Don’t Get Sentimental

Exclaiming “MONCH!” is probably as good as it gets as far as self-promoting ways to start a verse for Pharaohe Monch. And that’s exactly how he begins his memorable and groundbreaking verse in Organized Konfusion’s 1994 classic, “Bring It On.” Pharaohe Monch made up half of the early 90s underground hip-hop duo known as Organized Konfusion, with Prince Po making up the other half. Although not commercially successful, the Queens-based MCs have been regarded as one of the greatest hip-hop groups to ever touch the mic.

A Monchichi doll, from which Monch derives his name. After a bad haircut left him looking like one of the dolls this quickly became his nickname. The Pharoahe part came to be after he met Prince Po.

After the group’s breakup in the mid-late 90s, the MCs went their separate ways to pursue solo careers. Admittedly, I have not gotten into Prince Po’s solo material, although I’m sure it is excellent. Monch’s solo work however, is something I have become very familiar with over the years.

As a solo artist, Pharaohe Monch is probably best known for his 1999 single, “Simon Says,” from his album “Internal Affairs.” Due to the fact that the song “illegally” samples the “Godzilla Theme Song,” the album’s production was halted, and to this day is no longer being produced.

After the release of “Internal Affairs” Pharaohe Monch didn’t release another album for some time, but continued to release songs on soundtracks and as singles. In 2001, Monch had a minor hit featured on the Training Day soundtrack called “Fuck You,” which is as good a name as any for a song.

In 2007, Pharaohe Monch released his most recent album “Desire,” which took his sound in a new direction, and featured a very prominent funk/soul influence.

Pharaohe Monch - Body Baby

Monch’s sound has evolved and changed over time, showcasing the MC’s clear versatility, brilliance, and originality. Featured below are some songs highlighting Monch’s unique flow, writing style, and sound. And like I said before, the verse in “Bring It On” is one of my favorites of all time especially because of his self-described awkard flow. How many other rappers can incorporate a Porky Pig style stutter into their flow and still sound cool? “Simon Says” is from 1999’s “Internal Affairs” album, “Fuck You” and “Agent Orange” were released between albums, and “Desire” is from his latest album of the same name.

Organized Konfusion - Bring It On

Pharaohe Monch - Simon Says

Pharaohe Monch - Fuck You

Pharaohe Monch - Agent Orange

Pharoahe Monch - Desire

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This post is a little late in making the internets, but I spent a fair amount of time piecing it all together.

But first, just a few quick asides.

I have a lot of respect for the writers of Tailspin. How many practical uses for cloudsurfing can one team of writers come up with? That takes real skill to keep Kit Cloudkicker relevant in that day and age.

And this question has been making the rounds in the NEPA speakeasies. What’s the tougher sell: In the butt or on the face? Take that femenisim, eat 1950.

Now, for my tale of Wal-Mart and woe.

I woke up Sunday afternoon on an air mattress in my sun room. The sun room is really the link between the fire escape/back stairs and my kitchen. It’s airy and pretty open to the public. There’s no lock on the door that leads to the outside. Lots of windows.

My ironing board, which is usually set up in my living room, was upside-down in my regular bed. My TV was on, but tuned to some random input setting that you only use if you have an uplink to Soviet spy satellites. Ahh, Natasha. My desk chair was on my couch. And I was joined in bed by Haynes Johnson’s latest book “Age of Anxiety.” It’s a good read. Haynes is a ridiculous dude — Pulitzer winner at The Washington Post and journo prof at UMD. He used to look like the dude from Office Space. Now he’s old and has one insane eyebrow and one slightly less insane eyebrow.

Aaaaaaanyways, I was parched. As you have probably guessed by this point, I spent a fair amount of time drinking Saturday night, and cheering for Michael Phelps in a bar. And watching a chick get her ass hit with a stripper belt (no buckle for easy release) in a bar. It’s a weird bar. Swimming is cool though.

So I rolled off the air mattress and made my way to the kitchen to find means of hydration. There’s usually not anything in my fridge except for two half-filled egg cartons that have been floating around there for at least eight months, some apples and individually wrapped American cheese slices, but I checked anyways. Lo and behold, I scrounge up an orange Gatorade. 32 ouncer. Good find. A most pleasant surprise. Sports beverage transaction benefits me today.

