Happy Halloween: Matt and Kim – Silver Tiles

I recently moved into Manhattan after being on the outskirts of the city for a while. And I’ve definitely stepped up my concert game. The shows have ranged from rap to electro to punk.

I would say my favorite show so far has been the free concert at Le Poisson Rouge with Cool Kids and Matt and Kim (Not just because it was free and open bar). The Cool Kids were great, proving to be the perfect appetizer of beats and rhymes for Brooklyn’s Matt and Kim. When they took the stage, there was no doubt who the crowd was here to see. My suggestion: if you’re ever able to catch Matt and Kim live, do it, don’t over think it, just buy the fucking ticket and prepare to rock out. The vid below will set your expectations.

Oh yea, if you’re bored tonight:

Matt and Kim
BROOKLYN NY@ Danbro Studio Warehouse
TODD P / PANACHE BIG HALLOWEEN BASH
http://www.toddpnyc.com

Matt and Kim – Silver Tiles

Silly McCain

WFMU’s Beware of the Blog recently held a photoshop contest involving the image of John McCain apparently trying to grope Obama. The results were hilarious. Check it out HERE.

Old School Hip Hop Sundays – Big Daddy Kane

I went to WFMU’s record fair today not knowing quite what to expect other than 10,000 square feet of vinyl and nerds. It was awesome, but overwhelming to say the least. My ultimate priority was to find some cool old school hip hop records, but in an environment that catered primarily to the rock crowd, this was more difficult than I would have imagined. I did score a copy of Hieroglyphics Third Eye Vision, which is worth it for “Miles to the Sun” alone. I also picked up Big Daddy Kane’s Long Live the Kane, a classic.

When Kane hit the scene in the late 80s, he was immediately recognized as an innovator, contributing to the popularity of faster rhymes and break beats as well as style trademarks like his high top fade and four finger rings. Dude was smooth. Check out a couple of dope tracks, including “Warm It Up Kane,” probably my favorite Kane song.

“Ain’t No Half Steppin”

“Warm It Up”

David Choe

A couple David Choe pieces I’ve always liked. Nothing more.

Infamy

Just finished watching Infamy, the 2005 graffiti doc by acclaimed filmmaker Doug Pray. I was a big fan of his 2001 film Scratch, which documented the evolution of turntablism, and decided to check this one out as well.

Infamy focuses on the lives of six preeminent graf writers in various cities across the country. The doc was fairly well-balanced, emphasizing in equal measure the subjects’ birth into the medium, their utter devotion to the artform (often to the detriment of their relationships with family and friends), the dangers they face and of course, their run-ins with the law. Pray did make the point to call attention to the fact that these particular writers were products of turbulent upbringings, an implied explanation as to why they turned to what is by and large perceived as a destructive and illegal form of expression.

I’d recommend checking out the film if you have any interest in graffiti as an artform or subculture. The figures involved are all pretty captivating (especially Earsnot of NYC’s IRAK crew) and the doc highlights some pretty amazing work.

Here’s the first 10 minutes or so if you wanna check it out:

Matt and Kim – Daylight

Check out the video for Matt and Kim’s new track “Daylight.” The vid finds the duo looking as happy as they’ve ever been. Seems to me that the two newest tracks, this and “Good Old Fashion Nightmare,” amplify the thump of Kim’s drums in comparison to their earlier material, and I gotta say I dig it.

“Daylight”

Old School Hip Hop Sundays – Brooklyn’s Finest

Released in 1996, Reasonable Doubt was Jay Z’s debut album and most critically acclaimed. Gritty lyrics and simple beats provided the medium for Jay Z’s retelling of his life in the hood and his dealings with crime. After listening to Reasonable Doubt, it’s difficult picturing Jay Z rapping in “Big Pimpin” and “Crazy In Love” with Beyonce.

There’s no doubting Jay Z’s skill on the mic and his legacy as one of the greatest East Coast Rappers. If you do, dust off Reasonable Doubt and give it another listen or just check out the vids below. Enjoy.

Dead Presidents –

Can’t Knock the Hustle –

Brooklyn’s Finest –

D’Evils –

Beck @ United Palace Theater

Many of the reviews I’ve read of Beck’s series of performances last week at the United Palace Theater revolved around a few common themes: that the show was notably subdued, that it was short and even that Beck seemed bored. I would agree with the first two claims, but would hesitate to say that Beck was bored or apathetic on stage.

I admit, Beck’s set last Thursday night was more somber than I imagined. There was no breakdancing, no dancing marionettes and no ridiculous stage props. Yet it’s not hard to imagine that after 15 years of endless touring that the dude might want to scale things back a bit. In a way, the show allowed the music to speak for itself. For arguably the most creative artist of the last decade, that’s never a bad thing. Beck did rifle through hits, from “Loser,” “Where It’s At” and “Devil’s Haircut” to “Nausea,” “Nicotine and Gravy” and “Black Tamborine,” but none of the songs ever felt rushed. Each was performed to perfection, including trippy-ass “Chemtrails” and “Walls” my favorites off Modern Guilt. There was little dialogue, aside from a few understated thank you’s, but even the lack of chit-chat added to the mystique of Beck’s performance. By the time he closed with “E-Pro” and had the entire crowd chanting “NA NA NANANANANA,” I was convinced I had just seen my favorite show of the last few years.

To add to the experience, United Palace Theater is a beautiful venue. I spent the majority of MGMT’s set scanning the gilded walls and ceiling. Not that their set was boring, just that the theater was so impressive. I’d recommend seeing a show there whenever you have a chance.

I’m now trying to work up the balls to let my hair grow as long as Beck’s. It’s the coolest.

Here’s “Devil’s Haircut” from the night we went.

TV on the Radio

A little late to the scene, but I’ve recently been blasting TV on the Radio non-stop. It definitely took a while to warm up their style of music. The best way to describe their sound is unexpected, as in you expect the song to go one way and then it suddenly veers the opposite direction. This Brooklyn based experimental rock band has exploded into the mainstream with acclaim from Rolling Stone, Spin and an appearance on Letterman. Hell, even the insatiable Pitchfork gave them great reviews. Enjoy the following vids, they’re from Return to Cookie Mountain and Dear Science.

Wolf Like Me –

Family Tree –

Province –

Golden Age –

Pharrell is a PC

What the hell is going on. Pharrell might be cool, but I’m still going to be a Mac.