Kellee Maize

Kellee Maize - Aligned Archetype (2010)

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"Rarely are music listeners presented with the opportunity to dance (which becomes a sort of compulsive urge when listening to Maize) while being intellectually stimulated in the process. Some tracks are designed to blow the linguistic mind and fulfill the inherent desire we all have to hear words fall together to build a colossal tower of meaning and delicious sound. Some are designed to remind you you're a woman, and if you're not to appreciate being in the presence of one. Some are indicative of Maize's five different archetypes, which if you doubted the sense in before listening to the album, chances are you no longer do. All are designed to inspire you, physically, emotionally and intellectually."

Javelin

Javelin - Jemz and Jamz (2009)

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Blakroc

Blakroc - S/T (2009)

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black keys + hip hop = win

Why?

Why? - Eskimo Snow (2009)

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In abstract, WHY? is the process of adapting to the somehow simple business of existing. WHY? is the searching for something clearly unreachable, with hopes of finding small significance along the way. The attempt to understand what’s really going on by observing, neither by telescope nor microscope, but by naked eye, the intimate details in the most mundane of life’s happenings. The attempt to describe the gist of the feeling of the tiniest modicum of The Great Universal Unutterable Joke we are all always not laughing at—except when we are. WHY? is living out the set-up of that old gag over and over, until we finally reach a punch-line. Or we die and we don't.WHY? is, most often, a trio of handsome Midwestern men with a shared past, present and future. Today, they fiddle around with skins, strings and bells through microphones attached to tape, presenting their “findings” to the waiting world. In an earlier decade they were all born in Cincinnati. And in the time in between, much did happen. Yoni Wolf, for instance, grew up the second son to an art book editor and a rabbi. He got his start recording bad poems and sloppy beats on the family synagogue’s forgotten 4-track. In junior high he discovered hip-hop; in art school he learned how to drop out. His brother Josiah played drums at worship service as a tot, dominated Concert Band as a teen, and fell in love with the compositions of Thelonious Monk on his way to University of Cincinnati’s music conservatory. Doug McDiarmid would eventually get expelled from UoC for carrying a stun gun, but was first conceived by two French teachers and taught piano while in kindergarten. He went to high school with the Wolfs, where he played in Steve Miller cover bands. In various permutations together and with other now-notables (Dose One, Odd Nosdam, Mr. Dibbs, Slug), these three created and/or contributed to a number of freewheeling rap and lo-fi bedroom-rock related projects, some still unexcavated: Miss Ohio’s Nameless, Apogee, Greenthink, Reaching Quiet, and the now seminal cLOUDDEAD. Their wildest dreams were achieved when they relocated to the West to make pop-inflected psychedelic folk-hop.Yoni was the first to make the move. For four years, two EPs and one color-drenched album (2003’s Oaklandazulasylum), WHY? was his alone. He honed his trademark delivery—that sickly sweet, half-rapped, singsong-suicide style—shined up his wry, picturesque poetry on life, love and self, and developed a clip-and-collage composition aesthetic using keyboards, toys, guitars, samplers and anything worth banging on. When Doug and Josiah joined Yoni in Oakland, they brought a hoard of instruments and the ability to wail on every last one of them. By chops and imagination, WHY? grew into a thing of flesh, bones and fully fledged songs. In 2005, the band released Elephant Eyelash, and suddenly that once tenuous future seemed solid. Critics swooned; ladies lauded; WHY? did not rest. They toured (with Silver Jews, Yo La Tengo, and Islands). They collaborated (with Danielson, Department of Eagles, and Subtle; Yoni made Hymie’s Basement with Fog’s Andrew Broder). They put out yet more music (the Rubber Traits EP and “Dumb Hummer” 7-inch).Thus, the impending release of WHY?’s latest, brightest, darkest smile-twisted opus,Alopecia, isn’t so much a return as it is an affirmation of something already in the air. In February of 2007, the trio temporarily relocated to Minneapolis and became five, officially inducting Andrew Broder and Mark Erickson of good-art friendlies Fog into the band, then recording their new work live. As can be expected, Alopecia is a fantastic offering of raw sweat and dreams inspired by nothing more or less than the infinite erring bits of daily existence.

Why?

Why? - Almost Live From Eli's Room (2008)

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Former wierdo rapper and Anticon alumnus turned indie rocker, Why? or lead vocalist multi-instrumentalist Yoni Wolf, has now adopted his name to recognize his entire band which also includes his brother Josiah Wolf on drums and Doug McDiarmid on guitars. Almost Live From Eli's Live Room documents rehearsal recordings and live arrangements... making it "almost live" as they practice before the show trying different variations of their long sets and playlists. Sold recently only at tours and now available for a limited time. Longtime fans won't want to miss out.

