no.

Really old Radiohead is SUPER boring.

But the Bends had "High & Dry," which is one of the best pop songs of the '90s. And it had "Street Spirit." And having lived through it, I promise you "Planet Telex" and "The Bends"... hell, the whole first half of the album... was anything but boring at the time.

As for Radiohead "proper" from '97-2010... I call big fat hairy bullshit on you. You're as wrong as they come.

But then again, you think Kanye'S "boring" and "shit" and what have you, but you like Future and Drake. Sooooo... much as I respect your literary opinions (how BOTNS coming by the way?), I think you're an extremely unreliable source when it comes to music.

I love The Bends beginning to end honestly. Love it. "Sulk," "Black Star," all those songs nobody talks about. I adore that album. Probably because it was the first Radiohead album I bought.

Mine to brohammed. And it soundtracked my meeting and falling for my first *real* honest to God love. So it will always be special to me. But I can't stomach "Black Star" anymore. Yuck.

I don't know about pfork but I'll say this... the new Tribe is without a question my favorite hip hop album of the year. It's like... Tribe and then... whatever else.

Pablo's better in my book. Quite a bit better. As I said before, the highs are just so much higher. Neither album has any lows, but We Got it From Here feels more like a series of very high quality tracks, without very many "oh nuh uh" moments. That's not a bad thing. It's a tremendous album...

But it doesn't have anything like "Real Friends" or "FADE" or "Ultralight Beam."

More of an Automatic for the People kind of album. I don't know why, but ever since the early '90s I've associated strong albums that are solid and good throughout, but don't necessarily have any "OH SHIT" tracks with Automatic for the People.

At this point I've got to decide what I like better between Tribe and Chance. I love the FUCK out of We Got it From Here, and I couldn't have ever hoped for anything better, but as good and satisfying as it is, it can't quite compete with this year's peak releases, like Pablo and SIRENS.

Just one guy's opinion though.

for me it's got "oh shit tracks" though. Just me. But again... this is my favorite group going back what? 23 years? And I'm 35. So that's most of my life. I mean... I think it just MEANS more to me. No disrespect to Kanye or Chance or anyone. But just. You can't really compete for me. The fact that there's a new Tribe album and it's not a mess. It SOUNDS like Tribe. Dude. That's it for me.

btw, not to dwell, but I still don't think it's a double album. None of the physical copies are being advertised as "2CD" and it's only 60 mins. Not that it matters. We'll find out tomorrow I guess.

Fuck what y'all said about Gambino earlier.

Yeah he wasn't that good in the past. But he's a brand new artist now and his new album is gonna be epic.

"Mars, 31, said the album was inspired by his love for R&B acts like New Edition, Boyz II Men and Jodeci, as well as West Coast rap (DJ Quik came to the studio to give him a flexatone, the percussion instrument, to use on the album)."

"Mars says the trendy sound that some of his peers have adopted — downbeat, alternative R&B — isn't him."

I respect that a lot.

Sure Bruno might not be revolutionary by any means, but as a huge fan of 80's-90's R&B, I really enjoy this new album.. a lot of the rappers we all like don't bring anything new to the table either.

I agree that her voice is great but I can't really get into her music for the most part. Just bores me.

*shrug*

Look on iTunes. It's listed as two "discs" there. That's what I'm going from.

But you're right, it doesn't matter. "Double album" almost doesn't mean anything anymore. Since about '08/'09, albums marketed as "double" have often just been on one disc. Like the Flaming Lips' Embryonic. The whole concept surrounding that album was based on the Lips deconstructing classic doubles like White Album, the Wall, and Zen Arcade. It was called a double by all the reviewers and magazines. But... ain't not double album. It's one disc. Sure, it's two LP's, but what isn't?

You can fit a lot of shit on a CD, and with streaming and MP3s, forgot about it. No point. Double albums are aesthetic decisions at this point.

BUT... it's still showing up as "disc one" and "disc two" in iTunes. That's all I'm saying.

yeah more than anything I'm just curious why iTunes calls it disc 1 and 2 when the actual physical disc is singular:

https://www.discogs.com/A-Tribe-Call...elease/9373120

EDIT: The back artwork does call the tracklist "side a" and side b, but it's one actual disc.

