Action Bronson & Party Supplies (Blue Chips 2 download)

Action Bronson is a white rapper.  You don't need to see his mug or listen to his voice to know this.  If you listen to that deep down voice (of yours inside) you realize that like skydiving and rock climbing no self-respecting black man would subject themselves to a name like Action Bronson.  It's a white rapper name like Aesop Rock or El-P, only Bronsolino doesn't sound anything like the brainy Aesop or the producer rapping of El Producto.  Action Bronson sounds like a black man, one black man in particular- Ghostface Killah. They both have the same strangled dusky tone which admittedly would be impossible to fake.  His flow, cadence and delivery it should be said also borrows heavily from Pretty Tony.  Fortunately he also shares something of Killah's lunacy and flair for self re-invention.

Blue Chips 2 is the mixtape sequel to a mixtape you will likely never listen to nor have cause to- like Best of the Best 2.  Blue Chips 1 was released ages ago (March 12, 2012).  Born Arian Asllani, the Albanian cum Queen's NY former chef's schtick might be thin gruel over time but the partnership with production duo Party Supplies seems to bring out his best profile.  Standouts like lead track Silverado and Jackson & Travolta showcase the producer's and MC's chops alike.  The tape is peppered throughout with tight samples ranging from Peter Gabriel (Sledgehammer), Phil Collins (Pseudio), Tracy Chapman (Give Me One Reason) and Elton John's Island Girl.  Party Supplies (DJ Justin Nealis) deploys six of the 80's radio staples on the aptly titled Contemporary Man.  Nealis is responsible for one of Danny Brown's most memorable tunes Grown Up. On Amadu Diablo he flips the acoustic guitar intro of Chapman's Reason to brilliant effect.  Elsewhere the Pharcyde's Passin' Me By provides the hook for one of the slow rollers (Through The Eyes Of A G) which periodically lets the gusty proceedings breath.

Bronson's known for collaborating with predominantly sample-based producers like Harry Fraud (Saaab Stories EP released June 11, 2013), Statik Selektah (debut Well Done - and the mafiosa draped Rare Chandeliers with The Alchemist.  [One of his best featured collaboration's is on two cuts - Elimination Chamber and Daily News- from Domo Genesis and Alchemist's own collabo No Idols].  It's this collaboration with Nealis though that provides Bronson with the best plate to serve up his bizarro bravado. 

Mother Whale Eyeless - Brian Eno

This is quite possibly one of if not THE greatest pop song of the latter half of the 20th century from the sprawling epochal concept album Taking Tiger Mountain By Strategy (inspired by the Peking opera of the same name and particularly a set of 10 postcards depicting it's movements).

On the kit is Mr. Phil Collins who it is said was bestowed upon Mr. Eno as some sort of quid pro quo for some work he'd done for Genesis.



I can think of nowhere I would rather be 
Reading morning papers, drinking morning tea: 
She clutches the tray 
And then we talk just like a kitchen sink play 
Nothing ventured, nothing gained. 
Living so close to danger, 
Even your friends are strangers 
Don't count upon their company.

This is for the fingers, 
This is for the nails: 
Hidden in the kitchen, 
Right behind the scales. 
What do I care? 
I'm wasting fingers like I had them to spare, 
Plugging holes in the Zuider Zee. 
Punishing Paul for Peter, 
Don't ever trust those meters 
What you believe is what you see.

In my town, there is a raincoat under a tree. 
In the sky, there is a cloud containing the sea. 
In the sea, there is a whale without any eyes. 
In the whale, there is a man without his raincoat.

In another country, with another name 
Maybe things are different, maybe they're the same.

Back on the trail, 
The seven soldiers read the papers and mail 
But the news, it doesn't change. 
Swinging about through creepers, 
Parachutes caught on steeples 
Heroes are born, but heroes die. 
Just a few days, a little practice and some holiday pay, 
We're all sure you'll make the grade.
Mother of God, if you care, 
We're on a train to nowhere 
Please put a cross upon our eyes. 
Take me - I'm nearly ready, you can take me 
To the raincoat in the sky. 
Take me - my little pastry mother take me 
There's a pie shop in the sky


- all lyrics Brian Eno (and the universe)

The Golden dogs Lester (from Coat of Arms)

The songs that make up The Golden Dogs new album Coat of Arms have long since wormed their way deeply into my heart- as they will for so many listeners across this great country, continent and world of ours.

I first saw The Golden Dogs in their original incarnation at Guelph's Hillside Festival when their definitely buzz worthy Everything In 3 Parts had just broke.  It is an amusing anecdote in Canadian Rock Lore that... well you might as well hear it from the horse's mouth:

"Okay so basically the Island Stage at Hillside (which is one of if not the best programmed festivals in Canada) is this idyllic tent and Guelph is this really manzy panzy granola town with a pretty heavy duty male and female lesbian contingent (Guelph has more male lesbians per capita than any Canadian municipalities incidentally) and actually quite a few swingers or polyamourists (the King of the Swingers is or was on city council no word of a lie) or whatever those skeezebags call dipping the pen in your neighbour's ink.  So anyways my mushrooms are just kicking in I'm super hyped about this set and then this fucking band just blows up.  Like... and okay sure my mushrooms (like half a fucking cap man get over it) are slowly kicking in... I'm thinking in my mind 'this is what it must have been like to see The Police'.  The band was wholly original somehow rooted in the New Wave but not pandering to it, just really dynamic and engaging original songwriting and the whole band shreds including particularly the lead and very lanky lead guitarist Dave Azzolini who looks a bit like Ric Ocasek without shades but mainly because he's tall as fuck and plays ridiculously good guitar.


So anyways this green bean shaped man... Oh hold up... First I gave the entire band the CLEARLY IRONIC (note that NOBODY was dancing in this entire supposedly hippy town before I got up front and centre and shook not too few tailfeathers) Johnny Cash style 'Fuck You' - whilst still dancing said ass off.  Then beanpole man points at me - mid guitar solo nonetheless - and lunges forward (I'm clearly thinking this is part of the stage show) and then the fugger kicks me (while wearing my trademark - certainly after this occasion- Phil Collins '94 tour t-shirt), hard right between Phil's eyes.   I try to do this Matrix style backspin that didn't totally work clearly due to the durability of his combat boots and point of contact pretty much dead centre on the xyphoid process.  


The entire writeup of the band in the next day's Guelph Mercury was eclipsed by this one event which I don't have to look up because well I was fucking there."


In true rockstar-in-training fashion frontman Dave Azzolini berated a fan (allegedly sporting a Phil Collins t-shirt) for his rude reception of the band in the festival's Island Tent."


How was I supposed to know the keyboard chick was his wife?  Seriously.

In any case we're friends now if this video is any indication.



Whoa hold up.  I left out the part about how when the lights came up - and again this audience wasn't made up entirely of lesbians and it's the Friday night of a 3 day festival this fucking guy 'Dave Azzolini' announces over the mic:  'Hey ladies you see this guy in the Phil Collins shirt?  Don't touch him all weekend.  He's got diseases'.

I couldn't make this stuff up.