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I'm leaving to go see Sufjan Stevens perform tonight at the Paramount in Seattle. Should be an awesome show... I'm really excited!
In an attempt to spread that excitement to you, I have posted 3 awesome new songs (unreleased) that he'll most likely be playing. A live show review will follow tomorrow (assuming I don't die on the rain-slicked roads on the way to Seattle-- shit. I just jinxed myself).
Here's the new hotness:
Lord God Bird
Sister Winter
Majesty Snowbird
This really goes without saying, but if you don't already have a few soof CDs get some, here or go see him live.
We arrived to a packed VU multipurpose room just after the opener had finished their set. The room smelled equally one part sweat, mixed with one part marijuana smoke, which quickly reminded me that I hadn't been to a hip hop show in quite a while. Shortly after we got there, RA Scion came out and spit some Common Market lyrics, with Sabzi laying down the beat on the turn tables.
Overall, I was pretty impressed with his abilities on the mic, and he turned out a solid performance.
Almost right after RA Scion had vacated the stage, Sabzi segwayed right into a Blue Scholars beat, and Geo ran onto the stage. The sneak attack caught the crowd by surprise, and it was a good tactic for keeping the momentum of the show moving forward. The Scholars turned out an awesome performance, keeping the sold out crowd into it for the entire set. Highlights of the show included a sample of 'Float On' tracked onto the the Inkwell, and 'The Long March' was also awesome (with everyone swinging their arms to the words, 'left, right, left, right'). As I had expected, the Scholars managed to outdo their performance at the main stage of Sasquatch! (the last time I saw them live), feeding off the sold out crowd in the confined VU multipurpose room. Awesome show.
As for some other news, it appears like HOV is back in the game (surprise, right?), and his first single has leaked. The beat by just blaze is sick, and uses a lot of horns (and a jazz intro). I've linked the mp3, cause I really don't want to get sued by the Roc for posting a leaked mp3 on a site that has maybe 5 readers tops. enjoy.
Jay Z - 'Show Me What You Got'
I'm heading out to the Common Market/Blue Scholars concert tonight at the Viking Union, the show sold out on Thursday, and it seems like everyone on campus is either; A) Bummed out that the show is sold out, or B) Really stoked that they are going. It seems like a whole different vibe than the Ben Kweller show last weekend, where it seemed like most people were luke warm about the whole thing and just ended up going because their friends were.
The show is billed as a CD release party for Common Market, who have founded a new record company with the Blue Scholars called Mass Line Records. Although I haven't heard much of Common Market at all, the duo consitst of DJ Sabzi from the Blue Scholars and MC RA Scion. RA Scion came out during Sasquatch! for a remix of the Blue Scholars track 'Every Last One', it went off pretty well and it seems like he's a pretty good lyricist. (Stream the 'Every Last One' remix and other Common Market at their myspace)
As for the Blue Scholars, I've been following them since well before I moved up to the northwest. I first discovered their blend of progressive beats coupled with meaningful lyrics back in high school (in the days when I used to stream KEXP over itunes). It seems like the entire musical community in Seattle is familiar with the DJ/MC combo, who are now being hyped as perhaps the next big thing to come out of Seattle since grunge. I'm not sure I'm willing to go that far quite yet, but their self-titled LP and EP (the Long March) are a good start (I'm sure everyone around here is holding their collective breath in anticipation of their next LP, which will most likely determine if they are the next Sir Mix a Lot or the next Nirvana).
I've included a few mp3s from their self titled LP as well as their most recent EP, the progressive (socialist) lyrics are what really seperate the Scholars from the rest of hip-hop right now.
Blue Scholars - 'No Rest for the Weary'*
Blue Scholars - 'Solstice (Reintroduction)'*
Blue Scholars - 'Evening Chai'
Blue Scholars - 'The Long March'*
[*Sorry most of these are mp4s, but everyone on the planet has itunes anyway, right?]
If you don't believe me, trust the Scholars who just posted this on their website: "...we're rolling with the entire ML fam this Saturday (10/7) to Bellingham - Western Washington University, to be exact. It's been all love every time we've been up there, but this time its with the whole fam - the first show featuring Blue Scholars, Common Market and Gabriel Teodros since the launch party. Should be a heater." Should be a heater, I'm stoked.
