Yah Mos Def (The) - Plays Ugly for Suckers EP

Name: Yah Mos Def (The) 
Album: Plays Ugly for Suckers EP
Year: 2005
Style: Rap-Rock
Similar Bands: Armalite, Low Budgets, Beastie Boys, Suburban Hoodz, Zebrahead
"One-Word" Review:
Based Out Of: Philadelphia
Label: N/A

Cover, Back, CD Back, CD

Lyrics

Plays Ugly for Suckers EP (2005)

1. New Direction 2:52
2. Global Liberation Army 2:02
3. I'm Gonna Be Under Your Bed 2:38
4. Jive Like Jehu 2:29
5. Scoty Biebin Owes Me Money 3:36

Album Rating (1-10): 6.5

Members & Other Bands:

• Distro (Rick Mitchell) - Vox,  (The Clocks, S Prcess, Capital Action)
• xB.Aewsomex (Brian Poerner) - Vox (Hour of the Star, Track Star Records, 
• Joey Sweeney - Photo
• Mr Mike Robinson (King God) - Production
• Pink Skull - Production
• Krash - Recording, Mastering (Krash Is King Shit)

Unknown-ness: I had seen the band's name around the Philly scene for Khyber (picture was from there) or North Star Bar shows back in the early-mid 00's but never saw them. So picked this up at AKA records for a dollar to see what I was missing, but never even put this in to listen to. So not sure, but i imagine it will be some interesting high intensity synth collages, jokey stuff, and maybe an indie take on hip-hop, as the name hints.

Album Review: The Philly duo loves their classic punk and in this outfit, lays rap vocals, many Philly-centric, over the well worn tracks. Then persuaded to change their name from the rapper with the same name, YMD began with one album in 2008. This EP precedes it. The duo reunited in 2014, too. And recently, Brian Poerner became the CEO of North American's Diadaro market (Feb'24).

Included in the local lyrics added are Mike Schmidt, Killtime, Bryn Mawr, (Joey) Sweeney and all the neighborhoods as well as some dated lyrics about The Wire and borrowed lines from Ween and Bikini Kill. The dual lyricists do call back to the Beastie Boys with their different intensities, pitches and rhyme styles. And as advertised, the rapid fire lyrics overtop guitar loops work as well as any synth sample.

Stand Out Track: Jive Like Jehu

Links:

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Bandcamp

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last.fm

Apple Music

XPN Reunite

Comedy Minus One

Poerner: NA pres of Diadora

Lil Pocketknife - Pants Control

Name: Lil Pockeknife
Album: Pants Control
Year: 2004
Style: Pop, Hip Hop
Similar Bands: Cibo Matto, The Go! Team, Le Tigre, Gravy Train!!!!, bis
"One-Word" Review: lo-fi geek-hop
Based Out Of: San Francisco
Label: Narnack Records

Cover

Back, Case Back, CD

Pants Control (2004)

1. Disco Dancer 2:41
2. East Coast / West Coast 2:09
3. Red Hott 2:36
4. 5'2" - 2:24
5. A.D.D. 3:03

Album Rating (1-10): 7.0

Members & Other Bands:

• Lil Pocket Knife (Kristy Geschwandtner) - Vox
• No Skills (Lynae Burns) - Drums
• George (Patterson) - Keytar (Knodel)
• Keren Richter - Artwork

Unknown-ness: I've never heard of this artist/band. Just from the chosen artwork, who is given just about as much info as the band, i'd imagine the music will be whimsical, energetic pop, with a little darkness, thanks to the name. The artwork is a little reminiscent of  Of Montreal, and perhaps just because of the shared word knife in the name, i am also imaging a bit of a Shonen Knife sound.

Album Review: Lo-fi 8-bit keytar sounds and rhythms and a solid drum beat create a minimal, and sparse musical backing to Lil's rapping, sometimes harmonically layered. The themes on the record are mostly non-stereotypically hip-hop; rapping about disco, short but powerful height, A.D.D., Dungeons and Dragons, and astronomy. The one "rap-themed" song about East Coast / West Coast combines a polka accordion and weird synth blips all swirled together and even name drops the Atari. 5'2" steps up the 8-bit sounds with a synthesized vocal introduction to Lil Pocketknife. But the production feels empty, and the songs fall flat.

This San Fran band apparently offers a fun energetic live show, but that doesn't quite come across on the recording, which sounds more like a bedroom recorded project.  San Fran transplant from New Jersey, Lil Pocketknife was named so by bandmate No Skills, by saying "Kristy can cut like a knife, but not very deeply, and she is very practical like a toothpick and crafty like a pair of scissors." After playing the San Fran party venue circuit, they recorded this one and only album. Another one was planned for 2004 after this Ep was picked up by the label, but nothing materialized

Stand Out Track: East Coast / West Coast

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Left Handed Boy - Curse of the Left Handed Boy

Name: Left Handed Boy
Album: Curse of the Left Handed Boy
Year: 2006
Style: Dark Rap/Hip Hop
Similar Bands: Judgement Night soundtrack, Gorillaz
"One-Word" Review: Audio Anti-Hero Hip Hop Graphic Novel
Based Out Of: Philadelphia, PA / Mount Holly NJ
Label: Akhenation Music, Cult Member Music

Cover, Comic pg 1,12

CD, Sticker, Flyer, Back, CD Back, Comic pg 2-3

Comic pg 4-5, Sticker

Comic pg 6-7

Comic pg 8-9

Comic pg 10-11

Curse of the Left Handed Boy (2006)

1. Intro 1:12
2. 10th & Arch 3:04
3. Chapter 2 1:14
4. Facefirst 2:55
5. Bio 3:58
6. Picture Perfect 1:28
7. Write to Left 2:39
8. That Arm 3:18
9. Bloody Attitude 4:06
10. Perfect Picture 1:17
11. Art 3:54
12. Kiss the Order 2:40
13. Flatlands 1:28
14. Latest Dish 4:09
15. Family Dinner 4:44

Album Rating (1-10): 6.5

Members & Other Bands:

• Daniel Elish - Artwork, Pamphlet Words & Pictures
• Carl Kavorkian - Producer, Vox  (MF Doom)
• Colin "Coligreens" Ryan - Producer
• Jimmy Greek - Vox
• Rummage - Vox, Producer

Unknown-ness: Never heard of the band... The version i picked up in a dollar bin had some band stickers, a flyer for the band and an interesting comic book about a discarded boy growing up with a deformed, giant left hand. So, for the music, i'm guessing it is dark and emo...with all black and white artwork, i don't imagine it being upbeat emo...perhaps more sludgy and heavy. The album has long & short songs, so perhaps it is laid out like a graphic novel, with some tracks containing dialogue, telling a conceptual story, sort of like Life Of Agony's River Runs Red.

Album Review: There are different sources for the "band name." Searching by the album title, which i first thought was the name, Jam Faction came up as a possible name (spotify), but it is also listed as a copyright / imprint label. The album is on Jimmy Greek's bandcamp page under the band name Left Handed Boy, so that's a more accurate source. The record is mixed genre hip-hop. There are dark tendencies on the album filled with a complex, artistic anger. All along, the record threads the storyline of born different, being berated by father, and having to fight, through the anecdote of being left handed. However, nothing comes off as aggressive: it just flows, telling a story musically and lyrically in a head nodding, interesting fashion, mixing in dialogue/monologues over the music to embellish the graphic novel aspect of the record: like a comic book version of an audiobook.

The group Left Handed Boy / Jam Faction is a collective headed off by Jimmy Greek, and associates Rummage, Coligreens and Carl Kavorkian, who has also worked with MF Doom. The members are based in Philly (10th & Arch was the address of The Trocadero) and Mount Holly, as explained on the album. 

