Gomorrah (Film 2008)

Set amidst the hustle of present day Italy, 'Gomorrah' is a sobering and realistic depiction of the Camorra criminal organization, whose influence on the city of Naples is still active and growing. The film avoids romanticized sentiments embedded in audiences familiar with 'The Godfather' franchise, and embraces the haunting grittiness of a society that is indistinguishably linked to the factions of a secret society that dates back to the early 1800's. 'Gomorrah's original medium was the novel written by Roberto Saviano, which was released in 2006. it has sold over 2 million copies in Italy alone and has been heralded by the Italian people for giving a determinedly clear and brash look into the inner-workings of the organization. Although he has been championed by many common folk, he has also been granted lifetime 24/7 police surveillance due to the bounty neapolitan Camorra bosses have placed on his life.  Silvio Berlusconi and other major Italian political figures have even gone as far as criticizing Saviano by calling his writings unpatriotic, a seeming reflection of Berlusconi's cooperation with organized crime. Director Matteo Garrone's vision illustrates a visceral descent exclusive to Naples that shocks and mystifies the audience through a minimal and subtly ornamental approach.  If you are looking for a hollywood style crime flick, than this film is not for you. However, if you don't mind a fully subtitled movie and enjoy authentic, modern and socially driven foreign films than do yourself a favor and check it out.

WFMU - 91.1 FM / An example of exceptional broadcasting.

Anyone living in the NJ/NY area needs to check out 91.1 fm radio. If you live west of 287 here in north Jersey, you will probably have trouble with the terrestrial broadcast. Refer to wfmu.org. This is the station for music lovers, one of todays dj's brought it from Bill Ward to Mad professor to Guilty Simpson. Amazingly eclectic and easy to reference as well. Each set is archived online and can be scanned tune by tune according to what track you are looking for while listening. This system is unrivaled by any other station I listen to. Do yourself a favor and check it out. By the way, todays dj's name was Duane and here is his whole set  www.wfmu.org/playlists/shows/44857   thanks Duane.

The Return of The Monarch of Neo-Soul/ D'Angelo is back!

According to the esotericism of those who study the ancient Mayan's celestial observations, 2012 is the year that mankind will face it's end. My opinion is that those observations were not anticipating total destruction for our race in the year 2012, but rather the return of a messiah who had gone into monasticism after the release of his groundbreaking and timeless album... Voodoo.

                                 



His name is D'Angelo, and he's back motherfuckers. I know I am a wee bit late with this news considering he started popping up around Europe in January/February this year doing live shows with as little as a few days notice before them, and with only a few days notice he still managed to sell-out each venue! That is the power of D. I think there is a reason D decided to reignite his career in europe, it may be because Europeans tend to have more respect and appreciation for those who possess real talent. This isn't a new thing. In post WWII America, a large number of Jazz artists decided to migrate their touring circuits to Europe. And why not? If you are not getting the respect you deserve for the cultural contribution you are producing within your own country, wouldn't you be pissed off? Unfortunately a lot of America's greatest talents still spend more time touring internationally. I am not speaking on behalf of the man, only speculating why he has set up no dates for here in the US as of yet. D'Angelo's music has inspired people and musicians from all different sectors, and it's no surprise he has collaborated with some of the greatest minds in the Hip Hop/Jazz/Soul scene including (off the top of my head) Charlie Hunter, Roy Hargrove, Questlove, Methodman and many others. I feel as though a lot of music that has been produced in the past decade has a real temporary vibe, not only has D proven that he can produce full masterpiece albums that echo the undying and classic spirit of artists like Stevie Wonder, Prince and Ray Charles; but he can also bring that same feel to a concert stage at the drop of a hat, demonstrating a finely tuned ability to control each dynamic within his band in a manner reminiscent of James Brown's performances. From what I have read, D has a new full length album in the works titled 'James River' of which a few tracks have slowly been leaked in the past few years. I think most of the tracks can be found at www.groooveshark.com but there has been no official confirmation these are in fact from his upcoming release. Judging by what has already been released as either bonus tracks or out-takes, I feel comfortable saying that many of these songs are probably from his new release. Its well known D suffered some health and legal problems during his sabbatical from the public eye, including his arrest after attempting to solicit sex from an undercover female officer in march of 2010. That being said, it looks like he is back in shape and sounding as soulful as ever. As soon as James River is properly introduced I will probably write a review about how great it is, but as for now please enjoy this great video of D'Angelo recorded this past winter. Truly beautiful.

Z.Z. Hill - I think I'd do it

I love coming home to a mail ordered package after work, the subject of today's arrival is a vinyl 45 by the artist Z.Z. Hill. The two songs featured on this 45 are titled "Second Chance" & "I think I'd do it" off of the album "The Brand New Z.Z. Hill". The main reason I purchased this 45 is for the latter tune's heavy breaks, big horns and deep southern soulful sound. 'Mankind' is the label under which the album was produced. A short lived subsidiary (1972-76) of Nashville based 'Nashboro' records, 'Mankind' was responsible for many of Z.Z.'s early recordings. Quin Ivy is credited for the production of this track which places a solid intent behind the driving rhythm of Lou Mullinex's drumming. Unfortunately, Z.Z. passed away at the ripe age of 48 in the year 1984 due to a heart attack following a car accident. To Z.Z., RIP. To the rest of yall, enjoy this down south dance-floor banger.

Welcome!

Hello, and welcome to my (grammatically challenged) blog. My main goal is to shed light on certain  aspects of music culture, audio gear, movies and all types of stuff I am interested in.  Any one who has spent time with me should know that I have been a strong enthusiast of the UK music scene for little over a year now. That being said, let me break ground with a new release from one of my favorite artists 'Zomby' 

For quite some time now, Zomby has been dropping his own brand of 'Eski-beat' style tracks on youtube. For anyone unfamiliar with the term 'Eski' ,  get up on your Wiley game. Wiley is a pioneer in the UK based style of hip-hop known as grime. The grime scene has subsequently developed throughout europe, and is now accessible in many languages.