Fair enough man, and I feel you. Big time. Trust me. But while ATCQ is one of the first hip-hop groups I got into, and I love them and always will, they've never been my "favorite" band ... though they were probably my favorite hip-hop group before Wu-Tang Forever came out.

Sonic Youth is my favorite band of all time period, and if they were to put their differences aside and release a new album that was good and sounded like Sonic Youth, fuckin' A right, that shit would be my favorite album of the year no question, simply because it would be an answered prayer.

But in 2016, with SY gone, Kanye's my hands-down favorite artist in the world, and I waited three years for Pablo, and I've never listened to an album so much in one year, but it still hits me right in the nuts every single time I hear it. Plus, I finally saw him live touring behind this material, and it was magical. So it's really quite in the bag for him and has been since February 11.

That said, I think I prefer We Got it From Here... to Coloring Book. Because, yeah, it's new Tribe. And that's freaking HUGE.

Also, I think Tribe has successfully passed the Portishead test.

As far as I'm concerned, Portishead's Third is the gold standard for "reunion" alums, as it held onto the best bits of that extraordinary band's dynamic from their first two albums, but also veered into brand new, completely forward-thinking territory, and actually ended up being BETTER than their absolutely essential debut and self-titled follow-up.

Tribe has done something similar. Not *quite* as big on reinvention of course, and definitely not better (yet) than Midnight Marauders or Low End Theory, but the new album looks forward and pays homage to the past at the same time while managing to sound utterly fresh and downright necessary for the times we live in.

The album's only a week old, but I already rank it alongside D'Angelo's Black Messiah and Aphex Twin's SYRO... above My Bloody Valentine's m b v, and Mission of Burma's OnOffOn (if still below Third) on the hierarchy of "comeback" albums (for lack of a better word.)

It's simply the tits, and about that we can agree.

Aesthetic choice then. No biggie. I'm glad it's one disc. Means I won't have to switch CDs when I'm listening to it. Not trying to argue. I was surprised that it was listed that way on iTunes too. Not only that, but when I bought it, it automatically sorted itself into two albums, which is ... well, kind of a pointless thing to do on iTunes, where one track just goes into the next.

Again... Shrug.

yeah, Third was great.

I love this Tribe cuz it sounds like Tribe but doesn't sound like they're forcing some nostalgic sound either. It's not an imitation of themselves. It's just them.

Forever the optimist, I'm still not ruling out a SY reunion.

Calm down boyo. Maybe we're missing something absurdly awesome about the dude. I'll look into the new material if it'll make you feel better (no need with Bruno Mars, as I can count on that shit playing in Target every time I shop).

Don't get offended... like I got offended when you see inexplicably disappointed by TLOP and remained inexplicably disappointed for ¾ of a year ;) (by the way, I'm almost afraid to ask, but do you still like it?)

Agreed. In fact, I think it might actually be their most consistently A-game album yet. Their first three albums had moments that felt a bit childish and immature, even though for my money I'd still say they're a 9/10, 9.5/10, and 10/10 respectively. This one is just loaded with top shelf shit from everyone involved. Q-Tip and Phife, sure. No surprise there. But also Jacobi and the (uncredited at this point) sick contributions from Muhammad. Not to mention Busta sounding better than he has since the Coming, and Cons, KENDRICK, KANYE!!!! Even the licks by Jack White fit the bill perfectly (I like this version of White's hip-hop accompaniment better than I like his comparatively bloated and heavy handed work on Lemonade, btw) ... it's all quite seamless and very much what the doctor ordered.

Take a lesson, Wu-Tang.


I need to take optimism lessons from you.

Who knows though? Maybe the Trump election will kickstart something. If there's one thing Kim and Thurston hate more than each other at this point, it's radical right-wing political bullshit and socio-cultural injustice.

That would be sweet. A much needed cherry on top of the shit sundae that is the world circa 2016.

(New re-energized Fugazi album couldn't hurt either... but I'm setting myself up for heartbreak)

eh. I like political music as much as I like discussing politics on the internet. Which is not at all. I'd rather SY reunite to make dreamy violent swirls of sonic love (again).

I do think Spinhead is fantastic tho. Archival releases still make me very happy.

One thing I really love about this is that it frames ATCQ as the true heroes of conscious (and street) hip-hop, leaving little room for argument about who hip-hop's historical standard bearers truly are.

