Steel Train minus Scott?? Justin??

I hope things have been great for you 4 religious Track Nine readers... Things have been good in Atlanta, it's down to a brisk 60-65F on most days now, but that didn't stop me from going out last week to catch a pretty sweet concert. Two Track Nine favorites, Steel Train and Dear and the Headlights were playing at a small venue in downtown Atlanta for a crowd of about 40 or 50 loyal fans, haha.

Dear and the Headlights sounded good after the release of their 2 or 3 week old album Drunk Like Bible Times. The new disc brings a little more anguish, a little less foot-tappin, but a lot more crunch than their first release.

After they finished their set, Steel Train took the stage and what happened there marked the true end of an era. Scott or Justin or whoever the vocalist/pianist that I loved to listen play had apparently left the band (I asked the backup guitarist after the show and he confirmed my fear...). I say it's the end of an era because Steel Train has gone through so many transformations, and losing Justin means that there is really no way they will ever go back to or even play a lot of their old tunes. First, Steel Train was a fun-loving group of guys that played acoustic jams. They then turned into a jam-esque band that flowed freely into and out of songs with insane guitar solos followed by soft vocals backed by light instrumentation. Having now fully transitioned into a pop group, I don't think we'll ever see the old Steel Train ever again (not necessarily that it's a bad thing....Trampoline made my best of 2007 list!).

So...below I'm posting 3 tunes to remind me of the old Steel Train with Justin or Scott's (haha) super smooth voice caressing your ears. Enjoy!

Steel Train - Blown Away

Steel Train - Catch You On the Other Side

Steel Train - 1999

Sleepercar

Apparently my post about Sleepercar got deleted by the Blogger folks....

It started like this...

I spent this past weekend playing a little bit of Ultimate in the great state of Wisconsin. We were lucky because the weather was an absolutely perfect 75 and sunny on both days. Coupled with that was the fact that Wisconsin was just then blooming into an incredible autumn. Driving down the small two-lane highways in farm country with the leaves changing and falling all around the roads definitely made me feel a twinge of 'what the hell am I doing in the South'.

Basically they are a sweet rock-tinged alt-country band.

Check em out here.

http://www.myspace.com/sleepercarwesttexas

Wale

I feel my love for Chicago rappers has been well documented throughout the history of this blog. Kanye, Common, Rhymefest, Lupe Fiasco; these MCs have helped define the sound coming out of the Third Coast for the past decade where conscious rap and smooth flows have combined with soul samples and hip hop beats to create a powerful and moving style. It's a sound that has had its share of both club hits and critically acclaimed songs, and the next prince of Chicago Rap appears as if he's ready to emerge. Only one problem...he's from D.C.

Wale has been the buzz of the music community for a couple years now as everyone waits for him to bust out. I had heard the name many times before but had remained unimpressed for a long time until I finally took the time to actually listen to a couple of his mix tapes. Wow, "this kid is the next disciple of Kanye and Lupe" was my thought. Maybe its the fact that D.C. isn't known for its hip hop, but Wale definitely sounds more Chicago than east coast.

His latest mix tape, The Mixtape About Nothing, is a solid mix of songs that really demonstrate not only his MC skills but an ear for catchy beats and hooks. Yes it's a mixtape, so it must be taken with a grain of salt, but if these little glimpses of his skills are any indication of what is to come, I think there is plenty of reason to be hopeful. And with that, Wale is finally working on an actual album having signed originally with Track Nine favorite Mark Ronson's label "Allido" and now onto Interscope. The album is tentativley scheduled for a March 09 release, but til then we'll just have to get by with a couple mix tapes.

So what set Wale apart from other rappers? Well the most obvious thing when listening to TMTAB is his love for Seinfeld, which he makes very apparent with his incorporation of several audio clips from the show and even a shout out from Julia Louis Dreyfus. But he goes beyond that, also incorporating the clip from Michael Richards' infamous racist tantrum as an introduction for a song analyzing the various uses and stigmas of the use of the N-word.

Check out a couple of these songs from Wale and get an early taste of his writing and rhyming skills. And if you like what you hear just get on "the google" and look for his mix tapes to hear more. Chicago style is alive and well... on the East Coast.

The first two tracks are from TMTAN and really feature Wale's rhyming skills laced over some simple but strong beats. The last is his remix of the Justice classic "D.A.N.C.E."

Wale - The Perfect Plan

Wale - The Manipulation

Wale - W.A.L.E.D.A.N.C.E.


Enjoy

-Alec