(Perfect Albums) The Evaporators - Ripple Rock

This album is a happy-go-lucky romp through Nardwuar the Human Serviettes skittish mind. The Evaporators rifle through 18 tracks in true punk fashion, with the average track time being just over one minute. 

The simplicity of Ripple Rock is what makes it so special, each song fits verse-chorus-verse-chorus structure, there's nothing to look into lyrically, and all song concepts are extremely day-to-day. 


However, they inhabit simplicity with such energy, ability and astonishing character. Truly, no other album I have heard is filled with such wall to wall fun.

Ripple Rock is proof that good music isn't always about tapping into the deepest thoughts and feelings, it can be as simple as saying 'I Feel Like a Fat Frustrated Fuck' or 'I Quit School' to a catchy and memorable tune.

Favourite Song: 'I Feel Like a Fat Frustrated Fuck'

The Time I Faced DOOM

Opportunities to see the super-villain rapper, MF DOOM (Daniel Dumile) are very few and far between, the dude is underground, and he likes to keep it that way. 

Though it has been announced he will don his mask and climb out of hiding to play a show on Flying Lotus' bill at Brixton Academy on May 1st. I have bought a ticket and look forward to the post-show "boy, that was worth starving for".

The show is headlined by experimental, electro producer Flying Lotus, who is joined by DOOM, Shabazz Palaces, Lapalux and KUTMAH. 

I have listened to and am aware of some of Flylo's projects and have heard good things about his live act, so will make it my goal to familiarise with more of his work before the show. I'm also a big fan of Shabazz Palaces, so it'll be nice to see them live for the first time. The other two I have never heard of and will have to size them up soon. The main pull though, is the appearance of my favourite rapper, the unrivalled DOOM.


I saw DOOM for the first time at Reading Festival in 2013, surprisingly, or unsurprisingly he played his set on the smallest stage at the festival; in the alternative tent. It was the smallest crowd I had seen the whole weekend, which made me doubt that DOOM would actually appear; being renowned for either sending an imposter in his place, or just not showing up at all.

It seemed everyone had this same thought, it had long gone past the time he was expected on stage and everyone began murmuring about how they knew he wouldn't turn up. 

These bucket hat detectives were eventually silenced however, as the background music switched off and DOOM's hype-man appeared, urging everyone to coax DOOM out. The chant "We want DOOM!" was the best everyone could do to entice the metal fist terrorist, and it worked. 

Over the PA, his deep, raspy voice met with us - "DOOM wants you!". It was happening! If this was an imposter then the guy deserves an emmy. 

Hearing his iconic voice on a record is one thing, but seeing him bring songs like 'Accordion' and 'Hoe Cakes' to life made for an action-packed 40 minutes or so, with DOOM rifling through his biggest hitters. 

I can't remember much of the show, I think I was too struck by how surreal the moment was. I had my eyes fixed on DOOM and his every move instead of paying any real attention to anything else going on.

All he had on the stage was a laptop and a hype-man; in typical DOOM style he did what he had to do and got out, seemingly without a trace. 

He didn't seem phased by the low attendance, and gave great energy to every one of his songs for those who had made the effort. 

You always have to treat a DOOM sighting as if it's the last, so I am thoroughly looking forward to May 1st, and will hopefully be less of a fan-girl this time around so I can take in every detail of the set. If he turns up that is.

Shameless Plug: /r/strong10

Some friends and I have started a sub-reddit (www.reddit.com/r/strong10) that will be a place for discussing music of the 10/10 variety, where people can come and add their views on acclaimed classics, underground gems, perfect new releases, or really any album that they believe should be awarded 10/10 status.

We want as much debate as possible so any and all additions are welcome, come and fight for a favorite album/ artist that doesn't get the credit it deserves. Even better, go pick out an album that we have shortlisted as "perfect" and bring it down from its pedestal. 

Its very early days and the page is quite bare at the moment but the more support and interest we get, the more it can grow.

SUBSCRIBE!  

