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NEW MUSIC: The Finger & The Moon – Budo

Budo - The Finger & The Moon

Budo’s new album, The Finger & The Moon, finds some things familiar and some things not. First, the self-produced LP is rich with sonic textures and (at times) dense fragments of musical thought that refuse to be beautiful at first listen, but reward later with repeated visits; it’s this ability that places the multi-instrumentalist in the category of musician rather than mere producer.

Secondly, Budo adds the “vocalist” tag to his repertoire, here singing on all ten of TF&TM‘s tracks. He doesn’t have a great voice — think of a sort of poor man’s Leonard Cohen for the millennial/internet set — but the combination of his spoken thoughts (which are often intensely personal) in addition to the musical help complete the whole picture.

Stream and download The Finger & The Moon below, and check out the video for the track “Fremont” below that.

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Back In The Sea

As expected, my coffee intake has increased at least three-fold since arriving in Seattle on Wednesday evening. I’m perpetually caffeinated now — not that my state of consciousness in NYC isn’t usually thrown off-kilter by the country’s most dangerous legal stimulant, but I’m just sayin’, out here, fresh espresso (for better or worse) is a way of life. (Ha! Get it?! Fresh Espresso/fresh espresso — a way of life for better or worse?!…Uhh yeah, so anyway, moving on…)

The weather, thus far, hasn’t exactly been conducive to summer riding. In fact, I don’t think I’ve rolled down the window once yet in my 1984 Toyota 4WD wagon (the whip that I’m currently pushing [actually more like gently coaxing] through the city — thanks to my Lady’s parents for providing me with yet another reason to be self-conscious as I drive through Downtown, Fremont, and New Ballard).

Anyway, all this to say, it’s good to be back in The Town! Good to be gorging myself at breakfast at Portage Bay Cafe, good to be eating a Dick’s Deluxe with Bill Gates at 10:00 at night (no joke, he was really there at 45th Street on Wednesday), good to be sinking my teeth into a Paseo grilled pork sandwich yesterday afternoon. (There seems to be a theme developing here.)

And good, of course, to be back in the city where the hip-hop movement is as fresh and optimistic as a box of newborn kittens.

So, if you see an idiot in the front row at Yirim Seck’s album release party who seems to be on some sort of bad drug trip, don’t worry. That’s just over-caffeinated me, enjoying the realness.

Views From the Peanut Gallery
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“They Say I Come Off a Little Self-Righteous…”

I just pulled this clip off another blog (shout to Blogs is Watching). It’s RA Scion being interviewed by some floppy-haired dude from Seattle’s Sound Magazine. Take a gander (and peep the antique-style throwback lamp in the background, probably purchased for $19.99 at the Fred Meyer Mothership in Ballard):

(Note to Sound Magazine: YOUR EMBED CODES NEVER WORK, YO! Check the video HERE.)

It’s fitting that RA’s on some cable access-type sh*t here, being that he’s perpetually “about the people.” A couple thoughts:

1. Are RA’s opening words a foreshadowing of an official “Due to irreconcilable differences, RA Scion and DJ Sabzi have decided to end their creative relationship” statement? Here’s hoping that doesn’t come to pass any time soon. Still, it was interesting to hear him say he thinks the group has gone as far as it can creatively. Makes me wonder what RA has in mind for his future musical endeavors. (Please don’t say “dance record,” please don’t say “dance record…”) There’s a huge amount of artistic integrity there when he says he doesn’t want to “milk” the group for more than it’s worth; lord knows CM’s musical endeavors haven’t been hugely rewarding from a financial standpoint so that can’t be what he’s referring to.

2. At about the 5:50 mark, RA starts speaking his mind on the supposed “progressive” mind-state of Seattle’s residents. He calls Fremont “the biggest fucking sham of progressive politics that I’ve ever seen in my whole life…a bastion of bullshit.” I like that this statement caused a few uncomfortable chuckles around the room — I really hope some of those folks live in Fremont. I definitely feel RA on this one. A few hippie artists and their naked bike-riding friends a “progressive neighborhood” do not make. All I know is that going out on a Saturday night in Fremont is only fun if you’re a white male between the ages of 23 and 30, six feet or over in height, and wearing a severely creased Abercrombie and Fitch hat (save for those nights at Nectar when Sportn’ Life wrecked sh*t on the regular).

I’ve never met RA, but he seems to possess a very intense personality, which is probably why his lyrics are so often inspired. Say what you will about him, but you certainly can’t question his love for hip-hop, nor his commitment to being honest and true to the art form.

Video Views From the Peanut Gallery