Tag: Kendrick Lamar

Video by William Ruben Helms

Live Footage: Thundercat feat. Michael McDonald and Kenny Loggins Performing “Show You The Way” on “The Tonight Show”

Now, if you’ve been frequenting this site for some time, you’d recall that the past two years or so have been both incredibly productive and prolific for the critically applauded  bassist, vocalist and JOVM mainstay Stephen “Thundercat” Bruner. He made guest appearances contributing bass and/or vocals to Kendrick Lamar‘s Grammy Award-winning To Pimp A Butterfly and  Brainfeeder Records labelmate, Kamasi Washington’s The Epic, and he followed that up by releasing what arguably may have been one of 2015’s best albums The Beyond/Where Giants Roam, an effort that I think further cemented his reputation as a dexterous bassist, who carefully walks a tightrope between jazz fusion, contemporary jazz and funk in a way that’s reminiscent of the late and great Jaco Pastorius — but while nodding at Stevie Wonder’s 70s and early 80s output, as it possessed a retro-futuristic sound. 

Last year, I wrote about “Bus In These Streets,” the first bit of music from the renowned bassist and vocalist in over a year, and the single was a comedic and playful ode to our reliance and dependence on technology in which Thundercat’s dexterous and sinuous bass lines with Louis Cole (keys, drums and programming) contributing shimmering and twinkling keys and propulsive drum programming and frequent collaborator Flying Lotus contributing more programming and editing in a song that evokes a dreamy, distracted self-absorption as the song’s narrator spends their time staring at their smartphone, not noticing the world pass him by — or the inherent danger he might be walking into as he stupidly stares into his phone.

Bruner’s third, full-length effort Drunk was released earlier this year and the album is reportedly an epic journey into the bizarre, hilarious and sometimes very dark mind of the singer/songwriter and bassist, and the effort find Bruner collaborating with an All-Star list of guests and friends including Kamasi Washington,  Kendrick Lamar, Wiz Khalifa, Pharrell Williams, Michael McDonald and Kenny Loggins. While the album will feature fan favorites “Bus In These Streets” and “Them Changes,”  Drunk‘s first official single “Show You The Way” is a sleek and soulfully jazzy track in which shimmering arpeggio cascades of synths, stuttering drums, and Bruner’s imitable bass lines are paired in an incredible collaboration that features Bruner’s sultry falsetto with the imitable vocals of Kenny Loggins and Micheal McDonald. Sonically speaking the song is an uncanny synthesis of Michael McDonald’s “I Keep Forgettin’ (Every Time You’re Near)” and Bruner’s signature funky, retro-futuristic jazz fusion.

So how did such a high-powered collaboration come about? Thundercat has publicly mentioned his love of Loggins and his work during interviews to promote both The Beyond and the tour for the album — and it lead to his keyboardist Dennis Hamm introducing Bruner to Loggins. According to both Bruner and Hamm, Loggins then suggested bringing in Michael McDonald on the track. And as Bruner adds in press notes “I think one of the most beautiful moments of it was realizing how amazing Michael McDonald was. He would go through so many ideas and have so much to offer.” As for the song, Bruner says “That song to me is about going down the rabbit hole, taking you to another place . . . On the edge of dark, there’s the brightest light. It means a lot to me in the sense of . . .the experience that I’ve had growing up with friends and people that I’ve been around where it’s inventing them into where I come from emotionally. Sometimes it’s a pretty intense thing. The point is how weird things can get. ”

New Audio by William Ruben Helms

 

