Rathbone

Joey Bada$$, a Brooklyn teenager with a tenaciously infectious...

Fri, 24 Feb 2012 16:45:32 -0500

Joey Bada$$, a Brooklyn teenager with a tenaciously infectious flow, just dropped this yesterday. He has a project coming out late March, and with a cosign from Big KRIT, he seems to be turning heads. I love his punchlines and his assonance seems really fluid and natural, like someone who has been rapping for years and years. Keep an eye out for this tape.

This was released by the guys over at BadBadNotGood today, an...

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 16:16:16 -0500

This was released by the guys over at BadBadNotGood today, an interpretation/cover/what have you of Tyler the Creator and Earl Sweatshirt’s “Orange Juice,” recorded over Gucci Mane and Bangladesh’s “Lemonade.” Tyler has worked with these guys in the past, and this is probably just a release from those sessions. I personally love BBNG and you can download their tapes/learn more about them here. Also, #FreeEarl. And Casey Anthony I guess, as Tyler suggests.

Until next time,
Zahara Desert

Two Treatises on Lana-ness

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 23:43:23 -0500

Lana Del Rey is, in all likelihood, the most divisive figure in pop right now. Everyone has their own question about this enigmatic, mysterious woman who looks like she just hopped out of 1964 with cigarette in mouth and middle finger high. We all want to know: How much autotune/voice altering is she using? What’s her real name? Did she have a lip job? Most importantly: Is she single?

There are a million schools of thought on this songstress. I’ll offer two.

We can look at Lana as a manufactured label-slave. She absolutely bombed her SNL performance (if you haven’t seen/heard this, check it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2I62I3r2f-8) and that left a lot of people thinking she can’t sing. The whole mystery behind her: could it be because she just isn’t that interesting? Not to mention the fact that her lips are obnoxiously large to some people.

Or, we could look at her in a more favorable light. In perusing other live shots, she seems to have real nerves performing in front of crowds. Does she sound identical on record as live? No, but she CAN sing. She is a pretty talented songwriter, and her style is a really refreshing bridge between the sultry and the haunting. She linked up with Emile Haynie of Kid Cudi production fame, and he’s quite the talented producer/A&R presence. Plus, she’s drop-dead fantastically gorgeous.

I tend to agree with the second opinion here. If she does use voice-improving effects on record, this isn’t exactly something groundbreaking in pop these days. Lana will never have the weirdness of a Gaga or Katy Perry, or the sheer vocal fortitude of an Adele, but she does have a compelling storytelling songwriting style with a very sensual voice that teeters between girl-next-door and ethereal songstress.

For what it’s worth, I have listened through her album, Born to Die (dropping January 31st - no, I’m not posting a download link, piracy is bad!), and it is fantastic. Emile takes the production to the next level - a hard-hitting, yet light orchestral style pervades the album. Let’s let the music speak for itself. I beg of you, please just give her a chance. She will not disappoint you.

Until next time,
- Zahara Desert

P.S. Lana, you heard right! I like bad girls! If you’re ever in Boston feel free to hang out! I’m fine with being awkwardly friendzoned!

Bruce Springsteen coming your way!

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 17:14:00 -0500

For fans of “the Boss,” check out the news article I borrowed from brucespringsteen.net below. I am really excited for this, especially because he will be in Boston ON my birthday! I NEED to go! The only downfall is that the late and great “Big Man,” Clarence Clemons won’t be there. Hopefully, Bruce will still be able to pour his heart and soul into his live show, like usual.

Anyway, check it out:

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN AND THE E STREET BAND ANNOUNCE FIRST US LEG OF 2012 ‘WRECKING BALL’ WORLD TOUR
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band launch the first US leg of the 2012 ‘Wrecking Ball’ World Tour on March 18 in Atlanta. Bruce Springsteen’s 17th studio album ‘Wrecking Ball’ will be released on Columbia Records on March 6.

“We Take Care Of Our Own,” the album’s first single,’ is “classic Springsteen” with “anguish and challenge [that] run thick and fast” (Rolling Stone); a “richly orchestrated Wall of Sound… that nods to the ‘Born to Run’ era” (Billboard).

