Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Essential Free Download: SNAKEHIPS Unleashes Second Single "Make It"

Wow....just came across SNAKEHIPS free offering, "Make It," which the London production duo made for BBC Radio 1 host, Annie Mac. Far removed from the smooth flavors found on recent standout debut single, "On & On," this cut shows the producers know a thing or two about serious bass music as well.

It's only their second official offering, but already we've got a feeling that we'll be seeing big things from SNAKEHIPS very soon.

Listen & Download "Make It" Below:



Special Thanks: SNAKEHIPS for making this absolute banger

Essential Free Download: Bondax Remixes Classic Blackstreet Jam "No Diggity"

Here's another fresh find for your summer playlists...Bondax remixing Blackstreet's "No Diggity" and turning it into a modern day funk monster!

Listen & Download Below:


Special Thanks: Bondax and Blackstreet's Teddy Riley, the creator of New Jack Swing!

New Music Tuesday: Listen to SNAKEHIPS' Perfect Summertime BBC Radio 1 Guest Mix

The mysterious London production duo, SNAKEHIPS, continue to own our speakers this summer as they have just dropped their 30 minute BBC Radio 1 guest mix for  your listening pleasure. Packed with fresh beats, R&B vocals and plenty of sun-soaked grooves, this one has us even more excited to see what they've got cooking for their anticipated debut album.

Listen to SNAKEHIPS' excellent BBC Radio 1 Guest Mix Below:



Special Thanks: SNAKEHIPS, BBC Radio 1, Summer jams, positivity and a better tomorrow

Monday, July 29, 2013

Nighttime Maneuvers 6


Special Thanks to : Freedom.

Nighttime Maneuvers 5




Special Thanks to : Detective McNulty. 

Upperhands : Youtube Instant Classic - David Ortiz Destroys Bullpen Phone


Big Papi ... You a baby.
Watch the full video for the full effect.


Special Thanks to : Umpires who think fans are there to watch them entertain.

Friday, July 26, 2013

Upperhands Feng Shui : Vinyl Clockwork


I've been making art on vinyl records for the past few months and I just realized
that my work is far inferior on technical level than this style of design. 
Wait a second, I think I'm giving a little too much credit to a laser 
and a computer, but I do respect this work of art and think it would 
look dope in my crib and yours. 
Head over to Vinyl Clockwork's Etsy page and pick one up yourself, 
they're only $25, which is very reasonable for the careful cuts of 
Vinyl Clockwork's pieces.

 Vinyl Clockwork's Etsy page ... Click Here






Special Thanks to : Forefathers of methods to listening to music... vinyl records, turntables and diamond needles tearing into the groove to keep humans sane for over 75 years.

Upperhands Vintage Video : The Pharcyde - Drop with "Making of" Documentary featuring Spike Jonze


Spike Jonze virtually owned the music video industry throughout the 1990's
and has continued on into 2013 to produce and direct some of the foremost examples
of top notch American film and music video making.  
Just to blow your minds before we discuss The Pharcyde "Drop" video, 
here are my 5 "Random Instant Classics" Spike Jonze videos of all time : 
Take a moment to watch them all... you'll thank me later.
You're Welcome.


Dinosaur JR - I Feel The Pain


Lakai Fully Flared Intro 
M83 - Lower Your Eyelids to Die With the Sun


Kanye West - Flashing Lights


Beastie Boys - Don't Play No Games Ft. SantiGold


Notorious B.I.G. - Sky's The Limit Ft. 112

When it came time for Spike Jonze to work with The Pharcyde, he decided to use a new 
technique that he had experimented with the video for "Sure Shot" by the Beastie Boys.
Spike Jonze directed the Beastie Boys to slow down their delivery with their mouths and bodies 
so that when Jonze put it into slow mo, the lyrics would match with their mouth movement.



Beastie Boys - Sure Shot
Why the hell is the thumbnail for this video a photo of Chloe Sevigny? 
KIDS represent. 

Spike Jonze's new technique for shooting the "Drop" video was to have the guys do the entire video shoot backwards. Oh and did I mention that they were going to do each scene in one take?
Hailed as one of the classics of 90's Hip Hop, 
The Pharcyde released "Drop" as their follow up to their hit song "Runnin" which featured
a switched lifestyle in which the Pharcyde were rich slave owners of white slaves serving
them at their parties. It's a classic joint, but let's get back to the program.
"Drop" and "Runnin" is produced by the late Jay Dee who also produced 
numerous other tracks on the album "Labcabincalifornia" seen below.


Spike Jonze challenged the members of The Pharcyde to learn and create a completely different language and act the entire shoot backwards. Little did he know that The Pharcyde were more 
than up for the challenge and went beyond even their language teacher's expectations.


