Monday, February 16, 2009

Nappy Roots - The Pursuit of Nappyness Tour 09'



Perhaps it's been awhile since you've heard anything from your favorite platinum-selling American alternative southern rap group from Kentucky, Nappy Roots. However in 2008 Milledgeville, Georgia native Fish Scales, Kentucky natives Skinny DeVille, B. Stille, Ron Clutch, and Big V left their major label troubles behind and started their very own label, Nappy Roots Entertainment Group (known as NREG). The result of that decision has brought Nappy Roots back to the people with the release of "The Humdinger" which has been called one of the top 25 hip hop albums of 2008 and includes the uplifting single "Good Day" featuring Greg Street. Nappy Roots have been steadily putting out good music since their classic debut in 2002 with the number one album “Watermelon, Chicken & Gritz” and their follow up “Wooden Leather.” I'm sure you remember the classic songs “Awnaw (ft Jazze Pha),” “Round Da Globe,” and “Po Folks.” The Humdinger has more of that down home feel good music that is greatly needed in times such as these. Fortunately for Arizona the boys will bringing the good vibes to Club Red this Friday February 20th along with local openers Dan Smack, J-Beam & Knawledg, Novelty, and Queen Yonasda. Tickets for this 18+ show are only $15 and can be purchased directly from the local artists or by stopping in Eastside Records, Stinkweeds, and all valley Zia's locations. If you feel like grabbing your $15 presales online you can visit http://um.frontgatetickets.com/ or click the flyer below.
Click For Tickets



Here's a few videos from the southern gentleman including a promo for the The Humdinger.



Bonus!
Click the link below to download the single "Good Day" from "The Humdinger." Enjoy
Nappy Roots - Good Day

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

CHOKE



I love to read. That's a statement I often exclaim with great dignity and pride when in the presence of like minded individuals who may want to chatter about how many Bukowski's we have on our shelf or whether or not we have an original copy of Fear and Loathing minus the movie poster cover. With that being said you must also remember that I am a modern man and although the day is long, it's not always long enough to find the time to start and finish a book. Hell it's 330am and I'm writing this little post as my last official business of the night, so i'll be lucky if i get a chapter of the book I'm currently reading in before my eyes burn out of my skull. But i digress. The point of all this is that once in awhile a book pulls you deep enough into the story for you to get lost and forget that you have other priorities. It's now been a few years since I've had such an experience while reading the novel "Choke" by one of my favorite modern authors Chuck Palahniuk and since then they have turned the twisted story into a film. This isn't the first time Hollywood has turned one of Palahniuk's novels into a major motion picture. Some of you may remember the film Fight Club. I'm not at all ashamed to admit that I read Fight Club after I had seen the film. I'm not ashamed of this because I can proclaim that I've read every Palahniuk novel, and non fiction, ever since that first read finding out how raw and funny his sadistically satirical tales are. So needless to say, when I saw the trailer for the film adaptation of Choke I was immediately excited.



Equally exciting is the release of the DVD on the 17th of this month. Fortunately I was asked to promote the release of this DVD which enables me to pass along some gifts to all of you out there. Tomorrow when the UPS truck arrives our pal in brown will be dropping me off a number of copies of the novel in question, Choke by Chuck Palahniuk, in case you forgot. These, along with some posters and bookmarks that look like they have anal beads attached (which i swear will make sense once you read this book or see the film), are going to be my gift to you tonight at The Lost Leaf. That's right this Tuesday is in fact Downtime: A Night At The Lost Leaf With Pickster One & Friends. I'm sure I'll see you there, I'll give you a copy of the book and we can talk about what you're reading right now. Or you can just look at me weird because I'm handing you a book in a bar while Pickster and friends, who happen to be Jeremy Dana of Drunken Immortals and Tato of Sonorus, are behind me playing the smoothest shit you've ever heard on Tuesday.



Either way I recommend you check out Choke and anything else you can get your hands on from Chuck Palahniuk.






I'm off to my bedroom to read a chapter of The Autobiography of Malcolm X. What are you reading?

