Another reflection.

In mourning of Jun Seba's death celebration of his life, the official tribute album has been released.Taking a slight flip on the Modal Soul Classics namesake, the tracks here seem to primarily be by those Nujabes himself influenced, rather than songs and artists that influenced he. Amongst these tracks are covers and personalised tributes, including Five Deez remixing Latitude; one of my favourite beats by Nujabes. A highlight definitely has to be the Reflection Eternal cover by Clammbon - a Japanese group cited as one of Jun's influences in the first Modal Soul Classics (Folklore/Imaginary Folklore) returning to pay back their own respect. Not to mention the eye opener intro track by Pase Rock. Shivers down the spine, man.

http://www.mediafire.com/?01bk18laf229e3p
 

Was never sliced bread or the wheel reinvented

Just a couple kids with some dreams tryna kick it

A bit of everything

1) Eels are pretty swell guys.

2) This song would be the best commentary I've heard on the ..issue it talks about, if it didn't have that talking bit at the end. 

K'naan - Fatima

First few listens I just thought it was a funky song with an annoyingly catchy chorus. 

Then I paid attention.

I'll just say that listening to K'naan after a crap day or week always reminds me that there's a whole lot of other shit going down elsewhere that's much, much worse.

3) Josh is a hero.

http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=420369181699&subj=730051699

4) Fuck the system.

Looks like there won't be a FLOP, sorry guys. But nonetheless I'm still pretty damn happy with the result because:

a) With our FLOP DVD there are no restrictions

b) We have some damn good ideas

c) I'm still going to push for the graduation song and lap around the hall

d) They took out the FLOP to reduce truanting and so they won't have to deal with abuse from students/parents. I feel it is our duty to let them know that these problems will in fact be much worse now without the FLOP incentive. Let's have some fun these last few weeks.

e) Fuckin', vuvus.

It's the last term of highschool, guys. Let's fucking show everybody that we are the best grade out, and remind the rest of the school what it means to be in Fort Street. Yes, that means screwing around, but also destroying the HSC. So share those notes around, read over each others essays and bask in the glorious- BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Too much anger in the blog now

Not enough Cunninlynguists.

Damn! Miss ma'am with the mammary glands

To hug you from the back I'd need two extra hands

It goes; one for the student who refuses to submit...

So a letter from school came in this morning, thinly veiled as a 'final reminder' of the remaining events for the year. All I got from it were threats of expulsion should we "engage in unseemly conduct". Look at the picture above - that red square signifies where our FLOP should be. Sure, this shouldn't me news to me, but it irks me that the only communication we've had on this matter comes by way of indirect, one-way messages.

First time it was "We have cancelled the student review and - no questions at this moment, please" and we still haven't had that moment it seems.

She said we'd have 'student-run film festivals' but no mention of that here either.

Now she chooses to reassert her position through a subtle non-mention.

And check it, the best part comes later:

"The end of year celebrations for Year 12, 2004-2009 were most positive occasions and I am sure we can rely on Year 12, 2010 to continue this tradition."

Fuck that! What tradition are you talking about? 'Cause it sure as hell isn't the thirty-four year old one you've chosen to stop.

And for what reasons?

"Improperly close to the HSC", time that should be spent focusing on work/study? More time is going to be spent trying to get this bitch back on the road.

Tension built between the staff and students? Sexual tension, maybe.

I'd go on to debunk more of the reasons that've been put out, but I'm pretty sure these are all of them.

The FLOP was an integral part of the Year 12 leaving experience, one of the many reasons why I fucking love the Fort. It was a chance for the entire grade to get together and come up with something that best displays the traits the school says they want to instill in us: creativity with the videos, organisational skills to make sure everything gets done and teamwork to make sure it gets done smoothly. More than that, I believe that putting the FLOP together was when a yeargroup would really mesh together and find that harmony everybody searches for in highschool. Heck, it was even when the Year 12's got to get the farewell they damn well deserve.

Well that's my story for tonight. And no, this isn't just some weak armchair protesting shit, I'll hopefully be able to recycle some of this when Jacky and I have a chat with Moxy after trials - anybody else is welcome to join us. And if everything fails we still have Jacob/Will's idea where we all pull out vuvuzelas and drown out the final principal's address of our school career.

Blue Scholars - Commencement Day

And in other news, this is a sick graduation song.

I cannot fucking wait til' post-trials

Fuck, watching this again, I really want to go to a concert right about now. Such a great night. Next concert...Spit Syndicate the night before trials begin. Anybody going? I'm considering it now, it'll be worth putting in the extra work beforehand I reckon.

Either way, there's Phatchance on the Friday after trials finish. Then Felix's 18th the next day. Fuck I'm excited! I'll be pumping this song nonstop right after my last exam.

Spit Syndicate - Showtime (feat. Solo)
 

Shit, before I get caught up in all this excitement maybe I should start studying hey. Laaaaaame. 

 

Life is just a lie with an 'f' in it

Sage Francis - Li(f)e

Long time coming coming hey, I said I'd post this months ago when I first heard it. It's totes worth it but, don't you worry.

It's funny, the only issue I've ever had with Sage is with his beats and how they don't flow within an album. Now he's released something that sounds great musically and and it's with a production team full of indie rock bands that have never worked on a hip-hop record. Executive produced by Brian Deck (Modest Mouse, Iron & Wine), he also collaborates with Mark Linkous (Sparklehorse) (who I just found out had died 4 months ago - wtf??), Jason Lytle (Grandaddy), Chris Walla (Death Cab for Cutie) among many others. Yep, Sage Francis' sharp witticisms over live instrumentation from well established bands. It's great.

