David Cohn (aka Serengeti, aka Kenny Dennis) has released 11 solo albums in the last ten years, in addition to appearing on almost as many split and collaborative records. He is about to release a new EP through Anticon written entirely from the perspective of his O’Doul’s drinking alter-ego named Kenny Dennis. Continue reading “Serengeti – Kenny Dennis EP”
Tag: hip hop
Javelin – 2
My Rating: 9/10
Genre/ Tags: Dance, Electronic, Hip Hop
Does anybody remember the first post I made about Javelin back in December? Probably not, but the link in the last sentence will bring you to that post. The reason I am asking is because the new material that is mentioned I now have in my possession! It’s simply called “2”, and it’s by the same cousinly duo comprised of Thomas van Buskirk and George Langford that you already know and love. It’s a brand new set of tracks that clocks in at just under 18 minutes, and it’s packed with party jams, dance worthy beats and even a bit of your favorite Snoop Dog song. That’s right.
The first track “Dynamite” kicks off with the squeal of some car breaks and then the beep of a horn before you’re greeted with “Hey everybody! Come on let’s go! We’re gonna show you, things you need to know.” Following that is a funky bass line covered up by all sorts of clanks and pops, with our hosts from the beginning blurting out words and phrases sporadically throughout the track. The next song “Good Morning Minneapolis” gets its point across, evoking a hazy, early summer morning, possibly driving through town with your windows rolled down and the wind blowing through your hair. The last 15 seconds of the track comes out of nowhere when everything stops and it’s quickly broken down into a joyous tune that you would probably overhear a mariachi band playing in a Mexican flea market. Three quarters of the way through the EP, there is a song called “Beyondce” that serves no other purpose than for you to dance along. Not only is it an awesome track name, but it’s faster than the other tracks, and it certainly challenges the listener to get up and move. It actually may be more of a challenge to try and sit still through this track. Seriously. If you have the record try spinning this track at 33rpm rather than the recommended 45rpm. It’s a real treat. The final track “Snoop 2” is a re-made version of an earlier Javelin track called “Snoop” that you could find on their “Jamz n Jemz” CD. It’s a shape-shifting mess of pianos, Egyptian dances, Snoop Dog songs, and jaunty Irish tunes. The last thirty seconds of the song gets rid of everything but the Snoop Dog lyrics, all while it plays over a beautiful sample that I wish I knew the origin of. If anybody knows, please talk to me!
Good Morning Minneapolis –
Beyondce –
2: Tracklist
1.) Dynamite
2.) Good Morning Minneapolis
3.) Beyondce
4.) Snoop 2
Javelin – 2: BUY this at Insound before it’s sold out! Only 500 copies made!
Javelin on Myspace
Preorder No Más
Hilltop Hoods – The Calling
The Hilltop Hoods are a 3 piece hip hop group, hailing from Adelaide, South Australia. That’s right, Aussie hip hop. The group is comprised of two MC’s, Suffa and Pressure, and their sole DJ, DJ Debris. Hilltop Hoods might not be a name you’re familiar with, but over in Australia, Hilltop Hoods have surely made their name known. Their album titled “The Calling” was released in 2003 and it has achieved platinum status in Australia, and two of the tracks from the album were included in the years best 100 tracks. Those two tracks were “The Nosebleed Section” and “Dumb Enough”, coming in placed at 9th and 44th. This was certainly a huge turning point for the group, and it was also a big change for the underground Australian hip hop scene. With the success of “The Calling”, people began to support the underground hip hop genre, and thus, the name Hilltop Hoods became much more prominent. Most of this success came from the track mentioned above, entitled “The Nosebleed Section”. The group themselves claim that this track was definitely the turning point for their career, and it landed them countless festival gigs and show offerings, amongst other things. See what else they had to say about the track right here. If you’re not convinced and don’t really care to check out the album just yet, you need to check this track out here, which you already know is titled “The Nosebleed Section”. If that’s got you curious, make an effort to listen to this track titled “The Sentinel”, this one titled “Testimonial Year”, or this last one titled “Dumb Enough”. If you’re STILL not interested after hearing those tracks, then I suggest you check back for more tomorrow.
