Fresh Track + Video: Illogic & Blockhead “Matter of Minutes”
Illogic has been one of my favorite MC’s ever since I first heard him on the Aesop Rock song “One Brick” back in 2001. Aesop’s primary producer at the time, Blockhead (who just released the excellent instrumental album Interludes After Midnight), has found himself with a lot more free time recently since Aesop has decided to fully produce his upcoming solo album Skelethon. Thankfully, Blockhead has stayed busy and has been working with several of my favorite MC’s these days, including billy woods, Open Mike Eagle, & MarQ Spekt. Illogic is the first MC that he’s worked with extensively since Aesop though, and their Preparing for Capture EP is set to be released on June 5th. The EP is the first in a line of several releases the duo have lined up for 2012, and if this new song/video is any indication, we have a lot to look forward too from Illogic and Blockhead. Illogic’s primary appeal as a rapper is a combination of his extensive vocabulary and the use of that same vocabulary to convey primal, introspective messages and ideas in abstract ways. “Matter of Minutes” is a perfect example of that style, peep the video and grab the mp3.
Written by John Bugbee
EP Review + Stream: Craft Spells ‘Gallery’
So much for the sophomore slump here. Gallery, the sophomore release from Seattle’s Craft Spells, may just be even better than their first release Idle Labor this past year. While the band stays true to the dream pop sound that fastened hits like “After the Moment” and “Party Talk”, this EP brings that same style to a more polished beat and cohesiveness. On Idle Labor, the guitar at times felt as though it was leading the beat and pushing songs forward. The group has picked up a drum machine that makes all the difference. There’s a freshness, or maybe that the sound feels more alive, that I just can’t seem to shake from thinking about as I spin through the six tracks over and over again. My personal favorite song is the infectiously fun “Leave My Shadow”. Packing some serious 80’s vibes, the song features the best of Idle Labor’s uniqueness with the present sound of the group on this EP.
Stream the album below and if you like what you hear, you can pick it up at your local record store today with a pressing from Captured Tracks.
Connect with Craft Spells via Facebook | Twitter
Written by Greg Dahman
Band to Watch: Roommates
The story is too good to not be shared with the loyal readers of Thought on Tracks. I also think it might be fair to say that the music is even better. A rich, illicit tale of how a mix of substance, shared living space, and musical talent can lead to a blog post. Step inside and meet Roommates.
Ben Cook (Fucked Up, Marvelous Darlings, The Bitters) had been sharing the same apartment with friend Mark Fosco (Marvelous Darlings) for nearly four years when one exchange occurred that brings us all together to today. Fosco was working a deli job when he traded a sandwich (not sure the cut of meat) for an illicit substance from a customer. Being a good friend, Fosco offered the drugs to Cook and the rest is history. Two mind erasing sessions lead to release of 7” Winnifred by Oakland label Slumberland Records.
Roommates did not originally intend to release these experiences or even be considered a band. The duo has played a hand full of shows in a Toronto coffee shop called “One Stop Sandwich & Coffee” and it is tough to say if we will ever hear anything more from this project. A powerful mix of heavy guitar and great pop lyrics has me hoping that there is more to come. If the music slows then it might be time to start interviewing hungry Canadian drug addicts with negotiating skills.
Listen to the front side of Winnifred and enjoy “Back to the Sun / Girlfriend Swamp”. Grab your copy for $4.75.
Written by Brett McGrath
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