Almost Urban blog

grew up in a cornfield in northwest Ohio where her multicultural family was something of a curious anomaly. She didn't like it very much. On a whim, she landed in Austin in 1995, where, before coming to Austin360.

com in 2004, she drove a limo, played bass in a band, promoted fabulous parties and answered a whole lot of phones.
In 2000, she began building Web sites about Austin's urban music scene and became so insistent that Austin hip-hop shouldn't be ignored that KOOP radio gave her a show to prove it. In a country town with a heart full of rock 'n' roll, she firmly believes it also has a funky underbelly that's almost urban.

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for smooth jazz, and a laid back atmosphere, try the Studio Bar and Grill.

Located on I H 35, formely Bombay Bicycle club.
Please don t tell me that! What am I going to do with the breakmaster and all his El Paso jams from back in the day!

:(
UPDATE: The Beat will begin broadcasting on the frequency 104.9 FM beginning on Monday, February 26.
Yesterday, that one of our city s two commercial hip-hop stations, The Beat 104.

3 was going off the air. I took a moment to and shout out my favorite Beat DJ, 2DQ, in this blog. 2DQ was my fave at the Beat for a couple reasons.

First off, his low-key delivery style and mild-mannered self-depreciating humor always struck me as a refreshing contrast to so many over-the-top radio personalities that rule the airwaves today. He made me laugh. Secondly, his 5 o clock Beatdowns were frequently the jam!

Classic hip-hop mashed up against 80s pop and guilty-pleasure boy-band tracks in a raucous blend that made a girl move.
This morning I discovered a response from 2D in the Almost Urban e-mail box. He confirmed that at this point no one, not even the DJs, knows what s going to happen to the Beat beyond the fact that come Monday, the station will no longer be broadcasting on 104.

3 FM. What hurts the most, wrote 2D, is never being able to say goodbye. (Awww ) I guess it s not meant for me to say when I m not necessarily throwing in the towel just yet, 2D continued, there s still a couple of beatdowns left in this lil guy.

Word.
Almost Urban recommends dropping by one of the Breakmaster s gigs this weekend to holla at the boy. 2DQ will be down at spinning hip-hop, reggaeton and cumbias Friday night.

It s Ladies night all night long and there s no cover for 21 and up til midnight. Then on Saturday 2D will be down at CO-OP Bar on Sixth Street from 10:30 on. Stop in and say what s up.

Friday: . You know what the ATX hip-hop scene really needs? More ladies.

Almost Urban has mad love for the many talented male emcees on the Austin scene, but it s nice to hear a female voice too every now and again. If you agree with me on this point I highly recommend dropping by Emo s Lounge on Friday night to catch a rare set from the lovely Ms. Yadira Brown.

The way her voice slides from spoken word into a poignant melody that aches with vulnerability on the chorus of the D Madness collaboration, Where Did You Come From tears at my heart strings every time I hear it. |
The cool thing about the Elephant Room is that the basement club feels very much like it could be a prohibition-era hideaway for clandestine boozers, schmoozers and ne er do wells. I expect that sensation will be greatly amplified this Friday night as Alex Coke and the Jazz Pharoahs present an evening of swing era 20s jazz.

Set your inner flapper (or bootlegger) free!
Saturday: . Internationally acclaimed turntablist DJ Babu, a member of both the L.

A.-based hip-hop trio Dialated Peoples and the world-famous Beat Junkies DJ collective, is widely recognized as one of the greatest scratchmasters in the business. Beyond his live performance skills, Babu is also a respected producer who alongside fellow Beat Junkie J Rocc helmed the board on the explosive underground classic Soundbombing 2 released in 1999 by Rawkus Records.

Expect turntable tricks, funky grooves and more as Babu takes the stage at the Whisky Bar. TMC member Tats opens the show, and Prince Klassen holds down the back room. $6
For the second time in three years, commercial hip-hop station in Austin.

The station, the call letters KXBT and the radio tower have been sold to Univisión Communications, who will re-brand the station as La Que Buena, which will feature a Spanish-language, regional-Mexican format.
Back in 2004, you might remember, the Beat disappeared almost overnight, replaced by talk radio station KOYT which billed itself as The Coyote. The talk radio format lasted for less than a year before the Beat returned in early 2005 with an extensive Make the Big Switch Back to the Beat, campaign.

For a minute it seemed the Beat was reaching beyond the bland homogenization that plagues commercial hip-hop (and commercial radio in general) with its return. The Friday afternoon Five O Clock Beatdown with DJ 2DQ featured old school hip-hop, r b and boy-band faves quick mixed together into jammin sets that really did help with the road rage. I looked forward to it each week.

More recently, the station seemed to be slipping back into the standard 20-song playlist format that rules the commercial airwaves these days. The Beatdown became less about the classics and more about the same old mainstream and, quite frankly, boring. But the station did recently begin mixing more Reggaeton and dance music, which seemed like a good direction.

At this point there s no word on whether the Beat will re-emerge on the Austin airwaves on another frequency. As far as the local hip-hop scene goes, the loss of the Beat isn t likely to have that great of an impact. According to Bavu Blakes, ATX rapper and host of METV s Smooth, the Beat and local commercial hip-hop rival station Hot 93.

3 both have limited value to what is considered a local scene. But, Blakes added, The Beat was the only one mixing locals in at all.
| Tuesday, February 20, 2007, 01:50 PM Austin s own mixtape king Rapid Ric has made his latest project, Gerald G.

is Mr. 512 available on his Web site as a . Go get yours!

(via .)
Speaking of the Mixtape Mechanic, he ll be down at the Parish tomorrow night with Chingo Bling, Dru Fay and the Whut It Dew Fam for METV s Smash Hip-hop showcase. The show is free, but an .

It s been six years since the Whisky Bar opened its doors on Fifth Street. In the early days, the bar was sort of a swanky gathering spot for the grown and sexy, with large leather booths well-suited for after-work gatherings and a back room hideaway perfect for huddling in quiet conversation. In the past two years, the club has raised its DJ booth and opened up the floor in the front room to create more room to dance.

In the process, the club has also become one of the city s hottest spots for hip-hop.
The actual anniversary party (complete with complimentary beverages early and drink specials all night) is on Friday night. DJs NickNack and Tats will be manning the wheels in the front room while DJ Hannibal tears up the back.

Best of all, the whole shindig is free!
If you can t make it out on Friday night, but still want to show the Whisky a little anniversary love, drop by on Saturday, when Chicken George will be joined by Donnie Dee from San Antonio for the fourth installment of his ongoing Move Something series. The drinks won t be free, but fresh cuts are guaranteed and the cover is only $3.

