Aloe Blacc - Good things (Stones throw, 28-09-2010) www.aloeblacc.com
The neo-old face of soul, Blacc is criminally overlooked in his homeland. While mediocre acts and artists govern the American charts, presenting pale, withered and regurgitated versions of the soul and/or funk, Blacc should be the poster boy for what those genres really have to offer. By going back to the heyday of soul, Blacc offers an alternative for the educated listener, appealing to both lower limbs as to the cranium. Soul for Blacc is far more than just a genre; it is an overarching concept, a state of mind and heart. With smooth and deep vocals riding some of the best tunes written by any soul artists since the 70's, Blacc delivers a triumphant salute to a rich cultural tradition. Perhaps Blacc is the Janus of soul: gazing back into the glorious past while at the same time glaring fiercely at the present and future state of the genre. Politically charged texts and social awareness are a welcomed added value to the blissful music Blacc offers, generating a once-in-a-lifetime achievement, on par with the best and most revered soul artists. The injustice suffered by Blacc in the US is highlighted by the collaboration between The roots and John Legend: Wake up supposedly treads the same waters as Good things, yet The roots and JL offered only a covers album (and a plain one at that) of classic 70's soul gems, Blacc had crafted a fresh, updated and contemporary homage to the very same source. In a just world, Blacc would have been the recipient of the accolades now bestowed on The roots and Legend, yet if this had been a just world, Blacc would have nothing to write about….
B. Dolan - Fallen house, sunken city (Strange famous, 02-03-2010) www.myspace.com/bdolansfr
Bernard Dolan has come a long way in the 8 years that had passed since his debut. A ferocious slam-po, Dolan need not hone his rapid-fire political and angst-charged texts. However, it has taken several releases for him to improve upon his music. Enter Alias, and et voila, the production skills required to zero-in Dolan produced the eagerly anticipated musical background needed to yield some alternative hip-hop gems, most notable of which is the killer track Fifty ways to bleed your customer. Alias hands Dolan the beats that allow him to shine and, hopefully, get the recognition he deserves. If this duo continues to improve, then they will become an underground powerhouse (and maybe Tom Morello will hook up with them: Dolan's material just begs the addition of some power chords).
Melodica deathship - Doom your cities doom your towns (Self released, 10-07-2010)
If you were to look for some quality underground hip hop, chances are that the last place you would look for is Ireland. Well, guess again. Not only is it underground, it is fuckin' experimental shit. If it hadn't been for Power struggle's 2005 masterpiece Arson at the petting factory, I would go as far as saying that MD just invented a new genre. Nonetheless, coming in second in that race (and to Power struggle) is the best compliment one can get. For the sake of this review let's call what MD do doom hip-hop: it's gloomy, atmosphere-driven, slowed-down hip hop that incorporates ambient and doom metal sensibilities. Using a melodica (!!) only makes it better. Hip-hop as a cultural phenomenon is dead. It has been hi-jacked long ago by cynical consumerism. Hip-hop as a musical genre is dead. The need to satisfy the crossover to shitty pop and global chart domination dictated so. The tombstone was laid this year by Kanye West and the epitaph reads whatever shit Lil' Wayne, Drake, or Skanky Minaj had to say. BUT, that is true only for mainstream American hip-hop. Fortunately, life does not end behind the desks of the suits genetically engineering this mind-numbing drivel. In nooks and crannies, all over the world, others are making the effort of keeping hip-hop really real, be it by pushing the musical envelope or by maintaining the real street-cred, not the one associated with the juvenile ideas of how many bullets are in your back or how long your rap sheet is. One might say that the US has by now outsourced one of its precious cultural tenets and melodica deathship are an outstanding example of a disciple taking a piss on the carcass of his master.
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