Getting THRU it.
Searching for an online outlet that’s bent on the union of dope music? That’s easy: Thru-you. The creative offspring from the mind of Kutiman is all about fusion. The Israeli-born musician/dj/producer has cultivated a jamming mix of Sade smooth melodies and vocoder, auto-tuned freestyles that is interesting and new. Don’t trip, at first glance the web domain and link leads one to believe you have a new virus on your PC, but it’s really just an auto-playing giant master mix of almost every genre of music one can think of. Think the compositions weren’t impressive; Kutiman shares the musical stage with a varied roster of genius artists and performers that share his vision. Appreciate this and get into it!
Notable Track Listing:
- The Mother Of All Funk Chords
- This Is What It Became
- I M New
- Babylon Band
- Someday
- Wait For Me
- Just A Lady
For more info: www.myspace.com/kutiman
Ancient Futures
The mercury retrograde is over and a fresh breeze of regeneration will be felt by all this Saturday, June 21 with the Avant Yard offering of “Ancient Futures: The DNA of Culture and Civilizations” at MoCADA, the Museum of Contemporary African Diaspora Arts at 5pm.
This multi-media group exhibition will confront socio-political boundaries in “underground” movements with a dynamic blend of painting, photography, installation art, photo-illustration, and music. Featured artists include, Terry Boddie, Fikisha C., Jennifer Crute, Francks Deceus, Joshua Humphries, Dirk Joseph, Laura James, Kip Omolade, William Rhodes, Danny Simmons, Jamel Shabazz, and Malik Yusef Cumbo (Avant Yard).
Live music will be presented by The Essential M.C. (CA), Game Rebellion (NY), The Welfare Poets (NY), Yolanda Zama (SA), Nucomme (TX), and a long awaited Survival Soundz reunion featuring Carla Csharp Gomez (ATL).
Known for giving young artists the stage to speak their voice, Avant Yard will set the day in bloom with a special photographic collaboration from the students of Life Academy High School for Film and Music from 2pm until 5pm.
An opening reception hosted by Defrei of Ahficianados with resident DJ’s, The Majestic Twinsound and Ahficial Music continues on to the main exhibition from 5pm until 9pm, including a dance from LOVESPACE MUSIC Alter-Native Movement.
MoCADA is located at 80 Hanson Place in Ft. Greene.
The entire event is FREE.
“Ancient Futures: The DNA of Culture and Civilization” will be on view at MoCADA through September 7th, 2008.
For more info, click here
Sh-Sh-Shockadelica Me
Dearly Beloved,
We are gathering tonight and tomorrow night to get through this show called Shockadelica: Celebrating 50 years of his Royal Badness. The sirens from Brown Girls Burlesque are at it again bringing power to the purple people and that indescribable feminine mystique that could make Prince, himself, blush.
If you live in Erotic City, ever made a plea about how things would be if you were his Girlfriend, sang the Ballad of Dorothy Parker, or been concerned by the Sign O the Times, there is no other place you need to be tonight and tomorrow night.
Audience come quick! Audience come in a hurry. Tickets will sell out. $25 for general admission. $40 for the Royal Court.
The show starts at 11pm at the Zipper Factory, 336 west 37th street (in between 8th and 9th avenues).
And while you wait to cleanse yourself in the waters of the Brown Girls Burlesque, czech out our TRACE Insider video of BGB in action at their last nyc performance “Itches Brew…Sheroes Unleashed.”
“I Decided”
I have also decided that Solange is my favorite new (again) artist. Czech the first single “I Decided” from her upcoming sophomore disc tentatively due Aug 26 under Geffen titled, SoL-AngeL & the Hadley Street Dreams, named after the block of her childhood home.
And although the crayon colored green screen backdrops, the sweet coquette melody, and glittery costume and coif changes are hard to lose focus of, please don’t sleep on the chronological imagery from the 50s to the future.
Video director, Melina (keep your eyes on that sista), is definitely highlighting images from radical leaders and landmarks who seldom get love besides the latest Urban Outfitter tee. Excuse me, but was that Kathleen Cleaver!? Pump the positivity. Younger sisters of the world untie!!!
Evidence Dance Co.
If you have not yet witnessed the physical visual griots of Evidence Dance Company, you’ve got all week to turn that around. With a signature style that touches African, Caribbean, Modern, Ballet, and Contemporary dance movements while summoning warriors and angels dedicated to the pursuit of liberation, the Ronald K. Brown/Evidence Dance Company is performing a kaleidoscope of works from February 12th-17th at The Joyce Theater. The award winning company, choreographed with exquisitely sculpted symmetry by founder and Bed-Stuy native Ronald K. Brown, will premiere One Shot- a piece inspired by African-American artist, photographer, and Pittsburgh native Charles Teenie “One Shot” Harris. One Shot seeks to discover and exercise the still images of community, dignity, celebration, and legacy framed inside Harris’ photography from 1936-1975. The second half of the evening, Program B, is an engagement of repertory pieces including Upside Down (1998) which has seamless tributes to Nina Simone, Femi Kuti, Me’Shell Ndegeocello, and Fred Hammond. As an added bonus, Afro-beat artist Wunmi will take the stage for a live collaboration. And if the babies aren’t ready, on Saturday, Feb 16th at 2pm a special Family Matinee will be featured with an inspirational opportunity to meet the dance ensemble after the show.
