What Cee be on... Richard Ashcroft

On the real, I've been to like 5 shows in the last couple weeks, with two more next week, and it just doesn't get old.

I was lucky enough to score free tickets to the 30 Seconds To Mars show on Wednesday, which was brilliant, and last night I also landed freebies to see Mr Richard Ashcroft and his new band, United Nations of Sound, live at Palace in Melbourne.

I've only been a Verve fan for the past couple years (serious #latepass, I know), but in that short time, 'The Drugs Don't Work' and 'Sonnet' became two of my favourite songs of all time. His new project, entirely produced by No ID, is brilliant, and it translated amazingly well live. Even though dude looks like a heroin addict, he put on a brilliant show, and the band were tight as hell.

Dude even managed to bang out some old Verve classics, knocking out 'Bittersweet Symphony' with the band about mid-way through (a song he rarely plays), and acoustic versions of 'The Drugs Don't Work' and 'Sonnet' during the encore. Goosebumps, yo.

The above track is one of my faves off the new album too.

Chromeo - Don't Turn The Lights On (audio)

Sometimes technology sucks ass. Like when I find the dope new video for Chromeo's second single off their new album, 'Don't Turn The Lights On', but there's forseeable way for me to share said video. So you're stuck with the audio for now.

Someone upload the damn thing to YouTube or Vimeo, please.

DOPE TUNE!

The Mitchell Brothers - Solemate

Shouts to Iyae for this one. I think it's better just to watch this and take it all in, so I'll just shut up. Awesomeness.

Bliss N Eso - Running On Air Documentary (Part 3)

Here's the final part to the Bliss N Eso 'Running On Air' doco. Really dope stuff. Make sure you cop the album, out this Friday! Tomorrow, actually.

Geko - Detonate Feat. Fluent Form & Raven (video)

The homie Raven hit me with this today. I been knew that this clip was happening, as a certain graf writer from the south east was giving Raven many a tip as to how to complete this video...

Anyway, check out the latest single from Geko's Crate Cartel Radio album, 'Detonate', featuring Fluent Form and Raven. It's a fucking banger; dope beat, hard rhymes (pause), just fresh Australian Hip Hop. Cop the album.

Lauryn Hill - Repercussions (audio)

It's always a good time for new Lauryn Hill music. Since the broad done went crazy, her output has been akin to that of D'Angelo post-coke binge.

This is the first new joint from Ms Hill in a hot minute and the shit is fresh. I really dig it. Can't wait to hear more from this ridiculously amazing artist, so long as she keeps her head together.

Model Feature - Jayde Elkington

The rumours definitely aren't true. New Zealand BEEN had hot chicks. Don't front.

The second model from our brethren over the Tasman is Miss Jayde Elkington, who was kind enough to chat to us about her modelling and hit y'all with some fresh flicks.

Cee: Whatʼs your name?
Jayde: Jayde Elizabeth Elkington

Cee: Where are you from?
Jayde: Nelson, New Zealand



Cee: How many years have you been modeling?
Jayde: I have been doing a bit of modeling for about five years now and have also been dancing since the age of six.

Cee: What are the misconceptions people commonly have about models that are untrue?
Jayde: One would be that they are very high maintenance which I think is untrue! Most models that I have met and worked with have been really laid back and down to earth.



Cee: What shows, videos, magazines, etc. have you been featured in?
Jayde: L'Oreal Talent Spotting, Remix Magazine, Images Magazine, Osprey Boats MTV, C4

Cee: What photographers have you worked with?
Jayde: Grant Stirling, Carly Ave, Daniel Allen, Glen Bisdee – all from Nelson, NZ, Angela Henderson, Lauretta Goode from Auckland, NZ.



Cee: What photographers would you like to work with?
Jayde: Would love to do some more work with Angela Henderson. She’s a great photographer, and very encouraging.

Cee: Can you describe the grind of a model trying to break into the industry?
Jayde: Learning to be able to handle rejection and to be persistent.



Cee: Any words for the ladies out there that have aspirations of entering the modeling industry?
Jayde: Always be yourself, stay strong and be confident.

Cee: What's your plans from here?
Jayde: Would love to go traveling overseas.



