10 Hip Hop/Rap Songs I actually Like.

I haven't devoted any blog space for hip hop yet. It's not because I have anything against the genre. I went through that phase every (sub)urban white kid goes through were they think it's really cool to wear baggy pants and talk in fractured English. Though I've fortunately grown out of embarassing myself by calling girls "shawty", I still enjoy some Hip-Hop although it's not my first choice when I'm driving around listening to the radio. Still, it wouldn't be fair for me to ignore such a culturally relevant genre.
I also haven't done any lists yet, and people really love lists (judging by the popularity of blogs like 11Points and Topless Robot). So I now present the 10 hip-hop songs I actually like. (In order from least to most)

10. "Forever" by Drake featuring Li'l Wayne, Kanye West and Eminem.
See? You probably thought I would only go for older hip-hop songs (see www.stuffwhitepeoplelike.com)
But this is a favorite of mine from 2009. It's pretty much a standard bragging song. I don't know much about Drake, but apparently he's Canadian (Something else white people like) and he got on the radio without a record label. Whatever. Not important, because this song is all about the guest rappers. I HATE Li'l Wayne. I find his music grating and insipid. But when he's a guest rapper, confined to a single verse, and ACTUALLY RAPPING, NOT AUTO-TUNING, he's not so bad. From there it only gets better as Kanye West reminds us why we liked "College Dropout" in the first place. Then, of course Eminem caps it all off in a third verse at break-neck speed. I was starting to think Em had lost his edge, what with the Mariah Carey feud and all, but he's in top form here. Wait? Rappers actually rapping again? Did I travel back in time to 2002?

9."Izzo (HOVA)" by Jay Z
Sure, the hook is kind of ridiculous and these days you'd look like a huge jackass running around going "H to the Izz O". But it's still got a great beat and showcases Jay Z's pop sensibility and his lyrical brilliance. This song is still cool, even after being quoted by Good Charlotte.

8."Keep Their Heads Ringing" by Dr. Dre
This song scared the crap out of me when I was about 10. It has that element of danger that so much of modern hip-hop is missing. When you were 10 years old, hanging out in the heavily ethnic suburbs and a low-riding cadillac drove by, you about pissed yourself, especially if they were playing "Keep Their Heads Ringing".
Now that I'm older and realize not everyone who listens to Gangsta Rap is trying to bust a cap in my ass, I can really enjoy the song for what it is. A masterpiece.

7."The Next Episode" by Dr. Dre featuring Snoop Dogg
Dre will reappear again in the top 5, as he has become one of my favorite Hip-Hop artists. His production on this track is just beautiful. Everything flows so perfectly, and Snoop Dogg is the epitome of West-Coast cool. These guys really need to team up again, because D-O-Double-G has kind of fallen off the bad ass bandwagon.

6."Hypnotize" by Biggie Smalls
This beats out the previous two entries simply by having such an aggressively funky bass line. Biggie's marble-mouthed, yet rhythmically deft delivery has yet to be matched by modern rappers. If there's such a thing as classic hip-hop, this gets my vote as a golden oldie.

5."Let Me Blow Ya Mind" by Eve featuring Gwen Stefani.
When this funky, minimalist hit first surfaced, Rappers and pop-stars collaborating was practically unheard of. Especially if both were female, and especially when the girl singing the hook was formerly of new-wave/ska hitmakers No Doubt. Still, this was a hint of Stefani's future as a Top 40 staple. Eve is one of my favorite female rappers. She was less trashy than Li'l Kim or Foxxy Brown. But she had talent to beat the band. I don't know what she's up to these days, but hip-hop could use some strong female voices again (other than just Missy Elliot). Oh, and Dre produced it, so of course I love it.

4."The Real Slim Shady" by Eminem
This profane little diddy shot Eminem to superstar status. The hook is undeniable, even now that "all the other slim shady's" have packed up and gone back home. The lyrics are a bit dated now, but still hilariously offensive.

3."Clint Eastwood" by Gorillaz
Okay, this one leans more towards the alternative hip hop/indie side of things, but it's got enough rap verses to count. This was a truly bizarre hit song. Nothing about it suggests a top-40 hit. A burnt-out Brit-Pop star? Cartoon band avatars? A strange, almost off-key hook? An obscure rapper with an unusual name? How did this become such a big song? Oh yeah, it rocks. Del Tha Funky Homosapien's off-kilter verses managed to add an air of menace to the wonky, psychedelic vibe of this track. Without this song, there could never have been a "Hey Ya!" or a "Crazy". I'm not kidding.

