Status Ain't Hood

Pine-Sol Lookin' Boy

tbreihan@villagevoice.com (Tom Breihan) — Thu, 08 May 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Hot Styles' "Lookin' Boy" is proof that not all YouTube/MySpace rap is bad,
so we've got it here, along with new songs from Bun B with Lil Wayne,
Montgomery Gentry, and Nine Inch Nails.

The Return of the King

tbreihan@villagevoice.com (Tom Breihan) — Thu, 01 May 2008 00:00:00 -0400

"No Matter What," the first new solo T.I. track since his gun arrest last
year, is great, and it's here. Also, a new Kidz in the Hall remix with the
Cool Kids, Pusha T, and Bun B, and new music from Killer Mike and the
Constantines.

Young Buck Fires Back

tbreihan@villagevoice.com (Tom Breihan) — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Young Buck's response to 50 Cent kicking him out of G-Unit is a lot more
reasoned and powerful than you might expect. Also, new music from Prodigy
with Havoc and Un Pacino, Atmosphere with TV on the Radio's Tunde Adebimpe,
and No Age.

More Spring Jams

tbreihan@villagevoice.com (Tom Breihan) — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0400

The sun is still out, so we've got more warm-weather jams, this time from AZ, Rich Boy with Yo Gotti and All Star, Santogold, and Dark Meat.

Spring Music

tbreihan@villagevoice.com (Tom Breihan) — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0400

In honor of the sun finally coming out, we've got blissed-out jams from Bobby Creekwater, Telepathe, Cut Copy, and Spiritualized.

Guitar Hero Wednesday

tbreihan@villagevoice.com (Tom Breihan) — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Big slabs of guitar this week from the Sword and Torche, as well as guitar-laced rap from State Property and Lil Boosie.

OutKast Returns

tbreihan@villagevoice.com (Tom Breihan) — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0400

This is a pretty great week for the podcast, and credit is mostly due to
OutKast, who along with Raekwon just released the greatest song of the year
thus far. Also, new material from B.O.B. With Lil Boosie and DG Yola, Nick
Cave and the Bad Seeds, and Gowns.

The Remix Wins Again

tbreihan@villagevoice.com (Tom Breihan) — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0400

We're going all-remix this week. Lupe Fiasco recruits Young Jeezy and T.I., Jay-Z jumps on a track with Mavado, Jimi Jump gets verses from Juvenile and Mouse, and the Juan Maclean has his way with a Duchess Says track.

Portishead Returns

tbreihan@villagevoice.com (Tom Breihan) — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Third, the Portishead album that leaked this week, has a whole lot of
bangers, and we've got one of them. Also: Collaborations! Dizzee Rascal with
UGK, remixed by El-P! The Roots with DJ Jazzy Jeff, Peedi Crack, and Dice
Raw! Wale with Bun B!

Sick Day

tbreihan@villagevoice.com (Tom Breihan) — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0500

This week: stretched-out, diffuse, disorienting new jams from Erykah Badu,
Z-Ro & Trae, the Roots, and Genghis Tron.

DFA Remixes M.I.A.

tbreihan@villagevoice.com (Tom Breihan) — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0500

It had to happen sooner or later. Also: new music from the Foals, the Gutter
Twins, and Spice 1.

We Live in the Club

tbreihan@villagevoice.com (Tom Breihan) — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0500

The Status Ain't Hood Podcast takes a trip to the club this week, starting
out with what might be Tom's favorite track of the year thus far, the Swizz
Beatz remix of Mary J. Blige's "Just Fine." Also included: new tracks from
Usher with Young Jeezy, Princess, and Young Dro.

Psyche-Pop Week

tbreihan@villagevoice.com (Tom Breihan) — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Every song this week is catchy, but on every one, you have to be listening
for it. This week's selections come from Skillz, High Places, the Mae Shi,
and Samamidon.

The New Old Jay-Z

tbreihan@villagevoice.com (Tom Breihan) — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0500

An unreleased Jay-Z/Timbaland collaboration makes an unexpected appearance on a new DJ Clue mixtape and hints at unlikely but tantalizing possibilities. Plus new music from the Re-Up Gang, Crystal Castles, and Hercules & Love Affair.

Rainy Friday Stuff

tbreihan@villagevoice.com (Tom Breihan) — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0500

We don't know when you'll be hearing this one, but we recorded it on a day when all we wanted to hear was spacey stoner blues from Prodigy, Grand Buffet, Sebastien Tellier, and Dead Meadow.

Get Excited

tbreihan@villagevoice.com (Tom Breihan) — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0500

As the Pazz & Jop Podcast closes the lid on 2007, we're finally starting to see signs of life in the new year: scorching crusty old-school metal from Disfear, icily controlled coke-rap from the Re-Up Gang, fizzily charming dance-rap from Dels and Hot Chip, and evil, ambitious techno from Justus Kohncke.

