Iconic Austin Film "Slacker" Gets 20-Year Salute as "Slacker 2011" Premiers Tonight

Everyone knows that Austin's a music town, but it's pretty well known that ATX has a nice little film industry as well.  Probably no single filmmaker/film combo epitomizes the Austin movie scene more than Richard Linklater and his celebration of the freedom in directionless teen-hood, "Slacker."  Hard to believe it, but 20 years has passed since the movie came out.  We watched it again recently, and it really revealed how much change the city has been through in the last two decades.  Almost nothing is recognizable.  The film still holds up, though, and I chuckled pretty hard again at S-T-E-V-E offering a ride in his van and the infamous tale of Madonna's pap smear.

Many people wouldn't want to "touch" a classic, but a bunch of Austin filmmakers decided to celebrate Slacker's big milestone birthday by collectively remaking the movie.  "Slacker 2011," the end result, premiers tonight at the Alamo Drafthouse Ritz downtown. And why not give "Slacker" another go?  Despite the physical changes to Austin's landscape, there's no doubt that the "keep Austin weird" vibes are still here in abundance.  The city's bigger and slicker, and sure there are lots of young go-getters and entrepreneurs here now.  But it is still a slacker town, and I don't see that changing any time soon.  I read somewhere that Linklater's cool with the remake too. So don't be a snobby fanboy.  Watch the trailer below, and if you're interested, go check out the flick when you can.  If you want a little more info, there's a great blog, Slackerwood, that has lots of stuff, including this profile of the 24 filmmakers involved in "Slacker 2011."

12 Films Project Update: For August, an Ode to Austin's Cathedral of Junk

Over the last few months, we've posted a few times about the 12 Films Project, Austinite filmmaker Christian Remde's monthly series of films. My previous posts focused on two of the recent films, each of which covered one of Austin's food gems: Odd Duck Farm to Trailer and Kocurek Family Charcuterie. This month, Remde focuses on the quirky side of Austin rather than the culinary with a short, dialogue-free look at the Cathedral of Junk. Although I've never visited (yet), the Cathedral is something of an Austin institution. Basically, in 1988 South Austinite Vince Hannemann began collecting "junk" and assembling it in the form of a loose building. Since then, he's kept going, using things he finds and receives from friendly donors. What kind of things? Remde's video, which features some great lingering shots and a few neat little effects, reveals all sorts of stuff, including a whole posse of rubber ducks. This article from Roadside America mentions "lawnmower wheels, car bumpers, kitchen utensils, ladders, cables, bottles, circuit boards, [and] bicycle parts."

Junkmeister Hannemann atop the Cathedral's "throne" (credit: roadsideamerica.com)

Watch the film a few times and you're likely to spot something new each iteration. Really though, the best way to take it all in is to visit, which I'm gonna have to do now that I've seen Remde's film. I'll probably wait until it isn't 109 degrees outside though. If you do visit, check out the film first. It's a cool little flick for one. But also, maybe you'll think of something tucked away in the garage or attic tucked away that would make a worthwhile addition to the Cathedral of Junk.

Here's the August installment of the 12 Films Project, The Cathedral of Junk.

The Cathedral of Junk from Christian Remde on Vimeo.

ACL 2011: The Best Food Vendors List (with Links)

The list of food vendors for the 2011 Austin City Limits Music Festival has finally been posted on the official ACL website. Lot's of holdovers from last year, but a few new faces are coming, and a few of them are worth being excited about. Odd Duck Farm to Trailer, the excellent, South Austin locavore food trailer, is a great addition. Mandola's and Maudie's should be popular newcomers as well. Among the returnees, two were top picks of mine from last year - Aquarelle's steak frit sandwich and Olivia's fried chicken.

Olivia's fried chicken from the 2010 festival. Crispy and nicely spiced.

Below is the list, with a few things re-alphabetized, and links to as many of the vendors' websites as we could find. If you're digging around and find a promising lead, please share it with us!