Stand Out Track: Kiss the Order

Links:

Discogs

Exclaim!
Soundcloud
Rate Your Music
Kavorkian bandcamp
Bringing Down the Band
Jimmy Greek & COTLHB Bandcamp 

Blowfly - Rappin', Dancin', and Laughin'

Name: Blowfly
Album: Rappin', Dancin', and Laughin'
Year:1980
Style: Rap / Hip Hop
Similar Bands: Grandmaster Flash, Kurtis Blow, Two Live Crew, Afroman, Sugarhill Gang, Kool Keith, ODB
"One-Word" Review: vulgar old school rap
Based Out Of: Georgia / West Palm Beach, FL
Label: TK Productions, Weird World

Cover, Record

Record, Back

Rappin', Dancin', and Laughin' (1980)

1. Convoy 7:15
2. Blowfly Vs. Darth Vader 7:40
3. Cricka 5:00 /
4. The Incredible Fulk 8:40 (single)
5. The Word Game 6:00
6. The Insects Theme 4:00

Album Rating (1-10): 7.0

Members & Other Bands:

• Blowfly/Clarence Reid - Writer, Producer, Vox (Clarence Reid & the Delmiras, Betty Wright, Sam & Dave, Bobby Byrd and KC & Sunshine Band, Helene Smith, Paul Kelly, Gwen McRae, Flea, 2 Live Crew, Deep City Band, Palmerforce Two, Funky Party Band, Miami, Le Coffret Ideal Blaxploitation, many)
• Freedy Stonewall - Recording, Mixing
• Marc Vaughn - Cover Photo
• Rob Vaugn - Art Direction

Unknown-ness: Never heard of Blowfly. Although most of what seemed envelope pushing in the 80's would seem more common place, the hype behind the sexually tinged name and the "X-Rated" classification on the cover & back make me think this is going to be some juvenile, suggestive hip hop music with basic beats and lots of lyrics about the singer himself. Especially interested to see the take on Blowfly vs. Darth Vader...is he posing as the hero, up against the villain? 

Album Review: The album is 80's old-school hip hop with familiar, laid back bass lines and guitar hooks and more talking in skits rather than straight up rapping over the music. But the lyrics are quite vulgar and raunchy; talking about dick size and hard sex, with "fuck" used ad nauseum. Unfortunately, there are no parodies of popular tunes here, as that is what Blowfly made his name for.

His nickname was earned from his grandmom, called him "worse than a blowfly" when he'd sing explicit parodies of radio hits like "Come on baby, and suck my dick (do the twist)" for money on a farm where he worked. He had natural musical skills, as he was an accomplished, renown song writer in his day job as a staff songwriter at TK Records, working with Betty Wright, Sam & Dave, Bobby Byrd and KC & Sunshine band. His mixed style of soul, funk & Caribbean helped coin the term "The Miami Sound." He was also a pioneer in "Soul Talking," the direct predecessor to rap, and might have self-pressed the first rap record in 1964 with a rough version of "Blowfly's Rapp" . Because of that, had to use the stage name Blowfly to protect his integrity. He was one of the first musicians to perform masked, and his gross parodies earned him legal trouble and record store bans (first artist ever?), which eventually led to him selling all his rights to his music in 2003. But in 2005, he signed to Jello Biafra's Alternative Tentacles label. His later career saw a couple more albums and international tours and even had a documentary "The Weird World of Blowfly" in 2010. But his career was a huge influence to many rap and hip hop stars on top of his material being highly sampled. in He passed away in Jan 2016, just before his final album came out. On a side note, his daughter, Tracy Reid played in the WNBA.

Stand Out Track: Convoy

Links:
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Ponderosa Stomp

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Surf MC's - Surf of Die

Name: Surf MC's
Album: Surf of Die
Year: 1987
Style: Hip Hop/Rap-Rock
Similar Bands: Beastie Boys, Run DMC, MC Hammer
"One-Word" Review: Embarrassing Surf Centric Rhymers
Based Out Of: LA, CA
Label: Profile

Cover & Record

Back & Record

Surf or Die (1987)

1. Surf or Die 5:15 (single)
2. Gotta Get Air 4:45
3. Big Wednesday 4:44
4. Rock That Beach 4:50/
5. That's Cali For Ya 4:09
6. Ths Surf is Live 3:13
7. Boomin' It 4:26
8. Can't Get a Tan 3:22
9. You Will Be Served 3:46

Album Rating (1-10): 4.0

Members & Other Bands:

• Paul "Sidewalk" Rodriguez
• Ivan "MC IVE" Mumm
• Tony "Kool G" Gilmour
• Phil Kettner (Laaz Rockit)
• Norman Kerner - Producer, Mixing, Surf Guitar (Paul Collins, The Grassy Knoll, Suzanne Little, Tara MacLean)
• Scott Roberts - Co-Producer, Backing Vox (Bill Summers, Con Funk Shun, Kevin Toney, Pete Escovedo, Wayne Shorter, Zero, Charlie Hunter, 3X Krazy, Demolition Men, Headhunters)
• Carl Herlofsson - Engineer, Mixing
• Jacob Hellner - Co-Engineer, Mixing
• Howie Weinberg - Mastering
• Tom Sherry - Brilliant Crew Cheif
• Mark Holzinger - Surf Guitar (Steve Carr, brent Brace, Groove.Org, Victoria Blyth)
• Tierney Muscatelli - Surf Guitar
• M Bomb - Surf Guitar, Sax
• Chris Atchison - Rock Guitar, Backing Vox (Ruffians)
• E-Rock - Bass
• Joel Smith - Bass
• "King James" Cassimus - Photos
• Paul Randolph Haven - Art Direction

Unknown-ness: Never heard of this band. I'm guessing their name says it all: Hip Hop MCs that love to surf. I guess it could be really ok or really bad. It's probably terrible.

Album Review: The album is quite embarrassing, like a lower, bottom shelf Beastie Boys. Their songs are about catching air, scoping girls out on the beach, not getting a tan, Wednesdays, and one classic line about one man's "monster in his shorts, stood up like a sword" when seeing a huge wave. The beats are simple, the guitars and bass are minimal, and the vocals follow a pre-set Beastie Boys template of styles and pitches. At the very least, the music will employ elements of surf rock, perhaps most obviously in This Surf's Live. But I wouldn't say they are like the Ventures, the Raybeats or Man or Astroman? at all. Also the single, Surf of Die (reached #90), uses samples from The Peter Gunn Theme and Sugar Hill Gang's Apache amongst others. They also sample the B-52's, and were in the right place at the right time to open shows for the Red Hot Chili Peppers with Faith No More.

Stand Out Track: This Surf's Live

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Skatemaster Tate & The Concrete Crew - Do the Skate

Name: Skatemaster Tate & The Concrete Crew
Album: Do the Skate
Year: 1991
Style: Hip Hop, Jazz Fusion
Similar Bands: Urban Dance Squad, C+C Music Factory, Bent Fabric, Sublime, Arrested Development, Toejam & Earl
"One-Word" Review: Mellow Jazzy Beatnik Hip Hop Samples
Based Out Of: Los Angeles, CA
Label: 4th & B'Way, Island Records

Cover & Record

Back & Record

Do The Skate (1991)

1. Do The Skate 4:14
2. Get Dat Grove 2:37
3. Two Headed Love Child 3:20
4. Irv's 4:37
5. Willie Brown Live 3:51 (sample of "Pennsylvania 6-5000")
6. Justice (To The Bass) Nick & Scruff Version 3:14 /
7. Joe's Jam 6:27
8. Right Place 4:12 (samples: Hall & Oates "I Can't Go For That," "Could Be I'm Falling in Love," and "Right Place, Wrong Time")
9. More 3:25
10. Hey Wooley 4:52
11. Justice (To The Bass) Extended Boneless Mix 4:08

Album Rating (1-10): 5.5

Members & Other Bands:

