Ropeadope

Big-Band Hip-Hop Soul music from the City of Brotherly Love. Rent is due on the 5th Bitch and Black Landlord ‘aint taking no bullshit.  What’s in the name? “ummmm, nothing really, I was living in Europe and my boy called me up and said “YO, I have the best band name in the world” says band front man and former leader of Philadelphia’s OTHER hip-hop band that started in the early 90s and rose to quick fame – the Goats. And when Maxx heard the name Black Landlord he moved back home and decided to build the band accordingly  Rolling Stone describes this 9 piece musical machine as “what would happen if KRS One and James brown showed up at your house and then wouldn’t leave”.  We just say it’s the best fucking record we’ve put out in years, highly anticipated from coast to coast.

File under - electro-acoustic-soul music. Don't judge a book by its cover, don't judge a band by it's name. producer Jon Sheldrick is far from a hippy but he knows how to let it all hang out. Musically, Fatty Acid draws its influence from the acid house and breakbeat artists of the 90's, notably Squarepusher and Aphex Twin, as well as the electronic composers of the early 20th century such as Milton Babbit, Stockhausen, and the french tape-music movement known as Musique Concrète. With a deep focus on creating music that is sonically distinct and in the spirit of the sound, Sheldrick utilizes the recording process itself as a composition tool toying with digital and analog synthesizers, computer editing software, as well as live instruments to create what I like to call "a wall of dopeness".

"Coviello and his mandolin- playing songwriting partner JP Biondo formed the nucleus of Cabinet before the rest of the band came along. JP's cousin, Pat Biondo, recently moved to the area from Cleveland and was assimilated into the group after agreeing to learn a new skill. "I played guitar for years and when I wanted to join the band, they already had a guitar. Someone had a banjo lying around, so I started to learn how to play the banjo." Todd Kopec adds another bluegrassy element dynamic with his fiddle while Dylan Skursky's nimble fingers on the upright bass supplements the rest of the ensemble well. Oh, and did I mention that they all sing? Three and four-part harmonies are a regular part of the show Hearing a bluegrass band play in NEPA is an amazing shift from the interchangeable bar bands. In the middle of one particularly long extended jam, I thought about how great it would have been to have that song playing in my car's stereo as I drove around Harveys Lake with the windows and sunroof open on a gorgeous summer day." -excerpt from article written by: Dave Thackara ©Electric City 2008

Dirty Dave (aka Charlotte NC based Dave Haire) is a dj/producer/musican/artist who finds inspiration from the last three decades of the last Century – Sixties rock, Seventies Funk and Nineties Hip Hop.  The music he produces is a perfect storm of found samples, live drums and other instruments all with a hip hop back baokbone, playing in the world of funk, sould, jazz, fusion, afro beat and downtempo flavors.  We at ropeadope caught wind of Dirty Dave via his “Blakey Album” in 2004 which was his answer to the Jay-Z Black Album, putting Jay-z's lyrics over beats comprised and inspired by Art Blakey & Jazz messengers.  On the 4 year long project "Dirty's Mobile Beat Shack" Dave gets more than dirty as he let’s freedom ring from the highest mountain top of sampled LPS, and jack-nasty ripping drum beats which are played live on top with a cherry. Perfect soundtrack for spring. 

paradigm are a musical enigma--five guys from from all across just livin the dream in louisville. i remember the first time i heard these guys at the office. the first thing that came to me was charlie parker, derek trucks, and rick wakeman jammin with radiohead. they rock for the jazz crowd, but aren't afraid to explore and make things a little messy (in a good way). take a peak inside "melancholy collide" and try to tell me your not blown away by their progressive art rock jazz.

john morgan kimock grew up on the road watching and performing with his dad, steve kimock, on the jam circuit, but he knew, despite a deep appreciation for improvisational music, that he just wanted to rock. his latest creation, new madrid faults, is a partnership with producer/multi-instrumentalist/singer matt mulchany (former bandleader of gertie fox) and bassist matty love (formerly of the insidious rays). think epic like explosions in the sky with the musical range of broken social scene, but tight like tokyo police club. don't believe me? listen for yourself.

you say you love soulive? you think mmw is shit? then you gotta check out the instrumentalfunksouljazz of otis grove. these three cats met at berklee and have been going strong in boston-area by progressively blowing up the scene from their 2 year residency at the middle east corner. they played two killer sets on the ropeadope stage at all good music festival shortly followed by the boston to austin tour in september. check out "pure luck" and don't say i didn't warn you

since their formation on the shores of new jersey, carlon has evolved into one of the chosen few that you know is destined for greatness. their first full length album, Johari Window, is a musically adventurous beginning. it bridges the gaps between old and the new. part the band, part white stripes, part ryan adams. live, they convey the emotion and energy of their album with raw organic power. take a listen to "where the driveway ends" and judge for yourself.