DC the MIDI Alien: Avengers Airwaves (Brick Records, 2/15/11)

DC the MIDI Alien: "National Threat"

During his 10 years of deejaying, DC the MIDI Alien has racked up an impressive résumé. He’s worked with Immortal Technique, AZ, and Wordsworth as well as remixed Nas and others. In 2008, he formed the group East Coast Avengers with MCs Esoteric and trademarc, and their gritty, politically charged debut Prison Planet garnered them national media attention with its lead single, “Kill Bill O’Reilly.” DC returns this February with a semi-solo LP, Avengers Airwaves, which further cements him as a force to be reckoned with in the hip-hop world.

DC produces the record and brings in a gaggle of rappers to provide the rhymes — from his East Coast Avengers bandmates to Jedi Mind Tricks’ Vinnie Paz and DJ Premier acolyte Termanology. DC’s production style is decidedly old-school: the songs are built on steady, mid-tempo drum beats with only a few looped samples. Standout track “Man Made Ways” exemplifies DC’s old-school skill — an echoing, droning organ loop creates an atmosphere of paranoia and foreboding, punctuated by bursts of loud, crunching guitar. The production doesn’t falter throughout, recalling early RZA with DC's ability to create maximum effect with minimalist beats. Although DC doesn’t speak a word on the record aside from skits, the album has every right to bear his name on the cover.

The album’s concept is that DC and company have hijacked the radio station of a Rush Limbaugh-type in a mission to wake up the minds of the people. In essence, this gives a framing device for unashamedly political lyrics, and this album delivers them in bulk. The first non-skit track’s reference to Public Enemy makes it clear that DC and the Avengers want to take up that group’s mantle of hip hop’s foremost political agitators, and, for the most part, they succeed.

It was easy to think that left-wing commentators would miss having such an easy target as George W. Bush after he left office, but fortunately (or unfortunately), there’s still much to complain about. Check the line “It’s over, America voted for Obama, but the change hasn’t hit my hood yet, 'cause I’ve still got drama,” from “Riot Gear” to see the album’s pervasive theme of dissatisfaction and disillusionment with the man that many hoped would lead America back to prominence.

Trademarc gives one of the album’s best verses on “Another Hundred Days In,” which offers surprisingly specific criticisms of Obama and the media, while also delivering impressive internal rhymes and imaginative wordplay: "Hope’s just a four-letter word / it’s a verb that some hippie turned upside down and back around to a proper noun / it’s absurd, blurred by Wikipedia, slurred by wicked media clowns while news revised and rewritten / surprised when we listen, news anchors so smitten when the president talks of new anchors hitting bottom off Middle Eastern borders in neutral waters."

Some verses are relative duds, offering generalized anti-authority statements, like Blaq Poet’s “You can’t trust the government / what happened to the weapons of mass destruction? / We bombed Saddam for nothing, they tried to blame him for 9/11 / thousands of souls sent to heaven,” from “Pawns and Rooks.” Moments like these could be much improved with the addition of specific insight beyond restatement of historical events, but fortunately, verses like this are scarce on Avengers Airwaves.

Strangely, for all of the album’s political themes, there is little offered in the way of a solution. The lyrics paint vivid pictures of the problems facing America, and expose the un-trustworthiness of the government, but say nothing about what the listener should do about it, rather than “wake up.” It’s not necessarily the responsibility of art to tell people how to live, but the overtly didactic and topical lyrics on Avengers Airwaves show that DC and his coterie aren’t afraid to proselytize. Had the lyrics gone one step further and given some real shape to the so-called “revolution” that DC wants to invoke, the album’s message would be that much stronger. But really, with an album full of beats and rhymes this solid, a complaint like that is easily forgotten.

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The Lost Children of Babylon: Zeitgeist: The Spirit of the Age (Chambermusik)

The Lost Children of Babylon: "Babylon AD"

The Lost Children of Babylon is a spiritually and politically active rap collective that has tangential ties to Wu-Tang Killa Beez and that had early collaborations with Jedi Mind Tricks.  The group has transitioned somewhat from the spiritual themes of its early albums, which were based on esoteric texts and Egyptian mythology, to the politically assailing and conspiratorial themes of its most recent albums, including a 2005 album that was fully devoted to the events of September 11, 2001.

