How many times has an artist, regardless of genre, age, and skill said something that resembles, ‘man, you can just listen to this album front to back.’  We’ve all heard it, and here at Ruby Hornet, we don’t trust anyone. So, instead of taking these artists at their word, we’ve come up with a way to measure an album’s front-to-back ability.  We went out and got a new stereo system with a multi-disc changer, and loaded it up with the new arrivals to see which can actually be enjoyed throughout, and which ones were better off as EPs.  This is a new thing that we’re doing, so grow with us, and please leave comments…

The rating system is as follows.
Let It Ride: Just press play and relax…A near perfect LP
Breathe & Stop: A couple joints here, a couple joints there…But overall a solid LP
One & Done:  There maybe a hit single here, but not much else…

In this edition we pop in new music from Josh Martinez, Restavrant, One Day As A Lion, Charles Hamilton, Common Market, and Brazilian Girls.  Check out the reviews below.

Artist: Josh Martinez
Album: The World Famous Sex Buffett
Rating: Let It Ride
Synopsis:  For his latest, and perhaps last solo LP, it appears that the Canadian musician Josh Martinez bought a keg, called his favorite musical influences, threw caution to the wind and proceeded to have a crazy party that has resulted in one of the best LPs I’ve heard in 2008.  The emcee/singer/producer has dabbled in different genres throughout his career, and on the aptly titled World Famous Sex Buffet, he travels easily through all of them.  This sort of melodic gymnastics manifests itself through reinterpretations that stretch from Don McClean’s “American Pie” (“All Rapped Out”), to A Tribe Called Quest’s “Can I Kick It” (“Underground Pop”), and also includes the Violent Femmes’ “Blister In The Sun” (“Struts”).  The magic of Martinez’s long-awaited masterpiece is that he seems to simultaneously not give a damn about who’s listening, yet goes to great lengths to make sure everything is communicated just right.  Throughout the course of the album Martinez carries out a long conversation with himself as he works out issues concerning his career, his love life, as well as the state of the music industry in a sparse concoction of raps, mutterings, and melodies.  Martinez’s reference point is clearly laid out on “Grown Folks Music” in which he describes himself as “just a grown ass man/make grown ass music/hand me down music/for teens to f**k to it/it’s beautiful, it’s awful/that’s the just way it goes.”  Pick up The World Famous Sex Buffet, and just let it ride, as Martinez has opened the door to his little party, and it just don’t stop til’ 6 in the morning. -RTC

Artist: Restavrant
Album: Returns To The Tomb of Guiliano Medidici
Rating: Breathe and Stop
Synopsis:  The Texas duo known as Restavrant definitely offers a unique and different sound. Their full length debut, Returns To The Tomb of Guiliano Medidici, would not sound odd coming from your next door neighbor's garage. This is not a knock on the band, but Restavrant transmit a garage band via their music. Even though the duo is based in Los Angeles, Their Texas roots are ever present through the wide range of instruments they employ, which includes the guitar, banjo, and the heavily used harmonica..  According to the band, if you mix the energy of The Coachwhips, the vibe of the White Stripes, and the beats of Beck, you end up with Restavrant as the final product. When listening to the album I got a different impression. I can see where there might be similarities, but it is hard for me to actually believe it at times. The first track "Step Down," sets the stage for what you will encounter, an experimental sound not afraid to utilize all those instruments mentioned above.  I must admit the second track "Joe D" did kind of remind me of Beck, but it took me back further because it reminded me of the song "Black Betty." Overall, the album is a good listen if you are into bands that are not scared to experiment. And you most certainly have to enjoy the twangs of such instruments like the banjo and the harmonica, or something along the lines of Blues Traveler. But it does fall short of keeping my attention the whole album.  Some songs sounded the same, making it hard to know when one song finished and another started. RH Favorites: “Step Down” “Joe D” “The Future Strikes Back”. -LB

Artist: Charles Hamilton
Album: The Death Of The Mixtape Rapper
Rating: Breathe & Stop
Synopsis: Charles Hamilton’s first installment of his Hamiltonization Process (For more info click here) comes out through Okayplayer.com.  The Death of the Mixtape Rapper is the Sonic obsessed rapper’s second mixtape this year, and definitely further establishes the young gun as a one of the better lyrical new comers in the game.  Mr. Hamilton does a good job of picking a variety of beats, rather than relying on the industry standards that most mixtape rappers choose to grab the listeners’ attention. Hamilton does satisfy his record label rep by jumping on Weezy’s “A Milli” and utilizes the rep’s phone messages by scattering them throughout the mixtape as  skits.  The mixtpae gets a bit repetitive in parts, as Hamilton is always defending his actions and lyrics, but tries to come off that he doesn’t care or want others approval (but it definitely seems like he does). All in all you can let the mixtape ride just to hear where he is going next. RH Favorites: “Stay On Your Level”, “Harlem”, “Butcherman”, “Twitter 16”.  -BR