Saturday: . I was about how I m ready to leave this mopey 80s revival nonsense behind and move onto reliving the early 90s, which were rich with socially conscious hip-hop anchored by boom-bap beats. Apparently the always appealing Table Manners Crew must be on the same page as they ve devoted this week s installment of their regular Saturday night Plush gig to reliving the (which, in fairness, did begin in the late 80s).

Expect to hear from Afrika Bambaataa, De La, The Jungles Brothers, Tribe Called Quest and many more. Free-$5
Saturday: Steel drums from Trinidad, Brazilian rhythm and dance from Academicos da Opera and dance music from Brazilian funk outfit Ghandaia are all on the roster for this party, so be sure to show up dressed to dance! $12
Saturday-Sunday: .

How cool is it that Austin has a Chinatown? If you haven t taken the time to wander around Austin s Chinatown Center yet, this weekend s Chinese New Year celebrations provide a perfect opportunity. The center boasts a massive grocery store filled with fresh veggies, meats and fish, inexplicable Eastern sweets and a robust incense selection to cover any variety of offering you might need to make.

In addition there are Chinese restaurants and retail stores (some of which feature very cute Chinese shoes). The celebration will feature a Dragon and Lion Dance, martial arts exhibitions and more. The celebration takes place from 1 to 6 p.

m. on Saturday and 2 to 6 p.m.

on Sunday, and it s free.
Sunday: . Ever since I started dating a full-blown sports fanatic a year and a half ago, I ve been on a quest to find that rarest of rarities, a sports bar with palatable vegetarian fare.

So far, I haven t had much luck, but Third Base, which hosts a grand opening party on Sunday night, has offerings like basil pesto pasta and a spinach with warm goat cheese salad and on the menu. Plus, they promise drink specials all night on Sunday for the opening celebration. I know where I ll be watching the .

Yes there s been a lot of Grupo Fantasma news on this blog as of late, but, seriously, how often does a hometown fave end up hanging out with a superstar of Prince s echelon? In case you ve been hiding under a rock for the last few months here s a brief recap. the band received a last minute invitation to play Prince s newly opened Vegas nightclub 3121 over Thanksgiving weekend.

Five weeks into the band s residency gig, the Purple One took to sitting in on the group s sets. Then, in mid-January, Prince flew the band to Hollywood to back him at full of celebrity A-listers. A couple weeks ago The Artist for an exclusive Super Bowl pre-party.

Impressed yet?
Homecoming shows are always special. There s a magical sense of origin for both the fans and the band.

The first time I wrote about Grupo Fantasma was late in 2001, shortly after the band dropped their eponymous debut album. In the awkward uncomfortable months following 9/11, your girl, a half-Indian, half-Anglo American who is frequently mistaken for Middle Eastern was, like most Southeast Asian Americans, busy perfecting a faux-Latina act. My girls and I used to get fancy and head down to Grupo shows at the Empanada Parlour in the hopes some fine young Latino would ask us to dance.

One night, I spent the entire evening spinning around the floor with a fly South American cat who didn t speak a lick of English. He kept talking to me in Spanish. I don t speak Spanish.

At all. And in that strange era when both my own ethnic identity and that of my country were in a state of flux, I had a revelation about Grupo Fantasma, Latino culture and my adopted hometown. Trying to sum up the experience of a Grupo show, my first instinct was to make a bunch of stupid comparisons A Grupo show is like a steamy night in Bogota, a dangerous liaison on the border, that kind of thing.

But when I really thought about it, I realized Grupo shows were none of that. Grupo Fantasma was born in a stoner college town with a strong Latino community where a diverse crowd embraced the opportunity to get down to tequila-soaked funk grooves and clumsily stumble through cumbia moves. Grupo Fantasma is an integral part of the sound of our city.

And I m very proud that an international superstar is hipping the rest of the world to the way we roll.
Friday: $15 at the door.
Saturday: $12 in advance, $15 at the door.

Saturday: . One of the early pioneers of dub music, the trippy, looped-out, largely instrumental stepchild of reggae, Mad Professor earned his name tinkering with electronic equipment to build his own studio. He s collaborated with everyone from the Beastie Boys and trip-hop juggernaut Massive Attack to Jamiroquai and Sade.

Should be another irie evening at Austin s home for reggae music. $18
Saturday: . Is there any such thing as a vegetarian filet mignon substitute?

I seriously doubt it. But if Lambert s keeps booking my favorite almost urban acts I might have to start lobbying for the creation of one. This week, the upscale chop house has booked Afrofreque, an r b/soul act fronted by emcee Tiger Liu, formerly of the fantastic old-school Austin hip-hop act Big Game Hunter.

Saturday: . Big Chief Kevin and Cyril Neville both landed in Austin following Katrina s devastation of New Orleans in 2005. Since their arrival, Austin has been treated to a swampy mix of gumbo funk and colorful Creole culture.

Chief Kevin, in full Mardi Gras Indian garb, plays host for the evening while Neville s Tribe 13 lays down the grooves.
In the 4 years since DJ Chicken George showed up on the Austin music scene, he s proven himself as a party rocker, a tastemaker and an all-around musical innovator. When he s not shaking up the local scene, DJ Chicken George travels widely, both around the country and overseas.

His second vinyl-only release on European label Swedish Brandy is already out on the continent and due in stores stateside later this month. Almost Urban is pleased to offer an exclusive 360SoundCheck preview of the release, DJ Chicken George presents The Swed.u.

s.h Connection 2 a suave, club-oriented platter that slips through variations of jazz abstraction and soulful groove. We caught up with DJ Chicken George to talk about his travels, the new release and, of course, SXSW.

AU: How did you hook up with Swedish Brandy?
CG: I was V-Zilla s (Houston) DJ and in 2002, we had toured Sweden with the Narcissists from Stockholm. Over the next year or so, we went back to Stockholm a couple more times for more shows.

On my third visit, I contacted, one of my favorite jazzy beats record labels from Stockholm, Swedish Brandy. Initially, my purpose was to make an introduction and just let them know that I was a fan of the label. I brought copies of my CDs as I had played many of their tracks on my mixes.

By the end of the tour, I was offered a 12-inch record deal from the label. I came back to the States and compiled a 4 track EP featuring Jazztronica beats of producers that I favored as a DJ and music lover. My first EP ( The Swed.

u.s.h Connection ) features tracks from Take (L.

A.), Hydroponic Sound System (Dallas) and Malcom Kipe (Austin) and my scratches.
When will you be back in Europe and what s the most interesting thing you ve observed in the Swedish club scene?

I ve been working on another European tour for quite some time now. I was just waiting until I had completed my latest 12-inch. Then at some point in the near future, I ll be heading back to Sweden and this time, I ll go to the UK as well.

