(Part of The Weekly Check In series)
Let me introduce you to Jams, the man who is one half of Brother Reade (the hip hop duo based out of Los Angeles / Winston-Salem.) I met Jams when I lived in Los Angeles, (through Day19,) and got to go to Hip Hop house parties because of it. This man is talented, so go listen.
They’re playing some shows at SXSW, so if you’re going, find them. I can’t wait to hear the new stuff he mentions, it’ll be amazing.
Listen to BR on Myspace.
Buy their records.
RR: What are you currently working on or just finished that you’re excited about?
Jams: We just finished putting together a remix ep with tracks on the upcoming Brother Reade record we’re working on. We got to get material from a lot of really talented producers from the US and Europe and the songs we sent out got expanded in a lot of different and exciting new directions. In the meantime we’re tracking the rest of the songs for the Brother Reade full length now and piecing together some of the new drum-based material together with the electronically based rap songs is a stimulating exploration. Also working on a more elaborate live show that eventually we’re going to stage at some theaters in LA and New York that’s going to incorporate set elements, video, and dancers, but I’ve said too much about that already…
RR: Where have you traveled so far this month?
Jams: We (Brother Reade) just did a tour on the east coast with some dubstep DJs, and we had a surprisingly epic time in Charleston, South Carolina. Being from North Carolina there’s an implicit rivalry there, but we actually had a blast on the proverbial other side of the tracks. The architecture there is amazing, and the cuisine is out of this world. The weather was perfect and everyone was out in the park with their dogs or reading or sunbathing or what have you. It’s a gem you might miss out on for sure. I’m going to Spain in a few weeks, that should be interesting, and we’re taking the group back to the UK and western Europe later this year.
RR: What’s your favorite music right now?
Jams: Nick Dewitt is making radically exciting percussion-based music. His first show with this new stuff was at the smell the other night, and i had the feeling that he was going to do big and amazing and exciting things with this new metallic, contact-mic’ed contraption that he’s invented. Bobby Evans (my music partner in BR) and I were standing there with Luis Farfan (one of LA’s great drummers, of “The Fuse” fame), and we all had the distinct impression that guitars and their dominance over rock-n-roll of all types were in serious trouble.
As far as records, i know I’m a part of a chorus of praise when i say this, but Animal Collective have made a really searching and beautiful LP that uses all of the insights into unorthodox textures that they’ve developed on previous jams, but marries that with a much more concentrated songwriting effort to create something pretty peerless.
RR: Best food you’ve had in your neighborhood lately or while you were traveling?
Jams: Easy. Shrimp and grits in Charleston. With cornbread. And buttermilk pie. At home? Best fish tacos in Ensenada (which is not in Ensenada but in LA on hillhurst). They have two things on the menu and both are perfect. Apply the condiments in order from right to left, and don’t overdo it. Their tacos are of genius design.
RR: Anything Else You Want To Mention?
Jams: Yes, if people haven’t seen “An Awesome Book” by Dallas Clayton, they absolutely should. It’s his first writing for children and it shouldn’t be his last. you can find it here: http://www.veryawesomeworld.com. It pretty much says it all.