• Willie McNeil - Producer
• D. Thomas
• Octavio - Sax (Arianna, Luis Miquel, Los Temerarios, LabA)
• Phil Nowlan - Guitar, Keys (Cool C, Three Times Dope, Tim Dog, Toshi Kubota, Jermaine Dupri)
• Skatemaster Tate (Gerry Hurtado) - Vox, Producer, Remixed (Porno for Pyros, Stone Cold Boners, Tate&Greg, Boo Yaa TRIBE, DJ Shadow, Cut Chemist )
• Willie Brown - Vox, Samples, Drums
• Natas Kapus - Backing Vox
• Don Kingski - Samples, Vox, Keys (Circle of Soul)
• Chris Garcia - Bass (Sweet Daddy, Fred Pellichero, Clay Aiken, Thyne Scabbard, Eduardo Rios)
• Jammin' Jay Davidson - Sax (Towson St U/College Jazz Ensemble, Mirjam, Marco, OC Smith, Joe the Butcher Nicolo, Cash Money and Marvelous, 7A3, Myles Goodwyn, Magnetics, Chena, Robbie B & DJ Jazz, Something Special, Cinderella, Tim Dog, Bad Mutha Goose & Bros Grimm, Pop's Cool Love, Taj Mahal, The Goats, Spearhead, Big Cheif, Ben Arnold, The Philosopher Kings, G. Love & Special Sauce, Monty Alexander, Pepper's Ghost, TM Stevens, Bon Jovi, Bruce L Cohen, Blues Anatomy, Mike Pinto, Labelle, Stroke, Greg Davis, Holy Water, Ronnie Spector, Up The Chain, Chris Kasper, Gina Sicila, American Mafia, Angel Du$t, Young & Heartless, Brit Floyd, Cast In Bronze, Pete Donnelly, Turnover)
• Andy "Funky Drummer" Kravitz - Drums (Butcher Brothers, Electric Love Muffin, Neptune Darlings, Steady B, Billy price & Keystone Rhythm Band, Schoolly D, Boo-Yaa TRIBE, Taj Mahal, Cypress Hill, Goats, Kris Kross, Wailing Souls, Billy Joel, Mona Lisa Overdrive, Luther Vandross, Smashign Orange, Rolling Stones, Spearhead, Shawn Colvin, Joan Osborne, Big Cheif, Candy Butchers, Midge Ure, Imogen Heap, Hamell on Trial, Juliana Hatfield, Figgs, Amos Lee, Pete Donnelly  more)
• Tupelo Joe Altruda - Upright Bass, Vox, Guitar (Afterhours, Buru jazz Ensemble, Cocktail Crew, Jump with Joey, Sounds of Zodiac, Tupelo Chain Sex, Screamin' Sirens, Thelonious Monster, Joe Strummer, Shy Party, Levi Decter, Solsonics, DJ Bonebreak, Skip Heller, Ramblin' James & Billyboppers, Big Sandy & his Fly-Rite Boys, Dread Filmstone, DJ Shadow, Cut Chemist, Ernest Ranglin, Seu Jorge, Almaz, Western Standard Time, Bebel Gilberto)
• Cooper - Bass 
• Z Grutzman
• Zachary Terrell - Piano, Keys
• Brown (Tony, Unsel) Brothers - Backing Vox
• Kevin Williams - Backing Vox (Bonedaddys, Untouchables, Corporation of One, Matt Wood, Ben Harper, Solsonics, Guru, Jump With Joey, English Beat, Tupelo Joe, After Hours, Zakiya Hooker, Anthony Burger, John Lee Hooker, Hubbard's Cupboard, Lights Out)
• DJ E-Z - Turntables 
• Tim Kerr - Guitar (Bad Mutha Goose & the Brothers Grimm, Big Boys, Jack O'Fire, King Sound Quartet, Lord High Fixers, Poison 13, Monkeywrench, Now Time Delegation, Total Sound Group Direct Action Committee, Up Around the Sun, Dicks, Quintron, Sugar Shack,  more)
• Joe "The Butcher" Nicolo - Coproducer, Remixing
• Scruff & Nick - Additional Production & Mixing
• Matthew Hyde - Engineering
• Dennis Dragon - Producer, Engineer
• Chris Bellman - Mastering
• Bernie Grundman - Mastering
• John Switzer - Mgmt
• Gabriel Leconte - Mgmt
• Gary Wishik - Legal
• Kim Buie - A&R Coordination
• Lori Graves - A&R Coordination
• Rachell Stoud - Sampling Equipment Consulting
• Deborah Melian - Art Direction & Design
• Michael Miller - Photography

Unknown-ness: never heard of this band. But i imagine it's west coast slacker hip hop, perhaps a mix of rap & hardcore, as i'm thinking of what skaters were into in the early 90's. 

Album Review: This is a very interesting record. The mix of free flowing jazz, jazz influence like using a sample of  Pennsylvania 6-5000, and sections that sound like the Alley Cat thrown into thoughtful hip hop lyrics and samples make me think that the musicians have a Jazz background, but wanted to fuse it to what they had around them: samples, smooth rapping and youthful street-wise topics, It makes me really wonder where the inspiration came from and what they were going for. Paying respect to jazz history by introducing a younger crowd to the fusion of beatnik night clubs and scratch /sampling. Some of the songs do have a juvenile and embarrassing take (Two Headed Love Child) and it makes me wonder how it was promoted what kind of "street cred" they earned from this. Who was their fans base? Definitely positive vibes on the album, but it is genre scattered too much for the casual listener like me. Imagine Arrested Development playing with Sublime trying to update Bent Fabric and Benny Goodman big band songs while playing Toe Jam & Earl on Sega Genesis. On the other hand, this is a true mixing of race, style and lifestyle...the absolute melting pot and predicted positive face of music in the future from 1991's view. So Tate was a real skating aficionado, skating on the amateur circuit in the 70's and hosting the Nickelodeon SK8-TV show, which only lasted 13 episodes. Well before this album in 1983, he started gaining popularity amongst the skate rock audience, having songs in a variety of skate videos, even getting a song in the film What About Bob?. Apparently he was a very friendly guy that would help out anyone he could who needed it. Tate sadly passed away in 2015 from liver cancer.

Stand Out Track: Justice (To The Bass) Nick & Scruff Version

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thrasher obit 10.15.2015

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wiki zero

Pop Will Eat Itself - This is the Day...This is the Hour...This is THIS!

Name: Pop Will Eat Itself 
Album: This is the Day...This is the Hour...This is THIS!
Year: 1989
Style: Electronic, Techno, Industrial, Rap
Similar Bands: Sigue Sigue Sputnik, EMF, B.A.D., M/A/R/R/S, Einsturzende Neubauten
"One-Word" Review: Eastern European Industrial Rap
Based Out Of: Stourbridge, England
Label: RCA, BMG

Cover & Record

This is the Day...This is the Hour...This is THIS! (1989)

1. PWEI is a Four Letter Word - 1:12
2. Preaching to the Perverted 4:25
3. Wise Up Sucker 3:16 (single)
4. Sixteen Different Flavours of Hell 1:23
5. Inject Me 3:51
6. Can U Dig It? 4:31 (single)
7. The Fuses Have Been Lit 4:02 /
8. Poison to the Mind 0:57
9. Def Con One 3:59 (single, US #30 Mod Rock)
10. Radio P.W.E.I 3:37
11. Shortwave Transmission on "Up To The Minuteman Nine" 1:01
12. Satellite Ecstatica 3:33
13. Not Now James, We're Busy 3:08
14. Wake Up Time To Die 6:41

Album Rating (1-10): 5.0

Members & Other Bands:

• Flood (Mark Ellis) - Producer, Mixing
• Dave Pine - Engineer & Re-Mix Engineer
• Karl Broadie - Asst. Engineer
• Robin Goodfellow - Engineer
• Mr. X & Mr. Y - Producer
• Mark Dodson - Additional Production
• D. Steele - Producer
• A. Cox - Producer
• Robert Gordon - Producer
• Cenzo Townshend - Engineer
• Frank Booth - Guitar (Situation B)
• Kerry The Buzzard Hammond - Guitar (Yeah God!)
• Twig the Wonder Kid - Backing Vox
• Mastermix - Turntables (Hardnoise, Beatmasters, Cookie Crew)
• DJ Winston (Hazel) - Turntables (Forgemasters, Supafix, The Step, Winston & Ross)
• Vestan Pance - Words & Music Pseudonym for PWEI
• This Is The Designerstar Republica - Sleeve Design, Artwork
• Phil Wolstenholme - Computer Images
• Kevin Cumings - Live Photos
• Craig Jennings - Worldwide Rep
• Paul Boswell -UK Agent
• Ian Copeland - US Agent
• Graham Crabb - Vox Keys (Golden Claw, Wild & Wondering, Je Suis Crabbi, Primitive Race, Vile Evils, Fuzz Townshend)
• Adam Mole - Keys, Programming  (Wild & Wondering, From Eden, Kut Loaf, Vile Evils)
• Richard March - Keys Programming (Wild & Wondering, Bentley Rhythm Ace, Charlatans UK, Wonder Stuff)
• Clint Mansell - Vox, Guitar (Wild & Wondering, From Eden, Buddah Boys Choir, Cerebral Fix, NIN, Lavish, Vile Evils)

