Beastie Boys (backed by The Roots)

The Beasties announced this week that their new album will be called Hot Sauce Committee. Sadly no release date was announced but their last rap album To The 5 Boroughs is one of my fave hip hop records of all time so I am excited.

Check out them playing a classic on Jimmy Fallon's chatshow this week. Backed by The Roots.

Mad Decent With Diplo

This year i've seen some good DJ sets. 2ManyDjs at Snowbombing reminded me how good the Belgian duo are. Benga Vs Skream in Berlin was special. The Count and Sinden killed it at the Camden Crawl.

But Diplo @ Bugged Out (and IN some car park) was unbelievably banging. Though he started with his tradmark Baille funk house sound the Baltimore boy swerved from the that path early on- playing a version of Smells Like Teen Spirit. Obviously he laid an M.I.A acapella on the top too.

Here are two highlights. This Booka Shade tune was played with the opening lines of N.E.R.D's Everybody Nose over the top. "All the girls standing in the line" etc...



And this was part of the hip hop finale. It's Diplo's own production for M.I.A with a sample of The Clash's Straight To Hell playing a key role. The pair wrote it to send up commercial hip hop- those gunshots and till registers in the chorus give it away. Yet the track was nominated for Best Song at the Grammys. This is the remix...



(FIND OUT ABOUT DIPLO AND DAVE TAYLOR'S NEW PROJECT MAJOR LAZER HERE)

Guernica

I've now seen this installation- which features a 1955 tapestry of Picasso's Guernica- twice at the Whitechapel Gallery.

It's 70 years since the original was in the same spot. It was shipped to East London to raise awareness of the Spanish Civil War by Labour and the trade union movement. The original entrance fee was a pair of boots to be sent to the frontline Republicans.

As the blue curtain backdrop suggests this recreation usually hangs in the United Nations headquarters in New York. Picasso's work was re-contextualised when Colin Powell covered it up before giving a press conference arguing for intervention in Iraq.

And the room it sits in for the next year- created by Polish artist Goshka Macuka- also showcases a statue of Powell, recent and archive press cuttings and related short films. It's a collision of art, history and politics which frame's Picasso's anti-war classic superbly.

Bugged Out! London

I'M GOING TO THIS. ARE YOU COMING?

Bank Holiday Sunday May 24th - Mad Decent & Crookers double bill!
Mad Decent presents Diplo, Fake Blood, Skream, Boy 8 Bit, Mumdance. Crookers presents Crookers & MC, Riva Starr, Hannah Holland, Nic Sarno.
Union Car Park, 29 Great Suffolk St, London SE1 (TICKETS HERE)

Chromeo Hit Yo Gabba Gabba

Dave 1 and P-Thug bring the funk to kids TV. And help stop Swine Flu and other diseases at the same time. What more do you want?

Eminem Relapse Review

A lot has happened in hip hop since Eminem’s last album came out five years ago. And a lot has happened in Shady’s personal life- with his best friend Proof shot dead the rapper became addicted to all manner of prescription pills. Hence the album’s overriding theme.

It’s a surprise then that two of the finest tracks on Relapse return to long time preoccupations- or as he calls Mariah Carey the 'permanant fixture in my lyrical mixture.' Bagpipes From Baghdad is the song that's been causing Nick Cannon sleepless nights but also the track where his rhymes sound most alive. On that song and Stay Wide Awake the Detroit native uses a new faster vocal style- which thankfully shies away from his high pitched whine used too frequently in recent years.

In My Mom he returns to his nightmare childhood and adds blame to his mother for recent drug problems. Em' is certainly self aware though and admits "I know you're probably tired of hearing about my mom," before faking a cry.

Eminem has toned nothing down- continuing his Christopher Reeve obsession, love of fart jokes and violent threats (on 3am). He also talks about being abused himself on the aptly titled Insane. The track makes uncomfortable listening as Marshall details child rape in forensic detail. It's like one of those documentaries about paedophiles which is nearly too hard to watch.

