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For More Info: Visit http://www.mono-44.com
Highlight Tracks: "2 Candles, 1 Wish" and "Halcyon (Beautiful Days)"
Artist: PRINCE PO
Album: The Slickness
The Scoop: Three-quarters of the way through 2004, Prince Po's The Slickness stands as one of the most impressive and enjoyable hip-hop albums of the year. Only Madvillain's Madvillainy tops it outright, and both MF Doom and Madlib turn in guest appearances here. The underground is bumping and bustling, and it seems to be a family affair. Prince Po hasn't been in the limelight much since his days in Organized Konfusion, and this proves to be a welcome return. The beats on The Slickness usually stick to safe but club-happy and trunk-rattling ground, allowing Prince Po (and company) to grab the mic and meet the spotlight head-on. The emphasis works extremely well, as there are rhymes on The Slickness that decimate their mainstream contemporaries. Stand-outs include Raekwon's verse on "Bump Bump," a track that goes after the club with the subtlety of a heat-seeking missile. The ever-engaging MF Doom is a master of turning a memorable phrase ("Social Distortion") and, for comic relief, it doesn't get much better than J-Ro and J-Zone's misadventures with booze and broads in "Meet Me At Tha Bar." As for the Prince, he remains a versatile lyricist who more than holds his own. His guests steal some scenes, but this is his movie, through and through.Highlight Tracks: "Social Distortion" and "Bump Bump"
For More Info: Check out http://www.lexrecords.com
Artist: BOLA SETE
Album: Live at Grace Cathedral - 1976 San Francisco
The Scoop: According to no less an authority than Carlos Santana, young guitarists should seek out Bola Sete just as eagerly as they seek out Hendrix. Like Jimi, Bola exuded a spiritual oneness with his instrument (while Hendrix is obviously remembered in electric terms, Sete channeled himself into the acoustic guitar). Sete passed away in 1987 at the age of 63. His widow, Anne, founded Samba Moon Records in order to release music from his archives and to hopefully expose his influential music to a new generation of guitarists, musicians and fans alike. Posthumous releases sometimes feel like leftovers, but this meditative performance in 1976 - for a hunger benefit in San Francisco - is a perfect concert to be preserved. Sete's inventive compositions and flawless technique are given an ample showcase in front of an appreciative audience, and the recording itself is pristine. It would be surprising to hear a better acoustic guitar album this year.
