Lil Wayne - The Carter III

What better place to start the inaugural Hip-Hop Week than with the album that owns the best opening week total of any album of 2008. Yes, you read that correctly. No other album has sold as many albums in its opening week than Lil Wayne's The Carter III. In it's first week it sold 1,005,545 units. To give you a better understanding of how ridiculous a number that is, the last album to sell more than 1 million units in its first week was 50 Cent's The Massacre in 2005! Not Coldplay, not even KanYe sold a million in their recent opening weeks. Since the album came out June 10, 2008 it has gone double-platinum (over 2 Million units sold). I know some people may say, "Ethan, that album is old news dude. It came out Months ago. Way to be on top of things." Well, firstly, thanks for the snarkiness and the vote of confidence. Also, whatever. This album still deserves to be talked about and recognized. If you don't really know about Lil Wayne you most likely heard about his arrest on his tour bus with a lot, a lot of drugs on board ("a lot" = 105 grams of marijuana (3.7 ounces), almost 29 grams of cocaine (1.02 ounces), 41 grams of Ecstasy (1.4 ounces)) and $22,000 dollars in cash. Sounds like the makings of a crazy weekend. The run-down: His given name is Dwayne Michael Carter, he's 25 years old, and he's from New Orleans, LA. Basically, he gained notoriety through he association with Cash Money Records and his appearance on various mixtapes. He really took off with his release of Tha Carter (2004) and it's two follow-ups.

One of the best things about The Carter III is the fact that it has something for everyone. That being said, the album as a whole isn't so incredible that its sales numbers make a ton of sense to me. But, it's probably the fact that Lil Wayne is appealing to a greater cross-section or larger audience than say Kanye West's enlightened-collegiate-white-collar brand of hip hop. To each their own though. There isn't an overarching concept on this album like Kanye's college-themed triology. But there are all types of hits. There is a hit for the ladies ("Comfortable"), hit for the clubs ("Got Money"), hit for the gangstas ("A Milli"), a hit with a concept ("Dr. Carter"), hit for radio ("Lollipop"), and even a hit for everyone ("Mr. Carter"). At first listen, it's like listening to a mix cd where all the songs are by the same artist. Not necessarily a Greatest Hits album, but similar in the fact that every track is liked by someone somewhere. So, as a whole you can't think there is a message or general theme to all the songs because there just isn't. In terms of Lil Wayne's flow (flow, n., - the general technique, and fluidity of an MC while rapping) it's all over the map. If you haven't listened to him, or a lot of rap before, the general idea is rhyming and attempting to say creative things in a rhyme scheme in accordance with the beat / rhythm of the song. Lil Wayne can do this when he wants to, but many times he's off the beat, behind it or just doesn't care that it exists. There are some really well-produced tracks on this album where his rapping doesn't have any cohesion with the beat. My personal feeling is that it's interesting, but on the other hand it feels like a waste on some level. It's also a bit jarring to your ear because you're expecting to hear the rhymed words dropped in certain places, and then they don't. His lyrical content is kind of the "norm" consisting of politics, girls, sex, drugs, and cars. All of which can grow tired usually, but he finds creative phrases and new angles to take. Especially on the track "Mrs. Officer," he talks about being pulled over by a hot female cop and how she takes advantage of him and how he had only considered cops to be bad or getting in the way of his life. He also chooses to speak about his hometown of New Orleans, LA and how it's still being neglected. Overall, there aren't any real "throw away" tracks, but like most hip-hop albums there are definite stand-outs, and this album just happens to have a larger percentage in its favor.

