Long overdue...

Aesop Rock - Fast Cars, Danger, Fire and Knives
New EP from one of my favourite MCs and proof that Def Jux still know what they are doing. Short and sweet, I really wish more hip hop artists would learn that less is more and maybe releasing bloated albums full of skits is annoying. This one comes with a book containing lyrics from all of previous albums, I'd like to say this offers some insight into his lyrics, but frankly it makes things even more confusing. Consider the following line chosen at random:

I work with the builders, widdle my gorilla military and fizzle 'em through the vigilante filters

Eh? Still if you just settle down and listen to his flow without worrying about the any meaning it's all rather good, and the production work is excellent too.

MP3: Zodiaccupuncture

Amon Tobin - Chaos Theory: Splinter Cell 3 Soundtrack
Amon Tobin has always made very cinematic music that cries out for visuals so it was only a matter of time before he made a soundtrack to something more tangible than his own imagination. Quite nice to see though that rather than soundtrack a film he was approached to soundtrack a videogame, hopefully this will mean videogames being taken a bit more seriously as a form of entertainment (So hopes Mr five games consoles in active duty). In the game Splinter Cell you play a shady character called Sam Fisher, the games emphasis is on stealth so demands a very atmospheric soundtrack. Amon Tobin provides this atmosphere in spades and also some more frantic moments which I assume are for the more action orientated moments. It will be interesting to see how this soundtrack works with the game...

MP3: Theme From Battery

Boom Bip - Blue Eyed in the Red Room
Boom Bip is a producer who seems to get associated with the left-field hip-hop collective Anticon probably for his collaboration with Dose One. This album isn't hip-hop at all really: no MCs, tons of live instrumentation to be honest a lot of it reminds me of the sort of thing people like Godspeed! You Black Emporer would do, dare I say it? Post-Rock?

MP3: The Matter (Of Our Discussion)

The Dresden Dolls - The Dresden Dolls
Punk Rock Cabaret Duo anyone? Well they wear alot of make up and are supporting Nine Inch Nails when they play in London at the end of March. They have a refreshingly bare lineup: piano, vocal, drums and no they do not sound like bloody Keane! Everthing is raw, stripped down to the bare essentials. It helps that they have a fantastic singer. Special mention must go to the song Coin Operated Boy which goes down in my book as one of the sweetest songs I've ever heard, but I can be a soppy old fart when I want to.

MP3: Coin Operated Boy

LCD Soundsystem - LCD Soundsystem
If you have been anywhere near an mp3 blog over the past few months you will know all about this band. LCD Soundsystem make punky dance music with emphasis on dance, dance music that you don't have to be off your head on Es to enjoy.

MP3: Tribulations

M83 - Before the Dawn Heals Us
M83 are a french band who on there first album made big epic indie songs using banks of what must be officially big epic synthesisers. On the follow up album they've introduced started to offically rock! What I mean is there songs now have guitars and very very loud drums in places. It does get a prog rock in places, but when they are on form they make some of the most awe inspiring and occasionally bloody terrifying music (case in point: Car Crash Terror) I own.

MP3: Car Chase Terror

Mogwai - Government Commissions: BBC Sessions 1996-2004
I've seen Mogwai play live a couple of times, the most memorable was at Glastonbury - watching them blaze through My Father My King (there fun-filled 20 minute version of a Jewish Prayer) in front of a slightly stunned looking crowd as the sun came up and dried the rain from us all rates pretty close to a spiritual moment for a heathen like me. This disc is probably as close as you can get to Mogwai live

MP3: Hunted by a Freak

Sage Francis - A Healthy Distrust
It's late, and I'm too tired to write anymore, so I'm going to go the lazy route. Sage Francis is the Henry Rollins of Hip Hop.

MP3: Escape Artist