My personal favourite on the album is "Little Houdini", a story about a criminal who escapes prison to visit his parents one last time before they die. I'm sort of in love with this sentiment, the notion that the means will justify the ends and believing in your actions cause /you/ know it's right. So ignore all the bullshit from others and just do what you does. And hand me a pink slurpy while you're at it (in-jokes in a blog post?? disaster!). Nah but srz, great song.

"He had numerous convictions but none were as strong as this!"

"Best Of Times" is another solid song, a long-winded confession of his childhood with the help of French composer Yann Tiersen (man behind the Amelie soundtrack - second time this soundtrack crossed paths with my music haha). Totes quotable and shit.

"Pyromaniac, kleptomaniac, couldn't explain my desire to steal that fire"

Also one of the best lines I've heard is on "The Baby Stays":

"Come quick!

Think of a baby's name; she wanted to call it quits"

Download: http://www.mediafire.com/?jknlndk3vqo

There's no sun in the sky.

Haven't shown any love for this song yet on the blog for some reason, even forgot to include it in my winter playlist where it would have fit in perfectly.

The video for it is quite nauseating unfortunately. I'm posting it anyway though cause Amsterdam looks hella pretty and the record shop looks sick. And when it's not doing that annoying flicker thing it looks pretty cool. Download link for the song right here.

NIGHTMARE

It was period 6 and I was still on 6000 words with no reflection statement. Josh was being annoying and blocking my way to the library.

If you're reading this Josh I apologise in advance if there's still some residual animosity between us tomorrow, dreams are srz bznz for me.

Not so terrifying: woke up and found this

The Roots - How I Got Over
http://www.mediafire.com/?vz3mtejzumb

Guest verses by Blu, some left field collaborations and fuckin', The Roots. Nuff said.

And that's how you let the beat build!

Nyle - Let The Beat Build

Dudes acting like they street when they barely sidewalk

Just remembered this guy today. Pretty cool take on a Lil' Wayne song (read: a punch to his face), no doubt the better version. Btw make sure you watch it on a higher quality than the default one.

Another song worth a listen:

Samples, or rather interpolates Jack Johnson's "Breakdown" if it wasn't obvious enough. Other songs on his S'more album sample Lou Reed, The Flaming Lips and Saul Williams among a few others so check it out aye.

ahhh, only in japan

Luv (sic) pt. 2 - Nujabes feat. Shing02

"okay so i want you to run at the camera, in broad daylight, in the middle of the street"

"is that all?"

"what are you crazy? of course not, this is japan. you also have to pretend there's a steel bar lodged in your ass"

"..."

"oh and you there, lining up for the CVD support group. you have to do it shirtless"

And strangely enough the final product is just right for this fucking excellent song. Just listen to that beat. RIP Nujabes :'(

It's like the Devil in me, saw the God in you

Blue Scholars - Sagaba

I was whistling the shit out of this song for a solid week after I first heard it, haha.

 

She's got the gift of gravity pulling to ask her name

More info after the jump

Freakin' wanna see them live

Preferably with Heiruspecs as their live band, or heck, with the whole Rhymesayers roster coming along too.

From a head full of pressure rests the senses that I clutch

Made a date with divinity but she wouldn't let me fuck 

5ves

Been really into Heiruspecs and ArtOfficial lately, feeling the laid back live hip hop grooves. 5ves has been on repeat for the last few days and is the type of song which sticks in your head. Gotta love the starcraft shoutout too.

It's for the live shows

It's for the beats and

It's for the woman who sleeps under my sheets

It's for the energy that builds exponentially

It's for my friends who keep on re-inventing me

Heiruspecs-5ves

I ♥ Hip-Hop

Macklemore - I Said Hey



I don't care who are or where you're from or what you believe in
but if you love hip-hop I bet it's more or less for the same reason
This is it, when you spit you exist in that moment
and if you're sick with that gift then you rip it when you perform it
then all the shit that you've lived  begins to lift off your shoulders
and the audience will then get to experience where your soul is
The most amazing feeling rocking a crowd to your anthem
to the front to the back with their motherfucking hands up
'cause I'm an MC, won't be the first, won't be the last
just another b-boy and i'ma die in my stance.


Now you can get intricate displaying your fancy cadences
but if you're not speaking the truth you might as well not be saying shit!


And if you want to you can go and label me conscious
but just remember there's a kid at a bus stop beatboxin'
who's life will be affected by what's inside of his walkman. 

"Well I'm your typical hip-hop political figure/But I'm not left wing or right wing; I'm the middle finger"

Was listening to the Non-Prophets album while waiting for Li(f)e to download (Sage Francis' new album) when I heard this punchline. Daaaaaaaaaaamn. 

PS -will up said new album soon

New Shad!

So Canadian rapper Shad dropped his latest album "TSOL".  Just downloaded it so I haven't really had a good listen through yet which means nm reviewing here. But then again everything that comes out of this man's mouth is str8 fire; I wouldn't post an album if I didn't think it was quality, and I'm just so damn confident in this guy I can say that it won't disappoint even before I listen to it. Check out his two previous albums if you want clarification (When This Is Over and The Old Prince). I'll probably post those two later too since they're classics in my opinion.

Link + more after the jump

How did I only just see this?

'Just Dilla' Anniversary Edition T's by Well Dressed Vandals.

J Dilla aka Jay Dee aka James Dewitt Yancey. In commemorating the 4th year anniversary of his passing, Sydney fashion label Well Dressed Vandals released these Deelicious gems. Somebody grab me a white on purple please :3

For more on WDV:

http://www.welldressedvandals.com/

Haven't heard J Dilla? What are you doing on my blog!
Info on him after the jump...