Busdriver started his set with a very cool visual effect: all the lights were off, but he had a blacklight that also emitted lasers in such a way that they made a starfield on the background. Then he stood in front of the blacklight and starfield wearing all white. He made Tangentbot very happy by rapping over an Aphex Twin song for his encore.
Two of the opening acts were women hip-hop artists, Night Fox and Katie Kate. They were both very good, though I kinda liked Night Fox’s energy a little more. They were unlike many women hip-hop artists that I’m used to, in that they weren’t full of “even tougher than a man” bravado (even though there was a fair share of cussing). Night Fox’s voice periodically had an almost-Billie-Holliday warble in it, and at times sounded like an American Miho Hatori. Plus she was tiny and kinda adorable. Katie Kate was a much more polished performer and technical musician — I learned later that she’s a classically-trained pianist and graduated from Cornish with a music degree! Anyway, the point is they had a really fascinating style of hip-hop. I almost want to call it “Cutesy Hip-Hop” but that sound a little degrading. The point is, it was fun and inviting instead of angry and aggressive.
As for the Chop Suey show the next week, Threeni & T-Bo (as they will now be referred to in the rest of this post because it sounds awful) were the opening act for the Fake Four tour, which is the same tour that Open Mike Eagle opened for last year. Good company! And Carrie actually got to come with me because for once she didn’t have to teach on a night where there was an awesome music show!
They completely killed their set. The highlight of the whole night was when Threeni and T-Bo performed an absolutely epic cover of Jewel’s “Foolish Games.” For realsz! Ch-ch-check it out!
Like what you heard there? About to commit seppuku because you missed it? Stay your blade, I say! For Three Ninjas & Tangentbot will be performing a Mardi Gras party at the Skylark Café on Tuesday the 8th! THAT’S TOMORROW, HOMESLICE!
Carrie & I didn’t stay for the whole show because:
We live in Tacoma
I had to be at work at 8:00 the next morning
We’re old
But another excellent act that we got to see was Abadawn, a rapper with an extremely young countenance (he looked like he was 15) and a fascinating style. He had two vocalizations: a hip-hop voice that had inflections and flow that reminded me somewhat of Eminem, and a full-on death-metal screech/growl voice. He switched freely between them. Also, his songs were short, which I really appreciated (a couple were only like 45 seconds long, I swear). They were like a little nugget burst of energy, like a hip-hop haiku of rage.
I decided it was about damned time that I made myself a new mix CD. For your convenience, I’ve included (when I can) links to where you can get these songs for yourself, should you so desire!
Here’s the really cool thing: With the exception of Busdriver’s show, I personally know someone playing in each of these shows!
Grr… now that I’m looking at that list I’m pretty positive I left something out. I can’t think of it right now, though.
*EDIT* Tangentbot pointed out in the comments that I forgot to mention that he’ll be providing the music for Three Ninjas at the Chop Suey show. SEE!? I KNEW I’D FORGET SOMETHING!
For many a year now, Busdriver has been consistently near the top of my list of favorite musicians. He’s been featured a couple of times on this here blog of mine, as well as having an album be an “Of the Month” at least once.
Earlier this year I was exposed to one of my now all-time favorite hip-hop artists, Open Mike Eagle, through my good pals Three Ninjas and NHP (Natural HyPe man). I’ve met him twice since, and his album “Unapologetic Art Rap” was my “Of the Month” back in May. He’s a really, really cool guy.
SPEAKING OF Three Ninjas, I’ve known him for a few years now, and seen him perform countless times all over the Seattle area. His latest album, “Three Ninjas is Smarter Than a Lettuce” is fantastic and you should own it and listen to it ALL OF THE TIME.
ANYWAYS. Open Mike Eagle and Busdriver collaborated on a song on “Unapologetic Art Rap” called “Original Butterscotch Confection.”
Well, now Three Ninjas has made an officially sanctioned remix of “Original Butterscotch Confection” for Open Mike Eagle! I think that the 3Ninjas remix is an improvement over the original. Threeni has turned the song into a delirious circus of sound, with an alarmingly entertaining twist in tone towards the end.
