Thursday, February 11, 1999
Sound Bites
MUSIC:
Defari, "Focused Daily" (Tommy Boy)
Nowadays, too many MCs attain record deals solely through
association. "Focused Daily" proves that Defari is not one of them.
The latest addition to the Likwit Crew conglomerate (which includes
the Alkaholiks and Xzibit) upholds the name of the crew that has
become synonymous with West Coast hip-hop. With help on the
production from E-Swift of the Alkaholiks and Evidence of Dilated
Peoples, Defari lets his lyrics do the talking. The finished
product is an album that is sure to please most hip-hop
junkies.
The album opens up with the title track featuring Evidence. The
combination works nicely as both Defari and Evidence glide over an
Alchemist produced track that complements both MCs. There’s no
shortage of witty punch lines and clever metaphors on this track as
both Evidence and Defari show off their mic skills. Once again,
Evidence proves he’s more than a producer as he describes, "This
track hits like Sonny Liston for the Alchemist/ Will someone give
me an award: illest vocalist?/ I’ll come wack when LL looses the
hat/ Better yet, catch me with Feds when Jordan grows dreads."
Tracks such as "Yes Indeed" are sure head-nodders, that
supplement Defari’s flow and are common throughout the album.
E-Swift produces a gem as he fuses a beautiful guitar sample with a
ridiculously strong baseline, simply put: it works. Other
highlights include "Keep It On The Rise," where Defari professes,
"Bound by honor, rolling mad bags of skama/ I’ve never been a one
for the Jerry Springer drama/ Not an actor just the greatest
multiple factor/ This rap game’s like a computer and I’m a hacker."
An excellent collaboration with Xzibit on "Thunder and Lightning"
works perfectly as Xzibit plays the thunder to Defari’s lighting
over yet another Evidence produced banger.
"Juggle Me (For the DJs)," is one of the few songs that finds
its way into the category of sub-par endeavors on "Focused Daily."
Though it is clear that it is a song dedicated to the DJs (a
disgusted Defari pokes fun at a CD-mixing DJ), it may not work well
with the rest of the public.
Defari is also careful to diversify the feel of the album,
throwing in a few smooth songs that add to the character of the CD.
Making smoothed out tracks that please the general public, and the
hip-hop heads is no easy task. With help from E-Swift, Defari
accomplishes this near impossible feat with "Lowlands Anthem Pt.
1," a relaxing number with a nice feel to it, this is one of those
rare respectable crossover tracks. Another calm ditty is the
distinctly Los Angeles "405 Friday’s" in which Defari describes the
feeling of a nice Friday in Los Angeles. With lines that only
Angelenos will relate to, he says, "I hit the freeway on a Friday,
the high way/ Feeling real good like when the Lakers traded
Vlade."
"Focused Daily" is an album with no gimmicks, dance tracks or
corny gangster-player references – just straight up hip-hop. With
exceptional production, the beats almost always complement the
lyrics. Wack MCs beware: it looks like the Likwit Crew’s roster
just deeper.
Tenoch Flores
Rating : 7
Djdb, "Shades of Technology" (Higher Education)
This is all very light-hearted stuff. Those watery, expensive
keyboard chords float in and out, little atonal tweaks hover over
most eight bar marks, and the drum patterns do little more than
shift between an eight and 16 beat. Two or three songs actually
have lyrics, but they’re nothing to worry about. Some of the
artists do go a little overboard with extra sound effects, though,
which sometimes sound awkward and indiscriminate. But it probably
wouldn’t give you such a headache if you wore pants the size of
your comforter and spent your week’s paycheck on E.
It’s just a nice little drum and bass dance record, a pre-mixed
compilation from F-111 Records. Just pop it in and dance fever for
a solid hour. It’s the next best thing to renting a DJ. Sounds like
clean, high-end stuff. The only recognizable names on it are
Prisoners of Technology, DJ Krust, and Goldie. Goldie’s track is
supposed to be the highlight. It’s the last track and right before
it comes on, the whole mix comes to a halt with that familiar
turntable-coming-to-a-sudden-halt sound. In fact, it is the
highlight. That’s the most original part of the record. Goldie
co-produced his track with Rob, and it came out as the most
intelligent song on here. The drums actually have a little edge on
them, even if the synths intoning over the top are outdated and
fairly annoying.
