Could it be? Could Grieves, the Rhymesayers emcee, be leaving hip-hop for neo-soul? Not so fast. Although the Seattle-based artist’s most recent album 2014’s Winter & the Wolves offers more soulful singing than previous efforts, it’s still very much a hip-hop album. After all, Grieves (real name Benjamin Laub) has been “professionally” rapping since his brief stint with Black Clover Records in 2007.
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Little Dragon: Fired Up for the New Tour
The moment vocalist Yukimi Nagano drops her first note on the 2010 Gorillaz track “Empire Ants,” she promptly steals the show from Damon Albarn. As the 32-year-old front woman of Little Dragon, she’s used to being in the spotlight by now. Since 2009’s Machine Dreams, the Swedish four-piece (sometimes five) has been steadily on the rise, especially in the United States. Their third album, 2011’s Ritual Union, appeared to cement their arrival, reaching number 78 on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart. It’s their most successful album to date.
Continue readingThe Evolution of DJ Qbert
“Everyone can have fun being a DJ,” DJ Qbert says. “But it still takes a lot more to be a scratch musician.”
The San Francisco native has carved out his own spot on the list of legendary turntablists, beginning with his involvement in FM20 with Mix Master Mike (of Beastie Boy fame) and DJ Apollo in the early ‘90s.
Continue readingAlbum Review: Camila, Elypse
Por primera vez en la historia de Camila tenemos un dúo. Así es, su tercer álbum fue lanzado en Junio del presente año y solo cuenta con dos integrantes. Samo había sido parte de la agrupación desde sus comienzos en el 2006, más sin embargo decidió decir adiós para dedicarse a su carrera como solista. Mario Domm es el productor de Camila, también es compositor, cantante y toca varios instrumentos musicales como el piano y la guitarra. Pablo Hurtado es el guitarrista y co-productor. El más reciente álbum lleva por nombre Elypse. En el buscan escribir una nueva historia como lo han hecho en el pasado, la diferencia es que en Elypse no hay reglas. Es sin confort, sin limites y sin miedo como lo describe Domm.
Continue readingRiot Fest: Three Days of Badass Rock Music
First off, Riot Fest was awesome. There is no other way to say it, after it’s all said and done and we the critics have our say about what went well and what didn’t and ask the ultimate festival question of if it was worth the ticket price, Riot Fest was still awesome. To see this particular line up whether you grew up listening to them or not was something everyone there knew would only happen a few times in our lives. To see The Flaming Lips then literally turn around and see Primus begin made me wonder, where the hell am I?
Continue readingThe Mastermind Behind the Mask, Slow Magic
Aside from the mesmerizing instrumental electronic music Slow Magic makes, there’s a mysticism surrounding the young producer that pulls you in even more. The “young” part is even a guess because nobody really knows for sure who the mastermind behind Slow Magic is, his real name or what he looks like. Armed with a multi-colored imaginary animal mask, Slow Magic takes to the stage like the untamed beast he represents. He pounds on the drums like he’s harnessing his primal instincts and delivers an infectious sound so sweet, it’s impossible not to love. More performance art than anything, Slow Magic reveals why he hides his identity.
Continue readingClutch Shares Their Success at Riot Fest
Clutch, an original 90s rock band played the Byers General Store Stage at Riot Fest this weekend and an interview with drummer Jean-Paul Gaster shed some light on the process of building upon their legacy as successful musicians.
Continue readingUp the Mountain – Conor Oberst Plays the Mishawaka
Singer-songwriter Conor Oberst always seems to be in high demand, at least in terms of interviews. He seldom consents to one and if he does, it’s for the typical major publications like Rolling Stone or Spin. It’s a rare day when he agrees to one on a smaller scale. However, Oberst grew up in my hometown of Omaha, Nebraska. I’ve seen him around since he was a wide-eyed 14-year-old at Creighton Prep, an all-boys Jesuit high school. Even then, Oberst had his eye on playing music, not so much his studies.
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