Aesop Rock in Austin in 2012 (more by Tim Griffin)

Hip hop producer RJD2, who was last in NYC for a New Year's Eve show, will be playing a few US shows this month, including a return to NYC this Saturday (2/9) at Brooklyn Bowl. Tickets for the Brooklyn show are on sale now. All RJD2 dates are listed below.

That show is the same day that fellow Def Jux associate Aesop Rock plays his previously discussed NYC show at Irving Plaza (2/9), which is part of his tour with Rob Sonic, DJ Big Wiz, and Busdriver. Tickets for the NYC show are still available. He recently had to postpone some dates on that tour due to a broken rib, but he's since recovered and has rescheduled those shows. An updated list of his upcoming dates is below. Aesop is also one of the few rappers playing Coachella.

In related news, Illogic (who is a member of Greenhouse Effect along with Blueprint, who is a member of Soul Position along with RJD2) and Blockhead (who has contributed production to much of Aesop Rock's discography) are set to release their first collaborative album, Capture The Sun, on April 16 via Man Bites Dog Records. The album will feature guest spots from Slug, Blueprint, and Abstract Rude. The album art is below. The duo haven't released any music from the album yet, but Illogic did upload two free EPs to his bandcamp that he did with Blockhead to "prepare for Capture." You can stream both EPs below or download them at bandcamp (name your price).

All lists of dates, album art, and streams below...

Continue reading "RJD2 playing shows; Aesop Rock rescheduled dates; Illogic & Blockhead releasing an LP"

by Andrew Sacher

Aesop Rock in Austin in August (more by Tim Griffin)

Aesop Rock released one of the best (and by the looks of these year end lists, apparently underrated) hip hop albums of the year with Skelethon, his first solo release since 2007's None Shall Pass and easily his strongest since at least 2003's Bazooka Tooth. He supported that record with a tour which did make it to NYC, but had to be cut short due to Hurricane Sandy. He's rescheduled dates in many of the cities he cancelled on his recently-announced 2013 tour, which also hits NYC for a show on February 9 at Irving Plaza. The tour is with Rob Sonic, DJ Big Wiz, and Busdriver. Tickets for the Irving Plaza show are on sale now.

In honor of the new year, Aesop Rock revealed a previously unreleased song from the Blockhead-produced days around year 2000. The track is called "Hall of Game" and you can download it for free, plus check out a list of all tour dates, below.

Continue reading "Aesop Rock revealed a previously unreleased Blockhead-produced track, touring in 2013 (dates, MP3)"

Freshkills at #HotelVegan (more by Tim Griffin)

Freshkills have commissioned Blockhead to lay his touches upon "New Folk Songs For New Buildings", a track from their recent LP out now. You can stream it below.

Freshkills are playing this Saturday (5/26) at Grand Victory with The Unstoppable Death Machines, Violent Bullshit, Filthy Savage and DJs Jah Jah (NinjaSonik) and Maxwell 57. Tickets are still available. They'll also be playing the Northside Festival next month, though date and venue are still TBA.

Continue reading "Freshkills playing Grand Victory, got remixed by Blockhead (stream)"

by BBG

Ish of Shabazz Palaces at Sasquatch (more by Chris Graham)

There have been many projects and solo albums in the days following the (original) fall of Digable Planets, but now Ish is breaking out with his killer new Seattle-based project Shabazz Palaces. The group has only been playing limited dates so far (pics from Sasquatch 2010), but will play three shows in October including NYC's American Museum of Natural History for "One Step Beyond" on Friday, October 15th with the great Blockhead on support. Tickets are on sale.

The show is one of a greater set of dates for Blockhead. All dates for both are below.

Shabazz Palaces have released a couple of EPs during their short existence, and are prepping a new LP for release on Sub Pop in 2011.

"I think we both have a lot of love, appreciation, respect and energy for music and for each other. Recognizing the fact that business is necessary for maximizing exposure to it, I think we mutually feel that doing business is less a 'job' and more an opportunity to exercise those feelings in dope ass ways. Shabazz, we bring a distinct hip-hop mentality from left to Sub Pop, which has established itself wide and deep in r&r from that same field. So, it's going to be cool to see what gets born from rolling together. And, of course, Seattle is the immeasurable muse, the backdrop, backbone, the foundation to how we all get down. So SP feels a lot of pride around this partnering-up as well. The people, the office, the deal, it all feels super plush. So stay tuned, it's 'bouts to be on."-The Palaceer, Shabazz Palaces.

