Friday, February 29, 2008

The Return of the Top 10














I started trying to make my top 10 artist list and quickly learned I had no fucking clue about that so... hopefully I'll find some more luck with my CURRENT* top album list.

*throwing CURRENT in there gives me an excuse for leaving out some well deserved albums.

Quasimoto - The Unseen

King Crimson - In the Court of King Crimson

Pelican City - The Chilling Effect






Van Morisson - Astral Weeks







Modest Mouse - Everywhere And His Nasty Parlour Tricks [EP]










Neil Young - Tonights the Night (1975)










Devendra Banhart - Cripple Crow








Do Make Say Think - Goodbye Enemy Airship The Landlord Is Dead (2000)







Madvillain - Madvillainy







DJ Shadow - Endtroducing... (1996)








J Dilla - Donuts (2006)

Thursday, February 7, 2008

Guts - Le Bienheureux (2007)


















French hip-hop. Instrumental album from Paris native Guts. Solid beats and tight album full of good tracks and some decent ones. Pretty standard style nothing revolutionary but the presence of quality hip-hop is undeniably present.

1. Intro: Actually, this intro is a good introduction to this artist. Informs you that you are in for a dosage of nice vocal sample work over beats that are both mellow and groovin.

3. Everybody Know: Chill piano loop makes a jazzy and driving beat. more of that vocal sample trickery.

4. you know dat shit!!!: since this song uses the same sample that J Dilla used in "U-Luv" this song really doesn't do it for me. It's really unfair but "U-Luv" is too damn amazing. If anything this song is a testament to how talented Dilla was and it shows what he can do with a beat and how innovative he was.

8. Take a Look Around You: Probably my favorite track on the album as of now. The vocal sample trickery here is here in full effect displaying Guts style at its finest. A track to get you movie in your upper story.

11. Cry & Smile: Full ensemble of instruments and samples. gotta love that breakdown with the guitar and tremolo picking and how it drops back into the original beat. nicely arranged, slightly banging.

13. Sweet Love: chill is a good word for this. I can't help but be reminded of fellow French hip-hop producer DJ Cam's album "Mad Blunted Jazz" when I hear this beat. Some call it trip-hop but if you like this beat and haven't heard of DJ Cam then you know what to do. I probably like Cam more but I fid]gured that Guts is less known and has more different styles.

14. Endless Night: maybe my new favorite song on this album. Epic intro and kind of asian sounding guitar along with the funky drummer. sounds like my kinda party.

15. Narco Trip: kinda reminds me of some Pelican City style beats (a project of Danger Mouse aka Gnarls Barkley minus Cee Lo Green). Once again if this beat is feelin you or vice versa check out that Pelican City project as I once again think that is an equally or even possibly more solid album.

there ya go.

Guts - Le Bienheureux (2007)

or support the artist and:

buy it here

01. intro
02. good morning
03. everybody know
04. you know dat shit!!!
05. escucha me
06. metis
07. nightmare of paris
08. take a look around you
09. pura-vida
10. skunkfunk
11. cry & smile
12. and the living is easy!!!
13. sweet love
14. endless night
15. narco trip
16. i love you it's so hard to say