Madlib – Madlib Medicine Show No. 2: Flight to Brazil

This album really changed things for me in terms of appreciating and pursuing jazz music outside of Tribe Called Quest samples. He took sounds I was unfamiliar and uninterested in, and screwed them up in wonderful ways that made me want to listen over and over again (video for a track off this album will be included below). It’s safe to say that Madlib is NOT a one trick pony.

February 24th, 2010  |  by J Meagher  |  published in hip-hop, world music  |  5 comments

Essential Sounds of Winter: Part 2 of 2

When we published Part One of this series, we had yet to live through the Snowpocalypse that engulfed DC. A work-from-home-days later (and snowball fights and keg drinking) later, and we’re ready for Part Two of our Essential Sounds of Winter series.

February 12th, 2010  |  by jason grishkoff, hannahsimon, J Meagher, Jess Alatorre, el gringo rico, taylor fife and camden andrews  |  published in playlists  |  8 comments

Madlib – Madlib Medicine Show No. 1: Before the Verdict

The greatest thing about this project for me is the chance to glimpse the inner workings and predilections of hip-hops greatest mind. This man has four tons of vinyl. Let me repeat for dramatic effect: Madlib owns four TONS of vinyl. That’s about a Ford F-150 worth of wax. These mix tapes will pull from all of it, bringing you the funkiest, most obscure cuts from South America, Africa, and other locales.

February 11th, 2010  |  by J Meagher  |  published in hip-hop  |  6 comments

Essential Sounds of Winter: Part 1 of 2

Since the New Year, DC has been hammered. We toppled Christmas’s record, with nearby areas reporting up to 3 feet of the fluffy stuff. With another 10-20 inches predicted for Tuesday-Wednesday, we’re pretty sure it’s time to present our Essential Sounds of Winter. So join us as a few of Indie Shuffle’s contributors share the albums that they like to whip out when there’s no choice but to stay indoors.

February 9th, 2010  |  by jason grishkoff, Jess Alatorre, camden andrews, el gringo rico, taylor fife and J Meagher  |  published in playlists  |  2 comments

J Meagher’s Most Played Songs of 2009: Part 2 of 2

Before I was utilizing several external hard drives, streaming websites, compact discs, and the radio (the radio sucks/blows) to get my music fix. Since I’ve upgraded one of the coolest things for me has been keeping track of my listening habits. So the result of this is my top ten listened-to songs of the last year, which actually turned out to really surprise me. These haven’t necessarily been released this year, or aren’t all the most critically acclaimed albums, but give them a shot, there are some true gems here.

January 9th, 2010  |  by J Meagher  |  published in playlists

J Meagher’s Most Played Songs of 2009: Part 1 of 2

So last year I got a laptop for La Navidad and it pulled my ass out of the stone-age, allowing me to put ALL of my music on one device and keep track of it. The result of this is my top ten listened-to songs of the last year, which actually turned out to really surprise me. These haven’t necessarily been released this year, or aren’t all the most critically acclaimed albums, but give them a shot, there are some true gems here

January 8th, 2010  |  by J Meagher  |  published in playlists  |  1 comment

Blakroc – Blakroc

i was too excited for this album to review it right away. the black keys…mos def…PHAROAHE MONCH!?!? EVERything about this project made sense to me. the black keys have been experimenting more and more with each release, culminating in their collaboration with dangermouse on their 2008 LP “Attack & release”. mos def had experimented with rock production on his follow up to the classic “black on both sides” and for what its worth i think that album (called the new danger) is absurdly underrated. but of course this project isn’t just mos and the keys, and that’s why i hated it.

December 16th, 2009  |  by J Meagher  |  published in blues, hip-hop  |  4 comments

Bombadil – Tarpits and Canyonlands

I’m not sure if I will ever again listen an album as much as Bombadil’s debut LP, “A Buzz, A Buzz.” I don’t know if it was just because of where I was in life personally, or because I stumbled upon them randomly in a bar in Harrisonburg, Virginia, but the sounds of that record grabbed my attention in ways I doubted music could. It was nostalgic and whimsical and a little scary and I loved every song.

October 19th, 2009  |  by J Meagher  |  published in folk-rock  |  2 comments