Jdown Valmont
F.A.M.E. mixtape
Independent Release
originally published December 12, 2007
As far as I know, Jdown Valmont isn't a big Debbie Allen fan, so I was at least illuminated - if not relieved - to discover the title of his new mixtape, F.A.M.E., is an acronym for "Fuck All My Enemies." Sure, Valmont's been mildly feuding on the Internet with some members of the local scene who wondered where he came from to snag a nomination for a Flagpole Athens Music Award earlier this year, and that's produced some fairly amusing dis tracks, but "enemies" would seem to be an exaggeration.
Unfortunately, F.A.M.E. isn't as good as Valmont's debut mixtape, The End of the Beginning, from earlier this year, and that's partially because of its harsher tone. It's not just the title; it's a concern throughout with being put upon that winds the whole thing a little tightly, as opposed to taking full advantage of Valmont's nimble delivery. Chanting and metallics are totally in right now, and F.A.M.E. does sound pretty of the moment, but that also makes it seem like a bit of a fashion victim. When Valmont slows up the beat a little, as on "Play the Game," one of the better songs on the disc, you can hear him jumping around verbally, sometimes in almost snare-drum rhythms.
He's also continued to associate himself with some talented producers, like Byron B., who creates a nicely layered sound (and makes an appearance) on "One, Two, Three, Four." A little bit more of an introspective turn wouldn't hurt, but the dude still has skills.
Ayo
Black Boy Lost
South City Productions
originally published December 12, 2007
The democratization of hip-hop is becoming a scary thing. Set up your mics, write a few bars, record some tracks to MySpace and you're in. But is this a good thing? Athens/ Atlanta rapper Ayo comes out hard on his Black Boy Lost mixtape, but it's a set of trite passages done long before and much better elsewhere. Surely corporate control would have stopped the presses on this mess.
He rhymes the Spanish word "comprende" with "pedigree." He is a king cobra, you're a centipede. Non sequiturs sprinkle throughout the tape: "Money is the thing, but it's not the only thing." He says we want to live the life he exists, but we're not quite there: "Is it because of my charisma? / Or is it because I don't believe in failure / That makes me a winner?" What we have here is a failure to communicate.
Ayo portrays himself as the socially conscious type, but hey, why not slide in that club track entreaty for the young ladies to "bounce on the 'D'?" This girl is no Super Freak. No, she's a "very special" freak. So, please, if you would ma'am, clap that booty and show him your tongue ring. Disgustingly enough, following that one comes the obligatory "I Love Mama" song.
To his credit, Ayo's got some good Southern help behind the boards. He spits his dribble over some great Three Six Mafia and T.I.-lite production. There are no specific production notes, though much of it was laid down at the local DARC studio, but it's interesting that "Stuck" uses the same Jeannie Reynolds sample as Prodigy's "Stuck On You" from this year's Return of the Mac.
I don't know. I just want to hear someone rap something funny or clever or original or interesting, and I didn't find anything close to that on Black Boy Lost. Ayo's recent live performances with Down With the Woo have shown promise; I hope he finds his way soon.
Wu-Tang Clan
8 Diagrams
Street Records Corporation
originally published December 12, 2007
How good could a new Wu-Tang Clan album be in 2007, especially considering the 2004 loss of Ol' Dirty Bastard, the maniacal, street Andy Kaufman-esque ninth member? Somehow 8 Diagrams, the group's first together since 2001's Iron Flag after a string of solo albums, is enjoyable despite its unevenness in lyrical and production quality.
The RZA is one of hip-hop's most ingenious producers, but several of his beats here are half-assed, throwaway productions, often a languishing rhythm track with a singular drum behind it. Before, his creations were multi-layered, textured arrangements with elements waiting to be discovered on repeated listens. The eagerly-awaited single "The Heart Gently Weeps," featuring a guitar interpolation of the Beatles' "While My Guitar Gently Weeps," bores me to tears, but the next track, "Wolves," featuring George Clinton, is a banger up there with Wu-Tang Forever's "Triumph." "Stick Me for My Riches" utilizes that annoying cicada hi-hat omnipresent in today's Southern hip-hop. RZA knows better.
Not every rapper is on point with his verses, either. U-God and Masta Killa are phoning their easy verses in, disappointing as both have shown talent as lyricists in the past. Same for GZA. Method Man, however, probably depressed over his declining solo album sales, contributes a half-dozen absolutely devastating verses. Welcome back! Inspectah Deck is sadly underused, given his track record for sleeper verses. Not surprisingly, Ghostface Killah and Raekwon - the two lyrical cornerstones of the group - hold down their spots capably throughout the album with clever wordplay and flow.
