Tag Archives: black keys

September 16, 2009 · 8:08 PM

Jam of the Day – BlakRoc Is Way Cooler Than BlackRock

Recently it was reported that BlackRock Inc., an investment management firm and pioneer of mortgage backed securities in the United States, plans to set up a global trading network in order to cut costs for clients, and reduce the firm’s reliance on Wall Street brokers to buy and sell securities. So I guess that sounds pretty cool? I don’t know, I should ask my green friend.

But let me tell you what is really dope – BlakRoc!!! Basically, Damon Dash met up with The Black Keys because he dug their sound, and it all sort of snowballed from an initial possible collaboration with Jim Jones into a whole record. Damon Dash was so into this project that he’s formed a new record label with The Black Keys (his first re-entry into the business since launching Roc-A-Fella with Jay-Z) to produce the record, called BlakRoc. The project will feature The Black Keys laying down the blues rock underbelly and a whole slew of hip hop titans – including Ludacris, RZA, Raekwon, Mos Def, Jim Jones, the late Ol’ Dirty Bastard, Pharaohe Monk, Billy Danze of M.O.P., and Q-Tip – dropping verses. The whole thing has just got me all amped up and I can’t wait for the planned release on Black Friday (ha!) so I can spin this on repeat for a while. Check out the “trailer” for the record and you’ll understand what I’m getting at here:

And just because EV2BK loves you, check out the jam of the day right here for a preview of one of the tracks off the record, titled “Ain’t Nothing Like You (Hoochie Coo).” Mighty Mos! Jim Jones! The Black Keys! Get some!

BlakRoc – Ain’t Nothing Like You (Hoochie Coo):

-Drew

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June 24, 2009 · 4:49 PM

Jam of the Day – Flutes: Spicing Up Tracks Since Back in the Day

In today’s issue of Nature magazine, archaeologists Nicholas J. Conard, Maria Malina, and Susanne C. Münzel report about the discovery last fall, in a cave in Southwestern Germany, of bone and ivory flutes dating from the Stone Age. They say this discovery points to a “musical tradition at the time when modern humans colonized Europe, more than 35,000 calendar years ago.” Only fragments of the ivory flutes were discovered, but the bone flute, made from vulture bone, is looking like it’s in pretty good shape considering that it represents the “oldest-known musical instrument fashioned by human hands.” I wish the AP weren’t so litigious regarding use of its photos, otherwise I’d post one here; there are some good ones in the stories linked above.

Although only 8.5 inches long, the bone instrument produces a sound that is “in many ways comparable to that of a modern flute.” The Times article actually has an audio clip of music played on a replica of a similar, though smaller, bone flute that was also found in the caves around the Ulm region of Germany, and I can confirm that it sounds strikingly similar to the recorder, which I was forced to learn in elementary school music class. Does that still happen these days?

This discovery is important because it reinforces a central theme of Anchorman; namely, that real men play jazz flute, which leads to women playing skin flute (forgive me, I had to get that joke in this post somewhere). Also, this.

In fact, lots of people (men and women) seem to love the flute. Don’t believe me? A quick Google search revealed multiple examples of flute song compilation lists! Who knew that the flute would have such lasting cultural resonance? The Neanderthals, apparently.

More recently, the Black Keys, a pretty kick-ass blues-rock band from Akron, Ohio, reached deep into the collective unconscious and threw a flute solo on the song “Same Old Thing” from last summer’s Attack & Release. Give it a “spin” and imagine you’re in a cave in Germany 35,000 years ago.

The Black Keys – Same Old Thing:

-Drew

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