January 31, 2026

Def Jef - Just a Poet With Soul (2012 Deluxe Edition)

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*Reissued and remastered in 2012 by Delicious Vinyl. 
This pressing contains a second disc with 16 bonus tracks.
Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Hip-Hop
Label Number: DV 9056
 
© 1989-2012 Delicious Vinyl
 Raised in Harlem and the Bronx, talented rapper Def Jef hung out in the same neighborhoods that gave listeners Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five, Kurtis Blow, and the Treacherous Three, and he was exposed to their music at an early age. When he moved to Los Angeles and signed with Delicious Vinyl in the late '80s, the influence of hip-hop's old school remained. Jef's debut album, Just a Poet with Soul, wasn't as big a seller as the albums Young MC and Tone Loc had recorded for Delicious, but jams like "Droppin' Rhymes on Drums" (which employs Etta James as a background singer), "God Made Me Funky," and "Give It Here" made it clear that his rapping skills were first-rate. Jef is at his most interesting on the excellent sociopolitical offerings "Black to the Future" and "Downtown," both of which suggest that he should consider devoting more time to message songs and less time to boasting lyrics. But even so, Poet with Soul is exhilarating and relentlessly funky. [Delicious Vinyl's 2012 reissue adds a bonus disc of 12" and instrumental mixes.] 
 
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 tags: def jef, just a poet with soul, 2012, 1989, flac,
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KMC - Three Men With The Power of Ten (1991)

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Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Hip-Hop
Label Number: CDL 57122
 
© 1991 Priority Records
There's nothing even remotely subtle about Southern California trio KMC's (whose name stands for Kaotic Minds Corruptin') style of rapping, which is relentlessly forceful, hyper and aggressive. KMC's hard-as-hell tracks are abrasive enough, but what makes the amelodic Three Men with the Power of Ten so exhilarating is the boundless energy in the rapping styles of Poison Ivey, Tee and Rocc. Their merciless verbal assaults exceed even Public Enemy's intensity. The subject matter is, for the most part, fairly conventional hip-hop fare (the rappers' proficiency and other MCs' ineptness on the microphone), although KMC does provide some jolting social commentary on "Living in the Ghetto" and "The Streets Are the Battlefield." Unfortunately, this album didn't receive nearly the attention that so many releases by West Coast rappers enjoyed in the early '90s. 
 
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 tags: kmc, three men with the power of ten, 1991, flac,
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January 30, 2026

Def Jef - Soul Food (1991)

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Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Hip-Hop
Style: Conscious Rap 
Label Number: 314-510 120-2
 
© 1991 Delicious Vinyl
 Def Jef followed up Just a Poet With Soul with the equally likable Soul Food, which regrettably didn't bring the underexposed L.A.-based rapper the commercial success he deserved. The CD's more sociopolitical songs are also its best, including "Get Up 4 the Get Down," "Don't Sleep (Open Your Eyes)" and the reggae-Influenced "Voice of a New Generation." But Jef is also quite enjoyable on more escapist tunes like "Cali's All That" (a duet with Tone Loc), "Fa Sho Shot" (which samples L.T.D.'s 1977 hit "Back In Love Again"), and the single "Here We Go Again." Jef may have been "coolin' in Cali," but Soul Food is a very East Coast-sounding disc illustrating the fact that the MC never forgot his New York upbringing. 
 
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tags: def jef, soul food, 1991, flac,
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Stephen Duffy - The Ups & Downs (2008 Remastered Edition)

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*Reissued and remastered in 2008 by Cherry Pop. 
This pressing contains 17 tracks total.
 
Country: United Kingdom
Genre: Pop
Label Number: CR POP 11
 
© 1985-2008 Cherry Pop
This is a brilliant debut album. Dropping the name Tin Tin (due to the threat of a law suit from the publishers of the Tin Tin comics), Stephen Duffy emerged with this stunning album. It's chock-full of strong pop melodies, love-found-and-lost lyrics, and Duffy's sweet vocals. The album was assembled over a period of time using a variety of co-producers (Stephen Street and Art of Noise's J.J. Jeczalik), but it all comes together, as the subtitle states, as "A Very Beautiful Collection." The hit "Kiss Me" is re-recorded here and actually sounds better than the original single version -- noisier, but more interesting. "Icing on the Cake" and the enchanting "She Makes Me Quiver" are other highlights that demonstrate Duffy's ability to use clever lyrics without sounding smug. Although the album sounds somewhat dated ('80s dance music with the heavy production), it holds together well due to the strong playing and the mixture of conventional instruments (e.g., piano and vocals) with keyboards/synths. It works. Duffy has studied '60s pop and quite simply updated the sound, but he knew enough to include his own style and sounds. Overall, a very strong album that comes highly recommended.
 
