New: Bassnectar ft. Rye Rye - "Now"

Slamming track from Bassnectar's upcoming record #NVSB, featuring vocals from Rye Rye.

Remix: M.I.A. ft. Missy Elliott & Rye Rye - "Bad Girls (Switch Remix)"

At Soundcloud you can listen to this Switch remix of the M.I.A. track featuring verses from Missy Elliott and Rye Rye.

Video: Rye Rye - "Dance"

Rye Rye getting her dance on.

Album Review - Rye Rye: Go! Pop! Bang! (Deluxe Version)

Rye Rye
Go! Pop! Bang! (Deluxe Version)
Rating: Yeah Daddy Make Me Want It

4-5 years in this Internet music age is an eternity, especially when it comes to pop music. At only 16, Baltimore rapper/singer/dancer Rye Rye burst on the scene in 2006 with the club hit "Shake It To The Ground." Made with producer Blaqstarr, the track showcased Rye Rye's sassy, whipsmart flow, and ignited talk that she was the next big thing in hip-hop/R&B. The track came to the attention of M.I.A. and Diplo who loved the track and wanted to work with her. Following a tour with M.I.A., she hit the studio with M.I.A. and host of other top notch producers, including Bangladesh, Steve Angello , RedOne, and The Neptunes, with a release date set for March 2009, which ended up being delayed due to Rye Rye's pregnancy. Following more and more delays, including the apparent dissolution of M.I.A.'s N.E.E.T. imprint, it seemed that Rye Rye's debut album would never see the light of day. In addition, the rapid ascension of Azealia Banks basically took over any notice of Rye Rye, and she seemed to be another one of those artists that would get swept under the rug. With little fanfare, promotion, or really anything for that matter, Go! Pop! Bang!, long delayed, slipped into stores. The album retains Rye Rye's sass and sheer joy at performing, and is as infectious an album as you will hear all year, but, aside from that, the album has some issues, namely that her record label has no idea what to do with her. Had they kept their hands out of everything, and let her do what she does best, it might have been a classic album, but no, they had to make the same mistake that Nicki Minaj's record label did, which is try to put a square peg in a round hole. I've never understood why female rappers have to be pushed to sing more or have more pop-leaning tracks. You never see male rappers pushed into the same direction. This lack of confidence in female rappers audiences merely hems the artists' creativity and makes them seem less original and distinctive.

Go! Pop! Bang! comes in two versions, and this is basically a recommendation to buy the Deluxe Version, which comes with 6 extra tracks including her breakout track "Shake It To The Ground." I realize this track is several years old, but it has never had an official releases and is the prime example of how brilliant she is. Showing a remarkable flow and wit, announcing she is all fun: "I'm not a gangsta girl/but a ghetto superstar."



And it is when she is given a pounding backing track and allowed to rhyme unfettered is when she shines the best. Lead track "Drop" features a slamming bass line and furious programming from Bangladesh, and is an all out call to get out on the dance floor: "Drop the 808s/so you know I'm gonna freak."



The party continues with "Holla Holla," another fun, booming track.



"Hotter," another Bangladesh-produced track, ups the ante again, focusing on another minimal backing track, deep bass line and simple synth line, allowing Rye Rye to do her thing.



Borrowing a sample from Madonna's "4 Minutes," "Dance" has another lightning fast flow from Rye Rye with the dizzy drum programming attempting to keep up with her.



Typically inventive programming highlights the Neptunes-produced "Shake Twist Drop (Featuring Tyga)."



But too often, instead of just letting Rye Rye run with it, you can sense the label heads forcing the record in another direction. First signs are apparent on "DNA (Featuring Porcelain Black)" which sounds like a Rihanna B-side, trying to tie Rye Rye's flow to a tired house track.



Most egregious is a pointless track with Akon, "Crazy Bitch," which basically grinds the record to a halt. Over a simple drum beat and strummed guitars, the track never takes off, basically focusing more on Akon and shoving Rye Rye into bit player territory.



