Two of the most anticipated Hip-Hop albums reviewed

I wanted to get both of these reviews out earlier (Idlewild on Friday--hoping I'd get to review the album and movie at once-- and Game Theory yesterday), but unfortunately it's a case of better late than never. I still haven't been able to see the film Idlewild yet, but expect a review soon. Anyway, without further adieu I give you two albums that were well worth the wait.

The Roots Game Theory

Funny to think that a move to Def Jam Records would spark The Roots making their most eclectic and innovative album. With that said, if you haven't bought this album already, I don't know what you're waiting for.

After releasing back to back masterpieces with the releases of Things Fall Apart and Phrenology in 1999 and 2003, respectively, The Roots scratched a ton of heads when they released The Tipping Point. Any whispers from fans of how the group wasn't the same without Malik B. when Phrenology was released became roars after The Tipping Point. While Malik B. certainly brings the most out of both the band and fellow MC Black Thought, BT himself is no amateur. Certainly one of the most underrated MC's out there, I've yet to understand why everyone dogs him as being hardly more than mediocre just because he doesn't have the persona like many of the other more outspoken rappers possess. If the fans weren't talking about that, though, they were talking about which record label The Roots would end up with next. After news of signing to Def Jam, there was a noticeable split in public opinion-- did this mean that The Roots were going mainstream? Will they finally get the marketing support they've always deserved? There were so many questions that had yet to be answered, and given the disappointing Tipping Point, going to work on Game Theory had to have been one of the most challenging missions for the band.

Now, after finally getting my hands on Game Theory, I can say without a doubt, that this is The Roots at their absolute best. If it weren't for the masterpiece Things Fall Apart, this would be considered their best album ever, hands down. This album also happens to be their darkest album ever, which is apparent from the opening track "False Media," which really brings The Roots' oft-hidden social and political commentary to the forefront. The following title track, which marks the return of Malik B. (who also appears on a couple other tracks), is an immediate highlight as the interplay between Malik B. and Black Thought over ?uestlove's well-executed beats makes you forget that these guys ever spent time apart. "Don't Feel Right," "In the Music," and "Here I Come," all of which had been previously released on both the Pre-Game EP and through independent leaks are also highlights, as is the single "Long Time."

The main difference between the eclectic energy of Game Theory and Phrenology can be best exemplified on the tracks "Take It There," "Atonement," and the closing "Can't Stop This," which serves as an outstanding dedication to Jay Dee. "Take It There" starts off much like some of the other funkier Roots tracks before the music spins off into a heavily abstracted piano riff that works wonders with Black Thought's meticulous rhymes. The result is a very poignant piece despite clocking in at under three minutes-- compare this to some of the more meandering experimentation that occurred on Phrenology. "Atonement" is a real treat, as it uses a sample of Radiohead's "You and Whose Army?" as its foundation and churns out one of the most somber and effective hip-hop tracks I've heard in a very long while. Speaking of effective, the eight-minute closer "Can't Stop This" is an extremely touching tribute to J Dilla. The song samples "Time: The Donut of the Heart" from his Donuts album-- the last album that would be released during his lifetime-- and also includes commentaries about J Dilla in both the beginning and end from various artists.

While an incredibly dark and gritty affair, Game Theory is a beautiful masterpiece. Easily, the most gripping hip-hop album I've heard. It elevates the gene to yet another notch, and, as always, The Roots prove that their at least five years ahead of the game.

Overall Rating: 100

Outkast Idlewild

This might be the first album they've released since their debut that can't be considered great. Still, being really darn good isn't bad either.

Welcome to the world of Idlewild: Big Boi and Andre 3000 still hardly work together on this album, but this time, the old-fashioned roots add a new dimension on Outkast's music, and that's really what separates this album from Stankonia/The Love Below. That's both a blessing and a curse, as it forces the ever-eclectic Dre to actually focus on a single idea, but it confines both artists to a certain extent, not to mention some tracks sound a bit like they might've been leftovers from their previous effort. All of these elements culminate into what is essentially a very good, but messy album. Both the lead single "Mighty O" and "Peaches" suffer from the familiarity factor. Sure, both are equally solid, but "Mighty O" has a few too many shades of "The Whole World" going for it, with the Cab Calloway based chorus to dress it up, while "Peaches" essentially blends in with everything that was on Speakerboxxx. It's from "Idlewild Blue (Don'tchu Worry 'Bout Me)" on that things really start to get interesting. Dre pulls off a relatively successful blues song on this track, and while he's certainly no Muddy Waters, it's an addicting and fun song nonetheless. Big Boi's best contributions come afterwards with the tracks "N2U" and the infectious college band-driven "Morris Brown." These are by far the best tracks on the album, and bring out the best aspect of the album, it's incredibly fun and always addicting. "The Train" is another standout, with its soulful horns and solid beat backing Big Boi's highly refined raps.

