Fine Art Friday: Ian Francis at Joshua Liner Gallery (NYC)

After discovering the work of Ian Francis several years ago, I am always interested to see new bodies of work and his upcoming show entitled "Season 1, Episode 0" at the Joshua Liner Gallery in NYC doesn't disappoint. Somewhere between Francis Bacon and a nightmarish dreamscape, Ian Francis's work seems to invite the viewer to figure out the mystery of the story on canvas. Working in mixed media on canvas and acrylic panels, Ian Francis combines abstraction, figuration, and elements of both painting and drawing. This recent series is dedicated to the experience of television entertainment and the myth of reality and unreality of contemporary TV—from the made-up world of characters and story lines and its distorted effects on the consumer. Preview some of the work in the images below, but words rarely do the artwork any justice, so try to see it in person if you're in NYC.

Listen: Substantial - "Home Is Where The Art Is" Instrumentals

Maybe because I am a producer myself, but I am always a fan of rap album instrumentals and given the quality of the beats of Substantial's recent release, there is plenty of vibes to zone out with without the lyrics. While the album is solid with the words, I will always check for the beats to see how the production held the album together. Check both versions of the album if you haven't already, but now you can freestyle your own jibberish to the beats and feel like part of the team.

DOWNLOAD LINK

Video: Contant Deviants - "Its OK"

Brooklyn's own crew Constant Deviants, rapper M.I. and producer DJ Cutt, just dropped the official video for "It's OK" from the vinyl single. With a throwback vibe and catchy samples, the Deviants pay homage to the 90s era and a more grown-man approach to hip hop and dedication to the craft of quality beats and lyrics. Mixing trash talk and helping build their brand of true school music, Contant Deviants continue to pave a path for themselves and the rap purists of the world.

DOWNLOAD LINK
http://six2sixrecords.bandcamp.com/album/its-ok-12-ep

Listen: Phony Ppl - "Nothing Special"

Part of the growing Beast Coast movement of young and newer MCs that are moving toward a more jazzy and throwback sound in the NYC area, Phony Ppl continue to drop projects that play to the more laid back hip hop fan. It feels good to have a new generation of kids who appreciate non-dance-club tracks that the more everyday hip hop fan can enjoy. Check out their most recent team effort "nothinG special" below and check the new video by Phony Ppl emcee Elbee Thrie. There is a very Pharcyde meets ATCQ vibe about these cats, so get some more mellow vibes in your life.



DOWNLOAD LINK
http://phonyland.bandcamp.com/album/nothing-special

Listen: Suff Daddy X Ta-ku - "Bricks + Mortar" EP

Beat maker extraordinaires Suff Daddy and Ta-ku recently teamed up for a split EP recorded in Sydney and Perth, Australia. The backstory of the collaboration is apparently when Suff moved from Berlin to Sydney last summer he quickly hooked up with Perth based producer Ta-ku, best known for his "50 Days For Dilla" project. As a result of the meeting of the minds, the "Bricks and Mortar" was produced to help unite two beat heads with different approaches to building soundscapes, but one common mission: looking for the perfect beat! Bless your Monday morning with a chilled out instrumental soundtrack.

Throwback: Living Legends - "Never Fallin"

Every once in a while, I will dig through my CDs and try to look for tracks that I forgot about and recently I came back across the 2005 album "Classic" from the Living Legends.  Among the tracks, I remembered liking this track "Never Fallin" mostly because it was introspective and mellow and the type of track I feel like I can play on repeat for hours. Just because it is baseball season and I like the cover, I opened it up and found this track again. Good music for a lazy sunday.