 

(Perfect Albums) Classic Review: Johnny Cash - Live: At Folsom Prison

Outlaw country's rugged captain, Johnny Cash released his infamous live album 'At Folsom Prison' in May 1968 on Columbia Records - it is effectively a greatest hits from his past 26 albums that makes up a dream set list, exclusively for the convicts of Folsom Prison.

Along with his future wife and collaborator June Carter and band The Tennessee Three, Johnny plays through 19 songs, of which 5 were originally written by Cash, with the rest being covers and songs written for him.   

It was Johnny's idea to play a show inside prison walls after writing his song 'Folsom Prison Blues' in 1955 - the track that aptly kicks off the album.

The idea was delayed however, as those in charge of Johnny's material at Columbia Records didn't see fit to put a drug addled Cash in front of a rowdy convict audience. 

With a cleaning up of his act in 1968 and a desire to reach commercial success, the Man In Black was taken to play a show to hundreds of inmates inside the dining hall of California's Folsom Prison.

This one off event included two shows in one day on January 13th, 1968. The live tape recording immediately achieved commercial success in the U.S - reaching the number one spot in the country music chart, and getting as high as 15th in the national album standings. 

This was an unprecedented turn-around for Cash, having previously been shunned by just about everyone in the music industry for his unpredictability, drug abuse, and inability to keep up with the evolving industry; as new, fresh acts placed Johnny's gospel themed, country-blues into the past.

So what makes this thing a PERFECT album?  

For me, it is a perfect storm of all the mitigating circumstances and speculation that surrounded Cash at the time that raises the profile of this record into legendary status. He had to prove his relevance in the cut-throat music industry, and he pulled through with a killer live performance brimming with emotion, wit and ripe technical ability. 

Cash didn't bend over backwards to incorporate himself into the evolving scene, instead he took advantage of his branding as a rock and roll outlaw by reaching out to his fellow societal outcasts and allowing them to witness his revival. 

Johnny sets out to please and let the inmates know he is on their side with every song on this calculated set-list, right from his token introduction "Hello, I'm Johnny Cash" he has the audience howling with praise and laughter through tracks like 'Cocaine Blues' that incorporate comedy to the act, with lyrical punchlines of dark proportions such as Johnny's brag: "I shot a man in Reno, just to watch him die".

The inmates adds to the comedy with shouts and cheers as the prisoners relate to the tales of criminality. 

It's the tightrope that Cash walks between comedy and sincerity that showcases his charm and his audience awareness on this record. As well as hanging onto every word of Johnny's lone voice in ballads of death penalties and life sentences: 'Send A Picture of Mother' and my personal favourite 'Give My Love To Rose', the crowd stamps their feet along to '25 Minutes To Go', a rib-tickling countdown to a man's hanging.  

Johnny dresses his songs with sounds and storytelling that transport his audience away from the prison walls, be it with laughter ('Flushed From the Bathroom of Your Heart'), or with makeshift sounds of train tracks and whistles ('Orange Blossom Special') as well as pastoral songs of freedom ('Green, Green Grass of Home').

This album would come with me onto my desert island without a doubt, I wouldn't place it in a top 10 list, but at the same time I wouldn't like to live without it. Whilst it exhibits fantastic song-writing and that is usually the key to a successful record, it takes a back seat as Johnny Cash sets the bar for what live music is all about.
    





  

Going Cold Turkey: Vegetarianism (Part III - My Children)

It's a long way off at the moment, barring a life shattering accident, but if/ when I have children, is it right that I would bring them up vegetarian? 

Since turning, it dawned on me I will probably have the responsibility of feeding tiny humans of my own one day who can't fend for themselves, so it would make sense that I try to pass on the veg baton, right? 

My choice to not eat meat would stand for even less in the grand scheme of things if I can't at least influence my offspring to make the same choice, so while I'm in charge of their morals in the early years, I would definitely make our collective living a meat free zone. 

This may seem oppressive on my part, but isn't all parenting? and of course they will be allowed to make their own mind up when the time comes, and sneak off to confirm the fables they've heard about beef burgers should they so desire. However, hopefully by then I'll have conditioned them so that they throw up or feel a sharp pain in their spine anytime they see meat.

