Basement Jaxx - Scars (2009) [XL] // Grade: B

That Basement Jaxx are responsible for the fiercely innovative Kish Kash—one of the best dance albums of the 00s, if not all time—is sort of a double-edged sword. It won them a Grammy, sure, and inspired a shit-ton of immovable devotion among electro fans and critics alike. But it also set the stage for a long career of coming up short. Even the most minor flaws look monstrous compared to Kish Kash-level brilliance, and you better believe we’re all making the comparison.

So let’s just say this about Scars: it is absolutely not Kish Kash. But it’s roughly nine gazillion times better than 2006′s mediocre Crazy Itch Radio and flaunts a few of Basement Jaxx’s most enigmatic collabs to date. Glitchy title track “Scars” (feat. Kelis, Meleka and Chipmunk) outproduces pretty much every recent hip-hop production, and “Day Of The Sunflowers” (feat. Yoko Ono) is somehow morbidly sunny, with a just-right amount of Yoko-infused weirdness. But “Saga” is the true Scars hero, with its Specials-meets-Siouxsie dub vibe and an almost unbelievably perfect Santigold. Forget the singles, even the eerily catchy “Raindrops”; “Saga” is the best track by far.

Honestly, Scars only falters when it flirts with the slow jam, and even then those flaws are forgivable; the Polynesian lounge “A Possibility” may drag a bit on repeat listens, but it definitely hits a sweet spot at first. It’s just that…well, it’s not Kish Kash. Or Rooty for that matter. And as long as we know that Basement Jaxx are capable of such intense innovation, such incredible genre-bending and tweaked-out production, nothing short of the best dance album ever will truly satisfy. Unfortunate, but true.

My dreams of going there, living for a short while, and then dying peacefully and alone are one step closer to reality.

Contrary to previous speculation/wisdom, there is water in Lunar soil.

Depending on who you ask, Herr Moon is either a grin that was slapped off our face millions of years ago, or it’s a compressed lump of particles that just couldn’t quite gel with the greater earthmosphere back swillions of years after the big bang, but pillions of years before now. Either way, suffice to say that it’s made out of more or less the same shit we are, so is this really a giant surprise?

A moon rock is right up there on my want list with a T-Rex skull, but I guess I’d settle for a bottle of moon water, too. The bottle itself would have to be cratered or have a footprint on it or something—maybe even split sunlight into a rainbow—and I’m guessing it would be called something lame like Moonaya. Maybe Lunafina.

I’m sure this is making the rounds on the internet already but I’ve had no fewer than 20 people email me today to ask “Have you seen this?” So I’m caving in and posting about it.  Adrien Reimann went to town doing an extensive re-design of 17 of the  The Masters of the Universe characters as stylish Hipsters. All of the characters were drawn/outfitted in actual clothing… For example: Mekaneck up above is wearing a Dior Homme jacket, Trinitas T-shirt, Acne jeans & RAF Simmon Shoes.

Man-At-Arms above is wearing a Nike Windrunner, Flat Head jeans &  Common Projects shoes. I always saw Man-At-Arms as a Red Wings and Pendetlton type of guy myself, but maybe he’s more into Justice than the Fleet Foxes these days.

No, no one is wearing any Мишка unfortunately though… These Hipsters of the Universe are strictly on that elitist Superfuture WDYWT tip. But hey if anything it’s just another reason for me to shill for our own Masters of the Universe New Era pack and have everyone look at both of Robin Nishio’s Tom of Eternia illustrations for us.

Our buds at Chronic Youth are bringing the reunion show of Post-Hardcore legends Rorschach to Santo’s Party House tonight! You know why this is going to be a great show? Because Ron Morelli is excited for it… Ron doesn’t get excited for shit!

Friday, September 25th 7pm
Santo’s Party House
96 Lafayette St
New York, NY
$12 Advance/$15 at the Door

Ghostface Killah – Ghostdini: Wizard of Poetry (2009) [Def Jam] // Grade: A

With this album coming out hot on the heels of OBC42, you’d be a fool to still be huddled in the “Hip Hop is Dead” Trojan horse. Newsflash nerds, you’ve been crammed into your makeshift equine sweat lodge long enough, come out and enjoy the fruits of the g-ds. Really, if this record doesn’t give you reason to elevate your possibly diminished faith in Hip Hop, I don’t know what you’re (not) smoking.

