BLUEfiveone has a new video out for the single CLOUDS. The video seems like an abstract piece taken from a larger piece of work, ala a new age musical where exposition of story takes place via a musical device. I would love to see if this video can be wrapped into a larger work as BLUE is working on releasing a ep, BLUE County EP. Catch the video below for yourself.
Tuesday, August 20, 2013
Monday, March 25, 2013
Dem Boys Real Rockers, an' Mash up de Place!
It's been a loooooong time since I made my way back to you via this outlet, I'm shouldn't of left you with out a dope beat to step to :) Well I'm back and re-energized. I been hitting the streets with my ears to the pavement for some new tunes and I'm liking what I'm hearing.
So you must be wondering, "why heavens, why does he speak in such a manner, I haven't the foggiest what the title of this post says" well this post goes out to all my brothers and sisters out in the Caribbean and it's diaspora who are mixing up their island heritage and rock'n'roll. There have been a few great examples of this mixture in the past most notably Bad Brains,
The Washington, D.C., natives formed the group in 1977 mixed what was the early formation of "Hardcore" punk rock, a fast, jarring and angler sound filled with riffs and attitude; with dub reggae taken up after seeing performers such as Bob Marley.
Well so have UK band Skindred who formed in the late '90's they have a dancehall/metal approach as to the brains are more ragga/dub/punk.
There are a who host of other great bands out there who rep it up island style but I wan to get to the focus of this piece. This new crop of bands as they rip-pit tup! Lets start with this band from my home town Khasha Macka.
A great outfit carrying on the tradition from Brooklyn NY. Very heavy stuff and full of heart and soul.
Next up is Philly's Blayer PointDuJour and the Rockers Galore.
Blayer and his rockers galore do something unique out of the previous groups I mentioned. They mix Haitian Kompa music. They style of music is indicative of Haiti and much of the Caribbean. It's hard for me to explain it to someone who isn't of Caribbean background, when you hear it you have an idea what it. Until hearing this band I had no idea what the word for the "sound" was, I just thought oh that's Haitian music. It's very interviewed, from my perspective, with the culture.
Next is a band smack dab in the Caribbean, TnT's (that's Trinidad and Tobago) 5 Miles to Midnight.
Founded in the mid 2000's this Trini sextet does straight up post punk. Hey just because they're from the Caribbean doesn't mean they have to be ragga ragga, calypso and soca all the time (although they can do that too). In their time as a band they have opened for the likes of Marcel Mantano, Stephan Marley and Maroon 5. Their have infectious bopping tunes have also catapulted them to being featured MTV Iggy. Vote for them to be artist of the week.
So you must be wondering, "why heavens, why does he speak in such a manner, I haven't the foggiest what the title of this post says" well this post goes out to all my brothers and sisters out in the Caribbean and it's diaspora who are mixing up their island heritage and rock'n'roll. There have been a few great examples of this mixture in the past most notably Bad Brains,
The Washington, D.C., natives formed the group in 1977 mixed what was the early formation of "Hardcore" punk rock, a fast, jarring and angler sound filled with riffs and attitude; with dub reggae taken up after seeing performers such as Bob Marley.
Well so have UK band Skindred who formed in the late '90's they have a dancehall/metal approach as to the brains are more ragga/dub/punk.
There are a who host of other great bands out there who rep it up island style but I wan to get to the focus of this piece. This new crop of bands as they rip-pit tup! Lets start with this band from my home town Khasha Macka.
Next up is Philly's Blayer PointDuJour and the Rockers Galore.
Next is a band smack dab in the Caribbean, TnT's (that's Trinidad and Tobago) 5 Miles to Midnight.
