Fresh Track: Moon Boots “Got Somebody”
As I entered Lincoln Hall to grab my last few beers during the last aftershow of Pitchfork Music Festival, I heard this song for the first time. The speakers in the venue were blasting a track that sent people were dancing. I could not believe the energy that this track brought to a collection of individuals that were most likely dehydrated, drunk, and sore. We were all mesmerized and this track offered one last mask to wear before stepping into the drastic reality of Monday morning. When I leaned over to fellow Thought on Tracks contributor, Greg to see if he wanted to grab a beer he said, “Just wait a second, I am feeling this one.” I knew that we were both sharing a moment with a strange musician and I was enjoying every last second of it.
Thanks to the brilliant iPhone app, Shazam I was able to identify Moon Boots and store this memory. I have come to learn that Moon Boots is Akiiki Balondemu and he is a disco producer from Uganda. “Got Somebody” is a delightful, disco jam that promotes rejuvenation from the summer sun. Music from a far away land that met me at a strange time…first impressions are everything.
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Written by Brett McGrath
Album Review: The Alchemist ‘Russian Roulette’
Producers like The Alchemist are the main reason that I always check a rap album’s credits. Not only has Al been one of the best producers in hip hop for over 10 years, he has shown that he is capable of making almost any type of beat and always seems to bring the best out of the MC’s that he works with. If a rapper is fortunate enough to get a beat or two from The Alchemist on their album, you can usually assume those tracks will be among the album’s best. The Alchemist has made producer albums filled with random guest appearances before, and while those albums were successful projects, Russian Roulette is something different altogether, a true album that doesn’t feel like a compilation or beat tape.
As far as the beats, you can tell The Alchemist has been influenced by his Gangrene partner Oh No and Oh No’s brother Madlib, from the psychedelic 60’s and 70’s samples and loops to the short, random song structures. He uses the album’s Russian theme to not just incorporate vocal clips from Rocky IV, but even samples clips of Dolph Lundgren talking to Joan Rivers about his role as Ivan Drago. You might consider Russian Roulette The Alchemist’s “art album.” He has reached a status that allows him to pick and choose the rappers that he works with, and he picked some great rappers that have incredibly varied styles. The beats are what really stand out, but all the MC’s seem to fit in perfect with the blunted, aggressive but hazy aesthetic that Al is going for.
Roc Marciano’s appearance on “The Turning Point” is an obvious highlight, a beautifully detailed picture of success over Al’s eerie guitar sample. Danny Brown and ScHoolboy Q make for a great combo on the off-the-wall banger “Flight Confirmation”, which has a crazy NSFW video that you can view above. Action Bronson, Boldy James, and Mr. Muthafuckin’ eXquire all show why they’re some of the best new rappers around as well. EXquire and his Biggie influenced alien adventure on “The Explanation” stands out in particular and is a great ending to Al’s spacey album. The Alchemist’s ability to build custom tracks for his favorite MC’s combined with his flawless execution of a musical theme makes Russian Roulette a great front to back listen, as well as something you can throw on to vibe out to without devoting all of your attention to it. The entire album plays like one long song, a free flowing recording with the perfect balance of sharp verses and trippy instrumentals. Stream the album over at SPIN and purchase via iTunes.
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Written by John Bugbee
Fresh Track: Sleepies “Seriously”
Sleepies are a Brooklyn punk band in the realm of something you’d expect on the soundtrack to SLC Punk. Their newest single “Seriously” is a tale of two halves. The first half begins with some slow power chords and vocalist Thomas Seely announcing his vocals as if they were a speech. The chorus is more what one would expect to hear from the classic garage rock style, with quick moving thunderous drums, guitar and vocals. While I’m not the biggest punk rock fan of all time, I really dig this track for the band’s complete control over their sound. From the slow-it-down and slug-it-out fight to the controlled chaos at the end, it’s a well put together tune deserving your attention this Friday morning. “Seriously” is the debut single off the group’s second LP entitled Weird Wild World due out August 21.
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Written by Greg Dahman
Thought on Tracks 