The most interesting thing I observed about the scene was the music. I d never been any place where I found such a wide array of different flavors of music under one roof. The DJ s there really know how to mix the genres up.

This release seems a little clubbier than the first Swed.u.s.

h Connection, was that a deliberate choice? Is this an indication of how your interests are evolving?
The Swed.

u.s.h Connection 2 is definitely a bit more uptempo than the first.

I was working with completely different producers on this project and I didn t want it to sound anything at all like the first. I just wanted this release to reflect my styles and tastes as I play a combination of music from downbeat to upbeat tracks that also vary in genre as well.
What motivated the decision to make this release vinyl only?

The label started out only releasing only vinyl. Originally, their audience was mainly DJs and record collectors. After my 1st vinyl release ( #6 ), I convinced them to release CDs and and have their tracks available for download to help expand their audience, as I knew that the average person does not own a turntable.

My second release will be on vinyl and also available for download on various music sites worldwide.
Who is Lady Alma, and how did your collaboration with Philly s Illvibe Collective come about?
Lady Alma has been deemed the Heart and Soul of Philly s soul scene among tastemaker circles.

She s internationally known and has worked with everyone from Jazzanova (Germany) and 4 Hero (UK) to King Britt (Philly) and Kindred Spirits (Amsterdam). I met the Illvibe Collective when I was invited to play at their monthly party in Philly called Body Rock. I also mixed live sets on their Eavesdrop and Illvibe Radio Shows.

I had just started working on my 2nd 12-inch at the time and I d propositioned to them about contributing a track for the new release and they accepted. I knew they were really good friends with Lady Alma and I suggested that I d like to have her guest on the track. She was touring frequently and it made it quite difficult for her to commit to recording vocals the track.

After a few months of trying to get her in the studio, they somehow managed to catch her right before she went out on tour again. That s when the magic happened! The Illvibe track is the only track with vocals on the EP It s one of my favorites.

Lady Alma is simply an amazing vocalist. I feel very honored to have her contribution on my release.
Overthrowed!

featuring Adrian Quesada and Martin Perna is a pretty mind-boggling jazz-funk fusion piece. Since all three of you are currently living in Austin can we expect a live rendition at some point?
You can definitely count on a live rendition sometime in the future.

I ve been working with Adrian Quesada for over two years now with his Grupo Fantasma and Brownout! projects. My first collaboration with Martin Perna was on the Overthrowed!

track. The chemistry was powerful. We collectively decided that we d all like to continue to work together.

Both are phenomenal musicians and I am looking forward to working on more projects.
Your music has such a strong global appeal. Have you had any memorable interactions with foreign fans who know you through the Internet?

Actually, I recently got an e-mail from someone in London telling how much she enjoyed my music. She stumbled across my mixes hosted on ThePlayers.fm music site and really liked them.

She said that she had been listening to (my) mixes on the Players Association Web site all day at work and It makes (her) day a lot more enjoyable! I think that s one of the most gratifying compliments that any musician could ever receive. It s moments like those that give purpose to your music endeavors.

Anything good going on for SXSW?
March 13th will bring a special edition of my Move Somethin series at Whisky Bar! I ve invited JRocc of the World Famous Beat Junkies/Stones Throw Records to play with me on 4 turntables.

Sharing the soundtrack for the night will also be DJ Tats of the Table Manners Crew. Look forward to uptempo Jazztronica beats with plenty of mixing and scratching. Just be prepared to Move Somethin !

DJ Chicken George opens for the legendary Wailers on Thursday, Feb. 8 at La Zona Rosa. He also performs with Grupo Fantasma at the Parish on Friday, Feb.

9 and Antone s on Saturday, Feb. 10.
All hail Robert Nesta Marley, in my humble opinion, one of the most important musical innovators of the past century.

Every year on his birthday Flamingo Cantina gathers all-stars of the local reggae scene to celebrate. The band plays as Shantytown Underground and has an exceptional roster including members of Afro-Freque, Tribal Nation, the Killer Bees and the phenomenal D Madness. The theme for the Saturday evening show will be Marley jams all night long with a special focus on the Exodus era.

Between sets, DJ Manny will be dropping remixes, and tasty Caribbean grub will be for sale in the back. Irie, mon. $10
Friday: Bust out the old Adidas track suit and shine up your chunky gold chains: It s a throwback hip-hop party at Ruta Maya!

If you fondly recall the early days of In Living Color and Yo, MTV Raps! this party is for you. With the 3-Deep DJ crew working four turntables and visuals from Proyector, the spot should be hoppin .

Golden era hip-hop attire is highly encouraged, so set your inner Fly Girl, Beastie Boy or Sugar Hill dude free. $5 (benefitting )
Friday: Sure, I won t be at this gig (your girl s a vegetarian), but for my carnivorous friends, an evening of steak and jazz at this swanky new upscale chop house might be right up your alley. Jazz scene fixture Ephraim Owens has roamed the clubs, trumpet in hand, dropping in on sets all over town for more than a decade.

For this gig, he brings his own trio.
Saturday: . While there are no specific plans to honor the man, no doubt plenty of Marley tracks will also be on the decks at Austin s premier Caribbean dance party.

Selectas Baby G, Jah Flex and Jah Mighty will be manning the sound system in the hot and heavy main room downstairs, while couples spin through the salsa lounge on the second floor. $7
Sunday: . There s a story about Brannen Temple that s practically Austin jazz folklore.

He was once hired as a touring drummer for Janet Jackson, only to walk away from the steady money-making opportunity over creative differences with the musical director. Integrity intact, Temple s remained a heavy hitter on the Austin scene for years. Cool out at the end of the weekend with a set from the drummer and his ensemble in Austin s low-key, yet classy jazz cellar, the Elephant Room.

(Cover unspecified, but it s probably minimal)
From time to time, in addition to offering loose commentary, entertainment options and, well, inane chatter, I m going to start posting audio mixes streaming through the 360SoundCheck player. I m excited. It s another way for me to share my genuine love of Austin music with you.

I like it.
Today s offering is a blend of hip-hop, club jazz and Latin groove.
Young Nick - A Few Thoughts One of my favorite tracks from an ATX up-and-comer who s definitely on the rise.

In four minutes Nick tackles everything from the war in Iraq to questionable parenting. He intelligently dissects a slew of issues without seeming preachy.
NickNack - Aqui En La Playa Inspired by NickNack s travels in Barcelona, this track leads with a funky beat then eases into a Latin groove infused with Euro-cool.

Element7d - Blow Easily the most undersung emcee in the ATX (everything the man touches is golden), Ele comes out blazing on this explosive track. He deftly twists fierce verse over an irresistibly anthemic groove. Seriously.

My hands are up. Way up.
Mirage - Brand New Day Over a sunny beat (engineered by Element7d) longtime East Austin emcee and community organizer Mirage makes a call for unity and progress in the hood.

