Tune Yards – Music Hall of Williamsburg, NYC

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New York City gets a much deserved rep for being a terrible city to watch live music. However, any type of jadedness was not present at the Music Hall of Williamsburg. The vivacious crowd surprised even Ms. Garbus and she trated us with not one, but three encores. The only reason she stopped is because she ran out of songs.

Q-Tip, Busta Rhymes, and Kanye West, Brooklyn Hip-Hop Festival, NYC

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I’ve seen Kanye crash a few parties, but the Brooklyn Hip-Hop Festival? Aloung with a spirited session by Q-Tip and another surprise guest Busta Rhymes, Kanye’s crowd pleasing experience not only rocked the crowd, but showed that ‘Ye would not only rock Madison Square Garden but your own backyard as well.

TV On The Radio – The Mohawk, Austin, TX

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Maybe it’s because we bogarted our way into this over capacity show? Maybe it’s because the Mohawk patio is such an ultra small venue? Who cares, TV On The Radio brought it, and proved to be the higlight of a packed 2011 SXSW Schedule.

Death, Afropunk CMJ Show, Music Hall of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, CMJ

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This decade’s Internet success story, Death, make sure that they brought it during thier CMJ/Afropunk show. The crew were so tight, you wouldn’t think that the songs they were playing were over 35 years old. As 18 year olds moshed in front of them, the trio were more than happy to be on stage. And that’s the real meaning of music.

Katy B, The Studio at Webster Hall, NYC

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New York surprises me sometimes. What I thought would be just another industry show turned out to be a stunner. The pint-sized UK songstress confidently fronted an amazing live band, blurring through her debut album with a more than appreciative crowd being down all of the way. I stood in the middle of this show thinking I would be the only one jumping up and down to her music, but boy was I wrong.

Runners Up

Heineken GOOD Music Event with Kanye West, Kid Cudi, Pusha T, etc
SBTRKT at Music Hall of Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Elle Varner, SOBs, NYC
Toro Y Moi, Klub Krucial, SXSW
Miles Bonny, DROM, CMJ
Quadron, The Malverde, SXSW

Although I laid off the Hennessy many moons ago this would still be a pretty cool gift to both give and receive.

Hennessy V.S Blending of Art celebrates the two as one, in a collaborative project that aligns the visually arresting with the sonically bold; the musically adventurous with the artistically free. An exclusive series of future thinking artworks that connect some of music’s most vibrant revolutionaries with visual artists and graphic designers that dance to the same beat.

Inspired by the Hennessy Artistry curation process, Hennessy has invited a posse of artists to express themselves around the iconic Hennessy V.S bottle with true creative freedom creating five new iconic bottle designs.

Hennessy Artistry’s Questlove and Q-Tip, alongside the musical talents of A-Trak, Kid Sister and Steve Aoki and stunning visual artists Dust La Rock, Spaceknuckle, Aerosyn-Lex Mestrovic, Fafi and Laundry are all part of this collaboration process.

A -Trak-vs- Dust La Rock

Kid Sister -vs- Fafi

Questlove -vs- Aerosyn-Lex

Q-Tip -vs- Spaceknuckle

Steve Aoki -vs- Laundry

Mark Ronson has always had a penchant for retro.  I have said this in posts about other artists, and it most certainly holds true for Ronson’s newest music:  it sounds like he went “back to the future” to create his signature sound, and I ain’t mad at it.  His latest incarnation is Mark Ronson and the Business Intl (yes folks, that’s shorthanded on purpose.  Apparently he is too busy to bother with spelling the word “international” out in full, or even adding an apostrophe between the “t” and the “l.”  Sign o’ the Twitter times I guess).  Here are a handful of tunes off his new album titled Record Collection, which is scheduled for U.S. release on September 28, 2010:

First up:  “The Bike Song.”  Starts of interestingly enough with Spank Rock chanting “I ride around town/ around-round-around/with the petal to the met-/the pedal to wherever.”  It’s reminiscent of the Sugar Hill Gang-type rapping, which I grew up listening to and can’t get enough of.  Then comes the lead vocals, performed by Kyle Falconer of the Scottish rock band The View.