Children get in for $10 and Sundays finale tickets are $25. Joyce Theater members get in for $29 and all other admission is $38. The Joyce Theater is located at 175 Eighth Ave on the corner of 19th Street, NYC. Showtime is at 7:30pm. Get there early and prepare to save seats for your friends. If you can’t make the New York City show this week, check the dance troupe at the following cities and dates:
Wilmington, DE - Feb. 23
Lincoln, NE - Feb. 28-Mar. 1
Alburquerque, NM - Mar. 8
Tuscon, AZ - Mar. 11
Scottsdale, AZ - Mar. 14
Asheville, NC - Mar. 25
Portland, ME - Apr. 8, 9
Amherst, MA - Apr. 11, 12
Just Like Honey
Behold the dopest music video you are ever going to see… EVER. Erykah Badu is opening her latest studio album New Amerykah, Part One: 4th World War with the single “Honey” produced by 9th Wonder. Check the authentic vintage album cover remakes (Chaka Khan is my favorite) and the Andre 3000 nod. The album drops on her birthday February 26, 2008. And like the sister said - don’t forget to support your local record store.
Justice.Arts.Music
DJ Jam Master Jay is not going out like that. On Thursday, Nov 29 the J.A.M. Awards is reviving the spirit of collective consciousness. Following the mission of the Jam Master Jay Foundation for Music, the event is the first of its kind within the Hip Hop community to recognize the social responsibility within local and global communities. The evening’s tribute celebration will feature performances from veteran and upoming hip hop heavyweights like DMC, Kid Capri, Dead Prez, Marley Marl, De La Soul, DJ Kay Slay, Papoose, Q-Tip, Raekwon, Jim Jones, MOP, Snoop Dogg, and many more. A special J.A.M. award will be given out to activists in the fields of social Justice, the Arts, or Music. The honoree is chosen based on their recent efforts focused on encouraging community growth through artistic expressions. Past winners include Chuck D, Spike Lee, and Kanye West. The J.A.M. awards will be hosted by Jay’s wife, Terri Corley-Mizell, and the event will take place at the Hammerstein Ballroom on 34th Street. Advance tickets are $55. Doors open at 8pm and all ages are welcome.
The Jam Master Jay Foundation for Music is a charitable organization whose mission is to defend every child’s equal rights to access the arts, regardless of socio-economic status, giving them a chance to advance their concept of worldwide reciprocity.
Ticklish?
The reggae warfare of Ticklah Vs. Axelrod (same man) continues on Wednesday, Nov 14 at B.B. King’s in Times Square. Ticklah’s sound cooks up ska melodies with hints of Latin salsa and dub, which have enticed the likes of British based cultural connoisseurs Amy Winehouse, Mark Ronson, Lily Allen, and Robbie Williams. And as with all reggae shows; it’s a family affair. Look out for appearances on stage by artists including Chico Mann, members of the Afro-beat group, Antibalas, Tamar-kali and Ras I-Ray. The Easy Star All-Stars will be taking the stage after Ticklah in the only New York City stop during their 2007 world tour. Known for memorable takes on Pink Floyd and Radiohead covers, the all-stars will be playing original songs slated for release on their next EP due January 2008, including track “Mi Sonsito” featuring Mayra Vega. Tickets for the show are $16 in advance and $18 at the door. Doors open at 6pm, and the show starts at 8pm. There’s only standing and prancing room, but all ages are welcome.
Thank You Kanye
Professor Cornel West is producing hip hop albums and rapper/producer Kanye West is writing books. Kanye is making a literary debut professing life learned lessons in his book, Thank You and You’re Welcome, scheduled for release in January 2008. The first 500 copies will be autographed by Mr. West himself. Co-authored with motivational speaker and writer J. Sakiya Sandifer, the good book of Kanye is meant to be an exclusively uncensored dialogue between the reader and rapper that highlights his miseducations in his life and career. For all of those rubbed the wrong way by West’s cocky disposition, Kanye hopes this literature will paint a better picture of this son of a former Blank Panther and college professor, who after escaping death, has nothing else to fear. Using the same clever and comical scatting innate in all his rap lyrics and media interviews, West has blessed his fans with celebrity status commandments for all of those whose money is almost right. Read on people! Kanye is just a soul whose intentions are good. Please lord, for all of us, let him finally be understood.
NiggyTardust!
A legacy of Hennessey disrupted. NiggyTardust is upon us. Independent/underground poet laureate/author/actor/musician/energy incapable of being categorized/ascender of all boundaries Saul Williams has released his third album, The Inevitable Rise and Liberation of NiggyTardust! November 1. NiggyTardust, a play on David Bowie’s 1972 Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, is a raw embodiment of the urgency of all those “muted, neutered, uprooted, polluted” by art verses commerce and struggling intentions. The persona is a commentary on Richard Wright’s classic novel, Native Son, whose main character “Bigger Thomas” is a destructive product of his nation who opens up a dialogue about responsibility and blame.
Having a “shared desire to fuck up the system” the 15 track album, whose cover photography hints at Santana’s 1974 Greatest Hits, was produced by Trent Reznor (Nine Inch Nails) and mixed by Alan Moulder. Inventing adjectives, the experience opens with the track “Black History Month,” an introduction to the persona NiggyTardust. The track protests materialism in the industry, laid over a drum machine beat of automatic gun rounds. NiggyTardust continues to rise and fall through a theatrical musical timeline of song and poetry in contradiction of consumerism. Track “Tr(n)igger” samples Public Enemy’s “Welcome to the Terrordome” and there is also a sick cover of U2’s “Sunday Bloody Sunday.” With hyper masculine hip hop/ industrial metal, Williams’ spits his most venomous lyrics to date.