Monday, February 4, 2013
Those poor Africans
The following is a video from PEPFAR. (The Presidents Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief)
I agree we should end the stigma and discrimination surrounding HIV/AIDS...but video's like the one seen on the PEPFAR website don't tell the full truth about elminating HIV/AIDS. It makes the issue as a "oh those poor African's" Who comes up with the discourse of the issue. The virus is more then just a "poor African" issue. People here in our own country are still being affected in great numbers. Although the highest rising group of new infections in the USA is between MSM's there is still a great number of hetero infections. We need to change the face of the epidemic, because it affects us all.
I agree we should end the stigma and discrimination surrounding HIV/AIDS...but video's like the one seen on the PEPFAR website don't tell the full truth about elminating HIV/AIDS. It makes the issue as a "oh those poor African's" Who comes up with the discourse of the issue. The virus is more then just a "poor African" issue. People here in our own country are still being affected in great numbers. Although the highest rising group of new infections in the USA is between MSM's there is still a great number of hetero infections. We need to change the face of the epidemic, because it affects us all.
Friday, October 5, 2012
The myth making and magic of John the Conqueror
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| photo by Jonifin Marvin |
Down N' dirty blues blues man Pierre Moore of John the Conqueror is a man of luck and he's here to bring you his magical bag of tricks n' licks. I interviewed the voice behind the band about his path towards creating the band, life and of course music.
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| Young country boy Pierre and that fat farm mascot Ronald McDonald |
Pierre Moore: Yea I do....when I was growing up, my mama always told me that she was raising me so that when I turned 18, I'd get the hell out of her house....so I got about a thousand miles away!
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| Pierre during his Slack Republic days circa 2007, photo by Kaos Blac |
Pierre Moore: Probably the most anticlimactic part of my whole life: December 2010 I decided to start a band. I couldn't find a singer that I liked in the WHOLEEE MONTHHH I tried (you can tell I tried soooo hard) so I said I'd give it a go.
Last week of december we got a bassist (Merry Christmas!). 3 months later we played our first show at a ROCKERS event (I know you're familiar with those folks and that scene)...1 month later we recorded a 6 song EP. 5 months later we recorded another EP.
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| Click the jug to listen to and download the EP designed by Katrina Tapper |
4 days before our 1 year anniversary of finding our bassist and officially becoming a band, Alive NaturalSound Records contacted us about signing (Merry Christmas again!)....
That was December 21st ...but in true Pierre fashion, I fucked shit up (sorta) ...I didn't see the fuckin email somehow! So I didn't respond till New Years day! I damn near pissed my pants when I realized that I'd (almost) fucked up an indie label offer AGAIN!
That was December 21st ...but in true Pierre fashion, I fucked shit up (sorta) ...I didn't see the fuckin email somehow! So I didn't respond till New Years day! I damn near pissed my pants when I realized that I'd (almost) fucked up an indie label offer AGAIN!
Apparently Patrick, the head of the label, thought he should get back at me for being so bad at emailing because it took him two weeks to get back to me...
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| John the Conqueror/Robert Johnson tat design courtesy of Katrina Tapper |
Anyway, fastforwarding ...we signed, recorded an album...
comes out october 16th...the whole band got John the Conqueror tattoos (mike, the drummer and I are cousins and he was the bassist in slack.....when we started this band, it was for fun, but we jokingly said if we got signed this time, we'd get band tattoos)
Kaos Blac: Well thankfully you answered that email and didn't fuck up. One thing I been dying to know is why the name John the Conqueror?
Pierre Moore: Mannyyy reasons ....
Kaos Blac: No big pressures eh or pre-jitters?
Pierre Moore: We were told that we should already be writing our next album so I suppose thats a little pressure. The album isn't even out yet, we haven't started touring yet and im already writing MORE songs!
Kaos Blac: lol. Hey your in the big times now, now is the time of John the Conqueror. From what I heard of the current album I think you have something with legs especially with acts like Alabama Shakes. Speaking of touring what are your plans to travel out with the album.
Pierre Moore: In november we're doing some dates on the east coast. We'll be full fledged touring at the beginning of the new year.
Kaos Blac: Well folks will have something to look forward to coming up in the new year. Any closing words about the band?