Amy’s Ice Creams

Small Ice Cream Cup

Large Ice Cream Cup

Floats and Shakes

Toppings

Aquarelle Restraurant

Steak Frit Sandwich

Spicy Shrimp Po’boy

French Ham & Cheese

Parmesan Pepper French Fries

Austins Pizza

Pepperoni Pizza

Cheese Pizza

Pepperoni or Cheese Rolls

Brownie

The Best Wurst

Grilled Sausage Sandwiches served with Caramelized Onions, Hot Sauerkraut

Bratwurst Smoked Italian All Beef

Buttered Salt-Potatoes

Fresh Squeezed Best Lemonade

Lemon Lemonade

Strawberry Lemonade

Limeade

Strawberry Limeade

Bess Bistro

Crispy Artichoke Hearts

Grilled Andouille Sausage

Grilled Chicken and Mushroom Wrap

Roasted Vegetable and Black Bean Wrap

Boomerang's Pies

Guinness Steak & Potato

Southwest Chicken

Thai Veggie (vegan)

Curry Veggie (vegan)

Children of the Kettle Corn

Kettle Corn

Daily Juice

Fresh Coconut Water

The Local Chill

Lemon Lime Love

Cool Hand Cuke

Freebirds World Burrito

Chicken Burrito w/ Rice, Black Beans ,Jack Cheese, BBQ Sauce and Grilled Chicken

Steak Burrito w/ Rice, Black Beans, Jack Cheese, Mild Tomatillo Sauce and Grilled Steak

Veggie Burrito w/ Rice, Black Beans, Jack Cheese, Mild Tomatillo Sauce with Sauteed Vegetables (vegetarian)

Double Chocolate Brownie

Garrido's

Brisket and Onion Tacos w/ Morita Chile Sauce

Pork Tacos w/ Tomatillo Sauce and Jack Cheese

Fried Oyster Taco w/ Habanero Honey Aioli

Lonesome Dove Western Bistro

Wild Mushroom & Tenderloin Skewers

Truffled Mac & Cheese

Tim Love's Love Shack

Love Burger

Cheeseburger

Kick Ass Nachos

Chili Parmesan Chips

Maine Root Handcrafted Beverages

Texas Cactus Pink Lemonade

Root Beer

Mexican Cola

Ginger Brew

Mandola’s Italian Market

Lasagne

Muffaletta

Vegetariano

Cannoli

Mangia Pizza

Slice of Pizza

Fresh Fruit with Granola

Maudie’s

Beef Tenderloin Tacos

Sissy’s Chicken Tender Tacos

Maida’s Chicken Tender Avocado Wrap

Veggie Avocado Wrap

The Mighty Cone

Hot & Crunchy Chicken Cones

Hot & Crunchy Chicken/Avocado Cones

Hot & Crunchy Shrimp Cones

Hot & Crunchy Shrimp/Avocado Cones

Hot & Crunchy Avocado Cones

Venison Sausage Cone

Death by Chocolate

Odd Duck Farm to Trailer

Grilled Pork Belly Sliders

Bacon Wrapped Sweet Peppers w/ Goat Cheese

Corn Salad with Grilled Ricotta

Olivia

Fried Chicken

Fried Chicken Bucket

Potato Salad

Oyster Po’boy

P. Terry’s Burger Stand

Hamburger

Cheeseburger

Veggie Burger

Fresh Cut French Fries

pureheart

Lamb & Beef Gyros

Mediterranean Gordita (vegetarian)

Greek Salad (vegetarian)

The Salt Lick

Snowie

16 oz Snowie

All Natural Flavored Snowies

Add Cream

Beignets

Stubb’s BBQ Restaurant

Pull Pork Sandwich

Sliced Beef Sandwich

Chopped Beef Sandwich

Sausage Wrap

Sweet Leaf Tea

Original Sweet Tea Mint

Honey Green Tea

Peach Iced Tea

Raspberry Iced Tea

Citrus Green Tea

Lemon Iced Tea

Tiff’s Treats

Warm Cookies, choose one flavor: Chocolate Chip or Snickerdoodle

Brownies

Tiffwich (Ice-Cream Cookie Sandwich)

Torchy's Tacos

Green Chile Pork

Fried Avocado

Baja Shrimp

Wahoo’s Fish Taco

Blackened Fish or Charbroiled Chicken Tacos (Two Per Order)

Blackened Fish, Charbroiled Chicken, Veggie or Bean/Cheese Burritos

Chicken Nachos

Steak Taquitos

The HOPE Farmers Market

ACL 2011 Bullets (8/26/11): Ticket Giveaways, Sales, and Artist Profiles Galore

We're within three weeks of ACL 2011. Time to resurrect the bullet-point rundown of what people are talking about as we approach the festival. Click away -- this should help keep your mind on music, not the fact that the forecast says it'll be 109 here tomorrow!

