If The Day Does To You What The Day Does To Me...

If you’ve been downloading my playlists for the last year, you know that my love of Doomtree is a poorly concealed secret. Since the day I bought P.O.S.’s Audition album on a whim, it’s a love affair that I’ve only gotten deeper and deeper into. By now I’ve been to several Blowouts, countless CD release shows, and met just about everyone in the collective (all of whom are even friendlier than you could imagine). In fact, to this day Dessa is the only artist in my iPod who has also pet my dog.

Well, the spine of the Doomtree collective is the people behind the beats. Paper Tiger, MK Larada, P.O.S., Cecil Otter, & Lazerbeak provide an always stellar backdrop for the MC’s to shine. Today, one of those producers is stepping out on his own.

Aaron Mader has been part of the Twin Cities music scene as long as I’ve been aware of the scene. We all know, love, and miss The Plastic Constellations. Their tightly wound guitar attack coupled with that bizarre hip-hop lyrical style was something that only the Twin Cities could have created (and, probably, only the Twin Cities could have embraced). As part of TPC, Mader played a big role in helping bridge the gap between indie rock kids and hip hop kids.

(Quick TPC sidenote: Sadly, I wasn’t able to make it to the TPC reunion show a few months back. My man Jesse went though and told me that people were throwing up the Wings & Teeth the whole show. So much for not being known for ex-members. Regardless, TPC, motherfucker, cop a feel or two.)

To help scratch that hip-hop itch fully, Mader christened himself “Lazerbeak” and started making beats with the fledgling Doomtree crew, which has gone a long way to helping redefine Twin Cities hip-hop as more than just Atmosphere (and if you’ve checked my last.fm page, you know I’m not hating. I’ve got nothing but love for Atmosphere).

Lazerbeak’s solo album Legend Recognize Legend comes out today and in celebration of its release, I’m counting down my Top 10 Lava Bangers. We keep it live, live, live…

First, 5 Bonus Lava Bangers:

15. Doomtree – Drumsticks

14. Mike Mictlan & P.O.S. – Shux

13. Dessa – Dutch

12. Doomtree – Coup For The King

11. F. Stokes – Soul Clap

Alright, Top 10. Turn ya headphone joints up.

10. P.O.S. – Let It Rattle (from Never Better)

I’ve spent so many words on this blog talking about my love for this album that I’m not going to get into it all again. It’s easily the most important album to me personally that’s come out in my adult life. Besides that, it’s a wrecking ball. The album has a bizarre dark/positive/punishing vibe to it and all of that is set up by this opening track. With its echoing voices, hammer of the gods drums, and quiet/loud/quiet/loud/louder/reallyquiet/loudest structure that pushes and pulls until it climaxes with P.O.S. reminding Steve Buscemi that he’s out of his element. Really, it’s the perfect way to introduce one of the most complex hip-hop albums of the decade.

09. Sims & Dessa – The Wren (from Doomtree)

While I don’t envy any producer charged with following “Gander Back,” Beak’s “The Wren” is just the left turn that Doomtree’s self-titled album needed after an intro and a couple of rap-boast tracks. Sims and Dessa paint a obtuse-yet-accurate portrait of failed relationships, although it never comes off that they were the two dating. More like two friends lamenting their own break ups over drinks, but not really talking to each other, more just talking to hear themselves say it out loud.

Lazerbeak structures the perfect backdrop for that type of conversation. The horn climaxes sounding both liberating and angry, helping frame the perplexing questions and lack of answers that with any relationship conversation.

08. Mike Mictlan & Omaur Bliss – Young Hunger (from Hand Over Fist)

This one is less about lyrical content (although Mictlan, as usual, absolutely kills it, and Omaur Bliss delivers a fine hook. I remember these three killing this one live at the CD release show) and more about that crazy guitar bit during the verses. I know it’s hard, since Mike’s going like a freight train, but try to listen to that guitar under the verses. Just listen to it! I can just picture Beak sitting in his house shredding his guitar and then looping, shredding, looping, over and over until it sounds like hip-hop & metal never heard of Fred Durst. Also, acknowledge that flute. Always acknowledge the flute.

07. Mike Mictlan & Dessa – Kid Gloves (from Doomtree)

One of the best live tracks Doomtree performs. Those horns fade in like your neighbor is next door listening to a Chuck Mangione record. Then they drop out for that killer bassline during the verses. As you’ve probably noticed a pattern developing, the song tops out hard at the end. I can’t help but think this is a lesson Lazerbeak learned during all those years in TPC. While most guitar bands end with a climax of guitar freakout, Lava Bangers are the hip-hop equivalent, hitting hardest at the end and leaving you wondering what you just witnessed.