Unknown-ness: I have heard of them, but i know not what they are like...from the artwork ( i do like how the initials PWEI make up the 5 "monsters" attacking the biohazard clock in the middle), and mention of BPMS on the back, i imagine some sort of future-techno EDM band, but for some reason, i think they may sound like Nitzer Ebb or Low Pop Suicide or Stabbing Westward...maybe part of the industrial KMFDM / Front 242 genre, which is not a reach from the formerly listed bands. 

Album Review: This one required some research, as the style of music had an origin in the UK and is called Grebo Rock, a subculture and genre, adopted from a slang term for long hair bikers and/or rock music fans in the late 80's. When grunge and brit pop took hold in the early - mid 90's PWEI was shuffled over to the Industrial sub-genre, but they were a posterband for the Grebo niche. Their big trivia bit is that they were the first Western independent band invited to play the Soviet Union in 1988. The songs on this album are similar to the back of the album: a collage of bits and pieces strung together with samples, turntables and beats that bear a strong association with cold, mechanical industrial sounds. Sometimes the vocals have melody, sometimes, they are like an Eastern European cold wave rap. Def Con One uses samples of "Funky Town" and "The Twilight Zone" among a string of other musical borrows. They are still around, as a 2020 tour was planned in NZ, alas, everything was postponed Mar/April to Oct, so maybe?

Stand Out Track: Def Con One

Links:
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touring NZ 2020 & playing this album in full

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Cherry red records

Mantronix - In Full Effect

Name: Mantronix
Album: In Full Effect
Year: 1988
Style: Hip-Hop, Rap, Electronic
Similar Bands: M/A/R/R/S, C+C Music Factory, Grandmaster Flash, Beastie Boys, Ice-T, Two Live Crew, S'Express
"One-Word" Review: Sample Pop Beats
Based Out Of: New York City
Label: Capitol, EMI, 

Cover, Sleeve Notes, Record

Back, Lyrics, Record

In Full Effect (1988)

1. Join Me Please (Home Boys- Make Some Noise) 4:24 (single)
2. Love Letter (Desr Tracy) 4:26
3. Gangster Boogie (Walk Like Sex...Talk Like Sex) 3:55
4. In Full Effect 3:50
5. Get Stupid (Part III) 3:45 /
6. Simple Simon (You Gotta Regard) 4:00 (single)
7. Sing A Song (Break It Down) 4:05
8. Do You Like...Mantronik (?) 3:20 (single)
9. Mega-Mix ('88) Instrumental 4:50

Album Rating (1-10): 6.0

Members & Other Bands:

• MC Tee (Toure Embden) - Writer
• Kurtis Mantronik (el Khaleel)- DJ (Chamonix, Electric Circus, Harry's Afro Hut, Kirk Khaleel, M?, Sound Factory, Wonderland more credits)
• Josh Abbey - Mix Engineer, Recording
• Jim Klein - Engineer
• Chep "Homeboy" Nunez - Editing
• Roger "In Full Effect" Paletto - Editing
• Herb "Pump" Powers - Mastering
• Dave the Original B-Boy - Appearance
• Terry Billy - Appearance
• Keith Plex Barnhardt - Guitar (Chaka Khan, EQ, Melody, Nu Shooz, Oran Juice Jones, Diaonne Warwick, Roberta Clack, Hen-Gee & Evil E, Nuttin; Nyce)
• Eric Watson - Photography

Unknown-ness: Never heard of this band, but from the logo and color scheme, it feels like it is going to be a hip hop version of Pet Shop Boys.

Album Review: The album is pretty straight forward samples and hip hop lyrics, like a less dancey C+C Music Factory. I believe i have heard their single Gangster Boogie before, because it sounded awfully familiar. "Get Stupid" is a little embarrassing with the radio announcer vocals, dated jargon, and Liquid Television vocal effects. But for its day, they were a very innovative and important act, combining classic hip hop with electro funk and rhythmic samples featured in the club scene. Per the liner notes, this album was said to be the "First album ever mastered from DAT." and it reached #18 on the R&B Billboard chart.

Stand Out Track: Gangster Boogie (Walk Like Sex...Talk Like Sex)

Links:

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Allmusic

Discogs

red bull music academy

forced exposure

mn2s booking

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J.J. Fad - Supersonic the Album

Name: J.J. Fad
Album: Supersonic the Album
Year: 1988
Style: Rap, Hip Hop
Similar Bands: Salt & Pepa, Sugarhill Gang, Neneh Cherry, Queen Latifah
"One-Word" Review: Spittin Non-Threatening Diss Battles
Based Out Of: LA, CA
Label: Ruthless Records, Warner Communications, Atco Records, Atlantic Recording

 Cover, Record

Back, Record

Supersonic the Album (1988)

1. Supersonic 3:53
2. Way Out 2:49
3. Blame it on the Muzick 3:47
4. In the Mix 3:32
5. Eenie Meenie Beats 2:55 /
6. My Dope Intro 3:38
7. Let's Get Hyped 3:41
8. Now Really 3:20
9. Time Tah Get Stupid 1:55
10. Is It love 3:04

Album Rating (1-10): 8.5

Members & Other Bands:

• Baby D (Dania Birks) - Vox (West Coast Rap Allstars)
• Sassy C (Michelle Franklin) - Vox (West Coast Rap Allstars)
• M.C. J.B. (Juana Burns)- Vox (West Coast Rap Allstars)
• Dr. Dre (Andre Romelle Young) - Producer, Mixing, Backing Vox (NWA, so much)
• D.J. Yella (Antoine Carraby) - Procucer, Mixing, Backing Vox (NWA, World Class Wreckin Cru, Kid Frost TMS)
•  Arabian Prince (Mik Lezan) - Co-Producer, Mixing, Backing Vox (NWA, Egress, Mistress & DJ Madame E, Ministry)
• Eric Wright (Eazy-E) - Executive Producer, Backing Vox (NWA, DOC, Bone Thugs-N-harmony more)
• Donovan Smith - Engineer
• Bernie Grundman - Mastering
• Chris - Mastering
• Aaron Rapoport - Photography
• Bob Defrin - Art Direction
• Lay Law (Larry Goodman)  - Backing Vox (Above the Laaw, Who Am I, Anotha Level)
• M.C. Ren (Lorenzo Jerald Patterson) - Backing Vox (NWA, DOC, CPO, Eazy E, Snoop Dogg, Big Bennay, Gangsta Squad)
• Stan The Guitar Man - Guitar, Backing Vox (Torcha Chamba, Michel'Le, A Lighter Shade of Brown, KMC, DJ Quik, Above the Law, Small Change, Kid Sensation, Toddy Tee, Street Mentality, Cristofire, LL Cool J, Coolio, Bo$$, Too $hort, Ebony Vibe Everlasting, jade, Sa Lench Mob, TomJones, Po Broke N Lonely. Spice 1, Rodg, Quincy Jones, MoKenStef, Soultry, Dr Dre, B-Legit, 40 Thevz, C-murder, Tha Liks, Big Kutch, Bushwick Bill, Cherish, DOC, K-Ci & JoJo)
• Steve - Scratch Records
• D.J. Train (Clarence Lars)- All Scratches (CPO, MC Ren. Kam, Street Soulga, Mel-Low)
• Jerry Heller - Mgmt (NWA)
• Cara Lewis - Agency

Unknown-ness: Never heard of this band, and rap and hip hop was never a focused genre for me, but i of course recognize the producers Dr Dre & Eazy E. The pastel sporty outfits complete with stop watches fit the late 80's pop/hip hop genre, so i have no doubt this will be up beat old school hip hop.

