I think that Republican’s and Democrats alike are having a similar moment today upon learning of John McCain’s vice-presidential announcement this morning. Who? What? Why? Her name is Sara Palin and she has been the governor of Alaska for a year and eight months. Before that she was mayor of a town of less than 10,000 which although she calls herself a ‘fiscal conservative’ (do these even exist anymore?) she left with $20 million in debt. McCain’s response to Obama’s wonderfully eloquent acceptance speech stomping him and the Repugnant-cans is to throw what’s being described by red and blue alike as a political hail-mary pass. But I ask: “At what? To where?” I think he just took the ball and threw it as long and far as he could down the field, in the wrong direction. While Republican’s were saying things like “Who?” and “I don’t know, I’ve never met her” this afternoon when asked for comment the rest of us were getting a crash course on a vice-presidential nominee we had never heard of.

Palin as Miss Wasilla, Alaska in 1984

The fact that nobody seemed to know anything about her, including those on her own side, seems like pretty strong evidence that McCain watched Barack Obama’s speech and convention last night, shit in his Depends, and desperately reached for the wildest wild card that he could play in order to first: draw attention away from a speech that pundits are calling masterful, brilliant, tough, confident and Republicans are comparing to Ronald Reagan (crazy, I know) and second: to frantically try to claim the mantle of change in an election where he is being portrayed as the incumbent in an environment deeply hostile to the current regime.

This leads me to ask: no, seriously, what was he thinking? Was he thinking that he would be able to swing some of the disgruntled Hillary supporters because his new running mate has a vagina? If this is the idea, not only will it not work but I can see it triggering a terrific backlash. First of all, Palin is the opposite of Clinton on policy positions. As someone who is pro-life, pro-gun, anti-environment (she’s against polar bears for god’s sake, didn’t she see those cute Coke commercials?) and vetoed solar, wind and coal initiatives as governor she is basically an evil anti-Clinton mirror twin from Bizarro World. Further she is a 44 year old former beauty queen political lightweight with zero, repeat, zero experience on the national scene. She is as far from Hillary as you can get and still be a female politician. The message I read from this from McCain to Hill’s supporters is: you’re women, she’s one of you, you’re all so blind and stupid that you won’t care that she’s diametrically opposed to everything Hillary fought for for years and years and endured terrible humiliation to get to, vote McCain. You might as well spray them with mace. Bonus negative million points: Hillary will be SO MAD about this that she is going to be back in this campaign spitting acid and SWINGING. So, way to go McCain. You did, I think, the only thing possible to motivate Clinton to campaign as hard as she possibly can for the man who beat her in the primaries.

Next: Age is officially on the table. The fact that McCain could, on his seventy second birthday, nominate a woman who is so deeply, clearly, dangerously unprepared to step in as commander in chief should he succumb to a fifth bout with cancer just illustrates to both sides how much McCain is willing to risk our national security and stop at nothing to win an election. And he accused Obama of being willing to lose a war to win an election? Are you kidding?

Lastly, McCain just picked up the experience stick he’s been beating Obama with all summer, really one of his few legitimate claims, no one can take away the fact that he’s been in Washington for 26 years, and broke it over his own head. By nominating a VP who is both younger, less experienced and also less known than Obama he’s effectively neutralized that argument for himself and his surrogates. The upside for him is that should he be elected he’s pulled an effective Bush-ist move in that absolutely no one will dare to assasinate him for fear that this woman will be running the country.

PS: to those of you are thinking: what is wrong with Matt Shadetek, why is he only talking about politics and writing these weird ranty essays and not talking about music? Well, sorry, this is what I’m thinking about right now and I’ll be damned if I can’t rant about in on my own blog. This is mainly because I feel so strongly that America needs to dump the Republicans and put Obama in the White House that I literally cannot shut up about it.

Oh and PPS: Fuck Daddy Yankee for endorsing McCain (another giant WTF?!?! with a biillion explanation points and question marks) and respect to Fat Joe for dissing him.  What a jackass!

Rupture has a music video! - spatial city type ting. Look at it, listen to the tune by Baby Kites and Nokea, get lost in the maze, broke down city style. Uproot & Ingredients soon coming. Buy MP3 release now!

