Some backstory: Polka Glocks is a hip-hop group comprised of three people living in entirely different parts of the country: Davy Hamburgers (Pittsburgh), Jason Sabbides (Tennessee) and Three Ninjas (Seattle). They also have some kinda members who live in Wales and Virginia. Their collaborations happen over the internets.
After Three Ninjas did some collaboration with them (and was then formally inducted into the group) I started listening to them and became internet-friendly with Davy Hamburgers. During that time I was ramping up my 8-bit chiptune Saucecore project.
I had composed a chiptune song that I liked but I had no idea what to do with it because it didn’t really fit the style that I was going for. So I thought, hey, I’ll send it to Davy Hamburgers; maybe he can figure out something to do with it. Gosh, that musta been about a year ago. And honestly I completely forgot that I’d done that.
And then last week to my delight a song suddenly materialized as if by magic out of the internets! Take a wissen:
I wrote the chiptune musics for that! It’s going to be on their next album, Secret Land of the Monkey Man. I am excite!
Remember when I posted about how famous my pal Jason is? Well, he just keeps gettin’ more and more famouser.
After his appearance on the Today Show, that TV show 20/20 flew him back to New York to interview him. And they lubbed him so much they actually agreed to fly a film crew out to Seattle to film him performing his musics as Three Ninjas.
So @NatheLawver and @tacomachickadee and picked me up and we drove the 40 minutes up to West Seattle to see Three Ninjas & Tangentbot (and special guest Pop Star Shannon O’Brien) perform their tiny open-mic set at the Skylark Café with a 20/20 film crew filming it, then we drove all the way back to Tacoma.
From left: Tangentbot, Three Ninjas, Pop Star Shannon O'Brien
Total drive time was 1hr 20min. Total show time was approx 20 minutes.
TOTALLY WORTH IT.
So there’s a slim chance that I might appear on a soon-to-air episode of 20/20 in an audience reaction shot. No biggie.
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!
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– 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
