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b3science exclusive: Kellen & Me

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Kellen & Me: “Joann’s Great Big Noose” (exclusive download!)

Kellen & Me: “Serenity Song” (exclusive download!)

if you’ve frequented Chicago’s local songwriter venues, you might have been fortunate enough to catch one of the scenes newest best kept secrets… experimental folk songsmith Kellen & Me. amidst preparation of his first full length album, b3science caught up with the multi-tasking instrumentalist between sets, night jobs and excessive pondering for a brief Q&A.

b3sci: so you’re a one man band?
kellen: yeah, i use a loop pedal for spontaneous rhythms and abstract elements, but i do so that the focus isn’t on the pedal- it’s more on the song and the melodies.

b3sci: do you prefer flying solo, or do you one day wish to rock a band?
kellen: at first i thought having a band was the ultimate goal, but what i was looking for wasn’t coming, so i said fuck it, it’s not gonna stop me. in the future a band could be great, but only the right band will do.

b3sci: have to ask. what’s you favorite dental instrument?
kellen: umm, gotta go with the mirror.

b3sci: the big one or little one?
kellen: the little one they go in your mouth with. i wish i had one of those… i think spys use them to look around corners.

b3sci: while were on the subject, who’s your favorite globalist front group?
kellen: you mean like the free masons? yeah them. really anybody that uses symbolic imagery. you know the whole marketing of symbolic things using subconcious imagery. i actually grew up in a town with a whole bunch of masons. their were a bunch of temples with no windows and stuff. they were always kind of interesting to me.

… they never let me in, but i did meet a mason when i was pruning apple trees in wisconsin. he’d told me they’d been watching me ever since i was a young child. he was a very serious man. i didn’t believe him, but it peaked my curiosity.

b3sci: haha do you think their watching you right now?
kellen: it’s flattering, i wouldn’t mind if they were. i could definitely use their support.

b3sci: how did you make that incredible video for “Batteries and Frequencies”
Kellen: i stumbled on this technique when i was in high school and just kind of started messing with it.. you plug a video camera directly into the audio video output of a television, and then shine the camera into the television. you’ll get all sorts of images from the light feeding back depending on how you hold the camera. you’ll get all of these free association kind of images.

b3sci: what are you looking to accomplish with your music
kellen: i’m playing music to make some sort of interpretation of my own inner world and to bring it out into reality, and hopefully people will want to listen to it.

b3sci: when can we expect a record?
kellen: yeah i’ve been working on new songs. i have a batch of stuff and hope to have a full albums worth of new material out soon.

b3sci: looking forward to it. thanks for chatting
kellen: thanks for having me, bye.

get music from kellen & me here. and check out his video for “Batteries and Frequencies” below..

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reviewed by
08-05-09

Kev Brown – Hennessy Rap, Pt. 3 (Feat. Kenn Starr, Raheem DeVaughn, Eric Roberson & Wayna)

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Kev Brown – “Hennessy Rap Pt. 3” (Feat. Kenn Starr, Raheem DeVaughn, Eric Roberson & Wayna)

“hennessy rap, pt. 3” is some smooth shit. kev brown rules …this much we know. but check the features… kenn starr on the rhymes? yeah! (tell us more!) raheem devaughn singing the hook? oh yeah!!! (raheem can blow) wayna AND eric roberson singing back-up? fuck yes!! (we are SOLD! sign us on that dotted line.) kev brown’s “random joints” EP is out now on low budget, get familiar.

buy

rating: 7.7

brown7

reviewed by
08-04-09

AFTA-1 – “Love Suite 2 (Sit Still)”

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AFTA-1 – “Love Suite 2 (Sit Still)”

afta-1 is one our favorite new producers. “love suite 2” is some straight up amazing shit. we love how the warm tones of this record just kind of of float in the mix and really just sort of elevate up and off the downbeats/upbeats. right so… if you need us, we’ll be up on that neptunian shit. peace, crackers.

buy afta-1 music

rating: 7.7

brown7

reviewed by
08-04-09

Ernie’s New Friend

Johnny Cash – “Cocaine Blues (Live)” buy it here

a blue mustached stranger does some serious bumpage in front of poor ernie (3:10). it’s only downhill from here

reviewed by
08-04-09

Lee Fields & the Expressions – “My World Is Empty Without You”

