by Black Bubblegum

DOWNLOAD: Tone Tank - The King of Surf Guitar Rap EP
DOWNLOAD: Junk Science - "Fire Drill" EP

Where's la bouef? Ah! There's Labouef and Palko!

Chris Palko aka Cage, who's new album Depart From Me hits stores on July 7th via Definitive Jux, is prepping to take his show on the road after tagging Yak Ballz for support. Joining Palko on stage as part of the "Cage band" will be producer of a large portion of Depart From Me and ex-Hatebreed guitarist F.Sean (aka Sean Martin), as well as DJ Chauncey of XO Skeletons. The tour includes an album release party of sorts during a two night stay at Southpaw (July 2nd tix here and 3rd tix here) where Palko will sign posters and copies of his new album. Additional support for July 2nd is TBA, but Junk Science & "The King of Surf Guitar Rap" Tone Tank are on board for night two.

Cage recently dropped the I Never Knew You EP, which is currently available for "pay what you want" download at the Def Jux site. The EP accompanies the video (viewable below) that was directed by partner-in-crime and star of the upcoming Michael Bay explosion-fest Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen, Shia LaBouef. No word on where Shia is with the reported Cage biopic.

Yak Ballz and House of Blow (aka F.Sean and Daryl Palumbo of Glassjaw, Head Automatica fame) are currently collaborating on some tracks, with one to appear on an upcoming Def Jux compilation. Yak Skywalker also recently posted his thoughts on one of his favorite hip hop songs ever, Camp Lo's "Luchini" (I have to agree) as well as dropped details on an exclusive series of shirts with fellow Weathermen El-P, Cage & Aesop Rock. More in a recent blog post here.

Video and dates below...

Continue reading "Cage & Yak Ballz - 2009 Tour Dates, videos & stuff "

by Black Bubblegum

DOWNLOAD: Cage - "Nothing Left To Say" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Cage - "Shoot Frank" (MP3)

Cage announced a new LP AND a new EP, both due in the first half of 2009. First up, Chris Palko aka the artist formerly known as Cage Kennylz will drop a "seven song mega-single/EP of exclusive bonus material entitled the I Never Knew You EP" for FREE via AdultSwim/Definitive Jux. Details to come, but look for it "sometime within next two months".

Cage's new LP, his first since 2005's critically acclaimed Hell's Winter, is due on June 30th via Definitive Jux. It's called Depart From Me and is executive produced by Sean Martin, recently ex-Hatebreed who also produced 9 of 14 total tracks with the rest of the production handled by El-P, Aesop Rock, and the late great Camu Tao. Check out the El-P produced "Nothing Left To Say" available for download above.

In other Chris Palko news, Cage recently shot a video for "I Never Knew You" in LA, directed by "close personal friend" and fellow Cardboard City member Shia LaBeouf, his directorial debut. Mr Transformers and Cage are also working on a "full-length feature film based on the rapper's young life starring Labeouf":

Palko was born in Würzburg, Germany... [and] lived there until the age of four when [his father Bill] Murray was dishonorably discharged for selling and using heroin... Murray would often force Palko to pull homemade tourniquets around his arm as he injected heroin. At the age of eight, Palko's father was arrested during a standoff with state troopers after threatening his family with a shotgun. Palko was kicked out of high school, [and] began using LSD, mescaline, cannabis and alcohol...

Palko was arrested several times for drug possession and fighting in the streets. When he faced jail time for violating probation, his mother convinced the judge that he was mentally unstable, and he was sent to the Stony Lodge psychiatric hospital for a two week evaluation. He eventually ended up staying in the hospital for eighteen months, where he was a part of a small group used to test fluoxetine. After being misdiagnosed and placed on the drug, he became suicidal and made several attempts to kill himself, including hanging himself with his shoelaces and saving his lithium dose for a month before ingesting all of them at once. -[Wiki]

Yikes. And that's BEFORE he got signed by Columbia, got dropped, was one of Fondle 'Em's first artists, beefed with Eminem, dropped his debut album, joined The Weathermen, and signed with Definitive Jux.

Cage is scheduled to play SXSW at the Biz3 showcase at Club DeVille on March 20th with These Are Powers, Kid Sister, Lady Sovereign, Chin Chin, Hollywood Holt, Thunderheist, Asher Roth, and Amanda Blank. No other dates at the moment.

Cage, Chauncey, Shia LaBeouf, glue and the late Camu Tao eating breakfast, and other videos, below...

Continue reading "Cage - new records, MP3s, Shia LaBeouf & SXSW"

Continue reading "My Morning Jacket on Saturday Night Live (videos)"

by Black Bubblegum

El-P & Aesop Rock @ Webster Hall - May 10, 2008 (jennyapplebaum )

"WHEN I SAY DEF, YOU SAY JUX! DEF!"
.....
"DEF!"
......

Okay, it wasnt THAT bad, but while fellow Cardboard City crew member Shia Labeouf (seriously) was readying his second appearance on Saturday Night Live (with My Morning Jacket), El-P was realizing he was in trouble by the first song. El-P tore into "Smithereens" with all of the frustration made apparent in the video, but when he commanded the Webster Hall crowd "Get the fuck up!" and "Jump!", he only got participation from a couple dozen.... for 30 seconds. Maybe it's all the darkness and post-apocalyptic doom and gloom, or the borderline paranoid "the government is going to get you" John McCain=Barack Obama=Hillary Clinton rants, or that a good portion of the crowd could have come to see Dizzee Rascal (though doubt it), but Saturday at Webster Hall was probably one of the most stoic crowds that I have ever seen at a hip hop show.

Continue reading "El-P, Aesop Rock & Dizzee Rascal played Webster Hall, a new blog & album, Cardboard City, Shia LaBeouf"