 tags: stephen duffy, the ups and downs, 1985, 2008, flac,
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The Wake - Masked (1993) ☠

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*First pressing. 
Contains 10 tracks total.
Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Gothic Rock
Label Number: CLEO 9187-2
 
 
☠: Selected by Lass
© 1993 Cleopatra
Content: The deep voice of Troy on the pumping bass in “Harlot” comes out very well, while the second more uptempo track “Nazarene” has the typical ’90s goth guitar-sound. Unfortunately “Locomotive Age” sounds less interesting and convincing. “Sideshow” needs no explanation, it’s a dancefloor-classic in the goth-scene, if you don’t know that one, shame on you! “Masked” is a downtempo song that reminded me very much, vocally, on Andrew Eldritch of The Sisters Of Mercy. The sublime guitars make “Silent Siren” a very nice goth song, one of the best of this album. Although the guitars on “Audrey” sound very nice, the way of singing sounds a bit monotone. Watchtower” is driven on percussion and guitars that reminded me a bit on “Floorshow” of The Sisters Of Mercy, but it’s well done! The very danceable “Sheet Metal Eyes” is also a nice track, including high-voice screams of Troy. The tenth and last song “Submerge” reminded me (again) a bit on The Sisters Of Mercy (“Afterhours”). Disc 2, the special bonus disc, contains unreleased mixes, demos and versions released for the first time ever! I especially enjoyed the demo versions of “Masked”, “Nazarene” and “Watchtower”!

+ + + : Well, hopefully some songs of this album will be played to the new generation “goths” who might re-discover the old school sound again.
Also nice to know that because of this re-release (also on purper color vinyl and high-quality digital format) the ridiculous high prices of the original release on some websites can now be skipped.

– – – : The atmosphere on all tracks is almost everywhere the same and might bring some monotony after a while.

Conclusion: The Wake is for sure one of the most underrated goth-rock bands from the ’90s. This is obliged stuff for fans of old-school gothic rock bands such as Play Dead, Rosetta Stone, Nosferatu, The Merry Thoughts and The Sisters Of Mercy.
 
 tags: the wake, masked, 1993, flac,

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January 27, 2026

Dementia - Recuperate From Reality (1991)

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*First pressing. 
Contains 9 tracks total.
Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Thrash Metal
Label Number: PRO 024
 
© 1991 Tombstone Records
*No professional reviews are available for this release.
 
tags: dementia, recuperate from reality, 1991, flac,
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Invocator - Excursion Demise (1991)

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*First pressing. 
Contains 10 tracks total.
Country: Denmark
Language: English 
Genre: Thrash Metal
Style: Technical Thrash Metal 
Label Number: BMCD 12
 
© 1991 Black Mark Production
*No professional reviews are available for this release.
 
 tags: invocator, excursion demise, 1991, flac,
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Invocator - Weave The Apocalypse (1993)

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*First pressing. 
Contains 10 tracks total.
Country: Denmark
Language: English 
Genre: Groove Metal
Label Number: BMCD 34
 
© 1993 Black Mark Production
*No professional reviews are available for this release. 
 
tags: invocator, weave the apocalypse, 1993, flac,
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Invocator - Dying To Live (1995)

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Country: Denmark
Language: English 
Genre: Groove Metal
Label Number: PCD-20
 
© 1995 Progress Records
*No professional reviews are available for this release. 
 
tags: invocator, dying to live, 1995, flac,
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Mnemonic - Mnemonic Radio (2008)

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Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Hip-Hop
Label Number: None
 
© 2008 Top Nation Records
*No professional reviews are available for this release.  
 
