Audio Absinthe

Thanks to Eric B for this one…
“Strange Fruit” was originally intended for Common’s album, Finding Forever, but the song didn’t appear on that album when it was released back in 2007. The beat, which is produced by Devo Springsteen, ended up on Cassidy’s album, B.A.R.S.: The Barry Adrian Reese Story (2007) and still features John Legend singing the hook. Nina Simone’s version of the Billie Holiday classic (“Strange Fruit”) was sampled in creating the song and the version below with Common was just leaked online last week.

MP3: Common and John Legend – “Strange Fruit” (Download)

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A new compilation of songs produced by one of the greatest hip hop producers, J Dilla, is available in stores now.  Released on March 31st, Dillanthology 1 is part 1 of what will be a tribute series celebrating the contemporary musical brilliance of the late producer.   This first album in the series showcases “some of his classic productions” for artists like Pharcyde, Common, Busta Rhymes, Erykah Badu, De La Soul, The Roots, and others.  Check out a couple of my favorites* below.
*De La Soul’s “Stakes Is High” is one of my favorite tracks on Dillanthology 1, but I didn’t find it on Imeem so I linked the MP3 at the bottom… 

Buy it at Amazon

I was really happy to hear about this compilation coming out.  Maybe some of the issues with his musical legacy have been resolved, not sure though.  After J Dilla died in 2006 due to complications from lupus, there were some problems regarding the rights to Dilla’s music between lawyers, labels, and J Dilla’s family.  There’s a great article about it all called “The Battle for his Legacy” by Kelley Louise Carter in Vibe magazine (read it here).

The compilation is great because the content is classic hip hop track after the next.  The album does have some of the most popular Dilla tracks, but I’m hoping the next release in the series will showcase some of the amazing unreleased material that’s leaked onto the web over the years.  There are some truly beautiful tracks that showcase Dilla’s genius that I would love to see included in the series.  Beats like “Circus” and “Trashy” are two of my favorites, both from the Ruff Draft EP.  What are some of your favorite Dilla productions?  If listening to the music hasn’t completely taken over and you’ve read this far, comment below and let me know your favorites…

MP3: De La Soul – Stakes Is High (produced by J Dilla)

My friend told me to check out Heartless Bastards‘ new album The Mountain (Feb 2009) over the weekend and I listened to a bunch of the tracks online.  Some of them I didn’t really get into but there were a couple that I liked a lot.  Their style of bluesy, guitar heavy rock (Jack White style blues-rock, as my friend put it) is much more contemporary than other blues rock bands I’m used to hearing.  The songs I linked below are pretty great actually.  We’re kind of overwhelmed with all the 80’s style, new wave, dance pop rock music that’s coming out these days.  Some of that is good too but it’s really refreshing when I hear new, real rock tracks like these…
Heartless Bastards – The Mountain

Hold Your Head High

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Speaking of real rock, my friend Jilly HendriX suggested I check out the Buffalo Killers.  Awesome.  They’re last album, Let It Ride (July 2008), was produced by Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys.  The album is pretty good but certain tracks really stand out. As soon as I heard “Get Together Now Today” I knew I was hooked.  These guys are legit.  I’m curious to know what older classic rock and rock enthusiasts think about them…
Buffalo Killers – Get Together Now Today / Take Me Back Home

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I never really got into the Lady Gaga.  ”Poker Face” has all of the qualities of a pop song that I usually stay away from…  But this weekend I found 2 interesting takes on the world wide phenomenon of a song.  One is a remix by legendary hip hop producer Pete Rock and the other is a remix by Kid Cudi, Kanye West, and Common.  Check these tracks out whether your a Lady Gaga fan or not.  Or if you just like cracking aces with seven deuce…
Lady Gaga – Poker Face (Pete Rock remix)
Kid Cudi feat. Kanye West, Common, and Lady Gaga – Poke Her Face

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And here’s some more pop…  Hip Pop.  Busta Rhymes is “back on his bullshit” on his new track “G-Stro” with Pharrell.  Sounds like a Pharrell production but I’m not really sure.  I think this track is on the new Fast and Furious soundtrack so I’m not even sure how new it really is.  It’s not a great track but ever since I heard Busta Rhymes on Asher Roth and New Kingdom’s track “Lion’s Roar” I’ve been back on Busta’s bullshit too.
Busta Rhymes and Pharrell – G-Stro

I’ve probably posted too many cover songs, remixes, and mash ups already…

Pharcyde VS Led Zeppelin – Dyer Passin Me By (Fidelski) 
Pharcyde – Passin Me By (Hot Chip remix)

