Wednesday, October 21, 1998
Soundbites
Black Star, "Mos Def & Talib Kweli are Black Star"
(Rawkus)
Meet Mos Def and Talib Kweli, two emcees from New York City with
no gimmicks, just beats and lyrics with an emphasis on the latter.
Well- respected for their poetic style and clever raps, both
artists decided to come together after gaining nationwide exposure
on the Lyricist’s Lounge compilation album. A highly anticipated
album in underground circles, this effort should have no trouble
living up to those expectations.
The group’s first single, "Definition," introduces the group to
a wider audience, but it does not represent the overall feel of the
album. While "Definition" utilizes a hard-hitting beat, for the
most part, the rest of the songs create an atmosphere which allows
the listener to think rather than move. Not to say that there are
no tracks with that head-nodding quality. "Twice Inna Lifetime,"
featuring Punchline, Wordsworth and Jane Doe, is an excellent
battle rhyme-laced track, as the five lyricists pass the mic
effortlessly demolishing sub-par emcees.
But the true gems on the album are the songs that showcase the
group’s storytelling ability. Kweli’s skill of taking everyday life
observations and transferring them into rhyme form surfaces in
"Respiration," featuring Common. Extremely descriptive, the lyrics
paint pictures as all three emcees demonstrate some of their best
work on this song. Mos Def contributes the chorus: "So much on my
mind that it can’t recline/ Blastin’ holes in the night ’til she
bled sunshine/ Breathe in, inhale vapors from bright stars that
shine/ Breathe out, weed smoke retrace the skyline/ Heard the bass
ride out like an ancient mating call/ I can’t take it y’all, I can
feel the city breathin.’" The lyrics are the song’s strong points,
and passive listening is not recommended.
The introspective "Thieves In the Night" features a laid-back
piano riff as Mos Def and Kweli easily flow over the track.
Although the duo have caught flack for their choice in beats,
(mainly because everyone was expecting hard-hitting selections like
"Definition") relaxed grooves like this one help to complement
their rhyme styles and lyrics. Mos Def observes: "We chasin’ after
death just to call ourselves brave/ But every day, next man meet
with the grave/ I give a damn if any fam recall my legacy/ I’m
tryin’ to live life in the sight of God’s memory."
Another track, "Hater Players," is a song that’s been a long
time coming in hip-hop, as the issue addressed is a pressing one.
Mos Def and Kweli discuss the idea of "player hating" and how the
term has become a defense mechanism for whack emcees to hide
behind. Talib Kweli sends a message to those who deface the art
which he feels so strongly about: "Reverse psychology got em scared
to say when shit is whack/ Out fear of being called a hater,
imagine that! We ain’t havin that/ My battle raps blast your ass
back to your natural habitat …/ So floss, cause what it costs
ain’t worth it to me/ Cause I’m the one these Spice Girl emcees
Wanna Be."
"Mos Def and Talib Kweli are Black Star" is a much-need breath
of fresh air in the seemingly stagnant world of hip-hop.
Well-thought out and put together (even the liner notes are worth
checking out) this effort represents a class-A example of
independent hip-hop. The only drawback is that there are only 11
songs. "Black Star," should come with a disclaimer: not for the
lyrically challenged or those with short attention spans.
Tenoch Flores
Arnold, "Hillside" (Creation /Columbia Records)
Sit back, relax and put Arnold’s debut album, "Hillside," into
your player. You won’t be disappointed. Another brilliant band has
joined the ranks of Oasis and signed with England-based Creation
Records.
The mild, guitar-driven "Hillside" offers one unique song after
another. "Ira Jones Goes to the Country" starts off with a relaxed
beat and light guitar strum. This slow-paced guitar sound sets a
trend for the album, while maintaining the original melodies.
Flowing into "Fishsound," the light piano and acoustic guitar pave
the way for strong harmonied, layered vocals to follow with simple
yet endearing lyrics such as "what can this poor boy do without
you?"