The E Street Band’s members are: Roy Bittan - piano, synthesizer; Nils Lofgren - guitar, vocals; Patti Scialfa - guitar, vocals; Garry Tallent - bass guitar; Stevie Van Zandt - guitar, vocals; and Max Weinberg - drums; with Soozie Tyrell - violin, guitar, vocals and Charlie Giordano - keyboards.

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band 2012 Tour Dates:

US Tour Dates
March 18 - Atlanta, GA - Philips Arena (on sale Feb 4)
March 19 - Greensboro, NC - Greensboro Coliseum (on sale Feb 3)
March 23 - Tampa, FL - Tampa Bay Times Forum (on sale Jan 28)
March 26 - Boston, MA - TD Garden (on sale Jan 28)
March 28 - Philadelphia, PA - Wells Fargo Center (on sale Jan 28)
March 29 - Philadelphia, PA - Wells Fargo Center (on sale Jan 28)
April 1 - Washington, DC - Verizon Center (on sale Jan 28)
April 3 - East Rutherford, NJ - Izod Center (on sale Jan 27)
April 4 - East Rutherford, NJ - Izod Center (on sale Jan 27)
April 6 - New York, NY - Madison Square Garden (on sale Jan 27)
April 9 - New York, NY - Madison Square Garden (on sale Jan 27)
April 12 - Detroit, MI - The Palace of Auburn Hills (on sale Jan 28)
April 13 - Buffalo, NY - First Niagara Center (on sale Jan 28)
April 16 - Albany, NY - Times Union Center (on sale Jan 28)
April 17 - Cleveland, OH - Quicken Loans Arena (on sale Jan 28)
April 24 - San Jose, CA - HP Pavilion (on sale Feb 3)
April 26 - Los Angeles, CA - Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena (on sale Feb 3)
April 29 - New Orleans, LA - New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival (on sale now)
May 2 - Newark, NJ - Prudential Center (on sale Jan 27)

European Tour Dates
May 13 - Seville, Spain - Estadio Olimpico (on sale now)
May 17 - Barcelona, Spain - Estadio Olimpico Lluis (on sale now)
May 18 - Barcelona, Spain - Estadio Olimpico Lluis (on sale now)
May 25 - Frankfurt, Germany - Commerzbank Arena (on sale now)
May 27 - Cologne, Germany - RheinEnergieStadion (on sale now)
May 28 - Landgraaf, Netherlands - Pinkpop (on sale 3 March)
May 30 - Berlin, Germany - Olympia Stadion (on sale now)
June 2 - San Sebastian, Spain - Estadio Anoeta (on sale now)
June 3 - Lisbon, Portugal - Rock in Lisbon (on sale now)
June 7 - Milan, Italy - Stadio Meaza (on sale now)
June 10 - Florence, Italy - Stadio Francesco (on sale now)
June 11 - Trieste, Italy - Stadio Trieste (on sale now)
June 17 - Madrid, Spain - Estadio Santago Bernabu (on sale now)
June 19 - Montpellier, France - Park & Suites Arena (on sale now)
June 21 - Sunderland, UK - Stadium of Light (on sale now)
June 22 - Manchester, UK - Etihad Stadium (on sale now)
June 24 - Isle of Wight, UK - Isle of Wight Festival (on sale now)
July 4 - Paris, France - Bercy (on sale now)
July 5 - Paris, France - Bercy (on sale now)
July 7 - Roskilde, Denmark - Roskilde Festival (on sale now)
July 9 - Zurich, Switzerland - Stadium Letzigrund (on sale now)
July 11 - Prague, Czech Republic - Synot Tip Arena (on sale now)
July 12 - Vienna, Austria - Ernst Happel Stadium (on sale now)
July 14 - London, UK - Hard Rock Calling (on sale now)
July 17 - Dublin, Ireland - RDS (on sale now)
July 18 - Dublin, Ireland - RDS (on sale now)
July 21 - Oslo, Norway - Valle Hoven (on sale now)
July 23 - Bergen, Norway - Koengen (on sale now)
July 24 - Bergen, Norway - Koengen (on sale now)
July 27 - Gothenberg, Sweden - Ullevi (on sale now)
July 28 - Gothenberg, Sweden - Ullevi (on sale now)
July 31 - Helsinki, Finland - Olympic Stadium (on sale now)

- Radio’s Tim Shaw

Mayhem Festival 2012 lineup!!

