Electric Relaxation: What I'm Listening To

Here's what's been playing in my ears the past month.

Yeah I'm still antsy for Big K.R.I.T.'s proper debut album but until Live From the Underground drops, we have his new mixtape "4 Eva N a Day" and I have to say that KRIT is quite simply giving us quality after two straight mixtapes of heat (Krit Wuz Here and Return of 4eva)

It's a concept mixtape taking you through a day and the emotions you feel. One thing KRIT does better than most new rappers now is give you his soul and make you relate to his songs. He doesn't waste verses, doesn't waste his self-produced beats and the end result is quality. Just looking at the cover, it's the complex of most people caught between the spiritual and secular.

My favorite jams so far are "1986", "Me and My Old School" (reminds me a lot of "Rotation" off R4E) and "Temptation". KRIT has expanded on his sound with more instrumentation and deeper tales from the heart and it's going to stick to your ribs. Just listen to "Red Eye" and imagine being there with a relationship that at its breaking point but also admitting your role in it.

I feel like "Handwriting" is going to be a song we remember as we wait for the album. KRIT put out all his label pains and frustration with not getting more support from Def Jam but it wasn't just anger. It was tinged with fear of not making it and it's that vulnerability that has made KRIT so endearing to me and a lot of other folks. He's not afraid to put his heart on his sleeve but he's also giving you a wide range of emotions and musical backgrounds to share with him.

I'm literally getting the shakes awaiting my next full listen. I just upped to the iPod so I can hear it through my car speakers. As time passes, I'll have more to say on it as it grows and songs hit me in diff. moods.

This should be called "What happens when you put three unique artists in a room and let them show their creativity." Seems like every 3-4 years, Damon Albarn and Gorillaz. come out with a song that sounds like nothing on the radio. "Do Ya Thing" is no different.

That funky, bouncy rhythm that drives the song makes me want to dance and while I'm excited to hear James Murphy's few words singing the hook - his first feature since disbanding LCD Soundsystem, this is all about the music and Andre 3000's 2nd straight verse of destruction!

"He don't rap enough. But ya'll rap a lot, you need to wrap it up. You ain't Scarface, you ain't Willie D, you ain't Bushwick, you ain't killin me"......(just a quick sample of 3000's controlled chaos!)

Now THAT is how you ride a beat and make a fun verse that goes all over the place (Blacks not playing baseball, him not rapping all the time, referencing hip hop legends, just off the top). But this song is just pure fun and I imagine it had to be fun in the studio cause I get happy every time I hear it and I gotta do what the song says do.

(There's also a 13 minute version on the Gorillaz' website that's even crazier with Andre going off and Damon Albarn/James Murphy following him musically. One take of spontaneous energy. Try to sit still, I dare you.)

College - A Real Hero

I finally got to watch Drive a few weeks ago and this song has stayed in my head. It not only carries the movie at different spots, it sets the mood for driving late at night. I feel like I have to be in my car or have the lights in my house off to appreciate the essence of this.

It sounds like something out of the 1980's and it gives you the same epic feel you'd imagine in the end credits of Miami Vice, Karate Kid, Top Gun or riding around Grand Theft Auto: Vice City at night. Ironically, I just read the band's Wiki page and that's exactly what they were going for.

I love how it's perfect mood music. Those synths drive the music, the words sound so airy. It's beautiful to me.

We lost a musical pioneer last year in Gil Scott Heron and his music not only had a profound impact on rap but Black culture. I was sad because I kept saying I was going to listen to more of his music after being turned on to several samples and I've fought to honor that promise. I dug into more songs after he passed and I wanted to keep digging. I got my hands on two of his classic albums from the 1970's and I feel like I'll be listening to these for a while.

Pieces of a Man has "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised" and "Home is Where the Hatred Is" but also shows you that Heron and collaborator Brian Jackson had great musical ears and Heron had a solid voice that conveyed his simple, yet powerful messages. It's almost like jazz to me.

Winter in America is definitely a bit more musically stunning and bleaker lyrically. From the opening and closing notes of "Peace Go With You, Brother" to the funky "The Bottle" (a lament on alcoholism's effects) and political commentary of "H20Gate Blues" and more in between, it's a capsule of America at the time.

Hearing this made me want to sit back and absorb it all in one sitting. It's beautiful, it's passionate, it's earnest and it's in your face. Gil Scott Heron does NOT get enough credit for his singing and musicianship. I encourage you to listen and appreciate his voice and how his words still speak to us even though his body is gone.

I'm a big fan of The Doors in terms of what they represent in rock, being from Los Angeles and seeking inspiration from one of my favorite poets, William Blake. "Break on Through" has long been one of my anthems because it takes from Blake's concept of going beyond convention.

So I decided to listen to their debut album since I figure between that song and Light My Fire, I'd see more. Well I was a bit disappointed. Consider that I've listened to great debut albums of that era from Jimi Hendrix and the MC5 and those albums overwhelmed me sonically and energetically.

I knew that the Doors would have more lyrically to offer and I loved the bluesy feel of a few songs. But overall, it felt like more of a showcase for Jim Morrison and his lyricism. "Alabama Song" and "The Crystal Ship" were great and I liked the feel of "End of the Night" but overall, I got distracted by things and I kept procrastinating on finishing it. I love how they used the piano/organ to great effect without a bass but my attention wasn't as focused as when I heard MC5's sonic assault for the first time.

Maybe my issue was the sound quality not being up to snuff. I found the 40th anniversary edition on Spotify that sounds better so I'll give it another listen. But besides my favorite songs on first glance, I may have to admit that as great as The Doors are, they are better in small doses and in the right mood. Yet I'm open to change my mind.