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Kyle Falconer sounds and looks like a long lost member of The Monkees (shout out to Davy Jones).  The song makes me want to go out and buy a bike so that I can listen to this song whilst riding it (yeah, I don’t own a bike…don’t judge me).  “Gonna ride my bike until I get home” goes the chorus.  There’s even a chingly bike bell-horn effect.  Spank Rock comes back with a nerderific verse that fits in rather nicely.  It’s so British, so gleeful, and so…green!

Next up:  “Bang Bang Bang,” which includes Q-Tip and Amanda Warner of the electro-duo MNDR (pronounced “Mandar”).  This track would be considered more on the futuristic side, even though there is a strong 80’s synth presence throughout (it’s that “back to the future” shit, y’all!!!).  Tip’s delivery is on point as per usual, and the video is quite the cosmopolitan affair with MNDR’s super-catchy French chorus and Mark Ronson’s interview conducted in French and Japanese.  Point blank:  the song is pretty dope.

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Last up:  “Lose It (In The End)” featuring the always lyrically adept Ghostface Killah.  I love love love this joint right here!!!  At 2 minutes 25 seconds, it’s a short and sweet number.  Ghost didn’t disappoint when he snuck onto Amy Winehouse’s “You Know I’m No Good” and he doesn’t disappoint here.  This track makes me wish that Mark Ronson would produce Ghostface’s next album.

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So:  take some 80s breakbeats and synths, mix in a lil’ 60s-70s panache, and sprinkle it with the optimism and freshness of the year 2010 and beyond, and you’ve got Mark Ronson’s latest sound.  Not too much of a deviation from what he’s done in the past, but there’s definitely a more pronounced British-ness to these songs that makes me feel the pride that Mark has for his homeland.  It’s that “back to the future” shit, y’all!  The revolution might not be televised, but I guarantee you’ll catch a glimpse of it if you take a look through Ronson’s Record Collection.

Mark Ronson – Bang Bang Bang feat MNDR and Q-Tip

Just the other day I was wondering if Mark Ronson simply gave up on music. After his success with Amy Winehouse he kind of took some Ls with his Versions project (critically panned but I liked it) and his Allido imprint never getting off the ground.

Glad to see Mr. Ronson back with a new project called Mark Ronson & the Business and the album titled Record Collection. Ronson, is recruiting everybody from Ghostface to UK grimester Wiley, to D’Angelo (!!!!) for this project. The first track to drop is Bang Bang Bang featuring Q-Tip and MNDR (who looks like Kesh$a’s replacement, but sounds a lot better). Good look so far. (via FADER)

Norah Jones – Chasing Pirates

I haven’t been the hugest of Norah Jones fans. I first discovered her on the  Nublu Sessions  CD (if you don’t know, get with it) and I always thought that her smooth, sexy vocals were not being properly used on her more country and blues tracks. I always felt that she sounded much better on hip-hop influenced production, but that’s just me. Having that said, I’m loving her newest single, Chasing Pirates which drops the country twang for more pop/R&B sensibilities. Her latest album, titled The Fall, drops November 17th.

BONUS: Q-Tip Feat Norah Jones – Life Is Better

All photos: (c) Jaecyne Howell, MoonRisingNYC.com/Giant Step

Unfortunately, I was not able to make it up to NYC this past weekend for not one, but two events celebrating birthday of Michael Jackson. While the Spike Lee event went on in Brooklyn, Q-Tip led an all star crew in Manhattan’s Nokia Theatre. With a lineup that included support from Mark Ronson, a call from Quincy Jones and Solange Knowles, Marsha Ambrosius, Grandmaster Flash, DJ Premier and Anthony Anderson in the building.

I’m humbled to know that I share a birthday week with the King of Pop, and even though he has passed, his music will always be with us.

