Jeff Chang & Rennie Harris @ Historical Society: Dance Mofo!!! 2007-02-25 01:00:00 Presumably those showing up at the HistoricalSociety
tomorrow
night will be more familiar with Jeff Chang
than Rennie Harris
.
While searching for video of his podiatric stylings--and/or works
choreographed* by Harris--I happened across the following
instructional video. If YouTube bios are to be believed, it was
created/posted by a former member of
Harris' Puremovement dance company--although google will not
confirm if Harris had anything to do with this production, or if
the tags rennie, harris, and ...
Read more:Dance
excuse the intermission 2007-02-21 01:00:00 a bunch on deck, previously mentioned and whatnot. a
"correction" of sorts--and an announcement re: the haphazard
shuffling of content across several blogs is also forthcoming.
local/national hip-hop posting will resume shortly. Most likely
this afternoon. Q&As will likely emerge in multi-media over the
next week or so--please bear with me. ...
Read more:intermission
"I'm From Rolling Stone," Now Airing @ 2am 2007-02-21 01:00:00 Sayeth cable-subscribing friends at least. If you missed out on
that career-making bonanza... there's still hope!
"...RollingStone
is looking for part-time unpaid interns to
start ASAP in their New York offices for a publishing assignment.
You must be available a minimum of 2 days and have an impressive
design and photo sensibility, as well as an interest and
familiarity with Rolling Stone and its history. A majority of your
responsibility will be scanning in items for our upcoming
retrospective publication celebrating the ...
Read more:Airing
Quick Link: Clyde Stubblefield in Down Beat Mag 2007-02-20 01:00:00 "James Brown's
Musicians Reflect On His Legacy" via Bryan @ Groovology:
It’s especially nice to hear Clyde
speak
with appreciation for James Brown. I always have known he
didn’t really hate JB or hold serious hard
feelings against him, but he often doesn’t like
to talk much about the past. This is a nice
read… ...
Read more:Quick
, Quick Link
Brother Ali Returns to Madison 2007-02-18 01:00:00 One of my favorite moments of Pop Fest, along with the verse he
ripped over the "Mind Playin' Tricks" instrumental, found Brother
Ali stoically handling his own bouncing duties: rapping while
assertively--but somehow gently--stiff-arming a fan off the stage.
Well before the student (dreaded like Sideshow Bob-in-full-bloom)
"supervisor" moved a muscle.
Madison
ians have another chance to see Ali flex his rhyme and
crowd-management skills April 20th @ the High Noon. And
yes, I'll be posting ...
Read more:Returns
, Brother Ali
Q&A: Holding Office Hours @ Subway 2007-02-26 01:00:00 Wanna play a quick game of sample-spotting (Madison hip-hop
edition)? You could catch up with Hall and Oates at the Crest's
MySpace. Perhaps grab Office
Hours
' debut EP, How To Kill Shadows--or at least head
over to their Myspace--and brush up on
the Crest's back catalogue? Though Office Hours' Brandon Phillips
and Jordan Thomas--aka Phix and Ethos--have a penchant for
destroying samples beyond recognition, HTKS is
unmistakably the work of ...
Read more:Subway
Line Breaks: Jeff Chang @ the Historical Society [mp3 of opening remarks] 2007-02-28 01:00:00 we are documenting this entire process--the class, the
performances, and the lecture/demonstration series...--Marc
Bamuthi Joseph, while introducing the Line Breaks discussion w/
Jeff Chang
and Rennie Harris
So on Monday @ the HistoricalSociety
, there was a camera in the
wings. Bamuthi was understandably ecstatic that Harris' mind/body
discourse on hip-hop dance--antecedents and descendants--had been
captured on tape, joking that the evening would've been complete if
it had ended right there...
I'd been attempting to make my own bootleg of the evening, but
awkwardly surreptitious ...
what i missed: knowledge, grillz, hip-hop dance poetics? 2007-02-27 01:00:00 For those not enrolled in his class, it's important to
recognize that Marc Bamuthi Joseph is more than mere YouthSpeaking
hyphy exponent. See UW Arts--bio
by Chang. Or this
video [realplayer required] which includes dance-theatre-poetry
perfomance clips
Dane 101's
interview with Gary Knowledge: "So you know back in the days,
when people had problems, they didn't go out and start fights, they
would have their battles, which is their art ...
