At some point, I'm going to do a full writeup of just Amphetamine Reptile Records. I loved that label so much. Here's today's music.
J-Zone, "Caddy Coupe (Instrumental)"
Another J-Zone track, and another one that isn't actually him rhyming. This is the instrumental of one of the better songs from Fish-n-Grits, his most recent hip-hop album. The original is a meditation on what his grandfather considered luxury, and what a Cadillac meant to him, along with Has-Lo contributing a verse on the same subject. Anyway, you can't hear all that. Sorry!
Money Mark, "Maybe I'm Dead"
Money Mark back again, with an almost Beck-esque song. I like the groove on this track a lot.
Urge Overkill, "Last Train to Heaven"
There was a time when Urge Overkill was hyped as the next big thing. It's a little strange to remember now, and thinking that this band was going to follow in Nirvana's footsteps does seem pretty ridiculous. Now, they're mostly known for a Neil Diamond cover that Quentin Tarantino used for the Pulp Fiction soundtrack.
The Roots, "The Lesson - Part III (It's Over Now)"
There aren't that many acts in hip-hop that have lasted for more than a handful of albums. There are even fewer that have kept up the quality of their releases. (The same is true in other genres, of course.) The Roots are, what, a dozen albums in? More than that? And they're still really good! When you put their body of work against basically anybody else, they start looking pretty darn good. Their peak can't match that of other groups, so "best ever" kind of comes down to how well you value peak versus longevity. But still.
This track is the closer of The Roots Come Alive, a rare live album that gets a big thumbs up from me.
Guzzard, "Kept Between Narrow Lines"
A forgotten Amphetamine Reptile act, Guzzard was a little more punk rather than noise compared to many of their stable mates, but I loved their comparatively stripped down sound. This comes from their third record, Alienation Index Survey, which I think is their best album. This song only had 15 views on YouTube. Tragic!