Album Review: As expected, this hip hop album is part pop (side A) and part Hip Hop (side B) (although those genres are not designated specifically to those sides). The album features typical rapping about how the members will rock the mic and throws shade to competition. The sample from Supersonic is used elsewhere on the album (Eenie Meenine Beats). Dr Dre is called out twice, and he does offer support in performance and backing vocals. JJ FAD stood for original members: Juana. Juanita, Fatima, Anna & Dania...but changed to Just Jammin' Fresh And Def when the lineup changed. The Grammy nominated (lost to DJ Jazzy Jeff/Fresh Prince's Parents Just Don't Understand) song Supersonic has been sampled and referenced by many artists (including usage in the trailer for the Sonic the Hedgehog movie in 2020), but most disheartening is that the group and their importance in the Compton scene (their album was put out by Ruthless Records first, before NWA, to legitimize the label & pave a road with their catchy, approachable act) was neglected by the Straight Outta Compton biopic. Twenty years separate their second and final album and their reunion, where the three women line up has reformed and still perform today (2020).

Stand Out Track: Supersonic

Links:
Full Album Spotify
Wiki
FB
discogs
allmusic
instagram
hopes & fears
LA Times forgotten women of Straight outta Compton
Hip Hop DX: 30 yrs later
XXL
the Source
Who Sampled

(the) Force M.D's - Love Letters

Name: The Force M.D.'s
Album: Love Letters
Year: 1984
Style: Boy Band Hip Hop, New Jack Swing
Similar Bands: New Edition, ABC, Bel Biv DeVoe, Boys II Men, Jackson 5, Jodeci, Color Me Badd,
"One-Word" Review: Clean-Cut Corner-Vocal Group Revival
Based Out Of: Staten Island, NY
Label: Tommy Boy

 Cover & Record

Record & Back

Love Letters (1984)

1. Be Mine Girl 5:18
2. Don't Make Me Dance (All Night Long) 5:18
3. Tears 4:17 (single)
4. Let Me Love you 5:04 /
5. Itchin' for a Scratch 4:56 (single)
6. Forgive Me Girl 4:22
7. Let's Stay Together 4:37
8. I Just Wanna Love You 4:50

Album Rating (1-10): 7.0

Members & Other Bands:

• Tom Silverman - Exec. Producer, Mixing
• Trisco Pearson (Positive Vibe, Le Gent)
• TCD Antoine Lundy (Le Gent, Eric Gable)
• Stevie D (Lundy) (Eric gable, Janet Jackson, Milk, Full Force)
• Mercury (Charles Nelson) 
• Jesse D (Jesse Lee Daniels) 
• Robin Halpin - Co-Producer, Engineer, Mixing, Arrangements, Keys, Horn Arrangement (GLOBE & Whiz Kid, Hambo, Afrika Bambaataa, Special Request, Roman Sandals, TKA, Timmy Gatling, James Brown)
• Mr. Magic (John Rivas) - Co-Producer
• Keith LeBlanc - Co-Producer, Mixing, Arrangements, Drums, Keys, Percussion (Beatmaster, Double Edge, Dumb Guys, Fats Comet, Fine Quality, Forehead Bros, Interference, Mark Stewart & the Mafia, Noh Ground, Strange Parcels, Sugarhill Gang Band, Tackhead, Enemy Within more)
• Doug Wimbish - Arrangements, Bass (Black Jack Hohnson, Brand New Funk, Double Edge, Fats Comet, Headfake, Jungle Funk, Living Colour, Mark Stewart & the Mafia, Strange Parcels, Sugarhill Gang Band, Tackhead, Static Seekers, Sterling Esp, Wood Brass & Steel, more)
• Double Dee - Arrangements
• Steinski - Arrangements
• Frank Heller - Engineer, Mixing, Mix Engineer
• Doug DiFranco - Engineer
• Kathy Gazzo - Engineer Asst
• Mike Nicoletti - Engineer Asst
• Steve Griffin - Engineer Asst
• Kennon Keating - Engineer Asst
• Jay Burnett - Mix Engineer
• Skip McDonald - Guitar (Fats Comet Crew, More)
• Carl Sturken- Guitar (Lemelle, Ryrthm Syndicate, SRP, Sturken & Rogers, more)
• Brian Halpin - Keys (Al Swan)
• Josh Schneider - Sax (Irene Cara, Eric Von Schmidt, Randy Vanwarmer, Artie Traum & Pat Alger, Steve Forbert, Tom Rush, Late Nite Music Band, Joy Askew)
• Bashiri Johnson - Percussion (Hot Streak, Lionel Richie, Spinners more)
• Dr. Rock (Roger Daniels) - Scratching (C-Jam & Kid Frost, Fila Fresh Crew, DJ Shadow, Cut Chemist, Funk Connection, NWA)
• Craig Derry - Vocal Coaching
• Herb Powers Jr - Mastering
• Monica Lynch - Art Direction
• Stephen Crichlow - Photos
• Yolanda Cuomo - Design

Unknown-ness: Review: Never heard of this band, but they look like they're trying to rekindle that safety net collegiate letterman retro male vocal group. I assume it is clean-cut, smooth harmonic r&b.

Album: As expected, this is an example of hip-hop that was honoring and showing it's connection / roots in classic Smokey Robinson & the Miracles boy bands, updated with scratching, rapping and hip-hop. In vocal style, subject manner, and appeal, they painted themselves a very safe band to interact with and enjoy. Some soft ballads (Tears), to a cliched, almost parody of rap (Itching for a Scratch) and even Calypso (Don't Make Me Dance), this record runs the gamut showcasing the potential directions and almost a historical head nod to the styles that came before; styles that this band was built on. Originally the L.D's they changed their name to Dr Rock & the MCs, then to Force MD's with MD standing for Musical Diversity. They literally started singing on Times Square street corners and the Staten Island Ferry, but reached fame with their connection to DR Jr Rock and promotion from Vansilk in '81. Their popularity was fast rising and short, as they faded at the end of the 80's after scoring a #1 RnB hit (87) and helped the producer of the year Grammy go to Jam & Lewis (85). 3 members, Mercury, Dr Rock, and TDC passed away from heart attack (95), natural causes (96) and Lou Gehrig's (98) respectively, with Trisco succumbing to cancer in 2016. The surviving members and ex-members joined together in 2017 for a new album and still play out today (2020). And apparently Obama is a fan.

Stand Out Track: Forgive Me Girl

Links:
Spotify album
Wiki
Discogs
Allmusic
Philly Tribune Obit 2016 - Trisco
wikiwand
How members died - I Love old school music
new Sounds

Hyenas in the Desert - Die Laughing

Name: Hyenas in the Desert

Album: Die Laughing

Year: 1996

Style: Hip/Trip Hop

Similar Bands: Mobb Deep, Jedi Mind Tricks, Boo-Ya Tribe, Coolio, Eminem

One Word Review: Sinister Lurking Eerie Poetry

Based Out Of: Long Island, NYC

Label: SLAM Jamz, Columbia, 

 Die Laughing - Cover, Sleeve, Record

Die Laughing Back, Sleeve, Record

Die Laughing (1996)

1. Elephant Graveyard 1:30
2. Can You Feel It 4:13
3. Wild Dogs 3:39
4. The Longest Night (Journal #1) 1:49
5. Concubinez 2:35 /
6. Why Me 4:32
7. Fresh Meat :20
8. Hyenas in the Desert 2:27
9. Other Side of Midnight 3:54

Album Rating (1-10): (now this is not in my typical wheelhouse) 7.0

Members & Other Bands:
Kendo - Vox (Chuck D)
Sean Evans - Art Direction, Design
Studdah Man - Engineering, Mixing
Chuck D - Executive Producer (Public Enemy)
Gary G-Whiz - Exec. Producer, Mixer, Engineering
Tom Coyne - Mastering
Exum - Photography
Bob Fudjinski - Mixing
Vinny Nicoletti - Asst Mixing

Unknown-ness: I've never heard of this band. From the look of it, font of the band name, Jason hockey mask, and song titles, I'd assume they are some sort of horror/death metal band.