Bun B's Decision-Making Skills

tbreihan@villagevoice.com (Tom Breihan) — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0500

So yeah, I've got some problems with "That's Gangsta," the new Bun B single, but I don't have so many problems that I won't include it on this week's podcast alongside new music from Missy Elliott, Estelle with Kanye West, and Atlas Sound.

Winter Dog Days

tbreihan@villagevoice.com (Tom Breihan) — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Thus far, there's exactly one 2008 album worth getting excited about, and it's Vampire Weekend's self-titled debut. So here's some of Vampire Weekend's sunny, knowing indie-pop, alongside low-tech house from Syclops, cheesed-out trace-rap from Wiz Khalifa, and unbelievably nasty sex-rap from Trina and Killer Mike.

New Year Jams

tbreihan@villagevoice.com (Tom Breihan) — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0500

The beginning of the year is always slow, but we've got a few great new songs from Lil Wayne, the Mountain Goats, Kelley Polar, and Diablo to hold you over.

Pimp C's Final Song

tbreihan@villagevoice.com (Tom Breihan) — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 00:00:00 -0500

Right before he died, Pimp C recorded a guest-spot on Three 6 Mafia's "On Sum Chrome," and that song starts this podcast. We've also got new music from Lupe Fiasco and Air France and a great new Hot Chip remix of a Tracey Thorn track.

Fresh for 08

tbreihan@villagevoice.com (Tom Breihan) — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 00:00:00 -0500

The 2007 news cycle is basically over, and the albums from next year are already arriving. This week, we've got open-hearted synthpop from Hot Chip, romantic scuzz balladry from Blood on the Wall, paranoid God-rap from Prodigy, and impressionistic, percussive pop from High Places.

Good Music on a Bad Day

tbreihan@villagevoice.com (Tom Breihan) — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 00:00:00 -0500

It's hard to think about much the day after Pimp C turns up, but at least we have some new tracks from Ghostface Killah, Scarface, Radiohead, and Fuck Buttons to distract us.

Eating More Drugs

tbreihan@villagevoice.com (Tom Breihan) — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0500

This week is a little lighter on the fourth-quarter rap than recent podcasts have been. Instead, we've got four new tracks of head-blasted psychedelia, one of which is from the best of the fourth-quarter rap albums.

Old-Rapper Remix Central

tbreihan@villagevoice.com (Tom Breihan) — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0500

Here's a weird one: OutKast doing something beautiful again, JR Writer trying out Juice Crew brag-rap, Mos Def trying out hipster dance-rap, and Jamaican production weirdo wizards South Rakkas Crew making their bid for the Hollertronix crowd.

Ruger Ricardo

tbreihan@villagevoice.com (Tom Breihan) — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0500

This week, we've got Cam'ron rapping over a classic Sister Nancy reggae track, Radiohead covering a classic New Order song, the Wu-Tang Clan paying tribute to a fallen member, and Burial getting all British and melancholy. So: nostalgia abounds.

Killa Season is Back

tbreihan@villagevoice.com (Tom Breihan) — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0500

Cam'ron's triumphant "Just Us," with its "Don't Stop Believing" sample, may be the best song in the history of the Status Ain't Hood podcast. Also, new music from Saigon (featuring Jay-Z), Durrty Goodz, and Britney Spears.

Fourth-Quarter Rap Bonanza

tbreihan@villagevoice.com (Tom Breihan) — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0400

For the last couple of years, major labels and big indies have, for some reason, concentrated their biggest rappers' release dates in the last couple of months of the year. In November and December, we've got more big rap albums slated to hit stores than anyone can hope to track. This week, we cherrypick a few of those albums for new songs from Lil Wayne, Project Pat, Pitbull, and Jay-Z featuring Nas.

The Post-CMJ Hangover

tbreihan@villagevoice.com (Tom Breihan) — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0400

I'd originally planned to make this podcast an overview of the best stuff I saw during the CMJ festival, but too much new music has hit the internet since then so instead I've got new songs from Freeway with Lil Wayne, Ghostface, and the Hives, along with a Diplo remix of the Black Lips song I posted a few weeks back.

Long-Awaited

tbreihan@villagevoice.com (Tom Breihan) — Wed, 17 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0400

In the first podcast after Tom's wedding, we've got new music from some long-awaited albums: Jay-Z, Radiohead, and the reunited Wu-Tang Clan. Also: Justice remixes the Klaxons.