2. "So Fresh, So Clean" by Outkast I had a tough time choosing my favorite Outkast song. There are plenty of good candidates, but this one still sticks out in my mind because it was the follow up single to their monumental hit "Miss Jackson". This song was more fun, and actually had a better hook, but was overshadowed by it's big brother track. Outkast would never be this united again, as the two artists who made up the group began to go in vastly different directions. Consider this a snapshot of the perfect moment in their meteoric career.

1."California Love" by 2Pac featuring Dr. Dre. I realize this is technically a 2Pac song, and no disrespect to his talent, but Dre made this a hit. The production, as always, is brilliant, and the near 8-minute running time of the album version is unheard of in hip-hop today. Dre's rapping is at it's laid-back, cocksure best, as he boasts about the joys of ruling the west coast like a king. 2Pac never sounded as fun-loving or as fierce as on this standout track. Add the talk-box hook, a "Thunderdome" inspired video and you've got yourself the greatest hip-hop song EVER.

Bands say stupid things sometimes.

I just came across this article. It's from a while back, but it is a good illustration of today's topic.
Death Cab for Cutie Think Jared Leto Should Stick to Acting - Spinner

I really hate when bands do this. Especially talented bands who I generally respect. For some reason they feel the need to call out some other band who they don't particularly care for in an interview. It may just be an offhand comment that an interviewer decides to ascribe significance to, but it still smacks of Elitism and self-importance. I'm not saying musicians shouldn't have opinions about music. They are perfectly welcome to think whatever they like about fellow musicians. I'm also not so naive to think everyone can just live and let live when it comes to aesthetic choices. However, I think musicians need to think before they speak. Especially if they realize that their fanbase might overlap with the band they are dissing. You risk alienating your fans when you say "I hate (band name) If you listen to (band name) you're an idiot."

Success in the music business is 90% luck. Even if you're amazingly talented you can still toil in obscurity. Jared Leto may be a rich actor, but he started 30STM before he rose to prominence by dating Cameron Diaz. Also, he was in some little movie called "Requiem for a Dream" (I've never heard of it either). Leto worked his ass off to get the band off the ground, the same way any one who starts a band does. That alone is a reason for musicians to respect each other. They all come from nothing. Even bands which seem to be "vanity projects" for actors can't be guaranteed a huge audience (Just ask Keanu Reeves about Dogstar)

It's not just Death Cab I'm pointing the finger at. Consider the following statements made by musicians about other musicians.

Beth Ditto (The Gossip):"I hate Katy Perry! She's offensive to gay culture, I'm so offended. She's just riding on the backs of our culture, without having to pay any of the dues and not being actually lesbian or anything at all. She's on the cover of a fucking gay magazine."

This sounds like justifiable rage, especially because Ditto is a lesbian herself. However, she's presuming to speak for an entire culture. It doesn't seem to occur to her that other gay people may like the Gossip AND Katy Perry, and have no problem with "I Kissed a Girl" because it's just a dumb dance song about girls gone wild. I understand Ditto's concern that her culture is being co-opted and commercialized, but that's what pop music has been doing since Elvis.

John Lydon aka Johnny Rotten (Sex Pistols): "Don't try and tell me Green Day are punk. They're not, they're plonk and they're bandwagoning on something they didn't come up with themselves. I think they are phony."

Funny coming from a man who was part of the NSYNC of punk. The Sex Pistols were assembled by a music producer/manager who handpicked the members for their looks and personality. That's right, Johnny Rotten, you were in a punk-rock BOY BAND. You have no authority on this subject.

Brandon Flowers (The Killers): "Emo, pop-punk, whatever you want to call it, is dangerous. We don't wanna dislike anyone, and we've still never met Fall Out Boy, but there's a creature inside me that wants to beat all those bands to death."

Really, Brandon? You realize that without your synthesizers and faux-springsteen shtick, you'd be an emo band right?

