Friends,

It's been a while and I'm full of ramblings. I may have a blog outburst!

Just recently CBC RADIO 3 asked me to be part of their Artist Series. It's a weekly podcast devoted to my current favourite Canadian bands. My show includes Lioness, Nestor Wynrush, American Flamewhip, D-Sisive, Kobo Town, Dragon Fli Empire, Ruby Jean and more.

The show itself is a nice display of the great music Canada has to offer.

You can listen to the Podcast here:

(until the next b l o g)

Odario
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Grand Analog's 'Electric City' is now available on iTunes.

I got the title for Electric City from two sources...

ONE: The most enduring and memorable Dub Toaster (toasting came before rapping in the early 70s in Jamaica) on the mic was U-Roy. His mumbo jumbo over drums and bass were so catchy it's no wonder it turned into a cultural phenomenon. U-Roy used to crash the dancehall, grab the mic and holler little toasts like: "Yeah Yeah Daddy-O, I Tell Yaaa... I'll Shock Ya Like Electric!!!"

He was great. Roots Manuva, for example, is well known for taking some of U-Roy's mic style. U-Roy is probably the most sampled reggae artist to date - other than Sister Nancy's legendary 'Bam Bam' single of course.

TWO: One of my favourite poets, Michael Harper, is the king of short, sweet and heart felt pros. I practically have his ode to John Coltrane memorized. The peice is appropriately titled 'Dear John Dear Coltrane'... in it he reads, "You Plot Into The Electric City, Your Song Now Crystal In The Blues". I dig Michael Harper and his intense love for American Jazz.

speaking of poems... I just recently found the poem that started me on a writing path at a very young age... my grade 4 teacher insisted I get into poetry despite what my trouble making friends thought... so I had to write on the sly... when I found this poem (at age 10), it was the beginning for me:

Word Poem (Perhaps Worth Considering)
as things be / come
let's destroy
then we can destroy
what we be / come
let's build
what we become
when we dream

by Nikki Giovanni

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On a sexy note (for Canadians with CityTV). Two Grand Analog songs will be featured on 'Inside Fashion' this coming weekend. Electric City will be used in the New York Fashion Week segment highlighting the Pink Tartan and Miss Sixty runway shows. The other song used is a new groove called Her Daddy (Don't Like Me).

We're shooting the video for Her Daddy (Don't Like Me) soooon.

Her Daddy (Don't Like Me) will be available on iTunes May 5/ 2009.

(until the next b l o g)
Odario

METROPOLIS IS BURNING
~ Available May 26 / 2009 ~

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Word is the word. What's the word - word up. The longest running word in hip-hop history. Word. Word to the mother. Word to Big Bird. Word is bond.

I make these Top Ten Lists every year for a local rag in Peg city. It's only right I share it with all of you and expect a list of your own in return. For the love of music... and that's my word. Last year LCD Soundsystem, Radiohead, Bad Brains and Jay-Z's "American Gangster" topped my list. In 2006 it was J Dilla's "Donuts" alongside Amy Winehouse and "Game Theory" by The Roots. In 2005 it was an easy decision with Common's "Be" album as well as Damian Marley, Sharon Jones and M.I.A's "Arular" album. And time keeps tickin'. Word Up.

TOP TEN LIST 2008:

01 Q-TIP "THE RENAISSANCE"
This decision may be biased. If it wasn't for Q-Tip I wouldn't be rapping today. So this guy can fart on a record and I'll still put it to the top of my list. He is a survivor, and finally he's back looking good and keeping the Tribe vibe alive. I enjoy this entire album.

02 SANTIGOLD "SANTIGOLD"
Santigold is the eye-opener artist of the year. The word-of-mouth artist of the year. And probably the most exciting. Her flow and vocal delivery is ear catching and diverse. I heard 3 seconds of "Shove It" and immediately wanted to know who that artist was. With the right production, she'll be that good for a long time.

03 MARVIN GAYE "HERE, MY DEAR REMIXED"
I'm not a fan of remix projects that tamper with original genius. But this is clever. It doesn't degrade the music, it enhances it. Kick drums and percussion all in the right places. Keys and synths used properly... and no silly house remixes. The smartest part of this project is taking Marvin's excessive backing vocals and using them upfront. All his vocal tracks are so good it doesn't matter where you place them.

04 TV ON THE RADIO "DEAR SCIENCE"
This is my 'getting better with age' pick. This is TVOTR's third album - but easily their best. I keep coming back to it and experiencing something different. "Shout Me Out" is one of the smartest records of the year.

05 ERYKAH BADU "NEW AMERYKAH, PT1"
Making contact with a favourite artist can really alter the way you continue to support them. I met Badu 2 years ago in Texas... I even kissed her cheek after our chat. I should have never washed my lips. She is so endearing, intriguing and mysterious. I asked her 3 questions. She asked me at least seven or eight. I'm a fan because she's an artist... a pure artist. I know she whipped this album together, and it's still SO good.

06 OCOTE SOUL SOUNDS "THE ALCHEMIST MANIFESTO"
Music lovers - please find this album and buy it. It's smooth and groovy. It's worldly and intricate. It's the kind of album you want to play when you don't know what you want to play. I love it.