• The Austin American Statesman is running another "scavenger hunt" and giving away passes for all three days: "The contest runs for three weeks, beginning Aug. 22 and continuing through Sept. 11. Each week, we’ll hide three hidden code words within our stories. Once you’ve got them all, email austin360contests@statesman.com with the three words and you’ll be entered. You can enter once each week, giving you three chances to win. We’ll announce the winner Sept. 12."
• The Statesman also reports that lucky students will have a chance to buy coveted three-day passes or Sunday tickets, although details are still needed: "The sale will take place at the H-E-B Plus at 2508 Riverside Drive on Friday, September 2. 3-day passes will be available for $185, cash only. Sunday tickets (which are still available online) will also be available for $90 and a limited amount of aftershow tickets will also be on sale." More info is available on the official ACL website.
• Did you know this year is the tenth anniversary of ACL fest? It's true. To celebrate, the folks at C3 are throwing themselves a little party, and it's free. Per the official ACL website: "[W]e’re throwing a ACL Festival Pre Party brought to you by Google Offers down at Republic Square Park in Downtown Austin on Thursday, September 8 from 6PM to 10PM .... Come out to catch local Austin artists Barton Hills Choir, Fresh Millions and Cowboy and Indian, as well as an open-air display of the best videos from the last 10 years of ACL Music Festival by Alamo Drafthouse’s Rolling Roadshow." Go to the link above to RSVP.
• Apps are here! Go to the official ACL website for iPhone and Android apps: "What does it do exactly? Pretty much everything you need to whip your ACL Weekend into shape: browse the official line-up, create a custom schedule (or sync up with your existing schedule) and share it all on Facebook and Twitter. Speaking of sharing, ACL’s app also allows you set up group chat to use during the Festival with GroupMe so you can keep track of your friends!"
• KVUE News takes a look back at the first ten years of the festival and how it has changed in a video with Austin Monthly editor Sarah Thurmond.
• Running down some blog entries now: Austin Bloggy Limits, not surprisingly given the name, is all excited about the approaching festival. A recent post seems to be the first in a series of artist profiles, this one featuring Seattle's The Head and the Heart. The band gets a thumbs up this time: "Their music is beautiful, honest, and pastoral with multi-part harmonies, string flourishes and intimate vocals. They have passed through Austin a few times in 2011 and ACL Fest promises to be their biggest audience yet. Make sure you are at Zilker Park by 1:00pm the final day of the fest, as The Head and The Heart will be taking to the Google+ stage at 1:30pm that day."
• Another site that appears to be starting a series of bios is Austin Town Hall. Nathan Lankford writes about Death From Above 1979 in the blog's first "spotlight" entry: "If it’s the heavier side of things you’re looking for at Austin City Limits Festival, this is probably going to be the best bet, for my money. If you just want to see someone put on an unrealistic display of energy, then find your way here. If you like MSTRKRFT or even Sebastien Grainger, then get here too. Whatever you do, I beg you not to riot, just sit back and enjoy the show Death From Above 1979 will be putting on at 5:30 over at the Honda Stage."
• The official ACL website has been sponsoring a bunch of blogs' posts called the ACL Artist Discovery Series. In this installment, Culture Map Austin's Caitlin Ryan profiles The Antlers: "A band that debuted with a gut-wrenching concept album revolving around the death of a either a person or a relationship (different reviewers arrive at different interpretations, even after interviewing lead Peter Silberman) may not be what you'd consider a perfect fit for a sweltering, outdoor summertime festival. But if you’ve seen Brooklyn’s The Antlers perform, you already know that the live delivery of their debut album Hospice is so committed and deeply atmospheric that The Antlers onstage bring about anything but downtrodden emotion."
• The prior Artist Discovery Series entry has Flavorwire's Doug Levy shining the spotlight on little-known Joseph Arthur, complete with a video interview: "Joseph Arthur is a creative dynamo. Since being discovered by Peter Gabriel in the mid-’90s, the extremely prolific singer/songwriter has delivered eight albums and ten EPs, staged gallery shows and released a book of his visual artwork, and even opened a museum. Last year, he debuted Fistful of Mercy, a side project that featured three-way collaborations with Ben Harper and Dhani Harrison, and this year brings the release of his newest album, The Graduation Ceremony."
• Backstage OL is counting down the days to the festival with a "song of the day" series. Kicking off is "Machine Gun Blues" by Social Distortion, "one of the most famous punk bands to ever come out of Cali!" Check out the vid.
• Consequence of Sound is putting its resources behind ACL coverage, big time. There are some basic, helpful links, plus links to CoS content on tons of ACL artists. Definitely worth checking out if you need to do some serious artist research before the festival.