Pierre Moore: Umm..nope
Kaos Blac: Well thankfully you answered that email and didn't fuck up. One thing I been dying to know is why the name John the Conqueror?
1) The John the Conqueror root is a staple in the lyrical tradition of blues and if we're gonna try to honor our roots then.... (bad pun!)
2) High john the conqueror root is traditionally used in a mojo hand and can be applied for many purposes but usually its for a gambling type of luck ...the first year of this band, I carried my mojo hand almost everyday cause lord knows I needed some luck.
3) The character of John the Conqueror is as old as our peoples in America.... He was an african prince, stolen from his kingdom and brought here to be a slave. But he was smart....he constantly was outwitting his master at every turn ....thats how I feel about the proverbial hand I've been dealt in life.... Thats also why I have a highway 61 north tattoo on my shoulder. Thats known as the blues highway....thats the road all the great blues musicians had to take to leave the mississippi plantations and find a happier life....It took em to memphis, chicago and (if i recall) detroit ...and from the 30's till the 50's, these were like the promise land to black folk! I need a constant reminder that I love my home and I miss it ...but I had to leave to actually DO something! And hopefully I'll do something!
Kaos Blac: Which you are as seen below.
You have the self titled album coming out October 16th, are you and the band amped about it's debut?
Pierre Moore: lol yea.
Kaos Blac: Which you are as seen below.
You have the self titled album coming out October 16th, are you and the band amped about it's debut?
Pierre Moore: lol yea.
Pierre Moore: We were told that we should already be writing our next album so I suppose thats a little pressure. The album isn't even out yet, we haven't started touring yet and im already writing MORE songs!
Kaos Blac: lol. Hey your in the big times now, now is the time of John the Conqueror. From what I heard of the current album I think you have something with legs especially with acts like Alabama Shakes. Speaking of touring what are your plans to travel out with the album.
Pierre Moore: In november we're doing some dates on the east coast. We'll be full fledged touring at the beginning of the new year.
Kaos Blac: Well folks will have something to look forward to coming up in the new year. Any closing words about the band?
Pierre Moore: Umm..nope
Kaos Blac: LOL. Well Blac-out!
You ca get the self title debut John the Conqueror, out October 16th via Alive NaturalSound Records , and on tour this fall starting tonight at Milk boy Philly.
Friday Oct 5
Milkboy Philly
Philadelphia, PA | 9:30PM
Saturday Nov 3
The Legendary Dobbs
Philadelphia, PA | 7:00PM
Thursday Nov 8
Broadway's
Asheville, NC | 8:00PM
Friday Nov 9
Jack of Hearts
Weaverville, NC | 8:00PM
Friday Nov 16
Joe Squared Station North
Baltimore, MD | 10:00PM
Saturday Nov 17
Clementine
Harrisonburg, VA | 8:00PM
Monday Nov 9
Slim's Downtown
Raleigh, NC | 8:00PM
Friday Oct 5
Milkboy Philly
Philadelphia, PA | 9:30PM
Saturday Nov 3
The Legendary Dobbs
Philadelphia, PA | 7:00PM
Thursday Nov 8
Broadway's
Asheville, NC | 8:00PM
Friday Nov 9
Jack of Hearts
Weaverville, NC | 8:00PM
Friday Nov 16
Joe Squared Station North
Baltimore, MD | 10:00PM
Saturday Nov 17
Clementine
Harrisonburg, VA | 8:00PM
Monday Nov 9
Slim's Downtown
Raleigh, NC | 8:00PM
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Basic Blac the Zine
Spring/Summer 2010
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Currently these are out of print but be on the look out for more zines soon.
Currently these are out of print but be on the look out for more zines soon.
About Me
- Kaos Blac
- I'm just a Joe smoe in this NYC beast jaw's. I try to best capture my life and those around me so those not near can also share in the experience. I hope that you do enjoy and would like to hear from you so read and write back. Support your scene whatever it is!
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