On Friday I made brief mention of the death of Adam Yauch aka MCA from the Beastie Boys. Today I’d like to talk about it for a moment more. My relationship with the Beastie Boys has always been a fascinating one. My admiration for those three guys knows no end, but I’ve also gone through fits where I quite disliked their music. I really didn’t get into them until the late 90’s, around the release of Hello Nasty. The song and video for “Intergalactic” struck me so hard that I memorized the every verse and would often trade lines with my friends just like they do in the track. After about six months of hearing it nonstop on the radio, I grew tired of it and that record. A few years later I’d really dive into their back catalogue and truly discover the magic of those first three albums. This bled into the release of To the 5 Boroughs in 2004, which I wound up liking for about 5 minutes before going back to the early stuff. Eventually like with most artists I moved on to other things and other albums. Hot Sauce Committee, Pt. 2 never quite shined the way I hoped it would when it was released last year, and it didn’t help that MCA’s cancer battle had delayed it. Word had come around that he was getting better though, and some even said he was cancer-free after plenty of treatment, though those reports were later corrected. Many, including myself, thought his cancer was either in remission or right close to it, and the Beastie Boys would tour around their latest record. As we know now, the cancer was not in remission and the treatments weren’t quite enough to keep MCA alive for long. I want to wish the Yauch family and close friends my deepest condolences on the loss. The music world has clearly felt it too, and the future of the Beastie Boys appears to be equally as grim. When any group loses a principle member it can be difficult or impossible to carry on. MCA’s voice was essential to the Beastie Boys, and to replace him wouldn’t feel right (at least not now). Perhaps a few years down the road they’ll pull a Snoop & Dre or a TLC and tour with a hologram of their departed friend and bandmate. Such sadness. Let me try and lighten the mood with a little bit of Pick Your Poison. This is an extra large edition for all you mp3 gluttons out there. Please be sure to check out tracks from Arc In Round, Meyhem Lauren, RAC, Superhumanoids, Turbo Fruits and Wizards of Time. In the Soundcloud section, you’ll want to stream songs from Arrange and Wintersleep.
Anderson, McGinty, Webster, Ward, and Fisher – (Might As Well) Trust in Me
Brass Bed with Allison Bohl – He’s Large (Harry Nilsson cover)
Goldroom – Angeles (LA News Mix)
Meyhem Lauren ft. Action Bronson and Heems – Special Effects
Miike Snow – Archipelago (Its Overture Remix)
RAC – Hollywood (ft. Penguin Prison)
Superhumanoids – I Wanna Be Sedated (Ramones cover)
Victor Talking Machine – Sarah Laughs
Wizards of Time – Little’s Jingle
SOUNDCLOUD
The Hairs – I’ve Been Working Out