Ghostdini: Wizard of Poetry is not a groundbreaker, it’s just a good hip hop album, with great breadth. If this record were some kind of American Gladiator show, Ghostface would not only have come out Blue Ribbon style, he would have shot that fool Laser in the balls with the tennis ball gun. The opener “Not Your Average Girl” is a drum driven track, it sounds like nothing but rap music. It’s stripped down to the parts that make you move, make you feel like you’ve got a list of very important things to do, and anyone that stands in your way will be crushed.

From a very strong opening, the record holds it down straight through. It’s not hard to imagine that he’s rapping as many different characters from one book full of stories about men and women. He avoids one of rap music’s biggest dilemmas: he doesn’t get contrived over the course of the record. He manages to lead us on a guided tour through sex and relationships that is unique, and interesting. He lets us into his head, he lets us into his bedroom, and he lets us into his experience.

Did I mention that the beats are well-curated? There is a great mix of styles from stripped down SP based compositions, to Dre stlye keyboard sonatas, to full on Dirty South concertos (Justice League Justice League). It’s a throwback, it’s an embrace of the present, and it lets us know that the future of hip hop is safe. It’s where it’s always been, looping between 1970-something and right now. The most dedicated of hip hop stoics rest soundly, trusting that dudes like Ghost live that loop daily, sharing it with us on a record like Ghostdini every once in a while.

Starting this Monday, the Bloglin will be taking a look back at an essential yet severely neglected genre in motion picture history: Science Fiction Rollerblade Action Movies. Or, as I like to call them, “Roller-Fiction.”

From the mid-80s to the mid-90s, several really fun and bizarre movies were produced that mixed sci-fi, 80s cheese, and rollerblading. Almost all of them have achieved the ribbon of  “cult status” (well deserved, I say) and go for fairly reasonable prices online.  We’re going to begin with a look back at 1991′s Prayer of the Rollerboys, which features a white supremacist rollerblading gang tearing up a post-apocalyptic Los Angeles. And Corey Haim. ‘Nuff said.

Strap in, fruitbooters. It’s going to be a long week.

R. Kelly & MGM – Why You Wanna Play Me?

Tony! Toni! Tone! – If I Had No Loot

Fenderella feat. Doug E. Fresh – Mr. DJ

Another Bad Creation – Playground

Christopher Williams – I’m Dreamin’

I’m not sure how widely spread this story is but since reading it in my local paper this morning I’ve recapped it to at least ten people today and they’ve all been completely amazed so I’ve decided to share it with the Bloglin just in case there are a few of you out there that haven’t heard it.

Two days ago in Stockholm Sweden a bunch of (ex-military?) dudes used a stolen helicopter to perform a robbery of a cash depot. Those involved repelled down from the hovering helicopter and broke in through a large pyramid window on the roof and removed unidentified sums of money from vault in the depot while workers inside reported hearing sounds of explosions throughout the building. Amidst the chaos responding police cars were met with spike strips rendering them useless and police helicopters were unable to be deployed due to a suspicious package marked “bomb” located at the police hanger. It was also mentioned that the perpetrators were armed with heavy assault rifles and regular police were advised to wait until a proper commando unit arrived at which point the criminals had already escaped with the money. The stolen helicopter was later found about 25 km from the cash depot with none of the perpetrators to be found.

A recount of the story is here via an English Swedish news source.

The only heist I can think of in recent memory that is even close to as amazing as this is was North Holywood’s 1997 shootout robbery in which two heavily armored guys tried to take a bank by brute force with AK-47′s loaded with armor piercing bullets. There wasn’t quite the same mysterious Hollywood ending behind this story however, as the two gunmen were shot dead after the police borrowed high powered rifles from a local gunshop in order to retaliate.

Bad craziness in the States and brilliant heists in the Euros!

…you must first invent the universe. This is sooooooo great. This is perhaps my favorite thing this month. Peep the person who made it here. Thanks to Dor at Soul Strut for upping this.

…a still more glorious dawn awaits…