Columbus R+B Singer, Middle Child and internationally known producer J. Rawls are celebrating the release of their new album, Rawls & Middle. The picture above has Middle addressing a panel that Talib Kweli and I sat in on at Millenium Community School about a year ago. On the Rawl’s & Middle album, the song “Music Over Madness” pretty much details what the outspoken singer had to say that day about the current state of Hip Hop Commercial Radio. Rawls is sitting down, grinning in the back. Rawls is the guy in a white hat and striped polo for those playing along at home that don’t pay attention Hip Hop much.
The release party is at Club Karma Tonight in Downtown Columbus. Eric Roberson is also perfoming
The Hood Internet has gone and remixed an entire city! This fun mashup album features a ton of bands and the songs range from the straight up insane (Kanye + Wilco + the Super Bowl Shuffle!) to some really great stuff, like this Andrew Bird track I’m posting up.
1. Intro
2. Pro Nails Forever (Kid Sister vs Walter Meego)
3. Frog Minutes (Shawnna vs LMNOP)
4. Cakeicide (Hollywood Holt vs Prairie Cartel)
5. Juke And Pop (Mic Terror vs Green Velvet)
6. Superbowl Jesus (Kanye West + 1985 Bears vs Wilco)
7. Trenchache (Juice vs Liz Phair)
8. 80s Problems (Tha Basix vs Mahjongg)
9. When Baby Mamas Collide (Qualo vs Chin Up Chin Up)
10. Simple X-plosion (Diverse vs Andrew Bird)
11. Your Love Iz What It Iz (The Cool Kids vs Frankie Knuckles)
12. Sisters Of Chicago-Rillas (Rhymefest vs The Changes)
13. I Ain’t That Bowie (Twista vs The Sea And Cake)
14. Hay Electric (Crucial Conflict vs Reds and Blue)
15. Watch My Big Feet Jump (Dude N Nem + Twista vs Office)
16. Ten-Day High (Do Or Die + Kanye West vs Tortoise)
17. Eatchyo Stigmata (Yea Big + Kid Static vs Ministry)
18. Smash That There (Yung Berg vs The Smashing Pumpkins)
19. Stages Of Standby (Psalm One vs Kleenex Girl Wonder)
20. Can You Eat Some More Heavy Fists Of Love? (Kanye West + GLC vs Bumps + Terminal 4 + Big Black)
21. I Used To Love The Blue Line (Common vs Bang! Bang!)
22. I Gotcha Trees (Lupe Fiasco vs May Or May Not)
23. What Chu Like, Old Mare? (Da Brat vs Sleep Out)
24. Kells-Tone For The Painfully In Love (R. Kelly vs Casiotone For The Painfully Alone)
May 29, 2008 – 11:26 pm | Written by Chip Midnight
Been waiting for this one for a while now - almost a year to be exact. The Hot Damn showed up on my radar after I heard a tune on PatRadio’s podcast last August, the band’s sound decidedly different than the flavor of the year (shit-gaze) here in Columbus. There isn’t anything lo-fi about this foursome, it’s mass market material written for the Alternative Press / Hot Topic / Urban Outfitters crowd and while usually I’d cringe at any band that can sell loads of records to that demographic, there is something about The Hot Damn that makes me really excited.
Matt and Ash were nice enough to send me a copy of the CD earlier this week and I’ve been spending a lot of time digesting it. Really, what I think, is that you get three different bands in one with this self-titled release - there is the post-emo / Warped Tour-ready sounds of the songs sung solely by Matt (do I detect a little Ben Gibbard in his vocal style?); there are the songs that Matt handles the lead vocals and Ash provides the female backup (these songs, like “Lefthand, Righthand”, bring to mind one of my favorites, Helicopter Helicopter); and then you’ve got the songs that Ash sings lead on. Now, I’ve only had one opportunity to see the band live (opening for Great Northern) but I don’t remember Ash really stepping up to the front on many of the songs. Not sure if the songs weren’t written at the time or she’s found a new self-confidence, but the songs she sings (which I’m assuming she wrote as well) bring to mind some of the early ’90s female-led indie rock bands like Madder Rose, The Melting Hopefuls, and even a bit of our hometown heroes, Scrawl. I hope as the band matures, Ash continues to keep up with contributing - as it is, she handles vocals on maybe 1/3 or 1/2 of the songs.
