Sound Check's Blog Posts Tagged 'Afro-punk' (18)

Rockstar In Training: Recording Party & AP Fest Fashions

I'm so stoked to attend the Afro Punk fest, you guys. I'm almost equally as excited about rocking some blazin' hot outfits that project my Modern American Princess style. Guess what else Afro-punks? I'm recording my first solo single!! I'm recording my rock anthem, “We Party 'Cause We're Alive,” specifically for offering it up to you & yours at the Afro-punk Festival. I'll also sell it Pay What You… Continue

Added by Sound Check on August 15, 2011 at 7:13pm — 4 Comments

Lady Bo, The Queen Mother of Guitar

Bo Diddley is rightfully credited as a true luminary in the history of rock. An innovative guitarist, clever lyricist, and energetic live performer, the legend of Bo Diddley is well deserved. Often overlooked, however are the contributions to his band by one of the most talented women to ever pick up a guitar; Lady Bo.

Words by Nathan… Continue

Added by Sound Check on July 18, 2011 at 7:30pm — 5 Comments

AP History: Sister Rosetta Tharpe

The origins of rock and roll are hazy at best. Seemingly every year someone steps up with a new claimant to the title “first rock and roll record.” The fact is that musical genres are more convergent phenomena than inventions, though it's hard to resist the urge to point at one recording and declare: “This is where it began!” (Just look at how easy it is to spark a heated argument about the origin of punk rock...aaaaaaand GO.). Nevertheless, in a genre infamous for it's “boy's…

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Added by Sound Check on April 25, 2011 at 3:30pm — 11 Comments

Rocky Business: "People Don't Dance No More"

If music is going to change, I can only cross my fingers and hope that people who know what they're doing are going to lead the way. Bless the gods of the stereo for Rocky Business. I saw them by accident nearly a year ago and I still haven't gotten over it. The foursome-of-rad have punky drums with poppy melodies, all brought together with fun rap verses. I'm normally the one to hate something like this, but… Continue

Added by Sound Check on February 28, 2011 at 5:01pm — 2 Comments

My Roommate Was a Jewish Multi-racial Nazi Skin

After getting robbed on my block by a pack of 13 year olds I decided to say “So long” to my leaky Bed-Stuy terror basement and move into a grown-up apartment in swinging Greenpoint. The guy I moved in with makes his living playing gypsy jazz guitar at upscale nightspots and so far my precious comic book collection hasn’t been destroyed in a flood, so it’s a pretty great situation for me.

My Roommate was a Jewish…

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Added by Sound Check on February 28, 2011 at 3:39pm — 5 Comments

His Words May Make You Uncomfortable, but Cipher Pushes for Lyrical Liberation

There are probably more black and multi-ethnic bands making punk sounds now than ever before. Bands are adopting punk’s DIY creed to hammer out their own unrepentant lyrics about love, life, politics and race. I spoke to Moe Mitchell, songwriter and front man of the band Cipher to get some insight into the mind of an awesome young black writer and performer, about what lyrical liberation means… Continue

Added by Sound Check on February 28, 2011 at 1:30pm — 1 Comment

Patti Smith Instigates The Weight of the "Rock n' Roll Nigger'

“Nigger no invented for color it was MADE FOR THE PLAGUE the word (art) must be redefined-all mutants and the new babes born sans eyebrow and tonsil-outside logic-beyond mathematics poli-tricks baptism and motion sickness-any man who extends beyond the classic for is a nigger-one sans fear and despair-one who rises like rimbaud beating hard gold rhythm outta soft solid shit-tongue light is coiling serpent is steaming spinal avec ray gun hissing scanning copper head w/… Continue

Added by Sound Check on February 23, 2011 at 2:30pm — 40 Comments

Saudi video director, Mo Ali, takes over London scene

27-year-old Saudi born, Mo Ali might as well have changed his name to Mr Grime Video Director. During the last five years Ali has shot over 65 music videos for the likes of Chipmunk, Jammer, Plan B, Roll Deep, Skepta and Tinchy Stryder since he made his first back in 2004 for Lethal B’s "POW/Forward Riddim" while still working as an unpaid runner. A lot of those guys have gone from from playing east London clubs to international stardom. This year saw the release of Ali’s… Continue

Added by Sound Check on November 29, 2010 at 4:00pm — No Comments

ShingoSays: The CMJ Roundup: CMJ is no joke

I’m bleeding exhausted. Those of you who were in New York City this past weekend, there’s probably a 100% chance you were CMJing. I too willfully and eagerly ran my body into the ground during CMJ, the College Music Journal’s music marathon/festival/4 day shit-show of every band you’ve ever wanted to see, back to back, and in a row all over the city. To do CMJ efficiently it requires a detailed schedule, cooperation from your friends who don’t want to go to rock shows, and…