06. P.O.S. – Purexed (from Never Better)

I’m basically out of things to say about this song. Just listen to it. Those keyboards that come in during the second half of each verse are the aural equivalent of looking at a world of stars through a clear, cold night.

05. Sims – 15 Blocks (from Lights Out Paris)

Easily the most laid back of the Lava Bangers on this list (Lava Lounger?). This is one of those great hip-hop tracks where the lyrics and beat match each other perfectly. That keyboard perfectly matches the feeling of walking and trying to cope with your struggles. They loop back and forth like an idea that you can’t quite shake, but you know dwelling on it won’t get you anywhere. Then the guitars start chopping around, equating the anger you’re bound to feel with yourself for not being able to let said idea go.

04. F. Stokes – Tickle Me Mars (from Death Of A Handsome Bride)

First off, this is easily the most slept-on hip-hop album to come out in the last 5 years. Beak’s beats kill and F. Stokes brings his A game throughout. Absolutely go get it now.

“Tickle Me Mars” is the rollicking freakout closer of the album and it’s like nothing else in the Lazerbeak catalog. It’s like when they sat down, they had the beats for the rest of the album and someone said, “Hey, what about that crazy beat you been working on?” It works brilliantly, somewhere between Doomtree and Outkast’s “B.O.B.” It’s just too easy to picture Lazerbeak sitting at home mashing the button his MPC that says “Mars” over and over with a dastardly smile on his face.

03. Lazerbeak – Legend Recognize Legend (from False Hopes 13)

As far as I know, up until today this was the only track released that was credited solely to Lazerbeak. It’s two minutes of a producer just killing it, making you wonder why MC’s are necessary to begin with. Honestly, when I heard Beak was going to put out a solo album I was hoping it would sound like 45 minutes of tracks like this. Sampling Jay-Z is always a good choice. I’ve seen Beak perform when he has that gunshot noise on the MPC and it always kills (no pun intended).

(NYC Sidenote: When I was living in New York Phil came and visited me while on leave from the Navy. Phil and I have a special set of inside jokes that are ours alone (as most male friends do). Thanks to this song, our phrase for the week was, “Yeah-ya-ya-ya-yeah Chuuuch!” Not sure if that’s interesting or not, but it meant something to us.)

02. Mike Mictlan – Prizefight (from Hand Over Fist)

The closing track from their collaborative album, Mike Mictlan & Lazerbeak sum up their story in just over four minutes with a song good enough to make you relate to them and make you want to go out and fight your own fight. The beat creates a jungle of noise as Mictlan tells his story of finding his way out of said jungle. The way the beat slides from that flute-y line into the horns and then into the sped up sample of the chorus is a perfect backdrop for Mictlan’s autobiographical struggles.

This alone would be enough to make the song an absolute banger, but, even from the producer’s seat, Beak manages to inject himself lyrically into the track with the sped up, “Think I’m gonna throw away all the chains from my heart ‘cause lately I’ve been feeling like I’m free…” The song cracks back, only now the horns and flutes have been replaced by a single guitar and some banging drums. It’s almost like this was the seed of this upcoming solo albums, combining killer beats, poignant lyrics, any instrument under the sun and then back to the rock roots of a guitar solo. Vintage.

01. P.O.S. – Stand Up (Let’s Get Murdered) (from Audition)

As I mentioned up top, Audition was my introduction to the Doomtree community, so this track was my introduction to Lava Bangers. Honestly, the first time you go through Audition, it’s a tough listen (especially if you’re completely unfamiliar with DTR.). First, you have “Half-Cocked Concepts,” which is a great track, but if you bought the record expecting regular hip-hop, it’s a lot to process. Follow that with, “De La Souls,” an amazing track that, by featuring Greg Attonito, which helped me get my bearings as a punk kid trying to figure out the album. However, when those horns come blasting through the car speakers at the beginning of “Stand Up,” you’ll quickly realize that this isn’t just the self-conscious rap of De La Souls or the difficult genre-bending of “Half-Cocked Concepts,” it is a fully formed, supremely confident album that is ready to redefine exactly what “hip-hop” means. To this day, those three tracks, in that order, are the best introduction to the Doomtree universe.