So what about Andre Benjamin you ask? Well his best moments besides "Idlewild Blue" come in the form of "PJ & Rooster," which gets an extra boost from Big Boi's rapping, and the cliched yet sweet "When I Look In Your Eyes." While it might be disappointing for most that Dre doesn't rap on any track outside of "Mighty O," both of the aforementioned standouts from him are a lot of fun and hold their own against Big Boi's best. These are clearly more directly related to Idlewild as well, with the sound heavily steeped in traditional ragtime, blues and depression-era musical genres. Another fun track from Dre is the ridiculously silly "Makes No Sense At All," which features PJ from the movie clearly improving a song for lack of having any music. As the title indicates, the song makes no sense at all, but it's a lot of fun and is something I think only Dre would be able to pull off. As per usual, Outkast's album ends with the epic "A Bad Note," which is also an appropriately titled song. Besides that it sonically comes out of left field, the song never really goes anywhere, taking about six minutes of a distorted electric guitar before the George Clinton vocals come in. This song easily hearkens back to Stankonia, unfortunately it's not as good, and really doesn't make for a good note to end the album on. Overall this is a good album, and if it weren't for the fact that Outkast had been spending the past ten years making perfect music, I don't think it would be considered as much of a blemish. Instead, as it is, Big Boi and Dre need to start figuring out a way to work together again, because you can only release so many two-disc solo projects as Outkast albums before people start figuring it out..

Overall Rating: 85

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Bob Dylan's Modern Times

Bob Dylan Modern Times

It's positively astonishing how good this album is. Outside of Johnny Cash, I can't think of an artist (at least in recent times) that has managed to not only maintain a prominent position in music, but also continuously release some of the most important music that can be heard for years to come.

For anyone that might've even had a passing thought that Bob Dylan has fallen off as of late, I dare you to listen to this record and not thoroughly enjoy every waking second of it. The voice may not be the same, but from the minute "Thunder on the Mountain" begins, you know this is Dylan at his very best. His lyrics are as poignant and clever as ever, and his band sounds just as inspired. Uptempo numbers like the aforementioned opener, "Rollin' and Tumblin'" and "Someday Baby" are all as good as ever. "Spirit on the Water" is another great love song that Dylan can add to his collection. Its bouncy beat matched with the airy electric guitar blend perfectly with Bob Dylan's sweetly sincere lyrics. While all of these songs are semi-familiar territory for Dylan (with somewhat of an exception going to "Spirit on the Water") it's on the slower songs and ballads where Dylan truly impresses. His dark, smoky vocals match his equally dark yet often-inspirational lyrics now more than ever, and songs like "Workingman's Blues #2" show just how pertinent Dylan can be for not just his followers but all audiences even today. This is a complete masterpiece from start to finish, and is an album that stacks up well to some of Dylan's finest early accomplishments and is superior to his last acclaimed album, Love and Theft. The real surprise is that Dylan is able to maintain focus for the entirety of the album, despite each song being over five minutes long. Finally, when you factor in his age, and how few artists are able to overwhelm expectations every time as their career goes on, this album should stand as a true testament to not only his ability but also his drive. Highly recommended.

Overall Rating: 100

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Movie Roundup: Talladega Nights, Little Miss Sunshine, and Snakes on a Plane

Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby

While certainly not as funny as Anchorman, the combination of Will Ferrell, Gary Cole, and John C. Reilly make for a very fun hour and a half.

