The Game has got himself in a little spot of bother over something he tweeted last week.
The LA rapper sent a tweet with the number for the Los Angeles Sheriff’s station in Compton and has been at the centre of a criminal investigation as a result. Reports say that the tweet prompted hundreds of calls which meant the phone system was overloaded. The MC has since pleaded his innocence.
His Hoodmorning (no typo) mixtape was released recently, check out the review here.
Glasswerk night at The Old Queens Head
Islington, London
10th August 2011
It’s not often you hear tracks by unsigned bands that are so good that you find yourself traveling on the way up to North London, two days after riots have dominated the news. The destruction and terror that emerged this week is only a mile or so from the Old Kings Head in Islington but it did not deter St.Spirit from pulling their show here tonight unlike others out there.
This brand new band from Richmond are made up of five 19 yr olds, who have all schooled together and spent time in a spare room of their parents houses to record what you hear on the web today. The harmonies that each individual member brings to this band form a blanket of lush melodies that compliment lead singer, Myles McCabe’s vocals. In fact, they do it so well that the time and effort behind the scenes for all of this to click so perfectly could only come from dedicated planning to rehearse for such a performance. Everyone has a microphone, drummer and keyboard player included and they are spot on with their delivery.
Musically, this band are playing their own style of heartfelt indie. Every song is awash with intricate musical parts that build beautifully and fade to piano and pre made samples, revealing the imnpressive production levels of this band. Their heroes of My Bloody Valentine may be sonicly more powerful live but the likes of The Maccabies and Coldplay may be more of a starting point in terms of where this band are sat between sound wise. Throw in the swirling, heavyness of Radiohead and you are somewhere close to the mark.
Tonight’s most memorable song is Build A Fire, mainly due to the band’s wonderfully crafted, animated video that is currently attracting attention out there. it was edited by one of the band’s Brothers for fun and conjures up the artistic and thoughtful nature of their music, which only adds to the intrigue of this bands aspirations.
It may be their 7th gig ever, but St.Spirit proved tonight that they could probably be one of those bands that could potentially be headlining the Garage just up the road from here sometime in 2012. If that happens, they may just be that band that cause a riot of their own. Look out for them.
Evidence will be releasing his first Rhymesayers album on September 26th.
The Dilated Peoples MC and producer will be dropping Cats & Dogs, marking the first album released on rap powerhouse label Rhymesayers, home to Atmosphere, P.O.S. and Brother Ali amongst others.
To celebrate the album, which features appearances from Slug, Aesop Rock, Raekwon, Aloe Blacc and Mobb Deep’s Prodigy amongst others, he has dropped new visuals with Fashawn. It’s a banger.
Gallows have announced that Wade MacNeil is their new singer. The frontman who is known for his screaming hardcore in Alexisonfire and Black Lungs replaces Frank Carter on the mic and has already brought a much more hardcore sound to the band. We have heard a couple of the new tracks here so far and all of them are raging hardcore with a much heavier feel to them.
Get tickets to their London show that has just been announced on December 13th at XOYO before they are gone, they are released this Friday.
Hardcore stalwarts OFF! have paid the UK a visit this weekend and blew punk rock minds in the process. Enjoy this footage of them playing 2 tracks at their Bristol show filmed by Jono this weekend.
Click here for a review on their 4-EP’s if you missed it. 80’s style, raging hardcore at its finest.
Hoodmorning (No Typo)
Free digital mixtape
The Game doesn’t do things by halves. Not content with having a full album coming out this year [this month’s R.E.D.], he’s continued his habit of putting out extremely strong mixtapes, following Brake Lights and Purp & Patron with the free release of Hoodmorning (No Typo).
The 20 track release, hosted as ever by DJ Skee, features a plethora of names which would make any aspiring rapper green with envy for their album, let along a line-up this strong on a mixtape. And it’s testament to Game’s talent that he continues to shine amongst all of his guests throughout the proceedings.
Whilst Hoodmorning is not the strongest of his mixtapes, tracks like Uncle Otis where he mimics Frank Ocean and Rick Ross and jokingly disses Jay-Z and seriously gives Kreayshawn a dressing down, showcase both his talent and humour, something he doesn’t get enough credit for.
Drug Test could easily be a track from the is-it-ever-coming-out Detox and features Dre and Snoop, Monster In My Head works where it shouldn’t and even Gucci Mane sounds decent [well, by his standards] on Wow. Infrared sees production from Cool & Dre, who very rarely deliver a dude and this beat is no exception, giving Game a beat to work off that wouldn’t be out of place on a Ghostface record.