Greatest LA Band of my lifetime?

My post from Monday had a line that made a few folks wonder - I said that the Red Hot Chili Peppers were the best band Los Angeles has produced in my lifetime (since 1984). Outside of Guns N Roses, it's hard to argue against what the Chili Peppers have done to earn that.

Since their breakthrough album Mother's Milk in 1988, they've had a slew of hits and great albums while evolving from a punk/funk band to a rock band with solid melodies, brilliant songwriting and the ability to still keep it funky and raw. When their next album drops (soon I hope), it'll be one of the biggest rock albums of the year.

They're still relevant, their impact is rock solid and their legacy is still being written as one of the greatest bands of the last 30 years. Not to mention they're #1 on my must-see in concert list. But what about others who could make that argument for being LA's finest? For me, it all starts with Axl, Slash, and the boys.

Guns N' Roses had a six year run that rivals any band in music history. A sonic boom that paved the way for Metallica and Nirvana to kill the hair metal of the 80's and a rawness that captured the essence of the Sunset Strip back then.

Classic songs, a genre defining album, the powerful combo of Axl's voice, Slash's guitar and combustible creativity. Makes me wish Axl didn't blowtorch that legacy with his ego because had G'N'R lasted even 5-6 more years in that form, they wouldn't just be one of the greatest bands ever. They could arguably be the greatest band of the post-Led Zeppelin era.

Not a bad consolation to be cited as one of the greatest based on a perfect storm. But as we waited for Axl to drop Chinese Democracy, Slash and Co. made great music with Velvet Revolver and RHCP kept doing their thing. Greatness not denied, but never totally realized.

Fishbone came out around the same time as RHCP (even toured with them in 1988) and is the most underrated/underappreciated band of my lifetime. I didn't get into them until 2004-05 but once I did, it was easy to see why they don't get much love.

Their best albums ("Truth and Soul" and "Reality of My Surroundings") got them some moderate success but despite their ska/funk/punk/hard rock sound, the mainstream never fully came around to them. Those who saw them perform said they were the greatest live act they had seen. Even the ska revolution of the mid-90's didn't produce anymore fame.

By 1993, they lost guitarist Kendall Jones at their peak. Other members left and they continued to be a cult phenomenon. One day I hope to see them live and witness their genius. While they didn't get the full mainstream love (and were a victim of label politics), Fishbone had probably more influence on more bands in So.Cal than anybody. Just ask No Doubt or the Chili Peppers themselves.

(Edit: Somehow I forgot to mention this next band in my original post although they have my favorite guitarist and helped raise my awareness. What an IDIOT.)

Rage Against the Machine continued the legacy of The Clash, MC5 and Public Enemy as one of the only bands that mattered in the Clinton era (1993-2001) who didn't just rest on their laurels. They got angrier as they got older but they remained LA to their core - even naming their final original album Battle of Los Angeles.

Somehow they achieved more success than any political band in recent memory. In a time of prosperity, they stayed vigilant even on Saturday Night Live and at the 2000 Democratic National Convention. And sonically, they were just way too creative as Tom Morello made his guitar sound like anything and everything.

They got the hint. Music/message have to both be strong. But even though I like Zach and Co. and seeing them live in 2007 remains one of my highlights, I can't put them above RHCP thanks to their premature breakup. I would've loved for them to stay together during the Bush II Administration, especially in 2004. One of the 90's greatest bands and I'll always stay tuned to "Guerrilla Radio."

Jane's Addiction almost singlehandedly created the alternative rock scene. They're one of the most unique bands ever and I'm a big fan of Dave Navarro's playing - ironically I refuse to buy his only album with RHCP even though "My Friends" is a great song.

As great as their influence is and their songs are, their peak was almost shorter than Guns N Roses (3 years) and even though their song is in the intro of "Entourage," there's always a doubt that Jane's will ever stick around long enough to enjoy them. But their mark is set in stone.

Motley Crue? They ruled the 80's but let's be real. The only reason they're still relevant to most folks my age is because of Tommy Lee. I respect the Crue as legends and they're possibly the greatest hair-metal band but ask my peers to name a Crue song besides "Girls, Girls, Girls." Besides Tommy Lee's underrated drumming, they didn't musically add much to the game and their image trumped that.

No hate, just facts. In the same breath, you can argue N.W.A. was a band and deserves a role on this list. Unfortunately 3 albums means they're in the same breath as Jane's Addiction. They were the hip-hop Guns' N Roses and while their impact is untouchable, Dr. Dre and Ice Cube's solo work make you only wonder what they could've done if they weren't screwed over by money.

So there you have it. Oh wait a sec, what's this noise? My God! That could only mean one thing. I forgot about these guys!

Yep, Metallica started in LA. And they have everything the Chili Peppers have - longevity, impact, sales, hits, mainstream acceptance, relevance (thanks to their last album). Matter of fact, they and RHCP broke through (albums in 1988), changed the game (albums in 1991), went through an identity crisis in the mid-90's, came back with a force in 1999 (Californication and S&M) and still made an impact in the 2000's.

One of the greatest metal bands ever and among the greatest at their respective skills (James Hetfield - phenomenal voice, Kirk Hammett - Top 5 Guitarist of the last 30 years, Lars Ulrich - one of the greatest drummers ever and most versatile since he cowrites most of the band's lyrics).

You can't beat 5 straight No.1 albums. And even if I can't see them as an L.A. band like RHCP, they represent the best my city has to offer. So I guess the answer is a tie? Or a question for another blog.

By the way, the greatest band from LA period? These two trump everybody.