Here are a two different artists’ remixes of Radiohead’s “Nude” and ” two remixes of “Reckoner”.  Which do you like the most? 
Radiohead – Nude (SayCet remix) 
Radiohead – Nude (Three Leaves and a Head remix)

Radiohead – Reckoner (You You’re Awesome remix) 
Radiohead – Reckoner (Three Leaves and a Head remix)

Notorious BIG VS Peter Bjorn & John – Party & Bullshit with Nothing To Worry About (Dave Wrangler) 
 
Common VS Flying Lotus – Universal Mind Control with Parisian Goldfish (The Hood Internet) 

MGMT VS Kanye West – Testify with Electric Feel (Justice remix) (The Kickdrums) 

Beastie Boys VS M.O.P. – Intergalatic Planetary Ante Up (DJ BK)

The last song on The Black Keys’ Attack & Release is a mash up of all the songs on the album-
The Black Keys – Fight for Air (Mr. Dibbs)

Elliot Smith – Blackbird (The Beatles) 
Elliot Smith – My Sweet Lord (George Harrison)
Gareth Pearson - Time To Pretend (MGMT) 
James Eric – Time To Pretend (MGMT) 
Bryn Christopher – Sour Times (Portishead) 
William Barnes – Bombs Over Baghdad (Outkast) 

This one is great…
Ben Folds – Bitches Ain’t Shit (Dr Dre / Snoop Dogg) 
Nina Gordon – Straight Out Of Compton (NWA) 
The Gourds- Gin & Juice (Dr Dre / Snoop Dogg) 
Dynamite Hack – Boyz in the Hood (Eazy E / NWA)

CommonRemixed.com is the site where producers Beatnik and K Salaam are providing a free download of all 10 tracks that make up their new remix album of classic Common songs- S.T.O.R.Y.  Their production on the album ranges from funky, neo-soul, R&B type beats (listen to: “Reminding Me, Remix”) to raw club bangers (listen to: “The Corner ‘09,Pt. 2, Remix”) and, at times, it gets a bit cheesy and even sounds over-produced (listen to: “The Light ‘09, Remix”).  But it’s a remix album.  And since we’re hearing a new take on some of Common’s best songs from over the last decade and a half, it’s a very refreshing and enjoyable listen.  If you’re a fan of the rapper, or any of these songs, definitely check the remixes out…

Tracklist:

1) Resurrection (Beatnick & K-Salaam Rmx)

2) The Corner ‘09 pt. 1 (Beatnick & K-Salaam Rmx)

3) The 6th Sense (Beatnick & K-Salaam Rmx)

4) Go (Beatnick & K-Salaam Rmx)

5) Reminding Me (Beatnick & K-Salaam Rmx)

6) Dooinit (Beatnick & K-Salaam Rmx)

7) The Light ‘09 (Beatnick & K-Salaam Rmx

The Corner ‘09 pt. 2 (Beatnick & K-Salaam Rmx)

9) 2-0-0-9 (Beatnick & K-Salaam Rmx)

10) I Used To Love H.E.R. (Beatnick & K-Salaam Rmx)

First song is sort of thanksgiving themed.  It’s William Devaughn’s classic, “Be Thankful For What You’ve Got”, originally released in 1974.

William Devaughn – Be Thankful For What You’ve Got

Second song is from the upcoming Common album, Universal Mind Control.  This track is called “What A World (featuring Chester French)”.  The album will be officially released on December 9 but there have been a bunch of tracks, like this one, that have already been leaked on the internet.  I haven’t been too impressed but Common is at least worth a listen.

Common – What A World (Featuring Chester French)

 
Third song is “Twice” by Little Dragon, kind of a cinematic, electronic psychedelic pop.  Not exactly sure what that is but I think it fits here.  Their self titled album came out back in 2007 but they played the Roxy at couple of weeks ago and I heard they were incredible.  And I always like the cinematic stuff…

Little Dragon – Twice

 
Fourth song is an old favorite that I’ve really been getting back into.   “Diesel Power” by The Prodigy and Kool Keith is from The Prodigy’s album, Fat of the Land from 1997.  Between this album, Chemical Brothers’ Dig Your Own Hole, which was also released in ‘97, and Fatboy Slim’s You’ve Come A Long Way, Baby, which came out a year later, the electronic rock and hip hop blend was established as another form of mainstream music as it became very popular in America and the UK.  Check them all out again, especially if you don’t remember them.

The Prodigy – Diesel Power (Featuring Kool Keith)