Dancing in the Rain

This has been making the rounds of the blogosphere, and I think it's definitely worth watching. Just a video about 4 guys doing what they love in the rain. What struck me about this is the poetry of their unscripted movements. At its best, the four seem to be making fun of every law of physics. It's hard not to pick a favorite, and I think dude in the white shirt kills it, but combined their efforts are just mind blowing. The dancers get a strange mix of breaking and krumping going, with even a little ballet mix in, but whatever you call it, all I know is that there was beautiful art being made on that street corner in Oakland that day.

A Few More From The JamandaHalf Family

Gotta keep the posts coming. Here are jams that we've had sent in to us from all types of places lately. Keep them coming everyone. 

Anthem-Inception

One of JamandaHalf's favorite rappers, we have been lucky enough to see Anthem three different times-opening the March 3rd concert, flowing for what seemed like an eternity at the officially unofficial post show with music by Dougie Fresh and the Funky Bunch, and his "MTV Unplugged" like show at the Hip Kitty, a bar in Claremont. Anthem is not only a rapper with serious, serious flow, but he also has ingenious wordplay, a message, and is just an overall good dude. Prepping his new mixtape, hosted by DJ Whoo Kid, Anthem drops this short gem. Showing off a fire and confidence that was absent on some of his earlier tracks, Anthem will have my eternal respect for dropping "vuvuzela" on a track. Great little taste of what's coming from him. Follow Anthem on Twitter


 Anthem - Inception (Jamandahalf.com) by jamand1/2 

Windy City Gentleman-Good Old Friend

Windy City Gentleman is an LA based solo artist who contacted us a little while back. His debut album China White dropped recently, and I had a chance to check out this up and coming rocker. It's hard to put a finger on WCG's music. Mixing genres and effects, sometimes it might seem that his music is a little too scattered. But in reality,WCG is just showcasing his talent across different styles of music, not limiting himself to a particular sound. My favorite is the Eddie Vedder-esque "Good Old Friend." Heavy on folk, this jam is a great song to mellow to, and is the perfect track to reminisce about the past times. Check him out here. With his emails, WCG would end with a line that I loved, and wanted to share: Don't die with your music still in you. Haven't read truer words in the longest. Thanks for getting in touch with us WCG.

 Windy City Gentleman-Good Old Friend (jamandahalf.com) by jamand1/2

Jeff Spec-Clyde Stubblefield

Jeff Spec is a Vancouver based rapper that has been updating us on the moves he is making. He recently dropped this track (video here), and I'm feeling it. Over a pounding bass line, this track sounds almost as if Jeff and a band were playing it live in my headphones. With a old-school feel, Jeff Spec feels at home on this, and although it only clocks in at a short 2:26, the track perfectly captures a sound of an era while adding some modern touches. Check him out here.

 Jeff Specs-Clyde Stubblefield (Jamandahalf.com) by jamand1/2

Zion I & K. Flay: Coastin'

This track was sent to us by our good buddy, Johnny Kathmandu. Like his funky Nepalese/Belgian background, Johnny KTM's musical knowledge is diverse, and he keeps sending us juicer jams than the burgers at Island Vibe Hostel in Jbay . Zion I is one of the most underrated duos in the game right now. Consistently dropping quality songs, Zion I has on my radar since "Lose Your Head" had me going dumb a few years back. What has always impressed me about their music is their sonical diversity. While I originally pegged them as just another hyphie group, Zion I keeps bringing new sounds and styles to the table, include this jamandahalf, a fun and uplifting song about living too good. Loving this track right now.

 Zion I-Coastin' (jamandahalf.com) by jamand1/2

The Glowsticks-I'll Be There

I love hearing about what my friends are doing across the world, especially when they are doing big things...

My family and I moved to Abidjan, the capital of Cote d'Ivoire, before the start of my 8th grade year. That year made a huge impact on my life, although a coup d'etat cut short our stay. When I wasn't playing basketball, my best buddy at the time, Jono (aka Kasper tha Ghost), and I would make beats and lay verses on them, even making and selling a full album (maximum 3 albums sold). There was a strong musical streak at that our international school, and people got really into producing, rapping, and battling, getting funky on tracks with a mix of kids from all over. While I would make simple pre-installed loop based beats on our bootleg copy of Ejay, one buddy of mine would get nuts on his beats, incorporating instruments from his native Sudan with a complexity far beyond his years.

This friend, Osama, now better known as Verse-Atile, started off small, but over the years has continued to make music, and has expanded his talents and crossed over genres. Now based in Canada, Verse-Atile is part of the group The Glow Sticks (TGS), which has a dope single out (I'll Be There) to promote their new album. Incorporating a strong house feel, "I'll Be There" shows off Verse-Atile's ear for making a hit, and feels like it could keep clubs going from Abidjan to Toronto.