&&&

Let’s go to Harlem and meet Charles Hamilton… exciting new talent, producer/emcee, obsessive Sonic fan, wears a lot of pink. This song/beat is a great commercial for Windows and for Charles Hamilton, and his various web addresses. Word to Microsoft, forget Seinfeld and cut the check for Hamilton.

Charles Hamilton - Windows Media Player

The Hamiltonization Process

I’m really hoping this is McCain’s “Macaca” moment. Interviewed and asked how many houses he owned: “I think — I’ll have my staff get to you,” McCain told Politico in Las Cruces, N.M. “It’s condominiums where — I’ll have them get to you.”

Mannnnn. I can tell you exactly how much I’ve got in the bank right now (not enough), and how many houses I own: none. I also don’t have a staff to keep track of these things for me, I just remember. For someone who’s supposed to be running the country and keeping track of a lot more information than that, this is not a good look for the McCain campaign. David Gergen has been quoted again and again as saying “Obama needs a game-changer” due to the fact that he is not further ahead in the polls. This might be it.

Obama’s hitting hard on it now, something I’m happy to see since a lot of Democrats have opted not to fight dirty in these kind of fights in the past and some would argue lost because of it (Kerry’s swift boating anyone?) and I personally want a candidate that is gonna take it to the Republicans with two fists and throw mud, rocks and whatever else is handy in order to WIN. Let’s hope Obama and his surrogate’s stay on message with this one and just keep beating McCain with this right up to November. I don’t really see a lot of outs for the McCain people either, aside from attacking back, which they’re trying, using the same elitist celebrity tactics they’ve been on but I really doubt they can get much traction against this. Oh, and the number did come out, it’s not “More than four” (wtf kind of answer is that?!?!) it’s actually SEVEN, including houses on both coasts and more places in between. If you live in a swing state like Ohio, Florida or Virginia be sure to let as many people as you can know about this one.

For the two videos click through to watch the Obama commercial and remarks.

Also, while I’m talking about the election, which I’ve been following avidly, I’d just like to point out how quickly Obama’s organization has responded to this. McCain slipped up yesterday, I got this ad in an email from the campaign today. Talk about rapid response. McCain can’t rapidly respond to a question about his own financial life. If you want evidence of who will be a better head of the executive branch of our government look at how Obama is executing strategy for his campaign. A short list: A) record number of small, non-special interest donations due to excellent internet fund-raising B) volunteers on the ground in fifty states opening fights in places McCain thought he was safe and bleeding his already poorly organized resources C) the rapid and pointed response to this opportunity. Contrast this to Hillary’s campaign which was top-down, rife with infighting and only stayed afloat due to her own cash injections which she’s now taking a huge loss on and (sorry Clintonites) but you see who is ready to lead on day one.

[cross-posted to MuddUp!]

dear West Coast peoples, this is a quick reminder that I’ll be playing at Portland’s Holocene tomorrow night (1st time in Pdx in ages and its only 5 bucks), and at a big Surya Dub party in San Francisco on Saturday.

tell a friend to tell a friend to form an army and march it on through:

…to the tropical bass & dutty selections of DA hermanos Rupture & Geko Jones this Saturday, late, BK loft style. i got elsewheres to be earlier so expect me on around 3:30… party goes til we find the sun again.

Domingo Garcia Henriquez

-Tatico-

Despues que Dios hizo el mundo noto’ que se le olvidaba algo, entoces hizo las manos de Tatico

1943-1976

After God made the world, he noticed he forgot something- then he made Tatico’s hands

I’ve been out hunting in Washington Heights a couple times this year searching for tunes and source material in what’s left of the mixtape shops up there - damned internet.

On my first trip, I trekked uptown with Rupture on a Perico Ripiao re-con mission. The dealers will usually let you decide whether you want the original or the cd-r so you can really rack up at some of these spots. That trip was my first time hearing el fuego improvisado that is Tatico Henriquez.

I feel totally robbed that I didn’t hear this guy growing up on the island next door. At first listen, he is an artist that draws from the listener a sense of appreciation for his contribution not only to music but to his culture. I’ll see your cotton candy pop star and raise you one jibaro de campo and a bag of plantain chips.

Here’s the story of the chunky hick that comes down from the back woods with his accordion, lucky to get paid free food and rum, who completely changed the music game in DR and raised the stakes for merengue players from making 100 dollars to play a bar to making 3-5 thousand dollars a night. He also accredited as one of the earliest latin musicians to have crossed over and played in America.

