Nixon x Beastie Boys

Nixon watches team up with the Hot Sauce Committee.

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RADCollector says: “With Mike D with a bottle of cognac on the face and the quotation ”I accept this award on behalf of the band” written on the band, the Maritime themed watch fits the Beastie steez to a tee. Only 20 global retailers will be dropping one of four colorways each week in December."

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Not my thing personally, but trashily humourous. You can pick one up at Dover Street Market while stocks last.

Grizzly Bear cover Hot Chip

Grizzly Bear, creators of one of my albums of 2009 (I really need to finish those posts), cover one of Hot Chip's big singles from a few years back and change it from a dancey pop-track into a subtle folky lament. And it works.

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Grizzly Bear - Boy From School (Cover) mp3

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Right Click > Save As... for the mp3 (kindly provided by GvsB)

Yeasayer - Ambling Alp mp3

The album leaked last December, and is available for retail in February.

Having had the album for over a month, I'm still struggling to get into it, but I can't get bored of this single.

Sene - WonLover (Video)

Produced by Blu. From the album 'adaylate&adollarshort', out now.

Vampire Weekend - Horchata mp3

New Vampire Weekend track, from the forthcoming album 'Contra' (Jan 11th release date for the UK). This track is called Horchata. It's stupidly silly, and ludicrously catchy. Very much business as usual for these fellas, then.

You can download this track in a .zip file HERE, which even comes with a pretty pdf of the cover and a lyric sheet.

MIRF for Marc Jacobs - Window Displays

Via highsnobiety.com:

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"New York based graffiti duo Mint and Serf, known together as MIRF, have worked on a series of window displays for Marc Jacobs. After already being featured in the background of a Juergen Teller Marc Jacobs ad, this is a nice next step of including the artists work. Next time you walk by a Marc Jacobs store in NYC, make sure to check them out. "
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Click HERE for more pics

APC x Supreme = Fuck 'em

As has been well documented, I'm a fan of APC. Supreme... not so much, but some of their Tee's are good. It's mainly gear for Skateboarders or Street Fashion enthusiasts. I'm too old to do the former, and too old to pull off the latter convincingly.

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This collabo smacks of lazyness. The embroidery looks cheap, and whilst the pin badge is pretty smart, this appears little more than a collabo to suck in gear fanatics and get them to part with their hard earned pound/dollar/yen. You can guarantee these come at a premium.

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Nick Schonberger of High Snobiety has spotted this opportunism, but then launched a passionate defence; arguing that this is an attempt at satire from APC and Supreme. I'm not so sure.

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Either way, APC jeans don't fit me...

Julian Casablancas goes solo

via nme.com

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The Strokes' Julian Casablancas has posted a new solo song, '11th Dimension', on his official MySpace page. The track will be released as a single on November 2 following the release of the frontman's debut solo album, 'Phrazes For The Young', released on October 19.

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I loved the first two Strokes' albums. The third one... not so much. But I'm still keen to see where he pitches his solo efforts. Check it out at Myspace/juliancasablancas.

The Black Keys x Hip Hop = Blak Roc

I'm so excited about this...

My favourite band in the world The Black Keys, have hooked up with former Jay-Z buddy/business partner Dame Dash to create the 'Blak Roc' project (notice how Dame managed to crowbar in a 'Roc' reference).

Effectively, we have a CD full of incredible Black Keys music, featuring the vocal talents of some excellent emcees (Mos Def, Pharoahe Monch, Q-Tip) and some not so great ones (Jim Jones, NOE).

Jay-Z's rock & roll cover art

Jay has gone all Coldplay for the cover of his new album.

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Some eagle-eyed music bloggers have suggested that this is effectively an amalgamation of a cover by the Secret Machines and some imagery from U2's last album. Click the links and see what you think.

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For what it's worth, I like it a alot. It's a darn sight more creative than most Hip Hop album covers, and without question it's 100 times better than a close up of Mr. Z wearing a Yankees baseball hat. Track list below. I'm keen to hear Jay and MGMT on the same track, although form the 'additional production' credit, I imagine that Kanye has sampled a huge chunk of one of their tracks and been forced to include them as assistant producers.

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1. What We Talking About (Produced by Kanye West)

2. D.O.A. (Produced by No I.D.)

3. Weigh Me Down Feat. Kid Cudi (Produced by Kanye West)

4. Unforgiven (Produced by Kanye West, Additional Production: MGMT)

5. Run This Town Feat. Rihanna & Kanye West (Produced by Kanye West)

6. Empire State Of Mind Feat. Nas (Produced by Kanye West & No I.D.)

7. When It Comes To This (Produced by Timbaland)

8. Always Feat. Drake (Produced by Kanye West)

9. Scenes From The Past (Produced by No I.D., Co-produced by Kanye West)

10. Everyday A Star Is Born Feat. Mr. Hudson (Produced by Kanye West)

11. Already Home (Produced by Kanye West)

12. Forever Young Feat. Mr. Hudson (Produced by Kanye West)

13. Thank You (Produced by No I.D.)

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Bonus Tracks:

14. Sound Of The 70s (Produced by Kanye West)

15. We Made History (Produced by Kanye West)

Mayer Hawthorne & The Roots in NYC

Stones Throw's Mayer Hawthorne caught up with the legendary Roots crew in NYC last weekend, and performed Mayer's single 'Just Ain't Gonna Work Out'.

