Final Analysis: 5 Finger Review: The Roots

The Roots - "Rising Down" is off the meter.

Final Analysis: COP THAT SHIT SUN! - 5 Fingers (forming a fist!)

Final Analysis: 5 Finger Review: Santogold

Santogold has been getting alot of hype about her self-titled debut album. It's well-deserved too, given the hot singles she's previously released. The album does deliver but not all-the-way. I consider it a "creeper" because that is exacty what it does - creeps up on you ... the more i listen the more i like. But it still has some lackluster moments.

Pros:
• "Creator"
• "Lights Out"
• "Unstoppable"
• "You'll Find A Way (Switch & Sinden Remix)"

Cons:
• i wish the overall production had a little more "Flash" to it

Final Analysis: solid debut - 3 Fingers (out of 5)

Final Analysis: Movies With Ron Review: Forgetting Sarah Marshall

Forgetting Sarah Marshall

Final Analysis: GO SEE IT
- 4stars (based on scale of 1 to 5 / 1=worst / 5=best)

• best comedy of the year (so-far)
• great script and direction
• pitch perfect performances
• heart warming overtone
• duration of movie a little too long

Design Code Rap

He's so gangsta (seriously)...

big-up to Amaiche for linking me.

Album Cover of the Month (April)

Ok... What in the hell is this? Tattoos on a baby? Not cute. The type treatment isn't bad though...

Tax Day = No Income Tax?

According to this documentary , Income Tax is actually unconstitutional (take some time-out and watch below)...

Synopsis: Determined to find the law that requires Americans to pay income tax, Aaron Russo (THE ROSE, TRADING PLACES) sets out on a journey. Neither left- nor right-wing, this startling examination exposes the systematic erosion of civil liberties in America. Through interviews with US Congressmen, a former IRS Commissioner, former IRS and FBI agents, tax attorneys and authors, Russo connects the dots between money creation, federal income tax, voter fraud, the national identity card (becoming law in May 2008) and the implementation of radio frequency identification (RFID) technology to track citizens. A striking case about the evolving police state in America.

Visit the site here.

See the original 15 minute trailer here.

NEW MIX: Green Spring Mix II

Thought i'd put something together for the winter thaw to get your proper-groove-sway going...

Just download... Add to your iPod. Select and press play. For all my NYC folks, listen while walking the streets...

Tracklist is as follows:

GREEN SPRING MIX II
1. L.E.S (Artistes Exxxchange Mix) by Santogold
2. The Flow (Jedi Knights Mix) by Model 500
3. Destroying Human Nature by Mu
4. It's All True (Escort Remix) by Tracey Thorn
5. Snow Joke by A.R. Kane
6. Gatekeeper by Feist
7. Twiggy by Chicken Lips
8. She's Magma (Futurecurrent Remix) by Rontronik
9. Moskow Diskow (Carl Craig Remix) by Telex
10. Ride The Rhythm by Bim Marx
**oops transition**
11. Wednesday Night People by Moodymann
12. Can You Feel It (Vocal Mix) by Mr. fingers
13. Magick (SMD Remix) by Klaxons

running time : 00:34:55

Get the mix here.

Album Cover of the Month (March)

When i heard that Yazoo (Yaz in the U.S.) was reuniting and going on tour i was not all that excited. then i came across one of their albums "You and Me Both" ..which contains the hot track "State Farm." But most importantly, the album cover is quite genius...

Maybe i am a little excited about the duo getting back together? .. A little bit.

Yaz is Alison Moyet and Vince Clarke (formerly of Depeche Mode and Erasure)

There Will Be BUD

saw this on Joblo.com and thought it was pretty funny...

NEW: Gnarls Barkley video "Run"

i love this! Reminds me of "The New Dance Show" in Detroit from back-in-the-day...

50th Grammy Presentation = Horrible!

Yes. The music industry is in quite a shambles... The thing is the music industry needs to blame themselves for this. Sunday's televised presentation of the Grammy Awards ceremony was a great example of what i mean. Disjointed. Uneven. Too long.

Biggest Disappointment:
-- The Time Reunion with Rihanna

Highlights:
-- Kanye West / Daft Punk
-- Feist
-- Tina Turner / Beyonce

Erykah Badu has dropped a hot video!

Ms. Badu has dropped a fresh single (produced by 9th Wonder). The video is even better. it brings the Justice video for "D.A.N.C.E." to mind... Peep it.

Special Event: Momma's Hip-Hop Kitchen... The Soul Kitchen for the Hip-Hop Soul

What:
A free space for women-especially women of color, who seek social justice and reproductive justice through hip-hop.