Saturday, February 7, 2009

P.O.S. - Never Better Tour 09'



If you're at all familiar with the Rhymesayers camp, and I've seen you at the shows so I know you are, then you've no doubt noticed a lot of commotion surrounding one of their very prolific artists recently. That artist is no other then the Minneapolis born MC Stefon Alexander. You probably know him better as P.O.S. of the mighty Doomtree crew. Rhymesayers released P.O.S.'s newest album Never Better earlier this week and wasted absolutely no time in launching the coinciding tour. I mean no time at all. When Fifth Element opened it's doors to a crowd of fans eager to get their hands on a copy of Never Better at midnight this past week they were treated to a performance from P.O.S. and DJ Papertiger. The following day Stef, as they call him in his hometown, grouped up with DJ Plain Ole Bill and special Doomtree guests Sims as well as Mictlan + Lazerbreak as Hand Over Fist to officially launch the Never Better Tour 09. The tour will be stopping by The Clubhouse Music Venue in Tempe this upcoming Wednesday the 11th and we've just add very special hometown AZ guests The Insects to the bill to make this very affordable all ages show all the more ill for you. Tickets are only $10 presale at Eastide Records (Tempe), Stinkweeds (Phoenix), and all valley Zia locations. Or you can click the flyer below or visit um.frontgatetickets.com to cop your online tickets.



You know i can't leave you without a few treats so I've decided to include the video for P.O.S.'s new single Drumroll. This video is intense and pulls you into it's grip before you even hear his first verse as he's huddled up for cover behind an abandoned car. Make sure to scroll through the rest of the videos to see the making of this video as well as special messages regarding the album straight from P.O.S. and the Rhymesayers camp.



Bonus!
Click the link below to download the single "Goodnight" off Never Better.

P.O.S. - Goodnight

Thursday, January 8, 2009

Pickster One - Live in Paris


As i had said in the previous post, the excitement of UM's newest endeavor "Downtime: a Night at The Lost Leaf with Pickster One" has completely engulfed our camp. Remember in the film "The Shining" how jack had been sitting at his desk typing the same words over and over.“All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.” The word "Downtime" has about the same frequency in our lives at this time, we just don't use typewriters anymore. Or show any signs of going mad with an axe anytime soon for that matter. Either way it's at the forefront of our minds and soon after you experience your first Tuesday night at The Lost Leaf I'm sure it'll be at the forefront of yours as well. However, as an American male living in this ad driven technological age I certainly know the value of a little prompting and coaxing. So let's say for some odd reason you've missed the constant communicative bombardment of promotional bulletins, comments, and updates being laid out for you every time you log onto your social network of choice. Let's say you haven't received enough flyer's for Downtime to make a paper mache battleship out of yet. Let us say, my friends, that you're just simply not 100% convinced that all work and no play will in fact make you a dull boy, or girl if that's what you are. Let us both pretend any or all of that is true and you need just a little more prompting. A bit more coaxing to come out next Tuesday. Then let me coax you with Pickster One's live instrumental mix recorded in Paris, France on Campus Radio 93.9 FM. You'll need no more my friend. This intricate mix is just a sketch of what you can expect from Downtime every other Tuesday at The Lost Leaf in Downtown Phoenix. This Pickster One mixture is one so involved that it sucks you into it's various moods over the course of the 46 tracks contained. I suggest listening to it while waiting for the first rail of the day to take you home after a night downtown at The Leaf with the clouds hanging low in the Phoenix sky. Or just anywhere else you may have a stereo i suppose. You'll be impressed either way. Enjoy.

Download: Pickster One Live in Paris, France







Bonus!
Since I included a very gratuitous Kubrick film reference
I figured I had better link to a scene.
Click the quote.




Wednesday, January 7, 2009

DOWNTIME - A NIGHT AT THE LOST LEAF WITH PICKSTER ONE AND FRIENDS


It seems that with each new year there is usually a noticeable amount of change in the air. Whether or not the previous 365 days lived up to expectations or beyond, the new year always seems to beckon a feeling that something big is on the horizon. This inevitably brings excitement, similar to the feeling of excitement upon receiving a big box of the most comfortable socks on earth. Well we here at Universatile Music did in fact feel the excitement of comfy new socks both literally, thanks to a big box of scion socks which are extremely comfy for some odd reason, and metaphorically in part because of our excitement about our first project of the new year...

UNIVERSATILE MUSIC PRESENTS:DOWNTIME


We've figured that over the course of the weekend, which we all know as Americans starts on Thursdays, you've indulged in constant over stimulation in some form or another to the point of melt down just before Monday creeps back around. So what do you do once you've made it through your mundane monday? Well I'll tell you. You put on your comfy socks to pad the blisters you got from dancing the past weekend and you get down to The Lost Leaf in beautiful Downtown Phoenix for a chill night of music, art, and drink with resident Downtime selector Pickster One of UM, Crusher Sound System, Blunt Club, Drunken Immortals, and TPMD fame playing Downtempo, Funk, Glitch, Jazz, Experimental, and Hip-Hop.

