JB's Listenings Of The Week (6/29-7/6, 2009)

Busta Rhymes - "Show Me What You Got" from "Anarchy"

Just found this track the other night. Busta, though a great MC, is solid but unextraordinary here; the greatnes lies in the beat. Produced by the late great J Dilla, it's remarkable in its restraint; laid back, simple repeating guitar loop, but still with a distinct hip-hop thump. Dilla really does deserve all the props he gets as of late...not only did he leave behind a catalogue of great material like this, his stuff is still being put to new uses, such as the excellent tracks on DOOM's latest disc.




Sam Roberts - "Stripmall Religion" and "Detroit '67" from "Love At The End Of The World"

Picked up this album after hearing the single, "Them Kids", on the radio for a while last summer. Like it more than I expected. Dig the piano on "Detroit '67".










The Everybodyfields - "Don't Turn Around" and "Everything Is Okay" from "Nothing Is Okay"

I've mentioned the Everybodyfields here before (they broke up the next day), but I figure I should post some of their own material. Up until recently, I very much preferred the rootsier approach of their first two albums, but upon another glance, I've grown to appreciate their third and final, "Nothing Is Okay". The folk influence is still clear in the instrumentation and vocals, but the songs themselves take it more as just a base from which they grow into something on a much larger scale. Much of the stuff on this album has a kind of tragic sweep to it, such as on "Eveything Is Okay" here. "Don't Turn Around" has a big sound too; the drums and guitar give it a heavy, dark tone. I've included a track from each of the band's singer-songwriters here; "Everything Is Okay" from Jill Andrews and "Don't Turn Around" from Sam Quinn. It'll be interesting to see how each of their solo work turns out. [NOTE: both videos have a long silence after the song ends for some reason, just ignore it)