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REVIEW: Songs for Bloggers (GMK)

gmk songs for bloggersApparently rapper GMK wrote this album just for people like me (or maybe you, Dear Reader) who happen to spend a large amount of time surfing through cyberspace on their blog/twitter/facebook/myspace hustles. Songs for Bloggers is a quirky, concept album that spends most of its short 30 minutes bleeping and blipping through the realms of GMK’s “brilliant reality” which, according to the album, seems to be that alternate reality we humans spend so much time existing in these days: the World Wide Web.

Bump-this-sh*t-in-your-ride music, this is not. GMK has made an offbeat hip-hop album that veers into electronic and synth-pop territory. It’s interesting to listen to, if not a tad inaccessible at times for this hip-hop fan’s tastes. The beats are a little Kanye-ish (when he’s on his electro-synth vibe) combined with a tad of Pharrell (when he’s paying proper attention to the mixing boards and not checking his over-sized ego). In fact, the sound generally reminded me of Pharrell’s In My Mind, but with way more competent emceeing.

GMK sounds a little like Lupe Fiasco without the swag that grows naturally from mic/life experience. The cat’s still early in the game though so there’s lots of time for development. Rhyme topics are as follows: video games, cartoons, surfing the internet, and, of course, blogging. The album is broken down into six total tracks, but four of those contain multiple mini-songs/concepts spliced together. The framework of those four tracks is interesting. I was kind of annoyed at first with the structure, but ultimately came to appreciate it. The bits of music mimic the very nature of surfing the internet, with the constant clicking and refreshing. Props to GMK for capturing that vibe in the album’s format.

My favorite/least-favorite track is one of those conceptual bits called “Japanese Whislte” (as it’s spelled on the iTunes track listing — I presume it should be “Whistle”). On this song, GMK raps about an online romance with a shorty from Japan. It’s funny because of how ignorant it is. He wants her to make him sushi, compliments her on her Hello Kitty dolls, and asks if she will be his “geisha.” Familiar territory for freaky Asian fetishists certainly, but it’s mostly cute and relatively harmless musings on a song by a dude who maybe has never been to Japan. Here’s hoping GMK makes a trip someday.

Pick this album up on iTunes for only $5.94. It’s probably worth it if you want something different to charm your ears with for a while. Otherwise, sample his music on Myspace and decide if you’re ready to invest in a young rapper just starting to find his way through cyberspace.

More GMK:

Here’s an offbeat road-trip with an offbeat emcee. GMK and Sound Magazine take a trip to an animal farm somewhere on the peninsula. I’m not even kidding…

<object width=”400″ height=”270″><param name=”allowfullscreen” value=”true” /><param name=”allowscriptaccess” value=”always” /><param name=”movie” value=”http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=5065031&amp;server=vimeo.com&amp;show_title=1&amp;show_byline=1&amp;show_portrait=0&amp;color=&amp;fullscreen=1&#8243; /><embed src=”http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=5065031&amp;server=vimeo.com&amp;show_title=1&amp;show_byline=1&amp;show_portrait=0&amp;color=&amp;fullscreen=1&#8243; type=”application/x-shockwave-flash” allowfullscreen=”true” allowscriptaccess=”always” width=”400″ height=”270″></embed></object><p><a href=”http://vimeo.com/5065031″>GMK on the road with Sound Magazine</a> from <a href=”http://vimeo.com/user848282″>GMK</a&gt; on <a href=”http://vimeo.com”>Vimeo</a&gt;.</p>

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Aaaarrggh! I’m so fed-up with embed codes that don’t work (White Whine, anyone?). Check the video here.

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REVIEW: Chemistry EP (Grynch)

FrontGrynch’s still young career has been one of slow progression. On his debut album, This is What I do, the Ballard emcee unsuspectingly blazed onto the 206 hip-hop scene with an undeniable flow and knack for making solid, party-rocking hip-hop that sounded great bumped from your car on a hot summer day.

In subsequent releases including his latest EP, Chemistry, Grynch has taken a few steps forward in the complexity of his rhymes, but still not much has changed. His flow is still solid, his rhymes even more effortless and natural, and the beats are still big and sound great with the volume turned up loud. Grynch’s music is accessible West Coast hip-hop that should appeal to virtually everyone. So why do I still feel mostly underwhelmed?

Probably because the subject matter of Grynch’s rhymes remain fairly one-dimensional. He’s got the braggadocio down pat, which is always important in hip-hop. Emcees spend roughly 35% of their time listing the reasons why they are so dope. Grynch continues to follow this tradition on Chemistry.

He also remains focused on rhyming about his struggle in the game and the challenges he faces coming up. Again, it’s important subject matter, but the problem here is that Grynch is two full albums and two EPs in, and he’s still telling us about it. We’ve been knowing about the struggle, dude. It’s a little early to say it’s getting tired, but I often found myself tuning out the lyrics in favor of just listening to the beats.

And the beats, as on Grynch’s past releases, remain top-notch. They’re loud and full, and they sound great on headphones with good bass response. Standouts include the title track, which is an absolute Grade-A banger featuring One Be Lo and “A Dream Undeferred” the emcee’s altered take on the Langston Hughes poem.

Chemistry feels like a big release because it features the likes of One Be Lo and Seattle hip-hop royalty RA Scion and Geologic (and their cameos don’t disappoint). Unfortunately, however, Grynch just hasn’t taken that big step forward lyrically. He can rock a party better than most and the fact that he generally sounds incredible doing it allows him to get away with the repetition in his lyrics. Eventually, however, Grynch needs to show us more in order to stay relevant.Back

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REVIEW: High Society EP (The Physics)

high society cover

Fans of the smoothed-out Physics debut, Future Talk rejoice! The High Society EP is a little something to hold you over until the trio’s next full-length comes along. And, just like their debut, you can groove along to High Society with your headphones plugged in, or in your car cruising down Alki Beach. Either option succeeds in delivering the new Seattle summer soundtrack for 2009.

The music on High Society is Seattle’s own updated version of early to mid 90’s Native Tongue-style hip-hop. The influences are all here, including the jazz inflections, laid-back flows, and straight-up J. Dilla/Ummah-style beats. Thankfully, the production respectfully imitates more than it mimics, which means the music is allowed to proudly display its roots while still remaining mostly fresh.

Standout tracks include “Back Track” which is specifically an homage to The Physics’ influences (Wu and Tribal are named) and “The Session,” an addictive fusion of jazz instrumentation and futuristic sound effects where the rhymes are delivered two and four bars at a time via a playful back-and-forth between all three members of The Physics and a catchy saxophone riff.

There is one annoying track, “I Just Wanna Beat.” Ugh, once again it’s the dreaded Sex Joint. You know, the one about picking up shorties at the club and taking them home “just to hit it?” We’ve all done it, we all know it happens, so why do rappers insist on making songs about it? (Actually, the track “Good” is based on the same concept, but at least it’s done cleverly and with a hilarious verse by Macklemore.) Anyway, that’s just a minor complaint among an album full of great music.

High Society is just an EP, so it’s easy to play through the whole record two or three times and not even realize it. The only thing really holding it back is its short length (better to keep fans hungry) and the aforementioned sex talk (typical, so — whatever). This is actually a pretty exciting release because it shows The Physics truly have the chops to succeed in the industry. They exist in a well-defined hip-hop niche but still manage to stand outside of it because of their raw talent. Their follow-up sophomore album can’t come soon enough.

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