Aesop Rock – Fast Cars, Danger, Fire and Knives Review

Score: 8.0

Add Blue Distortion to the list of “journalists critiquing his first eight bars.” The Fast Cars, Danger, Fire and Knives EP is Aesop Rock’s latest addition to the independent label Definitive Jux’s ever growing collection of mind expanding, eclectic hip hop. We can continue to hear Aesop progress into something new and fresh, following closely to the electronic and obscure sound of Bazooka Tooth. While there are only 7 songs on the EP, it includes an 88-page book highlighting all of Aesop Rock’s lyrics from Float to Fast Cars. The phrase “Now it takes a dancing bear jumping through flaming hoops to even make em buy the god-forsaken single!” from the Daylight EP comes to mind.

Salvador Dali – Ange Pi-Mesonic Review

Update: Dali was a nazi. Leaving this up because it’s the first hit for this painting, Ange Pi-Mesonic. That way, some lucky people will be reminded that all of your heroes have fallen.

 

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Salvador Dali can be credited for being one of the greatest surrealist artists of all time. One of his accomplishments, Ange Pi-Mesonic, in my opinion, is truly one of his greatest and least praised works as an artist. The title of the picture can be translated as Pi-Mesonic Angel, a very strange yet suitable title. The word meson alludes to a class of elementary subatomic particles that participate in strong interactions, which forms the basis of the painting. This work is vigorous, effectual, and full of energy. It is a depiction of nuclear chaotic forces interacting in perfect unison.

Ange Pi-Mesonic was started in 1957 and completed in 1958. A vast majority of Dali’s pieces are oil on canvas. This illustration is just a little bigger than a regular sheet of paper. He used ink, pencil and a small amount of gouache to complete this piece. The picture may represent a dream of his, as most of his works appear to do. There is no real style association here, but it was labeled as divisionistic art. This does not adequately classify the drawing because divisionism is defined as a sub genre of neoimpressionism in which colors are divided into their components and mechanically arranged so that the eye organizes the shape. The eye cannot organize the shape of this piece, and thus the expectation that there is more than the basis of divisionism at work here. Divisionism, as defined from a scientific view, was a principle studied by Werner Heisenburg. This scientist suggested that matter might have several forms harmoniously coexisting within a single structure. It is strange that a scientific principle can label the work instead of a style of painting such as impressionism or renaissance.

Beastie Boys – To The Five Boroughs Review

 Rating: 9.0

It’s been over 6 long years since the Beastie Boys have graced our headphones and turntables with a new album. It was well worth the wait. Beastie Boys is one of the most exciting groups that I have come across, with their mastery of a very diverse group of genres and fun demeanor. They can’t be classified; they are the Beastie Boys.

To the 5 Boroughs is somewhat different from every previous release of theirs to date, but they still manage to come with the signature Beastie sound, minus the obvious (vocals). This album is reminiscent of Paul’s Boutique feel and similar to the futuristic, electronic hip hop joints on Hello Nasty. Basically, it’s a good mix of their older and newer hip hop.

I could go through the whole album, but I will highlight a few of the gems. The album starts out with the popular radio track “Check it Out”, which has a great, old school style breaks over the infamous brass stabs. When I dropped it in the car stereo, I also found that the sub bass is deep and super heavy because “nothing sounds quite like an 808.” That brought a smile to my face and I never should have doubted these geezers.

“Rhyme the Rhyme Well”, has my favorite beat on the album, and the song is a bit dark which is somewhat new to the Beastie Boys. They also drop plenty of fresh lines such as “I’m not even asking, yo what’s crackin’ / serving mc’s on a platter like a baked alaskan.”

“Oh Word?” and “The Brouhaha” are just plain bangers that could get any party started. Both start out with infectious, simple electronic melodies and progress into some nice body moving business. I can barely call any of the songs fillers, they seem to blend nicely together.

The crystal clear production on this album is also amazing. To the 5 Boroughs won’t let down the fans of the goofy, bizarre lyrics that the Beastie Boys are well known for. For example, “I got more rhymes than Carl Sagan’s got turtlenecks” and “I got a baddazler so my outfit’s tight.”

I can’t see any real Beastie Boys fan, who has grown up with them for years, not liking this album. Listening to this album makes me want to put on a walkman and go skateboarding (or fail miserably at trying), like in the old, nostalgic days of Check Your Head and Ill Communication. I knew I would like this album before even listening to the first track, so it’s quite hard to give it a bad review. I have one question. How many crews can fit kugel or Ron Popeil into their rhyme scheme? Not many. These guys could make an entire record out of kitchen appliance sound effects and it still would be amazingly funky.