"Boom Boom" is just another generic electro-house track that really anyone could have recorded.



Even the tracks with M.I.A., which aren't bad per se, smack of lack of confidence in Rye Rye's abilities, choosing to pair her with a more noted name to spark interest. "Sunshine" is a fairly low-key number, which at least has the common sense to let Rye Rye do her thing over the verses;



while "Better Than You" is a better, true collaboration, having M.I.A. and Rye Rye trade rhymes over a stunningly weird Ethel Merman sample from Annie Get Your Gun:



Despite the tendency of the album to seem cobbled together by record label committee, Go! Pop! Bang! is a deliriously fun record that easily overcomes these limitations. As I mentioned, just be sure to purchase the Deluxe Version which collects several pre-album tracks that are essential listening: "Shake It To The Ground," "Hardcore Girls," and "Bang (Featuring M.I.A.)." Hopefully, this record will not be overshadowed by other releases, including the upcoming juggernaut that is Azealia Banks, and will reach a wide audience. Also, hopefully there will not be any more delays in getting new material out. Go! Pop! Bang! is a great summer record that begs to be listened to at full blast with all the windows down.

Rating Scale:

Chilfos: masterpiece; coolest thing I've heard in ages.

Woof Daddy: excellent; just a hair away from being a masterpiece.

Grrrr: very good; will definitely be considered for my top releases of the year.

Yeah Daddy Make Me Want It: good; definitely invites further listens and piques one's interest for more material.

Meh: not horrible, but certainly not great; could have either been polished, trimmed, or re-thought.

Jeez Lady: what the hell happened? Just plain bad. They should hang their heads in shame and be forced to listen to Lady Gaga ad nauseam as penance.

Tragicistani: so bad, armed villagers with pitchforks and torches should run the artist out of the country for inflicting this abomination on the human race.

Jam of the Day: Rye Rye - "Drop"

Slamming track from Rye Rye's much delayed debut album Go! Pop! Bang!

Videos of the Week

Another roundup of videos that made my week:



Fun, video game inspired video from Rye Rye.



Trippy video from Paul Weller.



Cute, animated video from Modeselektor.



New video from Madonna, which recalls a lot of her earlier videos.



Languid black and white video from Lana Del Rey.



NSFW video from Spiritualized.



Tanlines have slowly grown on me. Here is a video from their really solid debut album Mixed Emotions.

Video: Rye Rye - "Boom Boom"

Colorful video game inspired clip for the sassy Baltimore babe Rye Rye.

New Rye Rye Single- "Boom Boom"

Sassy Baltimore rapper/singer Rye Rye releases a new song from her much-pushed-back debut Go! Pop! Bang!.

Videos of the Week

Finally my three weeks of working hell are over, and I can actually look forward to having a nice, relaxing weekend. Here are the videos this week that glittered and shined.



Two of my favorite ladies, Robyn and Rye Rye, team up for this redo of the Robyn song.



Very bizarre clip for the new White Lies single, "Holy Ghost."



Must have been the week for weird videos. Although I am not a huge fan of the new album, this track from Bon Iver is pretty fantastic.



I guess this would be considered the Lady Gaga of Iceland.



Fantastic song off the new album from Friendly Fires.



Great track off the free release from Frank Ocean.

Videos of the Week/Coachella Edition

As I was away on vacation and pretty much Coachella preoccupied, I didn't really post many videos this week. Here, in its place, are some Youtube clips of some performances from Coachella that I enjoyed.



Two Door Cinema Club was THE sleeper band of the festival. Watch this video and you will understand what an amazing experience it was seeing them live. The crowd was completely nuts for them.



!!! put on a phenomenal show; a nonstop groove made the entire audience dance their asses off.



Broken Social Scene got the pre-twilight set time on the main stage. I was able to grab a seat on the grass and relax and listen to their amazing set.



One of the best sets of the festival, HEALTH tore through their set like a bunch of kamikazes.



I was thrilled when Duran Duran played my favorite song of theirs, "The Chauffeur."



