tribute

Jay Stay Paid

admin — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 01:00:00 +0000

Throughout his short career renowned hip hop producer, DJ, and rapper J Dilla (a.k.a. James Dewitt Yancey) maintained a vault of unreleased tracks. Three years after passing away from Lupus-related complications, a sampling of his unfinished work has been compiled into a full-length album, a project helmed by his mother (known as "Ma Dukes") and acclaimed producer Pete Rock. The twenty-eight tracks are plucked from different periods in history, spanning from the start of the decade when Dilla collaborated with powerhouse producer Madlib, to tracks written near the end of his career from his hospital bed.

Jay Stay Paid features a variety of beats, most of them clocking in at under two minutes. Influences are diverse; tracks like "I Told Y'all" and "CaDILLAc" are reminiscent of Wu Tang Clan's gritty street stylings, and "Blood Sport" is dance hall friendly. "Mythsyzer," which borrows a voice-over from Busta Rhymes, and "KJay" are experimental tracks that call to mind Dilla's previously-released, ethereal hit "Nothing Like This." "Reality Check" is an insightful social commentary that features the vocals of Black Thought. It's one of the only tracks on the album that feels complete, and it is indicative of Dilla's sharp and informed style.

Intermixed throughout are DJ voice-overs and radio show dialogue—the album very much feels like a mix tape. While the individual tracks on this album are very, very good, Jay Stay Paid is not an album for the masses. Rather, it is a sort of anthropological study—the legacy of an artist gone too soon. That is not to say that Jay Stay Paid is lacking. The album is very much a J Dilla compilation—every track is fueled with the energy, urgency, and relevancy that propelled Dilla to fame in the first place.

A respectable memorial, Jay Stay Paid pays tribute to Dilla's range of talent and provides a glimpse into what future works of art he could have accomplished had he only been given the chance.

Written by: Cheryl Santa Maria, November 1st 2009

Just One More: A Musical Tribute to Larry Brown

admin — Mon, 25 Jun 2007 00:15:00 +0000

By Various Artists

Bloodshot Records

Wow, this musical tribute to Larry Brown keeps your feet tapping and your mind working. These songs, by artists Brown admired, put you in the passenger seat of his little truck as you drive through the small and friendly neighborhood in the South. Spending much of his life as a firefighter, Larry Brown wrote and finally struck gold in 1988 with a collection of stories called Facing the Music. As his writing continued, he became well-known as a Southern writer of literature. His love for music equaled his passion for writing. After Brown suffered a fatal heart attack, producer and pal Tim Lee contacted artists to create this musical tribute to a man considered a friend to most.

Listening to the album, you feel the flowing and engaging wondrous moments of songs that hit the sweet spot – that is what it's all about. With 12 previously unreleased tracks, Just One More contains quality tracks by Brown’s friends including Greg Brown, Caroline Herring, North Mississippi Allstars and Robert Earl Keen. The American Roots strand interweaves the genres of blues, folk and salt of the earth lyrics — seeming much like Brown's characters, who were honest and pained, but eternally real. As a serious music fan, Brown worked with several artists at some point to live out his musical dreams. The final track called "Don't Let the Door" presents both Brown and another southern novelist, Clyde Edgarton combining musical talents.

The underlying feeling of the music offers solace and, after it ended, I listened again. Heartfelt and warm, lyrically pleasing and honest, Larry Brown feels like he could be my buddy too. At the end of the disc, I wanted more music, a beer, a cigarette and a seat on a patio where I could watch people and smile at them.

Written by: Carolyn Espe, June 24th 2007

Women at Work

admin — Wed, 02 May 2007 00:01:00 +0000

By Various Artists

MVD Entertainment Group

Women at Work did not, thank God, spin me back to 1982, the year in which I had to stop wearing my favorite wide-necked cotton t-shirt with the rainbow of teal, red and forest green behind a cartoon unicorn in repose because a certain biology class substitute teacher complimented me on it repeatedly in front of everyone and made me feel ‘ooky.’ And I was 12! Gross!

Although an acoustic flavor pervades this tribute to those vegemite eaters of the early eighties, it’s okay to remember a band that was mostly about having fun, particularly if one considers the continuing pink-collar ghettoization and pay disparities of _actual _women at work. And these are the afflictions of the privileged in developed nations, never mind global working conditions and human trafficking, all things that would make any reasonable individual chunder.

Sigh. Get this CD if you want to remember a perhaps pleasantly nostalgia-inducing act through the vocal stylings of some lovely, Australian nightingales. You could listen to it as you soak in a tub with a little eucalyptus oil after a tough day, yes, at work.

Written by: Erika Mikkalo, May 1st 2007