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Lee Fields & the Expressions – “My World Is Empty Without You”

wow, this absolutely kills. funk journeyman lee fields’s cover of the supremes classic “my world is empty without you” is one the best songs we’ve heard this year. holy shit at the arrangement of this song, the cool backing vocal tones, the simple clean guitar strums, the subtle use of organ, and wow lee fields lead vocal delivery, equal parts bobby womack’s throaty swagger and otis redding’s emotive tailing off the downbeat. lee fields’ “my world” LP is out now on truth & soul records. check it out, the entire record is awesome.

buy

rating: 9.3

brown9

reviewed by
08-04-09

Joe Henry – “The Man I Keep Hid”

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Joe Henry – “The Man I Keep Hid”

“The Man I Keep Hid” is new from Blood From The Stars due 8/18 via Anti. Joe’s alt. country, rock, jazz and folk roots add some eclectec tones to the track’s bluesy nature, a theme that is prevalent throughout the record. and while never achieving the same level of popularity that his label and genre partner Tom Waits has, Henry’s artistic consistency has bore him a longevity of career not often accomplished. who cares about popularity when you can continue to inspire? a wise man did once say… “it’s better to burn out than to fade away”. so what burns out for the consistent? i suppose it’s up for discussion..

getitgetitgetit

rating: 8.2

brown8

reviewed by
08-04-09

New Snippet from the Jay Electronica/Just Blaze Project

i CANNOT wait to hear this record, holy shit…

reviewed by
08-04-09

Reigning Sound – “Call Me”

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Reigning Sound – “Call Me”

excuse us while we mark out over greg cartwright. this is rock and roll, kids. there is so much spirit in this music. this is music that HAS to be played and HAS to be heard. and, oh man, are we psyched to hear it! catch that holy ghost, holla!

order “love and curses” LP

rating: 8.2

brown8

reviewed by
08-04-09

Muse – “Uprising”

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Muse – “Uprising”

“Uprising” will be the first single off of Muse’s fifth studio release The Resistance. much more like them and less like the aforementioned, this track is a stadium stomper. and from what’s been heard of the album thus far, Muse should at least be maintaining their arena/festival headlining credentials for some time to come. yeah – it’s an anthem, “SO C’MON”

Order “Uprising”

rating: 7.2

brown7

reviewed by
08-03-09

PLAY BOTH VIDEOS AT THE SAME TIME: Admiral Ackbar vs. OJ Da Juiceman

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reviewed by
08-03-09

Omar Souleyman – “Lansob Sherek” (I Will Make a Trap)

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Omar Souleyman – “Lansob Sherek” (I Will Make a Trap)

look up a defintion of “GOES HARD” in your favorite dictionary.

buy omar souleyman music

rating: 8.5
brown9

reviewed by
08-03-09

Cornershop – “Who Fingered Rock ‘n’ Roll” and more…

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Cornershop – “Who Fingered Rock n Roll”

Cornershop’s new single poetically poses an honest question. and a good one it is, who the fuck did finger rock and roll? somebody had to do it.. was it this guy?? WELL to be honest there were many, but that cat definitely got maximum finger bang. either way, Cornershop’s sixth studio effort Judy Sucks A Lemon For Breakfast dropped this week. the single is a sitar flavored straightforward and soulful rocker – which makes its point at the very least..

buyit

Cornershop – “Brimful of Asha”

Cornershop – “Candyman”

more as promised: off 1997’s When I Was Born for the 7th Time, “Brimful of Asha” became an international hit with a commercial friendly remix done by Norman Cook. here’s the lesser heard original version with all 5 plus minutes of jangly minimal pop goodness. the track was written as a tribute to the prolific Indian playback singer Asha Bhosle and the Indian music industry. “Candyman” gives some serious Band of Gypsies vibes but with an electro twist. the track regained some love in ’08 for being in a Nike commercial featuring King James. man with Shaq attack in c-town there’s no way the Cavs can lose… AGAIN. Cleveland is way due for a title you know?!

buy

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rating: 7.3
kazaam

reviewed by
08-01-09