Album Review: This was the first record to be released under Chuck D’s imprint. The duo of Kendo and Gary G-Whiz worked with Chuck D in different capacities, and teamed up to make this record, but never followed up with anything further, perhaps due to lack of promotion of this product. There is a steady concept throughout the entire album, basically placing Hyenas in the Desert as the villain of a typical horror movie: which works, knowing how hyenas stalk their prey and mercilessly attack and kill, all the while cackling with their jarring laughter.

“Elephant Graveyard” echos with cymbals, cynical laughter and bird calls. A slow trip-hop beat starts, with vocals spoken over top. Even the vocals repeat like an echo in a cave.
“Can You Feel It” begins with hi-hat, and an eerie keyboard/piano melody. The pounding bass distorts when it blasts out in tempo. The rhyming starts with a mellow head nodding rhythm. The chorus is a little more melodic, but is still mostly spoken word rhyming in a style Eminem uses. Musically, it is not just a simple backing beat, there are female vocals underlaid and strings like Gangster’s Paradise.
“Wild Dogs” begins with a smooth, echoing bass line hook and steady drum beat. The rhyming is fast but not quite furious. There are support vocals echoing certain words and phrases or commenting uh-huh which bolsters the confidence and emphasis of the lead. The song ends with hyena type laughs, and the spoken album title completes the track.
“The Longest Night (Journal #1)” has more slow, trip hop drum and bass, along with some crystal-like keyboard notes. Lyrics are quiet, and spoken under the sinister beat.
“Concubinez” begins with spoken samples dialogue, and a three note honking synth effect sets the tempo. The crashing drum rhythm pushes the song forward with an array of rhyming lyrics. Twitters and tweaks on a electro/synth devise are use like record scratching.

“Why Me” is introduced with a bit of dialogue, and then a disco era tone rings through. The poetic rapping tells a story, and again is emphasized by a supporting vocal, but it does not rush through; instead, it is a calculated on tempo reflection. A second set of vocals picks up the second story/verse. The chorus is a repetition of why me, expressing the guilt and circumstances that have lead the singers to this point.
“Fresh Meat” is just a pack of laughing hyenas, which acts like a bookend between the last song and this song.
“Hyenas in the Desert” The tempo is quicker, more rushed, and the bass line is dense, reminding me of Bjork’s “Human Behavior.” The vocals rhyme and interchange with each other in a sort of spiral of who’s attention is in the foreground.
“Other Side of Midnight” comes in with a cackling laugh. This is like an eerie, X-Files type version of the previous song. It has a straight forward mid-tempo drum beat, with the rapid fire rhyming overtop. And the horror movie tense-inducing keyboard ends the album.

Stand Out Track: Hyenas in the Desert

Links:
Discogs
Amazon
Lost Tapes
90's Hip Hop
Allmusic
Rate You Music
CD Universe
Youtube full album

Whistle - s/t

Name: Whistle
Album: s/t
Year:1986
Style: Hip Hop, Rap, R&B
Similar Bands: DJ Jazzy Jeff, Full Force, ABC, New Edition, Bobby Brown, Run DMC, Fat Boys, Young MC
One-Word Review: Nonthreatening Story Rap
Based Out Of:  NYC
Label: Select Records, Champion Records

Whistle - Cover & Record

Whistle - Back & Record

Whistle (1986)

1. Rest In Peace 5:01
2. Damn Thing 3:12
3. (Nothing Serious) Just Buggin' 5:02
4. Chance for Our Love 3:58/
5. Please Love Me 4:35
6. Just For Fun 3:34
7. We're Called Whistle 3:52
8. Barbara's Bedroom 5:05

Album Rating (1-10): 7.0

Members & Other Bands:
The Kangol Kid - Producer (UTFO, Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam)

"Hitman" Howie Tee - Producer, Scratching

Questar Welsh - Engineer

Dee Dee Scott - Backing Vox

Herbie Powers Jr - Mastering

Larry Kazal - Jacket Design

Nancy Feldman - Jacket Design

Arthur Field - Photos

Jazz(y Jazz) - Lead Vox, Rhymes, Backing Vox (Group Home Productions)

Kool Doobie. Rhymes Backing Vox

DJ Silver Spinner - Scratches, Backing Vox

Unknown-ness: I never heard of these guys, but I'm guessing they were a borderline band between hip-hop/rap, and smoother New Edition style R&B. Not typically my genre, but I'm always game to check out solid 80's rap acts.

Album Review: These guys never had a big following, or went on to become famous names. K.D. tried to go out on his own at one point after 2 records as a solo artist to equal obscurity.

“Rest In Peace” starts with an off tempo kick drum and an electric guitar that almost sounds like industrial. The notes are samples, and there are a lot of synth “surprise emphasis” effects. The second verse through changes a little with scratching. It feels a little dated, but still bright and fresh, with Run DMC style rhyming and a solid rhythm that constantly moves forward.

“Damn Thing” Also starts with a rock-influenced sampling tempo, and a story-rap verse. The chorus is fun, ripping on some guy who never does a damn thing, with a secondary vocal calling out “What?” in a school yard call and response melody. Retroactively, this reminds me of Young MC. It ends a little flat.

“(Nothing Serious) Just Buggin'” was a solid single, reaching #17 & 18 on the US R&B & Dance charts, and #7 in the UK. My dollar bin purchase of the record came with the Just Buggin single with alt versions shoved in the jacket. The song introduces their name, and is a playful skipping tempo, and lots of samples and effects from the era. The chorus is the word Bug stretched and manipulated through a vocal emulator, reminds me a little of They Might Be Giants samples. Later on, the samples sound like they were used in the scratch collage of “Pump Up the Volume”

“Chance for Our Love” gets a little sentimental, with a slower, swaying beat, and high pitch synth. The vocals are harmonized and light. Apparently, this was a sign of what was to come for the group. The uttering of the word Girl is a little like the awards show skit from Mr. Show.

“Please Love Me” was a second single that charted at 91 in the UK, but did not chart in the US. This song begins more in line with many of the dance/radio hits from the mid 80’s. A comfortable beat, a cowbell and whistle, a hilly melody and some hand clap drum kit percussion. It is not bombastic or overly excitable, just a mid-range sweaty groove. It even dips into a little new wave territory with an synth organ.

“Just For Fun” was their third single, peaking at #61 on the Billboard Hot Black Singles chart. It gets back to hip hop, with a spoken intro and synchronized verse punctuation with emphasized one word rhymes. The MC’s take turns on the mic, introducing themselves, in an all but lost art today.

“We're Called Whistle” starts with some scratching, and sets the tone with a funky tempo and some sound effects (that Pump Up The Volumne effect). The lyrics are scratched and sampled vocals pieced together with other effects. No real vocals, this is an instrumental of sorts, considering the sampled vocals are not live.

