Rob49 “Product Of The Trenches”
Rob49 was born the same year Lil Wayne released his debut LP. He is the best rapper to come out of New Orleans in a minute. After 40 seconds of Louisiana aggro, his upspeak on the word “weed” is delightful. Three posts in a week. Is that too much? I don’t know what the fuck I’m doing over here. Will I burn out and withdraw from society again? Watch this space…
The Blessed Madonna (feat. Uffie) “Serotonin Moonbeams”
Was not expecting to be posting a The Blessed Madonna song on The Report, let alone one featuring Uffie. But you gotta follow the music. This one makes me feel like I’m hearing “Red Alert” by Basement Jaxx in passing on the Massive Magazine soundsystem at Center Street Daze. It makes me feel like I’m listening to a Muzik Magazine covermount CD. It is beautiful jacking piano-driven pop with an inoffensive Suzanna Vega interpolation and it should be at the top of every mainstream dance playlist. I pay attention to Frog’s Twitter.
Mosquito: The Original Soundtrack (Full Tape)
Got some Egg Punk Intel that the GOAT Mark Winter had a new tape out there in the world. What we are dealing with right here is funky mid-tempo rock and roll done in Winter’s signature style. As always, a lot of inspired production choices. Plus there is an extended jam that almost sounds like Burial? Will someone ever rip off this person the right way? All I hear are European garage rockers making worse versions of that one Coneheads record.
E-40 (feat. Cousin Fik) “In The Air Where It’s Fair”
Doesn’t get much more Bay Verified than a music video featuring E-40 and Mike Dirnt side-by-side. I once went to Mike Dirnt’s diner in Oakland. In my memory, it was named after a Rancid song, but in reality it was named after a Clash song. A lot of waitresses with Bettie Page haircuts. It closed this year. This song is pretty good, too.
Graham Hunt “Speeding Towards a Wall”
The Milwaukee record of the year is Graham Hunt’s If You Knew Would You Believe It? Been seeing more and more people dipping their toes into the breakbeat pop water, and you know what? Good. I love it. Speaking of good, Graham’s old band Midnight Reruns wrote some of the best Midwestern rock and roll songs of the 2010s. I know I post about happy hardcore and shit but that doesn’t mean I don’t understand The Replacements. What if Westerberg made a record with the Dust Brothers? I’m starting to think this blog is too referential. I don’t describe the music enough, like Anthony Fantano. So here goes: this song pairs a headnodding breakbeat with brittle, phased guitars and a shouty, anthemic chorus.
MIX OF THE WEEK: Erol Alkan “BBC Radio 1 Essential Mix (12/4/2005)”
Went to The Dare’s DJ night last week at Home Sweet Home, a place I once “spun” at in 2007. I’m old and stupid. I should probably have a family by now. Instead I’m going out and dancing to songs that I remember from when I was 20 and touring the American Apparel Circuit. Back then, I filled a slot for “Indie Sleaze” promoters who thought Kid Sister’s guarantee was too expensive. I wrote a song about that era in 2019. Ideally, it will finally come out next year. Anyways, the party was fun. It was great to hear all the songs that the Serious Brooklyn Techno People took away from us. The mixing was chaotic and the PA even kind of sucked, which was refreshing. Only thing missing? The fedoras. This Erol Alkan mix scratches a minor itch for more.
Mike Dirnt and E-40 both in the wine game. Napa Valley Raise up. Oooooooooh Weee.