Born in Zambia, raised in Botswana and currently based in Sydney, Australia, the 23 year old poet, visual artist, emcee, singer/songwriter and pop artist Sampa the Great, who publicly has cited Mos Def, Nina Simone, Lauryn Hill, Nneka, and others, as influences. And since the release of The Great Mixtape and collaborations with fellow Australians, pop artist Wallace on the skittering and jazzy single “Beauty” and internationally acclaimed Australian emcee Remi on the neo-soul and conscious hip-hop influenced “For Good,” the Sydney, Australia-based artist has quickly built up a growing internationally recognized profile as she’s opened for the likes of Kendrick Lamar, Thundercat, Hiatus Kaiyote, Ibeyi, Little Simz and Fat Freddy’s Drop, as well as played sets at Golden Plains, Sugar Mountain, Laneway, WOMAD and Vivid LIVE. However, 2017 may arguably be the Sampa the Great’s breakout year as her Rakhi-produced HERoes Act 2 was released yesterday through Red Bull Sound Select, and features the Sydney, Australia-based artist collaborating with Estelle. And while further cementing her reputation for a ridiculously dexterous flow that draws from spoken word performances, old school, hip-hop lyricism, with complex inner rhyme and multisyllabic rhyme schemes, old school soul and the blues and jazz, her latest single “The Plug” features Estelle and Sampa doing their thing with a swaggering, self-assuredness over a Timbaland-like production featuring futuristic bleeps and bloops, industrial clang and clatter, glitchy and shuffling beats and swirling electronics.

HERoes Act 2 is the second part of a two part narrative series of songs and genre-defying collaborative projects with Act being a spoken-world video, 2 track exploration into self-discovery and inner strength within a world that’s gone mad with uncertainty, racism and fear. “The Plug,” like the two other songs on the EP continue in a similar vein while continuing her reputation for crafting material based around her own personal experiences as an outsider, her desire and need to create, and the recognition that as individuals and as a society, that we need to value the strength and abilities of the individual; but in terms of this particular song, the song leans towards recognizing and championing the god-given talents of the individual, while brushing away haters and nay-sayers, with your desire to make a name for yourself at what you can do.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

 

With the release of her mixtape Eleven Roses and her breakout 2012 full-length debut Til the Casket Drops, which featured collaborations with Kendrick Lamar and Freddie Gibbs, singer/songwriter multi-instrumentalist ZZ Ward quickly received praise from major media outlets like Rolling Stone, Guitar World, Elle and Interview Magazine for pop anthems that meshed the blues and hip hop. Adding to a growing profile, Ward made national television appearances on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Conan, Good Morning America, The Tonight Show, The View and others. Along with that, she’s toured with Eric Clapton, Gary Clark, Jr., and Fitz and The Tantrums, as well as played sets at Coachella, Bonnaroo, Firefly, Made in America and others. I also should add that “Put The Gun Down,” which has received more than 7.4 million streams was featured in the major motion picture We’re The Millers.

Now, it’s been a while since I’ve written about Ward, but as it turns out, along with a busy touring schedule, the renowned multi-instrumentalist and singer/songwriter had been busy writing the material that would eventually comprise her forthcoming (and long-awaited) sophomore effort The Storm, which is slated for a June 30, 2017 release. The album’s latest single “Help Me Mama” is a strutting and swaggering track that pairs Ward’s powerhouse and soulful vocals with stomping and bluesy production consisting of strummed acoustic guitar, tweeter and woofer rocking low end, twinkling piano, whirring synths and electronics, and an rousingly anthemic hook in a song that’s rooted around viscerally candid personal revelations. Naturally, the single will further cement Ward’s reputation for crafting deeply personal, sultry and anthemic pop with a blues meets hip-hop swagger in a way that nods at Amy Winehouse, Hannah Williams and others — and perhaps more important for that impressive voice. Simply put, girl can sang.

Ward will be on tour throughout June and it includes a June 14, 2017 stop at Le Poisson Rouge. And then during the fall, Ward will join Icelandic rock at Kaleo for a series of Stateside dates. Check out the tour dates below.