Its new album, Zeitgeist: The Spirit of the Age, is a dark, hard-hitting hip-hop disc with cinematic tendencies and beautiful samples.  The lyrical content is really heavy on New World Order and Illuminati conspiracy themes, but there is plenty of documented shadiness that’s presented too, whether it regards the exploitation of the Middle East, economic injustice, shadow governments, or the War on Drugs.  Musically, it's a bit reminiscent of the cinematic Wu-Tang stuff as well as some of the early Gravediggaz material (which RZA also produced).  It also has more than a bit in common, both with the samples and lyrical content, to the East Coast Avengers and Dead Prez.

Generationals: Trust EP (Park the Van)

Generationals: "Trust"

Multi-instrumentalists, singers, and New Orleans natives Grant Widmer and Ted Joyner have been friends since their early teenage years, growing together personally and musically.  Along the journey, they formed The Eames Era, a Baton Rogue indie-pop quintet, and after its demise a few years ago, they began work as Generationals, a timbre-jumping indie-rock duo.

In summer of 2009, Generationals released its debut full-length, Con Law, and the two quickly made fans with their blend of reverberated vocals and guitar, distorted bass, horns, electric organ and synthesizers, glockenspiel, and other accents.  Now the old friends have released Trust, a teaser of sorts for their second full-length album, Actor-Caster, which is due in late March on Park the Van Records.

The music is equally hard to pin to an indie sub-genre, but it retains the characteristics and range of sounds that listeners loved about Con Law.  It’s not quite as sonically sprawling as its predecessor, but we’ll soon learn whether that carries over to Actor-Caster.

Jake Shimabukuro: Peace Love Ukulele (Mailboat Records)

Jake Shimabukuro: "Bring Your Adz"

A Japanese-American native of Hawaii, ukulele phenom Jake Shimabukuro got his professional start in the late ’90s as a member of a group called Pure Heart.  A few years after the group splintered, he launched a solo career that has ranged in scale from solo instrumentals to extended ensemble performances.

His work, both originals and covers, percolated under the radar until he landed a few key late-night appearances late last decade and hit viral-video gold with a rendition of The Beatles’ “While My Guitar Gently Weeps.”

With effects pedals, violin, bass, drums, and other accompaniments, Shimabukuro now presents Peace Love Ukulele, his first full-length studio album in more than four years.  It’s another fine fusion of bluegrass, folk, and Hawaiian styles with rock and pop, and this go-round finds Shimabukuro pushing his originals back to the forefront, including a tribute to the fallen Japanese-American soliders of WWII.  A few covers, however, round out the disc, including a closer of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” and a solo-ukulele rendition of Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody.”

Honorable Mentions

Kein Hass Da: Hirntrafo – Bad Brains Transformation (Collision – Cause of Chapter 3)

Sylvain Chomet / The Britoons: The Illusionist soundtrack (Milan)

Busdriver: "Will He"

Posted online a month before the inauguration, this production with Flying Lotus features Busdriver's blistering cadences, used to rip right-wingers with a stream-of-conscious lyricism. Listen to the tune at his MySpace page.

East Coast Avengers: "The Day Hope Died"

Addressing the unspoken fears of millions of Americans, this unflinching hip-hop trio addresses the all-too-believable possibility of a presidential tragedy. Listen to the song and download it here.

Extra Golden: "Obama"

Drawing a special inspiration from Barack Obama, the native Kenyans of Extra Golden included a tribute to the then-senator on their most recent album, Hera Ma Nono. Following Kenya's electoral turmoil in 2008, it will be exciting to hear the group's upcoming album, Thank You Very Quickly, due March 10 from Thrill Jockey.

Listen to Extra Golden's "Obama" and other audio samples here.

Mr. Lif: "Obama"

Leading up to a new album and a massive US tour, Mr. Lif tackles privatization, golden parachutes, and war crimes in his open letter to the president. Listen to the song on MySpace, and follow this link to buy the track through iTunes.

Stevie Wonder's Barack Obama vocal scale

Okay…this isn't a song. It is, however, 30 seconds of brilliance.

1. Books to Give for the 2008 Holiday Season

Covering politics, comic books, nude self-portraits, futuristic architecture, and humorous basketball profiles, ALARM lists five awesome books as gift ideas for your musically, artistically, or culturally interesting friends.

2. Commentaries on the Golden Path: The Allure of Belonging to America

Columnist Andrew Williams analyzes his love of American creations and how they often conflict with his sociopolitical ideology.

