One of our fav electronic pop bands is going to buzz it up at the Windup Space tnght!
Jumpcuts is the brainchild of lead singer Andrew Shankman, who plays with a rotating group of musicians. The last show at Joe Squared was packed and the band killed it. Give them a listen and we’ll see you tnght:
Also on the bill is solo artist Brad Hamblin, Icicuts and The Sneaks:
At the beginning of the week, we asked friends, followers and “LIKErs” to come up with the top ten Best of Black Cinema. This is the result. Let’s get down baby….
10. Do the Right Thing (1989 dir. Spike Lee). Lets face it. This is the movie that white America fears. Lee uses a microcosm of BK as a metaphor for our national racism. You can never stop watching this movie. And if you’ve never seen it, shame the fuck on you…
Mookie rules!
9. Glory (1989. dir. Ed Zwick) Believe it or not, finding a film that focuses on black history is not as easy as you’d think. For every one Glory or Red Tails, there’s a bunch of Driving Miss Daisys (Bagger Vance anyone?) which makes this film all the more important. Zwick does not shy away from the racism inflicted on black troops, a new concept during the Civil War, as well as the privations of war in general. Oh yeah, it’s got Denzel so yeah. There’s that! This is a must see. And if you don’t drop a tear at the end, you’re a cold mutha fukka…
8. Remember the Titans (2000. dir Boaz Yakin) say what you want about Disney, but this movie had to be made and they have a knack for making good sports films. Titans stars Denzel (who pretty much pwns our list) as head coach Herman Boone who takes over a Virginia high school football team its first year after desegregation. You can feel the hate for Coach Boone in this story.
7. In the Heat of the Night (1967. dir Norman Jewison) Because of this scene (check Sidney’s shrug at the end):
6. Shaft (1971. dir Gordon Parks) While director Marvin Van Peebles’ Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song may have opened the door to black cimema, Shaft’s director and Life Magazine photojournalist Gordon Parks opened the door for black photographers everywhere. This is his first film and it was a HUGE hit. Parks broke boundaries in both the photographic and cinematic arts. Without Shaft, Parks’ name could have faded into history. Incidentally, Shaft was created by a white dude who has since been honored by the NAACP for the creation of the first real black private eye. Shaft started as a book series by author Ernest Tidyman. Check it here.
5. Richard Pryor Live on the Sunset Strip (1982) This live concert film by one of America’s greatest comedians launched a thousand funny careers from Eddie (watch the clip and think of Eddie’s red jump suit in Delirious) to Chris. Pryor never did find a niche in films, although Blue Collar is one of his best, but when you watch him on stage on the big screen you’re watching an American genius at work.
4. Wild Style (1984. dir. Charles Herndon) We’re always surprised at the yung’uns who have never seen THE movie about the birth of hip-hop and street art. Before Beat Street and Breakin’, Wild Style featured legends like Grand Master Flash, Coldcrush Brothers etc.. WS should be shown in every music history class. It’s a little hammy on the drama, but it’s THE film to check out if you’re interested in the beginning of the hip-hop nation.
(one of the greatest rap b-ball battles ever)
Fuck it. We’ll give Wild Style another shout. SO much love here:
3. Killer of Sheep (1979. dir Charles Burnett) Burnett is the James Baldwin of filmmaking. This is one of the most important black films ever made. It’s focus the black Los Angeles ghetto of Watts in the mid-1970s. Not to be missed if you’ve never seen it.
2. Boyz in the Hood (1991. dir John Singleton) NWA. South Central LA. Cube. Gangs. It’s all here. Boyz ripped open the reality of what was going on in S.Cen and exposed it to the nation. Truly one of the most important films about a community ever made. It’s STILL hard to watch. Classic.