Talladega Nights can attribute its success to its supporting cast, a statement that can't be as easily made about Anchorman. While Ferrell's antics (most notably the unfortunately overexposed scene in which his character, Ricky Bobby, thinks he's on fire), can and do mark great highlights in the film, it's the timely comedic acting of Gary Cole (as the father Reese Bobby), John C. Reilly (as friend Cal Noughton Jr.), and others that made the film as enjoyable as it was. Also a plus, all of the racing sequences were shot incredibly well, giving a surprising shot of adrenaline to the film. While the film suffers from a few slow points, it is quickly revived by the last half of the movie, which focuses on a much older Reese working with his son once again to regain his confidence in the only way he knows how (which leads to a few scenes of very humorous situational comedy) and, finally, the interaction between Ferrell and his rival within the film played by Sascha Baron Cohen. Oddly enough, this would have to be the most normal role to date for Cohen (of Da Ali G Show and Borat fame) as frenchman Terry Cheveaux. That's not to say he's tame, as he pushes the French stereotypes about as far as possible, but he's hardly an outlandish character. All in all, the unneveness slightly hurt what was an otherwise fun but semi-forgettable film, which is something that can't be said about any other Will Ferrell movie that I can think of. That being said, it's probably the most interesting a NASCAR-themed mainstream film can get.

Overall Rating: 81

Little Miss Sunshine

In a summer season where even decent films were hard to come by, Little Miss Sunshine finally gives us the great summer indie film we were hoping for.

Perfect from beginning to end, Little Miss Sunshine is the kind of movie that only comes along once every few years. The film features a perfect mix of acting and writing, along with stellar performances from the entire cast, most notably Greg Kinnear, Toni Collette and Steve Carell. While the movie surrounds the story of Olive, played wonderfully by Abigail Breslin, the road movie shows an uncompromising depth in that it allows for each of the family members a great amount of freedom to individually grow and avoid the many pitfalls that most ensemble comedies fall into-- most notably one-dimensionalism. Instead, the backstories for the most part are well-developed and while the family originally comes off as being one more bad seed away from a possible Springer show guest appearance, their heart and own individual warmth that they shared (especially at the end) really speaks volumes about not only the ensemble casting but also the outstanding writing job by Michael Arndt. Top it off with a couple of completely unexpected turns and you've got by far the best film of the summer, and possibly the best of the year so far. Highly recommended.

Overall Rating: 100

Snakes on a Plane

For better or worse, I can pretty much guarantee that-- barring a severe case of amnesia-- Snakes on a Plane is a movie experience I will never forget. While the box office numbers may not show it, Snakes on a Plane will probably go down as one of the most noteworthy cult films in recent history.

I walked in knowing what to expect: snakes on a plane, Samuel L. Jackson yelling ("No I can't stop yelling, 'cause that's how I talk!" As the joke goes) and kicking ass, bad acting, worse dialogue, and, of course, a rowdy crowd. What I didn't expect, however, is just how much I would actually enjoy the movie, not to mention how much of an intense gross-out fest it would be. While I color myself surprised, I'd like to check whatever credibility I may have and say that Snakes on a Plane represents what should be at the core of every blockbuster movie, and once upon a time, was at the core of every blockbuster-- and that is the simple fact that Snakes is a fantastically fun movie. The movie doesn't make any sense at all, and has plot holes the size of many large countries, and of course the acting is bad, but just like Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill series, all of these "mistakes" are so obviously intentional given the large number of self-referential material (how many movies add lines and scenes based on comical blog responses?) that as long as you check your brain at the door, you'll enjoy every waking minute of the movie. That's not to say that it's all fun and games with Snakes on a Plane as it does carry a bit of (no pun intended) bite as well, and does hold its own as a horror/thriller movie in the crudest form. The snakes are definitely cool, and the death scenes are about as painful and/or gross as possible, which adds to the perpetual tension that continues throughout. As icing on the cake, it's obvious that Samuel L. Jackson is loving every single minute of being in this movie, and you have fun being a part of the magic with him. The supporting cast adds enough flare through their ridiculous quirks that the movie is just about as entertaining and ridiculous as it can get on all sides. I can't shake the feeling that this movie is going to be something that's talked about for a very long time, for better or worse. Between its absolutely genius marketing and unforgettable moviegoing experience, Snakes on a Plane, at the very least, will be known as the first great cult classic of this decade.

