06 Feb 2008

Connecting the Dots Between Jazz and Hip-Hop

By John M. James

Dead Pedestrians - And Other DistractionsThe hip-hop sound of the 1980's and 1990's gets peeled back like an onion this Tuesday, with Blue Note Records' release of Droppin' Science. Surveying the history of the label's catalog of funky vintage jazz breakbeats, broken down for use as the foundation of a whole new genre, the iconic label presents the original tracks and a look at the hip-hop gold each song inspired. From the "sampleography" of the Beastie Boys pulling from Jeremy Steig's "Howling For Judy" from 1970 into their 1994 hit "Get It Together," to A Tribe Called Quest, Main Source, De La Soul, DJ Krush, and J Dilla each copping a piece of 1974's "Think Twice" by Donald Byrd, the connect-the-dots history of sticky finger beat-making is a fascinating ride. Thirteen original classics fill the CD release, also available on old-school slipmat-scratching LP vinyl and stylish individual ring-tones of the original sampled loops. Other highlights include Lou Donaldson "Who's Makin' Love (To Your Old Lady)" from 1969, lifted by Marley Marl, Mary J. Blige and Biggie Smalls, and Joe Williams' "Get Out Of My Life Woman" from 1966, nicked by Biz Markie, Kool G Rap and Jill Scott.

30 Jan 2008

Continuing On: Ra Ra Riot, February 3 at Huckleberry's

By Administrator

Ra Ra Riot The future of Ra Ra Riot sounds as if it's in doubt.

30 Jan 2008

Big in Britain?: The Envy Corps, February 3 at Huckleberry's

By Administrator

The Envy Corps The Envy Corps hail from Iowa, but the plan is to try to make a splash in Great Britain before the United States.

30 Jan 2008

Count on They Might Be Giants

By John M. James

There Might Be Giants - Here Come the 123s Already the creators of the theme songs for The Oblongs and Higglytown Heroes, They Might Be Giants are back with a new CD for the minivan-crumb-snatcher set. This coming Tuesday, Disney Town Records releases the infectious, numerically themed Here Come the 123s, and who'd have thought that so much wisdom could be found in 24 songs about numbers? I mean, who can argue with the Zen attitude in "One Everything" and "Zeroes"? Other highlights include disco snap of "High Five," which could have slipped off the Thank God It's Friday soundtrack, the funky shrug of "Seven" (in collaboration with the Dust Brothers), and the easy I-can-do-it groove of "Infinity." A variety of animators created a bonus DVD of videos for each song, hosted by the double-John duo's puppet doppelgängers.

23 Jan 2008

I Will Make You Like Me: Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin, January 29 at Huckleberry's

By Administrator

Someone Still Loves You, Boris Yeltsin Philip Dickey had a burning question about Huckleberry's, the pizza place in downtown Rock Island that his band, Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin, will be playing next week.

It was not about the size of the room, or the setup, or the acoustics.

"Is it really good pizza?" he asked.

23 Jan 2008

Start Making Sense: Mason Proper, January 30 at Mixtapes

By Administrator

Mason Proper Mason Proper's debut album, There Is a Moth in Your Chest, is utterly scattershot. It's a 12-course meal for which there appears to have been little thought put into the progression or the entirety.

It is in that way a mess. What's striking is that almost all the tracks, separately, feel close to perfect.

23 Jan 2008

Is the Best Hard-Rock Record of 2008 Already Here?

By John M. James

Hermano - Into the Exam Room An unusual CD side project built around John Garcia of Kyuss is the hard-rock record to beat in 2008. Call it sludgy, greasy, or stoner suburban, but thank Zeus for the decidedly electric stomp yard of Hermano's Into the Exam Room, a perfect fantasy soundtrack for Thor and Loki to throw down to in a Ralph Bakshi animated ballet. Formed in 1999 with members of Supafuzz and Disengage, the band's Regain Records release is a hair-raising psychedelic dream, a real headbanger awash in the earthy musk of Eddie Hazel, Slash, Black Sabbath, Warrior Soul, Alice in Chains, Zodiac Mindwarp, and the Butthole Surfers.

16 Jan 2008

Musical Chair: "Rigoletto" Director Bill Fabris Equally at Home in Opera and Musical Theatre

By Mike Schulz

Holly Boaz & Chris Scott in Opera Quad Cities' La Boheme Like many noted directors of opera, Bill Fabris has a résumé that boasts a number of heavyweight titles, among them Bizet's Carmen, Puccini's Tosca, Leoncavallo's Pagliacci, and Giuseppe Verdi's Rigoletto, which Fabris stage-directs - with Ron May music-directing - for Opera Quad Cities on January 18 and 20.

Unlike many noted directors of opera, though, the New York-based Fabris' résumé boasts an even greater number of productions that are not only considerably more lighthearted than Rigoletto, but as far removed from tragic opera as is conceivable, including My Fair Lady, The Wizard of Oz, and Joseph & the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.

16 Jan 2008

moe Invites Fans to Participate on Tour

By John M. James

moe - Sticks & Stones Next week Fatboy Records releases Sticks & Stones from moe, but devoted fans have been pre-ordering the disc online for an interesting bonus adventure. Co-produced with jam-band star-maker John Siket, the album features the song "Raise a Glass" - set to fade out the night in the encore set of the band's current tour through May. Pre-orders through the band's Web site feature a special "backstage" laminate that gains the buyer access to be part of the live show, joining the band as the chorus for the song.

09 Jan 2008

New-Wave Comp Does Justice

By John M. James

Disco Not DiscoIf your modern-day boogie leans deep into the heart-pumping grooves of Justice, LCD Soundsystem, Electric Six, The Rapture, The Teddybears, or Hot Hot Heat, take a little time-traveling trip next week and discover the roots on Strut Records' fantastic new-wave compilation Disco Not Disco. Opening with Vivien Goldman's classic "Launderette," the dub rumble is a perfect moment in time, built on a bass line by George Oban of Aswad with guest alchemists Robert Wyatt, On-U-Sound's Adrian Sherwood, and Steve Beresford of the Flying Lizards. Crazy about that roller-coaster bass shimmy? Long before riot-grrrl made its mark, the girlfriends of the up-and-coming Mekons pulled together to form the seminal Delta 5, represented here with the wickedly anti-posh "Mind Your Own Business," utilizing two bass guitars and plenty of mad moxie. And it just keeps getting better, flowing into a 12-inch edit of Shriekback's "My Spine Is the Bassline" from 1982, a sweaty club favorite featuring XTC's Barry Andrews and Gang of Four bassist Dave Allen. America is represented in a handful of nice picks: "Sharevari" from A Number of Names, "Contort Yourself" from New York City's no-wave saxophone prince James Chance & The Blacks, and Bill Laswell's Material collective and its "dance version" of "Lose Control," featuring Chic drummer Tony Thompson. The 14-track CD features extensive liner notes by historian Bill Brewster, author of the terrific book Last Night a DJ Saved My Life.

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