Art of This World: Nathan Jalani Taylor

After creating a list of items that I found on Zazzle, one of the shops that stood out to me was Nathan Jalani Taylor’s, so here is my spotlight on him. I was immediately drawn to his art; it had a Alex Grey vibe to it. His artworks reminds me of church stain-glass windows with […]

Modern Griots Review: Tunde Olaniran’s “The Second Transgression”

“Kill or Be Killed” Singer Tunde Olaniran continues his disorientation from the norm through his hybridizing of sounds, styles (ex. electronic, rock, afro-beat, house, hip-hop, pop), identities and thoughts in his The Second Transgression. The five-track EP presents a dark, dramatic soundscape that lends well to fantasy visual, as in his video above for “Kill […]

Happy 12/12/12!

As we approach another year, some believe it is the end of the world — the apocalypse — but “apocalypse” means “a revealing,” so I choose to see it only as a state of transformation. Today’s date is triple digit number and the last one for a while, so let’s celebrate this moment in time […]

Otherworldly Videos: The Brother Moves On

I found out about this band some time ago and also just found out that Spoek Mathambo said in an interview they were one of his favorite groups. The Brother Moves On are also from Johannesburg, South Africa. They describe their group as “The ghost inside the magic, the stranglers of an innocent idea of […]

Otherworldly Videos: Tchaiko Omawale

One of my favorite videos is the one for Yahzarah’s “The Tickler (Daddy Go Faster).” The director of the video is Tchaiko Omawale and besides being a music video director, she also directed a few speculative short films that you might enjoy. Watch them below: “Sita” – An short experimental fantasy about a fairy who […]

Modern Griots Interview: Blayer Pointdujour

Blayer Pointdujour and the Rockers Galore are a band based in Philadelphia. Calling themselves the adopted child of Saul Williams and Paul Simonon (of The Clash), the group combines different musical styles, including punk rock, reggae, funk, hip-hop, and Haitian rhythms. Pointdujour aims to put a new twist on old music, making a new style […]

Otherworldly Videos: RonKat Spearman/Katdelic

“You’re mission is not complete until you funk with mission Katdelic” “D.O.T.M. (Dance on the Mothership)” with a guest appearance from George Clinton. “The One” with another George Clinton cameo.

Otherworldly Videos: Oji and The Ascension Team

I found out about Oji (Oji El) and The Ascension team on Some Otha Ship’s (Georgia Anne Muldrow and Declaime) website. Oji El wrote, scored and animated the music and videos, which are filled with a lot of symbolism and are quite trippy. You can listen to their latest album, Mental Treasure Hunt, here. “The Gift […]

…An Album By Its Cover: Superconductor

Andy Allo‘s album, Superconductor, will be released on November 20th and so, in the meantime, here is my analysis of the album cover. The triangle either within or interlocking with a circle symbol is a common image in alchemy and many religions. The symbol has numerous meanings including spiritual sight, higher knowledge, the unity of […]

Modern Griots Interview: Alex Kelly

Three words could describe singer-songwriter Alex Kelly — fiery, funky and fierce. The fellow Queens, NYC native covers a range of styles in her music from electronic to dance to rock to pop. Her first step in setting her music career into motion was meeting Robby Takac, bassist of the Goo Goo Dolls, who picked […]