KCSU Reviews
Artist: Madvillain
Album: Madvillainy
When famed west coast producer Madlib and esteemed underground
MC MF DOOM collaborate as Madvillain, mad villainy is sure to
follow. “Madvillainy,” the name of the recording, works to the
strengths of both artists, pairing Madlibs jazzy, sample-happy
beats with DOOM’s distinctive flow. For fans of contemporary
hip-hop acts such as eminem or Blackalicious the decidedly old
school pacing of MF DOOM’s flow might be a bit off putting. DOOM
has been in the rap scene for 15 years now and makes light of his
age several times on the album, as on Madvillainy’s first real cut
“Accordian” where he states, “I.C.E. cold/ Nice to be old.” So what
if he hasn’t changed his flow since 1992, the man in the iron mask,
pictured on the albums cover, still drops his share of lyrical gems
throughout the course of the album. On “Great Day Today,” he calls
himself, “The rocket scientist/ With the pocket wine list,” while
Madlib puts down a great beat using wandering keys and a nice snare
heavy drum line.
As the album unfolds and the ear gets more accustomed to DOOM’s
literal, baritone flow, a better appreciation of the production is
acquired. Madlib’s primary strength is in production and so the few
times that he raps as his alter ego Quasimoto are overshadowed by
his exemplary skill behind the boards. While “Accordian” and “Meat
Grinder” aptly show off Madlib’s sound, the highlight is the short,
just 2:10, “ALL CAPS,” where a nice descending piano riff is teamed
with a horn line from a ’70s kung-fu movie to produce sonic
brilliance. Fans of either MF DOOM or Madlib will find this album a
must, and for the casual fan, “Madvillainy” is the perfect album to
throw in when looking for a change of pace.
My Morning Jacket
Acoustic Cistuoca
by John Holland, assistant music director
Any true fan of music has been there. They go to a show and plan
on seeing a mediocre opening band but then find themselves being
blown away. They go to a party that happens to have a band playing
and rather than socializing with their friends, they end up being
completely sucked in by the performance on the makeshift stage. My
Morning Jacket’s Live EP is an attempt to capture that feeling and
immortalize it. “Acoustic Cistuoca” is a taste of a performance
they gave at a friend’s Halloween party. The band themselves can’t
even explain why they decided to record the show but any fan of
music should be glad they did. It captures them at their very best.
Singer Jim James gives hints at David Gray, Rufus Wainwright, Evan
Dando and even James Taylor at times. The music is soft but not the
kind of thing you can ignore. The subtle reverb on the vocals and
acoustic guitars give it the feeling of an empty auditorium being
filled with music far too good for a sound check. Live albums are
hard to pull off but it’s the lack of trying to put out a live
album that makes this one special.
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