Cee: Hit us with your contact details for folks who want to see more!
Jayde: jayde_elkington@hotmail.com, Facebook

Nike Booty Ad

In the immortal words of Craig David, I am a Booty Man. So when I saw this ad, I lost my proverbial shit.

Too awesome. Much love to the ladies with ass. Be proud of it. Don't cover it up. Flaunt that shit.

P-Money - Falling Down ft. Milan Borich (video)

P-Money is definitely on that next right now. Dude always seems to come different (pause) on his own shit, and his latest single, 'Falling Down', doesn't stray from that path. Featuring vocalist Milan Borich, who's an old rocker from NZ, the clip is fairly epic and P's acting is awesome. Peep game.

Eminem and Rihanna - Love The Way You Lie (live in LA)

Once again, another reason why living in North America is the fucking shit.

Check out Rihanna's live show where she brings out surprise guest Eminem. 'Coz that would happen Down Under. Dopeness.

Oh and me and Notion went to the B.o.B gig in Melbourne last night. Wow. One of the illest shows I've ever seen. So much energy, awesome presence. Just pure showmanship. Dude is a superstar. He'll be playing arenas in a year if the universe is how it should be.

Tokyo Cigar Thoughts: Daredevil Born Again

DAREDEVIL “BORN AGAIN”


I had a conversation earlier with my boy Danimal ( whut up Playboy ) about the DVD series that DC comics have been releasing. At the end of the convo I stated how despite my tremendous respect for DC comics ( Batman is that DUDE ) , I’m always gonna be a Marvel. I wrote about Frank Miller in my last post for his work on “The dark Knight returns” ( shame on you if you haven’t experienced it yet ) because that is, simply put, the greatest graphic novel of all time to me……..even though I’m still a Marvel. My second favorite is another Frank Miller masterpiece. One he did for the house that Stan Lee built.

Daredevil was never a favorite of mine growing up. The stories just seemed too adult to my still developing young mind. If you told me my second favorite graphic novel would be a Daredevil story when I was a kid I would have looked at you like you were stupid ( I probably would have looked at you that way even if you told me something else, I was a real asshole as a kid ) TDKR had already introduced me to the concept of comics being more than just kid stuff, but Daredevil still didn’t grab me. I owned like one Daredevil comic growing up and I didn’t bother to catch the movie in theaters. About a year and a half ago I was online reading up on Frank Millers work to see what I hadn’t read yet and people kept on bringing up “Born Again” So I grabbed a copy and sat back. As I read it I caught the exact same feeling I had when I heard “Method man” for the first time. Which was “What the FUCK?!? This is incredible”


Maturity is a cool thing because it brings a whole new level of appreciation for certain things you just wouldn’t give too much of a fuck about as a kid. Daredevil seems to have always been intended for more older readers ( the character spends as much time working as a lawyer as he does kicking ass ) but when you mature and read it, it makes you feel like a kid again. The plot for “Born Again” revolves around Daredevil ( Matt Murdock ) being sold out by his ex girl Karen Page. Karen is a drug addicted, adult film star who sells Matt’s identity to a drug dealer for a fix. The info gets back to New York City’s top crime lord The Kingpin who has had beef with Daredevil for a long time. The villain discovering the hero’s identity thing has been done before but it usually turns into the villain fighting the hero at home rather than on the streets. What hit me about this is HOW the Kingpin attacks Murdock. He gets him disbarred, cleans out his bank accounts, strategically drives him mad from paranoia, turns him against his closet friends, THEN blows up his apartment. I’ve seen Superman get beaten to death by Doomsday, I’ve seen the Joker viciously murder Robin and his mother, hell, I’ve seen Magneto rip the skeleton out of Wolverine. None of them compared to what Kingpin put Daredevil through. Reading the story, I was like “DAMN!!!”

The art by David Mazzucchelli is very well done. Serving the story perfectly. I don’t find the artwork as mind blowing as works by Todd McFarlane, Norm Breyfogle or the almighty Jim Lee but it compliments the story better than I think even their fantastic talent could. The same way that the sound of “36 chambers” was nowhere near as polished as “The Chronic” but it was the PERFECT medium for the WU to do their thing on.