Austin's Weather Forecast: Stop It Already!

Is this about the most insane weather forecast you've ever seen? It's projected to be 110 degrees this weekend. Both days! But I shouldn't complain, since the East Coast likely is about to get hit by a massive hurricane. I hope it doesn't get bad up there. And here? You know things are bad when you're thinking, "I'll take 100."

FBtA's Audio and Video History of the Native Tongue Collective - Part 2: At the Top

Our multi-post look back at the Native Tongues hip-hop collective resumes with the posse sitting at the brink of the '90s. Despite slight misgivings after reading William Bowers' article "Now What?" on Pitchfork and consequently feeling slightly shameful for indulging in nostalgia of this magnitude, we forge ahead.

[Part 1][Part 3][Chi Ali Interlude][Part 4][Part 5]

The Core Strengthens

1990: In Part 1, we looked at the emergence and quick rise of the Native Tongues in the late 1980s. As the '90s began, the collective was sitting pretty. And the momentum continued to build for a while. To kick the decade off, the last of the three original core Tongues to release an album, A Tribe Called Quest, finally dropped their debut, Peoples Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm. True, Tribe's next two discs turned out to be more widely acclaimed. Peoples is nonetheless full of funky sample-heavy beats and intelligent, poetic raps, mostly from Q-Tip. Don't expect a dance album -- this isn't 1987 anymore. Only a few numbers are suited for the dance floor. From the jump, it was pretty apparent that Tribe's music was more suited for late-night lounging on sofas. That didn't stop the Source from falling in love with it, giving it a coveted five mic rating.

Source summary review from Summer 1990 (credit: Press Rewind If I Haven't)

Tribe's first single and video from the album was the funny-but-funky "I Left My Wallet in El Segundo." Maybe it was picked as the lead-off single because of its De La-feel? "El Segundo" would not sound out of place on 3 Feet High and Rising -- no small feat given how out there De La Soul was at the time. Really though, Quest was saving up for round two, and blew lots of people away with the mellow, thumping "Bonita Applebum," an ode to flirtation supposedly based on a round-bottomed girl from Tip and Ali's (and Mike Gee and Baby Bam's) high school. The slow pace, a sample based on a Roy Ayers vibe riff with a nice jazzy guitar on the side, for the time, "Bonita Applebum" sounded very unique. Not something to break out your new jack Kid-n-Play dance moves to, but as some might have said at the time, shit was dope. Q-Tip dominates both tracks vocally, but "Bonita" was a perfect backdrop for his smooth (like butter) delivery. It wouldn't be until Tribe's second album that Phife really came into his own and increased his contribution.

A Tribe Called Quest, Q-Tip
Get More:
A Tribe Called Quest, MTV Hive

1991-92: Speaking of De La Soul, the three plugs earned five mics as well for their second LP, 1991's De La Soul Is Dead. Unlike the consistently bright themes of debut 3 Feet High and Rising, De La Soul Is Dead saw De La making blatant efforts to distance themselves from the style and content that caused lazy journalists to label them "hippies," a tag that they were annoyed by. (On that Arsenio appearance that we posted in Part 1, De La looked put off by Arsenio's "hippies of hip-hop" intro, emphasizing the line about proclamations that they're hippies being "pure plug bull.") Despite the change-up, the Source praised the album:

The peace signs are gone, and the D.A.I.S.Y. is outta here, but the musical and lyrical talent combined with unlimited creativity and an ingenious sense of humor is still in like Flynn. As Dove proclaims on the album's first cut, 'Oodles of O's': 'Dreadlocks going out the door y'all.' Still progressing and proud of it. De La has successfully escaped being trapped in the sophomore jinx with grooves that are harder than a brick wall. It should put all the De La Hippie stuff to rest -- for good.

Get More: De La Soul, Music, More Music Videos

Prince Paul was again at the helm for De La Soul is Dead. And present again is a Prince Paul signature touch, the skit, complete with a P-Funk-style comic strip. This go, a teen finds a cassette, it ends up in the hands of bullies, they find it wack and proclaim, "De La Soul is Dead."

