Big and brash, Fat Joe is almost twenty years in the making and can still bang out a record that turns heads in a New York minute. The Darkside, the latest album, is like a well executed assault with Fat J pulling some illustrious characters together. With some help from Busta Rhymes, Trey Songz, Young Jeezy, Lil Wayne and R. Kelly, The Darkside could be the most contentious and truculent hip hop album out right now. (more…)
The Archives
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Concert Reviews
Slaughterhouse @ Théâtre Corona – 04.10.10
04.16.10Despite being short a member, Slaughterhouse took to the stage in ‘real city’ last week for a night of boozing, bashing and rapping. Hip-hop fans piled into Théâtre Corona for the baseball cap adorned, self-proclaimed “best hip-hop group ever”, a claim they set out to prove all night. (more…)
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Bits & Pieces
We Are the World Performers List Revealed
02.02.10As we previously reported, among the numerous star studded fundraising efforts to combat the effects of the disastrous earthquake to hit Haiti last month, has been a 25th anniversary version of the We Are the World charity single. The 1985 original brought together some of the world’s biggest stars, reading like a who’s who of the pop music scene of the time, with Diana Ross, Michael Jackson (who co-wrote the song with Lionel Ritchie), Bruce Springsteen and Stevie Wonder all lending their vocals with the aim to end famine in Africa. This time, money raised will go to Haiti, and as MTV has reported the lineup is no less impressive: Kanye West, Brian Wilson, Miley Cyrus, Gladys Knight, Barbra Streisand, Pink, Nick Jonas, LL Cool J, Robin Thicke, Celine Dion, Akon, Rob Thomas, Wyclef Jean, Jeff Bridges, Vince Vaughn, Jordin Sparks, Good Charlotte’s Madden brothers, Tony Bennett, Josh Groban, Snoop Dogg, Justin Bieber, Jennifer Hudson, Keri Hilson, Jamie Foxx, Tyrese, Katharine McPhee, Sean Garrett, will.i.am, Carlos Santana, Melanie Fiona, Enrique Iglesias, Toni Braxton, Jason Mraz, Busta Rhymes, Nicole Scherzinger, Nicole Richie, Usher, Julianne Hough, Raphael Saadiq, Zac Brown, India.Arie, Randy Jackson, Musiq Soulchild, Ann and Nancy Wilson of Heart, Fonzworth Bentley, Kid Cudi, IYAZ, Bizzy Bone, Nipsey Hussle, Al Jardine, Trey Songz, Faith Evans and Mya. (more…)
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Bits & Pieces, Concert Reviews
cornershopstudios’ Top Ten Concerts of 2009
01.01.10With the plethora of live shows that constantly swirl through our lives, it may seem a daunting task to choose but some of the best… and it is. But we buckled down and pulled out the Top Ten shows that made our ears ring, toes tap and bodies move. Curious? Yeah you are…
1. The Lemonheads @ Maison des arts de Laval – 07.03.09
In a music lover’s lifetime they hope for an opportunity to witness rock ‘n’ roll in it’s truest form. Many forget that pain and a series of missteps usually define the true form of expression through music. The Lemonheads reminded us of the elegantly wasted glow of grunge and thusly stand at this year’s number one spot for best show of 2009.
2. The Dead Weather @ Ottawa Bluesfest – 07.19.09
As a shining member of modern rock’s royal family, Jack White assembled a band of audio heavyweights the likes of which devour a stage armed with what can only be defined as an intrinsic ability to perform. The Dead Weather stand tall as they grab the number two spot for a performance that still has Ottawa ringing.
3. Mastodon @ Le National – 05.04.09
The seething crowd moved in calculated time with the gargantuan tsunami of distorted fantasy as Mastodon disrupted Le National’s chi to take a commanding hold at number three. (more…)
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CD Reviews
Royce da 5’9” – Street Hop
10.25.09Formerly the center of the hip-hop world’s drama (including a drawn out rivalry between Eminem’s crew D12) Royce de 5’9’’ puts out Street Hop, an album with self-reflective musings backed by some fat beats. (more…)
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Bits & Pieces
Turntablist DJ Roc Raida Passes Away At 37
09.21.0937-year-old master turntablist Anthony Williams, better known by his stage name DJ Roc Raida, died on Saturday with the cause of death still unknown. The scratch master’s passing was confirmed by long time cohort and friend Busta Rhymes, with the word warrior announcing on Twitter, “I am sorry 2 say that on this day at 2:05 Sept 19th we lost another incredible life… DJ Roc Raida died 2day my personal DJ is gone”. Raida was a founding member of the legendary turntable crew the X-Ecutioners, winner of the 1995 DMC World DJ Championships, released many solo records and manned the tables for diverse artists such as Big Pun, Pink, Nelly and Bill Laswell. The Roc Raida was most recently viewed on the silver screen starring in Doug Pray’s documentary dubbed Scratch. He will be greatly missed by his friends and peers and lives on through his many accomplishments within the hip hop community. R.I.P. DJ Roc Raida, your memory will beat on.