The magic in this is in the writing. Frank Miller outdid himself with the dialogue, both internal and between characters. If there ever was a comic that played out like a compelling movie, this is it. In one scene a man is murdered while a reporter listen’s in over the phone and the way the scene is set up and written is THE most nerve wracking moment in my comic reading history. The story is so good that I didn’t even notice that Daredevil was barely in costume for the entire duration. This is not a traditional superhero story. Rather than being amazed at feats of superhuman strength the most amazing thing in this is the triumph of the human spirit in the face of crushing adversity.

I recommend this book to anyone going through a hard time in life as it will make you wanna face your tormentor head on a punch him dead in the teeth, even if you don’t have a costume for fighting crime.

Bliss N Eso - Running On Air Documentary (Part 2)

As promised, here's the second part of the Bliss N Eso doco, "Running On Air". About to watch it now, looking forward to this one.

KillaQueenz - Break The Rules (video)

Sydney's KillaQueenz have been around for a minute. Myself and Revelino worked with the girls on our Soul District project back in 03/04, and it's great to see them making solid music, touring the country and of course, knocking out fresh videos.

Check out the visuals for single 'Break The Rules'. Dope video. Quality Australian Hip Hop. Big ups.

What Cee be on... Beirut

My cousin Mel put me onto these cats on the weekend, and I've been bumping this joint flat the fuck out since.

Beirut was the solo project of Zachary Francis Condon, which then morphed into a full on band. Their tunes are a mix of European styles with indie rock and pop. Mad unique and strangely addictive. Look em up. And you're welcome.

Fading Hour featuring The Movement Fam - Celestine (Remix) LIVE @ The Evelyn Hotel

Fading Hour are a prog rock band out of Melbourne, and their drummer, Chris Ferre, often rocks with us when we play live.

One of their tracks, 'Celestine', from their debut EP 'Beyond The Void', was so dope that myself, Notion and Bekah just had to jump on it. We recorded it at Wiseguy Studios, and this video was the first time we all performed it live. This was at the Evelyn Hotel on Saturday May 8th 2010.

Peep game...

Affion Crockett x Drake x Tim Westwood

Check out this Affion Crockett spoof of Drake freestyling on Tim Westwood's radio show in the UK. Shouts to the homie DJ Hyphen and his blog The Audacity of Dope for bringing this one to our attention. I'm gunna flip it around and give you the original video first, because you really need to watch it first.

Even the outtakes are hilarious.

Back - Altató /streetROYAL/

The homie Sima, a producer I manage out of Hungary, now has two beats out in his native land that have video clips. Fucking respect.

This joint is from Back, called 'Altató' (which means 'sleeping pills'), and it's a banger. Wish I knew what he was saying but the language sounds amazing over Sima's dope production. Certified banger.

Julian Smith - Techno Jeep (video)

This is some seriously creative shit. Watch it unfold...

What Cee be on... Alexisonfire

So y'all might have seen my City & Colour post recently. Dallas is the fucking man.

The band that brought him his fame, Alexisonfire, is my favourite band by far right now. I've heard them be described as emo, screamo, hard rock and hardcore. I have no idea, but there's some grinding guitars, guttural screams and Dallas' harmonics blending to make some amazing music.

Check my two fave joints; 'Young Cardinals' is the co-title track of their latest album 'Old Crows / Young Cardinals', while 'Boiled Frogs' is from their classic 'Crisis'. This shit is on repeat these days.



Boiled Frogs

Eternia & Moss | GOODBYE (video)

Now that At Last is finally out, Eternia is keeping the videos coming. Check out the dope joint for 'Goodbye', the first solo video off the LP.

Bliss N Eso - Running On Air Documentary (Part 1)

Without a doubt, Bliss N Eso have been the number one Hip Hop artists in the country for the last year or two (as Hilltop Hoods haven't had as much of a strong presence).

Their music is usually groundbreaking, their shows are incredible and the whole package is extremely well put together.

The boys returned to the lab to record their 4th studio album recently, and are dropping a 3 part doco to support it. Check out part 1.

While you're at it, check out their video for 'Down By The River', the first single off 'Running On Air'.