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Added by Sound Check on October 25, 2010 at 6:00pm — No Comments

Shawn Brown Spills the Beans on Dag Nasty

To some, Shawn Brown is a legend of hardcore. A one-off. A voice who injected real anger and passion into a genre renowned for crybabies and tough-guy posers. As the original vocalist in Dag Nasty he helped Brian Baker exorcise his post-Minor Threat demons before getting unceremoniously booted out for his trouble. With Swiz, he wrote the book on how progressive hardcore could still retain its aggression and confidence while…

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Added by Sound Check on October 25, 2010 at 3:13pm — 5 Comments

Corey Glover and Living Colour Give Each Other Room while getting ready for Smokeout 2010

Corey Glover is indeed a rock and roll renaissance man. He is the singer/frontman for New York rockers Living Colour and he is also an accomplished actor on both stage and screen. Add to that husband and father of two, and you have a jack of all trades who has truly mastered them all. As he and his bandmates prepare to hit San Bernardino for the Cypress Hill Smokeout and The…

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Added by Sound Check on October 15, 2010 at 1:21pm — 2 Comments

Afro Punk Classics: Anabella Lwin

Recently deceased punk rock impresario Malcolm McLaren will forever be mentioned same breath, same sentence as his noxious late 70’s creation, the Sex Pistols. But it’s possible that nothing does more to solidify McLaren’s status as louche music Svengali than his discovery of Annabella Lwin, the young English bird of Burmese origin who McLaren discovered humming a Stevie Wonder tune while sorting colors at a London dry…

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Added by Sound Check on September 13, 2010 at 6:00pm — 4 Comments

Fuck, Shit, Stack up with Reggie Watts

The dude is hilarious. I've been on this Reggie Watts kick for almost four months now, ever since my friend sent me a link to his music/comedy video, "Fuck, Shit, Stack," parody of his view of hip-hop. Aside from the crazy hair that he said, "adds to his look," Reggie was wearing a fitted Montana t-shirt, suspenders, and blinged out triple rings when he met me at the Ace Hotel in…

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Added by Sound Check on September 7, 2010 at 8:00pm — 8 Comments

Peter Lord Keeps it All in The Family Stand

The late 80’s/ early 90’s were the best of times and the worst of times for Black Rock acts. On the one hand, rock bands of color had finally broken through a musical glass ceiling thanks to the success of Living Colour, Lenny Kravitz and Fishbone. On the other hand, those who controlled access to radio and record promotion were hard pressed to use up their resources on a plethora of alternative Black artists so sadly, some bands got lost in the shuffle. This is where…

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Added by Sound Check on September 1, 2010 at 5:00pm — 3 Comments

Afro Punk Classic: Stiffed featuring Santi White

Before she was Santigold (nee Santo-) she was Santi White, front woman of the Philly punk band Stiffed. Watching the band rock out on a frigid New York night some six years ago, trying to summon enough foresight to guess at White’s legacy would have been as fruitless as scrutinizing an embryo ultrasound and trying to guess whether or not the baby would be cute. As Stiffed’s el capitan, Santi White had become the subject of a highly un-likely reality that would have made for great… Continue

Added by Sound Check on August 25, 2010 at 8:00pm — 7 Comments

Boots Riley Talks Politics, Music, and Gives Obama an "F"

If you are a student of politically charged rap music, (and if you aren’t you really should be) then you have heard of Boots Riley. Boots hails from Oakland, California and he is the revolutionary MC of the hip-hop group The Coup. Riley has put The Coup on pause for a minute, and he has joined forces with RATM guitarist and like minded activist Tom Morello to form The Street Sweeper Social Club. The “club” is a…

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Added by Sound Check on August 9, 2010 at 11:00am — 3 Comments

A Nation of Misfits: Flipper, just get the vinyl

Like The Big Boys before them, Flipper's legacy has unfortunately been hijacked by their biggest fans. It's impossible to talk about Flipper without talking about Nirvana, a fact exacerbated by the fact that Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic spent three years in the late 2000's as a member of Flipper. Kurt Cobain famously wore his Flipper t-shirt in the album art for In Utero, and made frequent references to the band in…

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Added by Sound Check on July 13, 2010 at 11:30pm — 3 Comments

Too old and too black for punk?

When most people think about punk rock, images of sweaty thin white boys instantly come to mind- holding stead fast to the idea that punk music is reserved for the privileged white youth that exude bottled rage in the form of guitars, drums, mosh pits, drugs, piercings, and cheap alcohol.

Too old and too black for…

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Added by Sound Check on June 16, 2010 at 5:00pm — 14 Comments