“Barbara's Bedroom” was the final single, hitting #31 on the Billboard Hot Black Singles chart. It starts with come vocoder altered “I’s” setting up the melody. The vocals are straight forward Rn'B, and tell a sorta braggart story of being in “Barbara’s bedroom” The instrumentation is minimal, a little new wave synth at the early middle, and a synth drum beat. Layered, harmonized vocals make up the chorus, 

Stand Out Track: Damn Thing

Links:

Discogs

Wiki

All music

Rare & Obscure Music

Werner Von Wallenrod

Youtube tracks

Steady B - s/t

Name: Steady B

Album: s/t

Year: 1986

Style: R&B Rap, Hip-Hop

Similar Acts: Rob Base, Biz Markie, Fresh Prince, Schoolly D, Beastie Boys

One Word Review: Minimalist Storyteller Rap

Based Out Of: Philly, PA

Label: Pop Art Records

 Steady B - Cover, Record

Steady B - Back, Record

Steady B (1986)

1. Bring the Beat Back 3:54
2. Get Physical 3:28
3. Surprise 4:11
4. Cheatin' Girl 3:57/
5. Stupid Fresh 3:58
6. Hit Me 4:13
7. Nothin' But the Bass 4:09
8. Yo Mutha 4:00

Album Rating (0-10): 7.0

Members & Other Bands:
Warren McGlone - Vox, Emcee, Writer (MC Boob, Sabir, CEB)
Joe "The Butcher" Nicolo - Engineer
Lawrence Goodman - Producer, Mixing
DJ Tat Money - Scratches (Terrance Thomas)
Grand Dragon KD - Scratches
Toni Kersey - Album Design
Marley Marl - Producer

Unknown-ness: With a general-sounding name, and a lack of in-depth knowledge of mid-80's rap, I can't say I know this. I imagine it is similar to Run DMC or Rob Base, as the style, angular artwork, and overall appearance lend it toward those hip-hop artists.

Album Review: Steady-B, aka Warren McGlone was caught and sentenced to life in prison without parole for a botched bank robbery and the murder of police officer Lauretha Vaird (first female phila police officer killed on duty) along with fellow rapper Cool C. This event sadly now overshadows the prestige and hype Steady B brought to West Philly back in the mid 80’s. He went to school and grew up on the same scene as Will Smith, following on the heels of Schoolly D, MC Breeze and Lady B.

“Bring the Beat Back” was a single. Steady electronic drum beat and scratching start off the minimal track. The chorus is a combo of samples and scratches. The song pauses about 1:45 and a drawn out “wellllll” kicks the track back in. There are a handful of breaks where it seems the song could end. The style is aggressive but not angry.

“Get Physical” was a single. The production feels raw, and live, with an auditorium echo around the vocals. The lyrics involve the stauts of the MC rapping and trying to get girls.  It is still a minimal drum beat with some samples peppered in throughout.

“Surprise” has a denser drum machine kicking off the track. The rap style is much more story-song like “Parents Just Don’t Understand,” and the vocal tone sounds more adolescent, too.

“Cheatin' Girl” begins with more radio friendly effects bips and bops surrounding a jazzy drum kit and vibrating bass. This too follows the basic story-song rap format, but a little more aggressive, closer to Beastie Boys and Run DMC. The chorus is a skipping, scratched version of the song title.

“Stupid Fresh” was a single. A bass and clap drum beat kicks the song off, and the aggressive rapping begins, reminding me a little of Chris Rock’s voice. The scratching and FX include some dated sounds like those from electro-scratches from Axel F and a couple sax notes.

“Hit Me” has some synth wood block notes buried below the cymbal drum machine and other rotating percussion effects, along with some synth bursts. It is still a fairly minimal instrument song, showcasing the vocals. The chorus has female vocals sampled.

“Nothin' But the Bass” has a pounding bass, then cuts with an electronic drum hit added. The word “Nothin’” is studdered, and the song feels like it is a motivational song to get people out moving. It features cowbell, scratching, sampled bursts, and is an all-around solid track.

“Yo Mutha” features a drum beat that is almost industrial, and falls into the story-song rap. There is a deep sinister bass line in the song creating an ominous feeling. The song is comical and an insult track, putting down, of course, yo mutha. The title is scratched and skipped to create the chorus.
Stand Out Track: Nothin' But the Bass

Links:
Medium-Cuepoint
Wiki
Discogs
Allmusic
Newsworks
Complex

The M-Zee Band - Doctor Rhythm

Name: The M-Zee Band

Album: Doctor Rhythm

Year: 1981

Style: Humorous R&B/Rap/Funk

Similar Bands: Busboys, Capt Sky, Cameo, Stevie B, Chromeo

"One Word" Review: Funkin' Innuendo

Based Out Of: NYC, NY

Label: Mirage, Warner, Atlantic

 Doctor Rhythm - Cover & Record

 Doctor Rhythm - Back & Record

Doctor Rhythm (1981)

1. Doctor Rhythm - 5:44
2. Who's Funkin' You - 4:30
3. Bop Box - 5:45/
4. Sure Shot - 4:41
5. I'm Savin' It For the One I Love - 4:37
6. Fun House - 5:40
7. Street Beat - 5:02

Album Rating (1-10): 6.0

Members & Other Bands:

Michael Zager - Producer, Arranger, Synth & Keys (10 Wheel Drive)
Deirdre O'Hara - Production Coordinator

Jolyon Skinner - Bass, Vox (Touch)

Alvin Fields - Backing Vox

Wayne Cooper - Backing Vox (Cameo)

Alfred Adams Jr - Drums (Fantasy)

Michael Campbell - Guitar (Change)

Jimmy Maelen - Percussion (Ambergirls, Shobizz, The Latin Dimension)

Bob Defrin - Art Direction

Jay Mark - Engineer

Carla Bandini - Engineer

John Convertino - Asst Engineer

Matthew Weiner - Asst Engineer

Jerry Love - Exec Producer

Dennis King - Mastering

David Kennedy - Photography

Pete Canarozzi - Programming

Eltesa Weathersby - Nurse Git Down
Jebadiah - Claps
Wiff - Claps
Rick Rock - Claps
Wrong Way Weathersby - Claps
Sir Fig Newton - Claps
A Cappella Angelina - Claps
Ambassador Orlando Charisma - Claps
Rock & Roll Bob - Claps

Unknown-ness: I’ve never heard of this band. But I love the idea of what is inside via the cover art. A crazy looking doctor/nurse sitting in what appears to be a bathtub with a stethoscope held up to a sizable boom box. I mean, how more specific of the style do you need? How bout including the album name Doctor Rhythm, and have the Dr in question staring right at it. If this is not come sort of crazy themed R&B concept, then I’ll be super-surprised.

Album Review: M-Zee stands for Michael Zager, who’s had a few self-named R&B Disco acts in the past, and has produced a lot of famous singer from Whitney Houston and Luther Vandross to Herb Alpert and the Spinners. There is, unfortunately, a lot more promise and possibility on this album than what is delivered.

“Doctor Rhythm” starts with a funky beat and a twinkling synth. It gets real Shaft like with an ambulance alarm, and a nurse’s announcement for Dr. Rhythm to show up. It is a slow and steady, close-dancing disco song with a plot and storyline for this Dr. to help cure anyone lacking funk. There is a little too much growl-R-rolling in his energetic singing. It teeters on the brink of absurdity and punny humor with the conversation between Nurse Git Down & Doctor Rhythm @ 4:30. Lack-Funk-Cosis is a real disease that only Dr. Rhythm can cure. Perhaps a distant cousin to Doctor Worm.
“Who's Funkin' You” takes a similar tempo with more wha-wha watery guitars, and is an obvious a play on words with the phrase I wanna funk you. It skips along the line of innuendo and plays on words, employing the popular 70-80’s rap context of explaining who the singer is, how great he is, and what he is here to do.
“Bop Box” was the single of the album, and is in reference to a Boom Box. It is a slowish funk (not fast, disco) song that explains what a Bop Box is and what it does. It’s a virtual commercial, selling the benefits of bringing your jams with you. The chorus has a nice build up, which crashes back down to the verse very quickly. It is smooth, and dare I say funky for lack of alternate adjectives. There are some great supporting vocals layered below the main vocals and hooks.