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 tags: mnemonic, mnemonic radio, 2008, flac,
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January 16, 2026

NehruvianDOOM - NehruvianDOOM (Sound of The Son) (2014)

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Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Hip-Hop
Label Number: LEX099CD
 
© 2014 Lex Records
For NehruvianDOOM, impressed mentor (MF Doom) meets talented newcomer with a jones for the old boom-bap (Bishop Nehru) and a project is born, although maybe not fully launched. Sound of the Son is too short to consider fleshed-out as it runs eight tracks without the trippy intro, and oddly enough, when young wordsmith Nehru gets in reflective story mode ("So Alone," "Coming for You"), producer Doom cuts the power before these tracks cross the three-minute mark. Still, his productions are more beautifully broken than previously, and with the aptly titled "Great Things," he's reached a new pop plateau with one of his most sunshine-bright beats to date. The chemistry is way above a mash-up, and this May/December posse is certainly an interesting mix; just don't expect a Madvillain-sized sense of purpose from this short and sweet blast.  
 
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tags: nehruvian doom, sound of the son, 2014, flac,
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Various Artists - Chrome Children (2006)

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Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Hip-Hop
Label Number: STH 2150
 
© 2006 Stones Throw Records
Despite the fact that the album is released in association with [adult swim], the Cartoon Network program that helped to bring the world the Danger Doom Mouse and the Mask album in 2005, there are no rapping cartoons on Chrome Children. The record, in fact, is much more a celebration of Stones Throw's ten years as a label than any sort of collaboration with animated characters. Label founder Peanut Butter Wolf shows off much of his roster with (mainly) unreleased tracks, including J Dilla's stellar and melancholic "Nothing Like This." Besides the late artist, who performs on and/or produces a handful of other songs, label superstar Madlib is also a major player on the record, appearing no less than six times, most excitingly as a solo rapper on "Take It Back," but also in some of his various other incarnations (as Quasimoto, a producer, and Young Jazz Rebels, who seem to be the percussive cousins of Yesterdays New Quintet), including as a part of Madvillain, who contribute a fantastic new song, "Monkey Suite," which has a tight yet spacy beat and some great lines from "DOOM all capitals, no trick spelling." Lib's brother, Oh No, shows up on "Oh Zone," which pays tribute to his musical family and influences, and Percee P, the underappreciated MC who's set to release his solo debut with Stones Throw, delivers fantastic, quick rhymes on "Raw Heat." But besides the hip-hop, which is excellent, and showcases the best of each artist, Chrome Children also has examples of the label's interest in other music. The lounge-funk of Gary Wilson emerges in "Dream(s)" (which had actually already been released on 2003's Forgotten Lovers, but not yet on Stones Throw), Georgia Anne Muldrow does her experimental soul wanderings on "Simply a Joy," Dudley Perkins adds his great, raspy Armageddon vocals over a Ray Charles-esque synth vamp on "Wassup World," and Ohio's Pure Essence's "Third Rock," taken from the Soul Cal imprint, is nothing but smooth, warm funk. Stones Throw has always claimed to be leading the way in innovative hip-hop, and Chrome Children proves that they're definitely telling the truth. Here's to ten more years. [The DVD included with the album contains interviews with both Madlib and Peanut Butter Wolf, as well as the [adult swim]-sponsored Stones Throw concert at the SXSW festival.]
 
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tags: various artists, chrome children, 2006, flac,
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Kno - Death Is Silent (2010)

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Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Hip-Hop
Label Number: VNU1003/APOS003
 
© 2010 A Piece of Strange Music
*No professional reviews are available for this release.
 
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tags: kno, death is silent, 2010, flac,
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MarQ Spekt & Kno - MacheteVision (Deluxe Edition) (2011)

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*This pressing contains 20 tracks total. 
Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Hip-Hop
Label Number: None
 
© 2011 QN5 Music
*No professional reviews are available for this release. 
 
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tags: marq spekt and kno, machete vision, deluxe edition, 2011, flac,
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January 12, 2026

Joell Ortiz - The Brick: Bodega Chronicles (2007)

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Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Hip-Hop
Label Number: KRBN5529
 
© 2007 Lush Life/Koch Records
 On his eagerly anticipated 2007 debut, THE BRICK, Brooklyn-based hip-hop artist Joell Ortiz unleashes a torrent of potent rhymes, revealing exactly why he was long touted as the one of the finest unsigned rappers on the planet. With its strikingly spare sonic backdrops and tough-love NYC attitude, the record allows Ortiz's hard-hitting flow to stand out over all else, as best evinced on the fierce "125 Grams Pt. 1."
 
