Wrap Your Ears Around This Artist - 13 October 2009

UPDATE (25 Oct 2009) - Just Plain Ant's album released (not just a few songs, but the full length joint): head here for the goods!

After appearing on three podcasts, it's about time I wrote a longer post about him.

And if you haven't heard me give props about the artist whom I'm about to speak about, then let me introduce you.

Here he is, my Wrap Your Ears Around This Artist: Just Plain Ant.

I was introduced to the sounds which Just Plain Ant makes after reading a tweet by BlocSonic. I clicked on the link, and found a collaborative album by two Just Plain Sounds Artists: JPA and Oh Bliv called Black Soap.

One rotation of songs and I was hooked. (I'll admit, I can get a little excited about artists and their music - maybe not Miley Cyrus fan crazy, but if I'm not medicated I don't promise anything - throw in a track called Dean & The Disco Rhinoceros | enough said).

As I've said before - listening to Just Plain Ant's sounds (throw in Oh Bliv as well) send you back to an older era of soul, funk and r&b mixed with nice, tight hip hop beats to combine the best of both worlds. 

Then the New Black hit archive.org and the story continued. Thirty-four songs, fifty minutes - just right but yet not enough. I found myself getting pulled into a mix then it shifted into another tune. Just as soon as you start to complain, you'll forget the gripe and start grooving to the next sound. If you want to hear a few highlights - check out Born and Raised in It, Della Reese, Acid Lullabye, Clusterfunk and In My Reeboks.

Just Plain Ant has been gracious to allow me to use his music on my podcasts, and for this I'm very thankful. When he cued me in on a new project he was working on and said that I could use one of his songs for it, I jumped at the chance.

Intro Songs About Something. It is a new downtempo project by the man of the hour which reminds me of groups such as Aim, Cities of Foam, Zero 7, Abraham (Blue for the Most), Bauchklang, and I don't think I'm stretching when I say Royksopp's Melody A.M. 

To add to my reminiscing, the music is just as soulful, just as meaningful, and just as smooth(ful, uh... I'm making words up again). Nifty a capella sounds help start off the album on "The Day Has Begun," then the longing sounds found on "Wanderlust," moving into gorgeous lyrics eloquently sung in "Peace Be Unto All of Mankind," finished up with nice 'n' jazzy laced gems found on "We Are, Now" and "Fly Over Me."

Here's a taste: 

The first five songs from the project were released last week, and more will be released the first Tuesday of each month through January 2010. Check out his bandcamp site for more details.

Just Plain Ant: mixing history with modernity, spanning the realm from hip hop to downtempo, and helping keep your life chilldown.