Artist: One Day As A Lion
Album: One Day As A Lion
Rating: Let It Ride
Synopsis: Zach de la Rocha from Rage Against The Machine teams up with Jon Theodore the former drummer of Mars Volta to form the group One Day As A Lion. This five track EP gives us what many De La Rocha fans have been fiending for, for a long time. This new material is full of socially conscious music reflecting the political and social turmoil both here on our soil and overseas.  De La Rocha’s vocals are extenuated by the almost minimalist approach to the musical arrangements.  A keyboard and drums are all that is used to create this renegade funk music. Showing that he has not lost a step since the breakup (and reformation) of RATM, De La Rocha’s lyrics stay with you long after each track is over. On “Wild International” De La Rocha delivers what has become a par for the course critique on the music industry, “In this era where DJ’s behave/ be paid to be slaves/ we raid airwaves to be sane/ what's raining from the station cash fascination.” While the musical arrangement may not be complex, that’s not to say they do not knock, hard.  The opening track “Wild International” perfectly complements De La Rocha’s rage filled lyrics with hard drum patterns and keyboard melodies. On my favorite track,  “One Day As A Lion,” De La Rocha lets it fly with, “And if L.A. were Baghdad we’d be Iraqi/ with our straps in the back seat next to a general/ tied up with s**t in his khakis.” All in all this EP is worthy of listening to front to back, but definitely leaves you wanting more.
While One Day As A Lion will make you think back to those “Bulls On Parade” days, some of the sting is taken away, as it’s clear those days haven’t totally left him.  RH Favorites: “Wild International”, “Last Letter”, “One Day As A Lion”. -LB


Artist: Common Market
Album: Tobacco Road
Rating: Let It Ride
Synopsis: While many emcees take on the role of hustler, player, pimp, or gangster in the current Hip Hop times, Common Market’s RA Scion transmits himself as a hard-working farmer on their new LP, Tobacco Road, made with Blue Scholars’ producer/DJ Sabzi.  The album opens in a Kentucky Baptist church, in which a minister preaches the spoils of service, and hard work.  A full-throated “No Free Rides!” ends his sermon.  The album continues with the farmer/emcee character battling through a world in which his service can easily go unrecognized and unrewarded.  Sabzi spits on the album’s second track, “trouble is love don’t want you here.”  Raising a family with a farmer’s work ethic, and farmer’s wages are explored further on “Slow Cures,” as RA also touches on the identity and assimilation issues.  He spits, “obey the code is no simple task, men will ask, ‘why are you assimilating?’”  RA’s tone and story is extenuated very well through Sabzi’s production.  Religion is another theme running throughout the album, and takes centerstage on “40 Furrows”, RA raps, “your crucifix has proven to be fool’s gold/I’ma show you how to use it to plow roads/synonymous with worship and work.”  Sabzi’s Blue Scholars partner, Geologic makes a cameo on “The Crucible” and fits right in with the album’s constructed storyline and theme.  He spits, “some of us have nothing/but a word will make us have it all.”  What word he is referring to is somewhat left up in the air, and part of the album’s appeal is its contemplation of service and hard work as the path to rewards and healthy living.  In a world where people take, and take, RA Scion and Sabzi communicate through the eyes of a farmer trying to stay on the right path, while plowing his field.  Just as crops must mature through different layers and stages, Tobacco Road is an album that further reveals itself with each listen.  Be prepared to let it ride, then bring it back to start again.  RH Favorites: “40 Thieves”, “Gol’ Dust”, “Trouble Is”  -RTC

Artist: Brazilian Girls
Album: New York City
Rating: Let It Ride
Synopsis: Brazilian Girls third album, New York City, lives up to the diversity of the city after which it is named. This group only has one female, Sabina Sciubba, on lead vocals and none of the members are indeed Brazilian. But this does not stop them from accomplishing a worldly sound that many will appreciate. Songs might start in English and end up in Spanish with a dash of French mixed in adding to the flavor. Whatever language used the listener is thrown into a musical landscape with no boundaries. Take a trip into New York City, and you will get lost appreciating every type of sound you encounter. You will find each track has its own distinct sound, and you can hear the bands influences from different musical genres. The album starts off with the song “ St. Petersburg” which is impossible not to enjoy, I found myself whistling along to the song from the second it started. During the course of the song Sabina asks, “ do you like my accent?” And I admit its hard to say no because there’s nothing unappealing about an accent or this song.  My favorite track on the album has to be “Internacional” due to the fact Sabina’s voice takes a hold of you when she starts naming places around the globe. It was only fitting that she was accompanied by Senegalese musician Baaba Maal, whose vocals worked perfectly to create an incredible track.. With an open mind and appreciation for music from around the world, you can listen to this album Front To Back whether you’re at yoga, the coffee shop, or a club.  RH Favorites: “Internacional”, “Good Time”, “St. Petersburg”, “Ricardo” -LB