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Concert Reviews
Busta Rhymes @ Metropolis – 08.20.09
08.26.09
“Clap your hands just like this… Unless your pussy smells like fish”, were just some of the colorful pieces of insight uttered by Busta Rhymes as he took an antsy Metropolis by storm following an hour and a half wait… However based on the explosive response and the cannabis cloud holding up the venue’s ceiling, the night’s patrons were none too upset. (more…)
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Bits & Pieces
Busta Rhymes – Last Night @ Metropolis
08.21.09
Three things are certain in life… Death, taxes and the incendiary presence Busta Rhymes brings to the live stage. “If you ain’t gonna snap your fingers, then you’re free to get the fuck out the club”… Stay tuned for the photos so sweet and the words so pure.
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Bits & Pieces
Busta Rhymes – Tonight @ Metropolis
08.20.09Metropolis is under siege as Brooklyn power house rapper Busta Rhymes spits vicious flows for Montreal tonight.
With special guests: DJ Shortcut + Belly + Koriass + Narcicyst + Shogun
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Concert Reviews
Ottawa Bluesfest 2009 – Festival Wrap-up
07.26.09The Ottawa Bluesfest’s prime quality is undoubtedly the eclectic nature of its list of performers on any given night. Ice Cube opening for Our Lady Peace? Deer Tick and The Dead Weather on the same stage only hours apart? Not many festivals offer such high caliber variety and therein lies the Bluesfest’s success. Follow along as cornershopstudios recaps these amazing 12 days of music.
Legends of the rock world exploded night after night onto the Bank of America Stage, demonstrating great skill and mastery of their respective instruments. Jeff Beck ran fingers on his guitar meticulously controlling each vibration and modulation of the strings. Ben Harper’s hands showed frenzied skill on the slide guitar, with RELENTLESS7 holding up their end of the bargain as melodic support. His hands following along to the beat, Joe Cocker strummed the air as he relived his old melodies and Ice Cube commanded the audience and made them bounce with a raised Westside “W”. Busta Rhymes, who showed up an hour late and played a mere 20 minutes, still managed to squeeze out a response from the audience, hands in the air, bling gleaming in the sunlight…
Also present were acts that were not only legendary but genius back in their hay-day: the 90s. All three carried a big blinking billboard above their heads that read: Can they still pull this off? Well, they all proved that to a certain degree they still can. I’ll be the first one to admit surprise as I expected a monumental meltdown from Scott Weiland of Stone Temple Pilots but instead was treated to a rocking performance. Our Lady Peace on the other hand started off really shaky, specifically on their older repertoire, but they picked it right up dipping into hits from their latest effort Burn Burn. As for Les Claypool, those of you expecting the eccentric and hilarious Primus frontman well, not quite. He now serves more of a niche market; fading into the eerie and downright weird…Still has mad bass skills though!
Some of the most riveting performances however were pulled off by acts with the lowest member count. Japandroids were a total revelation in raw distorted sound, as the guitar and drums twosome tore it up on stage before a quasi non-existent crowd in a rain storm. The few of us in attendance were treated to a duo giving 200%, playing close to an hour before they were plainly kicked off stage. The Black Keys on the other hand were no surprise… in excellence. They brought exactly what we’ve come to expect of them, an emotionally charged and grandiose sound unmatched at this festival.
