White Chicks On Rap - Adele - 19 0 comments

Label: XL
Rating: 4 Guns

Written By: White Chicks On Rap

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If you've been reading my column for awhile, you might have noticed that I've reviewed a few British soul singers (Amy Winehouse and Duffy), but I have one more to add to the list…Adele.

Adele is 20 years old and like Amy Winehouse, her voice is beyond her age. This combined with her songwriting, "19" is dazzling.

"Chasing Pavements" is the first single. Adele sings about following what is important, even if it turns out that road leads nowhere. The opening lyrics to the song are just inspiring to me. “I’ve made up my mind, don’t need to think it over, if I’m wrong I am right.” Sometimes you can believe so much in what others think, you forget what you think and this line grounds me again.

"Tired" is a bouncy song, but a strong song about literally about being tired of the bullshit. You try and you try to be understanding and you give and you give and you get nothing back.

"Make You Feel My Love" is just beautiful, a Bob Dylan cover that has been done by countless artists; Adele makes the trackher own. This song always spoke to me because it's a perfect example of unconditional love. You love a person so much, you just want them to them to be happy no matter who or what they choose.

Personally, I think Adele is a great role model (I love Amy Winehouse, but she is not a role model). Adele is criticized in the UK for being overweight, but I love how positive she is about herself and being strong in situations where you can lose your strength. I love how she interjects that positivity into her songs.

Riddle of Steel - 1985 0 comments

Label: Ascetic Records
Rating: 4 Guns

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Picture Weezer meets Wolfmother, and you’ve got, Uber-Rockers, riddle of Steel. Stoner, Rock to the fullest, “1985” is one of the best albums to come across my desk in the last 3 months.

I don’t smoke pot… but… my roommate does. After hearing a few tracks at work, and in the car, I excitedly raced home to inform him that we’d be hot-boxing the apartment and rocking out to the new Riddle of Steel record.

“John Frum” started playing through our iTunes, as my roommate opened up our kitchen cabinet to reveal the tallest bong known to man.

“We’re going to need this,” he said, with an err of seriousness.

He proceeded to fill our Studio City apartment with smoke, as “This Van Burns Love” and “Who’s The Fella That Owns This Shithole” blasted from our stereo. Up until this point, I still could not get up the nerve to hit this giant bong, as I work for a large corporation that frowns on recreational… I mean… medicinal Marijuana use.

“Don’t worry about it,” my roommate replied, as “Underwater” blared from the stereo, “You’ll have a Kush-induced contact buzz by the end of this song.”

Riddle of Steel - "John Frum"



By the time, “Quiet Now” hit the player, we both had the munchies something fierce.
Around Midnight, we grabbed the CD, and headed to my roomate’s car… a 1963 Volkswagon Van…. (Are you buying this??) He decided to hot-box the van as well.

We listened intently to “Plenty of Satisfaction” and “It’s Called A Turbo,” as our trip to the local Wndy’s seemed to take forever.

“Time’s starting to slow down,” I said.

“What?!?” my roommate replied, “You want to go to a hoe-down?”

“I said, ‘Time is slowing down.’”

“You like what kind of hoes now?”

“No, TIME IS SLOWING DOWN.”

“You’re silly, dude, you can’t handle your drugs.”

We managed to get to Wendy’s after what seemed like 3-4 hours. “Loose Talk” played us through the quickest meal we’d ever eaten. We headed back to the apartment, picking back up from where we left off with “Total Cougar.”

Just as the album was about to close, my roommate sent me to get his Mountain Dew from the car. I stumbled to the garage, grabbed the soda, and headed back upstairs. To my annoyance, as I reached for the door handle, I found that the door was securely locked.

I knocked on the door.

I heard “Easy Love,” the album’s final track, playing in the background.

Then… I heard the music turn down slightly.

“Who is it?”

it was my roommate.

“It’s Jim. I got the stuff”

“Who?”

“Jim.”

“No man, Jim’s not here.”

I couldn’t figure out whether he was high, or just fucking with me…. Probably the latter.

“No, goddammit, I’m Jim!” I called back.

“What? You’re looking for Jim?”

“No!!! I’m Jim!”

“Sorry man, Jim’s not here. He went out for drinks.”

“Kam, it’s me, I’ve got the drinks.”

“Drinks? No man, we’re not interested. You better get out of here before my roommate comes back.”

“It’s me, Jim!”

Needless to say, I spent the rest of the night outside, listening to the faint sounds of Jimi Hendrix…. Thanks a lot, Riddle of Steel!

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Like this band? You may also like: Weezer, Wolfmother, Fu Manchu, The Sword, Truckee Brothers