Now although Pickster himself promises that there's going to be "a relaxing vibe" in the air where you'll be able to have a conversation with the prettiest girl in the bar and save the grinding and yelling for later, you can expect things to get interesting when you throw live musicians into the equation. Being it that The Lost Leaf is a favorite hang out for many locally and nationally accomplished musicians, including the owner and staff, you can expect to find the best of the best joining forces with Pickster Uno every other tuesday. January 13th, our very first night, we've got Scott White of Crusher Sound System, Drunken Immortals, and The Threads playing various percussion and samplers. (and playing them very very well i might add)(very)

But wait, there's more. As I said this particular bar is a haven for talented musicians and artists alike. So it seems only right to include a man who's paintings you'll find on the walls. A man who you might find behind the bar some nights. And a man you'll find playing the acoustic upright bass with local jazz outfit Sonorus the rest of those nights. That man my friends is Mr. Tato Caraveo on the bass and any other stringed instrument he decides to strum, pluck, or bow. Yo.

Now I could go on about how to expect other guest musicians to take part in this event, but instead i'll change the subject. Lets talk about relaxation. Relaxation is a necessity in life, simple and plain. Collectively, we at both Universatile Music and The Lost Leaf feel that just like any necessity in life, relaxation should be free. That's why you'll never be charged a cover to come into Downtime at The Lost Leaf. That's right NO COVER for man and woman alike. As far as the relaxation supplements are concerned, The Leaf has an immense selection of beers from around the globe and back. If it's your first time, don't be shy, ask for a menu because it's easy to experience beer envy when you see someone drinking your favorite beer that you neglected to find at first glance. I should also add that there's no better way to justify drinking for your health then ordering a glass of wine or four off their equally impressive wine list. If the all the Sake, IPA's, and Pale Ales are too much for you, just stick with the good ol union made standards like PBR and Schlitz as you unwind before the onslaught of the rest of your week. Besides what could better prepare you for an onslaught than a strong beer.

The Lost Leaf is located in downtown Phoenix in heart of the art district on 5th Street just South of Roosevelt. I tell you this not because i don't think you're smart enough to see the address on the large flyer i posted above, but because i figure the extra directions might be needed seeing as how this particular bar only has an open sign in one front window of what looks like and in fact is a converted old house. Which is why I also tell you that if you click the link above you'll find a map. Now with all that knowledge, we're sure you won't have trouble finding your way to the very first DOWNTIME: A NIGHT AT THE LOST LEAF WITH PICKSTER ONE.

See you there Tuesday, January 13th. We'll all be wearing our comfy socks.

Tuesday, January 6, 2009

The Insects feat. Pep Love - Switch


Once in awhile a track will come along that stops a person where they stand. Usually in these situations the halt in activity is almost immediately followed by the scrunching of ones face, sort of like they smell poo, then the nodding of ones head repeatedly. Recently my man Foundation, of Drunken Immortals and The Insects fame, gave me a few of his new mixtapes that he had left over from a recent tour of Europe with (fellow Vinyl Rocker) Pickster One and 2mex. So as I was preparing a set of CDJ's a few nights later for the Wu Tang Clan's sound check, Pickster and I decided to pop them in for check. Well here's where it all ties in. After a few dry mic checks it came time to check the mic's with some music behind them. As soon as the music, which just happened to be the The Insects' track "Switch" from the upcoming album Gone started, heads turned, noses wrinkled, and heads began nodding in unison. Sometime after that Pep Love's voice came in with the first lines of the song and all around it looked like the imaginary shit smell heightened as the heads started banging so hard that i'm sure some cats needed to see a "massage therapist" later that night. Bottom line is, if Wu's camp is feeling it, I know each and every one of you will be getting massages soon from excessive head nodding. Keep an eye out for Foundation's upcoming mixtape release party and The Insects upcoming release Gone.

DOWNLOAD HERE:

The Insects (feat. Pep Love of the Hieroglyphics) - Switch


Bonus!
Try clicking the 2mex link for the infamous "Euef Dur Challenge" video from the 808 and Handshakes Tour of Europe last summer.
2mex+Pickster One+Foundation+
Sweaty Eggs = Fucking Hillarious!