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 11:53:12 -0500

Hey everybody,

The lineup for this year’s Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival was JUST announced. You can find it at this link: http://rockstarmayhemfest.com/blog/id/1845225

I think it is a pretty solid lineup. It is going to be heavy as all hell, something the past couple years has not fully fulfilled. I love my heavy metal, so it’s good to see there’s no Godsmack this year. I like some Godsmack, but last year just was not as fun and heavy as Mayhem Fest is supposed to be.

I will spare you my rant about how last year sucked, but let’s just say 30+ year old, drunken Godsmack fans with bald heads and sunglasses sometimes like to pick on younger audience members at a concert.

Anyway, I really enjoy this year’s lineup. Slipknot and Slayer have both previously been there. I missed the first Mayhem Fest ever in 2008, which is the one Slipknot headlined prior to this year. However, I have been told by many people that Slipknot is definitely worth seeing and that they put on a great live show. I will be looking forward to that. I wonder how they will be without Paul Gray (their late bassist who passed away in 2010), though.

Slayer was awesome in 2009, which was my first Mayhem Fest ever. I have gone each year since and enjoyed each year for the most part. I plan to keep the streak going after seeing this lineup!

I mean, Slipknot, Slayer, As I Lay Dying, AND Anthrax?!?! Hell yeah! It’s going to be awesome! METAL! \m/

Check out that link I previously posted to see the entire lineup.

- Tim

Chip tha Ripper - Tell Ya Friends Review

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 20:22:52 -0500

DOWNLOAD LINK HERE: http://www.livemixtapes.com/download/15801/chip_tha_ripper_tell_ya_friends.html

Chip tha Ripper really does not care what anyone thinks of him, or his music. Never has this been more evident than in his release today, his 22-track “Tell Ya Friends.” With Chip, what you see is what you get: a young man raised by the rough streets of the 216 whose callous exterior and hilarious cynicism is reflected in his songs. “Tell Ya Friends” is Chip at his stylistic best; a blunt but very real humor pervades the whole tape. Chip likes drinking, smoking, good sex, and hates his haters, and makes that very clear from beginning to end.

Before getting into the lyrics, I just wanted to highlight the production on this tape. While most of his previous “Gift Raps” was produced by Cool Kid beat-smith Chuck Inglish, “Tell Ya Friends” is produced largely by Rami Beatz and Woodro Skillson (who I figured out, after some savvy googling, is part of Dot da Genius’s Brooklyn production group Headbanga Muzik) with a few guest spots from the likes of Inglish, Lex Luger, HiTek, Bo-1da, and the Far East movement of all people. There’s no real cohesion in the instrumentation, but this variety really allows Chip to flex his flow.

And flex he does. He starts off with the double-time “Good Evening,” addressing his Cleveland lifestyle, lack of a label/lack of a need for a label, and women/weed. (Note: if you don’t like listening to music about weed, women, haters, alcohol, or general opulence, then please do not download this tape.) Track 2, “Passin Out Money,” is another high point of the album, as the ever-serious Chip rhymes “Hello Kitty” with “Hello Titties.” The Lex Luger-produced “Out Here” will be bumping out of cars in Cleveland for a long time. “Be A Model” is a witty chronicle of Chip’s sexual relations with a Worldstar model. G.O.O.D. Music member CyHi da Prynce turns in a very good verse on “We Ain’t Playin,” using his affinity for A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A (etc) rhyme schemes very effectively. “Cactus” is the stoner anthem we were all waiting for, 7 tracks in. Chips warns us to “watch [our] head on his spaceship” over some spacey instrumentation. The already-released “25 Wives” chronicles his and Wale’s wish for polygamic relations that would make a couple Presidential candidates blush (here’s looking at you, Mr. Mormon Romney and Newt “In An Open Relationship” Gingrich).