A feel-good cut all around.
Bavu Blakes ft. MC Fatal - Hold On, Stay Strong It comes in with layered harmonies and a bangin groove that sets the head bobbin , but the real power of this amazing cut is in Blakes first person narrative, embodying the true story of Jesse Lee Owens, an East side youth who lost his life in an altercation with the APD back in 2003.

DJ Chicken George ft. Take - Dream Over CG refers to this style of music as jazztronica a smooth blend of lush orchestration, club groove and, in this case, lucid emotion.
D Madness ft.

Yadira Brown - Where Did You Come From Composed in the uncomfortable months after 9/11/01, this song about reaching, desperately hoping for love vividly captures the ubiquitous uncertainty of the moment in time. The aching vulnerability in Yadira s voice as she slides from spoken word into the first chorus tugs at my heart every time.
Dubb Sicks ft.

JudahFly - Once Upon A Time In Mexico A White boy emcee goes to Mexico and gets played by a conniving chica. Sure, it s a cliche, but an easy story-telling style and a catchy chorus make it a fun track.
Grupo Fantasma ft.

Ragah El - Peligrosa With a sense of already in mix, the lead track off of Grupo s second album is absolutely dangerous.
If you ve been reading this blog at all, you already know that Austin s all-terrain cumbia-funk outfit Grupo Fantasma is about to be very, very famous. For that reason alone, I highly recommend dropping by Huston-Tillotson on Saturday afternoon when the group will be dropping a free set to honor Dr.

King. In a sense, Austin s favorite Latin dance act is a living example of King s famous dream of racial unity. The band, performing entirely in Spanish, can easily coax hip-switches and sassy twirls out of blacks, Latinos and gringos alike.

It s a beautiful thing.
The King Day festivities begin at 10 a.m.

with an hourlong program of reflection. The cultural festival will commence immediately afterward, with music by Boombox, Grupo and Les and the Funk Mob, fronted by soulful crooner Ter ell Shahid. .

Friday-Saturday: E. Christopher Cocktails Cornell presents a performance piece that fuses hip-hop, jazz and poetry at the historic home for African-American music in East Austin. Featuring three talented females, the piece forges a desperately needed new image for women in hip-hop.

I caught these cats spinning verse on KAZI on Wednesday morning. It was mad inspiring. $8
Friday-Saturday: Ladies, it s time once again for the most fabulous shopping experience the ATX has to offer.

Twice a year, fancy fashion boutiques from all over the region converge on Austin for this fantastic liquidation event. Last time I scooped organic cotton tees for $10 a pop, high-end designer jeans for $35 and a very cute pair of mint green Italian heels for $25 marked down from $225. If you go, keep in mind that most sales are cash only and there are no dressing rooms on the premises.

I recommend wearing a close-fitting tank to pull tops over and a full skirt that you can wiggle a pair of jeans under. $10 daily, $15 2-day pass.
Friday: We introduced you to the throwback hip-hop sound of ATX duo Mike and Ike If you enjoyed the , odds are you ll raise the roof at the live show.

$3
Saturday: DJ Mel presents another edition of his booty-centric dance party down at the Beauty Bar. Mel gets as nasty as he wants with Miami Bass, House, and other danceable jams. Cover unspecified.

Saturday: Meanwhile, back at the Whisky Bar is DJ Klever, a two-time DMC Champion with a solid knack for balancing his technical tricks with good ol fashioned party rocking. Klever draws influence both from hip-hop s NYC founders and the skate spots and booty clubs of his native Atlanta. His sets veer from old school hip-hop and crunk to electro, new wave and hard rock.

He s joined by local danceable indie mix specialist Prince Klassen. $5
In 2006, the hip-hop duo Mike Ike seemed to slip onto the ATX scene under the radar then slowly rise on of a wave of steadily building buzz. Featuring the combined talents of UT graduates emcee Mic Flow (Michael Richardson) and emcee/producer Alpha 2020 aka Ike (John Isaac Ramos), the group s debut album Introducing Mike Ike circulated in Austin s indie hip-hop underground and beyond, receiving high acclaim for its lush, soulful production and consistently intelligent rhymes.

Meanwhile, Mike Ike themselves began storming stages all over town, becoming regular fixtures at the Whisky Bar s hip-hop sessions and landing a coveted opening spot for hip-hop legend Rakim at Emo s.
Introducing Mike and Ike is a solid offering and a breath of fresh air for those of us who miss the late 80s/early 90s, Native Tongues era of hip-hop. Rejecting the gangsta aspirations that plague so much of today s commercial scene, the entire album resonates with a deep and personal love of true-school hip-hop culture.

It s intelligent, politically savvy music that never ceases to inspire a head bob.
360SoundCheck is pleased to present a full-album listening party of Introducing Mike Ike. To round out the occasion, we hit up the artists themselves for a little insight on the work.

Almost Urban: Give me three adjectives to describe Introducing Mike Ike.
Mike: Honest, sharp, soulful.
Ike: Soulful, honest, intelligent.

What s on your mind at the beginning of 2007?
Mike: Staying focused. Staying dedicated to my goals.

Ike: Sacrifice and work.
On the track Real Talk, you call out fake cats who are offending you. Can you name names?

Mike: I wasn t talking about anyone specifically. I believe many people in the industry, at all levels (underground, mainstream, CEOs, promoters, etc.) and in all regions, are being dishonest to others and themselves.

Real Talk attempts to shed some light on that dishonesty by honestly telling y all how I feel.
On the track Time Traveler, you talk about taking hip-hop s sound back in time. What s your prognosis on hip-hop today?

Is it really dead?
Ike: Hip-hop is well and alive The average person just isn t exposed to enough of a variety, unfortunately.
Name three classic albums you draw influence from.

Mike: Midnight Marauders - A Tribe Called Quest, Moment of Truth - Gang Starr, and Things Fall Apart - The Roots
Ike: The Low End Theory - A Tribe Called Quest , Reasonable Doubt - Jay-Z, The Main Ingredient - Pete Rock and C.L. Smooth
When you re not rocking the mike, where in Austin do you get your groove on?

Mike: We ve been doing shows at Whisky Bar recently and I like the vibe they got over there. Also, I went to UT and I m from Houston, so anywhere I can watch a UT or a Houston Rockets game while having a beer is cool with me.
Ike: I like to kick it at Whisky Bar, Plush, Red Fez or wherever my man DJ Diamond Tip is spinning.

What s up next for Mike and Ike?
Ike: We are still promoting, selling and doing shows off the album. I also sent a batch of new beats to Mike recently, so you can definitely start expecting new material from Mike and Ike.