07 ONE DAY AS A LION "ONE DAY AS A LION"
I've waited a long time to hear what Zach de la Rocha was going to do after his Rage years. This EP is the one record I had with me on every tour we did this summer and fall. It's simplicity and anger grabbed me. This EP sounds like one long song, but it all makes sense and it's necessary and effective.

08 MOKA ONLY "CARROTS AND EGGS"
Moka is some what of a scientist to me. I'm a man of stamina (it's probably my stubborn nature), but this guy can put out track after track - album after album. And I tend to like all of them. This madman has recently graduated from the school of J Dilla with his production and lyrical approach, but he still managed to make it Moka.

09 GUILTY SIMPSON "ODE TO THE GHETTO"
Speaking of the school of J Dilla (which is very important to me) this album keeps the dirty dirty beats alive. Guilty (with the help of Black Milk's production) is the only emcee that can keep Dilla's vision alive. Thick nasty beats: hear "The Real Me", "Pigs" and "Footwork". I miss J Dilla - but Guilty Simpson will do just fine.

10 KANYE WEST "808s AND HEARTBREAK"
This is turning out to be my guilty pleasure of the year... although it shouldn't be a guilty pleasure at all. My peers are hating on this record hard, but I have a soft spot for Kanye. Maybe I secretly admire his 'I don't give a shit' approach. Either way you can't deny this dude had the worst year of his life by losing his mother and fiance in a matter of months. Anyone that can turn that around and express it artistically gets my vote. "Heartless", "Paranoid" and "Bad News" are great.

Feel free to drop your Top 10 or Top 5 - it's all good

(until the next b l o g)
Odario
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So I was doing my regular browse of the iTunes Store to hear samples of the One Day As A Lion release, it's a great EP by the way - if you were a fan of Rage Against The Machine back in the day this is the music you've been waiting for since their demise; I picked up the CD and tossed it in the collection. I also picked up the re-release of Jorge Ben's first album out of Brazil.

I also check iTunes occasionally for the 'Free Single Of The Week' - this is where they give you a track of their choice for free, no strings attached - just download it and tell them what you think. It's a cool way of discovering a song or two...

but, just like most things in Canada, it's very rock oriented - I mean hard rock, soft rock, pop rock, indie rock, alt rock, emo rock, country rock, electro rock, rock rock and any other pebble or stone they come up with. For as long as I've been a frequent on the iTunes Store I never see Hip Hop as a spotlight single.

Here's the issue:
This week's free download is Canada's beloved Polaris Prize rapper Shad, with an album filler titled "I Don't Like To". It's not a single you'd hear on the radio but it's a good hip hop song with fluent lyrics. This track is for the heads, the purists, the hip hoppers. It brags a mean flow with a golden era type beat. I personally know brother Shad makes a concious effort to break most assumptions of how rap music is perceived today.

I was intrigued by the extreme and wide range response of the general public on having Shad's song posted as the spotlight track for the week. He'd receive 5 Stars just for being a rapper or 1 Star just for being a rapper. There were tons of hate notes toward iTunes for posting a rap song to begin with, as well as praises for finally posting a rap song. Why are musical genres such an extreme subject to Canadians in this day in age? Why hate rap? Why hate rock? I mean there are 'kinds' of rap I can't stomach for long periods of time, and there are 'strands' of rock I would never purchase. But it's safe to say I enjoy all kinds of music; I leave that option open in order to learn something new - especially as an artist.

Is that what this great divide is? People who are not creative or musical can't support more than one genre of music? I know we all have our own opinions on art and music but hating a genre of music seems childish to me ... maybe that's it ... maybe it's people right out of puberty posting these nasty notes. At least it's fair to say they have no idea what they're talking about.

It was an eye opener to see such a drastic reaction from people who feel iTunes shouldn't feature rap music at all as a free download. I am assuming it's the lifestyle behind music that people feel they represent. Maybe most of us still channel the high school mentality - such as the preps don't hang with the jocks and the goth kids don't mix with the hip hop kids, and the hipsters just don't talk to anyone. And the nerds? Well they'll be smoking sexy in 4 years just you wait! UH, high school.

It seems that normal people take their musical preference and use it as a code of honour. I try not to be a normal citizen, too predictable. Therefore I am not a hip hopper. I am not anything. Or maybe it's just the ignorant critters that talk way too much, posting their ignorant comments. People took offensive to a hip hop track that is no where near offensive (giving it a one star rating and calling it horrible) - which means they didn't even listen to it. When I checked out the track, there were near 100 comments made - which is double the amount of comments usually made for generic rock features.

If this is the way hip-hop with a twist of thought gets treated by the general public in Canada (the normal people), I'm doomed. Music is music, this shit ain't high school kids. I love it all.

ON THE PLAYLIST AS I WROTE THIS:
The Roots - Rising Up
Bob Dylan - I Shall Be Released
Lucinda Williams - Lake Charles
The RH Factor - Poetry (featuring Q-Tip and Erykah Badu)
One Day As A Lion - Wild International
Lil Wayne - A Milli
Bilal - Lord Don't Let It

(until the next b l o g)
Odario
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We have a group called THE ANALOG SAYS run by my brother Ofield.
So hit us up! Come join the Circus.

p e a c e

Odario

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