1. Malcolm X (1994. dir Spike Lee) No matter what you think of this film in terms of historical accuracy, you cannot not help being blown away by the performance of Denzel Washington as the polarizing black leader. If anything, this film and the controversy surrounding it will have you picking up Malcolm X’s autobiography and getting the real deal. It’s sad that there are no other definitive films about other black leaders…
And just because. A relevant message from Chuck D and friends. 
SIB will be posting musings, advice, and her thoughts here on a weekly basis. Be warned, this IS a sex column and although there won’t be any steamy visuals (it’s not porn, ya know?) the text WILL be NSFW.
Happy New Year my lovelies! I know it is a month late, but better late than never, right? Have you missed me? My inbox certainly thinks so! Let’s get right to the nitty gritty and answer some of your more burning questions, shall we?
Bmore punk/trash/rock-a-killy band Murder will be celebrating their new album drop on Sat. night at Golden West. The group, Adam Savage, Dan O, Noel Conrad (of Lady Piss etc..) and Ray Peters are one of the few Bmore punk acts that have their shit together. Their lyrics are tight and fucking mean something and Savage’s voice has a classic sound that we can’t really put our finger on, but it’s great.
But don’t take our word for it. Blast this at work and piss people off.
The show also includes DOUBLE NEGATIVE a hardcore confusion punk band that began in January 2006 by singer KC, bassist Kamph Tapes, drummer Walsby, and guitarist Epic Warfare. They are signed on Sorry State Records. We’ve toured in and around the East US coast & the middle part too, Toronto, England, Holland, Belgium und Germany. Give them a listen:
Tix here: http://sonartoo.thundertix.com/orders/new?performance_id=83933
(our links are down for some reason. Please cut and paste for a bit. Thanks, the Managament)
The past week saw the drop of a new collab by one of our fav local pop artists, LazerLibby, of the duo Lazer Bitch and hip-hop artist Baltimore Ray. This is one of the better collabs we’ve heard in awhile.
Give it a listen.
Stack [Baltimore Ray feat. LAZERlibby] by LAZERlibby
We’re admittedly a LITTLE late to the game on this next track, but we’re hoping that our UK bretheren and um…sisteren would give it a listen.
Last week, the new (and completly awesome) Lower Dens track, Brains was sprayed all over der internetten. We dig and so will you. We’ve also included a good lil’ mixer from Den’s lable Ribbon Music.
Brains:
Lower Dens – Brains by Ribbon Music
Ribbon Music:
Ribbon Music Label by Ribbon Music
With the New Year, we’re launching some new stuff just for you. We’ll be expanding our popular “Yappin’ with” column, featuring more international and local fashion and bringing you a New Music Monday post once a week.
Hope you like, we have some HUGE parties coming up, so stick around.
For our MM first post, we’re going to load y’all up with some local musicians who are doin’ great things in the New Year.
First up is Alexander Trust.
AT is an electronic music producer living in Baltimore. Drawing inspiration from the skewed beats of early Warp Records artists, an interest in medium format photography, and a fascination with found sound Trust produces tracks that inhabit a world driven by hectic percussion and ethereal melodies. Dig:
Next up is Bounge, AKA Rebecca Drumm.
Bounge, 21, has made some headway on the European Dance scene and, in our opinion, is the genuine article. You never see her diva’ing it on the FBs, hear her bitch about other musicians or get all haughty. She just wants you to hear her music, which is produced in a tiny basement BTW:
My lover is my Laptop by Bounge
Finally, we have a cross-over artist. Abdu Ali is better known for his amazing fashion blog, Eatonthis.com. This year though, he’s dipping his impeccable pedicured toes in the music industry with this Bangee Music project. The raging first track is from his new collab with DJ Schwarz as part of the album-in-progress titled Invictus. “Invictus, embraces identity, being an individual, culture, and living life to the fullest with no mercy. It will be a musical blend of hip hop, house, to Baltimore Club. With this Ep, I want to connect to many people letting them know it’s ok to embrace who you are, live out side the box, and being as different as you want to be!”
