COMING SOON:
COMICULTURE
VOL.2, BOOK ONE FIRST LOOK updated 3/4/04
COMICULTURE
IN THE NEWS
Here's what people said about Issue #2 of Comiculture ...
"(Comiculture is) a gorgeous production that fills a niche no one else is tackling in comics...."
--Randy Lander TheFourthRail.com
"...a great mix of mainstream styles and storytelling and more oddball, indy-spirit comic art as well. There's a remarkable balance in the material here, and it means that any reader...will find something about Comiculture to really enjoy."
--Don MacPherson TheFourthRail.com
"5 (out of 5) Bullets...This magazine deserves your attention...(the) second issue of Comiculture is actually better than the first"
--Ray Tate SilverBulletComics.com
Summer’s over and as the air gets cooler and the days get shorter you may find yourself stuck indoors studying or perhaps putting a dent in that mint'n chip ice cream in the freezer. Either way you need music to keep the flow going. You don’t have time to waste sifting through the bad stuff just to find the gem buried deep in the album. I separate the tricks from the treats. Grab your fave blankie, soul sistahs and brothas and read on.
THE STREETS / Original Pirate Material
We know what happens when bored white kids in America find hip-hop. They become Eminem. What happens when the same thing happens to blokes in England? You get The Streets. Throw in equal parts alcohol and weed with a dash of sparse 2 step and you have a recipe for something unlike anything you have heard before. 21-year-old Mike Skinner looks like he should be in a Harry Potter movie but he brings something long missing from most hip-hop…honesty and wit. While most Brit rappers try and hide their accent and play at imitating various members of the Wu Tang Clan. Skinner embraces his environment and takes us on a ride though his hood and his life. Like the best MC’s, Skinner paints a picture with words and tells stories in a way you might not have thought of. Remember how fresh Ice Cube used to be? Or the first time you heard N.W.A.? Hip-hop as the CNN of the streets has long been over taken by anthems for strip clubs and the make-believe “hip- hop pool parties”. Maybe the future of hip-hop as an art form is not incubating in Compton or Brooklyn but in a pub in Birmingham.
Standout tracks:
TRACK #1: TURN THE PAGE: Sounding like background music for a movie combined with a simple break beat. This track sets the mood with both music and words. In the tradition of great hip-hop albums, Skinner sets the mood with witty and confident rhymes with a touch of over the top MC hype.
TRACK # 2: HAS IT COME TO THIS: I first heard this track on a Stanton Warriors mix album. This track is still my fave. It has an M.J. Cole feel to it in terms of the production. He drops the science on everything from video game platforms to drugs and drinks while still making a unique dance track.
TRACK #6: GEEZERS NEED EXCITEMENT: Remember the movie Snatch. This is the hip-hop version of that. A day in the life of a bloke getting into trouble. Ladies, clubs, fights and the choices that come with them. Dig it.
Is it worth my time?
This album has great musical production and some thoughtful catchy lyrics. It’s what I call headphone music. It’s not stuff you bump in your car. If you sit down and listen to the lyrics you will get a lot out of this album. If you are in the mood for something different put this one in the CD player put down your “Gin and Juice” and break out a Smirnoff Ice and play like you are living the life of a Brit Geezer.
QUICK HITS:
THE AVALANCHES / Since I Left You: Four Aussie DJs raise the cut and paste bar with this amazing little gem. Loads of cool tracks. Think Cold Cut meets Fat Boy Slim and you get the idea. Check out the tracks Since I Left You and Frontier Psychiatrist. Includes a cool Frontier Psychiatrist video that is crazy in the coconut.
MS DYNAMITE: Packing a wallop with her way to catchy single Dy-na-mi-tee 19 year old Brit Ms Dynamite makes her move as the next hip-hop sensation. Sounding like Lauryn Hill’s little sis with a dash of Shaggy thrown in. She has a lot to say and the production to back it up. Great to listen to in the car.
COLDPLAY / A Rush of Blood to the Head: In the battle for Radiohead wannabes, Coldplay was a frontrunner. They separated themselves from the pack with some catchy songs and some great sing along choruses that sounded like The Bends unplugged. This new album finds the production pumped up but lacking the charm and the warmth of Parachutes. Still a few quality bits remain. Check out the tracks In My Place and God Put a Smile Upon Your Face.
THE WHITE STRIPES / White Blood Cells:
What more can be said about the Detroit duo. Landing somewhere between Rock and Blues, these two put the “rock” back in “Rock and Roll”. Skip the Strokes and get the real rock saviours. The whole album is great. For more White Stripes fun, check out the stripped down album De Stilji. Its raw and bluesy. Also if you get a chance see them live, don’t miss out on one of the best Rock shows in years.
THIEVERY CORPORATION / The Richest Man In Babylon: Creating the balance between Chill Out records and world music is tricky business. Thievery Corp’s Washington based duo Rob Garza and Eric Hilton have always made it seem easy. On their last full length, Mirror Conspiracy, they created the perfect blend. After a couple years off are they able to put the delicate mix back together. With tracks like Facing East and Richest Man in Babylon they achieve some great subtle moments that put this album as one of the year’s best. Check it out and feel the love.