Track 10 is the moment ardent Chip fans have been waiting for. In 2009, Mr. Ripper and fellow Cleveland-ite and frequent collabrator Kid Cudi announced the formation of their group, “Almighty GloryUS,” leaving fans (like myself) waiting patiently for a release. Finally, we have one. Cudi’s stuttering yet melodic flow works so well over this instrumentation, and Chip turns in another excellent verse. I hope this is news of things to come.

After this point, the tape starts to get monotonous. The verse from the Trill OG, Bun B on the NBA Jamz-inspired “Boomshakalaka” is a welcome addition, as is the verse from fellow Clevelandite Krayzie Bone of Bone Thugz n Harmony on “Stay Sleep.” On this song, you can really see how Chip was raised on the Bone Thugz, and how his flow borrows heavily from his Midwestern torchbearers. “Hold Me Down,” recorded over Ice Cube’s “It Was A Good Day,” the Far East Movement and Cudi collaborating “Ride 4 You,” and the soliloquizing “Low Key” are further high-points.

All in all, a very solid work from Cleveland’s coldest. With Chip, you will not be getting very much content variety, but his flow is always compelling and punchlines very blunt and humorous. He has proven that he can hang with some of the more talented rappers in the game, and this tape cements his place among the top echelon of the unsigned rappers. Chip really seems like one of your friends who just happens to rap, and in this humble blogger’s opinion, that’s where his appeal comes from. “Tell Ya Friends” is a definite must-listen for longtime fans of Chip, and any hip-hop casual will be able to get into at least one of the songs.

Until next time,
Zahara Desert

Florence + the Machine Announce 2012 Tour Dates

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 20:05:39 -0500

- Paul

Earlier today, the English indie pop sextet announced their new tour and dates. The tour, sponsored by MSN, stops in 15 US cities, and begins in mid-April. The group, fresh off their critically acclaimed hit Ceremonials, will embark on the tour to support the album and is set to appear on an upcoming episode of MTV’s Unplugged.

Saturday, April 14 - Santa Barbara, CA - On Sale January 28

Sunday, April 15 - Indio, CA - Sold Out (Coachella)

Tuesday, April 17 - Reno, NV - On Sale January 27

Wednesday, April 18 - Davis, CA - On Sale January 27

Friday, April 20 - Phoenix, AZ - On Sale January 27

Saturday, April 21 - Las Vegas, NV - On Sale January 27

Sunday, April 22 - Indio, CA - Sold Out (Coachella)

Friday, April 27 - Minneapolis, MN - On Sale January 28

Saturday, April 28 - Milwaukee, WI - On Sale January 27

Sunday, April 29 - St. Louis, MO - On Sale January 27

Tuesday, May 1 - Dallas, TX - On Sale January 27

Wednesday, May 2 - Houston, TX - On Sale January 27

Thursday, May 3 - New Orleans, LA - On Sale Now

Tuesday, May 8 - New York, NY - On Sale January 27

Friday, May 11 - Uncasville, CT - On Sale January 27

Saturday, May 12 - Atlantic City, NJ - On Sale January 27

Blood Orange will be opening on all dates except Coachella and New Orleans

Hey.

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 19:31:13 -0500

Welcome to Rathbone, tumblr’s new source for music reviews, news, and rumors. Our pitch to you is that we will provide some of the best insight to music; we hope to take the other fork in the road, differing from some of the negativity that plagues some of the music blogs out there.

This blog was created as an alternative to some of the most biased music sites out there. Sites that see it fit to just dump all over music just because it makes them alternative or edgy. We here at Rathbone like things, its simple as that. Its not bad to like things internet, we all have our obsessions, and we hope that shows through in not only the content of our writing, but also the quality.

We created Rathbone as the alternative to the alternative, also known as the mainstream. We do not want to pigeonhole ourselves into some dark corner of the internet and die out. We are here to inform and entertain, simple as that.

We hope you, the reader will help get our name out there, and we want to build a positive, informative and entertaining place to discuss music.

Thanks,

Paul

Admin. Rathbone