Even though there are some tracks that are fairly forgettable [and inexplicable B.O.B. verse], it’s hard to be critical as this is a free mixtape and there’s enough on here to indicate that R.E.D. is going to be a heavyweight album. Clink that Candy Corona, Game deserves the toast.
Grab the mixtape right here.
Abjekt.
Madame Jojo’s, London
02.08.11
Since their acclaimed debut album Alight of Night, Crystal Stilts’ brand of doom inducing garage pop has certainly turned a lot of heads. Clearly influenced by the architects of melodic reverb, the Jesus and the Mary Chain and their seminal 1986 album Psychocandy, the Brooklyn based quintet are aiming to become the modern equivalent.
The band are currently on an European tour and their second date in the capital at Madame JoJo’s looks set to be one of their biggest gigs in the UK yet. There’s even a certain Steve Lamacq in the crowd too.
Kicking off the set is ‘Sycamore Tree’ which opens with a foggy Forsica organ. The track transcends into a gloom fest thanks to its pairing of subdued tambourines and a dark jangly riff. ‘Half A Moon’ is able to recapture 1950s rockabilly nostalgia at its frantic best. Lead singer Brad Hargett despondently spurts lyrics of “evening night we meet again, I’ll slay the sun if you take my hand”.
Similarly to the new album In Love with Oblivion their set paces by slowly but surely. It isn’t until last year’s single ‘Shake the Shackles’ that the crowd is in high spirits. JB Townsend’s rattles of guitar combined with Hargett’s Ian Curtis-esque cries provide an intimate setting for the small Soho club. The band’s 1980s post-punk influenced sound is evident in their next song ‘Flying Into The Sun’ which is a clear alternative to their reverb-heavy catalogue.
Nearing the end of their set the coincidental resemblance to glam rock classic ‘Get It On’ by T. Rex in ‘Through The Floor’ encourages the biggest reception of the evening. The New Yorkers’ uber cool vibe is maintained throughout but their return from the encore is somewhat of a damp squib. ‘Blood Barons’ and Love Is A Wave’s B-side ‘Sugarbaby’ are maybe a little too laid back for everyone’s liking.
With the NME conveyor belt of hype in rotation for the nineteenth coming of Oasis or the Strokes, there is little justice that one of America’s best indie exports of recent years remain relatively unknown after a performance like this.
Alex Penge.
Braille has announced a new album.
The producer and MC from Portland will release his album Native Lungs on August 30th. The album originally came out as a free download but will now get a physical release. Production comes from the likes of S1, Khrysis, Theory Hazit and Braille’s Lightheaded co-member Ohmega Watts with Rob Swift amongst others on the cuts.
Here is the full tracklisting:
1. Native Lungs (Produced By: Odd Thomas; Xperiment)
2. Feel It featuring DJ Revolution (Produced By: Evidence (of Dilated Peoples); Khrysis)
3. Death In Me featuring Theory Hazit; Odd Thomas (Produced By: DaveNotti)
4. We Will Remember (Produced By: Braille (of Lightheaded))
5. Storm Trooper (Produced By: Theory Hazit)
6. Spell It Out featuring DJ Cassidy (Produced By: DJ Official)
7. The New Raw featuring Rob Swift (of The X-ecutioners) (Produced By: Ohmega Watts (of Lightheaded))
8. Nightmare Walking (Produced By: Trox)
9. Too Many Tomorrows (Produced By: Calvin Valentine)
10. Step Up (Produced By: DaveNotti)
11. 48 Prisons (Produced By: Xperiment)
12. DeepRest (Produced By: S1 (of Strange Fruit Project))
13. Finally Arrive (Produced By: Odd Thomas; Xperiment; DJ Cassidy)
Here’s an old joint to tide you over:
Outkast’s Big Boi has been arrested and charged with drug possession.
The rapper, who recently performed at Glastonbury to much acclaim, was detained in Miami over the weeked according to reports. He was believed to be in possession of MDMA, Ecstacy and, weirdly, Viagra.
There might be jokes about him being a not-so-Big Boi without the little blue pill, but we love him, so we will refrain.
Canada’s Alexisonfire have announced their split.
Vocalist George Pettit made the statement on the break-up citing, amongst other things, Dallas Green’s wish to concentrate on his solo work as City and Colour. There is talk of a farewell tour of their homelands but as yet nothing has been made concrete.