Mike: We re gonna stay on our grind and try to take it to the next level. We started working on the next Mike Ike album. We re gonna continue doing shows with DJ Diamond Tip, and also with the band .

Ike: The list is too long, but I definitely have to shout out the immediate family, DJ Diamond Tip, Poise, Global, Checho, The Projeckt, Abe, Chopsteak and In The Pocket. I also have to give a shout-out to everyone out there in the hip-hop community, whether they are supporting, doing or living it.
Mike: I gotta give a shout-out to my family, my homies at UTMB in Galveston, my people in Houston and Austin, the Soul2020 crew, In the Pocket, and everybody that has supported the music.

We appreciate y all, for real. Peace!
As Austin emerges from the ice-induced shutdown that effectively froze out all early-week entertainment options, Almost Urban s weekend picks return with a plethora of cabin-fever-kicking event suggestions.

This week s picks really run the gamut. In addition to my regular listings of DJ gigs and live hip-hop I ve thrown in sexperts, fancy rides, tasteless animation and more. A little something for everyone.

Enjoy.
Friday-Sunday: Harboring great dreams of pimping your ride? Drop by Palmer Auditorium this weekend to peep classic cars from Hollywood movies, hotrods and custom jobs while rubbing elbows with automotive aficionados from across the state.

Cover unspecified.
Friday-Sunday: Through the years, this fest has premiered a wide variety of unorthodox, uncouth animation generally deemed unfit for mass consumption. Southpark and Beavis and Butthead shorts both received early screenings at S M s.

The fest s philosophical bent is straight up shock and guffaw. Expect grotesque hilarity full of pornographic insinuations, and much, much more. $8.

75
Friday: Scratchmaster, mix specialist and all-around turntablist extraordinaire, DJ Tats holds down the front room of the Whisky while Hannibal Beretta bumps hip-hop and dancehall in the back. Get your groove on, it s free!
Saturday: Table Manners Crew spices up its regular Saturday gig with a turntable showdown against fantastic musical innovator Chicken George.

As he prepares for the release of his second vinyl joint on European label Swedish Brandy later this month, CG finds himself a rising figure on the international DJ scene. Expect a little avant jazz and new school Euro-soul thrown in with tasty underground and old school hip-hop cuts. Free early, $5 late.

Saturday: The fine folks from Waxploitation join forces with the Friends of Sound DJs to put on a slammin dance party fueled by Garage, Soul and Danceable Psych 45 s. If it s anything like the average Waxploitation Soul Happening, expect a funky, groovy, sweaty mess by the end of the night. Free.

Saturday: OK, I ve never listened to Dudley and Bob and I m guessing the music at this shindig will be a little rockier than my general preference, but I am pretty charmed by the idea of browsing naughty adult novelties while being entertained by Nicole of Frisky Fitness. Kitty Kitty Bang Bang Burlesque will be on hand, as will sex therapists and sexperts. Besides, there s no photography allowed at this free event.

What happens at the Pleasurefest stays at the Pleasurefest. Free.
Saturday: Have I been pandering to the guys a little with my recent naked chick picks?

If so, this one is for every lady who s ever deviously considered tossing a kitten up a tree to craft an excuse to call a fireman. Cool out to smooth jazz and r b from All You Need while mixing it up with dashing men and women of the AFD. $35 for dinner and show, $10 show alone.

Dress is semi-formal.
Sunday: Public Offenders are the pride of Reagan High School, a collective of streetwise Eastside hip-hop kids relentlessly engaged in a struggle against social injustice. With great energy and mad charismatic stage presence they put on a hype live show that makes you bob your head while forcing you to think.

My prediction for 2007 s great Austin music success story? Grupo Fantasma, the little cumbia band that could, blows onto the international music stage in a very big way. , I told y all about how Austin s favorite border-town funk outfit had picked up a residency gig at Prince s glitzy Vegas nightclub, 3121, as the Thursday night house band.

Well, not only has that residency been extended through March, but apparently the Purple One has taken to sitting in on the band s sessions, astounding the bandmates at their most recent Thursday gig.
He just grabbed a guitar, jumped on stage and played a song, guitarist Adrian Quesada said, understandably awestruck.
And in the freshest piece of local Latino dance faves hanging out with international supercelebrities news, the band played at Prince s Golden Globes afterparty to a packed audience of Tinseltown A-listers.

Thrown together at the last minute, the shindig (which took over the top two floors of the Beverly Wilshire hotel in Beverly Hills) was essentially a high-powered house party with Grupo Fantasma functioning as Prince s backup band.
We were just improvising, and Prince would lean over every so often to ask what key we were playing in, says Quesada, trying to describe the surreal scene. Mary J.

Blige, Will.I.Am of the Black Eyed Peas and Talib Kweli all took turns sitting in on the set.

Meanwhile, out in the audience the band peeped P.Diddy and Justin Timberlake breaking it down while the likes of Jamie Foxx and Tom Cruise milled about. When J-Lo walked in, the Latina diva marched directly to the front of the stage and spent a good part of the Grupo s set shaking her famous derriere a few feet from the band.

Her hubby Marc Anthony jumped on stage. Cuba Gooding Jr. reportedly lost his (mind), and climbed on top of a speaker whooping before the party was over.

Whaaa ?!
2007: Grupo Fantasma is in the MIX!

To celebrate the band s success, 360SoundCheck is hosting a Grupo Fantasma listening party. Comprising 13 tracks from all three of the band s releases, we invite you to settle in, turn the music up and get ready to groove with Grupo Fantasma.
I ve been running the Music page at Austin360.

com for a year now, and I ve been keeping this little blog about my Almost Urban experiences in the ATX for a good 6 months, but I recently realized that I ve never really taken the time to fully introduce myself, and explain my connection to the Austin music scene.
In a lot of ways my Austin music story differs little from that of thousands of other Austinites. I moved to the city, fell in love with the music scene, formed a band and lugged a good 200 pounds of gear around the late-night club circuit for a couple years trying to make it.

When my band broke up (as so many of them do) I found myself both heartbroken and with a mess of spare time on my hands. Surrounded by talented artists who moved beneath the radar of mainstream media and increasingly homogenized commercial radio, I was also frustrated.
This was back in 2000 when home production tools were cropping up everywhere, and suddenly artists I knew were able to cheaply produce quality material that easily rivaled most music moving on the national scene.

The problem? They received no exposure whatsoever. The answer, I decided, was the Internet.

So I began building Web sites chronicling the music of my Austin. In time, what began as a personal project supporting the ATX hip-hop scene led to a local music show on KOOP radio and a job working for the newspaper s entertainment Web site. Fast forward a couple years to 2007, and here I sit (surrounded by like-minded media types and a very talented tech team) watching the culmination of these experiences come to fruition in a very exciting way.