Think about it:
• NWA has kind of tarnished their own rep with the ludicrous behavior of their individual members, and a film-album marketing campaign that, despite being pretty high-quality, still screamed "marketing campaign!"

• Public Enemy has crapped all over their own legacy, first with Flav's fucking despicable VH1 career (something Tip nods to on the new album, I believe), and then with this nonsense Prophets of Rage bullshit.

• Wu-Tang never occupied an overtly political space, but they did rule the roost for some time, and we all know what happened there (even if we can't identify why these exceedingly stupid and humiliating decisions were actuallly made)

• the Roots, for all their remaining strengths (I still think ...And Then Yoi Shoot Your Cousin was pretty fucking brilliant), have made some very real compromises. I understand why they made them, I guess... being the Fallon band has freed them up to do what they want in the studio, without concern for sales or charts... but I don't understand why Questlove has decided to be the rich white guy's Jiminy Cricket, or why he has associated himself with absurd marketing campaigns and talent contest tv shows. Yuck.

A Tribe Called Quest has made all of these groups seem even more distasteful and ridiculous than they already were — vying for continued relevance with stunts and promotions that are nauseating to varying degrees.

Almost as if in direct response to all this shit, Tribe has (rather quietly) stomped all over the lot of them, not with stunts but with *actual music* that comes off as classy and effortless, asserting themselves as the closest thing hip-hop cultures has to a defining act.

Kanye might be "the Black Beatle" in the sense that he's reinvented the wheel countless times and seen unprecedented critical and commercial success with album after album of epoch making, hiccup-free excellence. But ATCQ are the the real BeatleS (plural.. multiple minds, one elemental force) of hip-hop. And this makes the rest of those groups look rather sad and desperate by comparison.

We Got it From Here... shows that all you need is love and great music... not sparkles or fanfare... to be relevant and definitive.

The Roots... I don't know, I worship those guys. Quest is on my short list of dudes I'd kill to have a beer with. And when I read his book he talks about what you already mentioned - that basically Fallon has allowed The Roots to do the SY thing, which is have the freedom to do whatever the F they want. And let's be straight: they've done some very interesting things since (like an album w/ John Legend... or Elvis Costello... or Then You Shoot, etc).

Also something to think about: Fallon convinced ATCQ to come on his show for the first time in over 15 years. This immediately led to the new album. I'd be willing to bet that The Roots (or at least Questlove) had a hand in that.

Yeah, but much like Tribe actually, politics has always been part of the bedrock of SY's music. Both bands exist alongside and write about social and political issues, even if it's from a more abstract perspective (Daydream Nation and Reagan, Sonic Nurse and Bush). I agree about overtly political music, for the most part. It's limiting, and it detracts from the universality and artistry of the music for many artists (especially when it's just used as a ham-fisted promo tool a la RATM).

All I meant was, maybe they'll be inspired to create some violent swirls of sonic love again. Probably not, but maybe.

Also, sometimes overt politics in music is necessary and extremely powerful (see: "Revolution #1," To Pimp a Butterfly and about half of Late Reg and MBDTF, Bob Dylan, Common's new album, Fugazi's deft balance of politics and musical ingenuity, etc., etc.) It gets stale and tepid when it detracts from the artistry of the music, because, you know, art is supposed to be interesting and enjoyable and universal as well as "important." But many of the greatest artists of all time have made some of their most significant work by fuzing politics and emotional resonance and musicianship.

"Imagine." There. That's what I'm getting at. Could have just said "Imagine" and not wasted everyone's times. Lolz

Right. The Roots are not offenders of the Flava Flav/Rza/Dre variety. Not at all. They serve a purpose, and it may be that without the friendly household-name status the Fallon gig has given them, they wouldn't be able to make albums like Undun or ...And Then...

I still might argue that Sonic Youth did the "Sonic Youth" thing without ever being anyone's sidekick/lap dog/house band, and they sold WAY fewer records than the Roots, and never even approached the level of "household namedom" that the Roots had a decade before they joined Fallon. So... to me, it kinda seems like the Roots could do this too. BUT... truth remains that they have continued to experiment and broaden their sound, living kind of a double life and still doing plenty of awesome things on record.

So, no, they're not Prophets of Rage/Once Upon a Time in Shaolin level offenders, and I really don't think any less of them all things considered.