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 tags: joell ortiz, the brick bodega chronicles, 2007, flac,
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Lyrics Born - Later That Day... (2003)

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Country: Japan/U.S.A.
Language: English 
Genre: Hip-Hop
Label Number: QP 027-2
 
© 2003 Quannum Projects
 Though Later That Day... is his first solo album, Lyrics Born had been a hip-hop wunderkind for over a decade by the time of the album's release. Granted the first single on SoleSides (the flip side of which launched DJ Shadow's career), LB earned much respect during the late '90s, fronting Latyrx and contributing a few tracks to the underground rap showcase Quannum Spectrum. Later That Day..., programmed and produced virtually alone over the course of several years, features the same dark, bluesy jams that made his tracks on Spectrum a delightful alternative to the hip-hop on display. This record doesn't possess any hooks to match classics like Latyrx's "Lady Don't Tek No" or his Quannum groove "I Changed My Mind," but his programming smarts are still in effect, and the heavy clap of a Latyrx track crops up several times. A parade of West Coast friends drop by for collaborations -- including Gift of Gab, Cut Chemist, Joyo Velarde (also his domestic partner), and former Latyrx partner Lateef the Truth Speaker -- though LB is the star of the show. Often an amazing vocalist, his style of rapping (closer to Mark Murphy than Posdnuos) is a growling sing-speak that flirts with virtually every known vocal trick -- cadence, inflection, hesitation, running scales, and so on. Mostly he pulls it off, though several tracks (including "Rise and Shine") feature him delivering speed raps with a few extra feet to his lines.
 
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 tags: lyrics born, later that day, 2003, flac,
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Lyrics Born - As U Were (2010)

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Country: Japan/U.S.A.
Language: English 
Genre: Hip-Hop
Label Number: DCN104
 
© 2010 Decon
Though Later That Day... is his first solo album, Lyrics Born had been a hip-hop wunderkind for over a decade by the time of the album's release. Granted the first single on SoleSides (the flip side of which launched DJ Shadow's career), LB earned much respect during the late '90s, fronting Latyrx and contributing a few tracks to the underground rap showcase Quannum Spectrum. Later That Day..., programmed and produced virtually alone over the course of several years, features the same dark, bluesy jams that made his tracks on Spectrum a delightful alternative to the hip-hop on display. This record doesn't possess any hooks to match classics like Latyrx's "Lady Don't Tek No" or his Quannum groove "I Changed My Mind," but his programming smarts are still in effect, and the heavy clap of a Latyrx track crops up several times. A parade of West Coast friends drop by for collaborations -- including Gift of Gab, Cut Chemist, Joyo Velarde (also his domestic partner), and former Latyrx partner Lateef the Truth Speaker -- though LB is the star of the show. Often an amazing vocalist, his style of rapping (closer to Mark Murphy than Posdnuos) is a growling sing-speak that flirts with virtually every known vocal trick -- cadence, inflection, hesitation, running scales, and so on. Mostly he pulls it off, though several tracks (including "Rise and Shine") feature him delivering speed raps with a few extra feet to his lines.
 
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tags: lyrics born, as u were, 2010, flac,
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Artillery - When Death Comes (2009)

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Country: Denmark
Language: English 
Genre: Thrash Metal
Label Number: MASS CD 1281 DG
 
