New WHY? on the Way

WHY? is a 2000s band, who I really believe was mysteriously transported from the mid-'90s. They do all that '90s stuff like mix rock and hip-hop, and sing and talk, and talk-sing, and who are always hugely deadpan. (Think early Cake or a less ridiculous Bloodhoung Gang.)

On paper, this doesn't sound like something that would appeal to me but I love both the two albums of theirs that I've heard (Alopecia and Eskimo Snow). There are certain moody afternoons where this is exactly the band I want to listen to.

Looks like they've got both a new EP and a new LP coming out this fall. They just released this new single (which, so far, suits me just fine).

Sod in the Seed (SoundCloud)

You can also check one of my favorite WHY? tunes here - These Few Presidents (YouTube). 

The Hood Internet

December and January are very slow when it comes to rock seeing shows. For the most part, I only write about bands coming to town that I'm already interested in. But right now, I've just been trying to find something to fill the magazine pages.

I saw that The Hood Internet was coming to town. I'd never heard of them but the name alone was enough to entice me to look into the band.

The DJ duo specializes is mashups between indie bands and hip-hop artists. I checked out a few of their mixtapes and was instantly impressed. So I reached out to them about an interview.

They told me they'd rather do an email interview than a phone interview. That comes with goods and bads. It's easier for scheduling and getting quotes that actually make grammatical sense. But it's hard to get in-depth answers or follow-up info. In the worst case, you get crappy, half-hearted responses or one word answers.

My Hood Internet interview was LOUSY. My guess is they took about two minutes to answer all of my questions and gave me almost nothing I could use. I understand that doing interviews is a chore for bands, but when you're not exactly a household name, I'd think you'd be interested in getting a little free press.

Fortunately, I think I salvaged the article, which you can read here.

All disappointment aside, I still recommended giving 'em a listen. You can download both of these mixtapes for free:

The Mixtape - Volume Six
Mixtape - Self-Titled

R.I.P. Heavy D, 1967-2011

Dear Dwight "Heavy D" Arrington Myers,

Thank you for playing a bit part in my life. I was nearing the end of my elementary school days in the early '90s. When birthdays came around, the cool kids bought cassette singles as gifts. Miss Karen Brochinsky bought me a copy of your semi-slow jam "Is It Good to You." I didn't love the track, but I loved your sense of style (e.g., flowy shirts and semi-Hammer pants). And now, even 20 years later, your big hit, "Now That We Found Love" still gets stuck in my head after just hearing the title. So, thank you.

Rest in peace, big guy.

Last Name London, First Name Theophilus

A black cowboy hat and tight Wrangler jeans isn’t exactly what you’d expect to see on the cover of a hip-hop rec­ord. But as Brooklyn-born MC Theophilus London sees it: “It’s not about hip-hop.”

The cover for his debut album, “Timez Are Weird These Days,” isn’t just a bold fashion statement, but also serves as an homage to the 1982 release by Leon Ware. London says Ware, best known for producing Marvin Gaye’s “I Want You” and writing a hit for Michael Jackson in 1972, has been a “huge inspiration” on his career.

Though his new record could comfortably sit next to releases by Lupe Fiasco or Kanye West, London has more eclectic influences ranging from The Smiths to German electronic pioneers Kraftwerk.

“This is bigger than just a rap record,” London says of his debut. “It’s taking pop-culture references and mashing them all together like a mad scientist would do.”

London has welcomed interesting collaborators into his musical lab, including TV on the Radio’s Dave Sitek and Holly Miranda. “Rappers featuring rappers is boring,” he says simply.

He even brought in Sara Quin, half of the sister duo Tegan and Sara, to contribute to a track. “I love her music,” London says of Quin. “I wanted to take her out of her element and put her in my element.”

London never seems out of his element, whether he’s performing as the opening act for Nas or playing a cameo gig on the CW’s “90210.” But performing is just a small part of what’s on the horizon for the young star.

When asked about his plans beyond his current national club tour, London rattles off, “Another mixtape by the end of the year, a new EP at the start of next year, an album in the summer, [and] tons of collabs.”

Oh, and he’s putting out a line of jewelry through his LVRS clothing company. Each of the new pieces will look great with a black cowboy hat.

Song of the Day: K'Naan - Flag Wavin'

I'm pretty sure that things are busier for me at work now than they've ever been. As a result, that the last thing I want to do when I come home is more writing. So I'll put my brain on autopilot for a bit and post some songs that I've been loving lately.



I was watching a re-run of K'Naan's so-good performance on Austin City Limits the other night and it reminded me just how good this song is. (And it's even better a capella.)

The song is perfect on its own, but it's made even better from me thanks to the memories it brings back of teaching Africans in The Hague and Antwerp. I became friends with a couple of great dudes that would always invite me to sing African spirituals with them. I was always touched by the simplicity of the songs and the sincerity of the delivery. All of that's here in "Waving Flag."

If you're up for it, I'd highly recommend checking out K'Naan's full ACL set:

Watch the full episode. See more Austin City Limits.

Stop, Collaborate and Listen: Vanilla Ice is Back with an Old School Invention

I must admit, I'm a bit embarrassed by how incredibly nervous I was to talk to Vanilla Ice. The way the cell phone was shaking in my hand, you'd think it was 1990 all over again.

Much like every other human who listened to the radio in the early '90s, I knew -- and still know -- all the words to "Ice, Ice Baby." But because I was at the impressionable age of 10 when the track hit No. 1, I also remember bleaching my bangs blond, shaving stripes in my eyebrows, and doing "the worm" at a sixth grade dance. I guess that's really what I should be embarrassed about.