‘Rade in hand, I stagger through the hallway to my living room, still not entirely sure how I ended up on an air mattress in my sun room, and I discover shopping bags full of 32 oz. Gatorades in assorted flavors. There were about 30 full ones and five or six half-full ones.

After searching the bags I found the receipt from a self-checkout line in Wal-Mart. I paid 98 cents for each Gatorade. And then I apparently bought a bunch of other shit. Toilet paper (found in my trunk). Paper towels (still missing). Headphones (somehow found their way into my work bag). A few frozen pizzas (in the fridge, of course). Two pounds of potatoes (missing until later in the story). Another ironing board (still missing, presumed captured).

Best I can figure, I went to the 24-hour Wal-Mart after boozing, which I’ve been known to do, in order to pick up some toilet paper, which my apartment had been sorely lacking. Along the way, I picked up some other essentials and was easily suckered in by the swell Gatorade pricing at my favorite bargain retailer. And then I bought other shit.

Determined to find the toilet paper (two-ply, for her pleasure), I wandered out to my car and searched for about 15 minutes before I remembered I had a trunk. That’s where I found the 36 rolls of toilet paper that I was sure were hiding somewhere else in the passenger cabin. TP in hand, I hit up the bathroom, where the final aftershocks of my night were in full view. The toilet seat was ripped from its hinges and sitting in the sink. Those potatoes I mentioned earlier were on the back of the toilet, just in case I should need a raw potato while on the commode.

So, what does this have to do with music? Nothing. But while I was trying to clean up from this madness I heard two songs that I knew I had to share.

The Two Gallants are on Saddle Creek. Two dudes. Not sure if it’s Gallants as in Goofus and Gallant, or Gallant like the car. This little ditty is called Nothing to You

I first heard the song while driving around during one of my work avoidance periods last week. It was pretty sweet.

And I followed you into the party/That no one invited me to

Alone I made I made to my 40/And played make believe it was you

It’s less depressing when they sing it.

And then The Redwalls. They have this sometimes odd combination of the Beatles and The Strokes or The Killers. Lots of The’s. Kono wa They Are Among Us

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An instant classic upon its release, “Juicy” was the debut single from Ready to Die, Biggie’s debut solo album. It introduced the world to one of the greatest rappers of all time. Granted everyone says that about him, but if you take into consideration the way he writes, his flow, his content, and his style, it’s hard to deny that he is in fact the greatest.

Part of the success of “Juicy” is rooted in the fact that it tells Biggie’s life story up until that point. It discusses his struggle growing up and throughout his life, and then reflects back on that struggle from the point of view of having made it. The song also gives insight into his early influences in terms of hip-hop, a clear nod to his predecessors, and something you don’t see enough of nowadays.

The sample that makes up the beat to “Juicy” was taken directly from Mtume’s 1983 song, “Juicy Fruit.” This is perhaps the funk/soul group’s most well known song, having reached number one on the R&B chart when it was released.

The beat to “Juicy” has been a point of contention for quite some time. Although the version we all know was produced by Sean “Puffy” Combs, producer Pete Rock claims that he created the original beat, and that Puffy heard it while at Rock’s house, and went home and reproduced the beat on his own. Pete Rock was paid to do a remix of “Juicy,” which can be heard below. The remix uses the same sample from Mtume’s “Juicy Fruit.”

Although Pete Rock is no longer upset about the situation, he still wishes to be acknowledged as the original producer of “Juicy.” You can hear “Juicy” and “Juicy Fruit,” below.

The Notorious B.I.G. - Juicy

Mtume - Juicy Fruit

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The title of this post was taken from a line in the opening track of Blockhead’s debut solo album, “Music by Cavelight.” It came from a cleverly used sample from “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown,” where Sally flips out at Linus for making her miss out on Halloween to wait for the Great Pumpkin (see video below). Although the line works out great for providing a humorous opening track using the producer’s name, the statement is anything but true. Listening to Blockhead is always a good decision.

Although the Manhattan-based producer’s name may not ring a bell right away, some of you are probably familiar with his work through Aesop Rock. Blockhead has been a long-time collaborator and friend of Aesop’s, providing production work on a lot of Aesop’s songs, including songs like “Daylight,” “Cook It Up,” and “None Shall Pass.”