Mel Gibson Racist Rant RAP with Ras Kass (2010)

Wow. Amazingly hilarious. Ras sent this one through today, shit is GOLD.

The song is actually called 'Pussy From Behind' by Mad Max featuring Ras Kass. I don't even wanna speak on it, just watch and listen.

The Come Up Show.com Presents - Eternia (video)

Check out this great interview that The Come Up Show.com did with the homegirl Eternia as she speaks on her life, her faith and her new album with MoSS.

Masonic Monuments in Melbourne (video)

So yesterdays post inspired todays.

I've watched this video a few times already and it's really, really interesting. If you're in Melbourne, keep an eye out for different things throughout the city, coz there are SO many things that you don't notice unless you really pay attention.

And while I'm here, check the video of Lebron, Wade and Bosh getting welcomed to Miami.

Rick Ross feat Jay-Z - Free Mason (audio)

Aight, so this is some shit right here.

Rozay isn't the greatest artist. Yeah he's got some cool shit, but as an MC he's nothing special. That said, I don't really get all the hype leading up to his latest LP, 'Teflon Don', but this leak caught my attention, both for the title and the feature artist.

As much as Jay is slippin' these days, I HAD to hear what he had to say on a joint titled 'Free Mason', particularly after all the talk online about Jay's inclinations towards being part of the Illuminati (something I'm yet to make up my mind on). Oh and John Legend makes a DOPE cameo too.

I actually really like Jay's verse here. He addresses the rumours briefly here ('Bitch I said that I'm amazing, not a mason'), but I think I need to hear it a few more times. What y'all think?

Hectic Friday (Oscar Grant, Lebron and Rainbows)

Today there was so much shit going on that I thought it'd be simpler to wrap it all up in one special Hectic Friday post.

First up, the decision on the recent Oscar Grant murder trial was made today. Long story short, a white policeman shot a young black man point blank in front of a crowd at an Oakland BART station, and the cop got off on a couple years for 'involuntary manslaughter'. This case had serious race overtones, hence the uproar.

The worst part was that it happened on the same day as the Lebron announcement (see below) so half my Twitter feed was about a cop getting off for murdering a human, and the other was about an athlete deciding where to earn his billionth dollar.

Oscar Grant murder/verdict


And this Lebron shit has been wild. I'm not even really a huge sports fan but it was all over Twitter today so I couldn't avoid it.

My two cents: Players leave teams and get traded EVERY FUCKING YEAR. Yeah, the Cavs lost Lebron, but so what? Shit happens. Mike retired, too. Get over it. Good on him.

Lebron decision


That said, majority owner Dan Gilbert wrote a scathing public letter about Lebron's decision, saying such sore loser bullshit like "I PERSONALLY GUARANTEE THAT THE CLEVELAND CAVALIERS WILL WIN AN NBA CHAMPIONSHIP BEFORE THE SELF-TITLED FORMER 'KING' WINS ONE" and "You can take it to the bank." Wow. What a tool.


Majority owner Dan Gilbert's reaction


And to wrap up all this seriousness with some awesomeness, check out this video (if you haven't already seen it). Never seen a human so excited about a rainbow. And aside from the video hilarity, the description reads "It was rainbowing for at least an hour on January 8th 2010." I had no idea 'rainbowing' was an adjective.

Double Rainbow

Reflection Eternal - Ballad Of The Black Gold (video)

Reflection Eternal "Ballad of the Black Gold" from Sam Ellison on Vimeo.

Well if this isn't a timely single, I don't know what is.

Kweli has always been known for his relevant and 'conscious' subject matter, but this one really hits home. Right on the heels of the recent BP oil fiasco comes Reflection Eternal's latest single, 'Ballad of the Black Gold'. Some powerful imagery here, which tells the story much better than if it was a basic performance video. Brilliant.

What Cee be on... 30 Seconds To Mars

I'm not sure if I mentioned this before, but since I got into this rock/indie shit heavy, it's uber wicked coz I have no pretensions or prejudices about the artist or the music. So when I first put 30 Seconds To Mars on the iPod in the gym, I lost my SHIT. Their 'A Beautiful Lie' album blew my mind. And although I didn't enjoy their last two albums as much, they're still dope. Then dudes bagged em for the singer, Jared Leto, who apparently is an actor and the blonde dude who gets murked in Fight Club.