Overall Rating: 90

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Dirty Pretty Things reviewed

Dirty Pretty Things Waterloo to Anywhere

A very significant album, Dirty Pretty Things are almost good enough on this album to make you forget about the Libertines. (Key word though, is almost.)

While Pete Doherty has ridden his Babyshambles project, not to mention his own life, into the ground and then even further, ex-Libertine bandmates have released a commendable album under the name Dirty Pretty Things. The band is as vibrant and tight as ever before, with Barat filling in superbly on vocals. The single "Bang Bang You're Dead" is easily the highlight of the album, showing what great potential the group has-- something that should be easier to reach without Doherty's antics to hold them back. That's not to say there aren't other very good tracks though. "Gin and Milk," "The Enemy," "You Fucking Love It," and "Wondering" are all also very well done. "You Fucking Love It" in particular can be attributed as being the sharpest and rowdiest the band has sounded in a very long time. If nothing else, this album should prove that the Libertines aren't dead after all, and that Carl Barat certainly knew what he was doing when he decided to form his own group. While Libertine fans will almost instinctively compare this album for better or for worse to all previous Babyshambles/Libertines work, relative newcomers that are looking for a dose of addicting british punk rock music should be satisfied with Waterloo to Anywhere.

Overall Rating: 83

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Lollapalooza 2006: In review

Jeff Tweedy (Wilco frontman), in all his shaggy glory, was very happy to play in front of his hometown crowd.

Going into Lollapalooza this year, there were two things almost everyone in attendance were sure of: One is that Lollapalooza would be much bigger than last year and two being that there should be three days of incredible live music. What wasn't expected though was everyone's decision to do a cover of Gnarls Barkley's "Crazy," a song that was played at least five times-- including Gnarls' own performance. Also unexpected was the genuinely nice weather that lasted all weekend long. All and all, it was an oustanding showing this year, and using Wilco frontman Jeff Tweedy to sum it up, "I'm very proud of you, Chicago." With that said, here is an in-depth look at Lollapalooza 2006.

Surprises

The Go! Team got the crowd going on day 2.

Two of the biggest surprises this year came from The Go! Team and The Hold Steady, a couple of groups that I was pretty familiar with before, but had no idea what I was in for when it came to live performances. The Hold Steady really translates well live, and I was disappointed that they weren't offered a shot at getting an afterset at the House of Blues-- they're pretty much the ultimate late night party band. Between Craig Finn's incredibly witty lyrics while performing, and even funnier stories and musings in between songs (many of which were either religion or baseball related), he had the audience drawn to him in a way that's very difficult to do in such a large setting. For my money, these guys were among the highlights of the show. The Go! Team has carried quite a reputation for being an amazing live show with their unrelenting energy and crowd interaction. Yet, even knowing that going in, I still wasn't ready for what would be one of the most fun performances of the weekend. Sure, there were other bands that were better, but in terms of fun, The Go! Team were about as good as it gets, with lead vocalist Ninja mustering up more dance moves than I thought would be possible given the humidity. Another surprise was from the Austin, TX group Sound Team. While I have been a fan of many other Austin, TX groups (Spoon and perhaps lesser-known Fastball come to mind), I still wasn't expecting these guys to be as good as they were. They certainly weren't flashy, but their atmospheric wall-to-wall sound of guitar matched to solid lyrics and musicianship made for a very entertaining one-hour set. The final surprise goes to bluegrass group Nickel Creek (pictured left).

While I was already familiar with their exceptional abilities as musician, seeing them live gave a completely new perspective on them as a group-- as by setlists end they were easily one of the most laid-back groups to perform out of the three days. They threw in a few surprising covers as they did Radiohead's "Nice Dream," which came complete with a mini-rant compliments of frontman Chris Thile of how much they like Radiohead and how incredible Thom Yorke is,
and the shockingly good cover of Britney
Spears' "Toxic." Another nice touch was the band throwing in a cover of The Band's "The Weight" during their performance of "The Fox." Add in a two minute tap dancing session by bassist Mark Schatz, and you've got yet another highlight from the California-based band.

Dissapointments

Gnarls Barkley and their backup band, all adorned in Wimbledon gear, unfortunately left many disappointed.