Welcome to 360SoundCheck.

360SoundCheck, an extension of the Austin360 music page, is an online music player dedicated to local musicians. This is a free service and any Austin band/artist is welcome to submit material using our .

360 staff members including yours truly will use the player to create local music playlists, host online listening parties for new releases and supplement our online music features with full length audio tracks. 360 visitors can peruse the player by artist or by genre. While listening to an artist s track, visitors can read the artist s bio, link to the artist s Web site and rate the artist and the track.

(Music in the 360SoundCheck player is available as streaming audio content only and can not be downloaded.)
We at Austin360 and the Austin American-Statesman view 360SoundCheck as a fantastic tool to harness the power of the Internet and explore new and innovative ways to engage our readers with the vibrant music scene that s made our city famous.
With great pride, I invite you to spend a little time exploring the 360SoundCheck player.

Almost Urban is back. In truth, I ve been back since the middle of last week, but between the jetlag and the relentless assault of the cedar pollen (why does Central Texas hate me so?), it s been a struggle to get my head straight enough to write anything.

England was wild. My camera died a horrible death outside a record store off of Oxford Circus in London, ruining my great promise of hitting y all with a mess of pics from the trip. Not cool.

In any case, trip highlights included kicking it with my British family, clubbing in Brixton the Caribbean/African enclave in South London that might be my new favorite part of the city, shopping (and bartering) in the amazing open air market in Central London s Camden Town and rummaging through vinyl bins at countless record stores throughout London.
My family is doing very well, thank you. I presented both my mother and my uncle with copies of that fantastic picture of my Grampa (their father) tipping a belly dancer at Ararat in Austin (posted above) and now it adorns my uncle s refrigerator and soon will be proudly framed in my mother s house in Florida.

Our greatest record store score from the trip was a vinyl box set featuring the works of afro-jazz pioneer Fela Kuti. It s a 2002 French release on the Barclay label that contains 6 unreal LPs. I bought it for T.

for his birthday and we ve been listening to it nonstop since we got back. It s mind-bogglingly good. Seriously.

Barclay released 4 of these Fela box sets. Ours is number 4. You better believe we plan on digging up the other three.

The club we went to in Brixton was called Plan B. T. knew the DJ, Mr.

Ben, from the six-month stint he did in London a few years back. Right as we walked in Ben was cuing up that new Ghostface/Amy Winehouse track You Know That I m No Good . Now, I told y all that song is my new favorite jam, but how did he know?

Later in the set he also dropped my favorite early 90s house jam, Crystal Waters Gyspy Woman (la-da-dee, la-da-da), the new Jay-Z joint Show Me What You Got (which received a lukewarm response) and Bob Marley s Could You Be Loved (the crowd sang all the choruses). The crowd was extremely diverse, and the vibe was positive. It was a great night.

The downsides to the trip were the abysmal exchange rate, the weather and the pervasive racial tensions.
If you re thinking about a trip to England keep in mind that the dollar is extremely weak against the British pound right now. In past years the exchange rate has been somewhere around $1.

50 to a pound. These days it s $2. And in Britain 1 pound has roughly the same buying power as a dollar.

You have to force yourself not to do the conversion in your head or you ll spend way too much time aghast about the fact that you just inadvertently spent $50 on a casual lunch or $20 on a couple drinks. It s like that.
Naturally, since we were visiting England in the winter it rained.

It rained a lot. Piddling rain, torrential rain, sheets of rain -we saw it all.
The racial tensions threw me.

Britain is kind of a trip, because on the one hand it s one of the most diverse countries in Europe, and better integrated than many. On the other hand there s an angry white backlash that doesn t even attempt to conceal itself. My father, who is Indian, met my mother in England in the late 60s.

He had been working in the American medical system and only went to England to obtain an advanced degree. He says he never considered staying in England because he felt intimidated. Sometimes, growing up in lily-white Northwest Ohio, I resented this decision.

My British-Indian friends at least knew other Indians (and other half-Indians). They had community centers, they had specialized grocery stores and there were lots of them. Sure they might face more outright, targeted discrimination than I did in Ohio, but the kind of institutionalized Americanization (including unyielding attempts to make me into a good Midwestern Christian) that was forced on me was ill in its own right.

On this trip however, traveling with my black boyfriend, I found the British racial tensions exhausting. There was little stuff an accidental drop of the n-bomb from a friend of a friend and countless hostile glares from black women (way more than I ever get at home). And there was huge stuff.

On two nights we stayed in London later than the train service runs, so we caught night buses back to my uncle s flat. The London night bus, it turns out, is like some twisted reality TV show, where drunken club-goers act out their asinine urges on the way back home. On our first late bus, T.

actually broke up a fight between 3 black girls and a group of 4 Turkish students. On the second one, on New Year s Eve, a young white soccer hooligan type came upstairs and sat behind T. and I and another young black chap and ranted about how he loved killing Africans.

No fight was instigated, but it wasn t for a lack of effort on this fool s part.
It left us with a strange feeling. There s much that I love about Britain, but I really understand now my father s reluctance to raise his multiracial family there.

While most Brits enjoy the diversity of their society and integrate easily, those who don t are extremely aggressive about their opinions. Their sense of entitlement is insidious, scary. That s true here too, I suppose, but I ve never experienced anything on the level I felt in London in 10 years in Austin.

It was kind of crazy.
In any case, I m happy to be home. I have a lot of very exciting business on the plate for 2007.

I ll hit you with more details soon, but trust me, it s going to be off the heezie y all. Stay tuned.
| Wednesday, December 20, 2006, 07:09 PM Almost Urban is on vacation until January 4.

T. and I are merrily skipping the country to spend the holidays with the crazy British wing of my family just south of London. I ve spent a fair amount of time in the U.

K. over the years (Mom s a Brit), and my favorite aspects of the culture (naturally) are the post-colonial influences. In England, there s an Indian restaurant on every corner, curry-flavored Pringles in every convenience store and record stores stocked with crate upon crate of reggae classics on dusty old vinyl.

I also really enjoy a good British pub.
It should be fun. I ll take lots of pictures.

In any case, I most likely won t update the blog until I get back, but there are a mess of good events going down while I m out. I m leaving you with an extended version of my regular weekend picks that should take you through the final Friday in December. No doubt there are events I m missing (New Year s Eve events, for example).

So if you know of a good urban (or almost urban) event you d like to let the people know about, feel free to leave a comment below. Members of Team 360 will be checking for comments while I m out.
And please, have a very happy and safe holiday.

Peace and love to all.
Thursday: The nice folks from Factory People invite you to join them for last-minute shopping and holiday cheer. DJ Chicken George will be spinning 80s hip-hop classics, and cocktails (perhaps even those little cans of Sophia Coppola champagne I enjoy so much) will be served.