I had a chance to catch up with him recently, and asked him a few questions about The Glow Sticks and "I'll Be There":

Can you tell us a little about TGS. How did the two of you meet? What type of sound are you trying to capture?

The Glowsticks (TGS) is a group consisting of myself (producer-songwriter) and DarkAce (vocalist -songwriter). Originally I was DarkAce's producer for his solo project. During the process of producing and co-writing Ace's project, we realized that we are stronger as a duo.

I know for a while you were making more traditional hip-hop. How did that evolve to the sound in "I'll Be There?"

I started out as a hiphop and RnB producer, yet thanks to my frequent travels to Europe, I fell in love with House and Electro music, which then began to influence my style of production. I began mixing genres together to create more interesting beats that crossed genres. "I'll Be There" is more house influenced, but the rest of the TGS project is more mixed genre.

What are your plans for TGS? You have a dope single that people will probably love, what's your next move?

We have been working on other music and we now have over 8 songs fully finished and we are currently working on more. They will be cross genre with a lot of electro and house influence, and a touch of urban hiphop.

I know you've come a long way since our days of making beats on ejay. What's your process to making a song like I'll Be There?

I use a combination of tools to create beats based on what sound I want to achieve, everything from FL Studio to Logic and Protools. For TGS we play with different sounds and experiment with them in different styles until we are happy with the result.

I'll Be there by TGS (The Glowsticks) ">Download Here

 I'll Be there by TGS (The Glowsticks) 

Cunninlynguists-Mic Like A Memory

The stark honesty of this jamandahalf is almost unrivaled in any song I can think of. I'm going to admit right now, I've slept on Cunninlynguists something heavy. With a discography that seems like it's filled with introspective hip hop cased in a Southern shell, I feel like I should have been playing this group for years. My loss.

In this surprising jam off of their 2001 debut, Will Rap For Food, the trio from Lexington, Kentucky and Atlanta weave tales of self doubt, personal struggles with drugs and depression, and tragedy over a beat jazzier than Salt Lake City's finest. Mix in a Common sample, and you got a hard hitting tale that in the end manages to be inspiring. Kno (the group's producer) mixes in a trumpet loop that is both invigorating yet haunting, at the same time reflecting the song's dark tales while keeping its triumphant spirit. What "Mic Like A Memory" is all about is finding oneself, whether it be through your family, through your friends, or like Deacon's confessional verse, through music. With three heavy verses that show off lyrical dexterity, tight flows, and an honesty that is rare in modern music, Cunninlynguists show off the skills that you've either known for years, or like me, you've been sorely missing. 

 Cunninglynguists-Mic Like a Memory (http://jamandahalf.com) by jamand1/2 

Breathe Owl Breathe-Across the Loch

The guitar loop on this song has managed to creep itself deep into the crevices of my mind, popping up whenever it feels ready; in fact, this whole song has been on repeat in my brain. "Across the Loch" is a song which manages to perfectly capture every detail of the mood of a single line, "I was afraid of losing you." Its beat is almost haunting, a simple guitar loop on top of layers of other sounds, with a gruff electronic guitar riff every now and then disturbing its tranquility. There is something wholesome about the sound of Breathe Owl Breathe, something that manges to balance being extremely complex and unbelievably simple at the same time. Like Bon Iver's best songs (which plunge even deeper into simplicity), "Across the Loch" sounds as if it were inspired by wilderness, and the the Michigan based trio (made up of Micah Middaugh, Andrea Moreno-Beals, and Trevor Hobbs) have created a song that is impossible not to mellow too, and one that will do its best to take you to a simpler place.

Download Here

The Poppers

I've discovered new bands in a lot of ways-sometimes friends email me songs, other times my favorite blogs drop knowledge. The Poppers are the only band that I can say that I found looking for a church.

I was in Caceres, Spain for my orientation, and a few other language assistants and I decided to go have a beer after day 1 of our orientation. Caceres has an amazing old city-walking along its cobblestoned streets takes you back to medieval times, with incredibly large stork nests keeping sentry over its windy paths. Our group was headed home, but I wanted to see just a little bit more of the old town at night, especially the old church. After making it, we heard very loud and very live music bouncing off of its walls. Like a bum drawn to a warm fire, I was entranced, and immediately got to work convincing my sleepy group that checking out where music is coming from is always a good idea. We took a corner and stumbled upon a mini rock concert in a small plaza bordered by two churches. And that's how I discovered The Poppers. 

