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A Day Late & A Dollar Short has real focus, showing a thoughtful and concentrated effort by both Sene and Blu to make this album about exactly what the title implies: survival and hunger.

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blu / gaslamp killer / mainframe Download: Johnson and Jonson “Radical 2″ [Audio clip: view full post to listen] (from Johnson and Jonson Instrumentals out Aug. 4 on iTunes) Rapper Blu and producer Mainframe released their Johnson and Jonson album (also featuring Gaslamp Killer, Exile, Co$$, Gonja Sufi and more) last year and will release [...]

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azul213 Download: AM Sessions “A Love Supreme” [Audio clip: view full post to listen] Andrew Lojero at ArtDontSleep passes along the results of the inaugural AM Session—a freeform jazz jam including members of Blank Blue, the composer of the “Suite for Ma Dukes” and many more of L.A.’s new movement of free-thinking next-wave musicians. Recorded [...]

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Blu rapped over “GNG BNG” from Flying Lotus’s recently released “Los Angeles” LP.

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After six weeks on tour, Henry Clay People played a “homecoming show” by dragging their producer and friends onstage to play tambourine and scream along with covers of Operation Ivy “Knowledge” and Rolling Stones’ “You Can’t Always Get What You Want.” It was a full-scene affair with members of Happy Hollows, Redd Kross and The Pity Party—all cover alumni—wandering in and out of the 6 hour show. (Chris from HH partied all night!)

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This is the last of our archival re-releases in honor of our first SXSW showcase tonight and it’s appropriate that it goes to Blank Blue, whose founders Nobody and Niki Randa were once both workers at Long Beach record store Fingerprints and who have the kind of collections professors ask permission to photograph. This interview is from Vol. 2 No. 19 and was conducted between Sunken City and the Belmont Brewing Co. by Chris Ziegler.

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This is one of the most ancient interviews actually online here at L.A. RECORD—Busdriver from our 14th issue ever way back in 2005. He was absolutely a good sport at the photo shoot and he will be playing our SXSW showcase tonight at the Independent with Blu, the Henry Clay People, Blank Blue, Castledoor and Very Be Careful. This interview brought in just under deadline by Chris Ziegler.

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We are reposting this interview with the Henry Clay People (from Vol. 2 No. 44 back in December 2007) because they’re also playing our SXSW showcase tomorrow with Blu, Busdriver and more. They were interviewed here by Chris Ziegler between their two full-lengths.

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We’re reposting this interview (from Vol. 3 No. 2) because Blu—now signed to Warner, but interviewed here for the release of C.R.A.C.’s excellent The Piece Talks with Ta’Raach—will be playing the L.A. RECORD showcase tomorrow in Austin. This interview by Chris Ziegler.

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