GG DOOM Update. Grip Grand talks to #EDAS!

MF Doom, The Super Duper Villian

Bad news folks. After only a day or two of life for Grip Grand's newest, MF DOOM waged and won a battle, forcing a legal takedown of their unrequited collaboration, GG DOOM! But How?. I reached out to  the man himself to see what was up with the situation and I got a response later that day:

I'm in the hospital all week with my new (second) baby. It may be too late if your post is already up, but DOOM's people made me take down the album, so...my apologies. The videos are still on YouTube... for now. I expect they won't be for long. In the meantime, there's ten-plus years of other Grip Grand music to be found at www.gripgrand.com. Thanks again for the support and for listening to my music.

Peace and respect,
Grip Grand

This guy has nothing to apologize for other than being a class act and an incredibly talented artist. He's also smart... By producing both MF Doom Remixes and Babies, his catalog is diversified enough that the SuperVillian can't take it all away. Check out his robust vaults of music (I see you, Boner Jams '03) by clicking any underlined blue words in this post OR the pic of lil' Baby Grand #1 below. Once you are there, buy a bunch of his music to make sure Baby #2 gets to be put into a box full of records as well.

Baby Grand

GG DOOM - Genie in a Bottle

Cali producer Grip Grand remixes MF DOOM; Creates BandCamp Monster GG DOOM

I just came across this remix of one of my favorite all time rappers MF Doom. I don't know much about Bay-Area Producer, Grip Grand, other than he has a huge catalog and his beats are just insane. He puts Doom's cult underground-approved rhymestyle on top of old-fashioned jazzy loops. The combination is reminiscent of Handsome Boy Modeling School. GG DOOM is a great listen start to finish and it's available on a pay-what-you-want basis on his Bandcamp, shoot him some money for these dope remixes. Tons to like on this album but I'd have to say there is currently a tie for my favorite track between the third and fourth, Gonads and Bain de Soliel respectively. Listen to the rest of the album below, or by clicking Read More. 

GG DOOM (Grip Grand & MF DOOM) - Gonads

#EDAS Album Review: Dawes, Stories Don't End

by Justin (@justasstrazdin)

Label: HUB - April 9 2013

Artist-Fair Shopping: 256K MP3 or Vinyl

Style: California Rock (Ask a Journalist), Band Coming into Their Own (Ask Yourself), Tequila & Sunbeams/Gin & Raindrops

Audience: Campers, Sad Ex-Boyfriends, Girl Who Makes It to the Front of the Stage Every Time, Teens Dragged to an Eagles Reunion Wearing Headphones in the Parking Lot, Maybe My Dad

Better Tracks: Just beneath the Surface, Someone Will, Hey Lover

Taylor Goldsmith is a daring songwriter, which is to say that he writes some really dumb things and pulls them off most of the time; the lyrical equivalent of a daring circus act with the safety net retracted. See what I did, there? "I buckle in my seat belt and plug my headset in a chair/ And to the music, I watch flight attendants move/ They are pointing out the exits but it looks more like a prayer/ Or an ancient dance their bloodline reaches through." See what Goldsmith did there, on "From a Window Seat?" The success rate for lyrics like that probably rests below 5%, and to add to the risk, there's nutty 70's AM Gold leaning piano rock guiding it. And after a few listens, it totally works, and you're afraid to break up with the album once the summer's almost over.

The risk doesn't end there. Goldsmith wrote another old man song "Bear Witness" (preceded by North Hills' "Bedside Manner"), where he gambles with, "Is my granddaughter Ruthie still working at the movies?/ Does she still let all her boyfriends in for free?/ Does she still stare out of the front door as she's serving people popcorn/ And talk about how nice today was supposed to be?" Goldsmith is either a time traveler, or he sees things most of us don't, and is dedicated to writing them down. My hope is that Dawes keeps up their obsession with the past in crafting solid and risky new American rock, and that Taylor Goldsmith hooks up with Taylor Swift somehow and celebrity magazines can play with their names.

Technical Note: One detraction is that the bass in some of the mixes gets murky, which doesn't suit an album that leans toward a handful of purdy songs.

Verdict: Love It All Summer, Stay Friends in the Fall

Dawes - Someone Will

Happy Belated Record Store Day 2013

I hope that everyone survived Record Store Day. I'm sure someone got scratched fighting over the last copy of that Husker Du release. It didn't happen while I was shopping (though some guy got really bummed about it selling out), but I had my own adventure. My favorite part of this yearly retail event are the people and experiences along the way for everyone who seeks to flip through rows of records.

Earth Day 2013

"Only when the last tree has died 

and the last river been poisoned 

and the last fish been caught 

will we realize we cannot eat money" 

- Cree Indian Maxim

Happy Earth Day! From #EDAS

Thin Lizzy - Mama Nature Said