Beastie Boys Return With '5 Boroughs'

[Kamikaze1414779018]

The Beastie Boys blend politics with party time on "To the 5 Boroughs," the New York-based rap trio's first album since 1998's "Hello Nasty." The 15-track set is due this summer via Capitol, to be preceded by album-opening first single "Ch-Check It Out." The group is expected to tour in support of the release and has already confirmed Aug. 7-8 appearances at Japan's Summer Sonic Festival.

"To the 5 Boroughs" is loaded with political commentary as expected, including calls to vote President Bush out of office and critiques of U.S. foreign policy. On "Time To Build," Adam Yauch (MCA) raps, "We've got a president we didn't elect / the Kyoto treaty he decided to neglect / and still the U.S. just wants to flex." On "That It's That All," the group demands, "'cause George W's got nothing on me / we've got to take the power from he."

The set frequently pays homage to the trio's New York surroundings, best heard on "An Open Letter to NYC." In front of a chopped-up sample of the Dead Boys' "Sonic Reducer," the group finds solace in the city's post-September 11th resiliency: "Since 911 we're still livin' / and lovin' life we've been given / ain't nothing gonna take that away from us / we're lookin' pretty and gritty 'cause in the city we trust."

Reinforcing the subject matter, the album's cover art is a pencil drawing of lower Manhattan as viewed from its southern tip, with the World Trade Center towers intact.

But the Beasties wisely don't skimp on their trademark goofball humor, with references to such pop-culture figures as Fred Sanford, the Keebler Elves, Ron Popeil, Herman Munster, Jabba the Hut, Foghorn Leghorn and "Three's Company" landlord Mr. Furley. Each member shines on "Rhyme the Rhyme Well," a trade-off track in the vein of "Pass the Mic." "Hey, could you please pass me the peas / and let me get a tissue if you think you're gonna sneeze," raps Adam Horovitz (Ad-Rock).

"To the 5 Boroughs" features largely programmed backing tracks, with only a handful of live instrumentation. Mix Master Mike's scratching highlights "Shazam!" and "Right Right Now Now," while the boomimg bottom ends of "The Brouhaha," "Rhyme the Rhyme Well" and "All Life Styles" evoke shades of the group's classics like "Shake Your Rump" and "Root Down."

"'Licensed to Ill' was where we were at the time -- drinking beer and acting silly," says Mike D. "'Paul's Boutique' was moving to L.A.; that was a whole different fantasy. 'Check Your Head' was getting back to three of us. This album is really New York City; all of us living here." Adds MCA, "Having fun in troubled times."

In other news, Yauch is producing a new studio album by pioneering hardcore act Bad Brains, according to the Beasties' official Web site. "Now I need to get [guitarist Dr. Know] to play some guitar solos on some stuff and then finish mixing it. It's kind of circling above the airport right now."

Here is the track list for "To the 5 Boroughs":

"Ch-Check It Out"

"Right Right Now Now"

"The Hard Way"

"Time To Build"

"Rhyme the Rhyme Well"

"Triple Trouble"

"Hey F*** You"

"Oh Word?"

"That It's That All"

"All Life Styles"

"Shazam!"

"An Open Letter to NYC"

"Crawl Space"

"The Brouhaha"

"We Got The"

http://www.billboard.com/bb/daily/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1000482309

[Kamikaze1414779018]

04.15.2004 - It's Like Christmukah All Over Again

Fox TV issued this press release this week about CH-CHECK IT OUT being in an episode of "THE O.C." -

BEASTIE BOYS' NEW SINGLE "CH-CHECK IT OUT" TO DEBUT ON "THE O.C." WEDNESDAY, APRIL 28 ON FOX

"Ch-Check It Out," Beastie Boys' first single from their new album, "To The 5 Boroughs," will debut on THE O.C. Wednesday, April 28 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX, the same day the song premieres on radio. Accompanied by Beastie Boys' new track, the boys from THE O.C. travel to Las Vegas for an impromptu bachelor party where Ryan (Ben McKenzie) and Seth (Adam Brody) find themselves in a compromising situation and Jimmy (Tate Donovan) and Sandy (Peter Gallagher) learn that Caleb (Alan Dale) had less than altruistic motives when he purchased the restaurant from them. Meanwhile in Orange County, Marissa (Mischa Barton) learns Theresa's (Navi Rawat) secret and Kirsten (Kelly Rowan) throws Julie (Melinda Clarke) a "sizzling" bachelorette party.

"Ch-Check It Out's" April 28 debut on radio and THE O.C. will be followed by release of "To The 5 Boroughs," the band's sixth album (and first produced entirely by the Boys themselves), this summer.

Recorded over the last two years at Beastie Boys' own studio in downtown New York City, produced by the band and mixed by Supa Engineer Duro, "To The 5 Boroughs" is the first Beastie Boys record since 1998's quadruple-platinum "Hello Nasty." "Nasty" sold nearly 700,000 records the week of its U.S. release and entered at the top of virtually every chart in every country around the world. "To The 5 Boroughs," in keeping with its title, is in large part homage to the city that brought Mike D, Adrock and MCA together.

http://www.beastieboys.com/news/

[Guest demo909]

brass monkey is coming out to play!!!! ;D