Bold As Love

VIDEO: Massive Attack -- "Paradise Circus"

Just 'cause I'm feeling this new album.  Dubby goodness.  Just wallow in all that low end!

UPDATE: My former colleague, Paul James, hipped me to the fact that the video is a recut/mashup of the Massive Attack song and the trailer for the movie The Fall by Tarsem Singh (REM's Losing My Religion and the movie The Cell).  Check it out:

Additional link:

• Heligoland album art and track listing

John Mayer apology video

Great to see The Smyrk's Doron Flake in this comedic skit.  Jambo, indeed!

Also via TheRoot.com.

Additional link:

• Listening Post: The Smyrk -- "Whenever You Call"

VIDEO: The 54 -- "Domination"

Been aware of these guys for a minute, but just discovered this video.  Haven't heard their album yet, but this morning got a tweet from fam in ATL (thanks Gudrun!) that the band's live show kills.  By the looks of this video, it looks like these guys can show and prove.

From what I see on their MySpace page, it looks like they'll be at SXSW.  In the meantime, I'm sure our ATL contributor Dom Brady has them in his sights for an interview in the near future.

Additional link:

• The 54 on Myspace

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VIDEO: Game Rebellion -- "Blind"

GAME REBELLION- BLIND from Free Integrated Media on Vimeo.

The Rebels visualize their first single.  Day-glo all the way.  Nicely done, fellas.

VIDEO: Peekaboo Theory -- "Immediate Hesitation"

Just 'cause I can't get the guitar riff out of my head.  Now I'm really bummed I missed them at last year's SXSW Music Festival.  Love the energy here, and I'm looking forward to hearing more and seeing them live.  Here's hoping this crew from Houston can put together an East Coast swing.

Hat tip to our Oakland correspondent, Sierra McClain, for the heads-up.

Additional links:

• Peekaboo Theory official site

VIDEO: Big Mama Thornton feat. Buddy Guy -- "Hound Dog"

And a big bow wow to you, too.

Additional links:

• Willie Mae "Big Mama" Thornton on Wikipedia
• Buddy Guy official site

Do you like what you've seen on this blog over the last three years? If so, consider making a small donation--$1, $5, $10--whatever you can. Here's why I'm asking and how you can donate.

VIDEO: Sade -- "Soldier of Love"

'Cause it's a wild, wild west, indeed! In case you haven't seen it yet.  Enjoy.

Thanks to Bossip and TheRoot.com for the heads up.

VIDEO: Vernon Reid talks writing "Cult of Personality" and the riffs behind it

All you guitar players out there will dig this.  It's both the ideas behind the lyrics and a look at the main riffs.

Hat tip to Mark Anthony Neal for the heads up.

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VIDEO: BLK JKS -- "Molalatladi"

BLK JKS - MOLALATADI from Jamie-James Medina on Vimeo.

I shared this track before the BLK JKS album, After Robots, dropped in early September.  However, I had no idea there was a video.  And, yes, there is such an activity--apparently popular in South Africa--called train surfing.  Good thing this video was directed by Jamie James-Medina, who also co-directed a documentary on the subject.  Just glad no surfers got hurt in the making of this video.

And please, kids, don't try this on the F train as it goes into the Smith & 9th Street station here in Brooklyn.

Thanks to Peter Macia at The Fader for tip.

Additional link:

• BLK JKS official site

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VIDEO: Best of 2009 Round-Up Starts Nows

It's that time of year again.

As was the case for last year and in 2007, this is completely up to you, the readers.  I'm not trying to come up with a ranked list like other publications.  Rather it's an opportunity for you, the members of the black rock community to shout out artists who were in heavy rotation on your MP3 players or whose shows you just couldn't stay away from, or artists who compelled you to spend way more money on them than you should've.

Some simple rules:

• You can drop your list in the comments section below, but it's better to email me directly at rafields[at]gmail[dot]com
• A "release" can be a single, a mixtape, an EP or a full-length album, as well as a video.
• It should have been released between January 1, 2009 and December 31, 2009.
• Multi-racial bands are welcome, BUT the lead creative person in the band MUST be a person of color
• All styles are valid, but I'm looking for black rock/Afro-punk/Ghetto Metal/urban alternative/progressive black music releases.  International stuff, even.  I want folks who are defying convention and breaking boundaries musically.

Finally, I'll link back to the your site.  So give me your list in the following format:

• Name, where you're located, how you describe yourself, along with a URL you'd like me to link back to.

For example, mine would be Rob Fields, Brooklyn, NY, Black rock evangelist (www.boldaslove.us)

Got it?  Good.  Now just waiting to hear from you. . .

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