OHZ’s SONG OF THE MONTH: September 2011 (#16)
Stream: DRC Music – Kinshasa One Two
DRC Music (Democratic Republic of the Congo), a new project being fronted by former Blur and Gorillaz singer-songwriter Damon Albarn, are currently streaming their album ‘Kinshasa One Two‘ one week before its release.
Recording the LP in Congo’s war-torn capital city Kinshasa, Albarn collaborated with a number of international and local music industry figures that included: T-E-E-D (Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs), Dan The Automator, Jneiro Jarel, Richard Russell, Actress, Marc Antoine, Alwest, Remi Kabaka, Rodaidh McDonald and Kwes.
With DRC Music currently containing well over 50 members, this collaborative project aims to raise awareness of African music, while all proceeds will be donated to the international charity organisation Oxfam.
“It all came from a long-term commitment that i made to Oxfam,” Albarn told BBC Radio 4 in a recent interview. “In a way, really, they started the whole kind of ball rolling for me by inviting me to go to Mali. And I didn’t want to go as a sort of ambassador … I wanted to feel something and get involved with people who I thought might be like-minded.”
Stream Kinshasa One Two over at HypeMachine.
Alternatively, you can listen to three advance tracks below.
Hallo (featuring Tout Puissant Mukalo and Nelly Liyemge) by DRC Music
Ah Congo (featuring Jupiter Bokondji and Bokatola System) by DRC Music
Lingala (featuring Bokatola System and Evala Litongo) by DRC Music
Interscope Records at the Centre of Drug-Trafficking Operation
Interscope Records, the label home of Eminem, Chris Cornell, Dr Dre, Queens of the Stone Age and P Diddy’s Bad Boy, is currently under investigation following allegations of drug-trafficking.
According to the Department of Justice, the record label’s New York and Los Angeles offices have been used by members of a cocaine ring to distribute drugs and cash.
Since being founded in 1990 by Ted Field and Jimmy Iovine, Interscope found itself at the centre of controversy regarding its distribution of ‘gangsta rap’. While the rest of the industry was cautious about the negative image and onslaught from republican activists, Field and Iovine built their empire off the success of Suge Knight’s controversial record label, Death Row.
Twenty years later it seems that their willingness to affiliate themselves with shady figures has resulted in allegations that could well hold very damaging consequences.
The man behind the cocaine ring, according to evidence, is said to be Czar Entertainment CEO James “Jimmy Henchman” Rosemond, a music-industry manager who has always held close ties to hip hop music.
With his client list including Interscope’s L.A.-based rapper The Game, Rosemond has been accused of shipping hundreds of kilograms of cocaine from Los Angeles to New York. Using his status in the music industry as a cover for his alleged shady operations, the manager utilised road cases for musical equipment that would then return to Los Angeles filled with hundreds of thousands of dollars.
While it is still unclear how Rosemond and his associates were able to gain access to Interscope’s facilities, investigators will be eager to discover how big a role the record label played in accommodating this drug ring.
The Smashing Pumpkins’ Unreleased Material Continues to Surface Online
Last month’s launch of Billy Corgan’s online record club has coincided with the surfacing of several unreleased songs from The Smashing Pumpkins’ catalogue. Having so far made available a 1992 track “Drown” and a two-track demo of “Geek U.S.A.”, the most recent song to surface from the Siamese Dream era is “Barb Wire”, a song that critics have likened to the quartet’s underground effort “Tulips”.
Recorded in arguably The Smashing Pumpkins’ most successful period, this grungy sound of heavy bass lines and distorted guitars will be sure to win over the flock of fans still disappointed by the new look band’s latest projects. In fact, Corgan’s generous offerings of past material will surely be seen as key in promoting the Pumpkin’s forthcoming LP, Oceania, at least in terms of evoking a strong sense of nostalgia towards the glory days of old.
In order to capitalise on these offerings of free unreleased rarities, fans are invited to register their e-mail addresses at smashingpumpkins.com.
English Frank: Warm Up Sessions
The other day a friend of mine sent me a link to this video freestyle on youtube. For any of you interested in hip hop, UK or US, I definitely recommend that you check it out.
Known as English Frank, due to his frank nature and first name, having becoming tired of constantly seeing watered-down pop emcees swarm airwaves for the past few years, it was a breath of fresh air to see such raw talent on display.
Full of anger, passion and an undeniable ability to rip any beat to shreds, despite being late on my discovery of this youtube sensation, I feel it is necessary to upload this video in order to school those unsure about what constitutes real hip hop.
Damien Rice: O (Review)
Associated to a genre that I’ve never really warmed to, where, subjectively speaking, there exists a minefield of sub-par, mundane posers unable to evoke even the slightest bit of energy or emotion, it would be fair to say that acoustic music has never been capable of seducing me.
With that said when I first heard Damien Rice’s single ‘Cannonball’ on the radio I absolutely despised it and continued to do so until an ex-girlfriend proclaimed to be a fan. Taking this as a subtle hint to show some initiative, after several days of fretting I eventually opted to ignore my hatred for acoustic music by purchasing a copy of Rice’s debut album O. READ MORE…
The Killers: Hot Fuss (Review)
Hate it or love it, when Las Vegas’ The Killers first arrived on the scene in the summer of 2004 their cheesy indie-pop polarised the masses. With some, including numerous critics, slating Hot Fuss as being typically big budget, soulless, superficial and irritatingly unoriginal, others of us seemed to get swept into the alluring anthemic nature of the CD’s content.
Providing a key insight into the new wave revival trend of the 21st century, Hot Fuss merges elements of both 1980s punk and synth in a nostalgic yet equally modern fashion. Employing biting guitars, synth pads and catchy melodies, the album’s predominately disco rock nature has resulted in it being compared to past and contemporary British acts such as Duran Duran, Depeche Mode, Joy Division, The Cure, Franz Ferdinand and Bloc Party. READ MORE…
OHZ’s SONG OF THE MONTH: August 2011 (#15)
Florence + The Machine – “What the Water Gave Me”
British singer Florence Welch and her backing band The Machine have recently uploaded a video of their new song “What the Water Gave Me”, the first track to appear from their forthcoming second LP.
Recorded at the Abbey Road Studios in London, the song was produced by Paul Epworth and is set to join “Strangeness and Charm”, a track the band previously debuted last year at the Olympia Theatre in Dublin.
Set to be released this November, Welch previously claimed that the album’s inspiration had been scientific, indicating that conversations with her family members are often fixated on medical issues.
Now hoping to live up to the expectation created by their critically acclaimed debut release, Lungs, here is a taster of what is in store for Florence + The Machine’s second LP release.
Lou Reed and Metallica’s ‘Lulu’ to drop November 1
Former Velvet Underground frontman Lou Reed and thrash metal band Metallica have announced plans to release their debut collaborative effort, Lulu, November 1.
Having previously announced their plans to collaborate in June, this odd alliance of two music industry veterans, dubbed as “Loutallica”, have been busy piecing together material at Metallica’s Californian studio.
The record, which is inspired by German writer Frank Wedekind’s plays Earth Spirit and Pandora’s Box, tells the story of Lulu Plays, a “story of a young abused dancer’s life and relationships”.
With the project initially being sketched by Reed for theatrical production in Berlin, the famed musician later opted to call on Metallica in what will be their first ever collaborative effort.
While the tracklisting has yet to be officially revealed, according to NME, “Pumping Blood,” “Mistress Dread,” and “Junior Dad” will all appear on this interesting and largely ambitious joint project.