© 2009 Metal Mind Productions
Underrated Danish thrashers Artillery have made an impressive comeback on this disc, their first studio release since 1999's B.A.C.K. They've obviously got lots of support from their label, Metal Mind -- the band's entire prior discography was collected in a 2007 box set, Through the Years, which also included tons of bonus tracks. On this disc, the band's core -- the guitar-playing Stytzer brothers, Michael and Morten -- remain, but longtime vocalist Flemming Rönsdorf has been replaced by Søren Nico Adamsen, a change that had some of the band's longtime fans worried. Fortunately, he's a terrific addition to the group, a mid-range singer (neither a growler nor a Rob Halford-esque shrieker) who may remind some of former Anthrax vocalist Joey Belladonna, especially when the group's thrash riffing becomes particularly '80s-esque. Which it does quite a bit. Artillery is not a band that's changed with the times -- they're still doing exactly what they did at the beginning of their career. "Delusions of Grandeur" offers some variation from the band's head-down, high-speed riffing style, but even the acoustic guitar melody that dominates this song is fast and intricate. "Not a Nightmare" starts off slow and doomy, but it's a bait-and-switch, as the pummeling begins soon enough. "Damned Religion" is another slow one, sounding almost like Heaven & Hell as Adamsen attempts Ronnie James Dio-esque bombast, with mixed results. One of the best things about When Death Comes, though, is the powerful production and mixing; every instrument is clear and thunderous, especially Peter Thorslund's bass. This is a quality disc recommended to any metalhead, not just thrash diehards.
 
 tags: artillery, when death comes, 2009, flac,
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Artillery - My Blood (Limited Edition) (2011)

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*This pressing contains 13 tracks total.
Country: Denmark
Language: English 
Genre: Thrash Metal
Label Number: MASS CD 1441 DG
 
© 2011 Metal Mind Productions
The second album by the reunited Danish thrash band Artillery (they went on hiatus in 2000, then returned with 2009's surprisingly strong When Death Comes) is another powerhouse demonstration of musical stick-to-itiveness and the power of maturity over youthful fervor. These guys are all veterans, particularly the guitar-playing Stützer brothers, always the core of the band. New vocalist Søren Adamsen isn't a death metal growler, he's a full-throated roarer in the vein of classic '80s thrash frontmen like Anthrax's Joey Belladonna, and on a few songs here (particularly the album-opening "Mi Sangre [The Blood Song]," which incorporates a Turkish-derived acoustic guitar melody to great effect), he sounds like latter-day Rob Halford -- he doesn't do the screams, but has a similar vocal timbre. The music is powerful and anthemic, with plenty of twists and turns that hold listeners' attention without being all about "look what we can do"; everything here serves the song, and there are a few memorable choruses scattered about. It's impressive as hell that these guys are capable of cranking it out with this much energy and undiminished technical skill, well into their middle years. Recommended to fans of classic thrash. 
 
tags: artillery, my blood, limited edition, 2011, flac,
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January 08, 2026

Flobots - Fight With Tools (2005)

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Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Hip-Hop
Style: Alternative Hip-Hop 
Label Number: B011258-02
 
© 2007 Universal Republic Records
When listening to the Flobots debut album, Fight with Tools, there's a feeling that all the destruction and injustice this politically motivated alt rap crew speak of has been seen through CNN YouTube. There's a certain grit missing, a certain soul that comes from living the nightmare and surviving, and whether they've been through it or not, the Flobots just don't display it. Fight with Tools also feels like a college class project partly because it's so clean, but also because it's incredibly busy with ambition and new ideas overflowing as everything and the kitchen sink get thrown into the record. This youthful ambition and willingness to explore is also what makes the record special. The Denver crew enter by spitting out a Gil Scott-Heron by way of Def Poetry Jam bit of prose on the opening "There's a War Going on for Your Mind," offering surreal lines like "It's raining pornography/Lovers take shelter" over melancholy chamber music. That's the Flobots' real hook; they rap with a live band, and not the guitar, bass, drums beat combo you've seen before. It's all of the above and some strings, horns, and other things left over from the orchestra and marching band. This isn't as Kids from Fame as it sounds, since the Flobots do have a believablly stern pose, and if they aren't experienced, they are brilliantly educated and aware. Good points are made with skill and fine wordplay, the guitars and drums crunch along driving home the message with head-bobbing grooves, and then album opens up with the marvelous "Handlebars," a carefully crafted, slowly building tale of the ego run wild via some beautiful muted trumpet. It's a very Fort Minor moment, and sweet relief from all the pain and in-your-face politics, suggesting the Flobots could benefit from a little more restraint. Here, they've got so much to stay it's hardly worth considering. If the talented young bucks want to shout down the world as if they own the place, why curb their inspiring appetite for justice by asking for discipline and composure? 
 