"Mr. Carter" (interesting tid-bit about this track realyed by a friend-in-the-know: when I first listened I thought to myself that it had to have been produced by someone of Kanye's ilk since the "sample" was so perfectly fit to the idea of the track. Turns out it's not a sample at all. It was made by recording someone singing the hook, speeding up the track, and adding a dash of technical wizardry to make it sound vintage....pretty cool)

Welcome to Hip Hop Week

I'd like to start by thanking the people that could make this special week come to fruition. Without their semi-constant antagonizing I probably would have put this off for a little while longer. As it is, I've actually been wanting to do this for a number of months. The reasons it hasn't happened till now is a mix between personal circumstances, procrastination, and just a difficulty in finding at least five albums I'm excited to talk about and review. Those two dudes know who they are, so I'm not going to acknowledge them by name for fear of increased fame, notoriety, or incrimination or drive-by.

During Hip-Hop Week, Vol. 1 I plan to review a few albums that have been bumping my car speakers to their tipping point, explore some general ideas on the state of the genre, along with some thoughts on what I perceive makes hip-hop worth listening to then and now. I know that my loyal familial readership probably won't "get" a lot of what I'll be speaking about, or will have preconceived notions of the genre as a whole. That's okay. We're trying to expand the palette of listening. Take a dip in unfamiliar water. Give some added culture to the daily routine. You don't have to like it, you don't have to agree with it, you don't even have to read / listen if you don't want to. You could even consider these next few days as a sabbatical from reading my blog, (but please come back!) but I would ask that you give it a shot. You may learn something, or heaven forbid hear something new that you actually enjoy.

Okkervil River - The Stand Ins

Take a good look at these (semi)merged album covers. Notice something? Well, you should. When oriented correctly they line up nicely to form a pretty cool double-album. Now you may ask, "Didn't the album on top come out around this time last year?" Why yes, yes it did. Okkervil River put out one of the best albums I heard last year called The Stage Names. At the time I had no clue that it was actually the first disc of a planned double album. If I had known this fact I would have been even more excited to get its companion titled The Stand Ins. As it was I was thrilled to get a listen a full month before its retail release. Few bands even consider the concept of a double album these days. Just the thought of 20 - 28 tracks of original material is probably a headache to most bands. After all, there's a reason why most albums are a certain length. It usually takes a set amount of time to get all a band's musical ideas onto one disc. Recent failures in double discdom include such missteps as Stadium Arcadium by Red Hot Chili Peppers. Come to think of it, what was the last double album that was truly worth both discs? Smashing Pumpkins' Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness? That's the only one I can think of off the top of my head, and that came out in 1995! The reason they (double albums) don't often work is actually the freedom that comes with so many tracks and so much time to fill. The operative word being "fill." There is way too much free-wheeling with 20+ tracks at a band's disposal. Having constraints of 12-14 tracks makes the band winnow ideas and attempt to throw away the mediocre tracks. On bad double albums (which is most of them) bands throw in multiple filler songs to go along with the gems, leaving the compilation full of ups and downs. Most often the effort gets dragged down by those lowlights and leaves fans saying, "this would have been a great single album without these 8-10 mediocre/bad/b-side/demo-quality tracks." So, where does this leave Okkervil River? Glad you asked.

Thankfully, this final half to to their double album was well worth the wait. Lead singer-songwriter is the one who could pull this off. His deliberate lyrics and songwriting lends itself to the idea of a double album. He was able to see the whole picture and make sure it was executed in a near-perfect manner. I'm sure he even thought about the cover art being linked/matchable. It shows the cohesive thought that is necessary to pulling off such an endeavor. Judging the albums back-to-back is fair and actually work quite well together. They sound like they were conceived as a unit with maybe a little respit in between to recharge the batteries. One its own The Stand Ins is quite a good album. It's less edgier than it's older brother, but harmonically sound through and through. Another idea worth noting is the fact both albums have legs of their own. Like a perfect pair of twins; they're perfectly fun together, but individually they have their own great personalities and you can enjoy them both ways. So, people that are worried that this follow-up (more like continuation) is a bunch of glorified b-sides can rest easy because it's not.

