Nick Recommends: Live.Love.A$AP – A$AP Rocky

October 31, 2011 1 Comment

While New York rapper A$AP Rocky isn’t the best lyrically – although he has his moments – his voice in combination with the hypnotic beats he raps over makes for a fairly interesting, unique sound.  He recently received a three million dollar major label deal with RCA, and is steadily gaining hype through internet message boards and blogs (he was even interviewed by Pitchfork and is going on tour with Drake).  His latest release, Live.Love.A$AP, features production from Clams Casino (who most notably produced beats for internet rap star Lil B) and guest appearances from many different members of Rocky’s “A$AP Crew”.

Live.Love.A$AP seems to have similar themes in common with other rappers, including the objectification of women and drug/alcohol intake.  While this isn’t something I participate in or necessarily relate to (and Rocky seems like a good dude from what I’ve read), the way the musical aspects of the mixtape work make it enjoyable to listen to and vibe out to.  “Palace” starts out the tape with a triumphant vocal synth/heavy drum background, and it really sets the tone for the rest of the release.  “Keep It G” is another standout track that features Rocky rapping over a boom-clap beat and a meandering sax line.

One complaint I have about the release is the sound quality of some of the backing tracks.  While the beats itself are all fairly interesting, some of the songs suffer from a bad sound quality – notably “Bass” which seems to get a little too much static during the louder portions.  But since it’s a free release and a mixtape, not really a full-fledged album, it’s definitely excusable.  In fact, most releases like this have the same problem, so it doesn’t take away from the enjoyment.

Overall, Live.Love.A$AP is a decent listen, and it shows a lot of promise.  Listen to or download it here.

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Nick Recommends: .hacker

October 25, 2009 2 Comments

Josh Klinghoffer on tour with the band Warpaint.

Josh Klinghoffer on tour with the band Warpaint.

.hacker is a band consisting of Josh Klinghoffer on vocals, keys, and guitar (who has worked with big names such as the Red Hot Chili Peppers/John Frusciante, PJ Harvey, The Butthole Surfers, and many more).  Yes, they have other band members, but they aren’t listed on the band’s myspace, nor have I read any information about them on the internet.

Their music is fairly hard to describe, but there is, in my opinion, a Radiohead influence on some songs, and I can hear some Sonic Youth in there too.  Klinghoffer’s vocals are very unique and interesting, but they are different – it may be hard for some of you to get into his songs.  But i assure you, they’re quite good.  They haven’t formally released anything, however:  the only audio of their songs available are from two bootlegs.  The songs have no titles yet, except the one on their myspace, “Secret Handshake”, a beautiful song that I’d call atmospheric, almost; it’s calm and serene in a way that not many songs are these days.

I actually got the pleasure of seeing .hacker at the Bootleg Theater in Los Angeles back on April 2nd.  It was a fantastic show, and my friends and I talked to Josh a little before and afterwards, and he was very nice.  He also mentioned the fact that they were recording an album and listening to mixes of a few songs in the car before the show, so hopefully that album is released soon.  They haven’t played any shows since then, sadly, so i haven’t gotten a chance to see them again, but i’d definitely jump at a chance to do so.

Links:

Myspace/Live Bootleg #1/Live Bootleg #2

(Live bootlegs thanks to darshun.  Please do not attempt to sell these bootlegs.  They are for FREE.  Totally.  Isn’t that awesome?  And if you ever see anyone trying to sell them, don’t buy them.)

(Photo taken by Amoeba San Francisco.  For more photos of Josh’s old band, warpaint, go to the Emily Kokal Appreciation Page).

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