Better beats #2: RJD2 - Chicken Bone Circuit

Chicken Bone Circuit by RJD2 (off the album Deadringer)
Yes, I know it's late Tuesday night (or Wednesday, really) and I've fallen behind on my weekly Friday music posting after only one week. I do feel a bit disappointed, but I must say that I find this far easier to swallow than what happened in Massachusetts this evening. Plus, I have some good reasons to have waited to post the latest better beats.

The artist this week is RJD2, a DJ and producer who got started with his music career in Columbus, OH (boo!) as part of a hip hop group called MHz. I suspect that many of you have not heard of him before, but I bet you've heard his music. Where? Well, if you tuned into the Golden Globes on Sunday, and you enjoy their selection for best television series - drama, then you've undoubtedly heard RJD2. That's right, the opening credits for the show Mad Men feature an instrumental track called "A Beautiful Mine" off the RJD2 album Magnificent City Instrumentals. I never much liked the show, beyond the first season, but I love the opening credits. They're fantastic. I'd even say that the choice of RJD2's music was perfect, as I often find myself picturing scenes to accompany his songs. I don't know what it is, but he has a way of blending instrumental layers and building intensity that shows a true artistic connection to life happenings. He's good. Why else did I wait to post this? Today marks the release of his fourth major solo album, The Colossus. I hit that up this morning, and if you're interested, the album sounds pretty good so far. He's also just starting a US tour, so you could even catch a live show, including some sweet drum machine Donkey Kong.

Alright, enough blathering, here's the song. "Chicken Bone Circuit" is off RJD2's first major album, Deadringer, and features samples of live Led Zeppelin, Mongo Santamaria and Lovage. It's drum-heavy, slightly haunting and loaded with energy. The video (which is not official, but very cool) shows scenes from San Francisco, with several filmed on the fringe of the Tenderloin, along Market St. This is one of my favorite spots in the city, where I feel you can really take in the true diversity of SF. I love the city, love the footage and the song speaks for itself. Hope you like it.

Better beats #1: Slum Village - Get Dis Money

I doubt I'll keep up on this, but each Friday I plan to post a new entry with some music I like. The genres will be all over the place, and will likely center on (real) hip hop, funk, jazz and rock. It's my hope that not only will you be inspired to try some different beer after reading the blog, but that you will also discover some new music. I don't really listen to the radio, so perhaps you'll encounter something different here. Which brings me to the first better beats entry...
 

Get Dis Money by Slum Village (off the album Fantastic, Vol. 2)
Why this for the first entry? Well, I think it is representative of my musical interests in a number of ways. First, the group hails from Detroit and features songs with beats by one of my favorite hip hop producers of all time, J Dilla. Sadly, Dilla passed away in 2006, but like many artists, the regard for his work has only grown following his passing. In fact, my interest in his music only really took off after seeing a tribute concert led by Mos Def and his band ("Watermelon") at the Hill Auditorium in Ann Arbor on MLK day, 2008 (full concert audio here!). Second, as part of a sick instrumental background on this week's song, Dilla samples Herbie Hancock's "Come Running to Me" off his 1977 album Sunlight. Hancock will definitely make another appearance in the better beats, but suffice it to say he was a fundamental player in the electronic funk/jazz scene. Lastly, this song caught my eye as it was featured on the soundtrack to the movie Office Space, along with a number of other excellent selections. I'm not wild about Slum Village lyrically (which is normally damning for hip hop artists, in my mind), but it's hard to argue with underground hip hop from Detroit and beats by J Dilla. Enjoy.