November 2010
21 posts
8 tags
B. Dolan’s “Weight of the World Tour” Wrap Up +... →
Show’s over for this year, kids.
I played my first set of 2010 on January 2, alongside Sleep and Cecil Otter, and the itinerary never looked back after that. All in all the schedule said I’d play 101 shows this year. I ended up making it to 93 of them before life intervened.
This year has been an absolutely unrelenting gauntlet of work, love, loss and tragedy. It included the release of my...
12 tags
Zion I - Atomic Clock (Review) →
Released by Gold Dust / Live Up Records
One has to tip their hat to Zion I’s Amp Live for his fearless experimentation and the enthusiasm with which he approaches new genres. On Atomic Clock, Amp fuses conscious indie rap aesthetics with the world of dub and in doing so concocts Zion I’s strongest outing since True & Livin. The use of live instrumentation creates an organic core from...
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Kid Cudi - Man on the Moon II: The Legend of Mr.... →
Released by Universal Motown
Between thick layers of glossy production, Kid Cudi delves into matters of the psyche untouched by mainstream rap. One can draw a comparison to Eminem’s recent work in terms of rapping about drug addiction, but Cudi explores facets of insecurity and vulnerability that are more familiar to the underground hip-hop scene. Further bridging this gap is the...
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Saadi - Clotheslines
The Syria-born and...
“Known to rock the flyest shit and eat the best pizza.”
– Heems
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Atmosphere - To All My Friends, Blood Makes the... →
Released by Rhymesayers
Minnesota’s prolific duo of Slug and Ant are back with a double EP full of pensive, live instrument-infused indie rap. On To All My Friends, Blood Makes The Blade Holy, Slug has truly become the Bruce Springsteen of hip hop, effortlessly weaving everyman parables and worker anthems into the fabric of 12 concise songs. From the sinister opening notes of “Until The...
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FuzZ - Mr. Rogers
For a little taste of what to...
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Win a FuzZ, Shepard Fairey & N.A.S.A. Prize Pack →
In celebration of the sinister new record Sparkle Vision from FuzZ, the first artist signed to Squeak E. Clean’s Spectrophonic Sound label, as well as N.A.S.A.’s recently released The Big Bang, URB is proud to present an exclusive contest featuring the following gems:
1. Digital download of Sparkle Vision by FuzZ
2. Shepard Fairey (Obey) designed N.A.S.A. poster
3. Dr. Martens 50th...
11 tags
Common Grackle - The Great Depression (Review) →
Released by Fake Four Inc.
Gregory Pepper writes quirky songs centered on human suffering with frayed edges of humor and wit. “The Great Depression” and “Big Marquee” are beautifully-composed odes to sorrow with clever one-liners like “I used to pull pins out of hand grenades / then I extracted lemons out of lemonade” on full display. Clocking in at just over 31 minutes, Canadian duo Common...
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Watchchrispalko:
Surreal.
Kid Cudi x Cage x St. Vincent x The Roots
Download “Maniac”
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Baths - Pop Song
Beatsmith Will Weisenfeld,...
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WatchHere we have a stellar acoustic rendition of “Every Morning” by cars & trains, one of the standout tracks from Factor’s Lawson Graham record. You can catch cars & trains on a few California dates later this month alongside Portland’s Boy Eats Drum Machine.
November 12th / Santa Barbara, CA / Muddy Waters Cafe w/ Grimoon, Boy Eats Drum Machine / Facebook Event 8pm...
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Dirty Ghosts - Battle Slang
I randomly stumbled...
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Ceschi & zoën - I Don't Wanna Be →
Everything Ceschi Ramos has touched in 2010 has been solid gold. The varied styles and caustic wit displayed over zoën’s solemn guitar production on “I Don’t Wanna Be” fuse into yet another concentrated drop of awesome from the Connecticut-based emcee. The track can be heard on zoën’s new record One Night Between, which just dropped last week on Milled Pavement...
6 tags
Vote Yes On Prop 19 : Twelve Songs About Weed →
Tomorrow, California residents will take to the polls and push the lever on a historic ballot initative, Prop 19, that could legalise the sale, possesion and taxation of marijuana for personal use for anyone over the age of 21. And while Prop 19 is currently behind in the polls thanks to a well-funded push by corporate interests (booze, phamacutical) who will win if the measure loses, we at URB...
