Everybody here? Okay, so far, so… well, not quite, I guess, as the year kicked off with some bad craziness (read: gun violence) in our streets. Nothing new, I know. And I realize that with these meager words in this alt-weekly, I’m not getting far beyond the reaches of the choir here, but please y’all, just remember to be an
example of spreading love and keeping it the fuck movin’ in 2012! Whether you believe this to be the year of the apocalypse, the dawn of a new era of consciousness, or just another year to get money (and let’s not forget its cousin “fuck bitches”), there’s no time for the dumb shit, am I right?
Sure I am. Now, on to this show at the High Dive, going down this Saturday, January 14, with a well-matched bill: Ripynt, Spekulation, Sarx, and DJ Seabefore. I’ve told you all about Ripynt’s bad breath and battle raps before, but Spekulation plies his trade—an overcaffeinated but meticulously rhymed spew (kind of sounding like Doomtree’s Sims sped up plus 2)—over some choice live instrumentation and turntablism (via DJ Absolute Madman) on his new self-titled EP. It’s not exactly my double Styrofoam cup of codeine cough syrup, but good medicine for somebody, no doubt. Fated Empire’s Sarx just released an album with his comrade Graves 33 called Wings and Wounds, similarly outside my bag but not in any way poorly executed beats or rhymes, just a little too doomy drama club for me (I was in theater sports, there’s a difference!).
NYC’s genre-blind indie fashionista-rap don dada Theophilus London is touching down at Neumos on Tuesday, January 17. I haven’t quite had that moment with London’s music as yet, but I can say that I dig his instincts and aesthetics. (Naming a mixtape after a Smiths song is a true mark of a refined soul.) Just this last week, I was telling somebody that I really dug “Wine and Chocolates” off of his 2011 Timez Are Weird These Days LP for all of its TV on the Radio–ness, to which they replied that TVOTR’s Dave Sitek produced it. Well, whaddya know, don’t you just love these days and times? Opening up this show are Queens Supreme THEESatisfaction, who are poised to do some real things during this jaunt round the sun, just you watch.
Something else to watch: Brother Ali‘s new video for “Writer’s Block,” a track produced by Seattle’s own Jake One. The two have done a grip of great work together, and this is no exception, as Ali wrangles those raw Jake drums to spin a tale of existential despair all too familiar to anybody who writes. Ali even cops to having to break out to the Town for inspiration as he’s “lookin’ at Seattle from the 23rd floor.” This track is included on the upcoming Mourning in America and Dreaming in Color, fully produced by the White Van Man, now can I get a breathy a-men? 