Ain't his birthday but he's got his name on the cake...

I really hope Lil Wayne wins Album of the Year.

His interview in GQ last month was simultaneously derisive, prolific, reserved, normal and bizarre. On the scene right now, there is no other greater rock star.

And I mean rock star. This guy gets high off cold syrup and weed (at the same time!!). He's got a bazillion tattoos. His album this year was sick.

He fucking thinks he's from Mars!

I mean, Lil Wayne is larger than life, and damnit, that's how I want my rock stars. Fuck these panty waist Jonas Brothers (don't want no chastity) or whatever else.

If you're not liking Lil Wayne, you should.

Homo-hop

The LA Times has a fascinating article on the rise of gay hip-hop artists (calling the music "homo-hop" just seems deragotory, but that's what it's refered to as).

I'm constantly amazed at how America's youngest indigenous musical art form (just over 30 baby) is still constantly changing, adapting and growing.

Defenders

I had intended to write a post about my newest Christmas music purchase, and how much I love this genre of music, and how corny that makes me.

But before I started writing, I came across LA Times Music Blog Pop & Hiss, and was reading their intense defense of Kanye West's performance on SNL last week.

The LA Times, above alomst any other publication, has been a staunch defender of Kanye's latest album. I'm not sure if Kanye is secretly an heir to the Chandler or McCormick fortunes (haha newspaper history joke), but they loved 808s and Heartbreak. They even compared it to Marvin Gaye's Here, My Dear, his own very personal album written after his very bitter divorce with Anna Gordy.

As you are aware, I think Kanye's fourth album is a hot pile. A very good friend of mine vehemently disagrees. But that's perfectly okay to disagree about the merits of an album.

Kanye's performance on SNL was flat out garbage. It could be that the album doesn't lend itself to live performance (note the last song on the album, Pinnochio Story, sonically sounds the worst). It's very processed, and very personal, and Kanye is nothing if he's not a showman. And the show he put on was dismal.

The crowd is dead quiet. It's incredible sterile. And there are these huge screens in the background, and just him.

Mrs. The Shimmy Shake made a face while he was singing.

Hopefully Kanye has hit his lowest point.

Q-Tip's The Renaissance

I got Q-Tip's new album from Amazon's $5 Digital Download Black Friday Sale (still going on!!!).

It is a flat out fantastic record. From Track 1 to 11, ever song is a hit. He's solo now, but there's dipping back into that A Tribe Called Quest, and it serves him right. 'Gettin Up' sounds like an updated track from Midnight Marauders. It's got that funky little piano, and Q-Tip just breathlessly and effortlessly rhymes over the whole thing.

And like any major hip hop effort now, there's always guests. But Q-Tip uses them judiciously, and the effect is pleasant. Raphael Saadiq, D'Angelo and Norah Jones fit right in as backup singers; you'd almost miss them if no one pointed them out.

The truth is, this record owes much of its sound to the late J Dilla (he even gets production credit on two tracks, the single 'Move' and the aformentioned 'Gettin Up'). The laidback-ness is directly attributable to him, and Tip acknowledges as much on the ode to hip-hop track, "Life is Better."

It's hard to imagine that Tip's been rapping for over 20 years. He sounds young and as vibrant as ever. If you're looking for something to round out your hip hop collection, , from one of the giants and living legends of the game, get this now. It'll fit right in nicely with your Mos Def Black on Both Sides download I told you to get a few days back.

Dance Biscuits

I've been trying to find a video of this for days now. I saw it on SNL two weeks ago and this might be the best clip this season next to Tina Fey's Sarah Palin.



"We're the dancers."

First the Fat Boys break up...

Yesterday, President Bush commuted John Forte's 14 year sentence.

With the man (partially) behind The Score, a seminal rap album by one of raps most seminal groups, out of jail, will The Fugees get back together?

I know it's wishful thinking. I mean, if Dave Chapelle couldn't do it, why should John Forte.

But if he's really abouthelping kids stay out of foolisheness, then I think getting the Fuges back together to record the followup to the Score is a great place to start.

Note: Do you know how awesome that would be? Can you imagine the producers who would line up for this event? Maybe it could keep Kanye West from sucking so hard right now.

Heartbroken

I'm trying my best to wrap my head around what Kanye West set out to do with 808s and Heartbreak.