Read more:grillz
Quick Link: Rob Dz posts new tracks from forthcoming album 2007-02-27 01:00:00 Meant to include this in the previous post re: stuff i'd missed
over the preceding few months. ... In January, Rob Dz posted 4 new
tracks
from his forthcoming
Life As I See It to his
MySpace. I missed him
performing
Life... tracks @ the Annex the weekend of Pop Fest,
but he'll be returning to town March 10th for a King Club gig ["Bro
DJ and friends"]. ...
Read more:Quick
, posts
, Quick Link
Q&A w/ Laduma Nguyuza (Dumate, Golden Age and STINK TANK MC) 2007-03-01 01:00:00 The following Q&A with Laduma Nguyuza (myriad aliases to be
introduced shortly) was conducted in mid-January. I'd initially
asked Laduma if he'd be open to a discussion of
freestyling--responding to a series of questions that had occurred
to me after catching
a Soul Sessions "topical battle" in December. While there was
plenty of technique-parsing,the conversation was ultimately much
broader. So it also serves to preview madisonhiphop.com's
King ...
Read more:Golden
, Golden Age
corporate bootlegging: Kanye, Nas, KRS selling AF1s; At War With Metal Fretting About Potential Fader Readership 2007-02-28 01:00:00 how many of y'all got Criminal Minded?/ you, you,you--y'all
don't be blinded/ me-i got no jewels on my neck/ why? i don't need
em, i got your respect
KRS-One, twenty years i rock/ i do it for JMJ and Scott La
Rock/ this hip-hop, and we's a nation/ don't you want to hear a KRS
on your radio station?/ instead of broadcastin' how we smoke them
trees/ on the radio we need to hear more local
MCs/ where you at, come on ...
Read more:corporate
, Kanye
, selling
, Metal
, Potential
, Fader
Line Breaks: Reading Total Chaos with Marc Bamuthi Joseph 2007-02-28 01:00:00 Think I'm going to introduce an irregular feature over the next
month. "ReadingTotalChaos
" will address questions--both
broad and astigmatic--prompted by pieces anthologized in the
Total Chaos anthology. Ideally, each entry will be framed
around a tangential connection to what's happening with
Line Breaks on a given week.
While missing two buses back from Chicago on Monday, I flipped
through Total Chaos. Marc Bamuthi Joseph
's "(Yet Another)
Letter to a Young Poet" was up front, ...
Quick Link--what i missed: Eli Cash's Broadcast Distortion Vid 2007-03-02 01:00:00 The Daily Page's Collecting
Mad Videos posted this a few weeks ago--and hopefully I'll get
around to reposting with some non-redundant background
vernacular info, but I figure I should get this
circulating before I post anything else tonight.
The "non-obsolete vernacular" allusion isn't a swipe @ TDP--I'm
assuming that Kristian meant that while "BroadcastDistortion
" was
released eons ago in '06, the lyrics remain
relevant (George Bush's nose for coke!), and I'm ...
Read more:Quick
, Quick Link
STINK TANK DOCUMENTARY VID: Q&A w/ director Ellen O'Brien 2007-03-03 01:00:00 After I posted this Q&A with
Laduma, he mentioned a STINK TANK documentary that had been
directed/produced by Ellen
O'Brien. Embedded below, it more
formally introduces STINK TANK producer Mitch Pond (aka Man
Mantis)--and goes much deeper into the genesis of Laduma's multiple
MC personas. Naturally, it's scored by their music.
====
====
From her Chilean study-abroad outpost, Ellen shared some
info re: the doc's production...
ewv: How'd you pick the ...
Daily Cardinal Dropping N-Bombs 2007-03-06 01:00:00 The DailyCardinal
:[via El Guante]
"Language Censorship Fails to Solve Racism"
Imagine two scenarios. In the first, a white boy goes up to
a black boy and says "what's
up, n***er?" Pretty bad, right? But what if he had said
"what's up,
ni**a?"