Still from video


Still from video


Upperhands presents : "Drop" by The Pharcyde and Spike Jonze
See if you can spot Ad Rock and Mike D rollin down Broadway.


Upperhands presents : "Drop" by The Pharcyde and Spike Jonze
The Making of Documentary


Special Thanks to : Spike Jonze, Nerdy white guys who like skateboarding, Audible Ale, Charlie Hustle, PED's, being a Yankee twice in a decade ... no, not Ricky Henderson ... no, not Andy Pettite ... Alphonso Soriano, Yankees geriatrics squad, Simoneau frothing at the mouth over the 49ers in 2013-14, The Pharcyde, Wishing the Pharcyde stayed together and killed it for 10 more years. 

Sunday, July 21, 2013

Essential Music News: Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth to Re-Record Classic Album "Mecca & The Soul Brother" with Live Band!

Here's something fresh to ponder over the weekend....how awesome would it be if classic hip-hop duo, Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth, re-recorded their seminal album, "Mecca & The Soul Brother," with a live band? Well wonder no more because it's about to be a reality! Pete Rock recently confirmed in a new interview that this will indeed be happening!


So just think how good this jam is gonna sound with a live band!



Special Thanks: Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth for never resting on their laurels and Sunday hip-hop sessions

Thursday, July 18, 2013

Why did Goerge W. Bush fuck up America? Because you idiots elected an artist!


Just when you thought George W. bush was finally out of your life,
some hacker needed to dig into his email account and find out 
#43 is actually a pretty ill painter.
Dabbling in world domination, classical torture techniques and helping make 
"big brother" a reality wasn't enough for everybody's favorite redneck,
George has taken up the hobby of illustration painting.
With subjects like "Barney" Bush's Irish setter, golf courses, landscapes and even half nude self portraits in the shower, we can all thank a group of hackers and art curators for bringing this 
Republican retrospective to life.

For fear of talking too much about him, I give you :
George W. - Painterly Fool.
Paired with my favorite Bush quotes from the good old days.

Thanks Skitten.



"My answer is bring them on." --on Iraqi insurgents attacking U.S. forces, Washington, D.C., July 3, 2003



"Brownie, you're doing a heck of a job." --to FEMA director Michael Brown, who resigned 10 days later amid criticism over his handling of the Hurricane Katrina debacle, Mobile, Ala., Sept. 2, 2005 



"There's an old saying in Tennessee -- I know it's in Texas, probably in Tennessee -- that says, fool me once, shame on --shame on you. Fool me -- you can't get fooled again." --Nashville, Tenn., Sept. 17, 2002 



 "As yesterday's positive report card shows, childrens do learn when standards are high and results are measured." --on the No Child Left Behind Act, Washington, D.C., Sept. 26, 2007



"Those weapons of mass destruction have got to be somewhere!" --joking about his administration's failure to find WMDs in Iraq as he narrated a comic slideshow during the Radio & TV Correspondents' Association dinner, Washington, D.C., March 24, 2004



"I just want you to know that, when we talk about war, we're really talking about peace." --Washington, D.C. June 18, 2002



"The most important thing is for us to find Osama bin Laden. It is our number one priority and we will not rest until we find him." --Washington, D.C., Sept. 13, 2001



"I don't know where bin Laden is. I have no idea and really don't care. It's not that important. It's not our priority." --Washington, D.C., March 13, 2002



"I know what I believe. I will continue to articulate what I believe and what I believe -- I believe what I believe is right." --Rome, Italy, July 22, 2001



"I don't think anybody anticipated the breach of the levees." --on "Good Morning America," Sept. 1, 2005, six days after repeated warnings from experts about the scope of damage expected from Hurricane Katrina



"Mission Accomplished".

Special Thanks to : Voters in 2000 and 2004... you suck.

Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Upperhands : Street Artists - HOW NOSM

HOW NOSM
Ten Masterpieces











Special Thanks to : Huge murals. 

Nightime Maneuvers 4


: Juxtapositions 


Pico Blvd and 4th Avenue 
Los Angeles, California
Photo By : Upperhands

Upperhands Kickin Flava In Ya Ear : P-Money - Gratitude

P-Money - Gratitude


Who said dudes form New Zealand don't have swag?
All I know is they've got great mussels, real kiwis and the Oklahoma City Thunder just
drafted a native of the down under region Steven Adams, 
rocking his flag on the inner lining at 2013 NBA draft.


Despite popular understanding of P-Money's production history, "Gratitude" is actually his fourth 
full length album. A Hip Hop and Electronic producer extraordinaire, P- Money 
became most well knownin New Zealand in 2004 and '05 when he and his Hip Hop homey Scribe collaborated to create the album "Magic City" which featured Hip Hop 
singles that made it to #1 on the New Zealand singles chart.
Never truly leaving his Hip Hop roots, P-Money has now relocated to an American city 
near you known as New York. With his first official move to NY and his first official American release, P-Money has teamed up with famed Hip Hop record label Duck Down Records.
Duck Down Records is better known for being home to the Boot Camp Clik who are 
responsible for some of the best old school blunted Hip Hop of all time.