Where:
O. Henry Learning Center School 333 W.17 St. (between 8 Ave. & 9 Ave.)

When:
February 16th 3pm-6pm

For more information email hiphopkitchen@gmail.com or call 216.849.7458 or visit Hip-Hop Kitchen.

Sponsored by PEP (Pro-Choice Public Education Project).

Album Cover of the Month (February): Boogie Down Productions "By All Means Necessary"

Outspoken hip-hop artist KRS-One and his crew Boogie Down Productions chose to emulate a famous picture of slain civil rights activist, Malcolm X. (see below). A classic album and a classic cover!

Album Cover of the Month (January): Thelonious Monk

Yet another legendary jazz album that was both thought provoking and a sign of the times. Rumor has it that Q-Tip's forthcoming album will emulate this cover in a more modenized setting (you heard it here first!).

New DJ Mix Posted

MIX012608 by Rontronik
total runtime = 00:53:22

1. Tessio by Luomo
2. Penthouse by Deep Blue
3. What Happened (Deep House Mix) by Abe Duque (feat. Blake Baxter)
4. Club Lonely by Lil Louis & The World
5. Paris Hilton by Mu
6. Happy Valentine (LFO Mix) by Miss Kittin
7. Mate Tron by Luke Vibert
8. Blue Screens by Mr. Velcro Fastener
9. Raw Dog by Audion
10. Steam by Paperclip People
11. Expensive Shit by Fela Kuti
12. Beau by Jimmy Edgar
13. Peace Of Mind by Claro Intelecto
14. Strings Of The Strings Of Life by Derrick May
15. Retina Flash by Rontronik
16. Sincerely by Rontronik

This is my first recorded mix in some time.
Hope you enjoy...
_R

Get the MP3 (you may need QuicktimePro to save to disk) here.
or the M4A/AAC (iTunes format) here.

Magma EP Gets 2007 Honorable Mention

This is the first post of 2008 and thankfully, it's good news: Igloo Magazine gives Magma EP 2007 Honorable Mention (Yippee!) ...See below for details. as my buddy BlacRen would say "...the big push!"

IGLOO MAGAZINE
Pietro Da Sacco :: Top lists for 2007
Managing Editor, Pietro Da Sacco submits his Top lists for 2007.

Pietro Da Sacco, Editor [read all]

::..:::.....:..::....:::::..:::..:::::::......:::...::.:::....::::..:..:::...::.......:::::
Top 10 ::
# Aaron Spectre :: Lost Tracks (Ad Noiseam)
# Ab Ovo :: Mouvements (Ant-Zen)
# Hecq :: 0000 (Hymen)
# Port-Royal :: Afraid To Dance (Resonant)
# Riverz End :: Possible (Lagunamuch Community/Peace Tech.)
# Secede :: Vega Libre (Sending Orbs)
# Stendeck :: Faces (Geska)
# Talvekoidik :: Silent Reflections (Brume)
# Tobias Lilja :: Time Is On My Side (n5MD)
# Xurba :: Music from the Clear Channel (Kahvi Collective)

Top 20 Honorable Mentions ::
# ~ism :: Surface Life EP (Herb)
# Am-Boy :: Horrible Oracle Blessedness (Attacknine)
# Ben Frost :: Theory of Machines (Bedroom Community)
# Cast :: Are Teek L (Lagunamuch Community)
# Christ. :: Bike EP (Benbecula)
# Download :: Fixer (Sub-Conscious Communication)
# Disinterested :: Behind Us (Dynamophone)
# Drifting In Silence :: Fallto (Labile)
# Lights Out Asia :: Tanks & Recognizers (n5MD)
# Lowfish :: Burn The Lights Out (Satamile)
# Neytoda :: Latest Dubs from Nestor House Studios (Rednetic)
# Plant43 :: Grey Sky Cracks EP (Ai)
# RD :: Archive (The Designed Disorder)
# Rontronik :: Magma EP (Töshöklabs)
# Ryan Rapsys :: The-Novus-Arcadia (Erratik Productions)
# Scorn :: Stealth (Ad Noiseam)
# Televise :: Strings And Wires (Drifting Falling)
# Tonikom :: Epoch (Hymen)
# Trickform :: Progress Report (Envizagae)
# Ulrich Schnauss :: Goodbye (Domino)

::..:::.....:..::....:::::..:::..:::::::......:::...::.:::....::::..:..:::...::.......:::::

OFF THE AIR

Please pause for station identification...

