The Roots not only demonstrated a dominance over the field of artistically innovative hip-hoppers, but stand as a living testament to why Hip-Hop is seen by many to be the “new rock n’ roll.”
They reminded us of the work in New Orleans that still needs to be done, but more importantly, of the joy that their cultural roots will forever produce, through the good and the bad. This was no simple task to achieve, and obviously, Galactic is more than just another simple band.
One of Umphrey’s most impressive feats is their uncanny ability to take that cheesy 80’s “soaring eagle” guitar tone you loved back in high school, and actually make it cool again.
Accompanied by the entirety of the Boston Pops, the Kentucky-bred powerhouse tore through a set of tunes that stretched from all ends of their catalog and incorporated the classical orchestra into their pieces with a compositional competence that is rare in the mainstream musical community today.
All in all, the new material was good enough to justify the hype behind their new album, and the amount of time they’re spending making it.
Matisyahu proved that his “Chasidic-Reggae-Superstar” gimmick is just that, but he has the skill, and the material to back his gimmick up.
WFNX Best Music Poll 2006 – Lansdowne Street Block Party, held in Boston on May 18th, 2006. Artists performing included; MC Lars, Ok Go!, Buffalo Tom and Charlatans UK on Lansdowne Street, Dear Leader at Avalon, Aberdeen City at Axis and Nada Surf, The Academy Is…, and The Secret Machines at Avalon.