The reason for the phone call was not to discuss the four hardcore albums he's released since "To the Extreme" sold more than 10 million copies, to talk about his amateur motocross career nor even reminisce on his time as a cast member of "The Surreal Life." Instead, we talked about his upcoming performance with MC Hammer.

With '90s groups like New Kids on the Block and the Spice Girls already riding the nostalgia train, it makes perfect sense that the decade's biggest rap artists would want to cash in as well. But here's where it gets weird. The pair's first duo performance in 18 years isn't part of a huge, orchestrated comeback tour. It's a one-night-only event. In Orem.

I didn't know what to expect from the interview. Would Vanilla Ice (or Rob Van Winkle, as he introduced himself) be annoyed by questions about the "Ice, Ice Baby" years? Would he get upset if I asked him about Eminem incessantly taking shots at him? Would he ask me if I own a copy of his 2003 nu metal album, "Hot Sex?"

It turns out, I had no reason to be nervous -- or even embarrassed. Mr. Van Winkle was upbeat, excitable and hilarious. And more than anything, he seemed like a guy who, despite being put through the ringer, is really happy with where he's been, where he's at, and where he's going. (He also cursed like a sailor and called me "bro" a lot.)

Me: An MC Hammer/Vanilla show? Why now?

Vanilla Ice: [When I heard about it] I said, 'A show with Hammer? Are you for real?' I thought it was a joke at first. But then I thought, 'This could be good, it could be fun. I'm gonna have fun with this.' I'm excited about it, man. With all this economy and bad news, it's a good time to put a smile on people's faces again. Back in the day, when me and Hammer did it, we pretty much set the world on fire. I'll have my full band, pyrotechnics, cannons blasting -- it's gonna be full-blown entertainment. Like it used to be. I'm definitely doing some old-school stuff that I haven't done since [the '90s]. We're gonna take 'em back to the old school, do some middle school, and some new shit, too. It's just going to be a big adventure.

Was Hammer your musical foe back in the day? The Magic Johnson to your Larry Bird?
Nah. I started out as MC Hammer's opening act. It was hilarious because my record passed his on the charts. I knocked him from No. 1 and he was opening for me all the sudden [laughs]. He and I have always been friends and have always remained friends. I've always looked up to him. He's an icon.

Tell me about life as the 'White Rapper?'
I had to knock down a lot of barriers back in the day. Hammer and I were both entertainers and both ran along the same lines, but I had to face a lot more adversity -- being the white guy in rap music. There was nobody in front of me that I could use as a guideline, like Eminem could use my career as a guideline.

How did you go from radio rap to hardcore rock?
I look at music a lot different than most people. I look at it as a reflection of how you feel. That's how it should be. Music shouldn't be about image or gimmicks or f--king "American Idol." When somebody else choreographs your dance moves, somebody else writes your lyrics, someone else chooses your clothes and does your hair, in the end you're artificial. So I boycotted against all that shit, man.

I resented myself a lot. So I rebelled against myself and my whole image. Music shouldn't be about image. I like my music to be like my diary. I had a lot of anger toward my old self and other issues in my life, so I worked with [producer] Ross Robinson (Limp Bizkit, Korn) who pulled it all out of me and helped me realize music works best when it's used as therapy. Since then, I've made records with a lot of personal, heavy shit. And I love it.

When you've got anger, you should let it out. The greatest thing that's ever happened to me is to go on a musical adventure and do everything the rulebook says you're not supposed to do. Rappers don't make rock music. Well, white rappers don't rap. I like to go against the grain and do whatever I feel like doing. It just comes out that way in the music, it's never planned. I don't have some sort of master plan. I just go in and I vibe.

What's in the Vanilla i(ce)Pod?

Sh--, I listen to everything, bro. When I'm racing motocross, I'm listening to Slipknot. But I can also jam to Kanye West, Jadakiss, Black Rob. I even listen to country sometimes, bro. It's weird, but some of that Kenny Chesney sh-- is pretty cool. I can't hate it.

How do you deal with getting dissed by other artists?

That's just entertainment, my friend. It got to me at first. The greatest thing I could do was [1998 album] "Hard to Swallow." It was therapy. Now I go back, I look at everything, and I love it. I still love the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, bro. Come on. [Vanilla Ice contributed the cleverly-titled track "Ninja Rap" to the first Ninja Turtles movie. He also made a stirring cameo appearance.]

There's no shame in my game anymore, man. Humiliation is a great thing. If you use it to your benefit, nothing can stop you. There's where I'm at. That's why I'm going to have fun coming to Utah and doing this show I haven't done in 18 years. I've got all sorts of crazy things running through my head right now, ideas I'm of what I'm going to do. I'm gonna have fun, man. It's time.

What do you hope will be the Vanilla Ice legacy?
I don't have much an ego left [laughs]. Whether they give me credit for it or not, I paved the way for people -- not just Eminem -- but hip-hop in general. My record was the first hip-hop song ever to be played on a pop station. Ever. It brought hip to people's ears who'd never considered listening to it. At one point, we were selling a million albums a day. It was a phenomenon. It almost killed me. It was a huge roller coaster, but without the low points I wouldn't be who I am today. We are who we are because of who we were. I'm very happy with who I am today. Life is about family and friends, bro. It's a simple thing.

Word to your mother.