Niki N. Phaser

         Rap veterans Cypress Hill are about to make yet another spectacular comeback this April, as they will release their first album since 2004′s classic Till Death Do Us Part. The new one is suitably entitled Rise Up and will be out on the 20th next month. It has been announced by a first single, It Ain’t Nothin’. As with the previous album, the South Gate gang is finding new ways to expand their sound, while still combining an unforgiven edge with some laid back-laid high grooves. There are also some interesting choices in their guests collaborators. Tom Morello succeeds in making the guys sound like RATM, while the track with Daron Malakian (System of a Down) promises to be something quite different. I have to admit, though, that from the tracks already available on the band’s MySpace, Armada Latina, their chill number featuring Pitbull and Marc Anthony (yes, that’s what it says) is the one with the most classic-potential. Other names featuring on the album: Mike Shinoda, The Alchemist, Kannabis Kartel, Everlast, Young De.

It Ain’t Nothin’ HERE

             In a recent blog post on his official website, Linkin Park/Fort Minor member, Mike Shinoda gave fans an update on LP’s new LP. The band had their first meeting of the year, regarding the evolution of their future album, expected to be released, sometime in the summer/autumn of this year. It will be their fourth and the follow-up to the successful Minutes to Midnight. The MC seems happy with the way things are going and emphasizes a lot on the new direction of their recent songs. He even talks about initiating a new genre with this one, so the pressure to not repeat themselves seems to be really off. He also teases the army of fans, waiting for any new information: “I was going to tell you guys the working titles…but I changed my mind”, he writes. Though not a concept album, the new material is, so far, tied by “some thematic threads”, the producer also admits. Five songs are almost confirmed, with another 15-20 being worked on, a batch from which the final tracklisting is supposed to be picked. In earlier reports, there was talk of a more electronic sound, Blade Runner-inspired, but, as we all know, an album has many  gestation periods, so we’ll just have to wait and hear.

        With 2005′s Demon Days, Gorillaz evolved from a corky-but-cool experiment of Damon Albarn’s to a mainstream, chart topping venture. And it’s no wonder, considering that Feel Good Inc. became such an anthem of this decade. So did Dare. It was a bit of a surprise that the album’s second track, Last Living Souls, was disregarded as a single. It’s not as bassline infectious as Feel Good Inc., but there are plenty of catchy synths to make you love the song at first contact. Albarn’s vocals have that brit boredom in them, that should be familiar to Gorillaz fans. There is also an interesting 70′s American folk moment in the middle. The lyrics, well, they complete what Feel Good Inc.‘s video started — the song gives you the impression that someone is discovering a new world (but takes the time to smoke a fag before exploring). You might not get the urge to dance to this tune, but you will want to walk in a really cool way while it’s whispering in your headphones…

LAST LIVING SONG