Back to this track. The horns obviously speak for themselves. I don’t know any track that gets my adrenaline going within the first 10 seconds quite like this one. While the horns are the star of the show, much like MC’s are usually the star of a track, the crazy backward guitar solo near the last refrain acts as a metaphor for producers in general. It’s one last stroke of genius to remind you that, while MC’s may be the obvious star, it’s the producer (and the little things) that make a track stand up and murder.

So there you have it, my list of Top 10 Lava Bangers. Lazerbeak’s solo album, Legend Recognize Legend, comes out today and I sincerely hope everyone goes and picks it up. He has a CD release show this Friday at The Fine Line featuring Paper Tiger spinning, TPC reunion, and Beak and his Ensemble Of Legendz tackling the album. I won’t be able to make it (sadly, $10 is outside of my budget), but I highly encourage everyone to get there if you can.

I’ll leave you with two last Lazerbeak solo tracks.

First, the mp3 for lead single “Salt & Sea” (be sure to catch the last 1/3 of the song, when all the pieces come together.)

And here’s the video for “Land’s End.” Enjoy.

Flatbasset-September '10

Everybody! What is up! Sorry I haven't been around for a minute. My beloved laptop Bandit bit the dust a few months back and I had to have an appropriate period of mourning. We had a hell of a run. I lost all kinds of stuff when she went down. Bad times.

However, I'm back and I'm ready to help you cope with yet another looming winter. Special thanks to my sister Erin for hooking me up with a "new" laptop. You better believe Spiekerboxx and I will be doing big things all winter. To all you motherfuckers in the blogosphere, I'm saying "fuck you" loud and clear...

So here's the new mix. In case you're new to the game, click the link. It'll take you to a Megaupload that is filled with distractions. You don't have to register for anything, just type the stupid little letter-number combo into the upper right hand dialog box and you'll be on that Flatbasset mix before you know it.

Flatbasset-September '10

Time for some track by track. Couple of disclaimers though. First, August/September was a very tough time for me. That inevitably colored the tracks I chose for this playlist. Second, I wrote this track by track after 2 Brandy Gingers, 2 Summits, & 3 Tall Boys. Believe it or not, this colored the writing. Just roll with it.

01. Lupe Fiasco - Go Go Gadget Flow

So I finally got around to downloading Lupe Fiasco’s second album The Cool despite the fact that Food & Liquor, his first album, remains in my top 10 all-time hip-hop albums. It’s a little longer than is necessary, but Lupe still kills it. This is the first real song on the album and the chorus is, “I’m from a city in the Midwest, best city in the whole wide, wide world.” You know I have no love for Madison (it’s arguably negative love, or, as we call it in my circle, hater vision), I do live in a city in the Midwest.

This brings me to an interesting point that was first presented to me in Chuck Klosterman’s Killing Yourself To Live. Klosterman relates a story about driving around listening to The Replacements and breaking down into tears. He broke down not because of anything Paul Westerberg was singing, but because one of his best friends adored The Mats and had recently died from cancer. His point was that all art, no matter the format, is always drawn back to the consumer’s experience, what they want to take from it, rather than what the artist is trying to present (which is inevitably colored by their own experiences as well). It seems like an obvious point, but I had never put it right before me and it made perfect sense.

For further insight into this point, please listen to Wilco’s “What Light.”

02. Wavves – King Of The Beach

This one was tied for my favorite Current Song Of The Day this month. Honestly, I’m not the biggest fan of the whole Wavves laid back, beach dwelling, stoner vibe (mainly because I don’t smoke weed and I hate being outdoors). Plus, the drama surrounding this group is a little nauseating.

However, this single, which, from what I hear is indicative of the whole album, is pretty killer. Gone is the fuzzed-out guitar, drums, vocals combo from their breakout album. Supposedly this one is a much more fully realized, full-band effort (and this single backs that up). Plus, after the month I’ve had, a chorus of, “You’re neeeeverr gonna stop me, no, you’re neeeever gonna stop me,” really struck a, “hey, fuck it” chord with me. See, it’s all the consumers point of view.

03. Hepcat – Can’t Wait

I put this one on as a throwback. That’s right, third-wave ska. I was there. I’m old and I love it.

Also, much like I mentioned before, my attitude for this month could be expressed in a chorus of, “Baby, if I cause you pain, why don’t you go his way.”

