You might think hearing Thundercat (aka Stephen Bruner) sing about drunkenness, madness, the discriminatory police state, heartbreak, rejection, death and so on, would make you feel blue. But you’re probably wrong. Despite its dark lyrical themes Thundercat’s third album Drunk in its whole sonic journey, somehow turns out to be a hypnotic, feel-good experience. For starters any… Continue reading Thundercat Drunk, Dark And Hypnotically Good
Author: Beaver on the Beats
Bluesfest 2017 – An Awe Inspiring Wealth of Musical Experience
Byron Bay Bluesfest is all about the music. It’s not a festival you go to find a patch of luscious green grass to chill out on and catch up with friends. For starters you’re not likely to find such grass or any other festival spaces to chill out comfortably (unless you pay hundreds extra to… Continue reading Bluesfest 2017 – An Awe Inspiring Wealth of Musical Experience
A Tribe Called Quest – Thank You 4 Your Service
Let’s not focus on what might be wrong with hip hop today. Instead let’s talk about what’s right with it; and how A Tribe Called Quest and their newest (and final 🙁 ) album We Got It From Here… Thank You 4 Your Service exemplifies those things. First and foremost there’s the fact that this… Continue reading A Tribe Called Quest – Thank You 4 Your Service
H Is For Hip Hop And Its Queens
H in the A to Z of fusion goes to Hip Hop music – leaving aside here the other core elements that make up hip hop culture. Hip Hop earns its place because its creation definitely involves the refined art of fusion. From DJs mixing records they spin to studio producers/beat makers sampling, chopping, looping, sequencing, recording… Continue reading H Is For Hip Hop And Its Queens
Ten Albums of 2016 That Made Life Sweeter
Blessed we are for the music albums of 2016 that made this life feel a whole lot sweeter. Thankful are we to the artists who created those albums. Some, like Kendrick Lamar’s untitled unmastered, came quickly after his last and were released unexpectedly. Other albums like De La Soul’s and the Anonymous Nobody, and The Diary Of… Continue reading Ten Albums of 2016 That Made Life Sweeter
Badbadnotgood Live – Immeasurably Above and Beyond
The members of Canadian quartet Badbadnotgood are young- and give me hope for the future of music. Each has stunning instrumental chops. Five studio albums on and they keep creating fresh, innovative music seamlessly and sublimely blending jazz with hip hop and subtle elements of funk, rock, Latin and more. And I’ve just discovered from one… Continue reading Badbadnotgood Live – Immeasurably Above and Beyond
Son Little Live And Intimate In Small City Brisbane
U.S. artist Son Little (aka Aaron Livingston) was the newest addition to my Live Music Bucket List after instantly falling in love with his self-titled debut album released last year. Finding that long-awaited live experience amongst a handful of people at a tiny venue in small-city Brisbane, was a surprising and a blessedly intimate opportunity.… Continue reading Son Little Live And Intimate In Small City Brisbane
Kingfisha – Offering Reggae Up Differently
After years in the making Brisbane band Kingfisha has finally released the second album Offered It Up. On it they deliver the sounds of reggae and dub differently to any Australian act associated with those genres, both past and present. That means none of its songs are formulaic or repetitive. And that Kingfisha aren’t trying to… Continue reading Kingfisha – Offering Reggae Up Differently
The Second by Derrick Hodge – A Gift For The People
It’s a pleasure to hear the fruits of Derrick Hodge‘s musical labours, independent of his long-time recording and performance work with artists like Robert Glasper, Terence Blanchard, Maxwell, Q-Tip, Jill Scott and Common. On his new solo album The Second, released on Blue Note, credit for almost all its sounds goes to Derrick Hodge himself.… Continue reading The Second by Derrick Hodge – A Gift For The People
and the Anonymous Nobody by De La Soul, finally
Put your hands up if you’ve been been waiting over a decade for De La Soul to deliver the new album fans excitedly starting funding last year. Keep them up if your expectations of how and the Anonymous Nobody would sound, have been building up during those years. Well put ’em down. Cause expectations of music and… Continue reading and the Anonymous Nobody by De La Soul, finally