Evil Eddie, a name synonymous with the DIY ethic, classic beats with a pop edge, and all out fun, has been holed up in his own studio for the past year or so, tinkering away like a mad professor and putting the final touches on his debut opus. Now, as Eddie emerges from the lab, he is ready to show the world what he’s been hiding with his crowd funded body of work, Welcome To Flavour Country. Evil Eddie will be showcasing the new tunes in Sydney’s iconic Annandale Hotel TONIGHT as he wraps up the NSW leg of his tour.
His latest single Golden age is a classic blend of beats, samples and pure hop hop magic as he weaves lyrics round the undeniably catchy melody. Check out the tune below and tune into the show this Saturday for more Evil Eddie tunes!
Head to the Evil Eddie website for more info, awesome digital downloads and more news!
This weekend Sydney hip hop group Electric Elements return to Sydney’s Brighten Up Bar in Darlinghurst with ‘Hand That MC A Mic #2′. The high energy outfit take us through their new EP, No Place Like Home, taking time out to explain the music influences behind their EP and how it came to be.
“We wanted to write a little something to introduce our upcoming EP ‘No Place Like Home’. Perhaps even mention the lead single ‘Change Of Heart‘ that we have recently released and that can be found on Triple J Unearthed and YouTube. But we decided against it… Instead, we thought we would put something together on how we got to where we are musically. We have just spent the best part of 12 months writing and recording an EP and that kind of passion for something has to come from somewhere.
Well, as I (Pro MC) write this on behalf of Electric Elements, I realise that the passion most likely comes from my parents to start with, most notably my Dad. There was not a minute of the day he wasn’t playing something. Singing along to whatever came on. Schooling me to Creedence Clearwater Revival, Eric Clapton, BB King, The Beatles and about a thousand others. To this day my iPod is still half full of what he played me as a kid. I know deciBel is the same way. We have known each other long enough for me to tell you that he would not have the passion he does if his Mum wasn’t such a lover of music. Hell, we’ve even sampled vinyls she sourced for us in the past haha!
What we’ve done here, however, is put together a list of four albums that have been instrumental in shaping us, our music and the latest EP in any way. Obviously, there are countless we could have gone with, but we thought we’d pay homage to those Australian Hip Hop albums that have meant something. Enjoy the read.
Lovers of Aussie hip hop rejoice! Chance Waters is back with a brand new track, Maybe Tomorrow, showcasing the ever diversifying range of material from this flourishing, local, talent. Having ditched his ‘Phatchance’ moniker on the eve of releasing Infinity, a smouldering precursor to his sophomore album by the same name,Chance Waters has signified his intent to be taken seriously as a major player in the scene.
Last year he performed at capacity crowds throughout his 3 week residency at Sydney’s Oxford Art Factory; recorded tracks with the musically edible Charlie Mayfair and remixed the f@ck out of Gotye’s Somebody that I used to know, proving his music lives up to his mantra.
Maybe Tomorrow is a joyously off beat, piano led, hip hop track which deftly highlights another side of this often macabre artist. The chirpy tune features vocal talents of Lilian Blue and some oh so cynical lyrics that belie the complexity of melody which drives this song forward. Continuing the dream team format which has created much of this artists repertoire of works the song was produced by Adelaide’s One Above: The man responsible for tracks such as Hill Top Hoods’ single I love it, which featured Sia and was a firm favourite on the Walk of Shame airwaves for some weeks.
You can download the single over at the Unearthed site but what’s perhaps most exciting of all is the fact that this Saturday, 12th May, those of you Sydney can catch the man in the flesh at the Kings Cross Hotel, performing at one of the mighty FBi Social gigs that have plugged the gaping hole in Sydney’s live music scene! The night will be an epic journey into the life of one of this country’s promising hip hop artists…. And that my friends is a fact.
People elsewhere can head to the Chance Waters site to catch a gig near you! Be quick though as there ain’t many dates left.
Plan B delivers a scathing, highly political, super charged protest song with his latest track Ill Manors. The track focuses on the complex issues of last summer’s riots that sparked wide spread unrest. Ill Manors reflects on the raging unease that still surrounds the subject matter, and deals unflinchingly with the psychology of class, social liberalism and the widespread hatred of the new Chav race. Not since the Brit pop era of 1990 has Britain’s twisted class issues been thrusted so clearly into the mainstream.
The rapid fire lyrics scatter from one subject to another falling like bricks on the front line of a police riot line. Most importantly Plan B, real name Ben Drew, neither condones or acknowledges the actions of those involved. Ill Manors makes no justification for what happened and yet it’s edgy unease goes some way to explaining the bigger picture:
“As an artist who’s trying to convey a message I need to get under people’s skin,” he told BBC’s 1Xtra Mistajam. “The song needs to have that visceral energy … just like those horrible pictures we see on cigarette packets that are designed to shock us into being aware of our actions.” (Via The Guardian)
The song might not resonate so well with the chilled out Aussie audiences but I’ve often said that the best music stems from the greatest of societies wrong doings and this latest track from Plan B is a prime example. Check out the clip below to see for yourself:
Listen to Plan B explain the inspiration behind the new ill Manors project with BBC 1Xtra here. Play nicely now.
I’m a little late on the update for this chic who’s been topping the UK’s ‘one to watch’ lists for the last 6 months or so. Still it’s better to be late than never hear the lyrical styles of this fiery little nutter. Back in the UK Azealia Banks is causing a bit of a storm don’t you know.
London based, but Harlem born, Azealia Banks made it to number three on the BBC’s Sound of 2012 and was dubbed NME’s Coolest person of 2011. (Though they’d obviously never heard of you before!?) Bringing a hip hop lyrical edge to some street spat rhymes, Azealia Banks, or Miss Bank$ as she is sometimes known, has been popping up on blogs, lists and radio spots on both sides of the pond since her cover of interpol’s slow hands last year.
Azealia Banks
At that time Miss Bank$ was signed to XL recordings but has since moved on, starting a major label rush to sign her up. Reflecting on the recent split she told BBC NEWS “I was like, ‘This is not what I worked so hard my entire life to do – to be rejected by some English guy in West Bumblefrickin’ nowhere London, telling me I’m amateur or something like that’. So I just said, ‘Screw you!’”…and screw them she did.
The same interview calls her ‘brunt and bratty’ and whilst that, she may be, she posses an edge about her not seen for some time. Blending boundaries between UK dubstep and grime with good old fashioned Harlem hop hop there will be much more of this girl to come!
The current single 212 features Lazy Jay and showcases her trademark lyrics. New material will be out soon but for now enjoy what’s out and about on your local neighbourhood blogs and/or YouTube. …or just tune in to Bondi FM when I’m on and put the request on for her!
The Walk of Same is an Australian music blog with a Saturday morning breakfast show on Bondi FM.
The new music blog allows you to catch up on all the extra bits such as reviews, downloads, & interviews showcasing new and emerging bands from our own back yard. At Bondi Beach - Music Matters!
Join BondiBen on the blog and on the radio as he plays a mix of heart warming soul, and fresh new indie music from around the globe.