"Singer Songwriter"

Conor Oberst

Conor Oberst is normally known as Bright Eyes with his usual band, and has received numerous accolades for being the next generation's best songwriter. I know there are people that worship his music and others that despise it with a passion, I usually fall someplace in between. I can appreciate much of what he sings about, and his unique way of delivering a message which can sometimes be overly dramatic. Bright Eyes delivers gestures in grandiose style. Not so much in your face, but when all is said and done there is no confusion about his stance or feelings. His previous album Cassadaga came out last year and was pretty good, so to have another album out in such a short period of time would normally be a point worth noting except Oberst has always been a prolific song writer.

Conor Oberst is a self-titled release from an artist that has put out a few records already and is looking to partially re-invent himself. I don't really understand this strategy. The album was recorded in Mexico with a different bunch of friends comprising his new band. Their style is much the same as Bright Eyes if more tempered and laid back. When you listen to the new album there isn't anything drastically different that when it's over you'll think, "that was a Conor Oberst album" versus a Bright Eyes album. It's still mostly acoustic folk/country-rock with Oberst trying to use really large words when little ones would do just fine. The album has only a slightly different feel than before, and not nearly enough to warrant the name "change." Overall, it's a pretty solid album. It's laid back and more subdued with a slight Mecican twinge. If you like Bright Eyes, then you'll like Conor Oberst. If you don't like Bright Eyes, you probably already knew who Conor Oberst was, and have little interest now that he's officially out from behind his "group's" moniker.

"Sausalito"

The Hold Steady - Stay Positive

The Hold Steady's Boys and Girls In America was one of my favorite albums of 2006. So, their follow-up was highly anticipated because I thought Boys and Girls was highly accessible and the album The Killers had tried to make (and failed) with Sam's Town. Basically, it seemed that The Hold Steady was hitting their stride. Let me jog the memory about what I said about the previous album:

'Boys and Girls in America' is an achievement in Rock music. Finn creates drama, suspense, and genuine feeling on this record. Stand-out tracks include: Chips Ahoy, Hot Soft Light, and Massive Nights (and check out the great harmonica solo on the closing track 'Southtown Girls'). This record should be welcomed with open arms for one reason: it's REAL rock & roll for the current generation. Finn explains in both first, and third person the meaning of growing up here and now in suburbia. He is filled with angst, but brushes it off with equal parts humor and a band that really knows how to rock out. This doesn't have to be considered an "indie" record for it to be "cool" or "hip." With any moniker, it's just damn good.

Whew. I quoted myself again. Back to the album at hand. Stay Positive is another achievement. While it's still distinctly from The Hold Steady brand it's slightly different than the aforementioned "Boys and Girls" album. The keyboards are toned down a bit and there are less sing-along songs with booming choruses that are endlessly catchy. One of the album's strengths is also one of it's flaws. These songs are way more polished and put through the studio machine than any previous effort. Part of The Hold Steady's allure is their rough-around-the-edges spontaneity. The feeling that anything could happen and that the albums cuts were just the tip of the iceberg when compared to the live show. The majority of Stay Positive's songs feel finished, framed, and ready to be digested by the fans. The only problem with this is the fact that I don't want this polish from this band. I want some grit. I want the frayed corners. I want to hear songs that are just on the edge of being perfected. Not only does it effect the songs, it goes against the grain of what The Hold Steady represent and where they've come from. This was no more evident than when I saw them in concert here in L.A. on July 30th at Avalon. I had seen them last year when they played at The El Rey theater, and that previous show was quite a bit better for various reasons. They ran through almost all of the new album last week, and there were only a couple songs I found myself singing along and yelling loudly during the choruses. In contrast, when a song like "Chips Ahoy" or "Boys and Girls In America" were played I was going nuts. Not only because they were familiar, but because there was just a different energy from everyone in the room including the band. So, while the concert was great, it just reaffirmed my belief that this newest album may be seen as a lesser achievement than their previous work.