I wouldn't make it so black and white and poison their minds with "look, you either kill innocent animals for no reason, or you don't", but I would pass on what I have learnt and what it means to me, because I trust that what I know, and what I will come to know is of worth to them.

Whilst this may want them to rebel and eat meat as if it were the forbidden fruit, I'll have done my bit. Though it's probably incredibly naive and ignorant of me to say as a non-parent, but ideally I think I would be happy for my future progeny to ignore my lessons on life if they come to not truly believe them. Even though they are just kids and, what do they know!?   

I can see the poor things now, sitting at school with chickpea sandwiches; everyone else is finishing off their mum's leftovers of last nights roast and sneering at how weird it is to never have eaten a chicken wing. 

But fuck those kids, my children of the future! Use shock and awe, threaten to put their cat on a spit and chew at its deep-fried legs, how would they feel about it then!?

I quite like these invented children of mine, I've grown so close to them over this post, they've got guts. Maybe i'll try to speed up their existence and set up a test tube experiment in my room.

What a Bunch of Snow!

Channel 4 news presenter Jon Snow recently took part in an experiment to test the effects of the marijuana strain 'skunk' as part of the channel's upcoming 'Drugs Live: Cannabis on Trial' event that airs on Tuesday 3rd March.

Here it is: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hyn0fDFqG3I

I use the term 'experiment' very loosely, as there is nothing at all groundbreaking or worthwhile about this test. Why measure the effects of a highly potent, hybrid strain of marijuana that mixes both physiological and psychological high's, on someone with little to no experience and an overall reluctance?? - The dude will be overwhelmed, especially the amount he is given, chances are he's gonna have a bad time, and that's exactly what they want to show.

In front of a camera crew no less, and then put inside an MRI scanner, a tight, claustrophobic space, where they look into your brain. That's wild enough without the D.R.U.G.S.

If they're so intent on it being Snow to whom they bestow the honour, make it a fair fight, give the guy a joint, a box of cereal and Netflix, and leave the science out of it.

Why this examination is cropping up is beyond me, the research is already out there for anyone who needs to know what different types of weed can/might/wont do, so what is this video bringing to the table? Maybe in the grand scheme of the event in March it will make sense... but it just seems like same old, same old.

Nothing has changed, it just seems to be the recycled message, in case parents forget: DRUGS R BAYD. That's the only demographic for this I would think, the parents. Channel 4 want them to see the dark room, the lab coats, hear the eerie music and think "Boy, if Jon Snow has reported the news in a war-zone and cant cope with these weeds, my child has no chance, thanks Channel 4!"

I'm not saying all parents will fall for this, but they are the targets; no one wants their child's soul robbed like poor old Jon Snow's, so they'll want to protect them of course, not from literal soul robbing, although this is apparently a good angle to use, but from the stigmatized effects attached to cannabis. With the parents sold, kids can then be grabbed nice and early and fed the idea that nothing but bad things will come of taking drugs.


This is simply a cautionary tale that will be grown out of, like I grew out of thinking that without good behaviour, father Christmas wouldn't sort me out with a new gaming console every year. I even used to consider that a dude with a big white beard stood in the sky and held a lightning bolt to smite me if I misbehaved, and we all know what hokum that is, right!?

Its no secret that weed has side effects, and in some cases they are bad, but too much of any substance will harm you, so its up to the individual to find out how far they want to push their bodies if they choose to partake, and accept the repercussions. Hand me a food I've never tried before because I'd heard stories about it being fermented in a container with piss, and if I were to try it, i'd probably take a nibble, not a chunk. Then maybe I'll think "hmm this is ok, maybe next time I'll eat a whole bowl". Or most likely, I'd say "this tastes like piss, no thanks". 