3. DIY Venue Spotlight: The Dayton Dirt Collective

ALARM's ongoing series exploring the best grassroots, non-traditional music venues profiles The Dayton Dirt Collective, a punk/experimental establishment situated near a local porn shop and church-supply outlet.

4. Lollapalooza 2008, Day 1: A Diverse Collection of Garbage

With pie chart in hand, publisher/editor Chris Force breaks down the whack hip hop, corny music for alt-jocks, sleepy singer/songwriters and more from Day 1 of last year's Lollapalooza.

5. Q&A: East Coast Avengers Discuss War Obsessions, 9/11, and Fox News

Following national notoriety for the release of "Kill Bill O'Reilly," politically outspoken hip-hop trio East Coast Avengers spoke with ALARM online editor Scott Morrow just before the historic 2008 election.

6. Q&A: God of Shamisen's Shredding Cultural Collisions

Led by Tsugaru-shamisen master Kevin Kmetz, Santa Cruz's God of Shamisen creates cultural collisions in the form of shredding, Japanese-infused progressive metal.

7. Q&A: Grails Guitarist Discusses Creating Album Art for Doomsdayer's Holiday

Fusing Indian music, 1970s film noir, and psychedelic sounds into heavy acoustic and electric rock, Grails is a wonderful anomaly. Publisher/editor Chris Force recently spoke with guitarist Alex Hall, who created the artwork for the group's new album.

8. Tim Fite: Tears of a Clown

Genre-defying folk rapper Tim Fite discusses the making of his most recent creation, Fair Ain't Fair, an album of violent regrets recorded during one of the lowest emotional points in his life.

9. Tinariwen: Malian Rebel Rock and Roll

Members of the nomadic Tuareg ethnic group, Tinariwen sings of independence from the Malian government. And despite a lengthy international touring schedule, the group's songs still tell the stories of its home — bleak tales of survival and cautious hope, desperation, and escapism.

10. The Top 10 Cover Songs by The Bad Plus

Hard-hitting jazz trio The Bad Plus knows how to pen pieces of proprietary gold. But its three members are also known for their genre-leaping renditions of rock songs, propelled by the chops of pianist Ethan Iverson, bassist Reid Anderson, and drummer David King.

11. The Top 10 Parts of The Shape of Punk to Come

Just prior to an acrimonious breakup, Swedish hardcore group Refused released its magnum opus, The Shape of Punk to Come: A Chimerical Bombination in 12 Bursts. It was as much an assault on capitalist philosophy as it was a striking stylistic evolution, and it did its best to advance hardcore in the way that its titular influence, Ornette Coleman's The Shape of Jazz to Come, did with jazz.

12. The Top 10 Songs by Faith No More

Faith No More didn't revolutionize the rock landscape, but for much of its tenure, its members created some of the genre's best mainstream songs while courting radio success. Along the way, Mike Patton and crew peppered other styles into their expanding repertoire, wedging lounge sounds, incoherent squeals, and even an angelic choir into songs that ran alongside pummeling rock tunes.

The outspoken trio gained national notoriety a few months back upon the release of its first single, "Kill Bill O'Reilly," which landed it a spot on the "Worst Person in the World" segment of Countdown with Keith Olbermann.

The group's debut album, Prison Planet (Brick Records), is buoyed by the tight rhymes and informed sociopolitical lyrics of Trademarc and Esoteric, but it is built around DC's outstanding production — symphonic samples, stirring Romantic violin melodies, portentous soundtrack clips, and head-nodding beats.

Online editor Scott Morrow caught up with ECA just before this week's historic election, asking its three members their thoughts on the current political landscape.

East Coast Avengers: "Kill Bill O'Reilly"
East Coast Avengers: \"Kill Bill O\'Reilly\"

How difficult is it to get a political message out through music these days when entities like Clear Channel and News Corp control so much? Do you need a song title as provocative as "Kill Bill O'Reilly" to get noticed in mainstream press?

Esoteric: Yes, you do. We have all covered political topics in the past; we have all taken shots at Fox News and the religious right. With the exception of our core hip-hop fan base and some tuned-in people on the left, these songs/attacks/educations have been all but ignored.

The word "kill" scares the shit out of those who can't think critically and causes uproar; the uproar then captures attention. We want to help expose Fox, and in order to reach and cure their zombies, these are the tactics that you have to employ.

We need to raise awareness among the sleepwalkers, those who don't see past the hearsay and propaganda. It is very tough to reach a massive audience, but "Kill Bill O'Reilly" spread before the Internet outlets that News Corp owns were able to shut it down.