I think you get my point. Bands are generally made up of self-taught musicians, many of whom have only high-school educations. They catch a break thanks to fans who support them, or a record label that plucks them from obscurity and sets them on the path to stardom. Either way, musicians are dependent on other people. A band cannot operate in a bubble. Oh how quickly we forget. Once a band has achieved a moderate level of success, they sometimes get a little full of themselves. Even the really good ones can lose touch with reality. If you're a musician, you should be grateful ANYONE listens to your music. If you've made it, as a band, then just be happy that you've made it. You don't need to take down other bands just to try to "stand out". It's a cheap way to get publicity and it draws the focus away from your actual art. And that is the last thing you should want as an artist.

Furthermore, as an artist, a musician should recognize that anything someone creates is in some way a piece of personal expression. No one says they have to like it, but they need to respect the fact that it is still art. This even applies to the pop music on the radio. It may seem soulless and manufactured, but that doesn't mean it was made without love or passion. Even if the end result is bland and uninteresting, everyone has the right to express themselves creatively and to at least be given credit for creating something people can enjoy.

I realize this sounds like populist drivel, and that's not my intent. I think populism is just as harmful as elitism. I have no desire for everyone in the music industry to hold hands and sing "Come on people now, smile on your brother, everybody get together, try and love one another right now!" God help us if it ever comes to that. If you hate what's popular in music, then get yourself out there as an alternative. Let the music do the talking. Show some class and some respect for your fellow artists, and maybe they will be mature enought o do the same. If not, you still come off looking more mature and dignified.

...and God said "Let there be METAL!!!!"

I was realizing today I haven't given much love to Metal on this blog. Apart from the short bit about "Metalocalypse." So today I'm going to talk about some metal bands who are not fictional, and examine the importance of metal in today's musical landscape.

Metal fans are as numerous and diverse as metal genres themselves. Some famous metal fans: Weezer frontman Rivers Cuomo, comedic actor Jack Black, stand-up comic Brian Posehn and apparently, veteran actor with a really cool voice Christopher Lee (He's putting out an album about Charlemagne! Brutal!).
Metal has seemingly come a long way from its Zeppelin/Sabbath roots. But, among the purest metal acts, there is still a stringent observance of the founding pillars of the genre:

THE FOUR PILLARS OF METAL

1)Extreme technical prowess: Metal is possibly the hardest genre of rock music to play (unless you play that wanky nu-metal crap). Zeppelin and Sabbath had a basis in the blues, but they also had a surprising amount in common with classical music. As metal has evolved it has only become more technical and complex.

2)Lyrics about weird/disturbing stuff: Metal lyrics are almost never about fluffy stuff like peace, love and understanding. They are usually about death, sex and hatred...and Hobbits. Sometimes. Other fun topics include: Vikings, Satan, Nuclear Annihilation, Cannibalism, Dragons, Antarctica, Cthulhu and whatever a "Nymphetamine" is.

3)Theatrics: Metal is not quite as over the top as say... glam rock, but it's one genre where dudes can get away with dressing like the spawn of Gene Simmons and Pinhead from "Hellraiser". Bands like Metallica, Pantera and Slayer forewent the costumes and makeup, but the music is just as overblown and insane as anything that came before. Songs with multiple key and tempo changes and blistering 2-minute guitar solos are pretty ridiculous when you think about it. But they're also what makes metal great.

4)Distaste for authority: While plenty of metal bands have signed to major labels and received radio play, Metal is still a largely anti-establishment genre. Especially in the case of Black Metal and Death Metal bands, who screech or growl their anti-social, anti-religious and morbid lyrics over mind-blowing speed-riffs. Songs frequently stretch past the 7-minute mark and rarely feature a catchy chorus or pop-hook. Yet these bands sell hundreds of thousands of albums and boast legions of loyal fans.

So, how do I square my love of metal with my love of far less brutal music? I don't know. I can't possibly explain why Kylie Minogue sits right next to Cradle of Filth in my I-tunes play-list. I'm just musically bi-polar.
But, I can explain why the metal scene is no place for me:

The Dark(er) Side of Metal.
Despite some of it's positives (a sense of community, encouraging real musical competency), metal has a number of negatives. This is true of any genre of music, but metal can be one of the hardest to defend.

