Cochlear Implant

Zion I with with Red 3, Kazmega and DJ Twist
Pawnshop (10551 82nd Ave.) | Saturday, March 27
In the 1970s, hip hop pioneers like Afrika Bambaata and Grandmaster Flash started a monumental movement spreading their music at parties and shows via the mix tape/party tape. Now, perhaps more than ever, the idea remains essential to hip hop as a way of constantly generating hype, maintaining exposure and creating artists.

Major labels, all too aware of the strength of the mix tape, promote this way too. But for the independent hip hop performer, it’s not just hype, it’s the way.

Oakland, California’s Zion I is completely absorbed in the essential traditions of self-promotion in hip hop. MC Zumbi and producer Amp Live are obsessive in the pursuit of their passion; consistently putting out new rhymes, beats and mix tapes as individuals and as Zion I in order to stay afloat as self-sufficient artists.

“For us, it’s always been that way,” says Zumbi. “As an indie artist coming out from the Bay Area, it’s kind of like a tradition. Like Too Short and E-40 and those guys, they would pull up in their car, open their trunk and sell you music right there. That’s like the thing we’ve been doing, but with the technology added to it — the digital aspect — it’s a little different.”
Zumbi understands the marketing game has dramatically changed since the days when DJs could sell mix tapes for as much as $1 per minute of recording, and now, creativity is the key.

“I feel like it’s the wild west right now,” he says of artists who are just getting started. “As a brand new artist, I feel like it would be pretty difficult to make noise because there is so much going on in the market.

“The Internet is wide open and kids who have been making music for two months are putting out their first song. Cats who have been doing it for 28 years are putting out music for free. It’s just so overwhelming. There are some success stories, I see some people doing it in a very interesting way. So, it’s not impossible, nothing is impossible, but you really have to have a strategic marketing plan to do it these days.”

The strategic marketing plan Zumbi and Amp Live utilize isn’t aimed at sniffing out major representation.

“These days, I don’t even pay attention to the majors that much,” says Zumbi. “They keep putting out records, they keep signing people, but it feels like, more and more, when people are signed I don’t hear from them anymore.

“We just do our thing, we keep huffin’.”

Zion I - HIt Em from Imperial Productions on Vimeo.

Jay Malinowski w/ Michael Rault & Kinnie Starr

Sunday, March 21, 2010

Pawnshop

Walking into the Pawnshop I noticed that things weren’t entirely unusual from headliner Jay Malinowski’s other project’s show: hipsters with scarves, men with baggy toques and gaggles of swooning girls skirting the stage. Yet, knowing Malinowski’s solo material – and how utterly dissimilar to Bedouin Soundclash it is - I didn’t know how this crowd would translate his latest, saddest sound.

Local Michael Rault opened in a musical environment so unlike his music. What you might expect in a blues club down the avenue, Rault made you think of overly-smoky taverns and whiskey-soaked melodies. Rault had to be extremely economical with his time and his to-the-point set created a great vibe for Malinowski. Malinowski was not next, unfortunately.

In what must be one of the most awkward stage/audience encounters I’ve ever witnessed, Kinnie Starr crept onto the stage. I remember seeing Starr years ago, so I’m aware that she’s been doing this for a while, however, the way she nearly asked the audience for permission to perform wasn’t too inspiring. As she jilted through her set, Starr knee-jerked between a form of spoken-word, hip-hop and some odd form of riot girl rock. The crowd was not prepared for a sexual education lesson, but Starr delivered one as she gracelessly stumbled through a song which was meant to ‘educate’ men and empower women about the inadequacies of how men make love. Showing an uncomfortable appreciation of the ankle, Starr whined about the importance of kissing the full female body before moving “downtown”. I don’t know why she included this song – or ever wrote it – but she seems to have a knack for picking particularly selfish partners. By the end of her set, it was the end of her set, so that was nice.

Without cheer, Malinowski began his set by attempting falsetto between reminders of his rough voice, while draining the energy via accordion on ‘Skull & Bones’. It was actually a great introduction to a uniquely somber Sunday night, but absolutely nothing like some might have expected. As he worked his way through the entirety of ‘Bright Lights and Bruises’ an eerie silence between songs was ever present. I guess the audience, so used to Malinowski hosting a summertime party, didn’t really know what to do or how to act or how to really clap. I guess considering how gloomy ‘Bright Lights and Bruises’ is, it’s pretty difficult to ‘cheer on’ a pretty heartbreaking time. Standout tracks ‘Life is a Gun’ and ‘Remembrance Day’ showed a desperate, emotional side of Malinowski that doesn’t seem to have a place in a Bedouin set. Malinowski’s signature croaky voice and well-structured songs made the set impressive, however, at times it seemed like he couldn’t wait to get back to the rock star gig.

