Been away.

I have been working and living and things for a minute. I've listened to much music and I was able to sort-of create some recently too. Here's a mix!

Reboot?

Been a minute since I posted anything here or wrote from stream of consciousness. So much has changed since my last post: not only my taste in music but in my life and in the world. I got a new job after 7 years. Got married to my beautiful, brilliant wife. And moved from Atlanta, GA to San Francisco, CA. Add in all the minutiae of day-to-day living and I've been busy. Oh and I've been really getting into taking pictures with my iPhone. Like really into it.

Anyway, I just looked at my Last.fm profile and noticed that the overall artist lineup is pretty similar: Lupe, BNN, Prefuse, etc. Sticking to the status quo, the next post in the series should be about Jay-Z. I don't think anyone is in need of an explanation as to why I listened to Jay-Z so much from 2006 to now. Come on. It's Hovie, baby!

So... I'll probably just chronicle the albums I've been listening to on a weekly basis and why. As a teaser, here are the titles that've dominated my Earpods since January 2014:

Nas - Illmatic XX
Raekwon - OB4CL
Gil Scott-Heron & Jamie XX - I'm New Here
Action Bronson - Blue Chips 2
Rick Ross - Mastermind
Curren$y - New Jet City

I'm sure I'm missing some but that's not the point. The point is.... actually, I'm not sure of the point but I guess that's the point in a weird, enigmatic sort of way. I'll let that marinate and work on updating the layout of the site or something. Thanks for reading. As a prize, here's some pictures I took!

JW

The Good Stuff - Birdy Nam Nam

One of my most coveted and celebrated musical finds is French DJ crew Birdy Nam Nam. These 4 chaps utilize turntables to record and perform music that can be classified as a mish-mash containing electro, funk, jazz, hip-hop, modern classical, etc. Whether you are indulging in one of their 3 albums (2 studio + 1 live) or scouring YouTube for footage of these dudes doing their thing on the wheels of steel, you'll be amazed by the medley that is created and the organic sound of music made by their gussied-up phonographs.

Each member of Birdy Nam Nam is a bonafide assassin on the 1 & 2. The crew gained international notoriety in 2002 by winning the DMC Technics Team championship. Since this time, they have worked meticulously to hone the turntable skills they possess into methods to serve up musical offerings to whomever will listen. Their self-proclaimed goal is to utilize the turntable as an instrument itself. Which they do astonishingly well.

Looking toward future projects, the guys are looking to learn to play their own instruments, lay them down on wax and do ungodly things to those sounds using their gear. I long for the day when I will be in attendance at a Birdy Nam Nam concert. The music, to me, is comprised of everything that makes life wonderful: pure randomness that is harmonious in all its confusion. It doesn't get much better than this, obviously. For more information on BNN and to sample some of their tracks, click this word.

A Way of Life - N.E.R.D.

The third act in this list is none other than the legendary N.E.R.D. I say legendary because these guys have been there for me during many phases of my young life. I remember seeing a music video back in the early 2000's of a bunch of kids riding around a suburban neighborhood on bikes. This was the first of very many run-ins I would have with these dudes and their infectiously alternative musics.

Coming off the hype of releasing their 3rd studio album, N.E.R.D. (No One Ever Really Dies) has historically been comprised of Pharrell Williams, Chad Hugo and Shay Haley. They have recently added a fourth member, a female who goes by the name Rhea. N.E.R.D.'s sound can be described as funk+hip-hop+rock+a bunch of other random spacey-sounding sh!t thrown in a box and shaken onto a dance floor. Most of their songs grab you by the throat and force you to dance whereas other artists' tracks only politely ask.

Hugo and Williams bring their heavy reps as world renowned producing duo "The Neptunes" to this musical outfit that is nothing short of enchanting with endless drum arrays and blips, bleeps and zaps abound. From Pharrell's often-cracking voice to Shay's sparse lyrical romps, N.E.R.D. has something for everyone looking to get to it on the dance floor. Or in the car. Or on the daily commute to work. This band is often cited as one of my favorites because their values are simple: live for today and enjoy your surroundings. Check them out here.

The Follow - Prefuse 73

To continue the trend, the next most popular artist according to yours truly is one that bridges the genre gap between hip-hop and electronic by creating varied soundscapes ranging from lush, melodic and abstract tracks to pulsating, heavily sampled rap offerings. Prefuse 73 first became known for his time spent djing at Atlanta's own MJQ. Since then, he has released many albums under many monikers but the most volume has come from the namesake that has garnered more than 2,600 plays in my library.

What makes Prefuse unique to me is that he seems to not want to focus on any one particular type or style of music. And whatever he creates, puts you in this particular space mentally that has you vibing with the music even if it is only serving as background fodder. And if you are focusing on the music, you will not be let down by the meticulous drum patterns, on-time scratches/ clicks he throws in or the dreamy melodies he lays down. He's like a child in a playroom, who doesn't want to or doesn't have to settle on any toy for more than a few seconds until he's on to the next sonic serving. And each toy he utilizes is pleasing to the ears.

When I first heard of Prefuse, I was flabbergasted that I hadn't known of him before. Be happy you read this as most will go through life without experiencing what this guy has to offer. ;) Old-school hip-hop meets ambient electronic never sounded so good so give it a listen and if you like it, let me hear from you!

Starting Things Off - Lupe Fiasco

Here we go... My vision of this blog, as of now, is for it to chronicle my top artists according to last.fm. This method may change in the future and I am also open to suggestions for how to bring the sounds of my headphones to the clamoring masses.

Coming in first is Chicago-bred hip-hop entertainer, streetwear afficionado and activist Lupe Fiasco. If you take one listen to Lupe over his long career, he strikes you as a "different kind" of rapper.

From his debut album, Lupe Fiasco's Food & Liquor, came hits like "Kick, Push" and "Daydreaming" featuring Jill Scott. What struck me was that he refrained from using any profanity on the entire album. NONE! In rap or hip-hop these days, that is rare. Even more rare is the fact that Lupe has one of the nimblest and most versatile flows of any rapper since perhaps Big L (RIP).

I am a huge fan of Lupe Fiasco. (Perhaps an understatement.) And I encourage anyone looking for a fresh and not-stereotypically-gangsta-rap endeavor into the hip-hop genre to be as well. His subject matter and wordplay will have you rewinding track after track to squeeze every possible meaning out of his lyrics. Lupe's third studio album is due out in early 2010 and he has been releasing mixtapes to keep the streets aware that he is the creme de la creme in music today. Check out his last.fm page for tracks and let me know what you think!

Unwrapping

This is my first real blog. I use Twitter, Facebook, MySpace (not really) and other media to communicate and stay up to date on social goings-on all over. This blog is meant to be a gateway for any interested into my musical tastes and opinions. Anything I say should be taken as fact. And you should never disagree with me about anything or voice your opinion if it contrasts with mine. These are the rules and I will kill for them...unless I am kidding. :) Enjoy