1)Misogyny: Metal has never been a great place for women. That is slowly changing, but it remains a very male-dominated genre that is often guilty of treating women as sex-objects. Look, if girls want to flash their boobs at a concert, whatever. But guys at metal shows often have trouble with boundaries. There is no excuse for this. Guys need to be respectful of the women at ALL rock shows, whether they're topless or not. It's just good manners.

2)Homophobia: The word "fag" is tossed around so casually at metal shows, I don't think people even think about what they're actually saying. I don't care what you believe personally about homosexuality, when you're in mixed company, it's better not to offend. (yes I realize metal is often about offending people, but some stuff should be out of bounds). Besides, that skinny, emo-looking guy you just called a faggot likes metal too, and he just came to the show to see the band he likes, not get harassed by some douchebag in a Satyricon t-shirt.

3)Acts of Violence: I think most metal fans can agree with me on this one. Despite the dark and violent imagery in metal songs, most fans of the genre will limit their expression of brutality to mosh-pits and the occasional drunken brawl with some poseur who thinks Atreyu is way more awesome than Behemoth. But every culture has it's fringe elements, and metal's lunacy fringe can be downright terrifying. Some Black Metal fans in Scandinavia have gone as far as burning churches and murdering priests. "Dimebag" Darell of Pantera lost his life to a crazed fan who blamed him for the band's breakup. Metal shows have been rumored to include acts of animal cruelty, rape and murder. (These are often untrue and blown out of proportion by Christian watchdog groups, but I know for sure the number of women raped or people killed at metal concerts is most definitely not zero).
These acts have been condemned by the metal community at large, but are unsettling nonetheless. They've also provided much ammo for metal's critics who feel the genre encourages violence, hatred and insanity.

I only bring these negatives up because I care. I love metal, I always will. I just want to see those who love it as much as I do represent the culture a little better. Metal still doesn't get the respect it deserves, and a lot of that is due to an image that overshadows the real talent and creativity in the genre.

Now, as a parting gift here is a performance from an upcoming DVD by Swedish death metal legends; At The Gates. \m/

The Return of Alkaline Trio

Is there any pop-punk band more divisive than Alkaline Trio? Unlike their younger goth-punk/emo counterparts, The Trio had many years to build their punk cred, sweating it out in Chicago's beer-soaked punk scene and finding moderate success with their catchy melodies about death, dismemberment, alcohol and girls.

Their foray into the world of pop-punk wouldn't come until their third album, the touchstone "From Here to Infirmary", a bona-fide classic album in the eyes of many a Warped Tour veteran. Alkaline Trio always had a strong pop sensibility, but "Infirmary" found them beginning to lean towards dark power-pop, and while they maintained their trademark sense of humor and penchant for palm-muted power chords, there was an unmistakable shift towards a more professional product.

Despite the evidence that Alkaline Trio was on some kind of Bizzaro-world Blink 182 career path, their loyal fans stuck with them. But Alk3's next move would challenge those loyalists even as the band gained new fans. "Good Mourning" signaled a new look for the Trio. Matt Skiba had started wearing eyeliner, dressing in snappy black shirts and red ties. He looked like Satan's attorney. Likewise Dan Andriano had also adopted the black-and-red motif. The band had always had a dark side, but this was a big change from their former low-key aesthetic.

To many Trio fans, it looked like the band was selling out.
And you can't totally blame them for thinking that. AFI had recently rocketed to popularity with "Sing The Sorrow", an ambitious new album and a similarly gothed-up look. To someone on the outside it would seem as if Alkaline Trio was trying to crash the goth-punk party. Perhaps in reaction to this, "Good Mourning" opens with "We've Had Enough", which railed against mainstream radio-rock, and assured those who'd listen that Alkaline Trio wanted to get on the radio to give a voice to alienated punks everywhere.

Still, some of the backlash was outweighed by new fans who rabidly gobbled up the Trio's back-catalog. No band wants to lose loyal fans, but Alk3 seemingly understood that they needed to grow as a band, and this growth would be painful.

The band waited two years to release "Crimson" by far their most eclectic and divisve album to date. The opening song "Time to Waste" opened with a moody piano piece before diving headfirst into cascading octave chords. Yes, octave chords. The Trio had apparently been swayed by the sometimes unfairly maligned scourge of punk-rock for years to come, emo. I know many Trio fans who find Crimson unbearable. I still think it's one of their best works. The production is brilliant, although there's still an undercurrent of grime thanks to Skiba's booze and tobacco-scarred pipes.

