Sleep’s Cousin
Im a snob (for the purposes of this writing we’ll say music snob and leave all my other snobberies up for later debate). Not snob like “The pitch on the the highs of that ‘Birthday Sex’ song were all wrong” but snob like “Whoever allowed that ‘Birthday sex’ song to be brought into existence should have been shipped to some sort of internment camp or manure farm in tight shackles before the ink his Maybach lease was dry”
I hate bad music like Fox News hates facts, its the bane of my existence. I haven’t turned on a radio in years and im not sure if i even have an FM tuner.
I can’t even have discussions with people about music. Someone will ask me whether i heard their new favorite song and i’ll give a conversation terminating, nebulous response like “Yea, its alright” as not to tread on peoples fragile egos with my dissertation on the state of music or adversely going off on a tangent about all the sampled works of Galt McDermot and David Axlerod. When you’re a nerd about certain subjects its hard to discuss it with casual partakers without sounding like King Bitch from Shit Mountain.
Last week in a meeting with a very powerful fashion executive, the conversation turned to music. Totally prepared to do my smile and nod routine, just before my eyes had a chance to glaze over, he brings up names like The Misfits, Grizzly Bear and Bad Brains, it was like an intraveinous injection of Pineapple Fanta. This guy might actually know what hes talking about.
He asked me if i’ve ever heard of Death.
Nope.
When you get home, look up “Politicians in my eyes” he says.
so i did
i subsequently downloaded the album “For the Whole World to See” because it was that good.
Not to go into their life story, but Death was a band of 3 Black brothers making punk music back in 1975, back in the proto punk era when the counter culture rock movement was still in its infancy. They were making punk music before punk music was punk music.
I’m not sure if there’s any real message here aside from go out and cop their album as fast as your grubby little paws can click on the itunes. I would make some grandstanding moral high horse move like telling people to open their horizons and you shouldn’t only listen to hip hop, blah blah blah. I’m old, but not that old.
Just listen
youtube of the song after the jump
good post. their music is pretty great.
good to see a another nigerian hypebeast..
even wale is taking over heep ur grind up my dood
‘ i hate bad music like Fox News hates facts’ haha
the same is true here, thanks for the insight on Death
check out the group pure hell. another black punk group from nyc. mid 70’s
Real dope find.
Hey Mec
I heard about Death from Questlove twittering a link to a New York Times piece about them. Do a search and read up. I downloaded the album right after reading the piece. Amazing life stories to go with amazing life music.
Mos Def was just talking about them in Filter. I’ve definently been wanting to check them out
What up Dae!
i was gonna say the same as T.simms; i learnt about them via Mos’s interview..
http://www.xxlmag.com/online/?p=57802
You sir, have inspired me. Not sure about the song though…
This was a good read, thank you.
- Chi
Wait, I take that back.
Holy cra* they’re black?! We invented punk too? Why am I shocked? Of COURSE we did. I will re-listen.
- Chi
Maybe punk is not your thing, but its still cool that they were revolutionaries in a genre that we’re still not readily accepted in. Glad you liked the read