Atmosphere: classic or dud, search & destroy

I've only really enjoyed him on the "Felt" records with Murs.

"Scapegoat" is such an awesome track. New album is barf.

It does have a song about barfing.

Well, it's not ACTUALLY about barfing. It does have Tunde from TV on the Radio singing backup.

The album's already greater in my ears than when I reviewed it a few days ago--hey, that's what they get for not sending out advances. I happened to teach some kids at "Hazelteen" a couple weeks ago who love Atmosphere, and what with the drug theme I'm imagining this will be one of those records they play in their mind like a mantra for the rest of their lives (though I doubt "The Skinny" will get them to quit smoking). It's pretty affecting top to bottom, and the conversation with what sounds like a paranoid washed-up rapper (rock star?), somebody Slug has probably met and probably doesn't want to end up like, on track two, is about the best song on this topic I've ever heard. It should be in a movie.

The last song, too, has snuck up on me more and more. The description of a male hip-hop fan's young daughter rapping along to all the songs but skipping the cuss words except "bitch," because it makes Daddy laugh, it's her secret weapon--that's about as vivid as Slug has gotten in the second person non-autobiographical.

From a poster at DUNation:

'after listening to it for almost a week i've concluded it's an amazing fuckin album. not that anyone cares but this has so far been a bad year for me. my only brother died christmas day 2007 of diabetes related congestive heart failure...then my father died on april 3rd from a diabetes related heart attack. needless to say with all this shit over my head the last thing that mattered to me was any new lp. but after copping "lemons" and listening to it all the way through 50 plus times man...the shit totally is the only "hip hop" shit i can listen to right now. "painting" has to be one of my favorite tracks of all time. totally reminds me of what i'm going through right now. i just figured i'd type all that cause the dreams wont let me sleep. now im gonna sit here with my diabetic ass, smoking newports and listen to this shit over and over, and pray god don't take me so soon.

'and yea i realize this really wasnt about the new lp all that much. but i needed to type. its lonely in brainerd'

If I hit eject after Seven's Travels, ya think there's any chance this one will being me back?

More specifically, Atmosphere used to be my shit back in 8th grade (so, like a decade ago), when all I listened to was underground hip hop, but it seemed to me that after a while (starting kind of on Lucy Ford, which I still like, but getting even worse after that), Slug stopped having fun with his flow, and got all about the content of the lyrics (emoraps, lolz) without the playfulness in his flow/delivery, that he had on stuff like Overcast. Any clue wot I mean?

I don't know. 8th grade for me was like 24 years ago, and even in 1987, when I was rap-obsessed, I never listened to it exclusively. Ten years later, I didn't get into Overcast! right away--it struck me as unfunky and cerebral. Se7en (1999) made me reconsider, and so did the live shows. I still think the Ford 12-inches, and "Nothing But Sunshine," and all the later stuff listed above is just great music, period.

Then again, you're not the only one to tune out when you did: The last one was pretty roundly ignored or neglected critically, even by my friends from Minneapolis, probably because Seven's Travels is the weakest album, and these things have a delayed effect.

What you hear as less playful may also be more subtle and simple. I asked Slug about this and he said that he doesn't feel the need to compete anymore with the hyper-witty/super-smart/near-abstract speed-rappers because he doesn't even like that kind of music when he wants to listen to something at home--he'd rather listen to the Beatnuts.

So again, I don't know. The last album I loved or championed this much in any genre, last year's Daughters and Suns by the Owls (also from Minneapolis), was even more thoroughly ignored, so I have no guage on critical or popular taste (maybe I'm poison). And these are both CDs that I could imagine being huge.

Purple Rain Dogs

But Slug is no Buck 65, let alone Tom Waits

This might sound either arrogant or naive (it's probably both), but when you're done hating Atmosphere, why don't you give this album another chance? There's nothing in "Your Glasshouse" to suggest that the "you" is female or even someone other than Slug. Since it comes from one of the better-known smokers in hip hop, "The Skinny" feels self-directed (Slug told me he was quitting for this tour), while both "Me" and "Yesterday" are openly autobiographical. "Dreamer" is stiff, but so was the '80s Minneapolis music it reminds me of (you really think it's been crafted with demographics in mind?). "Puppets" is about a million times better than "Honey"--and I liked "Honey" (both sound like they should be used in an action movie). "I think it's great that you used to be great" is great rap writing, and a persuasive portrait.

Rhymesayers should expect padded-out first reactions (I'm talking about myself here) if they don't send advances, but a week later I wish I'd written about "In Her Music Box," which I suppose fits your NPR-friendly-rap conceit (except that you could say something similar about all sorts of great music--I remember dismissing DJ Shadow as hip hop without all those imposing black voices). "Music Box" is a lullaby for the first young parents to never known a day when hip hop wasn't America's default mainstream party music, and the picture it draws is a lot more than emotions on a roadmap (excellent phrase by the way), or beginners-Tom Waits on a bed of beats.