Plus, it showed that the band was more than capable of straying from their roots without sounding out-of-place. "Crimson" veered from old-fashioned Trio barn-burners like "Mercy Me" to atmospheric synth pop like "Sadie" to Interpol-esque post punk like " Prevent this Tragedy". I could go on, but you should hear it for yourself.

And while the creative stretching was nice to see, even better were the advances in Skiba and Andriano's lyrics, as they shared vocal duties on more songs than ever before. There was still plenty of death and resentment of old flames, but the lyrics showed that boys had extended their perspectives a little. Death was explored with less morbid curiosity and more grim resignation. There was sadly less of the band's black humor, but Skiba had become far more poetic without sacrificing clever turns of phrase. Still, the album was a huge sore spot for many, many fans of the group, and some of them abandoned the group altogether.

The follow up to "Crimson", "Agony and Irony" was the first time the band seemed to doubt themselves. Perhaps the reaction to "Crimson" had caused them to wonder if they'd strayed too far from their roots. Matt had found some outlet for his new-wave and goth interests with Heavens, a side project he embarked on with Josiah Steinbrick.
In fact, it seemed he had grown out of the makeup and black clothing, perhaps it seemed played out after it was borrowed by so many bands between 2005-2008.

Unfortunately, "Agony" was neither a celebrated return to form nor a bold step in a new-direction. The songs grew poppier and the hooks on singles like "Help Me" and "Love Love, Kiss Kiss" were undeniable, but much of the album seemed undercooked. It was a solid album, but felt a bit lifeless. There was also a distinct lack of morbidity. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it troubled many fans to think Skiba and co might actually be turning into sappy middle-aged hacks.

I'm proud to announce that I have heard the first single from Alkaline Trio's upcoming album. It's called "This Addiction" and it's quite good. The band is releasing the album on their own record label, and the freedom seems to have rejuvenated them. This track sounds a little more like the young Trio, but it shows off far more competency than that band could have ever boasted. The instrumentation is tight, as are the harmonies. It isn't ground breaking, but at this point in their career, I think Alkaline Trio have earned the right to settle down and enjoy themselves, considering they've survived this long in a scene that often eats it's own.

I don't believe the band will ever be selling out stadiums as others have. They certainly deserve it at this point. But the group is just a bit outside of what's acceptable for mainstream pop-punk. Being dark is fine, unless you decide to sing about Charles Manson and are a known member of the Church of Satan. Although The Trio might appear to have softened in order to appeal to eyeliner-clad hot-topic shoppers, they're still on the outside, laughing at the popular kids as they catch on fire. (yeah, I remember the "Stupid Kid" video.)

I Wants to Plays Lead Guitars!

I LOVE DETHKLOK. It's not every day a band made up of five cartoon characters can actually put real bands to shame. Metal has become such an easy target for ridicule, it was only a matter of time before someone decided to take it to this level. But the mockery is all in good fun, and the music recorded by "Dethklok" is actually really awesome metal, with tongue planted firmly in cheek.

I was a bit of a metalhead in middle school. My tastes matured and grew, but I still love me some good old fashioned chug-n-shred. And "Metalocalypse" has truly rekindled my love. So don't be surprised if I do a piece on Slayer, Cannibal Corpse or Cradle of Filth in the near future.

Now since it's the holidays: here's a very Dethklok Christmas moment:

Shock and Aaaagh!

Hi everyone!
I wanted to talk a little bit about Adam Lambert's "shocking" AMA performance. If you missed it, Lambert did a little bit of bump and grind with a male dancer's face,and frenched his keyboardist. ABC was subsequently hit with 1,500 complaints, which really isn't that much, but was enough to probably scare ABC from inviting Mr. Lambert back next year.
Look, I get that this program aired during prime time, when young children might be viewing it. But seriously, knowing that Lambert is both openly gay and shamelessly flamboyant might have clued people in to the fact that his performance might be a bit, er... eye-opening. Just because he was on American Idol, people are expecting a "cute and cuddly homo", not the flaming ball of flame that he is.
You know what I'm sick of? Parents who think everything is TV's fault. If you have half a brain, you know music awards shows are always somewhat risque, although the AMA's really have nothing on MTV's annual VMA flesh-parade. So if you don't want your kids exposed to that kind of thing, just turn off the damn TV! They may whine and cry about missing that singer they really like, but that's why parenting isn't called "happy, happy fucking candy sunshine time" okay!? TV programs like the AMA's are designed for a pretty broad audience, but they aren't made specifically just for a few thousand stuffy, homophobic sociopaths with nothing better to do than call TV networks to bitch about their programming!!!