"Windsor Park" opens with a lamenting guitar riff that pulls
listeners in. The rest of the song is reminiscent of early
Radiohead with smooth and full vocals, emulating Thom Yorke’s
trademark "over-the-vocal-break" style.
As a change of pace for the second half of the album, a
light-hearted, ’80s-esque synthetic drumbeat pumps through the
speakers. The song feels like it comes from a completely different
band with distinctly different vocals ; but the brilliantly layered
harmonies remind us that it’s still Arnold.
The funky, experimental sound continues in the song "Rabbit,"
with spacey studio samples that comically sound a bit like a 1960s
sci-fi film.
The whimsical sounds are followed by narration rather than
singing. The deep, British accent allures and mesmerizes for the
duration of the track, and even the word "bastard" is uttered with
dramatic class.
Another upbeat tune, "Micky’s Mother," closely resembles later
Beatles material from the White Album. The funky percussion and
acoustic guitar sound a lot like "Rocky Raccoon" while the catchy
song captures the same sense of fun. The end of the album takes
listeners back full circle to the slower pace and relaxing melody
of "Catherine Day." Though nothing stands out about this song, it’s
still a nice melody with more talented vocals.
Arnold has created a truly unique album where even the fastest
and loudest songs exude a laid-back, relaxed feel. The band has
given Creation records another moneymaker and provided indie fans
with more great tunes. The album’s masterfully positioned track
order facilitates the successful debut, while the band’s touring
ability has yet to be seen.
Danielle Myer
The Chicken Hawks, "Siouxicide City," (Rock And Fucking Roll
Records)
Fans of bad music rejoice. Your new muse has arrived in the form
of the leather and leopard-print clad Betsy Badly of the Chicken
Hawks.
The Iowa quartet’s debut CD is an 11-song exercise in horrible
music which throws together the worst elements of punk and
rockabilly to achieve truly disastrous results. You can’t knock the
Hawks for lack of trying; they are an energetic bunch, but the
excitement is sadly misdirected.
While the songs do have an appealing frenzied vigor, they are
for the most part repetitive and formulaic.
"Siouxicide City" begins decently, with the sexually charged
"Stick It In," a hellish version of the Hokey Pokey. From here, the
album deteriorates into a long string of gems, including "High From
Bastard City," "Bad Bitch Boogie" and "They Wanna Fight."
"Perhaps the most fitting lyric comes from the thankfully brief
"Tornado," where Badly screeches wildly over Pete Philips’ rattling
guitar, "And I’m trouble." So is the album.
Brent Hopkins
Reel Big Fish, "Why Do They Rock So Hard?" (MOJO)
Reel Big Fish strikes again with brand new songs set to the same
old styles. Fortunately, their methods have worked before and
continue to strike a chord with ska-loving kids everywhere.
Filled to the brim with brassy melodies, hyper rhythms and a
healthy dose of swearing, Reel Big Fish’s new album proves just as
fun as the last. Time has caused the band no loss of humor or
deprivation of catchy melodies.
Although many songs on the album tend to sound overly similar to
picks from the past, they manage to keep up the energy and
excitement through their usual variety in techniques. For instance,
they can keep it the straight and simple
ska-with-our-same-old-horns bit ("Brand New Song"),
ska-recognizing-our-reggae-roots ("Song #3"), and
ska-bordering-satanic-worship-music ("Everything Is Cool").
Many songs remain laced with the band’s trademark sarcastic edge
set to happy notes. But it can be hard to pull off the same garage
band pity when everyone already knows their name. Coming from a
well-known act, it’s just not the same to hear lyrics like "Please
buy our record."
Reel Big Fish also has the tendency of writing really great
songs and writing really awful ones. There’s rarely a middle
ground. This album is no exception. But don’t let those two crappy
picks discourage you from buying "Why Do They Rock So Hard?" They
continue rock just as hard as always.
Michelle ZubiateBLACK STAR
"Mos Def & Talib Kweli are Black Star"
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