It's clear that Kanye is going through some stuff. He lost his mama. He had that weird assualt thing at LAX. His long-time fiance (two words that make most women mad) broke it off with him. And up to this point, he's released relatively flawless albums that have garnered critical acclaim, sold bazillions of copies, but been denied a Grammy for album of the year (last year was probably the worst, losing to Herbie Hancock's Joni Mitchell tribute).

Normally from this adversity, he releases a masterpiece. He got balled up in the car accident, he dropped College Dropout. Denied the Grammy, he worked doubly hard and put out Late Registration. And in an effort to top that album, he put out the skit free top, 10 perfection that was Graduation.

And with a ton of problems at his back, he releases his most personal album to date.

And it's garbage.

The whole thing. I don't think there's one salvagable song on here.

The beats are sparse and haunting, an theme that is intrguing in song one, tiresome by song two, and annoying by song three. It's like sad Daft Punk.

But if the beats don't get to you, it's the mindless singing through AutoTune. Kanye does almost no rapping on this album (I know, a God send to some who are perpetual haters on the man's rhyming ability). The problem with Auto Tune is that it flattens your voice out to the point it begins to sound unpleasant. T-Pain's a novelty act, and Lil Wayne is probably the only cat who really succeeds at screwing with the thing. Kanye just sounds horrible.

I don't think there's any need to get deep about Kanye's intention. No, I don't think him using autotune is some sort of critique on consumer automation. I know Kanye could have made a much better album that still got at his personal feelings and turmoil. Hell, he did just as much with Late Registration.

This album just plain sucks.

Nothing lasts forever

I was in seventh grade when Use Your Illusion One and Two dropped.

I can still think of the ridiculous girl I had a crush on whenever I hear November Rain.

It was the first time I heard "Live and Let Die" and to this day, I more closely associate that song with Axl's screech than with Sir McCartney's dulcet tones.

Today is the date that Chinese Democracy drops. Or is available. Or something.

Doesn't matter. I won't be getting it.

I need help

Hi. My name is The DP and I recently purchased Jimmy Buffet's "Songs You Know By Heart."

I'm not sure why I did it. I'm not particularly a Jimmy Buffet fan. But dear Lord, I know everyone of those songs on that album. It's like some taunt with that album title.

"You know you want to buy me. You know all these songs already. You just try to hide it from your hipster friends. You think you're all indie rock, listening to Swedish pop. No you're not my friend. You're just a poser Florida refugee in the Nation's Capital. Margaritaville comes on in a bar and you start singing. You can order a cheeseburger in paradise with your eyes closed. You have spent three lonely days in a brown ugly haze"

I'm sure there's a woman to blame for all of this.

But it's my own damn fault.

Umi Says Buy This Album Now

You know you like Mos Def. He's kinda indie. He does awesome films. And like that site from earlier this year illuminated, he's a rapper that it's okay for white people to like.

If for some reason or another you don't own Mos Def's solo debut, Black on Both Sides, first, WTF is wrong with you? Seriously. WTF? This album is almost a decade old.

Second, it's today's Amazon Deal of the Day. You can have the whole digitally, instantaneously, DRM-free for $1.99.

Stop playing and go get it now.

Auto-tune

I'm not sure why, but I'm captivated by the Auto-tune/vocoder sound. It makes Lil Wayne, who is arguably already pretty jacked up sounding, sound even more crazy.

The Washington Post has a great article on T-Pain and his use of the tool to give his songs that crazy robot noise.

Great Music Makes a Show

I just finished watching this week's episode of Entourage, and the music as always was top notch.

To close out the show, first they played A Tribe Called Quest's "Check The Rhime" which was probably one of the few first rap songs I learned by heart (that and The Humpty Dance). Then, right on the heels of that song, they closed out the show with Fake Plastic Trees.

Hollywood, if your reading (and you aren't) keep hiring good music supervisors.

A Tribe Called Quest - Check The Rhime

Radiohead - Fake Plastic Trees

Chakachas - Jungle Fever

Diversion

So yeah, this blog is devoted to indie rock, and blah blah blah.

But damnit this is my blog.

And Lil Wayne is kinda indie rock. I mean, he does drop like a billion mixtape eps every year.

And The Roots and ?uestlove are about as indie as you get on mainstream hiphop.

So yeah. Check out this live version of Lil Wayne's 'A Milli' with /uestlove doing the chorus (and playing the drums!!!! WHAT???!!)

Get Now - The Roots ft. Lil Wayne, 'A Milli, Live in Miami 10/8/08'