Hailing from Lisbon, Portugal, the Poppers have a sound that reminds me quite a bit of Franz Ferdinand mixed with a little White Stripes. While I'm not the biggest fan of the genre, the Poppers played with an unyielding relentless energy, as if they were convinced that every fan had to walk out of the small show saying to themselves, "man, that was good." And that's what we all did. Their lead singer (second from the left) has some serious star power, and had some die-hard fans in the front singing along to each word. For the majority of us, it was impossible to not bob our heads to their furious pace of their music and be immensely impressed. 

 The Poppers by jamand1/2 

The Great Jamandahalf Blackout

As promised, to try and make up for our downtime, here are videos I discovered during the Great JamandaHalf Blackout of 2010.

Coachelleta

This could be the craziest video I've ever seen-it looks like a cross between the wildest claymation ever created, and the Sims 5: Coachella Edition. Taken during Coachella this year, and using an effect known as tilt-motion, the video really captures the whole feel of the incredible festival, from the people celebrating just being at the festival, to the waiting on the grass, the energy of the shows, to the at-times bizarre juxtaposition of the art exhibitions with the green grass and desert night sky. While it all felt so normal then, looking back at it makes me realize how strange it really was. Strangely magical. (Watch in full screen HD for the best effect)

Phish Shreds

While Moodawg has opened my mind to some really great genres and bands that I never would have heard or liked otherwise, he's never been able to get me to fully appreciate jam bands and their 15 minute long instrumental movements that take longer to finish than AMitch brushing his teeth. It's a mental blockade I got, an impatience that won't let me fully appreciate a Grateful Dead show. I've tried, trust me, and have sat through many Dead Shows on dvd and vhs at strange hours of the night. So although I realize that musically bands like the Dead and Phish are incredible, they're just not me. And that's why I think this video, one of a series where this guy makes legends of music sound really really off, is hilarious.

WebsiteandaHalf-Tiny Desk Concerts

Thanks for sticking with us guys. The past few days typing in JamandaHalf.com probably did not bring you the soothing site of an elephant wearing headphones, but instead brought up an ugly GoDaddy screen or a load error. Moose always calls me a hacker, but this time the hacking got the best of the site, and it took five calls to GoDaddy to get all the pipes of the internet back in order. But, gone forever is any mention of blogspot and also now you should see our logo appearing as your favicon. Cool, eh? To make up for it, here are two posts...

This newest WebsiteandaHalf looks like the ultimate job perk. Every three days or so, a dope artist or band comes through the offices of NPR Music, and plays a live show on the desk of All Songs Considered Host Bob Boilen. Workers and friends crowd the room, aching to hear their old and new favorites play in probably the smallest venue they will ever see them in. I'm not sure how I found out about this great site, but man, I've heard everything from awesome go-go to rugged folk on there. And all the concerts have a video of the show and some of them even have a downloadable mp3 of the songs. The series started in April 2008, and was sporadic at first, featuring mainly artists I have never heard of. But the series began to pick up steam, especially this year, and has featured personal favorites The Tallest Man on Earth, Ed Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, and Jimmy Cliff, along with other big names like Phoenix. It's a great way to find new music and see artists you love, or discover the next contender to dominate your Ipod, in an intimate and stripped down environment. With no flashy lights, crazy stages, or smoke to hide behind, you see the artists as they really are. When they sound good playing on a desk, it's probably because they are good. Enjoy and welcome back.

Download the Ed Sharpe Show

The Kinks - Waterloo Sunset & Strangers

These days The Kinks just dont get love like they should.  Now I apologize to all you cats who have been round the block and all the old folks that read this, cause you already know.  But to the youths.  Youre missin it.  Youre hearin them but your not listenin.  Brushing them off because they only play 2 Kinks songs on the radio, and no doubt, Ill be the first to admit that if I hear You Really Got Me again I may try to take my own life.  But The Kinks are a classic Rock and Roll band, and their list of jams is deep...real deep.  Strangers, A Well Respected Man, I Gotta Move, Long Tall Shorty, the list goes and goes.

But while the songs can stand alone, their reputation needs context in the minds of the kids.  The Kinks were one of the most progressive bands in Rock, and really just music.  The band came up out of North London in the 60s, formed by brothers Ray and Dave Davies, and these dudes listened to a lot of music.  Rhythm and blues, folk, country, and Im sure many others.  Today we can all recognize these as the origins of Rock and Roll music, but back then white people didnt catch on real fast.  The Kinks first album came out in '64 and actually sounded like Rock music, relatively speaking of course.  Covers of songs by Chuck Berry and Bo Diddley, and heavy, raw, guitar sections, and flavor, lots of flavor.  This is the same year The Beatles were making songs like this.  Feel me?  But while The Kinks were some of the first gringos to get it rockin their sound evolved as well, moving to harder rock (thickly reflected in the punk movement), then to a more lyrically oriented style melding folk with classical English music hall (influencing everyone from the Door and Jefferson Airplane to The Who), then on to a few weird but revolutionary theatrical albums, and a whole lot of other twists too.