Jay Malinowski
Bright Lights & Bruises
(Pirates Blend)
***1/2
Every band’s frontman seems to have a solo singer-songwriter inside waiting for an opportunity to put out material that’s been on the back burner for years, or maybe a lifetime. Perhaps it’s the reckless touring life that brings it out, or perhaps it’s just their true calling. Bedouin Soundclash is known for everything summer: great strumming vibes, bouncy reggae and inspired sing-a-longs. Bedouin singer Jay Malinowski’s first foray into the solo world is a work distinctly different. Bright Lights & Bruises is a somber and piano-tinged expression of Malinowski’s apparent respect for deep contemplation and everything wholeheartedly different from Bedouin’s summer sound. And although there are some elements of Bedouin’s distinctive sound here, for the most part, Bright Lights & Bruises is a stark contrast to Bedouin. Stand out tracks like “There is a Light,” “Loving Hand” and the familiar “Santa Monica” make this release a nice reminder of why solo material can work well — and how deviation often shows off the true, stripped down talents of an artist.

Galactic
Ya-Ka-May
(Anti)
****
As I write this, the New Orleans Saints are just hours from playing their first Super Bowl. It’d be difficult to find a more deserving city to play in this momentous game. Indianapolis hasn’t suffered like the citizens and infrastructure of New Orleans has recently, and I think Indianapolis would be hard pressed to find as much musical energy their rivals. Ya-Ka-May, the latest from New Orlean’s Galactic, represents perseverance of a city and just a tiny reflection of the important and powerful music that’s come out of New Orleans for decades. Galactic’s sound is an authentic street party rounded out by hip-hop bounce, funk inspired bass and mighty guest vocalists. It might be an instrumental band, but the collaborations and unique full-blown sound mirrors New Orleans’ ability to rebound as a city, and marching through streets with multi-member brass sections, chanting words and inspired blasts of sound. Galactic’s Ya-Ka-May is an eclectic block party, a cool, energetic sound wave — the sound of a city that sings loudest on Sunday.

The Bird Sang Song
Give This To My Children
(Independent)
**1/2

Ethan Collister
Ethan Collister w/ Ariane Mahryke Lemire
Jan. 21, Brixx Bar and Grill (10030 – 102 St.)

Next to heartache and love, it seems isolation is the calling card of most singer/songwriters. Loneliness isn’t something to brag about, I suppose, but it is a common thread running through a lot of what we listen to. People can feel alone amongst their friends and alienated even when they are surrounded by city noise and daily commutes, even though it’s not “alone” in the literal sense.

Ethan Collister, who currently lives in Calgary, likely looks at loneliness a bit different than most. Collister’s summers spent as a forest fire lookout in remote Alberta heavily inspire the artist’s vision and give him ample time to work on what he routinely refers to as his real job — his music.

“My job caters to a type of personality. Not everyone is cut out to be a stockbroker, or a teacher, but a certain personality fits a certain gig. The opportunities I have to work on the creative side of things have been really great,” says Collister.

You would think that Collister’s work would be chalk full of reference to seclusion from friends and society in general, but he admits that his latest release, Wishing Well is the first to have a song strictly dedicated to his summer gig. It was natural to ask Collister about his separation from society, however, his quiet life doesn’t change his perspective like you might imagine.

“Alienation is a pretty strong word,” Collister replied when I asked about how alone he must feel. “My music doesn’t come from a place of alienation or isolation. A word that comes to mind is 'longing.' Some of the work is definitely inspired by a sense of longing. My idea about music and art is that in life there is a huge range of emotions. You have your happy times, you have your tough times, you have your forlorn times, and your existential crises and who knows what else. My songs are trying to give a sense of that. Some songs that are fun and lighthearted, some that are sad — I am just trying to reflect on the eclectic nature that is life.”

And rather than dwell on the sense that he isn’t exactly in the middle of company for about half the year, Collister uses this opportunity to access that great creative well — and reflects on things that fall in the bigger picture and in a larger world.

“There are many other experiences in my life too though — it’s not just isolation,” says Collister. “I was travelling India last year, so there are songs about that. I was lucky enough to visit New York — I wrote about my experiences there. The songs are informed by all the experiences I had in my time. The tower certainly gives me ample chance to reflect on that but it’s not the only aspect of my life, right?”