After a long wait – two years to be exact – Kid Sister (aka Melissa Young) has finally released her debut album. Originally titled Dream Date and set for a July 2008 release, Ultraviolet came out this week with beats and synths from Fool’s Gold Records founders A-Trak and Nick Catchdubs. With the help of XXXChange, Steve Angello, Sebastian Ingrosso, Rusko, Herve & Sniden, Yuksek and Spank Rock, Kid Sister creates flows with lexical quirks that makes Ultraviolet an enjoyable listen. The Chicago native joined the coveted club of female rappers in 2007 with her breakthrough billboard chart single “Pro Nails”, featuring Kanye West. Kid Sister got her start while touring with Flosstradamus (her younger brother, Josh Young makes up half of the duo), when she caught the attention of A-Trak, and the rest is nothing short of bumping erotic beats and warranted dancing.
The release of Ultraviolet makes it clear that Kid Sister has grown into a persona, taking the time to harness the interests that she garnered from her collaboration with Kanye West. Many artists take their brink and rush for the glory, but by allowing herself the time to mature, Kid Sister yielded a magnetic and fun album of polished dance tunes and charismatic lyrics.
Tonight (Wednesday, November 18), Fool’s Gold Records will celebrate the album’s release at Griffin with DJ sets by A-Trak, Nick Catchdubs, DRek Martinez and others (click here to RSVP). You can also catch her live with Flosstradamus at Webster Hall on November 27th.
What do you get when you combine Dave Grohl (Foo Fighters, Nirvana), Josh Homme (Queens of the Stone Age, Eagles of Death Metal), John Paul Jones (Led Zeppelin), and Alain Johannes (Queens of the Stone Age)? Kept a secret within friends in hereabouts fashion, the mix of these guys is the musical crescendo of a rock super-group. Them Crooked Vultures (aka TCV) is a living superpower of Rock and Roll – taking pieces from some great bands and creating what can only be considered a musical alliance. Even-though the group’s assembly was hinted in the press prior to their first performance in Chicago this past August, they managed to keep a sense of secrecy about their ways while somehow selling out shows in less than 15 minutes.
It’s a shame we missed them when they played at Roseland Ballroom in October, Them Crooked Vultures aren’t scheduled for another show in New York any time soon. If you’ve ever wondered what the Super Friends of Rock n’ Roll would sound like, then this is it. Infused with jilted melody, this album is like a stewing pot boiling with a number of ingredients to taste.
Them Crooked Vultures, their self-titled debut album, is due for release on November 16 in the UK and November 17 in the US under Interscope and Sony Music. In the meantime, the group has released the entire album on YouTube, and it is quite a trip.
Click through to check out their teaser and the album below.
Hailing from Brixton, Felix Buxton and Simon Ratcliffe got their start as Basement Jaxx in 1994. While the duo may have gotten their start with UK chart-topper “Rendez Vu,” from their first album, Remedy, they are better known for their singles “Where’s Your Head At?” and “Do Your Thing” from their second album, Rooty (2001). In 2004, the group won the Best Electronic/Dance Album Grammy for Kish Kash. Felix Buxton and Simon Ratcliffe can now add Scars to their list of marks. This revel of an album is beyond the group’s typical style, and more than delivers a satisfying listening experience. It is an eccentric collection of pure ingenuity and energy that accentuates the duo’s skills and attention to detail in sound and vocals.
The fifth studio album by the house duo, Scars features vocals by Kelis, Santigold, Yoko Ono, Eli “Paperboy” Reed, Yo Majesty! and others. While the duo may be overshadowed by a myriad of featured artists, it may serve them well to have such a comprehensive album with a widespread of variety, style and flavor. In making an album around the styles of fourteen unique vocalists, Basement Jaxx creates the crowning touch for what is an a la carte of an album. While each track can hold-up on their own, the compilation shows their versatility and ability to create a feast of an album. It reflects a time of mash-ups and cultural pollination in a musical-period where the focus is no longer on the construction of the album but on sole tracks – (the reason DJs like David Guetta and Tiesto are moving towards albums and compilations with an array of vocalists).
The album is available now. Basement Jaxx is scheduled for a DJ set in New York City at Santo’s Party House on November 7th. Click through for a listen, recommended tracks and a track list. Also, check out their visually enthralling video for “Raindrops”.
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