Fun set from Rye Rye.



A little too gothy to be playing a mid-day set, nevertheless, Cold Cave put on an amazing show.



By far one of my favorite sets, Foals locked into a tight groove early on and never let up. Here is one of my favorite songs from their last album.



Robyn never fails to give 100%. Her Coachella performance was stellar.



Interpol put on a rather lackluster set, however, their collaboration with David Lynch was a definite highlight of the festival.



Suede knocked it out of the park during their performance. Brett Anderson showed everyone what a real frontman is like.



YACHT was a big surprise at the festival. So much fun and the female singer was a brilliant frontwoman.



Wire performing their classic song "Kidney Bingos."



The Drums put on an excellent show even though the singer is a bit batshit crazy.



I was frustrated at the Cut Copy show due to the crowd of assholes that showed up for it. The band should have played a bigger stage. I left after a few songs because I couldn't see or hear anything. I did hear this awesome song before I left though.

Coachella 2011 Day Two

Day Two of Coachella was predicted to be the hottest. Temperatures on Friday hovered around the mid-90s but Saturday was supposed to be close to 100. Thankfully, it never felt as hot as it was, and it actually turned out to be a nice day. We went in early with one of our housemates to see Baltimore rapper/singer/dancer Rye Rye.

We got a spot in the Sahara Tent and caught the end of DJ Heavygrinder's set. She looks like an Asian Jennifer Lopez. I felt bad for her because the majority of the Sahara denizens were back home still sleeping off their drugs and booze. She played a nice mix of house and dubstep, and was a nice way to ease into the day.

Rye Rye played a very short thirty minute set, but she was thrilled to be there and really had a blast performing. She is so cute, you just want to pinch her. One of the highlights of Coachella, even though it was by far the shortest set of the festival.

We took a break afterwards and hit the beer garden and sat in some shaded bleachers and watched the crowds stream by.

Foals were another band high on my list of must sees, and they certainly did not disappoint me at all. Until Sunday, they were my favorite set (more on that tomorrow). Intense, dark, and brooding, they locked into an early groove and never lost focus or intensity. Playing most of their new album and some select tracks from their first, it was a good mix of songs.

Unfortunately, the Gobi Tent is the worst place to take pics during the day; there isn't a backdrop and the sun creates too many issues to get a good shot of anyone. I raced over to catch Sweden's The Radio Dept. after the Foals set. I love them on record, but live, there was nothing additional that added to the experience. They only had a keyboardist and two guitarists which created a lovely sound, but didn't change up the sound of the records. I waited until I heard the one song I wanted to hear, "The Worst Taste In Music," then left. Which put me on time to see the set from Two Door Cinema Club.

Two Door Cinema Club is what Coachella is all about: finding that one buzz band and seeing them bang out a killer set. They don't do anything special, it is proto-typical Britpop, but very catchy and infectious. The crowd, tightly packed as it was, was surprisingly great. Everyone knew all the lyrics and got into the set, dancing and having a blast. Sets like this really erase any bad experiences you had previously. Thanks to my housemate Dan Nero for letting me borrow some awesome pictures from their set.

I took a nice afternoon breather and went out to the Main Stage to see Toronto collective Broken Social Scene. I've always had a soft for them and it was a great way to move into the evening bands. They played a broad range of songs from their albums and worked a nice groove. The sun had just started descending and the breeze had picked up, cooling off the hot and dusty polo grounds. Everyone seemed to be put into a great mood.

Well, except for this gate-crasher. I was over by the merch tent looking at some t-shirts and ended up taking some photos of the gorgeous sunset, and behind me I heard a gaggle of girls (yes, they all travel in annoying gaggles at Coachella) screaming "Get him! Get him! Take him down!" I turned around and saw this guy getting tackled by security. There is always some amusing drama at Coachella.

Said gorgeous sunset.

