Features

Weekly Recs: ‘American Gods’, El Michels Affair, & Playlist of the Week

Published

6 years ago

June 5, 2017

Staff

Weekly Recs is a column where our writers, editors, and other creative types tell you what they’ve been loving this week, and why you should be loving it too!

American Gods (TV, 2017)

The latest project from Bryan Fuller (Hannibal, Pushing Daisies), American Gods focuses on the inexplicably named Shadow Moon, a man who is released from jail only to find that his wife has died in a car accident. As he searches for meaning and purpose in his new life, he is taken under the wing of a man who calls himself Mr. Wednesday.

From this unlikely start, Mr. Wednesday introduces Shadow to a world of supernatural creatures, unexplainable events, and, of course, gods. American Gods is filled with the kind of jaw-dropping imagery Hannibal fans might expect from Fuller, and its dark, twisted storytelling (based on a novel of the same name by Neil Gaiman) will enthrall viewers who are seeking something fresh and exciting in their weekly viewing.

Filled with an all star cast including, Gillian Anderson, Crispin Glover and the insanely talented Ian McShane, American Gods is quickly emerging as television’s next MVP. Only five episodes deep so far, this series already a must-watch. (Mike Worby)

American Gods is currently airing its first season. It can be found on Starz and online at Amazon Prime.

Return to the 37th Chamber-El Michels Affair

An unfortunate consequence of El Michels Affair being associated primarily with a collection of cover songs is that it can be hard to describe the group without short-selling them as a mere curiosity, or novelty act. The outfit, and helmer Leon Michels specifically, have been making interesting instrumental music – often original, sometimes not – for over a decade.

Still, their biggest success didn’t come until the release of 2009’s Enter the 37th Chamber, an album that lovingly filtered classic Wu-Tang Clan tracks through Michels’ characteristic blend of funk, jazz, and soul while staying close to the melodic essence of the original productions. On this year’s Return to The 37th Chamber, the El Michels Affair stretches their legs, employing more artistic license with a new crop of Wu-Bangers.

Originals are fully deconstructed, and rebuilt in an image that strays further from the source material than on the group’s 2009 offering. The result is a collection of genuinely interesting and pleasing songs that echo Wu-Tang Clan’s distinct atmosphere while delivering a new, and original statement. (Michael Haigis)

Return to the 37th Chamber can be found on iTunes and Bandcamp.

Weekly Playlist – HOLD MY LIQUOR [Kanye West, Kendrick Lamar, Run The Jewels, etc.]

While I was only vaguely interested in hip-hop prior to the turn of the millennium, the early 2000s firmly turned me off the genre thanks to the proliferation of godawful, hyper-commercial gangsta rappers like 50 Cent. Perhaps, as a fairly stereotypical tea drinking Englishman it was just hard for me to relate to all this talk of bitches and hos and busting a cap in people’s asses, but for whatever reason, I just couldn’t get on board with it all. I mean, a hoe is a garden tool over here, but I don’t think that’s what 50 Cent was going on about. He doesn’t strike me as an avid horticulturalist.

Gardening banter aside, I always thought there was something deeply unpleasant about the hip-hop of that era. The furious rebellion of the ’80s and early ’90s was over, and the genre had seemingly turned into a massive dick swinging contest based around who had the most guns, cars, and groupies. I gravitated towards the nerdier side of hip-hop during that time, enjoying the work of electro/rap bands like Gravy Train and Fannypack, and the more thoughtful work of Atmosphere and Aesop Rock.

In recent years, I’ve jumped back on to the rapping bandwagon as the genre has seen a tonal shift away from cartoonish wannabe gangstas and it all feels a little bit more real. Sure, there’s outlandish personalities, and I have about as much in common with Kanye West as I do with a tin of tuna, but at least the guy is rapping about real world issues and not imagining killing the mother of his child and burying her in the woods. There’s guys like Run The Jewels spewing politically charged verbal fire while still delivering banging tunes, and there’s guys like Kendrick Lamar who seems like the sort of nice boy you’d be happy to take home to meet your mum. Here’s a bunch of my favourite hip-hop tracks of recent years, with not a 50 Cent in sight. (John Cal McCormick)

Related Topics:American Gods Brian Fuller Starz

Staff

Humans by birth. Gamers by choice. Goomba Stomp is a Canadian web publication that has been independently owned and operated since its inception in 2016.