Tag: Cookin’ Soul

Top 30 Albums of 2018: #’s 10 – 6

Here we are at my top 10 albums of the year.  Read on to see who made the cut.

#10: Khruangbin – Con Todo El Mundo – I was a bit late to the Khruangbin party, but I’m glad I showed up.  This three-piece makes beautiful psychedelic jazz with few vocals.  The tones they produce are so clear they’re almost like Tibetan mediation singing bells.

#9: Janelle Monae – Dirty Computer – Ms. Monae is a genius.  She can blend hip-hop, R&B, electro, jazz, and rock with such ease that it sounds like she’s cloned herself at least five times and each of those clones studied a different genre to mastery.  Knowing her love of androids and science fiction, this wouldn’t surprise me at all if it were true.

#8 – Cookin’ Soul and MF DOOM – DOOM XMAS – I don’t remember how I stumbled upon this album after Christmas Day, but I’m glad I did.  It’s a wicked mix of lyrics by MF DOOM and Christmas-inspired beats by Cookin’ Soul.  Any DOOM is good DOOM, and this collaboration is among his best.

#7: Throw Down Bones – Two – I stumbled upon this excellent electro / industrial / rave album on Bandcamp and it turned out to be the best electronic music record I heard all year.  This will be booming in your favorite club soon if it isn’t already.

#6: Ron Gallo – Stardust Birthday Party – I’ve enjoyed Mr. Gallo’s garage punk music since I saw him open for Screaming Females in a dive bar a couple years ago.  Now he’s put out a Zen-punk record that blew my mind and included my top single of the year – “Always Elsewhere.”

The top five will be revealed tomorrow!

Keep your mind open.

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Review: Cookin Soul / MF DOOM – DOOM XMAS

The main reason I don’t like to put out year-end “Best of…” lists before the end of the calendar year is that good music is being released all the time, even up until December 31st. Take, for example, DOOM Xmas, one of the best Christmas and hip-hop albums of the year featuring rhymes by perhaps the best MC of the modern age, MF DOOM, and slick beats by producer / beat maker Cookin’ Soul.

After an intro that samples , “Naughty or Nutz” samples Nat King Cole‘s “Christmas Song” as DOOM puts down rhymes that seem simple but are actually quite complex. “Why spend Christmas Eve with some extra fat white dude to come busting through the ceiling when you can spend it with your favorite super villain?” DOOM asks before “Let It Snowwwww” and challenges the MC’s to even try to match him (“I traded two beans for this cow, keep talkin’!”). Rhymes like “It’s fake like wrestling’, get ’em like Jake the Snake on mescaline.” will bust you up. Don’t dismiss Cookin’ Soul, however. His beats on “Smoke a lil Xmas Tree” sound basic at first, but they have more layers than the dip you’re going to serve at your upcoming Super Bowl party. Don’t believe me? Then, “MF Grinch” will make you a believer as Soul mixes up “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch.” It’s impossible not to shake your head and / or hips during it.

After challenging Santa Claus to a pot belly contest to the death, DOOM name checks Blacula and laments not being able to get mustard at a Chinese restaurant as Soul samples Paul McCartney‘s “Simply Having a Wonderful Christmas Time” on “Wonderfull.” DOOM handles Soul’s Latin beats on “Llego Navidad” with ease, and “XXXmas Ladies” has DOOM praising his current and former lady loves. He delivers a full story for each one in just a few verses. His efficiency is stunning. Most rappers couldn’t tell this many tales in one album side.

If you’re making a Christmas mix tape and need to fill the last minute or so on one side, “HO (Christmas skit)” would be a great choice for that with it’s instrumental yuletide jam. “The Holiday Agenda” is a great way to describe family drama or tasks that have to be completed during the holidays. DOOM sends a shout-out to De La Soul in the track and Soul’s beats are killer throughout it. The album ends with “Unhappy,” a remix of the Vince Guaraldi Trio’s “Christmas Time Is Here” that emphasizes the Christmas blues. It’s fitting, as DOOM is a super villain after all.

This is the best original Christmas album I’ve heard since Gary Wilson‘s It’s Christmas Time with Gary Wilson, and the best hip hop record I’ve heard in months. The Days of Christmas last until January 06, 2019, so don’t think you need to waiting until Christmas 2019 to get this.

Keep your mind open.

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