“Sure Shot” begins the second side with the same steady tempo R&B song with a quieter, hushed tone. The bass hook is shorter and catchier than the rest of the album yet, coupled with short verses that all end with the title as punctuation.
“I'm Savin' It For the One I Love”has a jazzy guitar start off the song, with a keyboard that sounds a little like the MASH intro. The song is full of honest sentiment, and female backing vocals. It is a little mystical in the synth production. There is a little dialogue section where a “hot” girl comes back for our hero singer, and now we know why he’s saving it...supposedly. The song does have a religious tone to it, but it does not say saving it for marriage…just for the love, which, I guess, to stay within the self-inflicted rules, could change daily.
“Fun House” – enters with a drum beat and real funky bass groove. Plucked electric guitar follows up, and it sounds like a Chromeo song. It is a really fun intro. But the song just becomes another repetitive story song about a Fun House, which is, in actuality, just a week metaphor for the hero/singer’s apartment. And at the end he just seems to come off really pathetic and begging for a girl to just come over.
“Street Beat” has a darker, almost thriller vibe to its introductory bass line. But the guitar lightens it up, and the song follows the recipe we’ve become used to on this album. Not fast, not danceable, except for a slow, close-dancing organic groove sort of movement. The secondary section is very smooth and follows a light disco melody, but the dark sinister bass and the wood block percussion are what define this song.

Stand Out Track: Doctor Rhythm

Links:
Discogs

Funky Town Grooves

Soul & Funk Music

Allmusic

Rate Your Music

Philfunk

Michael Zager Wiki

Listen to The Album Via Grooveshark

Ebn Ozn - Feeling Cavalier

Name: Ebn Ozn
Album: Feeling Cavalier

Year: 1984

Style: New Wave, Dance, Island
Similar Bands: Kid Creole, Devo, ABC, Pet Shop Boys
"One Word" Review: Synth Conglomerate
Based Out Of: NYC
Label: Elektra/Asylum, Warner

 Feeling Cavalier: Cover, sleeve, record

Feeling Cavalier: Back, Sleeve, Record

Feeling Cavalier (1984)

1. Bag Lady (I wonder) 6:35
2. Stop Stop Give It Up 3:50
3. I Want Cash 3:22
4. Kuchenga Pamoja 6:18
5. TV Guide 1:40/
6. Video DJ 4:16
7. Pop Art Bop 4:57
8. Rockin' Robin 3:27
9. AEIOU Sometimes Y 6:27
10. The Dawn 2:09

Album Rating (1-10): 7.0

Members & Other Bands:

Ebn - Fairlight CMI & Other Instruments Arranged, Programmed & Performed, Recording, Producer, Video Co-Producer, Engineer (Scritti Politti)

Ozn - Vox, Co-Producer. Video Producer(Dada Nada)

Kenn Fink - Recording, Backing Vox, Engineer

Gregory J. Moss - Asst Engineer
Tito Puente - Timbales, Cowbell & Cymbals
Bobby Blain - Piano
Jack Waldman - Fairlight CMI techmex trumpets
April Lang - Backing vox (Techettes)
Lisa Herman - Backing Vox (Techettes)
Jay Aaron - Backing Vox (Techettes)
Velvert Turner - Backing Vox (Techettes)
Jimmy Lowell - Backing Vox (Techettes)
Joe Berger - Backing Vox (Techettes)
Dave Wittman - Mix Engineer & Engineer
Tom Swift - Asst. Engineer
John Luongo - Asst. Engineer, Mixing
Bruce Buchalter - Asst. Engineer
Buddy Pollock - Asst. Engineer 
Jay Mark - Engineer
Linda Randazzo - Asst. Engineer
Greg Calbi - Mastering
Virginia Liberatore - Photography
Lynn Dreese Breslin - Art Direction
Ed Steinberg - Video Production

Unknown-ness: I’ve never heard of these guys. They look eclectic, wacky, and very arty. The names sound Swedish or something, like something they’d have at Ikea. I’m guessing this is going to be very on electronics and synth, but very juvenile and catchy. In any case, it looks very interesting.

Album Review: “Bag Lady (I Wonder)” has a techno middle-eastern start to it. The heavy electro bass makes this feel very dark. Then a heavy guitar adds to the landscape and a twinkling keyboard. This feels like a combination of Pet Shop Boys and New Age New Wave. The instrumental flourishes give depth to the song, but over all it is a genra crossing, yet stereotypical 80’s pop song. There are metal-like electric guitar solos, some off key yelling, and other random synth effects. And just as it feels seems like it is about to end, it launches into an extra verse-chorus.
“Stop Stop Give It Up” is a much more mellow, but equally synth pop song. It is smooth, like ABC or Howard Jones, and has that relaxed crooning vibe. There are vocals synthesized in the background that remind me of the Clockwork Orange soundtrack, or Chromeo. If this was produced in the 60’s it would be quite the Motown/doo-wop song. The chorus is very repetitive, but it is a fun hook, so the repetition is welcomed.
“I Want Cash” straight away, feels like Devo, with it’s jittery synthesizer and talk-singing structure (that almost qualifies as rap). The background yeah-yeahs also reminds me of Oingo Boingo. But the stand out star of this song is the amazingly catchy chorus of Wanting, Needing, Loving cash. There is a mini-breakdown about 2 min in that is short, but chaotic and noisy. Also, all synthesized. But the end of the song breaks form and becomes a wild party of the chorus repeating and fading out under laughing and other crowd noised overlaid.
“Kuchenga Pamoja” features a synth xylophone as a driving, jungle anchor for the song. The keyboard has a mix of island and steel drum intertwined as one instrument. The band attains a cool and tropical atmosphere in this song with all the synth elements they can, including many wooden percussion effects. And the chanting adds to the tribal feel. There are some very dated effects, however, there are a couple different bird/squawks (I think) that are a bit cringe-worthy, as well as the deep vocal electric transformation that reminds me of Ween’s song Big Fat Fuck (this effect is used again to completely ruin Rockin’ Robin” And it sounds like the backing vocals keep repeating “Broadway,” buit I’m pretty sure that is not the intended vocal.
“TV Guide” is a very weird wind down to side one. It is a church organ, almost Phantom of the Opera style. The vocal in the background chants TV Guide, and harmonizing vocals perform different in-the-round style lyrics, and eventually, an adult playing to be a kid whines about wanting to watch TV to end the song…for 5 more minutes. Just odd.

“Video DJ” heads back into the tropical styling with ska horns and another island beat, and Kid Creole style vocals. The chorus is catchy, head bobbing-so. There is a call and response with the backing vocals that enhances the interactive facet of music played at an outdoor cultural event. The song mentions NY Salsa, so perhaps that is the style of music they are heading for. I guess the piano could be a bit salsa, but still, it feels more smooth and reggae stylized.
“Pop Art Bop” would fit right into the category of Electric Boogaloo. It is a bit Jan Hammer electronic effects mixed with organic classic hip-hop vocal style and simple electronic bass/drum beat. The song title is repeated a couple of times at accent places in a robot voice. It is a stereotypical 80’s synth dance track. There is some hip-hop jargon laden conversation mixed over the beat at some places which, again, sounds a bit dated.
“Rockin’ Robin” just ruins the song, and almost the entire album. The creepy vocals add nothing to the song, and should only be reserved in songs trying to be unappealing. Down to the root, it is an electronic cover of the song, pretty dedicated to the synth production and the robot synth chorus, but the deep vocals in the verse does nothing for the song. The guitar is even produced in a rock-a-billy manner. But the verse vocals are just embarrassing.
“AEIOU Sometimes Y” is their hit song, which is a combination of a slight dance beat, mixed down under dark synth music that takes us back to the opening track production. The vocals are spoken over the verse melody. This is followed by a big vocal chorus of the song name, sung like a countdown. This repetition repeats a good deal of times, mixing dark instrumentals with steady rhythmic verse, and the catchy and upbeat echoing chorus hook. The spoken-part of the story tells of a guy and girl hunt/chase relationship, and, perhaps in tribute to the Kinks, or as a message in the song, the targeted female’s name is Lola. Because the song is so simple in its nature…only made chaotic by many ADD changes in the synth-keyboard sound, there are many clashing musical breakdowns. They also paraphrase a bunch of theatrical lines, including a line that seems like it is from Ice Pirates. The chorus backing music ends the song in a fade out. “The Dawn” creates an atmosphere of a sun rising, the instruments slowly rise to the surface, like combining the woodwinds of the Beatles with the bass of David Lynch’s Twin Peaks (or the song Take My Breath Away) It is a forever rising instrumental, still bleak and cold as it grows. Then it fades out as slowly as it began.

Stand Out Track: "I Want Cash"

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