After finding an eager online audience for his dense soundscapes and even more complex rhymes, New York MC Aesop Rock released his most potent combination of words and music on his Def Jux debut. Crammed with references to history and mythology, as well as the usual pop-culture name checks, Aesop's lyrics remain unusually verbose and intelligent here, but he's also able to spin them into compelling stories. The best example is the bittersweet, follow-your-dreams saga of "No Regrets," which chronicles a woman's sacrifices for art from childhood to old age. Besides the wealth of detail, the song doesn't sugarcoat the loneliness of its subject, even as it shows her at ease with her choices. And on "9-5ers Anthem," Aesop -- who still works a day job himself -- allays any concerns about him being a hip-hop elitist, offering a shout out to the blue-collar masse ... Read more »

"50,000,000 Elvis fans can't be wrong, I guess they knew it all along
If you want to be a star, go today - buy a suit of gold lamé."

After posting all these Chris Knox albums, it is about time to pay homage to the other Tall Dwarf, Alec Bathgate. Not nearly as prolific as his counterpart, he nevertheless was an important ingredient to the Tall Dwarfs, and listening to his solo album you can immediately tell why. He's the guy with all the wacky ideas that made the Tall Dwarfs songs so intriguing. Where Knox excels in song-writing, Bathgate keeps it all interesting by making sure the loops are always fresh and just crazy enough to keep you hooked. As a result, Gold Lamé sounds a lot more like a Tall Dwarfs record than some of Knox' later solo output

... Read more »