Blog is a Mix Tape

Vox Hunt: It's Hidden

nobody@vox.com(Jason) — Sat, 03 Mar 2007 10:11:22 -0800

Audio: What's your favorite hidden track or song from an album?
Submitted by Kristine.

Kanye West

Corny lyrics notwithstanding, this track not featured on the US release of Late Registration has quite the infectious beat and I'm predisposed to like anything with Kweli and Common. Plus Q-Tip's verse feels very old school in a nostalgic but not totally offensive way.

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

My Mantra Song

nobody@vox.com(Jason) — Wed, 29 Nov 2006 22:47:03 -0800

and the running undercurrent of just about everything I write on Vox.

It's Your World, Pts. 1 & 2

Common

Now, I love both parts 1 & 2 but at 3:51 of this song, the kids come in talking about what they are going to Be and Lonnie "Pops" Lynn, Common's father, gets on and goes off. I think about and quote this all the time.

Just be, people. Just be.

*note: My Mantra Song is not the same as my Theme Song or my Favorite Song. Those are for another time.

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

QotD: Sunday Songs

nobody@vox.com(Jason) — Sun, 19 Nov 2006 13:20:11 -0800

What's your favorite music for a Sunday morning?
Submitted by Nick.

“Soul Power” Common Electric Circus (MCA 2002)
We did a phase of beats that didn’t make the album, so “Soul Power” was really the beginning, but we had already been working towards making new stuff. I remember talking to Jay Dee about just taking the music to another place. At the time we all were listening to Stereolab and Radiohead and I was listening to Jimi Hendrix and Pink Floyd, so Jay Dee knew I wanted some stuff that just didn’t sound standard, didn’t sound as traditional. I would explain a direction and he would come up with something that was completely above what I explained. We sat there and he came across the bassline part. We were both like, Oh man, and he started doing those drums the way he did it. It felt like that magic that I wanted. I knew that the way the drums were programmed were different than anything I had heard, and he went and pulled out this record that had the “Soul power!” vocals on it. And once he did that, I was like, “Man, this is a song right here.” The thing about Jay Dee was he could take it anywhere you wanted it to go. He could play instruments, he could cut. His musicianship was impeccable. Common

Shine On...And On (Extended Sentimental Remix), The Fader Blog, 11.18.106

This song doesn't fall into the genres that make my usual Sunday Morning iTunes playlist but The Fader has me all sentimental.

Soul Power

Common

Read and post comments | Send to a friend