2007 Tops, Bests, and Notables

TOP 10 MOVIES:

1. No Country For Old Men


2. There Will Be Blood


3. Michael Clayton


4. Grindhouse (Planet Terror/Death Proof)


5. Pan's Labyrinth


6. Zodiac


7. Superbad


8. Transformers


9. 300


10. The Curse of The Golden Flower

Especially Noted:
No End In Sight (documentary)


TOP 10 ALBUMS

1. "In Rainbows" by Radiohead



2. "Kala" by M.I.A.



3. "Out Of The Woods" by Tracey Thorn



4. "Graduation" by Kanye West



5. "One Man Spaceship" by Jeff Mills



6. "I'll Sleep When You're Dead" by El-P



7. "Our Love To Admire" by Interpol



8. "Watchers From The Black Universe" by Gosub



9. "White Music For Black People" by Apollo Heights



10. "The Inevitable Rise And Liberation Of Niggy Tardust" by Saul Williams

Honorable Mentions (in no particular order):
-- "23" by Blonde Redhead
-- "Pegaso" by Professor Genius
-- "Old Joy New Joy" by Salt & Samovar
-- "Out Of The Woods" by Tracey Thorn
-- "Elaste Vol. 1 - Slow Motion Disco" - Various Artists (compiled by DJ Mooner)
-- "The Big Doe Rehab" by Ghostface Killah
-- "What's The Time Mr. Wolf" by The Noisettes
-- "Map Of Africa" by Map Of Africa
-- "Cross" by Justice
-- "Black Hollywood" by Camp Lo
-- "Holy Fuck" by Holy Fuck
-- "Finding Forever" by Common
-- "Volta" by Bjork
-- "Mirrored" by Battles


Notable Singles:
1. "D.A.N.C.E." by Justice
2. "The Heinrich Maneuver" by Interpol
3. "Ayo Technology" by 50 Cent
4. "Sensual Seduction" by Snoop Dogg
5. "82 Afros" by Camp Lo (featuring Ski)


Best Album Cover Art:
"D.A.N.C.E." by Justice


Worst Album Cover Art:
"Finding Forever" by Common

Notable Videos:
• "D.A.N.C.E." by Justice
• "Sensual Seduction" by Snoop Dogg

Shameless Self-Promotion:
"Magma - EP"

Top 11 Scandals of 2007 (According to AOL News)
See here.

Smartbomb Your Holiday: A Compilation

Smartbomb Your Holiday is a compilation created by me for Smartbomb Creative Studio as an expression of gratitude to all of our clients, collaborators and cohorts... Thank you!

Here's the tracklisting with a few comments on each.

1. "Laugh Track" by Gosub
--- I first heard this track on a random music blog... liked it so much i bought the album... It represents all the positive happenings of the whole year for me.

2. "Last Chance On The Stairway" by Duran Duran
--- Duran Duran played this obscure song from the "Rio" album live as part of their latest tour, The Red Carpet Massacre. It was a part of the "Electro" Set - amazing!

3. "Flashing Lights" by Kanye West (featuring Dwele)
--- My favorite track from one of my favorite albums of the year.

4. "I Am The Black Gold Of The Sun" by Minnie Riperton
--- One of the "throw-back" songs on the compilation and one of my favorite songs of all time...

5. "She's Magma" by Rontronik
--- Taken from my first ever solo release...

6. "Earth Orbit One: Little Fluffy Clouds" by The Orb
--- Another of the "oldie-but-goodies" chosen for this compilation.

7. "15 Step" by Radiohead
--- A song that comes from an album represents the changing times in the music industry and stands as a flag-ship of sorts, of what is to come.

8. "Enrico" by Isolee
--- Dance...

9. "Banstyle/Sappys Curry" by Underworld
--- This is music for creative-types, especially since the group was a spin-off of the design team, Tomato.

10. "Scratch Your Name" by The Noisettes
--- The chorus goes "Scratch your name into the fabric of this world before you go.." 'Nuff said.

11. "Gatekeeper" by Feist
--- This blending of genres is out of sight, here...

12. "It's Your Touch (Ashley Beadle's Heavy Disco Edit)" by Black Ghosts
--- Probably one of the best dance tracks out right now... Love-filled, fun , yet, NOT cheese-ball.

13. "Stop Me" by Mark Ronson (featuring Daniel Merriweather)
--- One of my favorite Smiths songs covered fantastically...

14. "Rolling Down The Hills" by Glass Candy
--- Lay back. Chill...

15. "The Answer Is Yes (12 inch Version)" by Justus Kohncke
--- The title of the song says it all...


Get the Smartbomb Your Holiday compilation here
[NOTE: the download is a .zip file containing the tracks which are .m4a (aac) format music files - compatible with iTunes.]

Hope you like it and thanks again to everyone who made 2007 a year to remember.
— Sincerely, Smartbomb Creative Studio team & Rontronik