Why? - Almost Live From Anna's Cabin (2003)

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Earlier tracks.

Hymie's Basement

Hymie's Basement - S/T (2003)

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A collaboration of anticon and cLOUDDEAD singer, lyricist, rapper producer Why? (aka Yoni Wolf) and Minneapolis singer, turntabalist, guitarist Andrew Broder, aka Fog released in 2003 via Lex Records. Combining elements of rap, folk and indie, the two men have created a superb thinking man’s melodic hip hop record.

Tobacco

Tobacco - Allegheny White Fish Tapes (2009)

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collection of tobacco's early tapes from 1996-1999. over 70 minutes of mostly unreleased/unheard broken ghetto-blaster songs. warped drum machines, purple noise, ripped cassettes, and melodies to calm you down.
pre-vocoder & synths, post-apocalypse.

DJ Premier

DJ Premier - New York Reality Check 101 (1997)

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*must download both .rar files for the link to work

DOOM

DOOM - Born Like This (2009)

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This afternoon, further information was provided on the first studio release in years from Hip Hop veteran emcee and producer MF DOOM. Released on U.K. imprint Lex Records, BORN LIKE THIS is the latest of the onetime KMD leader's catalog, spanning work with Raekwon and Ghostface Killah. 

The work, recorded over the last three years, features the single "Ballskin", produced by Rhymesayers affiliate Jake One. The album reportedly also features some production from J Dilla, familiar to fans of his 2006 Donuts release. 

Inspired by 1960s and '70s poet Charles Bukowski, DOOM samples a performance by the man on "Cellz." Previously, DOOM used Bukowski for a vocal interlude on 2004's "One Beer." 

Due this spring, label reps are already claiming that the New York born veteran is planning other releases in 2009. DOOM's new label has informed everyone of his name change. Apparently the Metal Fingerz/Metal Face (MF) prefix will be dropped in favor of the name DOOM--still in all caps.

01. Supervillain Intro
02. Gazillion Ear
03. Ballskin
04. Yessir (ft. Raekwon)
05. Absolutely
06. Rap Ambush
07. Lightworks
08. Batty-Boys
09. Angelz (ft. Tony Starks)
09. Cellz
10. Still Dope (ft. Empress Sharhh)
11. Microwave Mayo
12. More Rhymin' (ft. Kurious)
13. That's That 
14. Suppervillainz (ft. Kurious and Slug)
15. Bump's Message
16. Thank Ya

Tor & Sufjan Stevens

Tor & Sufjan Stevens - Illinoize (2009)

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Illinoize is a free remix tape put together by Montreal-based producer Tor, sampling songs from multi-instrumentalist and indie hero, Sufjan Stevens. Tracks are sampled from his 2005 LP Illinoise, as well as 3 of his other albums, 'A Sun Came', 'Seven Swans' and 'Songs for Christmas', blending Sufjan Steven's acoustic guitar, piano and horns with MC's Aesop Rock, Big Daddy Kane, Gift of Gab (Blackalicious), C.L. Smooth, Outkast, Brother Ali, and Grand Puba.

Tracklist:
1. Star of Wonder/None Shall Pass (ft. Aesop Rock)
2. Dumb I Sound/ATLiens (ft. Outkast)
3. John Wayne Gacy Jr./Specialize (ft. Pete Rock & CL Smooth)
4. The Tallest Man/I Like It (ft. Grand Puba)
5. Kill/Any Type of Way (ft. Big Daddy Kane & DJ Premier)
6. Night Zombies/Talkin’ My Shit (ft. Brother Ali)
7. The Dress Looks Nice On You/Make You Feel That Way (ft. Gift Of Gab)

Oddjobs

Oddjobs - Drums (2002)

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Emerging in 1996 out of the Minnesota-based Cases of Mistaken Identiy crew, the group featured Minneapolis MC's Advizer and Crescent Moon and St. Paul DJ's Anatomy and Deetalx. Also coming out of the CMI camp, rapper Nomi completed the Oddjobs line-up a few years later. As they became part of the Minneapolis scene governed by the Rhymesayers crew (Eyedea & Abilities, Atmosphere), Oddjobs released their first full-length in 1999, titled "Conflict and Compromise". Yet when Advizer and Deetalx went to New York to attend college, working together became increasingly difficult, although that period did produce the acclaimed "Absorbing Playtime" EP. In order not to lose their 'band' feeling, the rest of the quintet relocated to New York as well. "Drums" is the product of their stay in the Big Apple.