(credit: A Fistfull of Soundtracks -- funny article about the prevalent use of the word "crocker" to blank out specific naughty words during the skits -- go check it out if you have time)

Expansion

A couple of roles in the skit are played by guys who were part of the now expanding Native Tongue universe: The young rapper Chi Ali, who plays the teen Jeff (a character introduced on a couple of 3 Feet High-era B-Sides), and Mr. Lawnge, the DJ for the duo Black Sheep, who plays one of the thugs.

November 1991 Source review
Credit: http://ifihavent.wordpress.com/

Black Sheep's first few releases were pretty much confined to the hip-hop world, but in the Spring of 1991, a video for a remix of "The Choice Is Yours" ended up in heavy rotation on MTV and totally blew up. It eventually hit #1 on the Billboard hip-hop/rap chart and reached the top 60 of the Hot 100. Pretty soon, if you were on a dance floor, there was a good chance that at some point that night, the whole floor would PICK IT UP! PICK IT UP! PICK IT UP!

Black Sheep - The Choice Is Yours
Get More: Black Sheep - The Choice Is Yours

Another act that debuted in 1991 and became affiliated with Native Tongues was Leaders of the New School, who literally exploded out of the gate with mountains of energy, serious flow and synchronized mic skills reminiscent of old school crews like Cold Crush. LONS followed that tried and true formula of three MCs (the quick-tongued Dinco D, unpredictable Charlie Brown, and bombastic, excellently named and soon-to-be famous Busta Rhymes) and one DJ (Cut Monitor Milo, Busta's cousin, who also occasionally lends his toasting skills to the mix). The mix of rapping styles and tight production made A Future Without a Past, their first LP, a minor hit and a critical success. Although they debuted on the Rubáiyát compilation, most people first heard LONS when their first video dropped for "Case of the P.T.A."

Get More: Leaders of the New School, Music, More Music Videos

Of course, if that didn't make it to your speakers, the next one might have. Later in 1991, A Tribe Called Quest released The Low End Theory. The album was an instant classic. Tip was on point as expected, but as noted earlier, Phife really broke out on The Low End Theory, even taking his own track, "Buggin' Out." The DiDawg's opening "Yo!" on that track could easily be his symbolic announcement to the world that he was now at the party too. Plus the beats were innovative and jazzy (with lots of help from the great Ron Carter on bass) -- often pretty sparse, but to excellent effect. Arguably, Low End was the first great "after hours" hip-hop album. That said, a few of the tunes thump, including first single "Check the Rhyme" and later release "Scenario," a collaboration with LONS that ended with a memorable rhyme from Busta. The simple fact that Busta Rhymes -- not Q-Tip -- is given the mic last is pretty telling.

1992 was pretty quiet for Native Tongues as far as releases go. Chi Ali put out his first album, The Fabulous Chi-Ali. JBs had one song on 1991's soundtrack to the movie Livin' Large, "718 KIT," but that was it between 1989 and 1993 as they got stuck in the "not commercial enough" battle with their label over their third album. De La was working on their third album themselves. Tribe was still coming off Low End. They put out a very good (except perhaps for some un-PC lyrics, depending on your POV) remix of "Scenario" in 1992 that featured the same cast plus the late MC Hood (sad story) but was quite different from the original apart from Busta Rhymes' dragon RAWRR. Their next album didn't drop till late '93 though.

As time went on though, tension started to creep into the picture. The hip-hop scene in general seemed to be heading in a darker, more aggressive direction. And the Native Tongues began drifting apart. But that's Part 3.

[Part 1][Part 3][Chi Ali Interlude][Part 4][Part 5]

Prodigal Austin Blues Guitarist Gary Clark, Jr. Breaks Out at Last

Way back when, during our first months in Austin, we posted about a Gary Clark, Jr. show at Antone's we went to go see. Back then, the young blues guitar talent was coming off a big role in the film Honeydripper and seemed ready to hit the big time. It's been three years since, and Clark's continued to pay his dues and gig away.

As the cliché goes, the hard work paid off. The Austin Chronicle this week reported that Clark's new EP "Bright Lights" was very well received in a highlighted Rolling Stone review, receiving an "Editor's Pick" distinction. The review features some pretty strong words -- the sort of hype and comparisons that sometimes are hard to match down the road:

When was the last time a young blues guitarist really blew your mind? Sure, there's the Allman Brothers' Derek Trucks, who comes at the form in a jam-band context. Jack White filters the blues through garage rock and punk; the Black Keys' Dan Auerbach through those and other pop styles; Ben Harper takes more of a folky singer-songwriter tack. But a genuine 21st-century bluesman, raised on the form in all its roughneck roadhouse glory but marked by the present day? That's been as hard to find as a 21st-century clockmaker.