But fuck 'em.

These are my two fave joints; 'Valhalla' is by far my fave 30 Seconds joint, and it's just a b-side for some stupid reason, while the title track off their debut is heatrocks. Can't wait to see 'em live. Enjoy.

Valhalla


A Beautiful Lie

Big Bang Big Boom - Wall-Painted Animation by BLU

Wow. This is just some incredible stuff. I don't even want to know how long this took to make, but I'm glad somebody took the time.

BIG BAG BIG BOOM - the new wall-painted animation by BLU from blu on Vimeo.

How Girl Talk Avoids Sampling & Copyright Lawsuits (video)

I haven't watched this yet but this is riiiiight up our alley (pause).

For any artists out there who utilise samples in their music, this could be extremely useful information. Check the details:

Alex Kreit, Nancy Prager, Andre Smith, and DJ Spooky discuss the curious case of how Girl Talk has successfully utilized over 300 uncleared samples and somehow managed to avoid being sued by the copyright holders. A really interesting discussion for anyone involved in the creation of sample based music.

iPhone4 vs HTC Evo (video)

This is amazing. Wow. It reminds me of Tommy Gunnz' phone reading out his text messages.

"Now my goddamn cat is homeless. I am dead."

Go make yourself an amazing video.

Prince and Stevie Wonder Live?

I ain't even need to say anything here. Stevie Wonder gig. Prince comes out. They play 'Superstition'. WIN.

What Cee be on... City and Colour

I'm ALL about this dude right now (pause). After being put onto City & Colour earlier this year, I'd been a casual fan. My interest grew after discovering that Canadian Dallas Green, who essentially is City & Colour (based off his name - Dallas, City. Green, Colour. Genius), is also the singer for hardcore group Alexisonfire.

I found that even though I'm currently in possession of more music than I can cope with, I kept going back to City & Colour; the warm, heartfelt and often dark songs just resonated with me. Then this weekend I learned a bunch of the songs on guitar and now I'm officially obsessed. I even ordered a tshirt from their website.

Anyway, check the videos for two of my favourite City & Colour songs. The first is 'Coming Home', from his debut 'Somtimes', and the second is 'Sleeping Sickness' from the 'Bring Me Your Love' album. Enjoy.

The Movement Fam LIVE @ The Evelyn Hotel free mixtape

For those of y'all who have signed up to The Movement Fam eNewsletter (take a look to your right to get on that), y'all should already have downloaded the exclusive pre-release for our live mixtape, which we recorded at The Evelyn Hotel back in March. And now we're finally droppin' this thang.

This gig was our first live set in over a year, so it was a solid return to the stage for the whole Fam, and we decided to record it; and I'm really glad we did. We're truly happy with this project, expertly EQ'd by Notion, as it's a great reflection of where we're at musically right now, plus it's extra poignant as myself, Bekah and Notion are about to shoot off to Canada so this line up may not happen for a while after our goodbye gig.

So head on over to the new The Movement Fam Bandcamp page (shouts to Iyae for the dope header image) and cop the tape, as well as our older crew mixtapes such as The Valentine's Day series, our Kevin Nottingham Remix album and more.


Download The Movement Fam LIVE @ The Evelyn Hotel

The first official music vid shot on iPhone 4

This is some cool shit. As soon as the phone came out the box, these fellas shot the first official video to be completed entirely on the iPhone 4. The song itself isn't too bad, and the fellas ain't claiming it to be the best video either - just the first. Check it out...

Jazmine Sullivan - Holding You Down (video)

Jazmine is amazing. This is her new single, possibly. Or just a leak. Or a mixtape joint seeing as it borrows from Mary J. and Nas. Either way, the broad is the truth. Check it out.

Hősök - Aki Velünk... (music video)

So I have no idea what these cats are saying either, but this is produced by my homie Sima out of Hungary, and the beat is sick. Sima tells me that this joint is getting play on the music video channels and radio in his native land, which is great news. Check it out for the beat, if nothing else. Oh and if you're feeling it, get at me for production :)