Although there are a lot of great producers out there, Blockhead is among my favorites, if not my favorite of all time. The reason for that is that his solo work is simply brilliant. You have to have a real gift to make great beats that rappers can use on their rap records. But to go beyond that world of rapper and producer, and create albums that are entirely instrumental with some sampled vocals and scratches is simply incredible. That takes a lot of talent.

The cool part about his solo work is that it can stand alone on its own, and anybody that’s into any kind of music can get into it. Although he’s a hip-hop producer, his solo work can be appreciated by fans of instrumental music, experimental rock, jazz, you name it.

“Music by Cavelight” is very well put together, combining samples and sounds from all over the world and all kinds of genres as if they were made for each other. While others would struggle to create rich instrumental pieces with seemingly incompatible samples, Blockhead makes it look easy.

Not only that, the album has a really dark and kind of somber undertones throughout, that really play into the title “Music by Cavelight.” It’s definitely one of the best buys I’ve ever made. Within a month of buying the album, every song was in my Top 25 Most Played list on my iTunes.

“Insomniac Olympics” by Blockhead

Blockhead has put out two albums (“Downtown Science,” and “Uncle Tony’s Coloring Book”) since the release of “Music by Cavelight,” which are also worth listening to. Blockhead also has a weekly blog on Definitive Jux’s website, titled “Sweeping Generalizations with Blockhead,” where he mostly rips on things. Everything from weddings to the musical “Rent.” It’s not really well organized, but you can find most of his blog entries here, mixed in with other miscellaneous Def Jux news.

It was hard to pick a few tracks from “Music by Cavelight,” but here are some favorites. Check out “Insomniac Olympics,” I guarantee you you’ll love it.

Blockhead- Hello Popartz

Blockhead - You’ve Got Maelstrom

Blockhead - Carnivores Unite

Blockhead - Triptych Part 1

Blockhead - Insomniac Olympics

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A couple weeks ago I wrote about the talented-beyond-her-years Laura Marling (above, right), but I probably should have written this post first.  Before Marling struck off on her own solo career, she sang back-up vocals for Noah and the Whale, a UK group that falls under the same nebulous Anti-Folk genre as Marling herself.

I found out about them after Marling, and initially only gave them a couple listens, then moved on.  Over the past week, however, I sat down and listened to their new album Peaceful The World Lays Me Down, and it’s really growing on me.  Their sound is equal parts easy-going folk and well-crafted pop, with songs that make you feel bubbly and happy without drenching you in saccharine.

Interesting fact from Wikipedia that lacks citation:

Apparently Noah and the Whale’s “name is a marriage of the title of one of the band’s favorite films, “The Squid and the Whale,” and the name of the director (Noah Baumbach).”  Sounds believable enough.  Thanks, Wikipedia!

MySpace

Noah and the Whale - 5 Years Time

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“Through the Wire” is the song that introduced the world to Kanye West, and had a significant impact on me, and my interest in hip-hop/samples. I remember the first time I heard the song, and watching the video for it, and listening to it over and over. The sped up vocal melody that can be heard throughout the song blew my mind. It was the first time I had heard anything like that, at least in the sense that it was used so boldly as the chorus/hook.

I remember the first thing I thought when I heard the song was “how did he do that?” Yeah, I had heard of sampling before, and had heard producers take bits and pieces of songs and make beats from them, but to take a vocal sample and make the pitch so high, and make it sound so good was awesome.

Prior to the release of his first album, “The College Dropout,” Kanye was in a nearly fatal car accident, which resulted in his hospitalization, and his jaw being wired shut. Two weeks after the accident, Kanye recorded “Through the Wire,” which discusses his accident and its results, including the fact that he had to now “spit it through the wire, man” as said in the intro to the song. He cleverly sampled Chaka Khan’s “Through the Fire,” and recorded the song with his jaw still wired shut.

Chaka Khan’s 1985 single, “Through the Fire,” at the time of its release, set the record for most consecutive weeks on the Billboard Top 100. The song has a noticeably slower and more relaxed feel in comparison to “Through the Wire.” Chaka Khan also makes an appearance in Kayne’s video for “Through the Wire,” in the form of a poster on Kanye’s wall, clearly paying homage to the singer.

Along with being incredible in the sense of production, the lyrics in the “Through the Wire” are clever, funny, and highly memorable. There are numerous puns, jokes, and references throughout the song. I’ll pick out some highlights for you, and explain them.