Wu-Tang Clan - The Lego Chamber

This is funny. It must have been painstaking to produce, because at times it is a shot-for-shot perfect remake of the original 'Mystery Of Chessboxin' video by the Wu (all the way back in '93).

Further Reading on eb: Wu-Tang Office

Beastie Boys - New Album Cover, Track List & mp3

New album from the Beasties, Hot Sauce Committe Part 1, coming September 15th. Is that really Ad-Rock on the right? Looks nothing like him...

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Tadlock's Glasses
B-Boys In The Cut
Make Some Noise
Nonstop Disco Powerpack
OK
Too Many Rappers (featuring Nas)
Say It
The Bill Harper Collection
Don't Play No Game That I Can't Win (featuring Santigold)
Long Burn The Fire
Bundt Cake
Funky Donkey
Lee Majors Come Again
Multilateral Nuclear Disarmament
Pop Your Balloon
Crazy Ass Shit
Here's A Little Something For Ya

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Too Many Rappers mp3 courtesy of nahright

Meth & Red - Miss International feat. Erick Sermon

DAMN! I'm still reeling from MJ going.

Anyway, this is some light hearted fun.

The song is okay, the video is aiight (that's 'aiight', alright?). You know who Method Man is, and you know who Redman is. If you don't, get the fuck off this blog and never come back.

This also features the Green Eyed Bandit, E-Double, emcee/producer Erick Sermon of EPMD (I'll give you young dudes who don't know your classic NY Hip Hop from the 80's/early 90's a pass on that... "when I come around homeboy watch your nugget, a master of the beatdown, my style's rugged").

Mos Def - History mp3 (feat Talib Kweli) & Pistola mp3

Pick up Mos Def's new album when it drops... it's great Hip Hop music.

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"Everybody act according to the season they were born in"

(c) Mos Def, 'History'

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This first track is produced by J Dilla, and features Talib Kweli, as he and Mos put Black Star back together.

The second track is produced by the mighty Madlib's little bro, Oh No. It's a bit strange, but in a good way. Enjoy them both...

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History mp3 (feat. Talib Kweli)

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Pistola mp3

DOOM - Batty Boyz mp3

The Supervillain, MF DOOM waxes lyrical on the 'gayness' of Batman and assorted super heroes, in his trademark comedic way;

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"Oh shoot, get a load of that fruit, in thigh high boots, red tighty-whiteys and blue cat suit..."

Taken from THIS, out on Lex Records now.

Roc Marciano - Hide My Tears mp3

I don't usually post thug rap, despite the fact that I do like elements of it and keep a rich supply on my iPod. But this track has a nice soulful vocal sample, a sonic background on the black keys side of things, as opposed to the lighter, white keys sound, and Roc Marciano (who I think is one of the more authentic and skilled emcees doing the tough-guy rap shtick) delivers his verses with a strange flow. All of which make the track strangely addictive. I've been playing it all week on my drive to work. The bassline is nuts.

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mp3 courtesy of Robbie at unkut.com

Charles Hamilton - Scorpion mp3

This young Sonic The Hedgehog-obsessed rapper from Harlem is one of Hip Hop's great hopes for 2009. With broad subject matter, an anti-thug rap approach and an impressive work-ethic (he's dropped two mixtapes in the last week!), not to mention he's got age on his side, those hopes seem to be in safe hands.

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He shared the cover of The Fader this month (with Little Boots), and although the article spent too much time concentrating on Charles's Harlem-based peers and not enough on Hamilton himself, it's still a sign that his profile is heading in the right direction. He's a track from his 'Well Isn't This Awkward' mixtape (which centres on relationships, and was dropped in time for Valentines Day. Download HERE). It features a nice D'Angelo vocal sample, and a Mortal Kombat vocal introduction. You can't go wrong.

Lil' Cease - Letter to BIG (Video)

Biggie's fomer label-mate Jadakiss started this 'Letter to BIG' business a few weeks back, but perhaps Cease-a-leo is the individual best placed to (and with most justification for wanting to) catch up with his best friend.

For that reason alone, I prefer this version.

Jadakiss - Letter to BIG (Video)

From the soundtrack to the film 'Notorious', which is out next weekend.