After getting some food I was waiting around for my next band and ended up sitting in the grass and listening to Elbow. I love their first album, but increasingly they have been trying to be "important" and I kind of lost interest in them. The new album has some of their strongest songwriting to date, but the songs are still a little too snoozy for me. That aside, Guy Garvey has a beautiful voice and knows how to work a crowd. It was nice listening to them and watching the moon rise.

After Elbow, I was going waiting on post-punk legends Wire. It turned out there was an almost bar band playing before them in the Gobi Tent. I felt bad for them seeing as there were only about 50 people seeing them, but of course, I saw this as my opportunity to grab a prime space on the rail in front. Wire blistered through a tight set of oldies and new songs. There was only a modest crowd for them, so I felt honored to be able to see them in such an amazing setting.

Final act I saw on Saturday was the reunited London Suede. For some bizarre reason, I was able to make it up to the rail for this show as well. It used to be, the closer you were the more douchebags you had to deal with; this festival, the closer up the better experience you had. Aside from the two zaftig gals next to me trying to out-indie rock one another, the fans up at the rail were a lot of fun, knowing all the lyrics and singing their hearts out. Suede was phenomenal as I knew they would be. Brett Anderson is the consummate showman, kicking out all the stops and mesmerizing the crowd with every hip shake and arm movement. Storming through their catalog, they touched on all the major hits and put on a wonderful show. Sometimes you know when to leave on a high note, and that is how I left Saturday.

Videos of the Week

Another long and drawn out week. Here are the latest videos that have made turning one year older more bearable:



Really interesting video for the new Erykah Badu single directed by Flying Lotus.





UK buzz band Yuck actually lives up to all of the hype. While their sound is very reminiscent of late 80s early 90s alternative rock from Dinosaur Jr., Sonic Youth, Pixies, Pavement, etc, the band throws enough of their own swagger into the mix to keep it from being mere pastiche.



Ok, I will admit that Miley Cyrus' "Party In The USA" was a pretty big guilty pleasure of mine. Having Rye Rye use it in her new mixtape is pure genius.



I just love her. She is cute, adorable, can rap, and dances with a lot of energy. She is a definite must see at Coachella this year.



The new single from The Strokes is finally out. It's a decent single, but I was expecting more from them.





Gayngs is a 23 member supergroup featuring Ryan Olson, Justin Vernon and Mike Noyce of Bon Iver, Zak Coulter and Adam Hurlburt of Solid Gold, Jake Luck of Leisure Birds, Ivan Rosebud of The Rosebuds, Brad Cook and Joe Westerlund of Megafaun, and Mike Lewis of Andrew Bird and Happy Apple. They mine their sound from lite rock from the late 70s early 80s, and it is groovy and slick, but with a good tongue in cheek sense of humor.



Alex Clare is a new artist I have been digging lately. He has a very deep, soulful voice and thankfully teams up with cutting edge producers that really showcase his vocals with interesting sounds. This video is slightly NSFW.



Toro Y Moi move in a completely different direction from their last chillwave inspired release, opting to release a more funky, disco inspired album. I am really digging this squelchy track.



I am really loving this all female quartet. They have a really nice Interpol meets Lush sound. A lot of their songs start off slow, but once all their guitars kick into the mix, they can really lock into an amazing groove.



Another amazing track from Alex Clare, produced by Diplo and Switch. It takes a heavy metal meets reggaeton approach that blasts out of your speakers. In a perfect world, this track would be huge.



I got to see Baths (aka Will Wiesenfeld) in concert this week, and was lucky enough to meet him before and after his set. As you know, I have been touting him all last year, and "Lovely Bloodflow" was one of my top tracks of last year.



Nosaj Thing is another electronic artist in the Flying Lotus stable. I've really been enjoying his music lately and am looking forward to hopefully catching his set at Coachella.



Cut Copy is one of definite must-sees at Coachella. The new album is phenomenal, and this is one of the best tracks off their previous one.



Cold Cave is on my to see list as well. Their new single is very heavy, much heavier than their previous songs. I have no idea what to expect now that they appear to be leaning towards an industrial sound. Should be interesting.



