Eyedea And Abilities

If you are one of my friends there is no question that you have heard of the Rapper/DJ duo known as Eyedea And Abilities. If you have not yet been enlightened, allow me to do so! These cats hail from the Minneapolis/St. Paul area that already has as a well-established underground hip-hop scene. But to say the least these guys have made the Twins Cites blow up in the last few years. This is due to how well each artist is known separately on the national stage. Eyedea is known for his extraordinary freestyle rapping skills that have labeled him Scribble Jam Champ (1999) and Blaze Battle Champ (2000). While his DJ counterpart Abilities has shown us what he can do with his hands by wining both the 1999 and 2001 DMC Regional DJ championships. It was a no brainier that these two would be dope group if paired together. With two studio releases (Both of them ill) their are no signs of letting up. Eyedea and Abilities both on their albums and in live performances bring an irresistible conversation between a Rapper and his DJ. Most DJ's are used as a pawn so the rapper can be the main focus but not in this case. Both of these peeps are as large of a part as the other. According to wikipedia they are now producing a new album set to drop sometime in 2009. Until then if you like Midwest underground hip hop then these guys may be right up your ally.

Now (Download)

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Yours Truly,
Joe McGowan

Ratatat (Rat-a-tat)

Alright, I am going to get down to business... RATATAT! These guys are flippin ill! They call themselves an electro band but that is only their exterior. Almost all of their songs are aimed toward the hip hop fan. Of all of there albums my fav is called 9 Beats which is hard to come by cus it was never officially released. If you are able to get your hands on a copy you will come across the best beats to freestyle rap to EVER. No lie. They have simple back tones so the wackiest rapper can sound like the next Biggie but at the same time complex high tones to make the most seasoned rapper satisfied. They have also released 3 studio albums all of them fantastic but it is there two mix tapes that truly make them off the chain. Calibrating with mainstream hip hop artist like Missy Elliot, Jay-Z, and Kanye West shows the versatility of there music. These guys are far from done. On there website they have released a new song, new tour dates, and a new CD due to drop some time in 2009. If you like to call yourself a music connoisseur you must exsplore the music stylings of Ratatat NOW!

Track 01 (Download)

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Yours Truly,
Joe McGowan

Explosions in the Sky

So last week I set my ipod to random and was listening to songs that I have heard time and time before when suddenly out of no where an amazing song started to play. It was called "A Song For Our Fathers" by Explosions in the Sky. I then remembered that one of my best friends Schuyler told her about this band. Some how it got lost in the shuffle of all of my music. If you are into indie rock at all you should listen to some of their stuff. It will expand your mind and make you question your current music selection. For more info on the group go to www.explosionsinthesky.com

A Song For Our Fathers (Download)

Thanks For Reading!

Yours Truly, Joe McGowan