The Hot Damn will throw themselves a CD release party on Friday night at the House of Crave (the club above The Basement). I’d be there if I wasn’t headed to Cincinnati to see Blind Melon. I’m not sure if this is the highest compliment I could throw at the band, but I will say that if The Hot Damn were an out-of-town band, I would do everything in my power to see them every time they play in Columbus. As it is, I’ve missed out on a BUNCH of shows since first discovering them but plan to make up for that over the summer.
You can stream the entire new CD here (do it … it’s FREE to check it out, you’ve got nothing to lose). And you can hear Pat from PatRadio interview the band - and play 4 tracks from the CD - on his most recent podcast here. Hot Damn, indeed!
A lot of people are riding pretty hard for “The Boss’”, Rick Ross decision to not wear a shirt.
I still am partial to a shirtless Gucci Mane. While Ross gets points for being super fat and having cool looking tatts, I feel like some sort of stylist gets paid 250 dollars an hour to make sure his stomach is angled correct and the right oils are applied. (more…)
The Columbus Music Co-op is pleased to announce the launch of the Columbus Musician’s Assistance Program (CMAP) pilot. Under CMAP, mini-grants will be given to working Central Ohio musicians who are lacking health insurance coverage and are experiencing health-related financial hardships.
Musicians will be able to submit requests for assistance with:
* Medical bills/treatments/office visits
* Vision or dental services
* Prescription medications
* Drug & alcohol addiction treatment
Grants will be awarded in amounts between $0-$1,000
San Francisco’s Wooden Shjips are the quintessential Terrastock band. Fuzzy, loose around the edges and classically Psychedelic, their unique brand of head music draws equal inspiration from Japanese rock, Kraut, modern minimalism and their lysergic fathers from the American West. To put it simply, their discography is essential listening for anyone even remotely interested in the Psychedelic with a capital “P”. I caught up with mainman Ripley Johnson in anticipation of the first of what will hopefully be many Terrastock slots. This is my top festival pick.
After a flurry of releases in 2007, we’ve had about seven straight months with zero Shjips material. What gives?
We’ve been putting more energy into playing live, which is what we did in the first half of 2007 as well. We have a split 7″ with The Heads coming out, which will be available on our July tour with them in Europe. We’re also finishing up our 2nd LP for Holy Mountain, which will be available in the fall. And our early vinyl releases have been compiled as “Vol 1″, and is out on Holy Mountain in June. There should be another 7″ or two out this year.
WAR 42 is a DVD series that showcases graffiti intertwined with clips of really disturbing behavior like home footage of naked strippers smoking meth out of broken lightbulbs.
I caught Cleveland’s Hot Cha Cha the other night at Carabar. I enjoyed their set, but I’m a little concerned. The lead singer performed barefoot onstage and also jumped down in the crowd to dance/perform… I just hope she got her tetanus shots……. Ouchie.
Camu Tao from Columbus, Ohio passed away earlier today due to complications from an ongoing bought with cancer. Camu was crucial in putting Columbus on the map with his brilliant, futuristic production, and in the pocket off-kilter flow as shown with the MHz, SA Smash, and the Weathermen as well as his solo work. He was just extemely gifted.
Camu also had a strong sense of humor.
I remember being at Przm’s house a long time ago; someone had fallen asleep. Camu dumped ketchup on the guys shirt. He then woke the man up from his slumber and told the groggy man that he had been shot. The now awaken man freaked out for second then was just angry cause he now had a stained shirt.
Although that is a silly story, I am just trying to say Camu was both constantly creative whether it was on a big scale like working with EL-P and Cage. Or just doing dumb shit like making prank calls.