Another milestone for Clark -- first national television appearance -- was notched the other night on Jimmy Fallon, which sparked ?uestlove to fire off an enthusiastic Tweet.

The mo should remain for a while. Clark's first LP will be dropping soon. Also, keeping up with the acting side, Clark's in an early scene of a new Mario Van Peebles blues-fiction flick, Redemption Road. If you want to keep your eyes on him until then, here's the video trailer for "Bright Lights," plus a vid of a recent New York concert. As someone who believes blues is about what you pour into your music and not the mastery of a set of techniques, I've got my fingers crossed for Gary Clark, Jr. and his future. I hope there's a nice big hometown crowd to welcome him home at this year's ACL festival.

Fun Fun Fun Fest 2011 Playlist Added

Man, the lineup for this year's Fun Fun Fun Fest is too sweet not to put up a music widget like the one we have for ACL. So we've added one over there to the right. Playlist is the same as the one on the Fun Fun Fun Fest site, so credit goes there and to Justin Nordan. Happy listening!

FBtA's Audio and Video History of the Native Tongue Collective - Part 1: High and Rising

[Part 2][Part 3][Chi Ali Interlude][Part 4][Part 5]

Last weekend at Austin’s fancy new downtown movie theater the Violet Crown Cinema, I caught Beats, Rhymes & Life: The Travels of a Tribe Called Quest, the new documentary about the enigmatic hip-hop quartet. All four members contribute, even “… and sometimes Y” member Jarobi. The four, it turns out, have very different personalities, which caused lots of ups and downs during the group's life. Everyone is given a chance to speak about the rough spots Tribe faced over the years, including their dissolution and a later rift between MCs and lifelong friends Phife Dawg and Q-Tip that has to do with the former's health. By letting everyone speak out, you get a good sense of Phife, Tip, Ali Shaheed Muhammad and Jarobi as people as well as artists, and how their personalities shape the relationships they have with one another.

Lots of other important Tribe associates appear as well. It was cool to look back on and get present updates on some key figures like Red Alert, Large Professor and several members of the Native Tongues collective.

Ah, yes, Native Tongues. The group of influential, slightly off-center hip-hop musicians from the late '80s and early '90s that briefly looked like the next big thing before going “poof.” The flagship members, De La Soul, Jungle Brothers and Tribe, immediately struck a tone with a lot of hip-hop fans like me who were always looking for something new. Their music had the danceable, sample-heavy beats that qualified it as good, true hip-hop, but with a large dose of cleverness. When De La came out in their schlumpy duds rapping about potholes in their lawn and the D.A.I.S.Y Age, that was some new shit.

Early shot of De La Soul (source: gilmansworld)

It wasn't all costumes and silly rhymes. The raps were crafty and often deep -- the JBs in particular picked up on the Afrocentric themes that were growing in popularity in the late '80s. The music too was going in bold new directions. De La's first album, Prince Paul's brilliantly produced Three Feet High and Rising, was a celebration of the art of sampling. The Jungle Brothers went in all sorts of directions and made some great danceable hip-hop and pioneered "hip-house." Quest started blending in jazzy elements that pointed the way for many alternative hip-hop artists in the '90s.

After the core started off strong, the Native Tongues quickly expanded to include Queen Latifah and Monie Love and soon Black Sheep, Chi Ali, Beatnuts, Leaders of the New School and a few others that vary depending on who you ask like Da Bush Babees and Fu-Schnickens. The film features interviews with many of the above, and it touches on why the core Native Tongues drifted apart. In the end though, the film’s subject really is just A Tribe Called Quest, and the broader Native Tongue collective is just a brief, secondary topic.

So it left me thinking about Native Tongues. Why did the formerly close associates who seemed to have so much in common and so much potential as a posse give up on the idea? Could you foresee – and would you want to see – collaboration in the future? What is the legacy of Native Tongues? It seemed like a good time for me to go deeper. So let's dig a bit. FBtA presents its history of the Native Tongues, with a friendly dose of sight and sound, in multiple parts. We may never understand why the vibe died, but at least the collective left us with a trove of good music (and videos) to enjoy.

