JR Moreau's Not So Literal » music

The Late Tero “Camu Tao” Smith’s King of Hearts LP

JR — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 15:57:19 +0000

Today marks the release of King of Hearts, the LP by Tero Smith, aka Camu Tao who passed away two years ago from lung cancer.

King of Hearts is a collection of unreleased material that Camu Tao was never able to finish due to his illness. A group of long time friends took a lot of his raw vocals and beats and made time to master the sound and polish over some of the truly gritty, genre bending music that Camu Tao was known and loved for.

Camu, a Columbus, Ohio native really had not only an original sound, but more like a sound that nobody knew or knows what to do with to this very day. Pop bands like The Black Eyed Peas talk about being on “some futuristic shit” but Camu really was. Rumors have it that Camu’s unique brand of singing, screaming, rapping (he was an incredibly talented emcee) partially stemmed from the fact that he was deaf in one ear and had no idea how out of bounds his tone, melody and harmonies were. They were not “traditional” sounds but they’re amazing all the same.

I’ll never forget the first time I listened to the song “Oxycontin” on El-P’s Bomb The System soundtrack.

I had heard Camu Tao rap on some of Aesop Rock, El-P and Cage’s songs before, but I had never heard him sing. Oxycontin is a heart wrenching song about seeing someone close to you continue to kill themselves with drugs and neglect. That was the song that had me hooked as a fan forever. Then I couldn’t get enough and found all of his work. I had to have it.

Survived by his long-time girlfriend and fiancee, the proceeds from King of Hearts will go towards covering the astronomical medical bills that came from Camu’s long battle with cancer.

I’m not sure how long this free, streaming version of the CD will stay up, but if you want to give it a preview before you buy, check it out. I’m not getting affiliate money or anything from this, I just absolutely love Camu Tao’s work and am truly grateful that this work will get to the ears of his fans and people who’ve never heard of him alike.

You can also buy a copy of the album in its various forms (vinyl, digital, CD, etc) here.

**ALSO CHECK OUT THIS CAMU TAO MIXTAPE PUT TOGETHER BY DJ CHAUNCY HERE**

To Hell With Growing Up – What Keeps You Young?

JR — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 22:42:40 +0000

Music is really one of the few things that I can consistently enjoy no matter what’s going on in my life. No matter how busy I am, where I am or what I’m doing, music really keeps me in touch with my humanity and creativity.

Those of you who’ve known me for a while know I’m that loner dude who shows up at hip hop and rock shows rolling dolo just because I’ll be damned to miss a good concert because none of my friends like the same stuff as me.

This Friday I’m going to see MF DOOM and Mos Def in Chicago. These two emcees are two of the BEST rappers in hip hop. Period. If you care to debate that, get at me.

Anyhow, I’m rolling solo and I’m super excited about it. I feel like it’s the first time I’ve really ventured out of Madison for something interesting since I’ve been here. I love Chicago too, so I’m hoping to meet some new friends when I get there and hopefully link up with some old ones.

If you think you might be in Madison or Chicago area come this Friday, January 29, let me know. I’m down for having a concert buddy.

So, I ask you… what keeps you from becoming just another statistic of cubicle living? What keeps you feeling young, creative and excited?

Also, enjoy these two clips from MF DOOM and Mos Def:

MF DOOM in Madvillian “Accordion”

Mos Def – Auditorium (Feat. Slick Rick)

“I’ll bet a million dollars on MF DOOM against Lil’ Wayne”~Mos Def

A MUST LISTEN (click through link to listen to/dl the track)

Mos Def and a backup jazz quartet Covers Kanye West’s “Say You Will” followed up by “U R The One”

Just A Reminder To Live Purposefully

JR — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 01:23:42 +0000

One of my favorite songs of all time. Slug’s verse at 1:32 of this track is amazing. I’m going to post the lyrics to that specific verse. Good stuff to think about if life seems to start rushing by you too fast. Remember who you are and keep perspective:

[Slug]
The first step was birth
Now forever cursed to analyze his self-worth
The second step was belief
He had to make that move before he even grew teeth
The third step, respect awareness
He could trip over the next step if he’s careless
That next step, number four, was love
Can’t touch it without stepping the other three above
As he froze for a moment
Ignoring the remaining ones
He was approaching, focus stolen
Looking down at his hands to see what he was holding
Nothing, empty
No choice but to keep going
The fifth step felt like a misstep
It was a re-evaluation of the first four
The anxiety, fear of what it hurts for
Caught in somewhere between the earths core
And the first floor
When he finally made it to step six
He could no longer see it for what it is
All of his views and family and life were askew
Number six had been twisted by the previous two
The last step, the seventh
Was the only thing left that kept him outside of heaven
One last breath and everything could be pleasant
Life through death, man’s final lesson

The Path That’s Deep

JR — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 07:22:30 +0000

I want to share a music video with you all that I’ve played dozens of times. C-Rayz Walz teamed up with Abraham Inc. to perform this song called “Tweet Tweet.” I call it my Twitter anthem, but really it’s just a beautiful medley of great jazz and hip hop. Keep an eye out for the dude on piano who steps in with a few rhymes too. His name is SoCalled and is an AMAZING emcee, producer, DJ, artist etc from Montreal, Canada. His song You Are Never Alone has a really interesting video as well.

Enjoy!

Charlie Haden- Jack Black’s In-Law

JR — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 05:24:00 +0000

I was driving home from work this winter and heard a sample of this song on NPR. (As corrected by my friend Seth Itzkan, an avid bassist himself)The bassist’s name is Charlie Hayden. The son is on vocals. His daughter is married to Jack Black. This song touches me very deeply. I suggest looking up the song “Shenandoah” as well.

Worcester’s Yo-Yo

JR — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 14:26:00 +0000

This weekend I shall move back to Worcester for the 2nd time since I have turned 18. I’ve managed to run screaming away from that city so often, yet still maintain a strange nostalgia about it my entire life. My family lives there and it’s cost of living is considerably less than Boston. This time around should be better than the last time I moved back. I’ll be staying in an apartment that my grandfather owns with my younger cousin. The commute sucks pretty bad, but the rent and utilities will save me hundreds of dollars a month which is what I need right now. I’ve been scraping and biting for so long trying to make ends meet in Boston, all the while making an okay salary in several fields I have no interest in pursuing as a long-term career. So, it’s time to get my life and priorities in order. Money and cost of living need to be addressed, and next my career path will need to be addressed. More on that later.

As of now, my plans are to:

1) Live in the apartment for at least the rest of 2008.
2) Save the difference in money of what I’m paying now and allocate some of that savings toward lingering bills
3) Localize my freelance work and try to get some more writing gigs in the Worcester area
4) Weigh my options of relocation versus buying a condominium. Either of those will hopefully happen by next summer.

I do hope to start re-visiting some of my old haunts. Particularly the Java Hut and Coney Island hot dogs. I think the Java Hut may be closed due to poor management, but it usually gets bought and re-opened so I’ll hold out hope. As far as my occasional junk food treat, who wants to meet up for a hot dog or cup of joe? I need re-integration.