Going to the Chapel

tbreihan@villagevoice.com (Tom Breihan) — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0400

In the pre-wedding edition of the Status Ain't Hood podcast, I grab four songs as quickly as I can. With less time to find a bunch of great songs, this probably isn't the best of these podcasts, but I managed to find some winners. On this week's show:

* Beanie Sigel: "What They Gonna Say to Me"
* Project Pat: "Rubber Band Me"
* Sally Shapiro: "He Keeps Me Alive"
* Celebration: "Hands Off My Gold (Simian Mobile Disco Remix)"

Jay-Hova Returns (Again)

tbreihan@villagevoice.com (Tom Breihan) — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 00:00:00 -0400

This week, we've got "Blue Magic," the first single from Jay-Z's second post-comeback album American Gangster. The album is set to tie in with the movie of the same name, but this song doesn't have any direct correlation with the movie beyond its title and the dialogue sample at the end. We've also got an unreleased Kanye West track and new songs from Brooklyn indie upstarts Yeasayer and Oakland stoner-metal veterans High on Fire.

All Over the Map

tbreihan@villagevoice.com (Tom Breihan) — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 00:00:00 -0400

After a couple of weeks of podcasts loosely based around a single genre or idea, this week we're jumping into full-on chaos, playing four songs that don't share a single thing in common. This week, we've got 50 Cent's blockbuster "I Get Money" remix with Diddy and Jay-Z, a new Verve-sampling would-be hit from Atlanta upstarts Born With It and B.O.B., a particularly insane new Hot Chip track, and a piece of assured indie-pop from Cass McCombs.

End-of-Summer Bliss

tbreihan@villagevoice.com (Tom Breihan) — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 00:00:00 -0400

Last week's podcast focused on the impending Kanye West/50 Cent showdown and
ended up being really rap-heavy. Now that that's finally over, we turn out
attention to the melodically euphoric, rhythmically inventive indie-rock
that's suddenly started booming lately. This week's podcast features tracks
from Band of Horses, Vampire Weekend, and Black Lips, as well as an amazing
M.I.A. remix featuring Bun B and Rich Boy.

Battle of the Leaks

tbreihan@villagevoice.com (Tom Breihan) — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 00:00:00 -0400

A week before their big sales-showdown starts, the new albums form 50 Cent and Kanye West made their way to the internet. We've got a song from both, and we'll talk about which one ends up the aesthetic victor. And on this extra rap-heavy edition of the podcast, we've also got new songs from British newcomer Kano and Texas heavyweight Scarface.

Something Evil

tbreihan@villagevoice.com (Tom Breihan) — Thu, 30 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0400

In this edition, Tom talks about all the angry, heavy, evil guitar-rock
that's been popping up on his radar in the past week: epic chugging Southern
stoner-metal from Baroness, scuzzed-up Brooklyn neo-shoegaze from a Place to
Bury Strangers, and feral New York goth-blues from Angels of Light. There's
nothing pretty here, but the misanthropy does break for exactly one
feel-good rap anthem: Swizz Beatz' Bill Withers-sampling "Take a Picture."

UGK's Triumphant Return

tbreihan@villagevoice.com (Tom Breihan) — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0400

On the latest edition of the Status Ain't Hood podcast, the mythic Texas rap duo UGK team up with another legend, Too Short, for a remake of the classic single "Life Is...Too Short." The new version, "Life Is 2009," is the sort of slow, heavy organic banger that absolutely no one manages to pull off anymore; leave it to three masters of the form to show the kids how it's done. Also, Chicago's Dude N Em score big with the dance-rap monster-jam "Watch My Feet," Toronto dance group Crystal Castles remix the Soho Dolls' "Trash the Rental" and turn it into a euphoric bit of cheesy rave insanity, and Swedish indie-pop kingpin Jens Lekman goes all disco on "Sipping on the Sweet Nectar."

Lil Wayne Eats Drugs

tbreihan@villagevoice.com (Tom Breihan) — Mon, 18 Jun 2007 00:00:00 -0400

On this first edition of the Status Ain't Hood Podcast, Tom Breihan takes a look at some of the newest and most exciting music floating around the internet. (He recorded this one three weeks ago, but all these songs are still pretty new.) On "I Feel Like Dying," Lil Wayne goes all Jefferson Airplane on us, going off on a weirdly mesmerizing hallucinatory rant that seems to be about dead flowers and playing basketball on the moon. London rapper Dizzee Rascal finally comes through with "Where Da Gs," his first collaboration with the legendary veteran Texas rap duo UGK. Rihanna, in a pretty audacious pop-star move, samples a Michael Jackson party-chant and turns it into top-shelf 21st-century club-pop. And the Australian synth-pop group Cut Copy magnificently rips off New Order on "Hearts on Fire." Tom thinks you should know about all this stuff.