PREVIEW HIP HOP
CADENCE WEAPON AND J-LIVE Voodoo Rooms, Edinburgh, Mon 19 May; The Ivy, Glasgow, Tue 20 May
In the space of two albums, Rollie Pemberton (aka Cadence Weapon) has cut a compellingly maverick path across the hip hop landscape. His first record, Breaking Kayfabe, set critical tongues wagging when it appeared on the independent Canadian label Upper Class Recordings in 2005 before being picked up by Big Dada in the UK. There it was re-released as a precursor to Pemberton’s sophomore LP, the dazzlingly inventive Afterparty Babies, which arrived in March this year.
Cadence Weapon grew up immersed in music in Edmonton, Canada. His father is credited as one of Canada’s first hip hop radio DJs and by the age of 18, Pemberton Junior had become a regular contributor to Pitchfork, writing hip hop reviews for the influential American music website. Clear comparisons can be made between Pemberton’s observant, articulate writing and his virtuoso rhyming; both are imbued with his passion for popular culture and diverse musical taste. Alongside obvious hip hop reference points (De La Soul, Jurassic 5), he gleefully plunders the entire club music canon, from synthetic, fizzing 8- bit textures to booming, breakneck booty bass.
Pemberton’s lyrics, delivered in a relaxed Canadian accent sound earnest and sincere, without the sandal-wearing sanctimony that the brown bread ‘n’ backpack intelligent hip hop fraternity can sometimes be accused of. Cadence Weapon favours determinedly ordinary subject matter; his short, insightful meditations on friends and parties, sex and relationships brim with self-confidence and joie de vivre as well as charming, self-depreciating asides. Cadence Weapon’s music is humble and humane, and deserves to be cherished. (Colin McKean)
PREVIEW COUNTRY WILLIE NELSON Clyde Auditorium, Glasgow, Thu 8 & Fri 9 May
There is a certain evergreen enthusiasm about Willie Nelson that makes him unmistakably a country musician. They all have it, or had it: Dolly Parton, Tammy Wynette. Johnny Cash. It's the blinding passion anchored in a Southern upbringing, driven by a great love for what they do and polished by years of hard graft to keep it that way. It's what makes country music so damn intoxicating.
Nelson's is an enthralling story. Born in Texas. his breakthrough came in 1961 when two of his songs — Faron Young's take on ‘Hello Walls' and Patsy Cline's rendition of ‘Crazy‘ — introduced us to one of the 20th century's greatest songwriters. It wasn't until the mid-70s. however. that he found fame as a solo artist. Along with Waylon Jennings he became the face of “outlaw country' named for its disregard for the c0untry music directives of the time. A sideline on the big screen followed — in The Electric Horseman with Robert Redford and Honeysuckle Rose with Amy Irving — but times changed Nelson's star waned.
But not for long and never for good. In 1985 he learned up with Cash. Jennings and Kris Kristofferson to form the hugely popular Highwaymen and he hasn't stopped touring since. Tax problems and drugs controversy have taken their toll but, at 75, Nelson is still singing. This tour coincides with the release of a greatest hits album including ‘Funny How Time Slips Away'. ‘Night Life' and ‘Always on My Mind'. There are many more. (Rachel Devine)
PREVlEW PUNK SONIC BOOM SIX Barfly, Glasgow, Sun 18 May
Less than ten years ago. bassist/vocalist Barney Boom 's only audience were the people who showed up to parties he was MCing at. These days, he's touring internationally. as part of the Manchester-based quartet. the numerically confused Sonic Boom Six. and played to an audience of thousands. Having recently parted from Deck Cheese Records. the band‘s latest album Arcade Perfect was released through their own label Rebel Alliance. But releasing your own record doesn't automatically equal DIY utopia.
'It's definitely difficult financially,‘ Mr Boom admits. ‘There simply isn't enough money coming in from the UK to keep the band afloat. But to be honest, I see us pushing our heads out of the UK now and getting things moving in places like Europe. Japan and the US in a way that few bands from our scene ever did.’
Financial worries aside. Sonic Boom Six are frankly one of the most exciting bands the British punk scene has produced, period. It sounds like they were contestants on a musical supermarket sweep, mixing up genres from punk to dub. reggae to hip hop. 'In Japan we're perceived as a pop—rock band. in the US we're viewed more as a credible underground punk band. but in the UK we're seen by the punk scene as a bit of an oddity.‘ he grins. 'No one really knows if we've got integrity and underground credibility. or if we're silly and uncool.’ (Rebecca Moore)
8—22 May 2008 THE LIST 73