The line “somebody order pancakes, I just sip the sizzurp” is a pun on the popular prescription-strength cough syrup regularly mentioned in Southern hip-hop, in songs such as “Sippin’ On Some Syrup,” by Three 6 Mafia. Another pun can be found in the line, “the doctor said I had blood clots, but I ain’t Jamaican man,” which refers to the Jamaican swear word, “blood clot,” which is literally a tampon, but used in the form of “what the blood clot?” among other sayings.

Kanye also makes references to movies, for example in the line, “Unbreakable, what you thought they call me Mr. Glass?,” in reference to the M. Night Shyamalan film “Unbreakable.” There is also a reference to a hip-hop feud in the line, “if you could feel how my face felt, you would know how Mase felt,” referencing an event where Mase dissed Wu-Tang at a concert, and later had a run in with Ghostface and his entourage. The event resulted with Mase’s jaw being broken.

Here’s “Through the Wire,” and “Through the Fire.”

Kanye West - Through the Wire

Chaka Khan - Through the Fire

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So recently I started reading a book called “Mutants” by Armande Marie Leroi. It’s a really cool book about people born with what can be seen as extreme genetic mutations (conjoined twins, cyclops, etc.), and the myths and legends of monsters and demons that were built around them throughout history. The book goes about explaining these mutations in a very accessible and scientific way, and removing all of the stigma associated with what were once perceived as “monsters.” It really gives you an appreciation for all the things that had to go “right” for most of us to come out “normal.”

With the idea in mind that legends about monsters and other creatures may have a scientific explanation, and that most of these legends are just hype and exaggeration, I logically went to Wikipedia and started looking for more monsters. I soon found an article on cryptids, which are creatures whose existence has been suggested by legends and the like, but has not been scientifically proven. Bigfoot, the Loch Ness Monster, the Jersey Devil, and others fall in this category. I soon started digging through the list of cryptids, and stumbled upon an article called “Bloop.”

Several times during the summer of 1997, the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration detected an ultra-low frequency underwater sound off the Southwest coast of South America, using U.S. Navy equipment originally used for detecting Soviet submarines. The sound that was recorded matches the audio profile of a living creature, although for an animal to make that sound, it would have to be much larger than a Blue Whale, and there is no known animal that could have produced that sound. Here is the eerie underwater sound, in youtube form.

To date the source of the “Bloop” remains unknown, and has become a source of speculation. Many explanations involve giant squid, in the style of the Kraken most recently portayed in “Pirates of the Caribbean”. Others have suggested that the monster from “Cloverfield” may have been the source of the mysterious “Bloop.”

One of the more interesting theories is that the “Bloop” was made by the Cthulhu, of H.P. Lovecraft’s most famous story, “The Call of the Cthulhu.” The Cthulhu is an extraterrestrial being that can be found deep beneath the ocean in the city of R’lyeh. It is usually described as a human-like creature covered in scales, with an octopus or squid-like head, claws, and wings. The interesting part about this theory is the coincidence between where the “Bloop” came from, and where the city of R’lyeh is located. Check out this map.

So along with being utterly fascinated with the information I’ve just presented to you, you may be thinking, “but Marcelo, what does all this have to do with music, and why in heavens is it on your music blog?” Well young grasshopper, here is my coup de grace. I am about to complete the great trifecta (in slang terms meaning “a set of three”, not horse racing terms because I didn’t do it in order) that is “music, pop culture, and anything else that comes to mind.”

The “Bloop” is prominently featured in the Dntel song “Life is Full of Possibilities,” on the album of the same name. It’s really even more eerie to hear the sound put to music. Dntel does an excellent job of creating a really creepy and dark ambiance based around this mysterious sound.

Those of you who do not recognize Dntel by name may be more familiar with him as the producer for The Postal Service. In fact Ben Gibbard (vocalist for The Postal Service) and Dntel first worked together on the song “(This Is) The Dream of Evan and Chan” also on the album “Life is Full of Possibilities.”

I have also featured the Metallica song “The Call of the Ktulu” which is a variation on the title of Lovecraft’s aforementioned story, “The Call of the Cthulhu.” I just thought it was also appropriate for this post.