All of a sudden, instead of using a racial slur, he is in
fact demonstrating both an awareness of and some measure of respect
for contemporary black culture. The white boy validates the new,
more positive meaning of ...
Read more:Bombs
Not So Quick Link: Transcript of RIAA (president and general counsel) chat with college newspapers 2007-03-06 01:00:00 Hannah Young's most recent
RIAArticle in the Daily Cardinal alluded to a chat conducted
with RIAA president Cary Sherman, and RIAA General Counsel and Exec
VP Steven Marks. As of yesterday, a transcript wasn't available
online. So I emailed Hannah to ask about the chat
(logistics/moderation, etc.) and see if she had a full transcript.
I didn't hear back from her*, but stopped by the Daily Cardinal
office. Her editor didn't ...
Read more:Quick
, Transcript
, newspapers
, Quick Link
DirecTV? 2007-03-05 01:00:00 Anyone have it? Like it? What's your experience been like
relative to, say, Charter?
When I was in Chicago recently, Comcast ads were running that
mocked the notion of a delicate dish exposed to the city's
windy elements... similar logic would seem to apply
here--winterwise at least. Yes? No?
[update: ok, might as well admit that i'm also fishing for
someone to let me into their home and watch a particular
broadcast(s). ...
Read more:DirecTV
Horton & August: Two Weekend Gigs, Two YouTube Vids 2007-03-08 01:00:00 Horton & August
have two gigs this weekend... They'll be
part of Saturday's stacked lineup @ madisonhiphop.com's King Club
party--and tomorrow they'll be performing a few songs and spinning
@ Firecracker Studios' "Gorilla Art Showcase". I've been
slacking/sick, so I haven't rounded up too much info re: the
showcase, but I walked by the old Artist and Craftsman Supply
retail space @ 811 E Johnson last night, and it looked like a large
graf mural had been painted on at least one ...
Read more:Horton
, Weekend
, YouTube
tonight: Firecracker to Qwel, Pigeon John 2007-03-09 01:00:00 I shouted out the High Noon Pigeon
John show in the comments to the Horton/August vid post--which
mentioned the Firecracker
gig that starts @ 6pm tonight [811 E
Johnson].
But if you're broke--head to Qwel @ the Rathskeller [9pm]. He's
with qwazaar--so that's 2/3 of Typical Cats [and Dennis aka Denizen
Kane, will be making his way here soon enough]
It's free. I did a Q&A with him that may find its ...
continuing the hip-hop arts themed weekend: madisonhiphop.com @ King Club 2007-03-10 01:00:00 Following up last night's Firecracker
showcase w/ the madisonhiphop.com party @ the King Club. The press
release/flier referred to "Visuals by Bro Design (design &
photography of madison hiphop culture)", so I emailed former
mhhdotcom impresario Brody Rose to ask him to...
...elaborate on the "visuals"? like, to what extent were you
planning to transform the space [err, King Club]?
br: i will have a slide show going on the screen right behind
the ...
UW-Madison Copyright Compliance Notice 2007-03-16 01:00:00 The following was sent out earlier today--presumably
university-wide--by interim UW-Madison
CIO Ken Frazier:
The recording industry is threatening lawsuits against those
who may have engaged in illegal file sharing. They are currently
targeting students who live in university residence halls.
Recently, UW-Madison and other universities have been notified that
they will receive settlement letters that are to be passed on to
the individuals whom the senders believe to be guilty of copyright
infringement. Consistent with current network management procedures
and our understanding of federal ...
Read more:Compliance
Q&A w/ Chris James Thompson: video director, Horton and August "What I Know" 2007-03-19 01:00:00 Since I initially posted the video
to Horton
and August
's "What
I know", I've had a chance to exchange a few emails with director
ChrisJamesThompson
, who honed his mannequin-directing skills at
UW-Milwaukee's film school.
It's probably safe to assume that most of the background he
provided is on the level. For instance, that the video was edited
while airborne, headed for Korea. However, if you find yourself
wondering why you can't find an appropriately explosive
MySpace page for rapper Kim Jong ...