Or maybe I misunderstood that line: If you're saying he describes thoughts better than sights, I don't really see that as a minus.

oh my god how the fuck does somebody care this much about atomosphere

youd be surprised how many kids from minneapolis i meet that are really really really into them

Or kids from Los Angeles, D.C., Chicago, Vancouver, Boston, New York, and San Francisco--sold-out shows in each city for this tour.

It's arguably more pathetic that I care this much about ILX. But I guess I do.

i'm not too into atmosphere anymore, but yeah i really like overcast and the lucy ford stuff...i kinda miss slug's older type more underground battle mc flow he's sort of abandoned at this point.

but anyway being from mpls and involved in the music scene for a long time it's kinda hard not to respect these dude's hustle, they are a flat-out great live act, all that touring really pays off....they pretty much destroy almost any other rap group i've ever seen live.

I heard "Music Box" for the first time driving late on a Saturday night down E. Lake Street and thought it was great.

debuted at NUMBER 5 (!!) on the billboard charts. woah.

Damn, I wish Casey Kasem still ran through the top 5 albums on American Top 40, just to hear him say the title.

"...You paint that spit gold!"

ughhgh fuck white people seriously

lol, sales

remember the days when underground rappers were all madd doggie about how downloads from their fanbase was what was keeping them from the charts? they were wrong; it was just that the ringtone rap fanbase hadnt figured out the internet yet

I asked Slug once about downloading his music, especially the old "Headshots" tapes that were never released on CD. He responded, "I'm more worried about my girlfriend stabbing me to death in my sleep."

I've lived in Minnesota about my whole life and everyone I know loves this shit. It never hit me. Never got to see him live though. I DID see Eyedea and Abilities some years back which, at least at the time, was pretty impressive to me. I think liked Eyedea better, but ultimately I don't really care for either.

Since this is SEARCH and destroy, I can say I fucks with Lucy Ford, God Loves Ugly and Overcast! in that order. Also, the one song that sounds like Trans Am on the new record is pretty boss.

Ethan have you ever considered the possibility that you are a hater?

nb I have never heard atmosphere, I just knew if I opened this thread it's be E and "oh no I must protect the music, I AM HIP HOP" lol

By coincidence I had to drive down to Madison Friday to be with my own diabetic dad who was in the hospital, but he's okay now.

Ethan have you ever considered the possibility that you are a hater?

-- J0hn D., Saturday, May 3, 2008 4:11 PM (3 days ago) Bookmark

lol

oh this is not about joy division. what a disappointment. bye.

MTV.com artist of the week FWIW

On Conan Wednesday

bump for tonight...

"In Her Music Box" is the song of the year. Maybe the best song about a child I've ever heard. The first song ("Puppets"?) is like his "Heard Em Say." I wish the album was a little more playful in spots, maybe, but the best songs are really great.

Search: "Multiples," Lucy Ford, "Say Shhh," "Modern Man's Hustle," "Reflections," and all songs about family, one-night-stands, and Lifter Puller references.

john, ethan is right. atmosphere is fucking terrible.

Headed to the C.C. Club now...

Minneapolis homecoming this weekend (which I'll miss):

Laughin' and clownin'

youd be surprised how many kids from minneapolis i meet that are really really really into them

― deej, Wednesday, April 30, 2008 10:35 PM (7 months ago) Bookmark

ditto brother ali

it's like if yr from here you must at least be familiar with them

i think part of it is like a northern scando small market city is proud of producing some decent hiphop, against all odds or whatever

'music box' is kinda ehh

'modern mans hustle' beat shoulda gone to tupac :D

I think at this point even slug knows brother Ali > atmosphere

From a show preview I wrote:
...Then there's the way a lost daddy feels after finding "The
Waitress" every day: "Her threats rejuvenate my breath!" Pungent
scenes of work and play get shuffled and dealt, by Slug's rapping and
singing, Ant's small band and mixing. The little girl who rides "In
Her Music Box" tunes out parental fighting, by tuning into the sweeter
sounds of gangsta rap. She's living up to the album's title, just by
living on.

in one of the new singles for the new atmosphere album ("she's enough") slug namechecked my fav mexican restaurant in mpls, BAD MOVE that place is already too busy to get a table on the weekends slug :(

Pepitos?

Haven't heard the song, just trying to guess your fave Mexican place tbh

nah i'm pretty lukewarm on pepitos

it's Dominguez Restaurant, and actually i think it's cool he did, they are fine ppl and the fish tacos are the best, highly recommended!

well i guess i know where ill be stealing yer table from then

yeah actually i only came up with pepitos because i was drawing a blank on mpls mexican stuff, living by the west side makes me stay close to home