04. Nas – The World Is Yours

As a teenager looking for ways to rebel, West Coast hip-hop was where it was at. Snoop, Dre, Ice Cube… That shit killed. Plus, it was catchy, easily digestible, and full of parent-upsetting obscenities. As I get older and start digging deeper and deeper into hip-hop, I’ve developed a real appreciation for the East Coast sound. While the thug talk holds little appeal to me, the crackling vinyl, the spoken sung chorus, and lyrics that actually sound like reality (rather than gangster-parody. Hi, Tupac.), tend to strike closer to the indie hip-hop that re-kindled my love for the genre years ago.

This track is my favorite off of Nas’ debut Illmatic, an album so good that even former arch-nemesis Jay-Z wouldn’t dare attack. Plus, it sounds great rolling down 94 on payday (“Who’s world is this? The world is yours”).

(Minnesota Sidenote: In the opening track off of P.O.S.’s Never Better he drops the line, “Their out for presidents to represent them, you really think a president can represent you?” This is the track he’s referencing with that line. Step ya game up, Obama defenders.)

(Personal Sidenote: I wanted to put this one on the list because Nas is from Queens and, as far as I can tell, I’m the only person in MPLS who will go hard for Queens. Hate if you want, but that’s my second home.)

05. Babyshambles – There She Goes

There are many better, catchier songs on Babyshambles Shotter’s Nation album that I could have put on here, but I just couldn’t get over the line, “How could I let go, since I caught a glimpse of you in your white plimsolls, twisting and turning to Northern Soul?” Yeah, I’m the whitest person who ever lived.

06. Fort Wilson Riot – All My Friends

My favorite Minnesota Current Song Of The Day for the month.

Fort Wilson Riot turned up on the Twin Cities scene a few years back as something like a 12-piece performance art, indie-pop group. Needless to say, that was a little much for me to digest (although “An Imagined Civil State” was a pretty killer single).

Since then, they’ve returned as merely a two-piece. This is the lead single off of their home-recorded second album and I think it’s pretty stellar. Again, this has much to do with the mood I was in this month. A song about missing all of your friends hit a little close to home.

(Pet Peeve Sidenote: I hate people who say things like, “Respect and love.” At least they wrapped it in a hook.)

07. Murs – Asian Girl (w/9thmatic)

HaHa! Yeah, that just happened. Step ya noodle game up!

08. Ash – Punk Boy

When I was back in Red Wing collecting CD’s from my parents’ house a few months back I picked up nearly all of my Ash collection (their first four records). Since then I’ve been on a bit of a kick. Even though their later albums are better, with catchier chorus’s and more mature songwriting, their first two albums (1977 & Trailer) will always make me feel like I’m 16 years old again (Sidenote to Sarah Elise: Act like you don’t know). While they achieved plenty of popularity in Europe, they never got their due in America. Perhaps that’s because most people here have no idea what a line like, “Who’s that boy with the ocean green eyes in Rough Trade every Saturday?” means. Even pushing 30, I wish I could hang out at Rough Trade every Saturday.

09. Dark Time Sunshine – It Lives

I downloaded Dark Time Sunshine’s Believeyoume EP from the Strange Famous Records website for free a couple of weeks ago. I couldn’t believe what I was listening to! It’s like a mix of El-P & Sims. I was even more surprised when I dug a little deeper and found out that it was two Scottish dudes. Ladies and gentleman, the future of hip-hop is wide open.

10. Mystery Jets – Dreaming Of Another World

Tied for my favorite Current Song Of The Day (see Wavves above). I know I went a little hard on the British bands this month, but that’s the mood I was in.

Maybe it’s just me, but it seems like hooks like this just aren’t coming from American bands these days. Or maybe they just don’t sound as great without that accent. Ah well, killer single.

11. Passion Pit – The Reeling

Maybe you remember months ago when I was counting down my Top 250 Songs Of The Decade and I put Radiohead’s, “2 + 2 = 5” in the top 20. If you don’t, here was my line of reasoning. It’s not my favorite Radiohead song of the last decade (they did put out, “All I Need,” after all), but it was my favorite because it was Phil’s favorite. And every time we listened to it he would do his best Thom Yorke impression. Now I can’t listen to it without picturing him performing this ridiculous ritual, and really, that’s what music is about, capturing a place and time.

That was my reasoning for putting “The Reeling” on the playlist this month. I’ve always thought it was a pretty good song (and I dance hard to this shit in my milk cooler), but after hanging out with my dude Mike all summer and watching him start bobbing around like a drunk every time this song came on the jukebox, it will always hold a special place for me.

