musicleech » Santogold

Bonnaroo Announces 2009 Initial Lineup

Mark Jackson — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 19:08:55 +0000

The king of summer festivals is back on the beautiful 700-acre Manchester farm in June (11th-14th), and the announcement of (some of) the performers came this morning.

The lineup is packed full of big names and great accompanying artists. Metallica and Kanye are gone this year (YES!), and Phish is bringing back Bonnaroo as a jam band festival, doing two shows over the four days. It could use a dosage of hip-hop though, so hopefully that comes with the next announcement (last year I got front row for Lupe Fiasco and Talib Kweli followed - needless to say it was a highlight of the festival). Other than that, the lineup is spectacular. We'll let you know when more artists get announced.

See the whole thing at bonnaroo.com. Tickets go on sale Feb. 7. The first wave sold out already (before the artists were even announced), so the next price level is $234.50, then $249.50 once those sell out.

Image via BandBuilder.com

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Pitchfork’s Top 50 Albums of 2008

Mark Jackson — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 21:59:49 +0000

None of these picks are mind-blowing if you've been keeping up with their record reviews over the past year, so as far as consistency goes, and as a whole, they do a decent job. But a handful of picks seem kinda crazy to me: New Age at #3 (it's good but not that good), Cut Copy at #4 (same deal), and most obviously Kanye at #21 (completely undeserved... it's his worst record to date and even the explanation is weak).

Honorable Mention (blurbs):
Abe Vigoda - Skeleton
Calexico - Carried To Dust
Department of Eagles - In Ear Park
The Dodos - Visiter
The Dutchess and the Duke - She's the Dutchess, He's the Duke
Harvey Milk - Life... The Best Game in Town
Hauschka - Ferndorf
Philip Jeck - Sand
Nico Muhly - Mothertongue
Nomo - Ghost Rock
Osborne - Osborne
Quiet Village - Silent Movie
Jay Reatard - Matador Singles '08
Santogold/Diplo - Top Ranking
Snowman - The Horse, the Rat, and the Swan
Sun Kil Moon - April
Torche - Meanderthal
Ricardo Vallalobos - Vasco EP
Why? - Alopecia
Women - Women

50 Ponytail - Ice Cream Spiritual
49 Crystal Stilts - Alight Of Night
48 High Places - High Places
47 The Tallest Man on Earth - Shallow Grave
46 Beach House - Devotion
45 Lykke Li - Youth Novels
44 Marnie Stern - This Is It and I Am It and You Are It and So Is That and He Is It and She Is It and It Is It and That Is That
43 Shearwater - Rook
42 Bonnie "Prince" Billy - Lie Down in the Light
41 David Byrne and Brian Eno - Everything That Happens Will Happen Today
40 The Very Best - Esau Mwamwaya & Radioclit are the Very Best
39 Times New Viking - Rip It Off
38 The Bug - London Zoo
37 Grouper - Dragging a Dead Deer Up a Hill
36 Wale - The Mixtape About Nothing
35 Girl Talk - Feed the Animals
34 Arthur Russell - Love Is Overtaking Me
33 Frightened Rabbit - Midnight Organ Fight
32 Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds - Dig!!! Lazarus Dig!!!
31 Fennesz - Black Sea
30 Los Campesinos! - Hold on Now, Youngster...
29 The Hold Steady - Stay Positive
28 Flying Lotus - Los Angeles
27 Max Tundra - Parallax Error Beheads You
26 Atlas Sound - Let the Blind Lead Those Who Can See But Cannot Feel
25 Titus Andronicus - The Airing of Grievances
24 Gang Gang Dance - Saint Dymphna
23 Hot Chip - Made in the Dark
22 Santogold - Santogold
21 Kanye West - 808s and Heartbreak
20 Fuck Buttons - Street Horrrsing
19 The Walkmen - You & Me
18 The Mae Shi - HLLLYH
17 Fucked Up - The Chemistry of Common Life
16 Vivian Girls - Vivian Girls
15 Crystal Castles - Crystal Castles
14 Air France - No Way Down
13 Erykah Badu - New Amerykah Part One (4th World War)
12 Lindstrøm - Where You Go I Go Too
11 Lil Wayne - Tha Carter III
10 DJ/rupture - Uproot
09 Hercules and Love Affair - Hercules and Love Affair
08 M83 - Saturdays=Youth
07 Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend
06 TV On The Radio - Dear Science
05 Deerhunter - Microcastle / Weird Era Cont.
04 Cut Copy - In Ghost Colours
03 No Age - Nouns
02 Portishead - Third
01 Fleet Foxes - Sun Giant EP/Fleet Foxes

Read the accompanying blurbs here.

Fleet Foxes didn't surprise me at #1 but I don't think you can say they made the best record of year; rather, they came from the middle of nowhere, delivered a collection of excellent songs, and had the best year out of any bands on this list.

Make sure to check back the first few days of January when we post our end-of-year top albums list.

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Video: Jay-Z ft. Santogold: “Brooklyn (Go Hard)”

Mark Jackson — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 00:05:35 +0000

Evan Roth presents... the first ever rap video with open source code! He uses typographic illustration, repeatedly throwing down letters that spell "Brooklyn" to eventually form sweet illustrations of Jay-Z and Biggie.