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 tags: flobots, fight with tools, 2005, flac,
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Z‐Trip - Shifting Gears (2005)

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Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Hip-Hop, Electro
Label Number: 2061-62503-2
 
© 2005 Hollywood/Hard Left Records
 Live, DJ Z-Trip infringes copyrights like nobody's business. He's won over turntable heads and jam band fans with his genre-jumping mash-ups, and his most influential moments have come in the form of MP3s that are traded well below the RIAA's radar. So how does a swashbuckling bootlegger of a DJ release an album on a major label? By declaring himself a "producer" and brewing up new tracks. But Z-Trip has a secret up his sleeve -- he's a great producer and able to celebrate the music he usually bites by capturing the spirit rather than just copying it. Shifting Gears is a reminiscing album that is in love with a time when breakdancers and b-boys ruled and living without your Adidas was just impossible. There's plenty of breakbeats, vocoders, and "to the beat y'all"s, but there's also a bunch of up-to-date rapping from the alternative rappers and a wealth of furious scratching that is more concerned with tearing it up than nostalgia. Z-Trip is a monster behind the decks, so much so that it's easy to ignore Shifting Gears' rock-solid base. Firm infectious beats fill the album, supporting both the DJ's own scratch-fests and complementing the style of every rapper who stops by. A phat, quirky beat supports Murs' uplifting and innocent ode to Saturday morning cartoons and sugary cereals, while Lyrics Born gets some tasty bongo loops and Gap Band-style synth to anchor down his party chant. Giving Chuck D a Rick Rubin-y crunch behind him seems like a cop-out, but it's still a serviceable track. On the other hand, Z-Trip's team-up with Linkin Park frontman Chester Bennington falls flat with forced angst from the vocalist and surprisingly drab, faux-noir backing from the Z man. Of course, one monkey don't stop no show, and the rest of Shifting Gears is more than you'd expect from a turntablist full-length and a great argument for Z-Trip as producer.
 
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tags: z trip, shifting gears, 2005, flac,
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Fort Minor - The Rising Tied (2005)

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Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Hip-Hop
Label Number: 9362-49388-2
 
© 2005 Machine Shop/Warner Bros. Records
Breaking off into his own hip-hop universe, Linkin Park's rapper and in-house producer Mike Shinoda presents Fort Minor, a loose side project with a steady stream of guests, yet a surprisingly personal project too that sometimes puts the listeners right in Shinoda's shoes. On The Rising Tied, Fort Minor can strike the baller pose a little too hard and sometimes the club-minded tracks shout loud while saying nothing. Softening the blow of these standard rock-dude-doing-rap clichés is the production, with constructions that are like House of Pain meets the Crystal Method and a whole synthetic orchestra in tow. As executive producer, Jay-Z calls it during the album's intro, it's a "big sound," and as he focuses on "richness of the sound" he knows this is "something serious." Serious is something Shinoda excels at and The Rising Tied slays when it goes epic. "Right Now" connects the hood, to the 'burbs, to Iraq effortlessly while rapidly introducing a series of lonely people that are all as stuck as Eleanor Rigby. "Where'd You Go" tugs at the heart even harder while suggesting it doesn't matter if it's war or constant business trips are keeping loved ones away from home, it just plain hurts. There's also the bleak and bitter "Kenji" which focuses on the Japanese-American internees during World War II with believable venom. Empty headed numbers like "In Stereo" ("Oh-oh/Ready for it here we go/We got the block rocking in stereo") are the kind of tracks you wouldn't want to be caught dead representing as street hip-hop when in the hood, but if it's filler when compared to the soul-searching highlights, it's damn catchy filler with lyrics innocuous enough for everyday suburban partying. On the other hand, the following "Back Home" finds Shinoda holding his own next to hip-hop hero Common and a little while later "High Road" nails the "all you haters stop playin'" track perfectly and nearly at Twista speed. Even if the album is more TRL than 106 & Park, it's only an easy target for cynical folks who haven't really listened to it. The Rising Tied is brilliant in parts, "Dre Day" here and there, but mostly unique and just as "big" as Jay-Z says it is. 
 
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tags: fort minor, the rising tied, 2005, flac,
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