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Bateslife — Fri, 16 May 2008 19:27:17 +0000

Just uploaded some tracks by Bates Alum, "Big Baby," to the Music Page. Check out his tracks "Hey" and "Seltzer Water" Here. Both tracks are off his album "The Constant Sound of Bomb".

You can also check out his myspace HERE

Be on the look out for more original music written, produced, and performed by Bates College Students and Alums in the near future.

Indie Rap Stocking Stuffers

Jeremy — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 00:49:16 +0000

Four of the year's best Def Jux releases reviewed!

Definitve Jux has long served as the advance guard in independently produced hip-hop. With a collection of artists that includes El-P, Cage, Aesop Rock and now Del The Funky Homosapien, they have more credibility than almost any other label out there when it comes to the cutting-edge of the genre. Following are four short reviews of some of the best albums Def Jux has released this year that may have flown under your radar:

Rob Sonic
Sabotage Gigante

Rob Sonic may not be as well known as some of the other MCs in the Def Jux stable, but that doesn’t change the fact that “Sabotage Gigante” is one of the hottest records that they have put out all year. Every song on this album is a head-nodder, with sick rhythms and thoughtful, poetic flows working seamlessly together to make each track sound even better than the next. Get to know this guy right now so you can be dick and brag to all your friends how you were the first to rock Rob Sonic in your car when he blows up a year or so from now like you did with Aesop Rock!

Must-Hear Downloads: Brand New Vandals, Mother Of All Bombs, Fat Man and Little Boy

Hanger 18
Sweep The Leg

Now these guys have got something different going on. If you need a break from the overly serious mentality that is so prevalent in indie rap these days, this is your band, and “Sweep The Leg” is your record. Hanger 18 are masters of up-tempo jams that will remind you of the old days when hip-hop used to be a lot of fun instead of a pseudo-elitist outlet for spoken word poets. Not that there is anything wrong with that, but sometimes you just want to have a good time with some clever, bright and positive shit that doesn’t feel the need to remind you how broken our socio-political environment is every thirty seconds.

Must-Hear Downloads: Feet to Feet, Dance With Me (Featuring Slug), Think Big

Junk Science
Gran’dad’s Nerve Tonic

Junk Science may have a shot at the title of best underground hip-hop album of the year with “Gran’dad’s Nerve Tonic”. It’s certainly one of my favorites. These guys take a lot of risks and deviate completely from the formula in every way, constructing an experimental sound that you will not be ale to stop listening to over and over again. Remember way back when the Beastie Boys were making beats that were so far out and unusual but at the same time very addicting and catchy? This album is a lot like that. Even better, a lot of songs on this album have lyrics that tell a story and actually give you an incentive to listen closely. Don’t even hesitate to buy “Gran’dad’s Nerve Tonic”, it’s great from start to finish.

Must-Hear Downloads: Do It Easy, Jerry McGuire, Third-Person Stealth

Mike Ladd
Nostalgialator

Indie rap doesn’t get more obscure than this. Mike Ladd is a Parisian English professor turned spoken word performer turned psychedelic rock musician turned hip-hop MC and producer. His new album, “Nostalgialator” will blow your mind with it’s weird, synth pop beats and crazy flows, which reminded me a bit of Kool Keith, everybody’s favorite weirdo rapper. “Nostalgialator” is challenging, but accessible to fans of any kind of music. Mike Ladd bounces between club bangers from outer space to trippy lounge music on a dime without ever breaking continuity on the record. Check this one out for a taste of the future today, if not something more worldly than most of us are used to.

Must-Hear Downloads: Black Orientalist, Off To Mars, Trouble Shot

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