(Definitive Jux)
The well-respected Definitive Jux record label sees its style take a new twist with the release of ....The End Of The Beginning, the debut album from Living Legends member MURS. Hailing from the Bay Area, MURS has been a mainstay in the west coast underground for what seems like forever. With this release, he's attempting to make the jump into the major leagues and put his name next to hip-hop's heavyweights.
The album solidly starts off with \You & I"" and ""Dibbs Did This Shit."" The former is a nice introduction to the flow and style of MURS while the latter is a well-produced instrumental which features clever samples over a mellow beat. Unfortunately, the buildup that the first two tracks create is destroyed by the next six as MURS seems to have difficulty keeping the content of his lyrics interesting. He decides to rap about such things as taking pills (""Happy Pillz""), hosting a high school party while his parents are away (""Risky Business"") and skateboarding (""Transitionz Az A Ridah""), the last two of which seem to be directed at his largest fanbase. The production over this slump is only average, with Belief putting down the only solid beat with ""What Do You Know?"" Fortunately for the listener, the next track, ""The Dance,"" is an oasis in the desert. Over standard creative El-P production, he and MURS flawlessly spit their alternative battle rhymes in double time.
Sadly, the ""everyday Joe"" rhymes featured on much of the rest of the album are boring enough to put even a caffeine addict to sleep. Rhymes about going to work (""God's Work"") and spending all of your money (""BT$"") may be foreign to the privileged, but are nothing new to everyone else.
This album is saved from being total garbage by the last three tracks. ""Brotherly Love"" and ""Got Damned"" show that MURS can rhyme about something worth listening to, and he delivers with a two-for-two performance. The last track, ""Done Deal,"" features an excellent performance from 3MG over a relaxing beat.
The major-league debut of MURS is a disappointing one. Fans of MURS will probably like this release as it seems to be geared toward them, but others should save their music budget and avoid it. He shows that he can adeptly start and finish an album, but is seemingly incapable of creating any quality in between. ....The End Of The Beginning is only worthwhile in the beginning and the end.
(StarTime International)
They opened for the French Kicks last year here in Madison at Club 770. This band of brothers, The Natural History, grew up in the upper east side of Manhattan, and are climbing their own hand-crafted ladder to the top. The Tepper brothers, Julian and Max, front the band as the bassist and guitarist, respectively, and both contribute vocal work. Derek Vockins is the drummer.
This three-man band has a sound similar to a '50s rock band-catchy and memorable. Yet a modern edge decorates its simplicity to keep the listeners alert and yearning for more. Increments of each song throughout the album delve into the flat and mysterious, but slide back to a content series of chords before concluding the track. Max Tepper's mature voice resembles the infamous Elvis Costello. This is fitting, considering these brothers grew up feasting on the sounds of Elvis Costello, and the Beatles-excellent music for prospective artists to be singing along to and soaking into their roots. In addition, there appears to be a wide variety of sounds coming from The Natural History. A drumbeat closely mimicking Sublime's ""Waiting For My Ruca,"" off 40 Oz. To Freedom, can be spotted on track six, ""Beat Beat."" A potential Blur influence can also be detected throughout.
Though this band has various aspects similar to those of other well-known bands or artists, their sound is a unique collaboration and should be respected as such. Their music is altogether soothing and uplifting, though the lyrics may stray a bit into the melancholy. This brings up another interesting design about the band-the lyrics seem simple, yet the meaning behind them can be hard to grasp. Whatever the meaning is, it seems to stem from a negative standpoint. In the opening track, ""Facts Are,"" Max belts out, ""They're forcing the facts on me, my love."" In the following track, ""Watch this House,"" a not-so-uplifting metaphor is presented: ""The house is a frame and it's burning down part by part."" Regardless, the CD remains toe-tappingly giddy.
This CD is recommended to people of all ages, for it lacks offensive lyrics and veers away from screeching, nails-on-a-chalkboard guitar shrills or screams (which, admittedly, have their own time and place). Each song is just long enough-not drawn out or lagging-but an enticing few minutes, just enough to keep one anxious for the next track to begin.