Unfortunately, these come with the territory of having such large scale music festivals. The biggest disappointment though, and most easily preventable, was the terrible sound. While most of the sound leakage was fixed-- a problem that plagued last year's Lollapalooza-- there were far too many performances ruined by bad sound. The most infamous of these problems was during Kanye West's performance to which even he said "someone might be getting fired tonight."

"Can you hear me now?" Kanye's sound problems left many fans in the dark for the first half of the show.

Besides that, Gnarls Barkley, or more specifically Cee-Lo, dissapointed-- his voice was so shot that at times the background singers were more audible. It didn't help things that 99% of the people that were there were only there to hear "Crazy"-- a song that had already been covered by everyone from Mates of State to The Raconteurs.

The Red Hot Chili Peppers perhaps gave the crowd a bit too much Stadium Arcadium and not enough BloodSugarSexMagik

The final disappointment was the Red Hot Chili Peppers' setlist. The performance itself was incredible, even if it was the Flea and Frusciante talent show more often than not, but since the setlist only included a couple songs from before the album Californication, it was hard to be completely satisfied. Sleater-Kinney and Death Cab for Cutie round out the last two disappointments of the night. Sleater-Kinney, despite performing their second to last concert, really seemed to lack energy, and even though they went 15 minutes over in their set, they only seemed to be going through the motions. Death Cab for Cutie, after performing a marvelous headliner last year, disappointed with a fairly mediocre setlist-- leaving the majority of casual fans in the cold and even driving away a few of the die-hards.

Highlights

Mike James (frontman of My Morning Jacket) and company completely rocked out during their one hour set.

While the headliners were all quite fine and good, the band that really made the most of their hour was My Morning Jacket. They were already my pick to be one of the best bets this year, despite playing at the same time as The Raconteurs, and certainly didn't disappoint. While ordinarily it'd be a bad thing that the majority of songs were from their latest two albums, considering that they're the two most acclaimed in their collection, it seemed to be the most logical. Jim James' howling vocals were even more chill inducing live than they were on album and each of the solos were incredibly crisp as well. In addition to possibly setting the record for most props used on a Lollapalooza stage, The Flaming Lips were in top form as well, with lead singer Wayne Coyne encouraging sing alongs and fan participation all through the set. Adding a touch of nostalgia, the Flaming Lips introduced "She Don't Use Jelly" using a clip from an old Chicago performance. All in all it was a great show, with the extra flare of Wayne Coyne walking on the audience in his inflated bubble, the hundreds of extras dancing on stage, and inflatable santas and aliens all adding to the flare.

The Flaming Lips put on quite the spectacle, pulling out all the stops possible during their hour long set.

Kanye West, technical difficulties aside, put on a great show that will surely be remembered for many years to come, as it marked his first grand-scale homecoming. Similarly, Wilco, also put on an outstanding showing in front of lead singer Jeff Tweedy's hometown, and performed a number of new songs for the crowd on hand. Eels definitely put on one of the stranger shows, which was to be expected, but what wasn't expected (at least from me) was how they managed to rock from beginning to end without any hesitation, including closing out with a cover of "I Put a Spell on You" and, finally, "That's Life."

Wolfmother (bottom right)put on an outstanding show that the crowd really got into, as seen through the numerous body surfers and the giant mosh pit that took place towards the front of the stage. Each of the band members, particularly lead singer Andrew Stockdale, had a stage presence rarely seen from such a relatively new band.

Between the great crowd, relatively nice weather, and good performances all-around, I have to say that this year's Lollapalooza was even better than I was anticipating. Hopefully next year, Perry Farrell and company will look to improve both the sound as well as the number of food booths next year. As far as lineup predictions are concerned, maybe next summer will finally be the year we see a Smashing Pumpkins reunion, or maybe even a Radiohead apperance. Time will tell, but as always, I will release any info as it becomes available.

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Temporary Delays

Hey folks, sorry for the delays in reporting. There've been massive technical difficulties on my end so I've had to postpone any updates until I'm able to get everything back together. My apologies once again, but all should be back to normal within the next week.

12 hours away...

Lollapalooza is among us, and as such, I'll be dutifully reporting from Grant Park and giving a complete recap come Monday. In the meantime, as you can see, there's been very little to talk about. In the upcoming couple of weeks though you should expect at least a couple movie reviews coming your way. Until then, have a great weekend, and I'll do my best to keep cool.

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