Like the 3hive crew, Meanest Man Contest connected in college while involved with the student newspaper. Unlike Meanest Man Contest, we haven’t collectively produced any original work (save for a few exceptions). We’ve spent most of our collective efforts talking up (via the airwaves, a print magazine and CD store—ah, those were the days) our favorite new artists such as Oakland duo Meanest Man Contest. These mild-mannered beat makers and rhyme sayers are steadily building their arsenal releasing tracks with Plug Research, RCRDLBL, Sneak Move, and Gold Robot, as well as showcasing their remixing skills working with the likes of Thee More Shallows, a track that MMC is kindly debuting today at 3hive. Their sound knows no bounds, from the smooth and easy flowing “I Was Only Kidding” to the dark and apocalyptic “Throwing Away Broken Electronics,” to the outright bouncy “We Wouldn’t Want It Any Other Way.” Don’t believe their moniker for a minute, Meanest Man Contest are nice boys making nice music.
Languis
Hmmm. I’ve been somewhat bored with music lately. Slow stuff is really getting to me. I saw Radiohead in LA a few weeks ago, and while it was a good show (“Paranoid Android” was awesome!), when the stagehands started wheeling the piano out, that was my queue to sit down. I just fly through my old lady’s iPod on shuffle. Boring. Next. Boring. Next. Boring. Next. Maybe it’s due to my advancing years, but I need something with some zing to it, some energy! Of course I say that and here I find myself digging out LA’s Languis. Their drive to create electronic music with real instruments is intriguing, as are their frequent releases, their impressive list of contributors, and their musical histories. Which because I’m sick of writing, I’m going to make you read for yourselves at the links below, after listening to “In The Fields of (Lonely Fences)” from their Other Desert Cities EP.