So there you have it. Underwater monsters, giant squid, extraterrestrials, science fiction/horror/fantasy writers, movie references, Dntel, and Metallica. Tune in tomorrow for my weekly feature “Saturday Morning Samples.”

Dntel - Life is Full of Possibilities

Metallica - The Call of the Ktulu

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The blues influence in The White Stripes’ sound is evident upon listening to them, especially when listening to their earlier albums. Although many blues players have left their mark on the band, Son House seems to have had a very significant impact on them.

The White Stripes’ self-titled first album is dedicated to Son House, and a cover of his “Death Letter Blues” is featured on their 2000 release, “De Stijl.” A reworking of House’s “John the Revelator” makes up part of The White Stripes song “Cannon,” which can be found on their first album.

Son House was an extremely influential figure in the blues, particularly on blues legends such as Muddy Waters and Robert Johnson. His style and sound have been cited as a source of inspiration by generations of blues musicians, and most recently by The White Stripes.

Those of you who saw “Black Snake Moan” may be familiar with Son House through the archive footage used in the film, in which Son House discusses the blues and their meaning. Here’s a video of it below.

I’ve provided the original Son House version of “Death Letter Blues,” and The White Stripes’ version of the song, as well as “John the Revelator” by Son House, and The White Stripes song “Cannon” which features part of “John the Revelator” around the 1:15 mark. “John the Revelator” is an acapella song, and Son House’s acapella works are said to have had the most impact on The White Stripes and their style due to the raw sound and power in House’s voice.

Son House - Death Letter Blues

The White Stripes - Death Letter (Son House)

Son House - John the Revelator

The White Stripes - Cannon

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“Loser” is the song that introduced most of us to the great Beck and his quirky genre-fusing sound. The song was released in the early 90’s, and became an alternative classic upon its release. Although I’ve heard the song many times, until recently it was always just passive listening, accompanied by my usual “This is a great song.”

A few months back the song completely clicked with me, and I decided to sit down and pick it apart. The absurd lyrics that are sloppily rapped over a solid drum beat and crazy guitar riff come nothing short of brilliance. And that sitar just makes it even better. There’s a reason this song became the hit it did. 

While obsessing over the song, I did some reading, and the story behind it is pretty cool. The vocal style and lyrics came about when Beck was attempting to emulate Chuck D of Public Enemy while freestyling, and failed. As a result of his failure, the chorus was created (”I’m a loser baby, so why don’t you kill me”), and this together with the outlandish freestyle lead to the birth of ”Loser.”

The main beat used in “Loser” comes from a sample of Johnny Jenkins’ version of ”I Walk on Guilded Splinters,” which is originally by New Orleans artist, Dr. John. I don’t have this song in my music collection, but you can listen to it via this youtube video below.

Here is the video for “Loser” which is as weird and awesome as the song itself.

It’s pretty cool to see how Beck’s style has evolved over time, and how he has always managed to keep it fresh and original. The man’s a genius, no buts about it.

Beck - Loser

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Tom Waits is one of my favorite artists, hands down. It was only a matter of time before I posted on Mr. Waits, a singer with one of the most distinct, original, powerful, and in my opinion beautiful voices I’ve ever heard. The beauty isn’t in the sound of his voice (as you’ll hear if you’ve never listened to him before) but it’s in the raw honesty that his voice carries with every note he sings, or every word he speaks.

His lyrics often take the form of stories, revolving around outcasts, drifters, and lovers, and his voice fits the subject matter perfectly. It sounds so beat up and real I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that Waits is actually recounting his own life stories through his music.

If you listen to him closely, you’ll find yourself really getting into his songs, and waiting to hear where they go next. Otherwise, you can just sit back and enjoy the sound of his voice.

Waits also goes beyond singing, and uses his distinct voice to tell stories and read poems, sometimes by writers such as Bukowski or Kerouac. He even tells jokes. The tracks featured below are all from his 2006 box set release, “Orphans: Brawlers, Bawlers, & Bastards.”

Waits is one of the most innovative and creative artists of our time, and definitely worth a good listen. Here are three songs, and one joke (”Missing My Son”) by Mr. Waits. Here’s a great interview with him too.

Tom Waits - Bottom of the World

Tom Waits - Lucinda

Tom Waits - Never Let Go

Tom Waits - Missing My Son

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