Heads will turn and nod upon the release of Digital Wildlife, the new album from The Physics — set your calendar reminders for December 13. The group has billed the record’s heavy electronic influences as a deviation from their normal sound, but I respectfully disagree. It’s true that early drops like “Am I Crazy?” and “Fix You” are variations in sonics, but the whole of Digital Wildlife retains that classic Physics composure heads have become accustomed to over the course of four stellar albums now. I think you could make the argument that they’ve been moving in this direction for a while. DW is The Physics trying on a new vibe but finding that it already fits like a perfectly tailored suit. “Deviation” is the wrong word; “evolution” is more accurate.
Tag: Zia Mohajerjasbi
DOWNLOAD: “Wings” – Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
Click photo to D/L.
I have never owned a pair of Jordans in my life. There, I said it. As a 33 year-old man who grew into adolescence addicted to baseball cards and pick-up basketball games in the summer, admitting to having never owned a pair of the most famous sneakers in the history of footwear still makes me oddly uncomfortable. Maybe because my lack of ownership means I never achieved that rep, that place in the awkward hierarchy of teenage boys reserved not necessarily for the ones with the most athletic prowess on the court, but the ones whose parents possessed the greatest financial means for supply, or the ones whose skills at manipulation or work hustle outpaced that of kids like me who valued the taste-making sneakers just as much as the next dude but lacked the necessary enterprise it took to obtain them.
Odd that in 2011, after over three decades of life on this planet and armed with a value system that allows me to put material things like Air Jordans into proper perspective, I still feel a twinge of unworthiness over never having owned a pair — the power of consumerism in this country doing what it was built to do. A few weeks ago, for old time’s sake, I tried some on. The IV’s, in a fresh gray colorway. And, as much as I wanted to buy them — to finally fill that void that had remained empty since I was a teenager — I didn’t do it. Something felt wrong. Out of place. Like the time had come and gone and it would never feel right to have them on my feet again, regardless of how many approving glances I might receive.
Macklemore and Ryan Lewis’ epic track “Wings” perfectly captures the folklore associated with Air Jordans. This song dropped about four months ago (#LatePass) and I only recently realized I hadn’t featured it on a post. So here it is: a compelling ballad to lost innocence. And a perfect reminder of the false power material objects hold over people. Even ones like me who never tasted that sweet possession in the first place.
(Read about the making of the “Wings” music video at director Zia Mohajerjasbi’s website, here.)
Press Play to listen to “Wings” by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis.
VIDEO: “Two Five Three” (Fice)
Macklemore did The Six proper with “The Town” and now South Sound rhyme animal Fice attempts to carry his area code’s weight with “Two Five Three.” This clip doesn’t have Zia’s midas touch, but it does the job. Nice look with the I.T. cameo.
(The sample here is easy breezy, but I think D. Black used it better on “This Is Why.”)
VIDEO: Behind The Scenes of Macklemore’s “The Town” Video
The release of Macklemore’s, “The Town” music video is being built-up into a major event. There’s no doubt director Zia Mohajerjasbi will deliver.
Speaking of Zia, he won the 2009 Stranger Genius Award in Film.
UPDATE (11.24.09, 9:56 am): And here’s Part 2 of the behind-the-scenes…
VIDEO: “Escaping Arkham” (Common Market)
Not sure how I missed this video, I’m definitely a little late on it. It’s Common Market’s “Escaping Arkham” off of The Winter’s End EP, filmed on Wall Street of all places!
The scenery has a special place in my heart (being a veteran Wall Street-er of sorts — though not in the Financial Industry, thankfully!). For a place infested by so much greed and dishonesty, it sure looks beautiful through the lens of director Zia Mohajerjasbi don’t you think?
A SEATTLE HIP-HOP BLOG 