But don’t just take my word for it! Take a listen!
It’s three of my favorite hip-hop artists making frikkin’ fantastic music together. I’M SO HAPPY! Also, this remix has been mentioned in Above Ground Magazine and on Mush Records’ website!
You can download the 3Ninjas remix FOR FREE right HERE!
One thing you might not know about me is that I don’t listen to a lot of music, by which I mean I tend to focus on a small selection of music and then listen to it over and over and over again.
One of the things I do is I make Mix CDs that I listen to while I’m driving around—to and from work, to and from Fools Play, etc. Thing is, I only make one Mix CD about every three months and that’ll be pretty much all that I’ll listen to until I make another one.
Traditionally I go iTunes and organize my music by most recently added, then start pulling the best songs over to a new playlist as I work my way back in time through my music collection. This way my Mix CDs tend to have a handful of songs that I’ve acquired recently. I also try not to put in too many songs that were in my previous Mix CD. But I don’t add much music to my collection very often, so doing it that way only fills up a portion of the CD. So then I delve into my list of all-time most listenable songs. Y’know, the songs that I don’t really ever get tired of listening to (the playlist that I call “Ultimate Flawless Victory” in iTunes) and toss in a few of those. Then I look at all of the songs in my collection that I’ve given four or five stars and toss in a few of those.
These Mix CDs are both reflective and projective. I try to incorporate how my musical tastes have changed over the past three months while at the same time trying to predict what I’ll want to listen to for the next three months.
Here are the last two CDs I created:
August 2009:
Always Been There Anyway – Julia Massey
Around the Bend – The Asteroids Galaxy Tour
Brain Problem Situation – They Might Be Giants
Buddy Holly – Weezer
Cellars by Starlight – Kay Hanley
Golden Blunders – The Posies
Good Fish – Julia Massey
Have a F*****g Baby – Three Ninjas
Headphones on Your Heart – Leeni
House of Mayors – John linnell
The Last Thing On Your Mind – Lights
Little Fighter X – Fighter X
Lollipop – Mika
Lovebite – Order of the Crimson Wizard
Me + Yr Daughter – Natalie Portman’s Shaved Head
Over and Over – Leeni
Red Underwears – Three Ninjas
Say It Ain’t So – Weezer
Shut Up and Let Me Go – The Ting Tings
Soft Rocked By Me – Jonathan Coulton
Somewhere on This Couch – The Crazy Boy Floyds
The Way I Am – Ingrid Michaelson
You Don’t Know Me – Ben Folds (featuring Regina Spektor)
November 2009 (there is one repeat song from the August CD—see if you can spot it)
Dance, Dance, Dance – Lykke Li
Dirt Bike – They Might Be Giants
Doll Partz – Order of the Crimson Wizard
Heading Out at Dawn – Terrapin Productions
Jenny Towner – Julia Massey
Los Angeles – They Might Be Giants
Mario’s Café – Saint Etienne
Powers – Three Ninjas
Pride & Strawberry Wine – The Wastelanders
A Quiet Room – Tangentbot
Secret Skin – Busdriver
Spin Around – Josie & The Pussycats
Stairs – Locust Street Taxi
Starry Eyed Surprise – Oakenfold
Stop – Spice Girls
Sun Shower – Busdriver
Teenage Dirtbag – Wheatus
Theme from “Greatest American Hero” – Joey Scarbury
True Affection – The Blow
Ugly Girl – Fleming & John
Vancouver – They Might Be Giants
Veronica – Elvis Costello
The Way I Am – Ingrid Michaelson
What’s Golden – Jurassic 5
Your Love Is a Drug – Puffy AmiYumi
I have no idea what these songs say about me, so feel free to psychoanalyze me to your hearts’ content based solely on the content of these lists. Enjoy!
– Palmdale
– Anya Marina
– JP Inc.
– Daft Punk
– Bonobo & Andreya Triana
– JP Inc.
– Mtume
– Palmdale
– Bitter:Sweet
– She & Him
– JP Inc.
– Cocorosie
– White Town
– M.I.A.
– Pomplamoose
