The Cold Cut

What would I do without scheduled blogging? At this point in time, I will be happily walking around Barcelona, in the sweltering August temperatures. I'm away for four days, returning on Sunday evening.

I'm not going to let that stop me blogging, though. I have a little time today (Thursday ) to upload a few tracks, and prepare some posts for you. I'm sorry to say that the posts aren't going to be mind-blowing, but updates are better than a slowly stagnating blog. You can expect daily updates around lunch-time (for my American readers). So enjoy, and look after the blog for me, okay?

CRS- Sky High Graduates (Dub Floyd Screamixx) (Link 2)
CRS (Child Rebel Soldier) released a mixtape a while back- it kept well under the radar, but I got my hands on a copy, and it really doesn't dissapoint. The concept of Lupe, Pharrell and Kanye sharing a track is always enough to set me salivating, and the T-shirt above does nothing to lessen teh hype.

Daft Punk?- Daft Gang (Link 2)
People have made a huge deal out of this new track from Daft Punk. The fans are going crazy, which I find a little weird considering this is clearly a fake. Daft Punk would never willingly put their stamp on something so textbook. Will the real Daft Punk please stand up?

The Joy Formidable- The Greatest Light Is The Greatest Shade (Link 2)
Okay, this is getting ridiculous. Will someone in a priveliged position cotton on to the fact that The Joy Formidable are awesome? Another few months pass, another few corkers from the band. Injustice? [Myspace]

Gnarls Barkley- Reckoner (Radiohead Cover) (Link 2)
As if anyone needed more proof of Gnarls Barkley's pedigree? Well, if you're in the minority, listen to this tastefully interpreted cover of 'Reckoner'. Cee-Lo even adopts Thom's 'unique' style of dancing:

Everybody Nose- CRS/Pusher T (Official Remix) (Link 2)

Oh yes. CRS have seriously proven themselves. Transforming a piece of coal into a diamond is a neat trick, and the strength of these three artists is unbelievable. 'Us Placers' was a brilliant piece of artistry, with a nice sample, good verses and, if this any indication, just a hint at what this trio is capable of.

In the hands of Child Rebel Soldier, N.E.R.D's 'Everybody Nose' takes on a new meaning, and a much darker disposition. The main thing this proves is that Pharrell is a much more formidable artist when coupled with Kanye and Lupe. Further to this, it's nice to see that the song's subtext actually involves cocaine, not waiting in queues at clubs, a fact which didn't come across in the original.

Usher- Love In This Club (MSTRKRFT Remix) (Link 2)
MSTRKRFT have also pulled one out of the bag, with a bottom heavy remix of Usher's 'Love In The Club'. A song like this should require a light touch, but MSTRKRFT have taken the opposite approach, bucking and beating the trend. This really proven their status as kings, transforming the originally slight track into something far more weighty.

Fish Tacos- Immuzikation Blend (Link 2)

This guy is a machine. Every email from Alfredo Lapuz Jr. starts with 'just got back from work, and put this together'. If that's the case, then he's a genius, gluing together random songs to create something entirely original. If you don't believe me, check out 'Fish Tacos', effectively a remix of 'Viva La Vida' blending in Weezer, Cut Copy, The Blow, M.I.A. and Reading Rainbow. I wasn't won over by the prospect of that many songs stuffed into one track, but this is the sign of a true master. He pulls it off effortlessly.

Visit Immuzikation's Myspace.

It appears I really missed a trick. The video for CRS' 'Us Placers' has been out since late December, but I only stumbled upon it today, out of the blue. The video itself is further proof that CRS aren't going to be 'just another rap group'. The use of a Thom Yorke sample cemented that fact, and the video goes further, simply by not featuring any semi-naked women, sex or alcohol. Instead, Kanye, Lupe & Pharrell are played by three lookalike children, who rap out the song, with the aid of a young Thom Yorke. Its a nice move, and is already superior to most of the rap videos which appear on MTV Base etc. This wont be the last we hear of CRS, trust me.

CRS- Us Placers

I've only recently heard 'Us Placers', the first (of hopefully many) releases by CRS, or Child Rebel Soldier. This could also be short for 'Crossover Supergroup', given the pedigree of talent in this three-piece side project.

Kanye West, Lupe Fiasco and Pharrell Williams are all artists that can confidently hold their own as producers, rappers and musicians on a solo standing. Put them all together, and things begin to get crazy. Kanye, the rebel, Pharrell, the soldier and Lupe, the child (echoing 'Little Weapon'), recorded 'Us Placers' a long time ago, and this was released on Kanye's pre-Graduation 'Can't Tell Me Nothing' Mixtape. The song picked up a pretty big following on the internet, which was duly noted by the three's respective record companies. According to sources, a deal is being ironed out as we speak...

Onto the song- unusually sampling (and even referencing) Thom Yorke's 'Eraser', this weird backing choice already hints that this supergroup might go the distance, both in terms of originality and commercial standing. And I needn't explain the talent of the three artists. Of the three, Kanye's experience shines through, winning the prize for best rhyme, dropping this and much more about halfway through the song:
"Just last week they want to see ID
Now they got you in VIP, huh?
How many people almost famous
You almost remember what they name is"

There are no concrete plans for a full length CRS album yet, but in Lupe's words, "Everyone's focused on something else at the moment, [We're trying to find] two or three weeks to sit down and hammer it out." Recently, Lupe let on during an interview that we can be expecting a CRS release in late 2008. It will be an agonising, infuriating wait.

The 'Can't Tell Me Nothing' mixtape can be bought here

(Image courtesy of mus-ik.com)