Slammin track from Ciara. One of my favorite tracks of the year so far.

Non-Sequiturs

Yesterday was my 41st birthday; not exactly a monumental number. I still don't really think of myself of being in my 40s. Aside from some creaks and pops in my joints, I am in pretty good shape thankfully. Didn't do anything major for my birthday, but Kurt did cook me a wonderful steak dinner and bought a sinfully good Hershey chocolate pie. I about threw up from eating so much.

Has been a nice birthday week. Got to see one of my favorite electronic acts, Baths, at the Masquerade on Monday.

Aside from some horrible sound problems that were the venue's problem not his, he put on a really fun show. He has some amazing energy and is a really sweetheart. Got to meet him briefly while his opening band Braids played. Braids played a short set, but it was nice enough. I am not a huge fan of their debut album, but I actually enjoyed them more live.

I could understand why Michael Jackson did odd things; having that much money and worldwide fame, being able to get almost anything you wanted, I'm sure it was easy to slip into a mindset that you were somewhat above it all. But Lindsey Lohan? She is at best a B grade actress; how on earth does she keep doing all these common-senseless things? Like showing up to a court date dressed like this:

What a complete and utter idiot. Please go away and leave us all alone.

Lyrics Rattling Around My Brain

"Night and day
I dream of making love to you now, baby
Love making on screen
Impossible dream
And I have seen the sun rise over the river
The freeway reminded of
This mess we're in"

PJ Harvey with Thom Yorke
"This Mess We're In"

"Throw your fucking sets up
Know how we start, come catch up
Ain't nobody fucking with this I bet yah
And my age you should name on the check up
Bang, while you wait, it all goes down
Swipe through the city, that I call my town
And if you fucking up, damn right you a clown
Ain't bangin high, don't make no sound
Episodes of the violence bang
Shots go hard, make your brain cells ring
Floating with the stars in the city of the caine"

Rye Rye
"Bang"

"She come in alone
A firestorm
Waitin' on a spark
Leaving me alone she feels it after dark
Keep it down boys
The fire inside
Figure it out sort it out
Your foot in the mouth"

Gayngs
"The Gaudy Side of Town"

Appealing Things

Rye Rye's mixtape
Snow in Atlanta that doesn't slick or ice up the roads
Meeting Will Wiesenfeld of Baths
A wonderful birthday meal made by Kurt
Hershey chocolate pie
Baths' Pop Songs/False B-Sides for only $5
J-Lo on American Idol; I'm sorry but she looks fantastic

Annoying Things

The fact that it was freezing at The Masquerade Monday night; brrrrrr
Druggie stoner kids who bring those stupid day-glow balls to concerts and twirl them around making a nuisance of themselves
Fabio being kicked off Top Chef Allstars

Videos of the Week

Another Friday is thankfully upon us. Here are the latest videos that are massaging my brain:



Video for the No Age single "Fever Dreaming," which was one of my top singles of last year. What appears to be a static shot at first grows more and more sinister, until the final shot which is quite shocking.



As most of you can tell, my friends and I are getting excited about our upcoming trip to the Coachella Music Festival. The majority of videos I am putting up for the next few weeks will be from bands playing the festival. Sort of my way of getting pumped up for it. Australian duo Presets, is one of the bands I am looking forward to seeing. This is an amazing song from them, with a surprisingly emotionally compelling video.



Love this song. As Kurt says, it's got the wubz.



Gorgeous reworking of this song from their last album, replacing Alice Adams' ghostly vocals with The Cure's Robert Smith, which gives the song added pathos.



Smooth track from dubstep supergroup Magnetic Man, featuring Benga, Skream, and Artwork.



Gorgeous song from Menomena. I just love the lyrics for this song.



I can't wait to see Rye Rye at Coachella. She looks like her show will be a lot of fun. This is a kick-ass track.



Really fun song and video from these dance-punk heroes.



Another recent find that is also playing Coachella. Based on this video and this song, it looks like it will be a fun set.