Stream material from their two EPs below.

Meanwhile Digable Planets, which is -according to their myspace- "Doodlebug AND Butterfly" (but no Ladybug), is scheduled to play SOB's on Thursday (9/23), their only current tour date. Tickets are still available.

Dig on some streaming audio from Shabazz Palaces's previous EPs, as well as a recent video for "Belhaven Meridian", with all dates, below.

Continue reading "Shabazz Palaces, now on Sub Pop, playing a NYC museum w/ Blockhead (dates), 'Digable Planets' playing SOB's"

by BBG

DOWNLOAD: Bisco Smith - "Vibrations" (Scott Thorough Remix) (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Bisco Smith - "Vibrations" (Scott Thorough Remix) (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Bisco Smith - "Fresh Water" (Blockhead Remix) (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Bisco Smith - "Broadcast Live" (Remix of TV On The Radio's "Wear You Out") (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Bisco Smith - "Morning Breath" (LeParasite Remix) (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Bisco Smith - "Morning Breath" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Bisco Smith - "Railroads" Feat. Human?, Grimace & Esen (MP3)

Brooklyn MC (and graphic artist) Bisco Smith, the artist formerly known as Bisc1, just released his new album, The Broadcast, via Embedded Music (available on iTunes). Much like the artists he's worked with at Def Jux (which is now on hiatus) (Aesop Rock, El-P, MURS, etc), Bisco lays down forward-thinking, intelligent rhymes over similarly head-nodding beats, as exhibited in some of the tracks downloadable above. Check out a few album tracks and remixes above, including a burner produced by Blockhead (who played his own record release show at Mercury Lounge Friday night.) and the remix of "Broadcast Live" which is in itself is a remix of TV On The Radio's "Wear You Out".

Bisco will celebrate the release of his new LP when he hits the stages of Santos Party House TONIGHT (2/6) at 11PM. $10 gets you in with a copy of the disc. Dig on the show flyer, and a few videos from the new LP below...

Continue reading "new Bisco Smith album out - MP3s, video, NYC show (tonight)"

by BBG

DOWNLOAD: Blockhead - "Which One Of You Jerks Drank My Arnold Palmer" (MP3)

Blockhead (left) with Aesop Rock

Blockhead (born Anthony "Tony" Simon) is an American Hip hop producer based in Manhattan, New York. Aside from his solo efforts released on the Ninja Tune label, he is most associated with producing for Aesop Rock, a rapper for the Definitive Jux independent hip hop label. He has also previously worked with rappers Mac Lethal, S.A. Smash, Slug, and Murs, and is also a member of the hip hop/comedy group Party Fun Action Committee.

Along with RJD2 and Mr El-Producto himself (aka El-P), Blockhead has long been one of my favorite producers out of the extra thick Def Jux stable. More than just Aesop Rock's go-to, the NYC beathead has produced a few LPs of his own as well, including the recently released The Music Scene out NOW on Ninja Tune Recordings. Cop it, and cop one of the songs from the LP above.

Blockhead is scheduled to play a show a NYC in the coming week at Mercury Lounge on Friday, 2/5 with DJ Signify. Tickets are on sale.

Blockhead recently posted some of his earliest recordings for free download.

Ex-Ninja Tune artist Antipop Consortium plays BAM with Rain Machine on Saturday night (1/30).

Former Def Jux-er RJD2 is scheduled to play NYC on 3/7 with Break Science and Chichester. Tickets are still available.

Def Jux's Cage plays Music Hall of Williamsburg on Saturday night (1/30)...

Opening for Cubic Zerconia Album release. I will be playing with F Sean,Daryl Palumbo,Jarvis Holden and Nick Hook. 45 minutes. Come Hang w/ us SPECIAL GUESTS DONT MISS OUT - Cage

Flyer below...

Continue reading "Blockhead - new album out now (MP3), NYC show soon"