Emily Wells

In my opinion, there are only two types of people in this world. Either you're a Biggie fan, or you're not. It's as simple as that. The way I see it, any person who considers themselves a fan of hip-hop in any sense, better be able to recite the lyrics to "Juicy" off the top of their head at any given time. In my opinion (and undoubtedly many other people's) this song is the embodiment of everything hip-hop should be, while also having a universal message that any person who has faced opposition can relate to. I think it's a safe assumption though to say that the last person most people would expect to cover this song (let alone do it justice) would be a white girl who just happens to play the violin,ukulele and xylophone among many other unconventional instruments. Believe it or not though, this is the case. Using a drum machine and a few samples underneath her soulful vocals, singer/songwriter Emily Wells has created her own entrancing rendition of this classic.



Emily Wells-'Juicy'

The Symphonies: Dreams Memories & Parties, her sophomore release,is an atmospheric trip through the mind of a girl who grew up loving Vivaldi just as much as Biggie Smalls. Among these she also cites Bob Dylan, Outkast and Billie Holiday as some of her biggest influences. Perhaps the most captivating thing about this album may be how she effectively blends these influences together to form structured songs that give off a hip hop vibe while also providing a classical feel at the same time. The mix of drum machines,strings,analog synthesizers, glockenspiels, and violins provide a landscape of sound that is only truly processed upon repeat listens. Up to twenty-one separate tracks of violin were supposedly used on each song to create just part of what you are hearing, which is pretty crazy in my opinion. Besides her amazing musicianship, Emily Well's amazing voice and vocal range is a whole other thing to marvel at in itself. I often found myself getting chills while listening to this record, due in part to her beautiful but sometimes haunting voice. Each these songs are indeed symphonies in their own right, amazingly crafted and sonically complex, all while making you tap your foot along with them.

The Symphonies: Dreams Memories & Parties

10 years ago today

R.I.P.

"Satan said I'm learnin well, Big L's gonna burn in hell
front and get scarred cause your rap style ain't even hard
I run with a thievin' squad, and none of us believe in god"

i ain't neva seen no chrome garbage can....

i just felt the need to post this because no matter how many times i watch it, it is still hilarious. big ups to steve for turning me on to the genius that is mr. chi city. enjoy.

Names for Graves-Worst Kid Ever

              Names for Graves was a Cleveland hardcore band that rose from the ashes of bands such as Committed,Good Clean Fun and In The Red. While they combined various elements of each of these bands,they played their own brand of fast,pissed off straight edge hardcore. They had a great live show which I caught a few times in early 2005, the most memorable of these at an awesome, now-defunct Cleveland record store called Chris's Warped Records. Blacklisted and a couple other bands that are presently slipping my mind also played in the small store space,which made for a rad show. I believe I also saw them on separate occasions with Mental and Outbreak, both awesome shows as well. I've heard them described as "Gorilla Biscuits mixed with Worn Thin", and musically also sound similar to early This Is Hell and Paint It Black. Unfortunately they parted ways sometime in 2006,but not before releasing an awesome full-length. This is the "Worst Kid Ever" LP released in 2005 on Specimen 32 records. 

Names For Graves-Worst Kid Ever