3/20/11-3/26/11
Alright, I know I've slacked off for the past couple of weeks, but I'm going to make it up to you, I promise. The above date is from when I actually listened to the albums, just so I can keep things in order and satiate my obsessive compulsive disorder. Without further ado, here is my seventh music recommendations post.
The Birmingham Urban Folk Parody is the latest project by Pete Lomax (aka El Waxo) and Andy Wright (aka Indiano Cojones, aka The Dridge), and their rotating circle of co-collaborators from Birmingham in the UK off of Acidsoxx Musicks. Pete Lomax runs the gamut with his musical styles from experimental to techno to folksy acoustic numbers to rap, and this eclecticism is much more apparent on his first CD for Acidsoxx, El Waxo and the Imaginary Band Plays Various Hits. He occasionally plays around the Birmingham area with his acoustic outfit "Los Waxos" as well. But when he joins up with Andy Wright the music becomes much more rap oriented, with a lofi IDM bent. Now, a lot of the time when I get a pretty low key artist it takes a bit of digging for me to get some information on them; for some artists the only information I can get is from their Myspace page. El Waxo and Indiano Cojones are another story entirely. Not only are they relatively unknown and a group from across the pond, but they make sure that no one knows anything. In order to get some solid information on them I had to e-mail their editor. All of the information above was as much as I could get. According to the editor, the group will post a website every now and again sampling a track or releasing a little bit of information about a project they're working on and within a couple of months the website will disappear; they are the definition of incognito. While this may seem strange, their label loves them for it because how they see it is that they're more into making their music than promoting it. The album consists of very simple beats and prolific rhyming that can sometimes be brash and comedic ("Cock and Balls") and at others be deeply profound and inspiring ("Astronaught"). It's almost shocking to hear a band that takes simplicity to heart as much as El Waxo and Iniano Cojones do. The rapping and beats all have a rawness to them that you don't see very much, something that can at first be very unsettling to the popular rap listener, but is immediately refreshing to a more underground/independent one. The band may not rise to international fame, but where their music is hear it will be appreciated.
Shawn Lee’s Ping Pong Orchestra had its debut in 2001 with its first release Music and Rhythm. World of Funk is the eleventh release of the instrumental side project of Shawn Lee, all of the albums having been released off of Ubiquity Records. Lee’s music has appeared in various films such as Ocean’s Thirteen and The Break Up and has also found its way into TV shows (CSI: Miami, Lost) as well as video games (Bully). The album incorporates a slew of featuring artists such as Nanny G, Michael Leonhart, and Elliot Bergman. There's one thing that's undeniable about Shawn Lee's Ping Pong Orchestra on this album and that is that it's funky. What's nice about it though is that it doesn't stick to a single definition of "funk" ("funk" being one of those words that is wide open to interpretation, something many people would have a hard time explaining to an alien visitor). "Tablacadabra" has what I would call a traditional definition of funk: a slow plucking bass line and a variety of percussion instruments, from a drum kit to tablas. A break toward the middle of the song eliminates the bass line and the keyboard chords and replaces them with a reverberating guitar line and chiming xylophone which makes for a more dynamic and engaging sound. "Booya" is easily my favorite track on the album, featuring Grammy winning trumpet player Michael Leonhart. The track is dark and broody, and the brass section lead by Leonhart sets the stage for an epic battle between the screams of the trumpet and the low bellowing of the oboe, each vying for the listeners ear. I could go on forever describing how funky World of Funk truly is, but funk is something you have to feel, so check it out.
So there you have it, my newest music recommendation. Tomorrow will be my first day off in a while and I'll be posting music recommendations for Obits and All Tiny Creatures from 3/27/11-4/2/11. Thanks for reading and I'll see you tomorrow!
