Baby) I Got Your Money."

Soon after, ODB announces: "I don't have no trouble with you fucking me/but I have a little problem with you not fucking me." But seriously, what are you really thinking? Something about ODB introducing his songs equals pure gold. Seems like he always had something staggering to say before the song got going. Him announcing that all women were good enough for him? Amazing. Instead of running down a laundry list of feminine requirements, ODB was willing, apparently, to throw it in anybody who came near. Good for him. Ugly girls need love too, and who better to deliver it than the ODB?

Back To Bust It

Well well well, it's been a while since this shit has been updated hasn't it? We've all been busy, it's been a whirlwind summer. Nobody wants to be inside writing blogs when it's warm out do they? Of course not! So please excuse our absence, but rest assured, we'll keep it poppin' thru the autumn!

First I must extend a warm congrats to Password for his engagement! Woo hoo! It's about time! Seriously, y'all men are slow. When you got a good thing, you should lock that shit down before the bird flies the coop! So good lookin' out Password. You're a lucky man, and Shauna is a lucky lady!

So let's get to it. Here is a list of my top 5 music moments from summer 2k7:

1. The Paid Dues Festival.

Everybody knows how much I LOVE Murs. Well, my dream rapper boyfriend teamed up with the Rhymesayers crew to put on a national tour of independent hip hop artists. When they came through Minneapolis, the show was killer. The line-up included Cage, Sage Francis, Mr. Lif (who did a solo set and one with fellow Perceptionist Akrobatik which was fuckin rad), Blueprint, Brother Ali, Felt (Slug + Murs = <3), and Cali favorites Living Legends. The big highlights for me were Brother Ali, who can rock a serious set as good or better than any professional artist out there, and of course Felt, because I am in love with Murs. Anytime I can see him perform I get orgasmic. Living Legends came in hard for the finale. I'd never seen them before, and they brought serious energy to the whole venue. The Paid Dues Festival only visited a handful of cities, but I'm so glad Minneapolis was one of them. It was such a treat to see so many of my favorite hip hop artists all performing together, in Slug's hometown. Yay Rhymesayers!

2. M.I.A.'s new album, KALA

Okay, so if I were stuck on a desert island and could only have 5 albums, M.I.A.'s first release, Arular, would be at the top of my list. Kala was released in early August and while it wouldn't make it on my island mix, it is definitely a must-have. I hear that Diplo was producing her album and then broke her heart halfway through so that may explain some of the less stellar tracks, but for the most part I like it all. And like Arular, it gets better with each listen. The single Boyz (above) is already a classic. I rock that shit in the Acura on the regular. Go pick this shit up.

3. Rilo Kiley Live
So Rilo Kiley put out a new album, and while I have yet to procure said release, I did get the pleasure of seeing Jenny Lewis and her band when they came through Minneapolis a few weeks ago. They played a bunch of favorites from older albums, as well as some new stuff, including the big indie hits, "Money Maker" and "Breakin Up." The best part of the whole show was Jenny Lewis herself, who is smokin' hot and looked like a total pinup on stage wearing sparkly tights, hot pants, and a ruffley top that made her chest look amazing, especially in blacklight. Gotta hand it to a woman who can write a good song, lead a good band, rock a live set, and look so super duper hot doin all of it. Perhaps one of my TCP compatriots will review the new album here soon...

4. Sea Wolf
They started playing songs from this lovely indie band from L.A. on The Current in the summer, and I fell in love with the track, "You're a wolf", and DL the album, Get To The River Before It Runs Too Low. What an endearing collection of songs it is! Yes, it's quite emo, but not on the same level as Death Cab for Cutie or anything. It's a more subdued, simple sound that is very pleasant on sunny days and rainy ones. I really love the song "Middle Distance Runner." I can't wait to see them in concert in a few weeks. Check out their main single:


5. T.I. You Know What It Is

Everyone knows that I'm a sucker for a hot pop song. Holy cheebas is T.I.'s single on fire!!!! Seriously folks, T.I. is talented. You saw him in ATL, and you're soon to see him in that upcoming Denzel flick, "American Gangster." In the mean time, he's blowin up the hip hop universe with T.I. vs T.I.P. I heard that earlier in the summer he got super drunk at some fund raiser and got into a fist fight with one of Luda's bodyguards or some shit and got his ass kicked. But I don't care. He's a good looking southern boy who can bust out some party hustlin' cuts. Give it to me, T.I. Click here to watch the video.