"Sequestered in Memphis"

Shout Out

I'd like to take a quick break and give a thank you (for the mention) and shout out to fellow blogger and friend DJ Tanner a.k.a Stewart Kuhlo a.k.a Stew-Lo a.k.a Big Beard Daddy Stew.....alright the last one is fake but the previous ones hold water. Stew and I go back a few years from the time we spent together in Cork, IRE. It's amazing how quickly the only Jews on the trip gravitated to each other. Not only sharing an ancient religion, but the whole idea of being brought up with guilt and lovingly nagging moms really makes for serious bonding. Stew and I had many adventures; from exploring mountaintops in Dingle (during off-season), trying to find new cds for under €20 in the 2 record stores in town that weren't a Virgin Megastore or HMV, drinking too much stout, to traveling the Spanish Mediterranean Coast. Along the way I acted as Stew's personal photographer, whipping boy, and traveling secretary. Whew.

All this being said, Stew has finally found a perfect forum to share his ideas on a litany of topics. He now makes his home in Chicago while occasionally working on not working when he's not studying The Law. He's partnered up with a chap calling himself "Mike Kowieski". That last name is too Polish to be made up, so he has to be the real deal. Mike has had some interesting takes on local Chicago happenings as well as general pieces on music and culture. They've been hitting the blogosphere with a vengeance rarely seen outside Perez Hilton (man I really really despise that dude...not for what he does, but the fact that he's made himself into a millionaire by stealing photos and using the Windows 95 "Paint" application to draw dumb shit on pics of celebs). Anywho. Stew and Mike have set a blistering pace of posting multiple times per day, and have even had a couple guest posts from another hip cat known as "Blogstein" who has chimed in on some weighty issues dealing with the "fairer" sex (actually quite quite amusing).

With all this hype and lead-up, I'm telling my 20-30 readers to peep their site on a regular basis and see what they have their fingers in on that day. I've set up a link on the side of this here blog and hope you will consider checking out the super stylings of Two Dope Boys In A Cadillac. It's well written by a couple of people with real opinions without the unnecessary fluff or superficiality or snark of other blogs. CHECK IT.

The Raconteurs - Consolers Of The Lonely

Jack White's side project otherwise known as The Raconteurs released their second album without any promotion a mere 3 weeks after it was done being recorded and mixed. This move by the band was highly unprecedented considering the stature of White and the band as a whole. Basically, the band wanted to get the music into the fans' hands before critics had a chance to dissect it....at least that's what they said. You got to give them some credit for trying to shake up the norm. Clearly the norm needs to be changed in the music biz because the normal patterns haven't been working as well. While not every major band can pull off this type of ploy it's not surprising that Jack White wanted to do something like this. I'm sure the higher-ups at Warner Bros. Music weren't thrilled even if he was saving them a large chunk of change by not throwing money at advertising and promotion. So, did the ploy (gimmick?) work? Personally, I think it's been a mixed bag. I had no clue the album was released until a couple weeks after it came out. But there definitely was a bit of buzz when the album kind of appeared out of nowhere. No fanfare. No radio spots. No posters. No strategic placement in TV shows or movies. Just: POOF...here's a new album.

I didn't take The Raconteurs seriously when their first album came out because I figured it was just Jack White needing another outlet to write/make music that somehow wasn't getting out with The White Stripes. I guess sometimes a band becomes so known for one thing or comfortable with that sound they can't sufficiently explore new territory. There is no doubt that White is a prolific songwriter with a ton of ability and inspiration considering the amount of music he's turned out in the past number of years. Consolers of the Lonely is a different story. While it still has White's signature guitar sound that's like a worn-in rusty guitar that has such a crunchy, raw sound. It's a feeling like ripping duct tape off someone's face. I'm not sure that makes sense but it just feels like what rock guitar should sound like. This album has some really really good rock songs and some country-twanged numbers that were probably influenced by recording at White's studio in Nashville, TN. Overall, this album is quite good. It has a clearer identity than its predecessor which is enjoyable. It doesn't feel like the expanded White Stripes. It finally feels like it's own entity. While the sound is similar the spirit is more definitive. After the initial release this album feels like they figured out what they wanted to achieve and were free to just go with their ideas to make an occasionally rousing follow-up.

"Attention"