The September 11th tragedy helped Bush's approval rating so much that many intelligent, questioning people suspect that it was the classic "Problem Reaction Solution" tactic from the US government.

Given the success of the right wing's war on education (and deregulation of media ownership), do you have hope that a left-leaning administration and legislative branch would change the landscape of an apathetic and uninformed citizenry?

Trademarc: I don't really buy into the whole right-wing/left-wing battle as much as everyone else. I believe that the second that people separate themselves and categorize themselves, they in turn grow intolerant of any ideas or goals of the other side, no matter how relevant or positive those ideas and goals may be.

I have family members and friends that refuse to listen to me because I don't fall into either category, so I'm seen as a "waffler" or an anarchist. The whole point of a party system is to divide individuals and strip the public of their power. The government uses this partisanship to divide and conquer.

Now in relation to the question of an informed and apathetic citizenry: why would the government want its people informed? In the words of the great journalist I.F. Stone, "governments lie." It's what they do. I just hope that people get fed up in time and instead of growing helpless and apathetic, decide to fight back by informing themselves and take their power back.

I want to hand out a copy of Naomi Wolf's book Give Me Liberty: A Handbook For American Revolutionaries to everybody that I possibly can, and challenge contemporary artists and citizens alike to start making a move toward raising awareness. For the record, I'm writing in Ron Paul for president on my ballot.

How deep do you think that this country's obsession with war and silencing dissent runs? Do you feel that our culture of war and covert operations will continue no matter who is in charge?

DC: This country's obsession with war runs very deep. George W. Bush's victory in the 2004 election was dependent on war and the fearful reaction of the American people. The "War on Terror" and "Axis of Evil" are just two of the many government-created terms that Americans have since made household phrases.

In fact, the September 11th tragedy helped Bush's approval rating so much that many intelligent, questioning people suspect that it was the classic "Problem Reaction Solution" tactic from the US government.

For those who don't know what that is, it's a three-step method in which the government manufactures a crisis and blames it on someone who they want to demonize, intentionally invoking a reaction of fear from the public that usually consists of asking the government for help and forfeiting their rights.

This sets up the government to offer their "solution," which was the goal before the initial crisis occurred. Getting the American people to give up their rights so easily with the PATRIOT Act and getting them to support a war based on lies was their goal from day one. Unfortunately, they succeeded, and the joke's on us.

The "Mission Accomplished" announcement came and went. Four thousand American casualties and 30,000 more wounded later, and we're still over there, and we're still being betrayed by this administration.

That's why whenever I see a "these colors don't run" or "support our troops" bumper sticker, I just pity that person so much. I even saw one the other day that read "proud infidel" right next to a "Bush/Cheney '04" sticker. Poor chump. He probably thinks that those guys actually give a shit about him and his family. Maybe one day Bush, [Dick] Cheney, and [Donald] Rumsfield will be tried for war crimes, but until then, the joke's on us.

Ben Weinman

- Dillinger Escape Plan guitarist Ben Weinman has posted 40 streaming minutes of his August performance at The Stone, John Zorn's New York club. His guests included ex-Mr. Bungle bassist Trevor Dunn, jazz drummer Dan Weiss, and "Asian Steve."

- The Graveface Records Day of the Dead showcase in Chicago this weekend features the last Black Moth Super Rainbow show for quite a while.

- PETA has posted an interview with Justin Pearson of The Locust about vegetarianism and veganism.

- MTV Iggy has posted a clip of Andrew Bird and Yo-Yo Ma jamming.

- Mastodon has released the track listing for Crack the Skye, the group's album with lyrical content about czarist Russia due in early 2009.

- In response to news about a two-bit neo-nazi plot, the East Coast Avengers have posted "The Day Hope Died," a song about what would be a horrific assassination of Barack Obama.

- On a brighter note, fans of avant-garde and experimental music in Oakland will be treated to a five-dollar election-night concert of improvisation curated by Carla Kihlstedt of Sleepytime Gorilla Museum and 2 Foot Yard. Performers include Fred Frith, Shinichi Iova Koga, Michael Mellender, Moe! Staiano, and Ava Mendoza.

- Critters Buggin has announced a New Year's Eve show with Garaj Mahal at the Capitol Theatre in Olympia, Washington.

- Sitar-infused pop rockers Elephant Stone have uploaded six new songs from their upcoming album.

