I feel like posting today. I have a lot I want to write about but actually I’ve spent the last couple of months listening to books on tape and got kind of obsessed and now I’m behind on my music listening. Which I haven’t gotten to because I’m behind on podcasts. (insert frustrated sigh noise). I have been wearing out the new Matmos ??Supreme Balloon?? in the car. That album rules. I’ve been wanting to post about this Cubismo Grafico compilation I got. I really don’t like it. I’ve sang praises to this group at roof tops and posts but this really didn’t rub me right. There’s something about listening to reggae music made by Japanese people that just doesn’t quite set well. There are a few songs that I quite like though. The MC Paul Barman remix(?) of their track “Man From LaFonda” is pretty cool. I like Paul Barman so I think that helps. I really don’t like their reggaefied versions of “What A Wonderful World” or “Ave Malia”. I can’t do it. Most of these songs were released on singles or on comps. Cubismo Grafico do have a really sweet island sound (steel drums are always present) that’s mixed with their breakbeats and disco lounge samples. Something about a full “island” sound really doesn’t set well with me. I like that they compiled these tracks in an easy to find spot though. Maybe since Japan is an island they feel a special connection to their Atlantic island cousins. For whatever reason this album exists. I don’t want this post to turn anyone away from looking for albums by Cubismo Grafico. They’re really quite awesome.
fistula spume says
brittanybf I love that song. He's got a lot of good ones. I always get Anarchist Bookstore stuck in my head.
Mike it is beeeee-zarre. I liked it when people at work would ask me what I'm listening to on my iPod I could say "Oh just some Japanese reggae music". They already think I'm weird and that I think helped.
fistula spume says
I've started on the entire Discworld series by Terry Pratchett. I've went through about 16 of the books so far. Only about 18 more to go. I always wanted to read them. It's really quite enjoyable and fun.
jenny says
I just finished a really interesting book called The Lazarus Project, which is kind of a two-tracked story, one track about an early 20th century immigrant who is murdered in Chicago, the other about a present-day Bosnian immigrant who is writing about his story...but very surreal and impressionistic and not a historical novel in any traditional sense...but I should probably be writing about this over at GoodReads, not on your MOG page, yes?
fistula spume says
That sounds like a cool book. GoodReads looks way neato. I should tell my wife about it. She reads a book or two a week. Maybe I could write a post about songs about books. Book of Love, Every Day I Write The Book, or even just The Books. :)
Oatmeal says
This is a pretty hilarious presentation of Barman. I hear you about the japanese reggae thing; I have a hard time with a lot of artists that imitate as a form of flattery, I still can't listen to british hip hop. I don't know why, I just can't.
fistula spume says
jenny - There's also that "Picturebook" song by the Kinks. Does Booker T and The MG's count?
oatmeal - not even Goldie Lookin' Chain? It is a pretty funny song. What a strange mix of culture. All it needs now is to be mashed up with polka and a Bjork song. What really irks me, which usually doesn't happen, is the amount of engrish on the album. There's just too much of it.
fistula spume says
Only the dopest hip hop group in the UK. They're pretty funny and some of their tracks are pretty groovy. I've liked all their albums so far. They like wearing track suits, smoking soapbar, eating curry, playing video games, and making wicked stupid rhymes.
Oatmeal says
Wow, I like to do all those things except smoke soap bar, I don't know what soap bar is in fact. Kind of like getting your mouth washed out? Problem is that they are British and they sound British. I just can't do it, it is a major hang-up.
fistula spume says
Soapbar is song they have about smoking this stuff that's insanely toxic to get off. It's a funny song. No love for British rappers then. How do you feel about middle eastern rap? :)
Oatmeal says
Hmmm. I am more intrigued for some reason.
I can't explain my bias, it is not founded on logic but on some deep subconscious belief that British guys should not be rapping. ;)
fistula spume says
I understand. There's a lot of music that I'm supposed to be into but I'm not. I can't bring myself to like Wilco and I know it's not them or their fans fault. My brain won't let me do it.
Oatmeal says
Haha, there is some music that I don't like as a matter of principle - and sometimes I later admit that my principles had nothing to do with the music. For example I used to not like Wilco on principle, but now I think they are pretty good. Then there is stuff I just REALLY don't get - you can put Brit rappers there.
But I did used to have a big hang up about hip hop in general being embraced by white boys like myself, like I was not even legitimate enough to be a fan, so I am sure it is somewhat connected. Seems pretty funny now. It really is quite close minded of me! =(
fistula spume says
Yeah I've let my head overcome my music preferences. I was really against britpop in the 90's for various reasons. I especially didn't like the Cure or the Smiths but my wife made me change my mind about that and I love em now. I still don't like some genres though but I think I cast a pretty wide net. It's funny about white boy hip hop dilemma. I used to get really worked up over the blues in my teens. I went through a year and a half phase of listening to the blues but I was hung up over it because BB King said that white people couldn't play or understand it and I really felt like I got it. I'm over it now but man did that infuriate me. I think its healthy to be opinionated. :)
I feel like posting today. I have a lot I want to write about but actually I’ve spent the last couple of months listening to books on tape and got kind of obsessed and now I’m behind on my music listening. Which I haven’t gotten to because I’m behind on podcasts. (insert frustrated sigh noise). I have been wearing out the new Matmos ??Supreme Balloon?? in the car. That album rules. I’ve been wanting to post about this Cubismo Grafico compilation I got. I really don’t like it. I’ve sang praises to this group at roof tops and posts but this really didn’t rub me right. There’s something about listening to reggae music made by Japanese people that just doesn’t quite set well. There are a few songs that I quite like though. The MC Paul Barman remix(?) of their track “Man From LaFonda” is pretty cool. I like Paul Barman so I think that helps. I really don’t like their reggaefied versions of “What A Wonderful World” or “Ave Malia”. I can’t do it. Most of these songs were released on singles or on comps. Cubismo Grafico do have a really sweet island sound (steel drums are always present) that’s mixed with their breakbeats and disco lounge samples. Something about a full “island” sound really doesn’t set well with me. I like that they compiled these tracks in an easy to find spot though. Maybe since Japan is an island they feel a special connection to their Atlantic island cousins. For whatever reason this album exists. I don’t want this post to turn anyone away from looking for albums by Cubismo Grafico. They’re really quite awesome.
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