On Blast

Consumption (and yes I have officially recovered from my three-month bout of consumption) for the Week 28 February 2008

Video

Yeasayer - 'Wait for the Summer' Don't believe what you hear about Yeasayer. Watch this instead, http://www.mixtapeclub.com/.

Music

Portishead - 'Machine Gun' from ATP Nightmare Before Christmas
The entire show is a welcome return and no one can accuse Portishead of going pop. Of the four songs performed off the upcoming album Third - 'Wicca', 'Hunter', 'Machine Gun', and Peaches - 'Machine Gun' is by far the most stunning, built around a rudimentary snyth-drum loop and Beth Gibbons' rapturous voice.

Main Source - Breaking Atoms (1991)
You can't claim you know hip-hop unless you've heard this Large Professor produced masterpiece. The album would never see release today due to endless samples utilized here; think Paul's Boutique . It's not just the beats that remain relevant though as Extra-P plays the master surgeon, literally dissecting the major flaws of American society. The cat could have been a lecturer considering how deep he runs.

Culture - Two Sevens Clash (1979)
I have always held both ska and reggae in a very low regard - maybe it's the Germans and their strange fascination with dancehall that turned me off or that whole horribly ill-conceived third wave ska movement. Either way, I have recently found my way into dub and roots through Lee Perry, Junior Murvin, and most notably, Culture. How could you not love a band that revels so completely in the impending apocalypse?

The Clash - 'Magnificent 7' (Sandinista 1980)
The only reason the Clash should be defined as a punk band is because Joe Strummer, Mick Joes, Paul Simonon, and Topper Headon would venture anywhere and try anything. 'Magnificent 7' throbs with urgency and curiosity and is a bit reminiscent of Kurtis Blow with an edge.