Other than that, not much to say here. Mediocre just to listen
to. The recipe is standard: Start the beat and maybe a rhythm (keys
or a bassline), loop a phrase on a keyboard or 303 or use a vocal
hook, drop the drums, introduce another hook (often a chopped,
slightly rephrased version of the first), drop the first one,
reintroduce the drums (with a new bassline if you’re creative),
reintroduce the first hook. Allot 16 bars for each step. Variations
only in arrangement. The best of them throw fills in the drums
every eight bars. E-Z Rollers have a good tune on here, they let
the drums breath, rephrasing them in comforting interludes where
all but one chord progression or bassline drop out. If you don’t
dance, don’t bother.
Wes Medina
Rating : 3
The Marvelous Three, "Hey! Album" (Elektra)
These guys were not cool in high school. It seems that in order
to seek revenge on the super-jocks who tortured them, they’ve
formed this generic-sounding, pop rock infested, garden variety,
crappy KROQ band, in the hopes of scoring with a few luscious
supermodels. Coincidentally, with their overly styled images and
Goo-Goo Dolls haircuts, The Marvelous Three also manage to bring
zero originality to their music. It seems as though the one thing
they are good at is ripping off other bands, namely the Smashing
Pumpkins. While most of the album sounds vaguely like a mixture of
the Pumpkins’ early stuff, the fifth song, "Let Me Go," is nearly
100 percent rip-off of the familiar Pumpkins tune, "Hummer," from
Siamese Dream. The Marvelous Three have managed to snake the
signature guitar riff from that particular Pumpkins song, and
mutilate it with lyrics that could have only been written by an
Aaron Spelling soap-star.
"Oh my God/ This static is bad for my complexion." You have to
wonder where that one came from.
My suggestion to Butch Walker (lead singer and songwriter) would
be to get himself to the dermatologist immediately. Maybe he should
bring the whole band with him, because only then can we all be
saved from this trendy radio sludge.
The rest of the insipid songs on this hideous collection is of
the same confused and sickly sweet origin. Not to mention just
plain stupid. It doesn’t look like there will be a second album for
these poor, stylish lads, yet, maybe a nice splendid kick in the
pants might do them some good. The absence of any fans who have
graduated from junior high is quite apparent. Crystal ball says : a
sheer waste of time, and not even worthy of being filed among Penny
Lane’s used section.
Kate Fitzpatrick
Rating : 3
Snowpony, "The Slow Motion World of Snowpony" (Radioactive
Records)
Snowpony’s album fails to impress. Formerly labeled a supergroup
after its electro-pop chemistry-set-for-A&R’s composition:
former Stereolab vocalist Katharine Gifford, former My Bloody
Valentine bassist Debbie Googe, and former Quickspace drummer Max
Corradi (who’s been replaced since the album by Kevin Bass,
anti-climactically sabotaging the band’s novelty roll call),
Snowpony had a bit to live up to. They don’t seem to be trying very
hard.
The trouble is, the songs sound, at times, as artificially
hashed as the band’s description. The basslines are dry, rolling,
and singer Gifford sometimes rides their harmonics so closely with
her congested drone, they become indistinguishable, a throbbing
mimicry of the backbeat. Gifford, who writes all the material and
programs the samples, eccentrically lavishes every track with organ
lines, sitar stabs, reversed guitar chords, and inexplicable,
illbient synth tweaks. Replayed elements from Sonic Youth, The
Sonics and Blixa Bargeld (from Neubauten) pop in accordingly. Cibo
Matto is more centered! Corradi’s drums are skittery, jazz
influenced and a little upstaging. He left the band since
Slow-Motion’s release to be with an actual Jazz band. The whole
thing sounds like three self-absorbed college students were forced
to push their desks together and collaborate on this group
project.
The point isn’t that this stuff sounds bad, it’s just unfocused.
You might dig Snowpony if you like any of the musical sects the
members broke from. Music critic Kevin John recommends it as a
happy medium if you thought My Bloody Valentine was "too daunting"
and Stereolab was "too groovy or didactic." I’m sticking with
Stereolab, at least their gimmick sounds good in headphones.
Wes Medina
Rating : 3
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