As on his last disc Encore Slim runs out of things to say on a few songs- particularly Must Be The Ganja and We Made You- resorting to celeb-baiting and vague threats. The thing is he still says nothing better than Lil Wayne, T.I or his protégé 50 Cent.

On production duties Dr Dre is back to his bass-bumping best- from the west coast piano tinkle on Crack' through the Scottish stomp of Bagpipes’ to Underground's off-kilter darkness. R&B and pop acts are sure to be knocking at the Doc's door soon.

The album peaks when Eminem is raw, open, honest and hurting. On Beautiful and Déjà Vu he is self-pitying but also at his confessional best. And while he never reaches the heights of his Marshall Mathers LP Relapse is enough to confirm the return of one of the most important MCs in the game.

A Bluebell-centric photo

Taken in a wood near St Albans on the May Bank Holiday.

mstrkrft ft John Legend- Heartbreaker

TURN YOUR SPEAKERS UP. This unlikely collabo might just be my tune of the summer. Love the euphoric house keys.

His name is Dizzee Diz

Awesome to see Dizzee on Jonathan Ross- he was very eloquent and well funny. Who was the last young credible British artist on that chat show? The only similar I can think of is Girls Aloud or Lily Allen- but they're tabloid darlings. I literally spat my beer out when he joked about his mum stabbing him- but then I was a bit pissed.

Also Bonkers is obviously brilliant. WATCH IT HERE

Speech Therapy

This week i've started to figure out what records i'll be listening to this Summer. Obviously Eminem, possibly The Maccabees, probably MSTRKRFT but definitely Speech Debelle.

The South London lady releases her debut album Speech Therapy on June 1 through the consistently class Ninja Tune/ Big Dada label. It's a very laid back and insightful hip hop record. Speech' is as honest as the best MCs around- Biggie, Jay, Dizzee- and has a flow reminiscent of early Estelle.

DOWNLOAD: SPEECH DEBELLE- DADDY'S LITTLE GIRL

Like label mate Roots Manuva her reference points are as British as cheese on toast too. It's an accomplished enjoyable album that proves UK hip hop isn't just about Chipmunk, Tinchy and (god forbid) Ironik. MYSPACE HERE

Paloma Faith

This is kinda the most obvious thing i've ever written on this blog but Paloma Faith is gonna be massive. Saw her support my mate Josh (see below) earlier this week and she's pretty brilliant and will inevitably be compared to Amy W while Pixie Lott is being lined up as the next Duffy. It's just how record labels work.

Paloma has a duet with Josh lined up for her debut album which is just brilliant. Check this video directed by Sophie Muller.

Dark Night Of The Soul

I spend late nights debating (with myself) who my favourite producer of all time is. There's Dre, Timbaland, Rick Rubin, even Liam Howlett. But certainly up there is Dangermouse (aka Brian Burton) who was responsible for two of the best albums of last year- from The Shortwave Set and Gnarls Barkley.

Plus he's unafraid to take risks. He mashed up The Beatles and Jigga on the Grey album created a conceptual masterpiece with Damon Albarn (Demon Days) and took Cee-Lo's mental health issues to number one (Crazy).

He's continued the risk taking with a new album-concept-project with Sparklehorse called Dark Night Of The Soul which will be released as a book and CD with images by David Lynch. Yes, David Lynch. The album also features The Flaming Lips, Julian Casablancas, Iggy Pop, Gruff Rhys and Suzanne Vega. WOW.

YOU CAN HEAR IT AT THE CHRYSALIS MUSIC BLOG

Fischerspooner Live

Heavy bank holioday weekend. It all kicked off on Friday at the Neon Noise Project at the Coronet with Sebastian, Yuksek and Fischerspooner. The above video gives an idea of the insane performance art that the duo provide.

Buy their great second album Odyssey if you don't know FS.