-SD

By the way, I've decided to only do one album review a month, as trying to do one each week is probably a bit too ambitious. See you after Thanksgiving!

Marilyn Manson is a crybaby. (Record review: Kill Hannah)

So, the one time king of shock rock, Marilyn Manson, is embroiled in controversy over his video for "Running to the Edge of the World" in which he depicts himself severely beating (and possibly sexually assaulting) a mostly naked look-alike of his ex-GF, Rachel Evan Wood.

As expected, the video has drawn fire for glamorizing domestic violence. But that's not really what disturbs me about it. Manson has used violent, sexualized imagery for years, and this isn't all that surprising. Also, it's still just a music video, and what's occurring here is still, distasteful as it is, artwork. It's purely a fantasy outlet for

Manson's rage and bitterness over the end of his relationship with Wood.
And that brings me back to the "crybaby" thing. The first 4 minutes of the video is nothing but a close up of Manson, eyeshadow smudged with "tears", singing directly at the camera. For. Four. Minutes.

You want to talk about whiny emo douchebags? Manson is almost in his 40's. And here he is acting out revenge fantasies like a youtube addicted 16 year old who just broke up with that girl from 3rd period chemistry. And they were, like totally in love, even though they only dated for three weeks.

Manson's shtick is beyond tired. I felt bad for him when he was basically blamed for Columbine. That was unfair, and at the time I respected him for handling the whole thing with some measure of grace and good humor. But in the years since then, MM has morphed into a desperate attention seeking megalomaniac.

I don't know if it's from habitual drug use, too many bad relationships or just surrounding himself with too many "yes" men and fake friends who can't keep him grounded in reality, but I think Manson has lost it.

He's called out other bands for supposedly biting his "style" (which he aped from Reznor, Bowie and Alice Cooper to begin with), threatened to "hunt down" anyone who defames him in the media and repeatedly claimed to be god's gift to music.

No, Manson, you're still just Brian Warner, a big nosed, awkward journalism major from the suburbs who fell ass-backwards into superstardom, while dangling from the coattails of your more talented mentor. The goodwill you earned in the early years has albeit been pissed away. Maybe it's time to retire and stop embarrassing yourself.


Album Review:
Wake Up The Sleepers
Kill Hannah
Chicago goth-pop-rockers Kill Hannah flirted briefly with top 40 success with the Single "Kennedy." An electronica-tinged alt-pop tune that hit just a bit to early. The "emo" explosion was still a few years away, and synths wouldn't become fashionable until the Killers and The Bravery became some of the biggest acts in the country.
So Kill Hannah disappeared into a grueling tour schedule, and even released another album (Until There's Nothing Left of Us) in 2006. The band had developed a cult-like following, but mainstream success still eluded them.
Yet, 2009 finds Kill Hannah signed to a major label, sounding energized and confident with the best record of their career to back them up.
"Wake Up The Sleepers" builds upon the groups signature sounds: Atmospheric synths, alternately shimmering, and grinding guitars, and singer Mat Devine's androgynous, breathy vocals.
But "WUTS" has some new tricks up it's sleeves. There's a heavier emphasis on dance beats, with many songs utilizing drum machines and dirty, fat synths seemingly borrowed from The Faint or Julien K. Lead single "New York City Speed" makes excellent use of a vocoder, and "Why I Have My Grandma's Sad Eyes" rides a spare, hip-hop-esque drum groove.
Even the songs that sound like vintage Kill Hannah throw in little treats like stacked harmonies, skillful guitar leads, hand-claps and even some female back-up vocals. It may sound like a calculated capitulation to current music trends, but it's all come about organically, since KH has been cultivating this sound for years, and the music world is just now catching up. I'd like to think that Kill Hannah's days of relative anonymity are numbered.

SD

ps. I know it's been a long time between posts. Mostly I was just waiting for something interesting to write about. There will be a new post next Thursday, rain or shine.