Via Wooster Collective

Building upon the musical diversity of their debut, All Good Things, this New York City-based production outfit once again channels their Dominican roots through a distinct urban sound.

Blending break beats and moody downtempo keys with a distinct Latin influence, production is tight enough to avoid making it a gimmick. Like the title suggest, If you want it is an encore of sorts, as head producer Ramon Nova expands on his polyrhythmic style by fusing, for instance, a slow dancehall beat, reggae strings, and bongos on “For a while,” or a dub riddim, with Spanish rhymes in “Just Want To See Ya.”

Although Nova makes a distinct effort to widen his musical range (the title track reworks a classic Motor City drum pattern), after a couple listens the question is, does the sound have any shelf life beyond a couple of albums?

Just Want To See Ya

Comienza con una canción… improvisada… e inesperada… por ahí comienza todo… con una invitación sin pensar en la conclusión, sin pensar en la consecuencia… unscripted.

Fleet Foxes – A Take Away Show from La Blogotheque on Vimeo.

drive-by iphoning…

It’s a giant three-dimensional billboard for Goody’s Kodak, which sits atop an abandoned building that used to house the photograph development business on Ponce De Leon ave. The sign itself is in bad shape, having deteriorated continuously through the years. I don’t know how long it’s been there, but it certainly has a quaint look. I expect the building, sign and all, to be raided soon and a condo tower to be built in its place – such is the trend in the city. Or at least it was, who knows how long will the economy keep hungry developers at bay.

The interesting thing is that it’s so much part of the landscape that I think the neighborhood takes it for granted and I don’t know of any effort to preserve it.

After noticing the heavy proliferation of stickers on public street signs in Atlanta and other “non-traditional” methods of outdoor advertising, I thought of a way to relate that phenomenon to this assignment. Because of the fact that they are placed on “public property” they seldom get removed, which enhances their intrusive nature, and therefore, their effectiveness.