An Audio and Video History of the Native Tongue Collective - Part 1: High and Rising

The Formative Years (-1986): Phife Dawg and Q-Tip grow up together in the '70s and '80s in Queens, near where Run D.M.C. hailed from. Tip later goes to Murray Bergtraum High School for Business Careers with Ali Shaheed Muhammad and JBs Mike Gee and Afrika Baby Bam. High school is also where the members of De La Soul meet in the late '80s out in Long Island.

1987: The Jungle Brothers drop their first single, "Jimbrowski" b/w "Bragging and Boasting." MC Mike Gee's uncle, legendary hip-hop DJ/producer Kool DJ Red Alert, made sure it found its way onto his can't-miss weekend radio show on WRKS 98.7 FM.

1988: Very important year in Native Tongue history. The Jungle Brothers release their first full album, Straight Out the Jungle. The first single from the album, "I'll House You," is now often cited as the first "hip-house" song ever (for what that's worth).

JBs also released two singles in 1988 featuring a young MC, Q-Tip: "The Promo" and "Black is Black." The former track serves to announce Tip's arrival and, as the title implies, promote the upcoming joint from his crew, A Tribe Called Quest. Red Alert played this one a bit on his show as well, and that's how I first heard Q-Tip.

Red occasionally also used to play an obscure B-side from the "Black is Black" 12" single, "In Time," another JBs collaboration with Tip. The opening line was prophetic, and a lot faster than many people would have predicted around the time that Reagan handed off the White House to Bush I:

In time this rhyme'll be more than just a fantasy

A Black man'll be the man to claim Presidency

Is it hard to see?

So try to see as i see

In time i see a better Black reality

De La Soul started dropping singles in 1988 as well, starting with "Plug Tunin'" on Tommy Boy Records, and buzz started building immediately.

Queen Latifah, a confident, young rapper from New Jersey out of DJ Mark the 45 King's stable, released her first single, "Wrath of My Madness."

1989: Another key year as the core of the collective really emerges. De La Soul drop the classic 3 Feet High and Rising, one of the first hip-hop LPs to cross over to the college music crowd. The first time I saw them was a goofy spot on Yo! MTV Raps back in '89 promoting their video for "Me, Myself and I."

Meanwhile, the Jungle Brothers quickly eliminated consideration of a sophomore slump by following up their first LP with the great, expansive Done by the Forces of Nature. One of the singles they released in '89 was the funky, bass heavy album opener "Beyond This World."

1989 also saw the official birth of the Native Tongues as a collective. Basically, the young trio of groups met and quickly clicked. Realizing they shared similar perspectives on hip-hop, they got the idea to form a collective. Beats, Rhymes & Life has a good segment on how the idea was hatched and the Native Tongue name was quickly adopted by consensus. Wikipedia offers up explanatory quotes from two pioneering members:

"The Native Tongues came about where, basically, we had a show together in Boston. Us [De La Soul], Jungle and we linked from there. We had a natural love for the art and a natural love for each other on how we put stuff together. So we invited them [the Jungle Brothers] to a session, and when they hooked up with us, we happened to be doing 'Buddy.' It wasn't business; it wasn't for a cheque. It was just trading ideas and just seeing what you're doing. Bottom line, it was just having fun."

— Trugoy the Dove, aka Dave

"I remember Afrika (Afrika Baby Bam) called me that night, like, two in the morning. 'Yo these kids, De La Soul, you gotta meet ’em! I swear we're just alike!' I went there, met them, and it was just fuckin' love at first sight. It was disgusting. In hip hop, it praises individualism. I think that's the main achievement of the Native Tongues. It just showed people could come together."
— Q-Tip

Early Native Tongues group shot on the cover of the Jungle Brothers' "Doin' Our Own Dang" single - also available on cassette!

It seems like there should be a whole bundle of great "posse cuts" by Native Tongues. In reality, there weren't that many that featured all or most of the core. The group efforts started coming out in '89 with "Buddy" from De La's 3 Feet High ... and the Jungle Brothers' "Doin' Our Own Dang" from Done By the Forces of Nature. "Buddy" featured Jungle Brothers Mike Gee and Africa Baby Bam, Quest's Q-Tip, and Monie Love, a sister from England who too became a part of the new Native Tongues. (Tribe's Phife shows up in the video and is also in the extended mix, but didn't make the shorter album version.) "Doin Our Own Dang" saw the JBs joined by all three De La members, Tip, Latifah and Monie.