After years of tagging along behind the best accordion players on the island, guys like Matoncito and Nicolora who’s names are only carried on the lips of camperos. He learned their old songs and in later years there was some controversy over the authorship credits of some of his interpretations. Copyright issues aside, should we not merit him for capturing and rescuing this music before it was lost? What he eventually developed was a sound of his own adding the first electric bass and congas to the genre. He would play shows from seven to eight hours long shredding on his two-row diatonic accordion tuned to the key of A instead of C like all other accordions. He did this to match the key he sang in making the interplay of his voice and his instrument sync.

Then there’s the fact he’s often just improvising the lyrics. How many people do you know that can freestyle and play instrument and sound ill at both? To me that’s genius level shit on par with folks like D’Angelo, Meshell Ndegeocello. Add to that a sweet voice, the g-suave charisma plus success element and what you get is jokes from his widow about women leaving their husbands on the dancefloor and go home with this guy.

The sound he unleashed via shows and his two hour weekly show on Radio Naguas spread all over the Dominican Republic. 30 years past his death he remains to this day one of the most requested artists on merengue tipico stations out there. He died in a car crash in 1976 and what they showed of the wreckage was a gnarled Caddy that resembled a plane crash. Tatico was Buddy Holly. Tatico was Kurt Cobain. Another one gone way too soon. He should be celebrated like Tito or Celia as one of the great contributors to latin music.

Large up to the folks over at the Merenyola website for Merengue Tipico events in NYC and for putting up this one hour documentary on youtube.

gex

new mix from our considerate Dutty Artz brethren and low end theorist Taliesin. Prepare to get soaked. Tally goes in/hard!! Tracklist and info will appear in the near future.

Taliesin - Tar Beach Mix

New Rupture Mix - tracklist, release date, info!

yes, we’re excited. this was becoming Rupture’s Detox.

Here’s something you can buy now - @ turntable lab, listen/download an excerpt from mudd up! ask about it, when you see him at upcoming shows.

some presents from the bearded man in the colorful sweater.

Lil Wayne - A Milli/Various Production - Pintman (Ghislain Poirier Mash)

I didn’t like the original “A Milli” beat, but I like this one… and according to Mr eel, the beat is from Various Diver 12″.

Ghislain Poirier feat. MC Zulu - Go Ballistic (Toddla T & Duckbeats Remix)

info

Cheerio,

L

from a recent essay by M.A.N (about Coltrane, Lil Wayne, black masculinity, and the post-trauma blues)

Unlike historical figures like Doug E. Fresh and Biz Markie who used their voices to create new sounds, Lil Wayne, like Coltrane is really using his voice to find alternative registers for what has clearly been a life lived in absurdity and pain–even if some of it might have been self inflicted. And perhaps it is as it should be, as Lil Wayne’s urges us to come to terms with the first edge of the Post-Katrina Blues.

Lil Wayne - Real Rap

-$-$-$

A Blender magazine cover story offers a glimpse into the world of Wayne -

Like any rock star, Lil Wayne isn’t immune to self-mythologizing. To hear him tell it, he’s a superman: He describes surviving two bullets—one a self-inflicted accident at age 12 and one fired into his bus by an angry groupie—with chuckling élan; he’s an indefatigable hustler: “I’m always in the lab”; and he’s an artist beholden to no one but his own codeine-addled muse: “The word pressure is not in my vocabulary.”

But the man desperately needs a vacation. The first day we meet, he’s running 10 hours behind—handlers try to rouse him from bed throughout the day, but word keeps coming back that “he’s in a coma.” The next day, at his condo, he snaps at T for failing to pack enough cough syrup for the trip to Atlanta. “I thought you said you were doing it,” T protests.

“Me? Why would I say that?” Wayne snarls. “Since when is that my job?”

I have a very dear friend by the name of Abena Koomson who has been a frequent collaborator at several of my events over the past three years. Last night, she invited me to watch the dress rehearsal of the new off-broadway musical based on the life of Fela Kuti that opens later this week. She’ll be playing Fela’s mum, Funmilayo Kuti. The show is being direct by the incomparable Bill T Jones (no relation but obviously the Joneses are waaaay cool.) and the score is set by New York’s reigning kings of Afrobeat ….Antibalas.