So who'll dig this album? Longtime fans. The Wu-Tang Clan is too old and not snappy enough to have this week's hot ringtone, but 8 Diagrams is an agreeable diversion from the trendy YouTube dances and vocoder vocals ubiquitous in hip-hop today.
Biirdie
Catherine Avenue
Love Minus Zero
originally published December 12, 2007
Catherine Avenue is the highly anticipated sophomore album from California trio Biirdie, and it's a well-told album of love, infidelity, geography and all things between. The creative efforts of songwriter-singer Jared Flamm, singer Kala Savage (sister of actors Ben and Fred) and drummer, Richard Gowen Jr., have produced a dynamic album full of dreamy piano harmonies, Americana-laden melodies and '70s British vocalism. Catherine Avenue mixes atmospheric pop, country/ western balladry and a twinge of rock kineticism. The album sounds like a lush combination of Wilco and Pet Sounds, and Flamm sounds like Marc Bolan fronting the Velvet Underground.
Sweet and earnest, the title track is a great opener, with a slowly building arrangement that oozes sentimentality, just trying not to sway to it would be a fruitless endeavor. The cover of the Texas Tornados tune "Who Were You Thinkin' Of" is an update of the Tejano-flavored classic, which is on a subversive level akin to "Afternoon Delight." The banjo-and piano-drenched twang of "Estelle" is toe-tapping enough to make you grab your washboard and spoons. And the epic "Careless and Unconcerned" delivers one of the best lines on the whole album: "Always understand / You only get one turn / Be careless and unconcerned."
Ménage 'a Twang
Menage 'a Twang
Gray Mortuary
originally published December 12, 2007
Local multi-instrumentalists E.J. Smith and Tony Arnold comprise Ménage 'a Twang, an unpredictable duo whose moniker doesn't adequately tease at the bent blues, jazz and whatever else is strewn across its self-titled debut. Both Smith and Arnold strap on an array of toys, including Arnold's effects-modified guitar that often duplicates the sounds of a trippy, sustain-heavy organ. The 10 minute-plus "Whitebread Pancake" makes particularly effective use of the instrument.
Sound a little weird? Well, frequently it is. Fortunately, for Smith and Arnold, weird works more often than not. Some of Ménage 'a Twang sounds adrift of the Zappa/ Beefheart mold, but, just when you think you got 'em pegged, something completely unexpected, like "Buxtabeto's Jig" (and an actual stately Irish jig it is) or the classic TV theme homage "From Argiers to Alpha Centauri" blips across the radar.
From Smith's Beefheart-esque wailing on the red-eyed "Claymation Blues" (and his reverb-doused guitar throughout) to Arnold's tender Americana and improv organ-a-taring, the two are nothing if not entertaining and urbane hosts. Each is strong in the lead, as well as in the background. A little twangy, a little bluesy and all over the damn place artistically, let's hope their experiment doesn't end here. Watch for a new release called Custom Interior.
Various Artists
Pop Ambient 2008
Kompakt
originally published December 12, 2007
It's the most wonderful time of the year: Christmas, sweaters and another warm wash of Pop Ambient. Not that the German label Kompact presents the compilation with any sort of Weihnachten theme, but neither is the yearly release merely a best-of. Every track is previously unreleased, something not many label collections can boast. The eighth installment bears few surprises, almost to the point of interchangeability with previous years. Fortunately, in the genre of minimal ambient techno, that's not a problem. Diversity has never been the recipe's main ingredient.
Having said that, Pop Ambient 2008 does surpass nearly all its predecessors, mainly due to the two Markus Guentner pieces bookending the album. Guentner's previous Kompakt full-length, 1981, is one of the label's highlights, a perfect bed of ambient flow and snuggly synth pads. His "Oceans Day" and "Sparks" continue in that vein, drifting on clicks and faintly emotive waves. The real draw here is The Field's "Kappsta 2." The Swedish it-boy of the year hit it big with From Here We Go Sublime, a deceptively simple cloud/ club hybrid. "Kappsta 2" is actually slightly more layered than the bulk of the album's tracks, flying into euphoria and rubbing elbows with Orbital.
Elsewhere, label owner Wolfgang Voigt (he of many many guises) appears here under the name All with "Sag Alles Ab," a shuffling loop stumbling over rhythmic pops. Klimek underwhelms a bit with his sappy "The Ice Storm," which relies too much on canned strings. The least expected highlight is DJ Koze, who's normally more club-friendly than he is here with "Nymphe und Schäfer." The track decays and crackles, though it's the least dynamic piece on the album. The only real flaw is that there's not a bag of marshmallows included.
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