Orange Alert's Music Minute

At the age of 40 Bristol's Adrian Thaws (a.k.a. Tricky) is back with his first album in five years. On August 5th he will release the gritty, resolute "Council Estate," the first single taken from, Knowle West Boy. Here is what Tricky had to say about the album, "Knowle West is where I was born. It's a white ghetto. I didn't know what racism was until I left. My family’s mixed race, so we don't see colour. I grew up on a council estate more as a white kid, but with Jamaican roots. But all of us there had something in common… we were poor. I realised that I'd never written anything for these kind of people. I met a guy in Notting Hill who told me his songs had got him through being in prison. That’s amazing… but I’d never deliberately written anything for people like him, and me, and the people I grew up with."

Listen to: "Council Estate" (Drums of Death Remix) (mp3)

Asthmatic Kitty Records is pleased to announce the signing of Indianapolis-based artist Grampall Jookabox. The label will release his second album, Ropechain on Nov. 4 in conjunction with Joyful Noise Recordings. Grampall Jookabox, which is the nickname of David "Moose" Adamson, sounds like a child slurring the words "Grandpa Jukebox," implying filial connection with an archaic musical object. Either that or the intoxicated pronunciation of a strange blues artist's nom de plume. He sounds like a strung out Tim Fite, with gravel and gut, drunk and full of beats. He will be performing two shows in the area next month, Mo Sept 8 - Chicago, IL - Hideout and Tu Sept 9 - Dekalb, IL - House Cafe.

Listen to: The Girl Ain't Preggers (mp3)

Tobacco is a member of the electro-ooze outfit Black Moth Super Rainbow, and on October 14th he will release his first solo album, F**ked Up Friends (Anticon). This is a much darker sound then his sun drenched sound with BMSR. Earth shaking beats, cassette tape sounds and loops, tension and melody, all mark a fine release. Tobacco will performing at Chicago's Bottom Lounge on Sept 26th.

Listen to: Truck Sweat (mp3)

In a recent interview Dj Revolution said "the connection between the DJ and the emcee has been severed. ”King of The Decks" is my attempt at reconnecting it." King of The Decks (in stores on September 16th) is his latest album featuring contribution from KRS-One, Jazzy Jeff, Dj Qbert, Defari, Evidence, Dj Premier, and many more. Since MC's in general decided to toss aside the DJ as an asset and integral part of their success from production to performance, the music has suffered tremendously. Aside from his weekly duties on the show based out of LA on Power 106, and syndicated Worldwide, he has lent his now infamous scratch techniques to countless records and his production skills to many established artists. Rev is one of my favorite DJ's of all-time, and if you are familiar with his skills you also check out his debut album, In 12's We Trust (Oct. 2000).

Listen to: The DJ ft. KRS-One (mp3)

North Lawrence, Kansas (really!) is home to Jordan Geiger, and if that name sound familiar it may be because he is the songwriter of Minus Story, trumpet player for Shearwater, guitarist for The Appleseed Cast. Now he reveals his personal thoughts and sounds as Hospital Ships. This sound is somewhere between piano dreams and fuzzy electro-screams. His debut Oh, Ramona this fall (Oct. 21st) on Chicago's Graveface Records.

Listen to: Bitter Radio Single (mp3)

POP MONTREAL INTERNATIONAL MUSIC FESTIVAL October 1-5, 2008
2008 is sure to be a year like no other for POP Montreal. This year's fest will feature artists like the legendary Burt Bacharach and New Orleans Soul Queen Irma Thomas, alongside poetic-punk troubadour Nick Cave, the seminal and brilliant WIRE, and the godfathers of experimental electronic psych Silver Apples.

Also appearing will be the single most important benchmark for a cappella music, Brooklyn's The Persuasions, and other stand-outs including Canadian rap legend, Michie Mee, upstarts like Black Kids, Ratatat, Dan Deacon and The Dodos, as well as Hot Chip, Dark Meat, Great Lake Swimmers, Beach House, Vetiver, T. Raumschmiere, Teki Latex, Ste Catherines, Liam Finn, and reclusive Neil Young collaborator Elyse Weinberg (she's awesome, Google her, or check her out on eMusic.)

In addition to all the amazing music, there will be a specially commissioned composers series with, among others, original pieces by Socalled, performed at porn theatre Cinéma L'Amour. This year, POP introduces its very first gear exchange and record shop, the enigmatic art of Mingering Mike and also...Kids POP!

Back in 2005, London's The Shortwave Set released on of my favorite albums of all-time called The Debt Collector. It was a collection of homemade beats and sounds smoothly wrapping around the sultry vocals of Ulrika Bjorsne and the playful vocals of Andrew Pettitt. The album was a perfect mix of folk, electronica, and downtempo hip-hop. This time around the trio, with David Farrell (samples, decks), added a pretty big name produced to smooth out the bedroom sound of their beats. They started working with Danger Mouse in May of last year and the result is called Replica Sun Machine.

Listen to: Replica (mp3)

The Peel Back: Peanut Butter Wolf My Vinyl Weighs a Ton (Stones Throw, 1999)

There was a period of time where I was disillusioned with the state of rap music. As acts like Pete Rock & CL Smooth and Gangstarr started to fade and Dr. Dre, Tupac, and Nitorious Big started to dominate, I tuned out. It was primarily because they had completely abandoned they DJ. However, I had no idea at the time that the DJ's had gone underground and created there own type of music, turntablism. One of the first examples of this music that had heard was

'Casio" by Peanut Butter Wolf, which featured DJ Babu of The Beat Junkies. I was fascinated by the sound and style, the interplay between the two DJ, and really everything about the song. I later tracked down the album and learned from each of the 24 tracks. I discovered the Lootpack and subsequently Madlib. I also discovered Dj Design, Shortkut, and so much more. The centerpiece of the album is "Tale of Five Cities" featuring 12 different DJ including Rob Swift, Cut Chemist, A-Trak, and more.

Sit Down Shut Up/In Your Area/Styles, Crew, Flows, Beats/Casio/Barter/Hold Up/The Everliving/Rock Unorthodox/Top Illin/Necromancin/Keep On Rockin It/T Shirts/Breaks 'Em Down/Tale Of Five Cities (mp3)/Mr. Dibbs/Definition Of Ill/Theme From A Peanut Butter Wolf/Run The Line/Phonies/Ten Minutes Left/Mobbin/Competition Gets None/Interruptions/Hawaii 5000