So there you go. The summer went by way too fast, but at least it left us with a great soundtrack!

The Truth Is Here

There are some hip hop albums that are classics. Albums that you can listen to over and over again, that never lose their appeal. Some examples for me are Common's Like Water for Chocolate and Tribe Called Quest's Low End Theory, and Outkast's ATLiens, to name just a few. Then there are the hip hop albums that you really like, but that you can only listen to when you're in the right mood, like Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth's Mecca & The Soul Brother, or Deltron 3030. While I would put Atmosphere in the "in the right mood" category, Brother Ali's latest release, The Undisputed Truth just might qualify as a classic.

I'll tell you why I love this album. Okay, I'll give you a top 5 reasons. First, it's got the perfect balance of hard tracks and chill beats. I love a hip hop album that can get you all amped up, but can also appreciate the need to have a few mellow cuts. One can't maintain the hard core force for 12 songs, it just gets old. And likewise, a record that is all mellow won't get you up to dance.

Second, the topics are broad. Brother Ali has a gift for clear, creative lyricism that makes you want to listen to what he's saying, and not let his voice blend into the samples. On this record he talks about everything from the war in Iraq (his anti-war stance is expressed in a way that doesn't make you want to automatically disregard him as a spoiled hippie), to being Muslim, to love, to rockin a party. It's interesting stuff, and he's got a GREAT flow.

The third reason why I love this album is because the production is great. I liked his previous release, Star Quality, but on this record, he's grown up. He has gone from amateur to professional, and it shows. The samples are not overpowering, he doesn't yell into the mic, there are no raw edges, and most importantly, it's not super long. So many artists (hello Kanye) are so full of themselves that they think that everyone wants to hear their stupid skits and 24 tracks of them jerking off. Brother Ali puts limits on the lengths of his tracks, and the 13 or 14 tracks on the album are the perfect amount. Not too long to make you bored, not too short to make you feel cut off. You listen to the whole thing, and you're satisfied, and you don't even have to skip over skits or shout outs.

Fourth, I love the reggae influence and the fact that most of the album is upbeat. My 3 favorite songs are "Pedigree," which makes me want to jam out, "Freedom Ain't Free," and "Take Me Home."

Finally, the last reason, but not least, is that he's from my wonderful hometown of Minneapolis Minnesota. Representin Rhymesayers Entertainment, he's the latest star to be borne out of Uptown. I gotta have mad respect for an Midwestern Albino who can rock a fly live show and establish a following across the country. His tour was a mega success, he's got the right attitude about stardom, and I can't wait to watch him become a major player in the indie hip hop scene.

Smart bombs, precision-guided armament

Even the shameless aping of his style wasn’t enough to bring Thursday Cover Page co-founder Sam out of his self-imposed exile, but hey, maybe the second time’s a charm. Here’s another top 5 list, by popular request (one):

My top 5 favorite live shows

5. Ozzfest 98 — Yeah, later years had amazing performances from Deftones, Iron Maiden, Black Sabbath and Pantera, but nothing since has come close to topping the energy of this one. Ozzy, still trying to sell the concept of the tour, gave a great solo show, Tool was fresh off Aenima, and there was Megadeth, Motorhead and The Melvins (the last of which I could care less about, but it shows you how cool the tour used to be).

But really, the air of soon-to-be big things was what made ’98 amazing. On the second stage, early in the morning, were System of a Down and Incubus, both of whom would become larger than life, as did, for better or worse, first-stagers Limp Bizkit. Soulfly still hasn’t recaptured the excitement of their ’98 debut, and second-stagers Kilgore from Providence, RI never got the chance. And the story of Santa Barbara’s Snot, at their first and last Ozzfest, could fill a whole post, which it will someday.

Next time…The Good North at WBCN’s Battle of the Bands 2003