By the way, Factory People holiday gift cards come with a Chicken George old-school hip-hop CD. 5 to 8 p.m.

, Free.
Thursday: Music, art and fashion are on the bill at this free show featuring some of the ATX s finest. Bavu Blakes will rock the mic, while Mel, Tats, Mike Swing and Kunal M.

will all take turns on the wheels. Sneaker aficionados will be in the house, so sport those custom kicks if you ve got em. Free.

Friday: Diversearts throws a holiday party at this historic east-side juke joint with poetry, dance and a late-night groovefest featuring the perennially festive funk of Brownout. Bring a canned food donation to benefit the Blackland and Rosewood Neighborhood Centers, and come ready to raise your spirits with free beer nog from the Live Oak Brewery. Free before 8 p.

m. $5-$10 after.
Saturday: Hip-hop artists from Austin, Houston and San Antonio come together as the Cold Rockin It Crew for a Tri-City Throwdown.

On the decks will be Supa Luva CG (DJ Chicken George), Treacherous Tats (DJ Tats) and Disco Donnie Dee (DJ Donnie Dee) while H-Town monster MC V-Zilla plays host for the evening. Old school is the motif for the evening with plenty of break beats to keep the dance floor lively. Plus, there will be holiday-themed visuals from the T.

E.M.P.

O. Art Squad, Southern Draw Studios and Mr. Awk.

$10.
Tuesday: Post-Christmas blues got you down? Drop by Cedar Street for an evening of soul-stirring R B, funk and hip-hop grooves.

Hosted by local power crooner Ter ell Shahid, members of the D-Madness project are on the bill along with guests from San Antonio s incredible hip-hop/soul unit, Mojoe. Cover unspecified.
Friday, Dec.

29: The mighty Grupo Fantasma returns to Austin after a month of shaking up Vegas at . Expect an ecstatic homecoming for these hardworking (and harder groovin ) road warriors. Show up ready to dance like a fool.

Also, plan for a sellout and show up early. Cover unspecified.
Friday, Dec.

29: presents a pre-New Year s Eve Bash billed as a 2007 warm-up party. While I m not familiar with everyone on the bill, headliners Crew54 from Killeen are definitely worth checking. In addition, they promise giveaways from Complete Clothing as well as vinyl treats and more.

$5-$7
I was literally one foot out the door on my way to the Slick Rick show Saturday night when I had a full-blown reality check panic attack. See, in less than a week, the man and I are off to London to cavort with the crazy British wing of my family, and I ve barely begun my Christmas shopping. So (somewhat remorsefully), at 10:30 on Saturday night, I decided not to point my little red truck toward downtown, where friends, bartenders and a fabulous show were waiting, and instead headed into deep into East Austin, into the open arms of the jovial Blue Genie.

As I crossed the threshold into the festive artists market next to the Blue Theater, I instantly felt better. A few minutes later, after I naturally gravitated to the bar in the back where painter served me a complimentary glass of wine, I felt even better. As I relaxed and began to take in the atmosphere, I found myself utterly charmed by the whole experience.

The Blue Genie Art Bazaar rocks!
The Blue Genie Bazaar has plenty of innovative and unique gifts for your loved ones. Cute hats and purses by Chia, fashionable baby duds from Moxie and the Compound and countless pieces of hand-crafted jewelry are only a few of the offerings.

But there are also plenty of low-budget eclectic gifts for work buddies or casual friends. While the amazing monster paintings of , for example, are available at $2,500 a pop, Skagen has created a variety of smaller versions of the images printed on bookmarks, stickers, coasters and the like. A set of 4 monster art coasters (and really, who doesn t need monster art coasters) will only run you $10.

In addition, there are screen prints on raw wood, vintage fabric headbands and handmade Christmas cards and ornaments, all available for under $20.
In short, I think the Blue Genie Art Bazaar might be my new favorite Austin weird event. Shop away, procrastinators, shop away!

Originally from the U.K., Slick Rick s family immigrated to the Bronx in 1975 when he was 10 years old.

One of hip-hop s pioneers, Slick Rick ran on the NYC battle circuits in the 1980s, where he met Doug E. Fresh. The two began collaborating in the Get Fresh crew.

With Doug E. Fresh, he scored one of his first hits, La Di Da Di in 1985. The song remains a hip-hop party anthem to this day.

His most memorable hit, however, is probably the timeless, breathtaking , in my humble opinion, easily one of the greatest hip-hop tracks of all time (released in 1989). In 1990, Rick did a stint in the pokey for shooting at his cousin and, while inside, released the unfortunate album Behind Bars. In 1999, he dropped the largely slept on The Art of Storytelling.

Openers for the show include Cali underground act The Cuf and locals Zeale 32, Dark World Clerics and Diamond Tip. Emo s outside.
Friday: NYC party girl, DJ and big time hustler Roxy Cottontail swings into town for Fun Times at the Beauty Bar.

Roxy s been shaking up the scene in New York for a few years now, promoting fabulous parties all over town. More recently, she s established herself as a DJ. With influences ranging from Madonna to David Banner to Spank Rock she ll likely drop a grab bag of styles when she rocks the Beauty Bar.

To show a little extra love to the ladies, the first 30 females through the door from 10 to 11 p.m. will be treated to free UV Vodka.

$2
Friday-Sunday: If you re anything like me you probably haven t even thought about Christmas shopping yet. Well here s a little wakeup call for all of us: there are 10 shopping days left. Yowza!

Conveniently enough, if you don t feel like braving the malls, over 80 local artists are participating in this year s Blue Genie Art Bazaar. Participating artists include clothing designer (she, of the ridiculously cute hats), the hip stitchers of the , and shiny things from the sassy chicas of the . Open from 10 a.

m. to midnight Fri-Sat, 10 a.m.

to 10 p.m. Sunday.

Free.
Saturday: Facundo s Night Out is an ongoing happening that blends elements of film, poetry, art and music. This month the show features the debut performance of the Dirty Sound Trash Stars, an extremely promising new hip-hop group that combines the considerable talents of ATX MCs Element7D, Young Nick and P.

O.P. For this show the DSTS will be backed by a live band, The Kill, which is very intriguing, because at least 2 of those cats have stellar singing voices.

DSTS plays at 10:30 p.m. Also on the bill is DJ Manny as well as hip-hoppers Vehicular who I ve been meaning to check out for something crazy like a year now.

$5-$7
Sunday: . The Whisky Bar is throwing a holiday party and at least some of the cheer is on them! Table Manners Crew s Dirty Harry, self-proclaimed child of ninjas (or was it wolves), will be working the wheels.