The Calling: Tracklist
1. Incoming (Interlude 1)
2. Testimonial Year
3. The Calling
4. Dumb Enough?
5. Illusionary Lines
6. Tomorrow Will Do
7. Laying Blame
8. Shimmy and the Gravysplitter (Interlude 2)
9. The Nosebleed Section
10. Down for the Cause
11. Mic Felon
12. Walk On
13. The Certificate
14. Hilltop Hoods (Interlude 3)
15. Working the Mic
16. Outgoing (Interlude 4)
17. The Sentinel
Shlohmo – Hot Boxing the Cockpit
Hello! I don’t have much time to post today, so I only have a song for you. This song comes from a 19-year old producer named Henry Laufer, who many of you may know better as Shlohmo. Hailing from Los Angeles/San Francisco, California, this young producer mixes a wide range of sounds, creating a lo-fi, abstract type of instrumental hip hop that’s a tinge on the psychedelic side. When listening, it brought names like Madlib and Flying Lotus to mind. The name of the song I have here today is entitled “Hot Boxing the Cockpit”. The very beginning starts off with birds chirping, which kind of leaves your wondering what this is going to sound like. You should check it out for yourself though, because if anything is true, it’s the fact that I would totally hot box any cockpit to this track. Check back for more tomorrow and more Shlohmo in the near future. Enjoy!
Shlohmo – Hot Boxing the Cockpit
Clutchy Hopkins – The Life of Clutchy Hopkins
“Clutchy Hopkins” is the name of a multi-instrumentalist musician who supposedly hails from California. Not much is known about Clutchy Hopkins, and his existence has yet to be verified. The name is widely believed to be a pseudonym for one of many popular DJs, although no true identity of the person behind the music has been publicly announced. There could be just one person behind the music, or it could be multiple people, but either way, it’s still worth hearing even though some songs sound like they’re from the inside of an elevators music playlist. Basically what that means is that some songs sound like elevator music. The name of the album I have for you today is simply titled “The Life of Clutchy Hopkins” and it has 12 unnamed tracks, thus making the moniker “Clutchy Hopkins” that much more mysterious. Check out the first track from the album right here on Youtube.
Javelin by Javelin
Hello! How are we all this afternoon? Today at the Styrofoam Drone, I have a band that some of you may have already had the pleasure of listening to. That band is known as Javelin. Javelin hails from Providence, Rhode Island via Brooklyn, New York. The group is made up of two cousins, Thomas van Buskirk and George Langford, who have been making this music together since 2004. The first release that Javelin put out, Jamz n Jemz, received some much deserved praise over the summer of 2009, and that’s when Javelin began to get the ball rolling. Since that release, things have been looking up for Javelin, because they landed a multiple record deal with Thrill Jockey and then another record deal with David Byrne’s Luaka Bop.
Recently, one of those records was put out by Thrill Jockey, and the title is simple enough: Javelin. They released it about a month ago on vinyl format only, and they only pressed 500 of them. If you’re looking to get one of those now, it’s a bit too late, because they’re all sold out, but all is well, because that is the album I have for you today! With this release, they recycled old “dollar-bin” record sleeves, screen-printed the name “Javelin” on the front, pasted a track list on the back, and then sent them out to their loyal fans.
With their next release from Thrill Jockey, they’re getting even more creative with the record sleeve recycling. Check out this idea here. Instead of just having the new Javelin record inserted into and old, random, record sleeve, this time, you have the opportunity to pick your very own record sleeve for the Javelin record. That’s right, you can pick your own album art. Here’s what you need to do if you want to participate:
1.) Find an old record jacket.
2.) Mail it to Thrill Jockey by January 18th with your address written on the inside (Thrill Jockey address here)
3.) Place your order at Thrill Jockey when the album is released (February 16th, 2010) and write “MY JACKET” in the order message.
4.) Throw in 5$ and a blank shirt/hoodie and they’ll print you your very own piece of Javelin merchandise along with your record. Cool!
So the record will be released on Feb. 16th from Thrill Jockey, and it’s titled “Number Two”, and as for the custom record sleeves, I will be participating. I encourage you all to do the same. Thanks for reading and check back tomorrow…or even later today.
Javelin Tracklist:
1.) Lindsey Brohan
2.) Unforgettable Super Lady
3.) Soda Popinski
4.) Radio
5.) TWYCE
Javelin: MYSPACE
Copies of the 12″ record still available at Insound: BUY
Styrofoam Drone 