Hot Chip | So Deep
As if I needed another reason to rave about Hot Chip, I ran across two new tracks of theirs just a few minutes ago. Both tracks are apparently from a limited EP that was given to the first 200 people to arrive at a recent London gig. Thanks to the intarwebs, however, a lot more than 200 people are going to hear these tracks, and thank God for that. Not to play favorites, but you really, really need to hear “So Deep”, the EP opener. “So Deep” is Hot Chip at their best, a steamy, creepy slice of killer electro-funk. No word on whether or not these tracks will appear on the duo’s upcoming Made In The Dark, but we can always hope, right?
[From the Normal EP, which you’re probably not going to get a hold of]
On a totally unrelated note, you can stream Ghost’s new album, The Big Doe Rehab in it’s entirety right here.
A Tribe Called Quest | Butter
I’m not sure why, but I’ve been really into The Low End Theory lately. It’s pretty hard to believe it’s sixteen years old now.
A Tribe Called Quest – Butter.mp3
[From The Low End Theory, released 1991 on Jive]
Ghostface Killah | Shakey Dog
It’s already September, and we still don’t have an ’07 hip-hop album to match last year’s Fishscale. But with lyrics like this, how could we?
Baby Elephant | If You Don’t Wanna Dance
After I struck out with over half a dozen hip-hop records, I was starting to think I’d lost interest in the genre. For someone who listens to music almost every waking hour of their life, that’s a pretty good deal. Luckily for me, it turns out I was just listening to crap hip-hop. How did I figure that out? I listened to good hip-hop; Baby Elephant’s new record, Turn My Teeth Up! Actually, calling this good hi-hop might be a little misleading; it’s actually great funk-infused hip-hop.
If you look at the photo above, it’s pretty easy to see that Baby Elephant have got their priorities straight when it comes to influences. Best of all, a few of those influences make an appearance on Teeth, in the flesh. I won’t spoil it for you, but be prepared for some surprises.
Baby Elephant – If You Don’t Wanna Dance.mp3
[From Turn My Teeth Up, due September 11th, on Godforsaken Music]
Kid Sister | Pro Nails
I know I’m a little late to the party on this one, but here’s Pro Nails, a great track from one of the most promising young rappers I’ve heard in a long time. Kid Sister, with the help of her brother, Flosstradamus, hit the blogs a few months ago, resulting in a well-deserved popularity boost. Though this track is produced by A-Trak (Kanye West’s DJ, for those not in the know), this version is Kanye-free, just as God intended hip-hop to be.
Shameless Complacency 