Harry used to be a techno/house DJ, but as of late his sound has been gravitating towards hip-hop. The flier for this show says Complimentary beverages and drink specials. I don t know exactly what that means, but my guess is if you show up early and loiter thirstily by the bar they might take care of you.

Free.
With no more evidence than a dubious , and the distressed wails of a , I m happy to pass along the latest unconfirmed Diddy rumor. Apparently, Puffy s ready to make another band.

A boy band this time. Here s the pitch:
Don t miss your opportunity to make history with DIDDY S INTERNATIONAL *MALE* SUPERGROUP in Making the Band 4! If you can SING, DANCE, LOOK HOT and are a *MALE* who is AT LEAST 18 DIDDY WANTS YOU!

!! (Sorry, no rappers or MC s, please) I like the way the word male gets little twinkly stars around it.

Nice. This might be a hoax, but, on the off chance it s not, the site lists a Jan. 20 open audition date in Houston.

So if you re a Timberlake-inspired dancin , croonin fool you might want to .
Friday-Sunday: And now for something completely different Burlesque! Everyone likes naked chicks, right?

It s particularly enticing when the naked chicks in question are sassily shimmying out of sparkly sequin-intensive get-ups. This holiday season, a whole host of the Austin s lovely ladies invite you to sprinkle a little spice into your sugar, naughty into your nice. The Jingle Belles (pictured above) invite you to holly jolly night of fun that combines classic burlesque with your favorite holiday tunes at at Hyde Park Theatre on Friday and Saturday night.

Then on Sunday, (whose general interests include sailors, jazz, velvet and vodka) present A Sexy Sunday at Beerland. Jingle Belles - $17, Jigglewatts - cost unspecified.
Friday: We all know DJ Mel wrecks shop up in that piece, but I m intrigued about Grit (Topaz and Ghandaia with special guests).

Ghandaia plays Brazilian funk fusion, while Topaz is a large sax-driven ensemble with sounds ranging from dub to Afrobeat and beyond. Not sure how many players will be on the set, but I m confident there will be soulful big band grooves a plenty. Cover unspecified (but most likely not more than $5).

Friday: Cali Zack is an Austin newcomer (from California, get it?). I don t know a whole lot about him, but the lead track on his , I Can t Breathe is a defiant outcry that deftly addresses the struggle to make meaningful music on a shoestring budget.

It smokes with raw emotion. Zack also has a full roster of ATX hip-hop heavy hitters including Zeale 32, Mr. Blakes and Jonny Danger on the bill for his CD release party.

$5-$7
Saturday: Round two of this vinyl lover s extravaganza (which includes appearances by several Backspin Records affiliates) is a release party for Yppah who s dropping a new joint titled You Are Beautiful At All Times on downtempo electronica powerhouse Ninja Tune. Expect genre-defying mashups, electronic abstractions, intricate, multi-layered soundscapes of real beauty and more. Also, the promoters promise giveaways, so you might manage to scoop a mixtape or two.

Free.
DJ Diamond Tip presents a two-night mini-tour of the ATX. On Saturday night, Tip drops in on the TMC crew at Plush.

Cuts, scratches and body-moving grooves (laid out on four turntables) most likely ensue. Then on Sunday night, Soul 2020 and Expansion Team present Diamonds are Forever at the Whisky Bar. Hosted by Ike (of Mike and Ike) and Austin MC scene up-and-comer Poise, the event is billed as a night of past, present, and future classics.

TMC at Plush -Free-$5, Whisky Bar - Free.
91.7 FM, KOOP, Austin s volunteer-run radio station, begins operations in a brand-spankin -new studio space on Saturday morning.

Mayor Will Wynn will be on hand to flip the switch at the beginning of the broadcast day at 9 a.m. KOOP, you might recall, has been broadcasting out of a temporary studio generously provided by Austin s classical station KMFA after two fires destroyed the station s 5th Street headquarters early this year.

KOOP programmers have been training on the new equipment for the past week. I did my own studio training on Sunday, and man was I impressed.
The old KOOP radio was located in an eclectic downtown warehouse space with unreliable A/C, terrifying bathrooms and a diligent crew of cockroaches who even worked the day shift.

The station s main room, up a rickety narrow staircase on the third floor, was a cheerfully painted communal area, hung with old posters and undeniably inhabited by the spirits of hippies and rambunctious anarchists past. Loud punk rock bleeding in from building-mate Sweatbox Studios and various band rehearsal spaces frequently made both casual conversation and live air breaks challenging to say the least. Finicky CD players, busted headphones and an ancient telephone were also part of the set-up.

So, when I walked into the new space I wasn t quite ready for it to look like, you know, a real radio station. But it is. At the new studio KOOPers will be using a state-of-the-art computerized soundboard, professional headphones and mics, and (gasp) three working CD players.

In addition, there s a separate studio area adjacent to the control room designed for live performances. Beyond that there are office spaces, production rooms and a communal area, all of which look astonishingly professional. I, for one, am very excited about the new space, particularly the live performance studio (freestyle sessions!

). My show Around the Town Sounds , a local music show, is now on Thursday mornings at 11 a.m.

I m generally on the first Thursday of each month (tomorrow) and I focus on local hip-hop, r b and funky stuff.
(The funky young chica pictured at the control board is Taylor from Youthspin.)
Big up to Flamingo Cantina for once again living up to the club s aforementioned nickname at Saturday night s performance by classic Jamaican vocal ensemble The Meditations.

As usual, it was an eclectic group of Austinites who comprised the healthy crowd that braved the cold to gather for the show. Dreds of all shapes, color and ages mingled with rockers, college kids and casual music lovers from the KGSR set. I even spotted a hipster or two (sporting silk miniskirts and potentially treacherous footwear), alongside a couple hip-hop producers in the crowd.

The show itself was solid. The backup band played a short warm-up set marked by a lively, if not a little contrived, ode to the merits of Mary Jane. Then, it was the Meditations.

The vocalists, who have backed all the greats, Peter Tosh, Jimmy Cliff, and, of course, the legend himself, Marley, close their eyes a lot when they sing. They allow the music to move through their bodies, pulsing with rhythm, releasing into sweet harmonies that swirl over the stage. Their sound is rich with echoes from the 70s, one of my favorite eras of Jamaican music, when Motown records trickling into the island were seized upon and re-invented by Jamaican singers, infused in the process with the raw urgency of gospel from the poverty-stricken streets.

Halfway through the show, T. disappeared to the back, returning with a plate of jerk chicken for himself and rice with savory cabbage and peas for me. Mmmm more good stuff.

Flamingo Cantina has been around for 15 years. In addition to being Austin s home for reggae music, they ve fostered the ATX hip-hop community since the 90s, providing a venue for local showcases and battles as well as underground touring acts.