Why Biggie? The song comes off the Notorious OST, a biographical film starring Jamal Woolard. It's out January 16 via Fox Searchlight.

The track was produced by Kanye West and as you guessed heavily features the "Brooklyn we go hard" sample from "Shove It" off Santogold's debut LP. She pops in for a verse later on.

Evan Roth said via his blog:

"Last week I was contacted to make a video for a new Kanye West produced Jay-Z song for RED & the Global Fund to Fight AIDS in Africa. It launched today (World AIDS Day) at red.msn.com. And while I'm happy to be able to help the cause I'm also more than a little bit excited about getting a chance to make something for the likes of Jay-Z and Kanye. I've been turning down client requests to use Typographic Illustration for 5 years in hopes that one day the phone would ring and it would be Hova."

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M.I.A. Featured On New Song “Rain Dance”

Mark Jackson — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 01:31:46 +0000

Nobody has a clue what M.I.A.'s plans are anymore, but we can tell you her music career isn't over quiiiite yet.

This leaked demo of "Rain Dance" comes from an upcoming collaboration between Esau Mwamwaya and Radioclit. Other guests on the record include Santogold, Vampire Weekend, the Ruby Suns, Marina from Bonde Do Role, BLK JKS, and others.

Stream: Esau & Radioclit's re-make of Vampire Weekend's "Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa".

mp3: Radioclit, Diplo, Santogold, M.I.A. - "Get It Up" (On Diplo/Santogold's Top Ranking Mixtape released several weeks ago)

[via Gorilla vs. Bear]

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Diplo & Santogold release Top Ranking mixtape

Mark Jackson — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 21:15:34 +0000

First it was M.I.A., now Santogold? Top Ranking is Diplo's 9th full mixtape in 5 years, and Diplo continues to bask himself in young-found talent. He remixes every song from Santogold's debut and features over a dozen artists including The Clash, Ratatat, Panda Bear, the B52s, Three 6 Mafia, and even Sir Mixalot.

Diplo has stressed his importance in M.I.A.'s initial success in the United States, and now is taking Santogold to the next level. This mixtape is a true showing of Diplo's incredible capabilities as a mash-up-remix DJ.

The record covers a lot of ground, sometimes moving from slower reggae dub beats to thumping electronic riffs. Even so, the album holds a strong identity by using this vast soundscape to it's advantage. Executing a near perfect blend of progressive rhythms and addictive synth lines with Santogold's uniquely-flowing vocals, the 75 minute mixtape defines the quality that we come to expect from Diplo. Top Ranking has plenty of similarities with Piracy Funds Terrorism, which Diplo made with M.I.A. back in 2004.

All in all, Top Ranking is an incredible pickup for any fan alternative hip-hop / indie fan. If you don't know much about either, check out "Guns of Brooklyn" off the Mad Decent MySpace.

Top Ranking Tracklist:

01 "Dub Selection Intro"
02 Three 6 Mafia: "Late Night" (Unstoppable Mix)
03 Santogold: "Shuv It" (Disco D Blend) [exclusive]
04 Santogold: "I'm a Lady" (Diplo Mix ft. Amanda Blank) [exclusive]
05 Sir Mix-A-Lot: "Posse on Broadway"
06 Santogold: "Lights Out" (Diplo's Panda Bear Mix) [exclusive]
07 Aretha Franklin: "Save Me"
08 Devo: "Be Stiff"
09 B-52's: "Mesopotamia"
10 Gerri and the Holograms: "Gerri and the Holograms"
11 Santogold: "Anne" (Switch Mix) [exclusive]
12 Santogold: "L.E.S. Artistes" (XXXchange Mix ft. Movado)
13 Cutty Ranks: "Dutty Six Pack" [exclusive]
14 Santogold: "Find a Way" (Graeme and Switch Mix ft. Kid Cudi) / Lunar Camel [exclusive]
15 Richie Spice x Ratatat: "Marijuana"
16 Desmond Dekker: "007 (Shanty Town)"
17 Santogold: "Guns of Brooklyn" [exclusive]
18 Dixie Cups: "Iko Iko"
19 Tony Matterhorn: "Big Belly Guns" [exclusive]
20 Santogold: "Get It Up" (Radioclit mix ft. MIA & Gorilla Zoe) [exclusive]
21 "Mark Ronson in Studio"
22 Trouble Andrew: "Run - Hide"
23 Sister Nancy: "Pigeon Rock"
24 Nora Dean: "Barbwire"
25 Shinehead: "Know How Fe Chat"
26 The Clash: "Ghetto Defendant"
27 Warrior Queen: "Check It"
28 Santogold x Benga: "Unstoppable / Night Dub" [exclusive]
29 Shawty Lo x Skream: "Dey Know / Stagger"
30 Santogold: "Creator" (Mumdance Mix ft. Jammer, Badness, Chronik Rage, Slikman & Tempz) [exclusive]
31 Xray: "Turbulence Dubplate" (Starstruck Diplo Mix) [exclusive]
32 Barrington Levy: "Send a Moses"
33 Prince Jazzbo: "Ital Corner"
34 Santogold: "Icarus" [exclusive]
35 Santogold x Diplo: "Right Brigade" (hidden track) [exclusive]

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