The Rogers Stage’s 8 o’clock show was a daily feature of some of the hottest artists of the moment. Metric‘s Emily Haines rocked out to tracks off their new album Fantasies but also took some time to chat about love and saving the world. The foursome made quite a connection with the crowd as they pushed out their indie pop/rock up until the last instant. The Sam Roberts Band also bonded with everyone as they used the combined voices of thousands for Brother Down‘s chorus singing “I think my life is passing me by”. Neko Case’s always pitch perfect haunting vocal renderings paired with her brand of alt-country, was the perfect answer to a rainy afternoon. Down under native Xavier Rudd sang to us from the heart, his words translated through the smiles in his eyes. His very obvious joie de vivre was contagious and spread through the crowd at a lightning fast pace. Matt Berninger of The National came dressed for success as he forced his deep voice across the great expanse of land before him. The next night, LIVE was all over the Rogers Stage with everyone present singing along to some of their greatest hits like Lightning Crashes and I Alone. They definitely drew out one of the more enthusiastic bunches of people. In the ‘tough act to follow’ category, Ludacris brought out the largest and rowdiest crowd to attend a Rogers Stage performance. Luda’s fans did not shy away from showing their love either during his tribute to Michael Jackson or his shout out to the 613 before his rendition of Area Codes. Closing off the more than a week long list of extraordinary performances was arguably one of the best shows Ottawa will see all year… Scratch that, decade: The Dead Weather. With a short set of less than an hour, this powerhouse combo of sickly gifted musicians gave rock a rebirth in the form of a raw and dirty sonic explosion… It made even the best of us feel about 1mm tall…
Far and near on Lebreton Flats you could hear a guitar wailing as melancholy filled the warm summer air. The country/folk-rock genres were extremely well represented this year as the likes of Iron and Wine, Steve Earle, The Low Anthem, Deer Tick and Drive-By Truckers all took to the stage where they left a piece of themselves and took a piece of us all with them. Samuel Beam of Iron and Wine bared his musical soul and on the following night, seasoned rocker Steve Earle stomped his feet, scratched his guitar and played his harmonica to the tune of I Ain’t Ever Satisfied. The Low Anthem played a respectable set sprinkled with their eclectic mix of instruments, but unfortunately all the subtleties of their sound was lost in the vastness, being more suited to a small indoor venue. Given their late arrival, relative newcomers Deer Tick managed to piece together a decent hour even without the chance to sound check. Their new single Easy earned them some respect from a crowd who was mostly there awaiting the arrival of the mighty Jack White. The Drive-By Truckers were the most sincere and fervent of the bunch, their performance feeling quite personal. They played mostly to and for themselves, lacking some crowd interaction, but that didn’t take away from the impassioned performance.
Canada’s own were also very well represented. Toronto’s Thunderheist gave a very intimate performance with a casual feel that made the audience feel like a group of 25 packed into a tiny dance club. MC Isis and Grahm Zilla proved that they’re a match made in Canadian indie-dance heaven! From across the country, Vancouver’s Mother Mother brought all the quirky spirited pizzazz found on their latest release Oh My Heart and multiplied its intensity with every cheer from their fans. Montreal also had it covered as two of its electro-rock darling duos held their own on the Bank of America Stage; Beast created quite a buzz while Handsome Furs’ set was all fuzz and no fluff.
The festival also produced some pretty soulful performances. Gym Class Heroes brought a continuous bounce to a sea of hoodies and caps, while K’NANN had us on our feet, grooving to his world inspired beats. Sharon Jones took the crown for dance performance of the festival; sweating it out to every dance style imaginable the 53-year-old had more energy than most of the much younger Bluesfest performers! Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings put on a highly memorable appearance and everyone present had the blisters on their feet to prove it.
The festival’s grand finale was triumphantly executed by New York City’s Yeah Yeah Yeahs. What better way to end an awesome 12 days than with Karen O wearing a pink light mask and singing Heads Will Roll? Top it off with sparkling confetti and a giant inflatable eye bouncing around on the crowd and who could ask for more? For all these reasons and the ones listed above, there’s no question that the Ottawa Bluesfest is the premier destination for music in Canada!
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Bits & Pieces
Busta Rhymes – Last Night @ Ottawa Bluesfest
07.17.09
After “being stuck in Montreal” and getting on stage an hour late, Busta Rhymes treated some very irked fans to a first-class, albeit way too short 25 minute set last night at the Ottawa Bluesfest. Come back soon for our who, what, where, when and why festival wrap up.
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Bits & Pieces
Busta Rhymes – Tonight @ Ottawa Bluesfest
07.16.09The wildly boisterous Busta Rhymes brings his thuggish ragga-influenced rap style to the Bank of America Stage tonight at the Ottawa Bluesfest.
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CD Reviews
Asher Roth – Asleep in the Bread Aisle
04.25.09
It seems as though the days of violent gangster rap are long behind us, as well as the disappearance of a genre yearning for cash, bitches and hoes. Hailing from the depths of white middle class Pennsylvanian suburbia, Asher Roth drops his debut track basket, Asleep in the Bread Aisle. (more…)
