WRUV Reviews

From the promoter:

Real Frequency grew from a humble foundation, becoming one of Toronto’s most loved radio shows, and the first all-hip-hop show on Canada’s first commercial urban radio station, FLOW 93.5FM. The show’s popular New North segment, which launched back in 2008 as a quarterly month long occurrence became a mainstay for featuring new, up-and-coming artists, and while the radio show has since shut down operation, due to its parent company being sold, the idea lives on with The New North album. Features Shad, Kardinal Offishall, Shaun Boothe, Mathematik and more

From Melo:

Very nice!  I’m a huge Shad, Kardinal & Shaun Boothe fan, these cats give their American cousins a run for their money.

FCC: Radio Edit

SUGG: 1,2,3,6,9,12

RIYL: Tricky, Omni, Massive Attack, Blueprint

Melo says:

Tricky fans definitely check

FCC: Clean

Check 1, 2, 5

Producer Smoove along with vocalist John Turrell have put out a great release that is definitely in my top 10 for 2011.  Funky soul heavy with disco and house vibes, there are some real anthems on here and that white boy can sing!

FCC: Clean

SUGG: 1,2,3,5,7,8,11,12,13

RIYL: Sharon Jones, Maxwell, Seal

Solid release from a NJ area DJ/Producer.  Features Craig G, Pacewon, Termanology, Blaq Poet and more.  It does contain one of my favorite tracks released so far this year called Audio Evolution.  Four MCs trace the history of how we listen & play music along with samples from actual news stories.  Vinyl to cassette to cd to mp3 and back to vinyl again.

FCC: Clean

SUGG all good, 5 awesome

Promoter says:

DJ Concept of The Bash Brothers and former host of The Mix Chronicles (Sirius/Hip-Hop Nation) is pleased to present Heavy Smoke, a fume ladened album produced entirely by the multi-talented DJ. The album features a variety of artists exhaling about one of America’s favorite pastimes, such as Kid Daytona, Chaundon, Joe Scudda, Koncept (BBAS), Nutso, L.I.F.E. Long, Gab Gotcha, The Day Laborers and many more. The compilation was originally distributed throughout Amsterdam as a limited edition CD

Melo says:

Very nice, just about every track is a banger, sure to be a party favorite.  ”Hold Up” is a tribute to the classic from Nate Dogg.

FCC 4

SUGG: 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8

Promoter says:

They want you to know:

Illregular Music Collective isn’t a group or label; it’s really just a group of individual artists from various parts of S. California. This particular compilation highlights:

*Four MCs
-Richard Wright
-Mr. Sobers
-Skeem Price
-Belvi

*Three producers:
-Bombay
-J. Bizness
-Captain

Melo says:

Love it!

There’s no question that Minnesota’s No Bird Sing will get attention for their blurring of genres. Elements of hip-hop, spoken word, blues-rock, and post-rock all inhabit common territory on this sophomore showing. Tracks tend to be filled with spacious, ambient instrumentation that provides an unexpected but dense landscape over which “Eric Blair” (a nod to English majors everywhere) delivers insightful, baritone vocals. This feel is unmistakably fresh, and will undoubtedly appeal to fans of rap as well as progressive rock. However, whether attributed to an inherent danger in fusing these genres or simply a lack of songwriting ingenuity, this heavy, slow, sometimes melodramatic tone doesn’t provide enough dynamics to fill the album. While neither the instrumentation nor the vocals alone pointedly falter, the constant melancholy pairing of the two makes the album drag, a shortcoming not helped by redundant and predictable song structures. Nonetheless, hearing a song or two by No Bird Sing will do enough to convince you that these guys are onto something valuable, innovative, and interesting. A little more variation and a little less noodling will hopefully make the group’s third album a truly noteworthy accomplishment.

RIYL – Eyedea, One Day As a Lion, Black Keys, Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy, BlakRoc

Highlights - #1, 2, 5, 6

FCC - #7 couple F-bombs

As implied in the title, Andy Samberg and friends’ new album of parodies aims to mock the group’s own privileged and nerdy lifestyle, complete with sexual frustration, wasting the record label’s money, having recording sessions interrupted by their mothers, etc. To be frank, comedy is pretty tasteless, and doesn’t entirely work without the videos. However, you may (guiltily) find that some of the tracks are catchy, and that they are in fact making you laugh.

FCC questionable and not-OK tracks (most): 1, 2, 3, 8, 9, 12, 14, 17, 18

Guilty chuckles//check out:  6, 15. Also check out 2, 1, and 17, but use caution due to FCC violations.

Debut CD from what The Village Voice calls “Brooklyn noise-punk scene’s very first funk band.” Born at a Brooklyn loft party, it’s hard to label the eclectic style of this 11 member collective; but it’s clearly thoughtful, danceable & funky.

Watch the CSC Funk Band in action here.

Playing on August 3rd 2011 @ The Monkeyhouse!