Day 26: Shine Through (2006) by Aloe Blacc, Supply and Demand (2006) by Amos Lee, and Shattered Soul on a Pastel Sky (2007) by Shin-ski

Triple album time! I've really been lagging it on writing the posts recently, although I have kept up with the music. Anyhow, I gotta do one more today and I'll be all caught up again. Let us begin...

Here's a random thought to start off with. In high school, my econ teacher was this fat bastard named Mr. Cesar Fernandez, an all-around douche who coached the girl's high school basketball team. He really hated progressive ideals, liberals, and most of the guys. His likes were food, Reagan, and high school female basketball players. 


So why do I mention this guy? Listening to the Aloe Blacc reminded me of something. We once discussed the consumer's choices in products (I don't remember the technical name, but I blame this on his incompetence as a teacher). He said that he listened to some crappy band he loved but would never go to their shows because he felt live-performances were always distorted and not the same as the album. 


The fucker's now facing statutory rape charges. 





Thanks for destroying the last bit of respect I had for my high school.


Hahaha...but what I really wanted to talk about was live performances!!! Sorry, I know this blog is an emotional roller coaster. I have an uncanny way of segueing from horrible, life destroying topics to what I really want to discuss.


But again, I'm going off topic. The only reason that I want to discuss live performances is because I actually saw Aloe Blacc live at UCI during the recent Urban Arts Festival 2010. Him, Supernatural, and People Under The Stairs were there, although it was supposed to be Zion I. Still, it was a nice surprise.


Now, I don't think you can generalize live shows as all being bad. As a matter of fact, in the last 4 years of my life I've gone to more shows then the rest of my life. The list includes:

• Immortal Technique at the We The People Festival
• De La Soul at the Galaxy Theatre
• Native Guns at UCI
• Steve Vai at The Grove of Anaheim
• Del da Funkee Homosapien at the Roxy
• Freddy and Francine at The Hotel Cafe
• And, as mentioned before, Aloe Blacc, Supernatural and People Under The Stairs at the Urban Arts Festival

I think that might be it. Now, I know that list isn't as long as other people I know, but I think it's enough to decide that sometimes (although not always) live performances are better than the albums. I would say that this would be the case in Aloe Blacc's case.

Now, this isn't a knock on the album. It's got some good songs on it, including a pretty dope Spanish rendition of John Legend's "Ordinary People." As a matter of fact, he has a lot of Spanish songs on the album which make you wanna get up and dance. Pretty interesting album.

But his strength, as I could see, was in his live performances. He ripped it that night, as did Supernatural. I can't say that People Under The Stairs had the same luck. Maybe this is a result of the fact that Supernatural killed it right before they performed and the let down of not having Zion I. 

Still, live performances can't all be placed in the same breath since they're such individual acts. And by individual, I mean separate from other performances. But for the most part, everyone I've seen live has killed it. The passion of making and playing music for a crowd is always appreciated by the V. 

Anyhow, I also listened to Amos Lee and Shin-ski. I began to listen to Amos Lee after hearing a mixtape from my buddy Josh from camp. He had a pretty dope taste in music, so I decided to steal it. Shin-ski was recommended to me by Rex. If you listen to Shin-ski's album, check out "Koyoi" ft. Apani B. Fly. Sick as female emcee, and beautiful song overall.

Anyhow, I wish I could discuss more, but I probably should go do something productive. 

Peace, bruthas and sistas!

Day 21: Lay It Down (2008) by Al Green

I don't know if you caught the pattern yet, but I'm really digging Al Green right now. So far I've done his greatest hits and "Call Me." This is the last album I have of his, which I recently downloaded. It's also his most recent release. I saw that one of his producers was ?uestlove from The Roots. Hmmm, I said. I'm intrigued. But this will be the last one since I really should move on to other artists. I think in the future, I'm gonna do whole weeks dedicated to certain artists (Best of Barenaked Ladies week...we'll see). But that's for the future to decide.

It must suck for established artists to create new fanbases. They either have to change their whole style up and hope to not alienate older fans or keep coming out with the same shit they have been doing and hope their fans aren't slowly dying of old age. But every once in a while, just the right mix happens.

Okay, I know it seems like I've been straddling Al Green the last couple of days, but I really can't say anything bad about this guy. I love the fact that he has embraced youthful producers like ?uestlove and James Poyser. I also love that he shows mad love to younger cats like John Legend, Anthony Thompson and Corrine Bailey Rae. But what I love most is that he stays true to himself. He's not trying to be Justin Timberlake or R. Kelly or Chris Brown. He can only be Al Green, and he does it with grace and style like no other.

Don't be like this guy.

Or this guy.

Now, like I said, what he does best in this song is make an album with that signature Al Green sound but without sounding stale. Once in a while, you can hear ?uestlove's influence in the hardness of the drums, that boom boom bap that makes you bob your head.

My whole take on Al Green: can't go wrong with a legend. Sometimes there's artists that dog the new school method of thinking, but when an older cat embraces the youth, it's like going to the playground when you were little with your pops and playing ball with you, telling you bout back in the day, and listening to you rattle off about all the different colors in the Crayola box. Yeah, sometimes young people can seem dumb, but how can you not love them. They're so full of energy, willing to take what you teach them and applying it to their own style. Remember, at one time you were that kid sticking crayons up your nose.

Dopest kid I know right now.

So next time younger person annoys the shit out of you, just laugh it off. Gotta remember that you can't make an omelet without breakin a few eggs. Hey, soon, you'll be breaking a few hips and other important bones too. Hahaha...

Nothing but love over here.

Peace, bruthas and sistas!