Holy shite is this a rockin show! I was a little worried about how they would execute the story line but hands down this was one of the best shows I’ve seen. It feels alot less like a theatrical interpretation and alot more like your actually watching Fela rock a live show with the Africa 70.

Antibalas is an amazing collective and Bill did a great job letting the songs tell the story. Getting to see and hear all these great jams performed live with dancers for some 2 1/2 hours was nothing short of amazing. The show stars Sahr Ngaujah as Fela. Though he’s easily got a good 40 pounds on the original artist he sounds uncannily like Ransome and his body movements are an eerie reminder of the man’s stage presence.

Growing up a junglist/dancehall geek I always had a love for rebel music but it wasn’t until a couple years ago when I moved to Brooklyn that I got hit in the head with Afrobeat music and the story of one of the greatest artists in recording history. The documentary on his life: Music is the Weapon is part of the “So You Wanna Move to Brooklyn” survival guide along with Shirley Chisholm 72′ Unbought and Unbossed.

ATTENDANCE IS A MUST!

I’ve asked special permission to post the following dutty discount so that pricing is not an obstacle barring you from attending. Regular tickets are like 75 ducati and you’re saving loads for having checked this blog. Don’t sleep.

Performance Schedule for FELA! A New Musical

August 5 - September 3
Tuesday 7pm | Wednesday-Friday 8pm | Saturday 2pm & 8pm | Sunday 2pm

September 5 - September 21
Tuesday 7pm | Wednesday-Friday 8pm | Saturday 2pm & 8pm | Sunday 2pm & 7pm

USE CODE SOCIAL1 for discount tix: $26.25

Three ways to buy:
online (http://felaoffbroadway.com/buy-tickets.html);
call (212-307-7171);
or visit the box office at 37 Arts (450 W. 37th Street).

visit www.FELAOffBroadway.com for more info.

In this new musical, directed and choreographed by Tony Award® winner Bill T. Jones with a book by Jim Lewis and arrangements by Aaron Johnson and Antibalas, audiences are welcomed into the extravagant, decadent and rebellious world of Afrobeat legend Fela Anikulapo-Kuti. Using his pioneering music (a blend of jazz, funk and African rhythm and harmonies), Fela! explores his controversial life as artist, political activist and revolutionary musician. Featuring many of Fela’s most captivating songs and Bill T. Jones’s imaginative staging, this new show is a provocative hybrid of concert, dance and musical theater.

hi my name is DJ Rupture and I WILL BE SELLING ALL OF MY RECORDS at the Brooklyn Flea on Sunday Sept 14th. OK, so probably not all of them. Maybe just 300-500 of them… whatever, I don’t buy bad records so the selection will be choice.

And the day before that, there will be another FIESTA SOOT @ Manhattan’s Bowery Poetry Clubb, lineup TBC.

plus, CUUUUUMMMMMMMBIA

from The Fader blog:

“For more than a year now little bits of cumbia detritus have been washing up on our screens from all corners—white labels from SF’s Bersa Discos label, uncredited cumbia crunk border radio-style party blends from somewhere in TX, uncredited youtube clips of dubbed out accordion jams…After awhile we felt the need to get the full story behind these mysterious artifacts, so we enlisted the most well-rounded cumbiologist we know; DJ /Rupture aka writer Jace Clayton, to get on the case.

Having been involved in everything from remixes to chicha and Colombian roots reissues, Jace seemed uniquely positioned to give us an overview of the century old genre, so we took him at his word when he said Buenos Aires was the current hot spot and the ultimate origin point of much of the stuff we’d been hearing and hearing about. One plane ticket later, Jace and photographer Gabriele Stabile had embarked on a documentary mission to BA that resulted in a Summer Music issue feature. And now here it is in web-form; back on our screens, where it all started. After you’re done reading the feature, check out Jace guest columning this week’s Ghetto Palms on cumbia here.”

Slow Burn cumbia article

DJ Rupture - Villera Palms cumbia mix with full tracklist/writeup

Texans are buying more guns, fearing what will happen “if the wrong people get elected.”

Any excuse to reuse this image.

The Knux - Bang Bang

The Knux (formerly known as The Knuckleheads) had a song about Cappuccino I didn’t like. Their new one is somewhat compatible with the news article above, not to mention the humidity. Bun and Wayne are cold and II Trill is > Trill, Mo– if you’re reading this.

Bun B f/ Lil Wayne - Damn I’m Cold