themselves

Crownsdown
$14.98
Seven months after the release of theFREEhoudini--the celebrated mixtape that announced Themselves' return--Doseone and Jel drop CrownsDown, a careful and vicious exhibition of mastered rap tactics and sampling ethics. Themselves' third album proper has been gestating in the gut of this seminal group for some time. It's both a return to form and a honing of what's come before (Subtle, cLOUDDEAD, Deep Puddle)--both the opus that these lionhearted two were always meant to make, and the album that their hip-hop-obsessed teenaged selves always hoped to hear.
On CrownsDown, Themselves weld brute skill to a concrete set of tracks that represents an essential ten commandments of rap. In preparation, Doseone and Jel revisited their beloved hip-hop collections (e.g. Gang Starr, Ultramagnetic MCs, Public Enemy, Saafir) and whittled down the recurring themes that made their favorite records so sturdy. Each song on CrownsDown represents one of these archetypes--there's the don't bite song, the diss track, the story rap, the bootleggers beware song, and the don't f with my DJ jam, and more. In this way, Themselves revisit something classic in order to invent their own future-school entry to the annals.
Naturally, things kick off with Back II Burn, a guess who's back track (co-written by Pedestrian) that bangs forth on good ol' fashioned synth hits and heavy thump. Oversleeping follows with a Bomb Squad-style sampler salvo and a whirlwind of rhyme that reference-checks lyrics from both Nas and Subtle. Next up is The Mark, wherein Dose cautions would-be style thieves, while borrowing his own cadence from Ultramag-era Kool Keith.
Gangster of Disbelief finds Dose dropping science (the fourth archetype) in a rich baritone atop eerie production that harkens back to his and Jel's debut. Daxstrong takes on the spread-love model, paying proper tribute to Subtle founder Dax Pierson, left paraplegic after the sextet's 2005 tour accident. Bandmates Jordan Dalrymple and Markus Acher (13 & God, The Notwist) join Dose for an end-song sing-along. You Ain't It features an auto-tuned guest spot from Pierson himself, playing the melodic foil to Dose's jagged and rapid fire words.
On Gold Teeth Will Roll, crux of CrownsDown, Dose casts Themselves in the final archetype: righteous defenders of the culture. This sentiment cuts to the core of the album. In carving out their own classic, Doseone and Jel not only aim to topple those wrongly kinged, but lay down their own sweat-and-blood-made crowns at the feet of that which they admire most.

The No Music
$15.98
Probably the most essential album in my collection, along with some Opeths, Metallicas and classical pianos, "The No Music" continues to fascinate me.

The big debate is: do the lyrics/bizarre composition mean anything? If so, then the Anticon crew must be geniuses! If not, then they are pretentious "art snobs". A proposal: maybe it doesn't matter. Enjoy the weirdness for what it is! If it means something to you, great! I mean come on, how can you resist "...they were, teeth clamped, face first you fell into the door you took the doorknob, how they all feel falling, shattered fish bowl, rocks out into your mouth, your eyes were huge..." and the likes? And what's with the recurring theme of people having jobs? Who cares what it means; it's awesome!

The thick production with all the electronic bleeps and creaks is kind of funny along with being mysterious and strange, i.e. "You Devil You". And the cartoon voice! THE CARTOON VOICE! Doseone is an essential vocalist due to both his humor and his creativity.

Best songs: The teeth one (track #2), "Good People Check", "You Devil You" and "Hat in the Wind", excluding the stupid poetic improv introduction.

And yes, Dose, we all want to masturbate in a planetarium.

Them [CD on Demand]
$12.00
"Grass Skirt, Fruit Hat", friends, it's all about that song. It is so #$@&ing weird! Hilarious lyrics with a serious and melancholy overtone make for a fine listen. I couldn't care less if the album means anything or doesn't. Even if it means squat it still takes someone mentally "interesting" to think up lyrical flow like that. I personally think it's an offshoot of genius.

I also must say I've never experienced an atmosphere anything like what's presented in "Death of a Thespian", and the metaphorical nonsense of "Joyful toy of 1001 Faces" is mind-boggling. I also enjoy the first track, although I can't imagine why. Jel lays down some pretty catchy beats to Doses's ADD-inspired rambling as well.

Themselves topped themselves with "The No Music", where we switch from listening about the "Body of John Brown" to Dose's desire to masturbate in a planetarium and from standard rap beats to thick electronic buzz. Excellent!

The Gods Themselves
$7.99
What I love about Asimov, is that you don't have to be a science fiction fan, or a Star Trek geek to enjoy his books, and this concept shows in The Gods Themselves. I don't like giving plot "spoilers" so just a basic summary, the book is about an electron pump which allows communication between 2 universes. In the parellel universe the main character has a combination of unique powers that nobody else has, which immediately intrigues the reader. This book is perfect for anyone of any age, it's got great character development, it's mysterious, and it's not overly scientific or technical, it's just great storytelling. Let me just say that Asimov is not only a great writer in his genre, he's one of the best authors ever, in any category. This book won't dissapoint.