Tour Dates
May 31, 2017 Chicago, IL Lincoln Hall
June 2, 2017 Minneapolis, MN Fine Line Music Cafe
June 3, 2017 Denver, CO Bluebird
June 8, 2017 San Francisco, CA The Independent
June 9, 2017 Los Angeles, CA The Roxy
June 11, 2017 San Diego, CA Belly Up
June 14, 2017 New York, NY Le Poisson Rouge
June 20, 2017 Austin, TX The Parish
June 21, 2017 Dallas, TX The Kessler
June 22, 2017 Nashville, TN 3rd and Lindsley
October 2, 2017 Houston, TX Revention Music Center **
October 4, 2017 Kansas City, MO The Mid **
October 7, 2017 Madison, WI Orpheum Theatre **
October 16, 2017 Boston, MA House of Blues **
October 20, 2017 Wallingford, CT The Dome at Oakdale Theatre **
**Dates supporting Kaleo
Single Review by William Ruben Helms

 

Now if you’ve been frequenting this site for a while, you’d know that the past couple of years have been incredibly productive and prolific for the critically applauded and renowned bassist, vocalist and JOVM mainstay artist Stephen “Thundercat” Bruner as he made guest appearances on two critically and commercially successful albums  — Kendrick Lamar‘s Grammy Award-winning album, To Pimp A Butterfly and  Brainfeeder Records labelmate, Kamasi Washington’s The Epic, and arguably one of of 2015’s best albums, The Beyond/Where the Giants Roam, an effort which further cemented Bruner’s reputation for being  a dexterous bassist and mischievous songwriter, as the material off that album possessed a retro-futuristic sound that nodded at Steve Wonder‘s legendary 1970s output, complete with wobbling and propulsive bass lines, arpeggio synths and Bruner’s sultry and plaintive falsetto.

Bruner’s third, full-length effort Drunk is slated for a February 24, 2017 release through Brainfeeder and the album will be an epic 23 track journey into the bizarre, hilarious and sometimes dark mind of the singer/songwriter and bassist — and the effort finds him collaborating with an All-Star list of collaborators including frequent collaborators and friends Kamasi Washington, Kendrick Lamar, Wiz Khalifa and Pharrell Williams, along with Michael McDonald and Kenny Loggins. While the album will feature fan favorites “Bus In These Streets” and “Them Changes,” one of my favorite tracks off The Beyond/Where The Giants Roam, Drunk’s first single “Show You The Way” was a soulful, 1970s jazz fusion-leaning track in which shimmering arpeggio synth lines, stuttering drums, Bruner’s incredible bass work and sultry falsetto with the legendary vocal work of Kenny Loggins and Michael McDonald that interestingly enough reminded me of  Michael McDonald’s “I Keep Forgettin’ (Every Time You’re Near).”

Although Valentine’s Day has passed, Drunk‘s latest single is an Anti-Valentine’s Day anthem in which the song’s narrator complains about a love interest, who has not only friend zoned him, but continually plays games with him and his feelings. And throughout the song, the song’s narrator builds up the courage to tell the object of his attention that he’s had enough of having his emotions and heart fucked with — and instead of being friend zoned by an asshole, he would be better off by himself. Sonically, the song continues along a similar vein of the album’s preceding single as shimmering, arpeggio synth lines, a wobbling and propulsive bass line and four-on-the-floor drums paired with Bruner’s dreamy falsetto; however, unlike “Show You The Way,” “Friend Zone” is full of the bitter recriminations and frustrations of cruelly unrequited love.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

 

Last year was a rather productive and prolific year for critically applauded bassist and vocalist, Stephen “Thundercat” Bruner, as he made guest appearances on two of the the year’s most critically and commercially successful albums — Kendrick Lamar‘s Grammy Award-winning album, To Pimp A Butterfly and  Brainfeeder Records labelmate, Kamasi Washington’s The Epic. Bruner also released what was arguably one of the best albums of 2015 The Beyond/Where the Giants Roam, which further cemented his reputation as a dexterous and playful bassist and songwriter, with material that sonically channeled Stevie Wonder’s incredible 70s output — or in other words it possessed a retro-futuristic leaning that made it all sound as though it came from straight from a rusty spaceship that’s traveled several hundred lightyears across the universe. In fact, if you had been frequenting this site over the past year, you might remember that I wrote about the wobbling and propulsive bass and arpeggio synth-led single “Them Changes” and its incredibly symbolic and surreal video, which emphasized the devastating heartache at the core of the song.

