Grand Analog
Calligraffiti

By Thomas Quinlan

Mood Ruff rapper Odario G. Williams has finally found his groove. Along with brother Ofield K. Willaims as DJ, and a band that includes Darcy Ataman, Damon Mitchell, Alister Johnson and Arun Chaturvedi, Grand Analog are a pleasant mix of hip-hop, dub, rock and soul that stands somewhere between planned jams and improv. Their sly wink to internet speak with songs like “LMAO,” “BRB” and “What's Good: TTYL” also reveal a sense of humour. With his smooth, easy flow, Odario touches on topics like immigration for “Get Live and Go,” a distorted mix of old school hip-hop and rock, growing up in a small town on posse cut “Small Town Boys” and the search for “Weekend Love” over a slinky ska meets rap beat. However, the album highlight is “Mixtapes: The Slow Ride,” an ode to mixtapes and the people you make them for. A smooth dub-hop track and universal subject matter will guarantee that this song makes it onto more than a few mixtapes. On the other hand, the radio-friendly space-rock turned countrified hick-hop sound of “Sittin’ On Sunday” stands out like a sore thumb and sounds like k-os or Buck 65 gone horribly wrong. We will probably all be hearing a lot more of that one. At only a year old, Grand Analog have turned out an enjoyable debut that hopefully won’t also be their last. (Urbnet)

Raheem Jamal - Boombox
If a hip-hop record can truly be viewed as any other in a wider musical context, then the amount of genuine depth and revelation found on the debut solo set from Boston MC Raheem Jamal is exactly what you should hope for from a distinctive artist album. Boombox offers a prime serving of intelligent ...Read More
Belly - The Revolution
Big Shug - Streetchamp
Bumps - Bumps
D.O. - North Starr
D.O. - North Starr
DJ Mayonnaise - Still Alive
Fabolous - From Nothin’ To Somethin’
Grand Analog - Calligraffiti
The Horrendous Acts of Violence - The Horrendous Acts of Violence
K Banger - Truth Be Told
Kardinal Offishall & Clinton Sparks - Do The Right Thing
Luu Breeze - The Prince of the Dot Vol. 2
Random - Mega Ran
Sean Ward - I Was Made For This
T.I. - T.I. vs T.I.P.
T-Pain - Epiphany
Various Artists - DukeDaGod Presents Dipset: More Than Music Vol. 2
Various Artists - Snoop Dogg Presents The Big Squeeze
Waajeed - The War LP
The Weird Apples - The Big Crunch
So, picture this: the thinking person's Southern rock band that combine the funk of New Orleans, the musical skills of jazz fusion pioneers Weather Report and the sweetest singing and songwriting this side of Lucinda Williams. Well, that about sums up Little Feat, circa 1977, when this concert was f... Full Review
On his second album, Unbalance, 2562 continues to fuse genres and theories about rhythmic persuasion. Less atmospheric than his highly acclaimed avant-dub-step debut, this new disc further showcases 2562's unerring sense of swing. Though he denies any intentional influences from Africa... Full Review
Gurpreet "The Tabla Guy" Chana combines a deep knowledge of Indian classical music and a lifetime of Canadian musical experiences into a unique approach to percussion. He is both a spellbinding solo performer and a consummate collaborator. Raised in Hamilton, now residing in Toronto, Chana's tabla education began at age three. He relates a time-honoured musical starting point, albeit with specific cultural resonance.... Read More
Social Networking
• Be our friend on MySpace
• Be our fan on Facebook
Tweet us on twitter
Viewing the August 2007 Issue: Contents PageNewsClick Hear • Articles --> On the Cover  •  Front Five  •  Points  •  Comics  •  Questionnaire  •  Release Dates  •  Research  •  Timeline  •  Web Exclusives • Music Reviews --> Recently Reviewed  •  Aggressive Tendencies  •  Beats & Rhymes  •  Frequencies  •  Groove  •  No Future  •  Pop Rocks  •  Wood, Wires & Whiskey  •  Concert Reviews • Motion Reviews --> Recently Reviewed  •  Dvd Reviews  •  Film Reviews  •  Music DVD Reviews  •  Videogame Reviews • Music School --> Label Life  •  Where I play Contests • Contact --> About Us  • Advertising  • Distribution  • Getting Reviewed  • Getting Published  • Letters To The Editor  • Partnerships  • Subscriptions • Exclaim! Radio --> Aggressive Tendencies Radio  • Beats & Rhymes Radio  • Frequencies Radio  • Destination Out Radio  • Groove Radio  • No Future Radio  • Pop Rocks Radio  • Wood, Wires & Whiskey Radio Exclaim! TV • Home & Latest Issue Browse Issues