Today's song comes via AM 180, whose link you should have already clicked on over there on the right. He offers up some great stuff: new sounds and a wide variety. It was there I found this:

Black Milk, "Give The Drummer Sum" (2008)
(mp3 removed. Subscribe to keep on top of our posts.)
buy the album mp3s at Amazon

Now, I may not have the most refined hip-hop palate (though I may be the first person every to use to terms "refined hip-hop palate"), but I know what I like, and I like this. Black Milk (no relation to Kids, Mountain, Lips or Dice) hails from Detroit, and while that really doesn't have anything to do with anything, I think I may be legally required to put that somewhere in here.

"Give The Drummer Sum" delivers on it's promise of plenty to the drummers. The beats are exactly what I want in my hip-hop: a hard beat in the foreground and vocals that are no more than another element to the beat. Add to that a little bit of Quasimoto-style pitch play on the vocals and some drama courtesy a horn section. It's a beaut, alright.

SOLID SUNDAY AFTERNOON SPIN

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AMONGST OTHER THINGS

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LAZY



Fela Ransome Kuti & Nigeria 70: 'Wadele Wa Robin' (1969)
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Sonny, I've been listening to The Lucksmiths longer than you've been able to drink legally, since before you even knew what "lose your virginity" meant, let alone actually lost it. So don't you go off writing reviews about how the Lucksmiths can always be counted on to deliver satisfying records. Because I already knew that.

Okay, now that I've sneakily sidestepped the "Lucksmiths are consistently good" requirement in writing reviews, let's just talk about the new record, huh?

The Lucksmiths, "A Sobering Thought (Just When One Was Needed)" (2008)
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download / buy from Matinee Records

The good news is that First Frost is as lovable as anything The Lucksmiths have ever touched. The wordplay's there, the melodies are there, and Tali White's voice keeps getting better and better all the time. Like with all Lucksmiths records, if you've ever liked anything by them, you need to get this one.

The bad news is that, when compared with the rest of their discography, this one falls more in the Naturaliste category than in the Warmer Corners. It's a good Lucksmiths record, but there just aren't any truly stunning moments like there are on their other records. It's slightly dimmed my desire to run around the world and evangelize their music.

But still: this is one of those bands that should be so much more popular and well known than they are. One merely good record doesn't change that.

Just got Tapes by the Rapture...not what I expected at all, but badass. It mimics the DJ Kicks, Fabric series that have been popular lately...notable musicians releasing compilations of their favorite obscure tracks that they influence them or that they sample. Not the most creative endeavor of all time, but extremely enjoyable, so, en, joy. Here is a track:

The Rapture: 'Syclops -- Where's Jason's K' (2008)