“Bus In These Streets” is the first bit of new music from Thundercat since the release of The Beyond/Where the Giants Roam and the single, which is a comedic and playful ode to both our reliance and dependence on technology — and the track has Thundercat pairing his dexterous and sinuous bass lines and his ethereal crooning with Louis Cole (keys, drums and programming) playing shimmering and twinkling keys, propulsive drumming and drum programming and Flying Lotus contributing more programming and editing in a song that evokes a dreamy, distracted  self-absorption as the song’s narrator spends their time staring at their smartphone, not noticing the world pass him by — or the inherent danger he might be walking into as he stupidly stares into his phone. Certainly, it’s one of Thundercat’s most playful yet cinematic songs he’s released to date, and every time I’ve heard it, I’ve thought about how it would be perfect in a It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World-like comic ensemble film.

 

 

You can catch Thundercat as he’s playing several tour dates including a set at this year’s Afropunk Festival. Check out the tour dates below.

TOUR DATES

Aug 27 Brooklyn, NY – Afropunk Fest

Sep 10 London, UK – OnBlackheath Festival

Sep 15 Oakland, CA – Brainfeeder at Fox Theatre*

Sep 16 Oakland, CA – Brainfeeder at Fox Theatre (sold out)*

Sep 17 Los Angeles, CA – Brainfeeder at Hollywood Bowl*

 

*with Flying Lotus, Funkadelic featuring George Clinton, Shabazz Palaces & The Gaslamp Killer

 

 

Video by William Ruben Helms

New Video: George Clinton and Funkadelic Team Up with Kendrick Lamar and Ice Cube for a Sexy, Strutting Remix

More than enough ink has been spilled over the course Parliament Funkadelic’s incredibly lengthy and influential 50+ year run together so delving into their backstory is both largely unnecessary and beyond the scope of this […]

Video by William Ruben Helms

New Video: The Hip-Hop and Classical Music Sounds of The Bay Area’s Ensemble Mik Nawooj

Formed and fronted by classical trained Korean composer and pianist JooWan Kim, the Bay Area-based hip-hop collective Ensemble Mik Nawooj  have received attention and praise from several media outlets including The Wall Street Journal, SF Weekly and East Bay […]

New Video by William Ruben Helms

New Video: Pr0files’ “Subterranean Homesick Blues”-Inspired Video for “Empty Hands”

The past few days around here have focused on artists who have become mainstays on this site, and if you’ve been frequenting JOVM over the past couple of years, you may be familiar with yet another mainstay […]

hip-hop by William Ruben Helms

The 2nd Annual Source360 Festival Preview

The 2nd Annual SOURCE360 Festival Preview Created last year by Northstar Group and The SOURCE founder, L. Londell McMillan, The SOURCE360 Festival had set up shop in Downtown Brooklyn with an important mission: “to spread […]

New Video by William Ruben Helms

New Video: Samurai Fighting to the Death in Thundercat’s “Them Changes”

2015 has been a rather productive and prolific year for Stephen “Thundercat” Bruner, as the renowned bassist has contributed to two of the most critically applauded albums to date this year, Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp a […]

Uncategorized by William Ruben Helms

Comprised of Lauren Pardini (vocals, keys) and Danny Sternbaum, the Los Angeles-based duo Pr0files can trace their origins to when Pardini and Sternbaum collaborated together in The Boy Traveller, a band which also featured Sonny […]

Uncategorized by William Ruben Helms

Over the last couple of years, Stephen “Thundercat” Bruner has seen his profile grow both nationally and internationally. As a bassist, Bruner effortlessly manages a propulsive, throbbing, sensual funk and a delicate, passionate sensitivity in […]

Uncategorized by William Ruben Helms

With the release of his previous four albums, 1983 (2006), Los Angeles (2008), Cosmogramma (2010), and Until the Quiet Comes (2012), the Los Angeles-based producer, electronic music artist, and emcee Flying Lotus has won critical acclaim for his genre-defying work. And his forthcoming […]