But Tribe still dumped all over every legacy hip-hop group's heads with thier Fallon spot, the album and the upcoming tour.

Did I mention Tribe's planning to tour? Not that it's really "Tribe" anymore.. not fully. But still... that would be pretty sweet, and if it's happening I'm there.

I didn't mean to sound angry.. I just want y'all to give Gambino a chance when the new album drops. Like I said I used to HATE the dude. But his new singles are amazing forreal. It's possible for an artist to evolve inbetween albums.

Yes, I still like TLOP. Haha.

Explains why TPAB was a little too much for your liking.

that may be part of it too yeah.

You hit the nail on the head about "overt" though. Of course Tribe and SY always had politics, it's just... a piece, not the whole.

Yup. Art needs to be personal and inspired before it can successfully attempt to be global. When artists use politics (or "revolution" or "protest") as their only move, it feels like a gimmick or a branding tool. It's hideous and embarrassing.

Art is best when it reflects (be it through accuracy or abstraction) life and the human experience. Politics is a huge part of that experience, so music with no political element often falls short. But politics is not all of life. In fact, it's a very small piece of the actual sensory experience of living. For an artist to really appeal to me, they have to do something that somehow speaks to me, that I recognize. There's something in Kanye's voice and delivery that I very strongly recognize and identify with, and if that wasn't present in his music, his political songs wouldn't have as strong an impact on me.

When music is just "politics" with a beat, it's like... why bother? Just go be an organizer or a politician.

Very few people seem to get why music is important to the people that really love it. So, as is the case with film and literature and poetry, a vast majority of it totally sucks ass and is awful.

UGH. Everyone (clickbait sites, the freaking AP) is totally misinterpreting a Kanye comment about Donald Trump.

So, yeah, he technically did say "I would have voted for Trump," and called Trump's methods effective "because he won!" But what he means, very obviously, at least to me, is that he gets why people voted for Trump. He's saying the methods Trumo used "non-political" and more like simple branding and advertising, are powerful and effective.

He then went on to say of course Trump's racist, we live in a racist country, this isn't news, let's talk about what's next. He also said he'd move his family to Canada if Trump won. So... yeah.

But still, every headline is "Kanye West supports Trump," or "Kanye: 'I would vote for Trump." Uggggghhhh.

Now what I DON'T understand is why the FUCK he apparently didn't vote. Like... what. If I knew him, I'd be considering unfriending his ass, and I'd be having very pointed, unpleasant conversations with him as I am currently having with every one of my non-voting "friends." *facepalm*

Why does he get himself into this shit?

you're funny guy.

I fucking know that, greezy.

lol.;)

Oh hey Louder, because I'm such a down motherfucking guy, and I care about your ass and making you feel heard, I listened to the first single from the new Childish Gambino album.

Aaaaand... I'm sorry dude. Not for me.

I went into it expecting to like it based on your recommendation, so can't say I didn't give it a fair shot. I admire the intention. Production's cool. Scope is admirable. But he sounds like a comedian doing an imitation of James Brown doing an imitation of Steven Tyler. Which is essentially exactly what's happening here as far as I can tell.

I'll listen to the rest of the album before I make my final verdict, but I don't want to offend you, so maybe Gambino should go in the Bruno Mars pile for the time being.

see, this crack/meth head got locked up this week just like I knew he be. he was a fucking bi-polar asshole jack off prick!!!

see kids, this is what happens when you listen to shitty trap hip hop....you smoke meth and crack and pop too many X pills.

I can handle my shit. he couldn't. because he takes the game too seriously and is a redneck stupid fat fuck crack head white boy. and I dont' feel sorry for him one bit.

Haha. No offense taken. We're all here to share opinions. I appreciate that you gave him a chance. That's the only thing I wanted. :)

So excited about STARBOY.

dis nigga be talkin about some starboy and sheeit. ain't nobody give a damn bout some starboy. sheeeeeeeeit nigga! damn!

anyone remember Starcat? what happen to that dude?

Hmm. When's that coming out again?

I hope it's more like "FML" and less "Beat it"-lite

fuck some pussy ass niggas like the weekend. niggas ain't shit. white boy be talkin bout some weekend. white boy. you is a crazy white boy ,white boy.

talking bout some mu fuckin starboy and sheeit.

deeez cuck wanna be white boys are crazy.