'Prison Poets' broadcast on WSUM this afternoon (4pm, 91.7FM) hopefully next week 2007-03-21 01:00:00 UPDATE: Ray Hsu writes in to inform us that the
broadcast has to be held off. "We are aiming for next week, pending
D.O.C. approval." Please continue reading--follow-up posts will
provide further details re: the workshop and new broadcast
time.
This afternoon, Hopefully sometime soon, WSUM's
The Literally Literal will broadcast a special episode
comprised of readings from a writing
workshop at Oakhill Correctional in Fitchburg. WSUM's Andrew
Hirshman tells us below that the idea for the ...
Read more:Prison
, hopefully
Q&A: Mike Relm (opening for Blue Man Group @ Kohl Center 4/10) 2007-04-03 02:00:00 I don't make a habit of schlepping out to the Kohl Center
, let
alone steering anyone else there (just not that into arena rock,
sports). Here's a one-time exception: if you've got the means, heed
the call of the Blue ManGroup
caravan rolling through town next
Tuesday.
I caught the original show at Chicago's Briar Street Theatre,
but
David Cross's never-nude anxieties inform my understanding of
BMG's current iteration more than anything else. However, ...
ATTN: Dane County residents with leaky faucets, overflowing toilets 2007-04-09 02:00:00 I am sorry to disappoint, but I am not a plumber named Bill. I
don't euphemistically write about the laying of
pipe, much less possess skills any union or guild would care to
safeguard for future generations.
If you call in search of such services, my voicemail-prompt will
hopefully lead you to double-check your references. If you leave a
message, I may actually call back to inform you that that I am ...
Read more:County
, residents
, toilets
Q&A: 'Prison Poets' workshop facilitator 2007-04-10 02:00:00 Ray Hsu facilitates a creative writing workshop at Oakhill
Correctional in Fitchburg. While I originally
posted about the possibility of a special edition of WSUM's
"Literally Literal" featuring material from the workshop, approval
for that broadcast is still pending, so let's packpedal a bit.
Below Ray discusses the program's genesis, different contexts for
workshopping and critique--and his own membership in the Oakhill
writing group.
ewv: How was the workshop first put together? (Who was
involved, what was the inspiration/motivation, what were the
administrative/ ...
Read more:Prison
Win a pair of tickets to see Brother Ali @ High Noon 2007-04-14 02:00:00 Apparently, madison.com is giving away 2 tickets to see Brother
Ali et al. Since the url for all such promos implies that winners
are benefiting specifically from Post's largesse, I figure
I might as well plug the the opportunity...
...while assuring you that when I get around to posting a
Q&A with Brother Ali that reveals his grocery-shopping habits,
that foray into indie rap lifestyle coverage was not coordinated
with whomever handles the swag.
Q&A w/ Dahlak Brathwaite (@ Red Gym Sunday, @ Historical Society Monday) 2007-04-14 02:00:00 Dahlak Brathwaite will be conducting Poetry/MC workshops @ the
Red Gym tomorrow (Sun, 4/15) @ 12:30 w/ Rafael Casal. The workshops
precede the Def Poet duo's Linebreaks performance Monday
night @ 7.
Of course, Linebreaks is billed: "featuring Marc Bamuthi Joseph and
friends." Dahlak has cowritten and performed a theatrical piece
with Bamuthi, whom he counts as a mentor, so that connection was
one of the first things I asked about when I had a chance to speak
to him Thursday afternoon. ...
Read more:Sunday
, Historical
, Society
To-do: Soul Sessions @ Lussier Teen Center, w/ Dahlak Brathwaite, Rafael Casal 2007-04-13 02:00:00 Dane 101
just posted a synopsis of some of the stuff kicking off Hip Hop
as a Movement Week. If you believe MySpace, it's one long-ass
week (7 days +10?). I'm currently transcribing an interview with
the following MC/poet, who should be appearing at Soul Sessions
tonight @ 8pm, 827 E. Washington Ave. Preceded by a screening of
Beyond Beats and Rhymes.
Read more:Center
, Rafael
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