I wasn’t close to him like I was Przm or Daymon. Hell, we were pretty much in a disagreement most of the time. But I can tell you Camu had a presence that was undeniable and charismatic. Camu Tao was a genuis.
Columbus and Hip Hop in general will greatly miss Tero Smith (Camu).
R.E.M. is performing on Austin City Limits this week and they sent me an advance copy and asked me to write about it for their blog and I did. It turned into more about my relationship with the band, but I think it’s a good read
May 23, 2008 – 12:55 am | Written by Kevin J Elliott
I’m pretty psyched to see Oneida. I’ve loved this band since I first laid my ears upon Come On Everybody Let’s Rock. Within there’s a song about cocaine that’s “profound.” But that was a while ago, and in the past decade Oneida has flown under the underground, doing exactly what they feel like doing. And doing Terrastock is something they should’ve been doing a long time ago. That decade has produced albums like the monolithic double LP Each One Teach One and their opus, The Wedding (a record made with industrial-sized, player-piano cylinders). To say they’ve been underappreciated is premature, just wait until your kids get a hold of these albums. Needless to say, the main attraction of Terrastock, besides a Simply Saucer reunion, is getting to finally see four of my head heroes in action (though they swear they played Bernies at one point). I caught up with Fat Bobby before some very prestigious shows in NYC.
Do you ever feel like you’ve reached a threshold of “epicness”? Like it’s getting harder and harder to top what you did last time?
Your question assumes a certain level of premeditation that just is not there in the creation of our music.
I remember a time when you were searching for a real harpsichord. Did you ever find it? What are you looking for these days?
Ha! You have an excellent memory. We did NOT find the harpsichord we wanted at the time we wanted it….and then, lo and behold, we stopped stressing, moved on, and recently an electric harpsichord (in terrible shape) has come into our lives. A classic example of chilling the fuck out and letting the universe have its way with you.
Not to dwell on Oneida’s past, but how did you get the idea to record The Wedding with giant music box cylinders? Did the process ever overshadow the recording of the songs? Were you happy with the results? Are we ever going to hear the raw tape from those sessions, the once promised “dub” version? (more…)
The Dirtbombs are beloved inside our message board. Seems like they come up in conversation all the time.
The band is coming to Columbus on Sunday at The Basement. We’ve got a quick hit and run contest where we’re giving away two pairs of tickets for the show. Winners will be chosen TOMORROW.
To enter, send an e-mail to wintix@donewaiting.com with the subject of DIRTBOMBS. Make sure your full name is in your e-mail address or in the e-mail body. Random winners chosen tomorrow, people.
O.K., the title is a bit misleading. I love the Dandy Warhols — even though I refuse to admit the existence of Odditorium — and have bought just about everything they’ve ever put out right down to the self-released Black Album/Come On Feel The Dandy Warhols package. I’ve easily spent hundred of dollars collecting import singles for unreleased tracks and remixes. But that was back in the days when that was the only way to get those tunes … now I wold just pay 99 cents for the song I didn’t have and save the other nine bucks.
So I was excited to hear the band was releasing it’s latest, …Earth to The Dandy Warhols…, under a remarkably forward-thinking subscription model. For a set price you would get the album as an immediate download, a physical CD once it was released, a screen printed poster, and any b-sides released in the next year. That is all pretty cool, right? The only problem is that they want $34.99 a year for the whole package. For me, that’s pretty steep, even when you include a healthy mark-up for materials and postage, though I’m sure plenty of folks would be more than happy to pay that. Good for them.
What I think would have been a better solution would be to offer the disc and music subscription for something closer to $15-$20, even allowing a lower tier for folks that wanted to go digital only. What do you think, am I being to stingy or am I right in thinking the band might have been better off offering a variety of packages to their fans?
Either way, I’m pleased to see them making a go of it without a Major label, and commend them for at least trying something new, even if it is out of my price range for disposable income these days.
Been waiting for this one for a while now - 