- According to bassist John Paul Jones, there are plans for a Led Zeppelin record and tour without Robert Plant.

Grails: Doomsdayer's Holiday (Temporary Residence Limited)

Fusing Indian music, 1970s film noir, and psychedelic sounds into heavy acoustic and electric rock, Portland's Grails are a wonderful anomaly. Doomsdayer's Holiday, as its name implies, cranks the group's heaviness beyond recent levels without losing its haunting, compelling melodies.

Grails: \"Reincarnation Blues\"

Earthless: Live At Roadburn (Tee Pee)
At the 2008 edition of the annual Roadburn Festival in Holland (spring break for anyone into heavy underground rock), San Diego psych-rock trio Earthless gave an impromptu headlining performance for 2,000 fans, having originally been scheduled at a venue one-tenth the size. Not only did its hypnotic, four-song, hour-and-a-half set blow away the crowd, but on recording it beautifully captures the energy and magnitude of the stellar live show.

Young Widows: Old Wounds (Temporary Residence Limited)

Old Wounds is the second album from Louisville rockers Young Widows since transforming from Breather Resist. Sporting an extra dose of heaviness, the disc opens with "Took a Turn," slowly building around a gritty, garage-floor bass riff before bursting with post-rock drums, multi-layered guitars, and reverberated shouts.

Throughout, the album changes tone and time at will like a lumbering, newly un-caged beast, while a primordial jungle pulse beats itself into a frenzy just below the crust.

Young Widows: \"Old Skin\"

Jolie Holland: The Living and The Dead (Anti-)
On her third solo album, Texas-born songstress Jolie Holland blends a variety of regional American folk styles. Topped with creamy vocals and bittersweet lyrics, tracks such as dark-toned "Fox In Its Hole" and wistful "Love Henry" make a long-lasting impression.

Jolie Holland: "Old Fashion Morphine"

Fucked Up: The Chemistry of Common Life (Matador)

The newest full-length from punk contrarians Fucked Up moves through more variety of atmosphere than standard punk/hardcore, with peaceful, otherworldly intros and layers and layers of guitar-more than seventy guitar tracks at one point (or so they say…).

There's less stop-start fury than 2006 release Hidden World-more sheets of sound. "Golden Seal" sounds like a darker Sigur Rós, or even Jean Michel Jarre.

Fucked Up: \"No Epiphany\"

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 (Kill Rock Stars)

Backed again by untamed drumming beast Zach Hill, guitarist/singer Marnie Stern issues her sophomore effort with more frantic, high-pitched fret work, quirky vocals, and – through the carefully constructed din – catchy melodies.

Marnie Stern: \"Transformer\"

Hauschka: Ferndorf (FatCat)

German pianist and composer Volker Bertelmann, here known as Hauschka, uses a decade of classical studies as his musical foundation. With that, home-rigged piano effects, and additional acoustic and electric instruments, he combines structural influences of electronica and classical minimalism to create a beautiful minor-key oeuvre.

Hauschka: \"No Wind Today\"

East Coast Avengers: Prison Planet (Brick)

Featuring the outspoken sociopolitical lyrics of rappers Trademarc and Esoteric, East Coast Avengers are more than just skilled rhymers that take aim at rightwing water carriers. The group pastes stirring Romantic violin melodies and portentous soundtrack clips over head-nodding beats, setting an appropriate mood for its imperative lyrical content.

ECA has already taken plenty of heat in the corporate media for releasing the track "Kill Bill O'Reilly," so let's give the group some love.

East Coast Avengers: \"Kill Bill O\'Reilly\"

Desalvo: Mood Poisoner (Rock Action)

Released on Mogwai's Rock Action label, Mood Poisoner may just have influenced the heavy grooves on its label owners' recent record. Based in Glasgow, Desalvo sound as though the Jesus Lizard were a modern hardcore/metal band.

Sun Ra and His Solar Arkestra: Secrets Of The Sun (Atavistic)

A re-mastered and long-lost relic of the Sun Ra vault, Secrets of the Sun is now available from Atavistic 46 years after its release on Saturn Records. And if being available for the first time on CD isn't enough, how does a 17-minute unreleased track sound?

We hope O'Reilly appreciates that at least someone in the media is willing to stick up for him. The single, which was released September 2, has already been banned from MySpace. Newscorp., the networking site's owner is also the parent company of Fox News. In the meantime, we're waiting for Bill O'Reilly to post a YouTube response to the Avenger's full video.