12. Soul Position – Keep It Hot For Daddy

Alright, first thing’s first, how great is this RJD2 beat? Goddamn! Ohio goin’ hard.

Second, as much as I love Blueprint (and I really do), he can’t always match the quality of the beats RJD2 brings to the table. However, in this one, he absolutely nails the feeling of meeting a great girl for the first time. It’s not easy to walk the line between humour (“I want it so bad I just might player hate, tell these other dudes you got, like, 6 kids”) and honesty (“You thinkin’ ‘bout me? I’m thinkin’ ‘bout us. Yeah, I’m outta pocket, I’m thinkin’ ‘bout love.”). Not easy to do.

13. Gorillaz – Some Kind Of Nature (w/Lou Reed)

I put this one on the playlist before I mentioned it in C & O #2 up above. I don’t even really know what to say. This new Gorillaz album is just soooooo fucking good. I highly suggest everyone track down a copy this afternoon. Damon Albarn has never sounded more comfortable in his own skin (and the Gorillaz skin, for that matter). A track like this sincerely makes me hope that 20 years from now Damon Albarn is guesting on some young punk’s new album. Mark my words, within 20 years we’ll be talking about Damon Albarn in the same breath that we talk about David Byrne, Morrissey, and Lou Reed.

14. Buzzcocks – Promises

Alright, story time…

One of the things that was crazy about this month was the fact that my ex was back in town from NYC. Now, obviously, this would be difficult even if everything went according to plan. It was a very serious relationship and those things are always tough to revisit (especially when you know the situation is only a week long).

But first, let me go back even further, to the first time she visited after I moved back to MPLS. We spent nearly every day of the week together and it was just like old times. We went shopping, walked around Uptown, took Basset to St. Paul and let her run around, and basically spent a week acting like we were still together (despite the fact that we both knew that this was not a healthy approach). Well, her last night in town we went out and had a few drinks and came back to my place. Um, hmmm…, you know where that’s going. What was tough was that, the next day, she told me something along the lines.of, “Listen, that was really nice. I promise, whenever you need something like this, or need me in general, I’m going to be there.”

Now, in the interest of fairness and not completely upsetting her, she has been there every time I’m in a bad place and need someone to talk to. Every time. And I know she’ll be there next time. For this, she will always have my love.

Back to the semi-current. When she came back this time, I had mentally prepared myself to spend another week with her. I couldn’t have been more excited to see her and have another week that we could call, “ours,” y’know, separate from her life in NYC and mine in MPLS. Well, when she got back, we hung out at my place, played with Margaret Basset, and had a few beers and, honestly, it was the best night I’ve had in months. However, when I pushed for us to go out and have a night, it didn’t quite play out like that. She explained that she couldn’t come out with me because she has a man back in NYC and that if she went out and had drinks with me it would lead to “trouble.” Well, of course it would. That was the point.

Now, while I completely understand and respect her relationship in NYC, I was in the midst of a tough time (remember those 35W bridges?) and had really been counting on a week where I could put my troubles to the side. Obviously, this was an incredibly unhealthy approach and a bad decision (Of course, I’m so far removed I don’t even remember what, “good decisions” feel like anymore). The lesson, as always: I’m just not very bright.

Back to the real current. When I was putting this playlist, I was still coping with the sting of this rejection. Hence, a song with a chorus of, “How could you ever let me down? These promises were made for us,” hit me a little close to home. I don’t regret putting it on there, as that’s how I was feeling at the time, but I hope it’s existence on the playlist, and this summary, don’t make her hate me forever.

15. Kid Cudi – Erase Me (w/Kanye West)

If you follow the playlist, you know I’m a junkie for a good hook. And this hook is as big as it gets. I mean, just listen to those drums! I love Kid Cudi regardless, but if he wants to go for a more “pop” sound, I’ll defend it to the end.

Also, you know I can’t make these playlists with a Kanye appearance. Yeah, it’s a problem.

(Personal Sidenote: See above. Still a bit bitter. Perhaps someday I’ll be in magazines & on TV and you won’t be able to escape me.)

16. Arcade Fire – Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)

Even though it’s been two months, I still don’t know what to make of the new Arcade Fire album. It seems really good, but whenever I listen to it, it all just kinda bleeds together. Of course, I thought the same thing about Neon Bible when it came out. This one caught my ear right away though, as it’s one of the few Arcade Fire songs I feel like I could dance to. Plus, who can’t relate to lyrics like, “I need the darkness, would you please cut the lights?” Perhaps that relates to my story above too.