Music at Work #2

August 30, 2011 | Posted by Cam Hoff

It's time again that I check in on what's new on the Jukebox here at Flipp. This time I've found a dirty 2-piece rock band and a new enigmatic hip hop outfit. But are they any good? Read on my friend. 

Jeff The Brotherhood – We Are The Champions

As the follow-up to their first nationwide release "Heavy Days" (which I loved), I find this album as a bit of a step backward for this band of brothers (neither of which are named Jeff). While it isn't necessarily bad, it just seems to be lacking the catchy hooks of their previous release. Its straight forward garage punk psychadelia will definitely fill the musical void on your daily commute, but it won't stick in your head much beyond that. A staple of SXSW, Spin magazine has called them a "Must-hear" band and Paste has referred to them as "The Best of What's Next", but I'll keep listening to their older stuff in hopes that "What's Next" for them is a return to the catchier side. Maybe then they can catch fire like some of the other 2 piece garage influenced acts of recent years (Black Keys, White Stripes et al).  

Shabazz Palaces – Black Up

in the mid-90's I listened to a lot of hip hop. I really wasn't into the 90's grunge scene, and to this day I think the Seattle hype far outweighs any of the actual music produced there at that time. So probably 90% of what i listened to back then was hip hop. One of the bands that really caught my ear then was The Digable Planets, who broke up after 2 albums due to creative differences and shady business practices. Fast forward to today, I'm probably listening to 50% hip hop overall after a lengthy hiatus from the genre and the frontman of Digable Planets, Ishmael "Butterfly" Butler is back with Shabazz Palaces (though he now goes by the name Palaceer Lazaro). It's the first ever hip hop acted signed to the seminal indie record label Sub Pop, and it's a good one.

Though it's not for everyone, this album has really taken the underground by storm with its experimental bass heavy beats coupled with Butler's ever-smooth flow. It's so bass heavy in fact, that I can't even listen to it on the crappy speakers in my car without massive distortion. It's a shame really because it's a pretty great record that I'd love to be listening to more. Definitely check it out if you like your hip hop on the trippy atmospheric side, this is one of the best of the year so far.

What summer tunes have you been rocking this year? Let us know in the comments below, so can keep the summer vibes going as we turn the page into September (already?!).