Jazzy

From the upcoming album "Dark Comedy," available June 10th from Mello Music Group.

ABOUT THE ALBUM:
One famous Oscar Wilde aphorism claimed: “if you want to tell people the truth, make them laugh, otherwise, they’ll kill you.” Open Mike Eagle lacks the capacity to tell anything but the truth. In a nation that prizes self-aggrandizing buffoons and artful liars, morbid humor might be the sanest response—a tourniquet to stop the toxicity from spreading. 

If this sounds heavy, it’s probably because it is. Dark Comedy, the Mello Music debut from the critically revered Los Angeles rapper, is mostly about the failure of Karl Marx’s Proletariat Revolution. Yet its brilliance stems less from the novelty of its ideas than from the ingenuity of its wordplay, its caustic whimsy, and infectious melodies. 

Opening track “Dark Comedy Morning Show” operates as a shorthand manifesto. For those who haven’t heard, Eagle’s bad at sarcasm, so he works in absurdity (when trying not to wish death on the upper class). The airing of grievances includes racial stereotypes, inner-city warfare and Facebook logging all of his favorite sandwiches. It’s Slug’s “Modern Man’s Hustle” if the Atmosophere frontman had been haunted by James Baldwin’s ghost instead of heavily tattooed exes. 

Lead single “Qualifiers” finds Eagle subverting the notions of traditional rap braggadocio and lyrical terrain. His revolution isn’t just some abstract political ideals, but at the crux of his approach to art. This is intended to dump Coconut Water and whiskey on the unsuspecting heads of those with false ideas of authenticity or what rap should be.  

Lest you mistake him for a meditating yoga-panted rapper, the rapper raised on the Southside of Chicago, wields wordplay as sharp and weird as any of his peers. He proclaims himself “the King of all rappers who don’t condone date rape.” Molotov Cocktails are helpfully tossed from fellow conspirators Kool AD and comedian, Hannibal Burress.

Former hockey star Luc Robataille is rhymed with the Kobra Kai Dojo from Karate Kid. In the same breath, Eagle cracks about being too old to die. It’s absurdity in the sense that Joseph Heller deployed it in Catch 22. He will live forever or die in the attempt. 

If you’re just tuning into Eagle’s stellar career on album number four, the LA Weekly anointed him last year as the hottest thing in indie rap. Pitchfork called him a “whiz with matching easy-going hooks to intimate personal reflection.” But Dark Comedy could be the best thing he’s ever done—a record that captures the perennial struggle between art and commerce, the last half-century of widening class rift, and the need to be funny or die. 


Open Mike Eagle - Dark Comedy Morning Show (feat. Toy Light)

Bootleg Remix by M.RUX from Lonski & Classen's new Album:
all tomorrow is illusion
http://bit.ly/1u1V9zI

featuring MIRANDA:
http://mirandagjerstad.tumblr.com/

soundcloud.com/mrux

The Dream feat. MIRANDA (M.RUX Bootleg) - Lonski&Classen

Purchase LP, Digital, 7" or CD --> https://potatoheadpeople.bandcamp.com/album/big-luxury

Potatohead People single "Explosives" (feat. Illa J & Moka Only) b/w "Blue Charms", taken from the full length album Big Luxury. "Blue Charms" also available on 7" vinyl: https://potatoheadpeople.bandcamp.com/album/luv-ya-blue-charms-7

Working on opposite sides of the landmass we call Canada, Vancouver/Montreal duo Potatohead People (producers Nick Wisdom & AstroLogical) have been making waves for quite some time with their signature jazzy boom-bap meets boogie inside the bassbin vibes. Called a “formidable tandem” by OkayPlayer, their sounds have been championed early on by the likes of Kaytranada, Soulection, Nightmares on Wax, Pomo, Exmag, Big Boi, and Phife Dawg. After a few early releases on Vancouver based netlabel Jellyfish Recordings, Brooklyn’s Bastard Jazz reissued their 2012 landmark Kosmichemusik EP and pressed a 7” which quickly became a collector’s item. The association landed their song “Back To My Sh*t” (featuring Frank Nitty of Frank’n’Dank) on a Powerade produced LeBron James documentary and Nick and Astro began working on a debut LP for Bastard Jazz, presented here.

Big Luxury draws from influences disparate as classic jazz, prog rock, disco, 90’s hip-hop, DJ Shadow-Era downtempo beats, alongside modern influences like the Brainfeeder crew and new electronic movements coming out of Nick Wisdom’s adopted hometown of Montreal.  What’s resulted is a finely honed, extra buttery album that effortly glides between tempos, but never loses the mood.  The album also features a whole host of guest vocalists -  J Dilla’s younger brother Illa J, legendary Canadian MC Moka Only, New Zealand’s Sorceress, and Amalia all provide contributions to the sounds within.  The album will set the tone for the duo’s big moves this year, including forthcoming collaborations with Illa J and Pomo as well as tour dates in North America and beyond. 

Big Luxury is a velvety ride through vibes and a magnificent debut for these talented young Canadians. 
bastardjazz.com

Buy LP, Digi or CD

Potatohead People - Blue Charms

FREE DL

Mark Johns - In Paris (Prod. Sable)

Surf's Up (M.RUX & FOG PUMA EDIT) - B.BOYS

This is Better, A song that I originally worked on with my mates Christos & Pete In our 2nd year of uni and later did some additional Production with Fred Cox! Hope you guys like! Artwork by https://twitter.com/theslumflower


The Sound Experiment - EP

Better

Dubs vol. 1: Signs & Wonders in Dub

Download & Vinyl: http://stonesthrow.com/news/2013/04/dub-club-signs-and-wonders-in-dub

Jazzy

HARBORVIEW