Full Gallery

Q-Tip, D’Angelo & Raphael Saadiq – Lynwood Rose

I usually d0n’t post mixtapes I haven’t listened to thoroughly, but Ill make an exception for this one ONLY because of the source material. The Smoking Section posted a note saying that  Lynwood Rose ”is a warm-up mixtape to what will hopefully be an amazing album from them,” but its more likely just somebody’s dream match up more than anything. (from TSS)

Q-Tip on Miles Davis

J. Period & Q-Tip – The Abstract Best Mixtape

Very dope mixtape from J. Period with inspiration from Q-Tip and A Tribe Called Quest. Questlove’s Randy Watson Experience makes an appearance as well. Very good look. (via Live from CGY)

Tracklisting:
1. J.Period f. Prince Paul, Questlove & Randy Watson– Rhythm (Scratch Intro)
2. Cannonball Adderly / Excursions Intro
3. J.Period f. De La Soul – Excursions (Tribute Remix)
4. Aquarius Interlude #1: Welcome
5. Q-Tip f. Busta Rhymes – Getting Up (DJ Scratch Remix) (The Renaissance)
6. Behind the Scenes: Ghetto Origins [Produced by J.Period]
7. What the Fuss f. Stevie Wonder (Shook Remix)
8. Queens Represent (Interlude)
9. Mobb Deep f. Nas & Q-Tip – Give Up the Goods (J.Period Remix) [Produced by Q-Tip]
10. Apache – Gangsta Bitch [Produced by Q-Tip]
11. ATCQ – If the Papes Come (Intro)
12. ATCQ – Check the Rhime
13. Behind the Scenes: Don’t Walk Away (Interlude)
14. ATCQ –Award Tour
15. Behind the Scenes: Award Tour (Interlude)
16. Hot Butter (Interlude)
17. J.Period f. Dres – Jazz Pt. 2 (Tribute Remix)
18. Behind the Scenes: We Got the Jazz (Interlude)
19. J.Period f. Blu– Jazz (Tribute Remix)
20. Skypager: Bob Power & Big Daddy Kane (Interlude)
21. Q-Tip f. Jay Dilla – Let’s Ride
22. Behind the Scenes: Bob Power You There? (Interlude)
23. Q-Tip – Vivrant Thing (Remix)
24. Q-Tip – Move (The Renaissance)
25. Q-Tip – Breathe & Stop (J.Period Remix)
26. Respect to Phife Dawg (Interlude)
27. J.Period f. Consequence & Kid Cudi – Buggin Out (Tribute Remix)
28. ATCQ Consists Of…
29. Behind the Scenes: The Native Tongues (Interlude)
30. De La Soul f. Jungle Brothers, Q-Tip, Monie Love & Queen Latifah – Buddy (Remix)
31. Respect to Ali Shaheed Muhammed (Interlude)
32. Q-Tip f. Busta Rhymes – N.T.
33. A Message From Talib Kweli
34. J.Period f. Questlove, Talib Kweli & Randy Watson – Youthful (Tribute Remix)
35. Q-Tip f. Amanda Diva – ManWomanBoogie (The Renaissance)
36. Chris Rock: Men vs. Women (Interlude)
37. De La Soul f. Q-Tip – Saturdays
38. De La Soul f. Q-Tip & Phife – Saturdays (Remix)
39. Q-Tip – She Likes to Move (J.Period Remix)
40. Dee-Lite f. Q-Tip – Groove Is in the Heart
41. Beastie Boys f. Q-Tip – Get it Together
42. Behind the Scenes: What Is Kapelka? (Interlude)
43. J.Period f. Skillz, Questlove & Randy Watson – What? (Tribute Remix)
44. Behind the Scenes: Busta Rhymes / Scenario (Interlude)
45. Busta Rhymes – Scenario (Unreleased Demo Tape)
46. Behind the Scenes: Hood R.I.P. (Interlude)
47. Hood – Scenario (Remix)
48. Aquarius Outtro
49. Behind the Scenes (Bonus): Reinvention (Kamaal the Abstract – A Million Times)

Most of y’all know that I think that Gilles Peterson is the best radio programmer of all time (who else drops Lil Wayne AND jazz legend Freddie Hubbard in the same hour?), and his Worldwide awards highlight the best in urban alternative music throughout the world. The ultimate winner of the 2008 prize is Q-Tip with his song Life Is Better with Norah Jones from his album The Renaissance. Tip will also be playing a stellar show with Gilles, Benji B (BBC 1Xtra), Little Dragon and the BMP on March 14th at the Roundhouse in London. Should be a good look for you UK readers out there.

I’ve been trying to get caught up on all that I missed after partying for four straight days, and one of those things is the video for Q-Tip’s “Manwomanboogie,” that premiered earlier this week. This track is actually my least favorite one on the album, but the Rik Cordero-directed video is a nice look even if it does look a little bit too random and disjointed.