Don't expect blunted Hip Hop on this release though.

"Gratitude" pays homage to many different elements of Hip Hop, the fast paced 90's style beat,
the laid back smooth beat, turntable scratching and a ton of emcees.
Featuring artists like Talib kweli, Freddie Gibbs, M.O.P., Pac Div and a parting 
shot verse that basically says "Fuck the game" from Duck Down's very own
Buckshot, "Gratitude" brings a duffle bag of dough to the table.





Special Thanks to : White wine, Broken pocket watches, the sun, salt licks, my tripod and my bike.

Tuesday, July 16, 2013

Listen: J Dilla's Lost Record Collection Rediscovered on NPR

After emerging from another stellar Lightning in a Bottle Festival from The Do LaB over the weekend, we came across this great NPR piece on J Dilla's recently discovered lost record collection and productions during the ride home. The story of how it all shook down is pretty mindblowing...so get listening!





Special Thanks: J Dilla, Jeff Bubeck, The Do LaB, Lightning in a Bottle 2013 and all the beautiful freaks we call family

Wednesday, July 10, 2013

Nighttime Maneuvers 3


Pico blvd and Arlington Avenue.
Photo By : Upperhands.

Special thanks to : Teamwork, Sucker punches and Grilled cheese.

Keepin It Real : Yasiin Bey better known as Mos Def, Voluntarily Force Fed Under Standard Guantanamo Procedure


Yasiin Bey better known as Mos Def, Voluntarily Force Fed Under Standard Guantanamo Procedure


Special Thanks to : The US Government, Performance Art.
Apologies For : The horrible posted freeze frame for this Youtube video link. 

Tuesday, July 9, 2013

Keepin It Real : Epidemic "Somethin' For Tha Listeners", Full Album

Epidemic "Somethin' For Tha Listeners", Full Album

Anyone who knows me well enough is familiar with my theory that all Hip Hop artists should
still be making beats that sound like they were cut up in some dusty, claustrophobic basement studio
by some producer who has a vast knowledge of how to fine craft underground classics.
Yeah... you know what I'm talking about.
That Pete Rock shit.
That DJ Shadow shit.
That DJ Premier shit.
That J Dilla shit.
This is that Epidemic shit.
Like a raw East Coast version of People Under The Stairs, from the opening tracks
of the duo's album "Somethin' For Tha Listeners", it is no doubt
some of that pure unadulterated underground shit.
Whether cruisin in the jeeps, riding on the train, bombing the system
or just straight kickin' it old school,
Epidemic's album is that shit for you.

Below you will find the entire album streaming on Youtube.



Special Thanks to : Epidemic for keepin' it real.


Urban Archaeology: Famed Designer Ben Drury Picks His 10 Best Mo'Wax Record Sleeves

One of the most influential record labels of the 90's is without a doubt, Mo'Wax. Started by James Lavelle, this seminal label gave us DJ Shadow, DJ Krush, UNKLE along with some of the best compilations and recored sleeves we've ever seen. The main Mo'Wax designer was Ben Drury, who did most of the famed album sleeves and teamed with Lavelle to also feature street artists like Futura.

Now as Mo'Wax celebrates over 20 years with a proper retrospective art show (thanks to Kickstarter), Drury looks back with The Vinyl Factory at 10 of his all-time favorite record sleeves from the Mo'Wax era.

Here's a few of our favorites from the story:



Sam Sever And The Raiders Of The Lost Art
What’s That Sound?
1995


Money Mark
Mark’s Keyboard Repair
1995

DJ Krush
Meiso
1995


DJ Shadow
Endtroducing…
1996


Various Artists
Headz 2
1996


Unkle
Psyence Fiction (Promotional Package. Contains 12″ in pop-up gatefold sleeve, 5″ record, promo CD, sticker pack)
1998

Special Thanks: Mo'Wax for changing my life, James Lavelle, Ben Drury, The Vinyl Factory, DJ Shadow, Colin Kaepernick defying stereotypes and Lightning in a Bottle 2013

Monday, July 8, 2013

Nighttime Maneuvers #2

Thrashbird "You Need More Shit"
La Brea and Wilouhgby 


Photo By : Upperhands 

Special Thanks To: Unexpected moments of clarity.

Sunday, July 7, 2013

Nighttime Maneuvers #1



La Brea and Wiloughby 
Photo By : Upperhands

Goldie Live @ RESPECT : Upperhands Original

Goldie Live @ RESPECT Upperhands Original