I heard this at the top of the latest All Songs Considered podcast and knew I had to instantly track it down and reblog it. It is one of the most fun and unique tracks I’ve heard in a long time - a completely bonkers and yet utterly charming hip-hop song inspired by showtunes from a bygone era, telling the story of a man, perhaps the Mitch behind the -matic, trying relentlessly and unsuccessfully to court a girl. It’s hilarious, funky and fresh. Go buy it on his Bandcamp.
Dan Le Sac ft Scroobius Pip - Angles
DJ Dan Le Sac and MC Scroobius Pip’s debut album throws together hip hop, dance and rock samples in a surprisingly cohesive album and Scroobius Pip is desperate to tell the world how he feels about everything from relationships to the desperate state of the music industry. The Beat That My Heart Skipped includes a fantastic spoken word intro while Angles and Letter From God To Man showcase the breadth of genres they are willing to cover. The standout track though is the comical electro-beat lecture Thou Shalt Always Kill. Dan Le Sac, just a band.
This guest review came to you from the desk of Mr Phil Jones.
Dan Le Sac ft Scroobius Pip - The Logic of Chance
The Thames Estuary duo return with another blast of fast paced beats following up the excellent Angles. The production is notably slicker than the first album and it really gives Pip the clarity to make his points which have become notably more political but manages to keep optimistic. Stake A Claim is an anthemic rabble rouser while Great Britain bemoans British knife crime. As on Angles, the duo really impress when portraying multiple characters in Five Minutes on the split emotions of the end of a relationship tinged with domestic violence. Some tracks seem to fill it out slightly but the highlights will help expand the live set which really adds extra dimension to the tracks.
This guest review came to you from the desk of Mr Phil Jones.
M.I.A - /\/\ /\ Y /\
The Long Awaited Return™ of M.I.A appears to actually be a pretty weak return. Everything about it says difficult second album. Only, her difficult second album was the massively successful Kala and this is the follow-up to that. From the somewhat pretentious album title (spelling MAYA, look closer) to the overt internet references on the cover art and lyrically (particularly on clichéd opener, THE MESSAGE), this is not a record that exposes the creative genius shown in her previous work. In fact, it gets lost under all the heavy electronic effects and as a result falls quite flat. The only moment that I really enjoyed was MEDS AND FEDS, which samples her label proteges Sleigh Bells. Disappointing.
Gorillaz - Plastic Beach
In the first Gorillaz record in 5 years, Damon Albarn begins to blend more of the African Beat and hip-hop influences into their otherwise laid-back sound. On most tracks, it doesn’t really work for me although the Mark E Smith track is pretty good (it’s just like watching the Fall).