This is in no way a "drugs are cool, go take them" message, I don't believe drugs should be taken, nor do I believe that they shouldn't, but people should at least be given the space to make their own mind up about whether they agree with drugs or not, without this fear-mongering entering the equation. It would be heavily short-sighted for anyone to take this evidence alone, and it is our responsibility to ignore this kind of thing and do our own research for the sake of our intelligence.

So I guess just be safe out there and pray for Jon Snow, if anyone finds the skunk that took his soul, please get in contact with him. #PrayForSnow

 

Joey Bada$$ - B4.DA.$$ (Album Review)

I'm a little late to the party on this one but here's a review of Joey Bada$$' debut album 'B4.DA.$$'.

From the United States' (B)east coast, Brooklyn rapper Jo-Vaughn Virginie Scott (Joey Bada$$) drops his first full-length, commercial release from record label 'Cinematic Music Group'.

On his 20th birthday (20/1/15), Joey released possibly the most eagerly awaited hip-hop record of the year, B4.DA.$$. The hype surrounding Joey has snowballed ever since his '1999' mix tape that I for one was a huge fan of, thanks to Joey's refreshingly old school flow and dogged word play. These techniques were recycled, explored and evolved by Joey on his second solo mix tape 'Summer Knights' and also within projects from his hip-hop collective 'Pro Era' (The Progressive Era).

With a heap of features under his belt and excessive touring, it was clear Joey was in the rap game to stay.

B4.DA.$$ to me is a creative extraction of all that Joey has experienced/ hopes to experience since his exposure from '1999' and the scope that Joey now finds himself looking through due to this exposure. Though the album lacks some of the '1999' charm and at times Joey's extensive and experimental flow sacrifices the clarity of his word play, what he does do is cement the hype that he created into a cohesive and concise project that showcases his mental and technical development.

                                             8/10  

There isn't a beat on this album that lags behind, despite the variety of style, from Statik Selektah's boom-bap to Chuck Strangers drum and bass endeavours on track 'Escape 120', each producer holds their own and supplies Joey with challenging and thick instrumentation for him to work around.

I found the lack of influence from his Pro Era counterparts a surprise, as although I firmly believe Joey is leaps and bounds ahead of others in the collective in terms of rap ability, I had assumed they would appear more on the album in order for Joey to use this platform to exhibit the group as a whole. However, I am grateful for this not being the case and for Joey's overall eye for detail surrounding the features that made it onto the album, especially Raury's guest verse on 'Escape 120' which is my favourite feature on the record.

Though on the whole, there are very few features from anyone on the album and Joey works alone on ten out of the fifteen tracks. After all, it is HIS album and it seems he has a lot to say. Talking mostly of how his life has changed over recent years in terms of wealth, travelling the world and how the passing of two of his close friends threw a spanner in the works during the rise of Badass. Joey's song concepts seem closer to home on this record as he now raps about his personal experiences of violence and the passing of life with first hand experience.

Joey takes a refreshing stance on how money effects a young rapper as the hook "money ain't a thing if I got it" rings throughout track 'Paper Trails'. Presumably this is Joey's way of reassuring his fans he won't sell out and "sign to no major" as he understands that while this money is life changing for him and his mother who he hopes to support, it is part of a bigger picture. Joey doesn't use his new found affluence to speak for him in this way, and instead allows his talent to speak for itself on hype tracks like 'Big Dusty', 'Christ Conscious' and 'No.99' that tell us Joey will remain hungry for as long as there's progress to be made, in these, his most hard hitting tracks yet.

It's Joeys ability to move from these brag-filled, pun-slinging dimensions into subtle, ballad type tracks like 'OCB' and heritage exploring 'Curry Chicken' and 'Belly of The Beast' that cause B4.DA.$$ to be a captivating listen and one that I have grown to thoroughly enjoy after several listens. I feel like a proud father having watched Joey grow and surpass his promise with success and critical acclaim, despite a personal worry of whether or not he could continue to live up to his own prestige.

FAVE TRACKS: Big Dusty, Christ Conscious, Escape 120, Black Beetles, OCB.

LEAST FAVE: No.99 (only for its cringeworthy video and similarly cheesy 'BADMON' hook).