Be Nice To The Crackheads

Ghostface Killah featuring Cappadonna, Shawn Wigs & Trife “Jellyfish” – Fishscale is so overflowing with top drawer material that I’ve been frozen for days trying to figure out which song to post. Even with the best records, there’s usually an obvious choice or a quintessential track, but trying to boil this little masterpiece down to one song is tough work. “Jellyfish” is a bit of a dark horse – it doesn’t provide a catchy angle like “Whip You With A Strap” (the best song I’ve ever heard advocating the violent discipline of children) or “9 Milli Bros.” (the entire Wu-Tang Clan, together again for maybe the last time!), and it’s not Ghostface to the nth degree, as on “Shakey Dog,” “The Champ,” and “Dogs of War.” Comparitively, “Jellyfish” has a mellower charm, and with its nostalgic organ drone and lackadaisical vibe, it’s the closest thing the album has to a track like “Child’s Play” from Supreme Clientele. That organ is key – it’s so high up in the mix that it sounds like a ceiling or a sky high above the vocals, bass, and beat. (Click here to buy it for a ridiculously low price from Amazon. You really can’t go wrong with this record.)

Lavender Diamond “You Broke My Heart” – When I was in Texas last weekend, I heard from four or five trusted sources that I missed out on great performances by Lavender Diamond, a band that I’d never heard of prior to last Thursday. Now that I’ve acquired their EP, I’m kicking myself for not having been on top of this earlier. “You Broke My Heart” is my favorite so far, a quietly anthemic ballad that mixes the gentle, somewhat austere quality of Sandy Denny’s work with the Fairport Convention with a touch of warmness similar to that of Carole King on Tapestry and Joni Mitchell circa Blue. (Click here to buy it from Lavender Diamond.)