Their style holds some kind of bridge, between what Rock was before the 60s and what we have come to recognize it as now.  Its not something that I can put into words but you can hear it in their sound.  Ive only got a few choice jams here just to show you some range.  The super jam that youve prolly heard but I couldnt not put up is Waterloo Sunset.  It captures a scene of paradise as the sun goes down over the river Thames in London.  To musically convey the sentimental beauty and peace of the setting sun is all you have to do to make an incredible song.  It kind of reminds me of Crimson and Clover by Tommy James and the Shondells which came out the following year in 1968.  Strangers is one of my favorite songs they do, its kind of my anthem for when Im strugglin on my own.  Check the lyrics for sure as you listen.  Yo and finally I put in a video of some old school Kinks.  Long Tall Shorty is that original harder sound and check out how much people used to love it.  You should too.  Enjoy and do yourself a favor and look into the other million songs the Kinks made.

Moose

 Waterloo Sunset by MooDawg 

 Strangers by MooDawg 

Andre 3Stacks-The Most Mysterious Man In Music

Any long time reader of this blog will know of our love of Outkast. From "Player's Ball" to "Shine Blockas," Outkast (it will forever be Outkast) jams have always found their way onto our playlists and these pages. I think quality has something to do with it. Outkast is probably the most consistent rap group of all time, and despite not having put out an album in seven years, the two have commanded an permanent place on the music scene that is almost unheard of. Big Boi, after years of false starts and label squabbles, put out arguably (and I'm arguing) the best rap album of the year. By far. And 3000 has turned into a hermit, living underground like a Chilean miner, emerging from time to time, but unlike the 33 brave souls, has decided that the light is too bright, and takes that lunar capsule back underground.

From time to time though, Andre decides to bless a track with some magic. Although some of his choices may never be explained (Ciara? Really?), 3000 returns every few months, perhaps trying to prove that he still has it. Maybe he gets bored doing whatever he's doing. Maybe he's recording nonstop but is tired of the limelight. Whatever his reason may be, Dre comes back and in one verse remind us that he is the best rapper alive. These three verses, from three different songs which have leaked/been recently in the past few months, prove that.

Chris Brown-Deuces Remix (Feat. Kanye West, Drake, Andre 3000)

The most recent Dre verse, on the star studded remix to a Chris Brown song, is like having a burrito from Santana's after being away from California for a while. Dre's verse both reminds you of what you've been missing, and how great a Dre verse is. On his minute long verse, an eternity these days, Dre does what he does best, tells stories. Commanding the sparse beat with his flow, Dre's continuously changing rhyme pattern is an exhibit in Hip Hop 101. On this one verse, 3Stacks proves that he's still light years ahead of everyone.

Andre 3000 Deuces Remix Verse (http://jamandahalf.com) by jamand1/2

Lookin' 4 Ya

On a track that was supposed to be on Big Boi's album, Dre spits a light hearted verse that still manages to school most new rap. Some label bullshit: Big Boi signed to Def Jam to release his first solo album because Outkast's longtime label, Arista, felt his aforementioned debut album was too artsy. Dre was supposed to be on a few tracks, but because having the two on a track would make it an "Outkast" track, which Arista "owns," Big Boi had to scratch jams like this one, and a classic like that one. Luckily for us, a fairy "leaked" this song, and the two sound so good together, it makes a man wonder why they don't go independent and pull a Radiohead. With such a devoted following and longstanding presence on the scene, Outkast could easily pull it off, and could lead a revolution that could shake the music industry. I'm down.

Andre 3000 Lookin 4 Ya Verse (http://jamandahalf.com) by jamand1/2

I Do

This track, rumored to be a verse from Young Jeezy's oft delayed TM103, sounds like vintage Dre. A verse about a "heavy praying woman," "I Do" feels almost like an "International Players Anthem Pt. 2." Dre's ability to switch his flow to match any beat is evident, as well as making rapping about anything seem cool, even having a nerdy daughter that "loves books, and cooks, and looks, just like you."

Andre 3000-I Do (http://jamandahalf.com) by jamand1/2

Like Dave Chappelle's spot as the funniest man alive is his until someone takes it (John Stewart is creeping fast), Andre's spot is there waiting for him. But he doesn't take it. But to keep us wanting more, he drops gems like these three. Dre is my favorite rapper of all time, and until someone takes his crown, he's the best rapper alive.