From the Corner to the Block

This one is different from their earlier albums; instead of mostly instrumental funk jams with occasional vocal tunes from their regular singer, this album has a sampling of diverse artists, emphasis on alternative hip hop, with only an occasional interlude where the group is playing instrumentally by themselves. Who cares if it's different? It's a great way to make an album. This is the style they ultimately perfected with  Carnivale Electricos .Each of the collaborators brings something different, but the title track and the Mardis Gras Indian track are highlights. Also, anything with Trombone Shorty on it, you should buy. The others didn't stand out by and large. The CD has a nice looking and thin slipcase, a bonus in my eyes. Recommended.

Really good CD

This CD has everything I want to hear at any given moment. I really like the band's evolution and inclusion of a variety of musical styles. Plus, I'm a huge Gift of Gab and Lyrics Born fan and this CD has a track with both!

Needs a vinyl press. My third favorite of theirs after live at tipitinas and ya ka may

Excellent!!

Last week in Boston I (somewhat unreasonably, don't tell my wife) splurged on a whole load of CDs when visiting Newbury Comics. One of these records is Galactic's latest album From the Corner to the Block. Having finally found the time to listen to it (don't you find it annoying that you can't load a CD on your iPod from a computer other than your primary? Guess I remember now why I'm not a big Steve "no-DRM" Jobs fan!), I wanted to share my first impressions with you.I've talked about Galactic here in passing already, but I haven't reviewed any of their records (my favorite of which is and remains the awesome We Love 'em Tonight: Live at Tipitina's). In a way, From the Corner to the Block is both a result of the trend the band has been following lately and it's shift in audience, and a landmark release. Most of the songs feature singers from the hip-hop/urban scene, as opposed to the blues/soul vocals of resident vocalist Theryl 'Houseman' De Clouet. Since I don't know that scene, I can't tell you if these guys are famous or upstarts or considered good or bad. What I can tell you is that the combination of Galactic's legendary laid-back groove and hip hop vocals is a winner.From the Corner to the Block rocks harder than previous Galactic releases I've heard, Stanton Moore's drumming is as sharp as ever, Ben Ellman's harmonica is a little more present than in previous releases (or maybe there's less of his sax playing) but overall, what makes this album is that marriage of groove and hip hop. One of the things I tend to dislike about most hip hop I've heard is the insistence on being backed by beatboxes and synths. Not only because I don't like them, but because they give the music a mechanical quality which is, to me, incompatible with groove.Hip hop artists backed by musicians (as opposed to machines) like Saul Williams, Abd al-Malik here in France, Nya with Erik Truffaz or the harmonica-laden Ironie du Son from Switzerland make for a much groovier combination in my opinion. And this is what works for me here too. Boots Riley in particular has a delivery that works really well with Galactic's groove and when I saw them live in Paris he impressed me the most.Check this out, whichever side of the fence you're from, it's well worth your while.

This is Hip-Hop Funk (Funk Hop?) that dazzles, a juxtaposition of an obscure New Orleans roots band with cult-like disciples with under-the-radar alterna-rap MCs which include the great Boots Riley (from The Coup) to the much-missed Ladybug Mecca (from the brilliant Digable Planets) to the obscure offbeat figure Chali 2na (from Jurassic 5) and even to the mainstream hometown boy Juvenile. Lyrically, these MCs tend to lean toward the racialy political, which is their right; it doesn't deter the dexterity and cements the relevence. Clearly the most thrilling Hip Hop CD of the year. My grade: A

It's been close to 5 years since  Ruckus  was released. That album was quite different than Galactic's previous album, We Love 'Em Tonight (Live at Tipitina's)  and so it required some adjustment to one's conceptions of this fascinating group. Galactic is, if anything, always about moving forward. Whether forward is something a Galactic fan is happy about is another story. I'll start with why I gave this album a "4" instead of a "5". Two songs, "Hustle Up" and "Squarebiz", after 6 listenings still do not appeal to me. Replace these 2 with 2 pure instrumentals or two songs with Chali 2na (who raps on "Think Back"), and this album would be a "5", for sure.As usual, the instrumentals, whether alone or on the selections Galcatic collaborated on with the 10 rappers, are superb. Stanton Moore, on drums, is energetic and is humorous in his usual manner. Jeff Raines, an underrated musician, makes his guitar quips stand out. Ben Ellman is thoroughly enjoying himself as he's blowing his brains out. For those not familiar with Galactic, I'd suggest Coolin' Off  as the starting off place. For Galactic fans out there? You may have to give this a few listens and exercise an open mind. You will be rewarded handsomely. It's a particularly great CD to play in your car. Yes, this is still Galactic. They're simply expanding their galaxy.Stand outs: "Think Back", "The Corner", "From the Corner to the Block", "Tuff Love"

Galactic have delivered again excellent

Un gran grupo y un gran trabajo que vale la pena escuchar. Muy potentes y directos, un funk, soul, de altísimo nivel.

どうもありりりりりりりりりりっりりりりりりりっりがとうございました。