Fire & Earth

It's the last post of the year and I felt this blog should bow out of 2014 with an X-Clan bang. The song is Fire & Earth and with the way this year has gone, to me this song is appropriate. X-Clan was a pro Black hip hop group from the early 90's, back when hip hop said something. back when it had a positive message mixed in amongst the music about women, money, and jewelry. I was a zealous X-Clan fan and thought Brother J was one of the most underrated rappers in the history of the genre.

Fire & Earth is off of their 1992 second studio release entitled Xodus - The New Testament and the song contains subtle digs aimed at the white rap group 3rd Base and the teacher himself, KRS-One. I love this song for its message of course. I also loved the mid tempo beat which allowed Brother J to flow smoothly over as he dropped knowledge.

It was during this time when I identified heavily with the Black nationalist movement and supported the call for divestment in South Africa. X-Clan albums were my soundtracks back then and their music will always have a special place in my heart. And if you like this song then definitely check out their cut Heed The Word of the Brother. Enjoy and again Happy New Year.

Work Song

Work Song is an amazingly moving song about unconditional love that not even death can conquer. It's by Hozier and it's off his 2013 EP release From Eden. It can also be found on his 2014 release Hozier. Hozier is an Irish folk singer and this song, in my humble opinion will make him a household name. It's haunting, moving, mournful, and gripping.

It starts off with backing vocals that sounds like a choir, hand claps, and eventually some sparse percussion. Hozier comes in with lyrics about how much in love he is with his baby. When the second verse comes in you get the sense that these two people are broken beyond repair and can only survive with each other by their side. The chorus brings that sentiment home with When my time comes around / Lay me gently in the cold dark earth / No grave can hold my body down / I'll crawl home to her. 

While this song sounds like it could be a Ray LaMontagne jewel since it has all the ingredients, the one thing Hozier has over Ray is the darkness. The song is one of the darkest love songs I've heard and Hozier's vocals fit perfectly. If you like this then you might be interested in checking out Cherry Wine. Enjoy and Happy New Year!

Scorpious 1111

This amazing piece of music entitled Scorpious 1111 is by an artist named VonLichten (whole name Helmut Vonlichten) and it's a spectacle. Helmut was once part of a group I was (and still am) a huge fan of name E.S. Posthumus. He formed the group with his brother Franz. When Franz died in 2010 Helmut ended E. S. and in 2011 formed a new group named Les Friction. I found this piece on his 2014 album entitled mDust and once I heard the song I've had the hardest time stopping myself from playing it again and again. And just for the record, you need to hear this song on your BIG BOY speakers. Ear buds won't do this song justice and you'll miss out on all the little nuances that make this an awesome piece of music.

The song starts off with a poignant mournful piano melody which is the melody carried throughout the song. Then the voices come in with dramatic strings following. Suddenly the song takes flight and the strings add a sense of urgency. Scorpious 1111 slowly builds as the voices come back and the piece swells with percussion and horns to a powerful crescendo. All of which brings us full circle back to the lonely piano.

If you enjoy Scorpious 1111 then I highly recommend Liller 1 off the same album. It's an action packed piece that starts off running right from the start and never lets up until the end. It's a treat for me to have new music from Helmut. I just wish his brother Franz could have been a part of it. Enjoy!