Queen Latifah and Monie Love also teamed up for Latifah's 1989 single, "Ladies First." A few other early female hip-hop figures are in the video (can you name them?).

As the '80s closed, the Native Tongues looked primed to take over the hip-hop world, or at least carve out a nice big niche. There was a ton of momentum. De La Soul and the Jungle Brothers had released what would eventually be widely viewed as classic albums. Queen Latifah was already atop many lists of the most talented women in hip-hop. A Tribe Called Quest's forthcoming album was one of the most highly anticipated upcoming releases in any genre. TV appearances grew in frequency and stature. Here's an early live appearance from De La on (yeah) Arsenio back in 1989.

But a funny thing happened on the way to the block party. For a few years into the '90s, there was still promise. The brand expanded and some great music was released. But then the Native Tongue "movement" -- if there ever really was such a thing -- started to stall. The tone of the music grew darker as the newly successful musicians matured and had their first experiences with the record industry. Contract issues bogged down some. Other groups disbanded. Latifah went to Hollywood. Relationships wilted or crumbled. And importantly, tastes changed. Out went the kente, in came the gangster clothes.

More on the Native Tongues as they moved into the '90s in Part 2.

[Part 2][Part 3][Chi Ali Interlude][Part 4][Part 5]

Fun Fun Fun Fest 2011: Lineup Announced and it is LOADED! Slayer, Passion Pit, Public Enemy among stage headliners

The 2011 Fun Fun Fun Festival lineup was announced this week, and from the look of it, the folks at Transmission Entertainment are gunning for ACL. The list (below) is very solid from top to bottom, with a mix of stars, legends and up-and-comers of varying levels. You have one of Slayer, one of the "Big Four" thrash metal acts. Public Enemy and Rakim -- two New York hip-hop legends who broke out around the same time in the 80s -- will be on hand to rock the mic and shake the speakers. Some hot acts like Passion Pit, Odd Future, Lykke Li, tUnE-yArDs and Neon Indian are on hand, as are a reformed Hot Snakes and amazing Tuareg groovemasters Tinariwen, who I'm really excited about (check out the video at the bottom of the post). Solid. Very.

Lots of writers are reviewing the menu and offering up their suggestions:

• Brooklyn Vegan calls it "[a]nother amazing year!" and lists Slayer, Thee Oh Sees, Public Enemy, Girls, Danzig Legacy, (Danzig + Doyle von Frankenstein playing Misfits, Samhain & Danzig), Hot Snakes, Diplo, Major Lazer, Henry Rollins, Ted Leo & The Phramacists, Spank Rock, Murder City Devils, Hum, Lykke Li, Passion Pit, Four Tet, Rakim, The Damned, Austra, Purity Ring, and Flynt Flossy.
• Stereogum has a good amount of overlap, citing Slayer, PE, Odd Future, tUnE-yArDs, Neon Indian, Hum, Four Tet, Lykke Li, Flying Lotus, Girls, M83, Okkervil River, Danzig Legacy, Donald Glover and Brian Posehn.
• How about Pitchfork? Odd Future, Hot Snakes, Lykke Li, M83, Girls, Major Lazer, Public Enemy, tUnE-yArDs, Slayer, Flying Lotus, Neon Indian, Okkervil River, Four Tet andDanzig are deserving of mention.
• Want some more lists? Check out The Spacelab, Republic of Austin, the homey-sounding My Old Kentucky Blog, mxdwn and Consequence of Sound.

You'd better get tickets soon, or you might be stuck scrounging on Craigslist and Stubhub. Three-day passes are $110 for students and $135 for the rest. Click here.

FULL LINEUP

orange stage

PASSION PIT LYKKE LI

M83 BLONDE REDHEAD GIRLS HUM

CLAP YOUR HANDS SAY YEAH OKKERVIL RIVER BLACK JOE LEWIS AND THE HONEYBEARS ARCHITECTURE IN HELSINKI CHILDISH GAMBINO TED LEO & THE PHARMACISTS HEARTLESS BASTARDS TUNE-YARDS RA RA RIOT TINARIWEN COLD CAVE RADIO DEPT WE WERE PROMISED JETPACKS MATES OF STATE THE JOY FORMIDABLE CLOUD NOTHINGS THE BOXER REBELLION ASOBI SEKSU KEEP SHELLY IN ATHENS LE BUTCHERETTES JIM WARD (SPARTA/AT THE DRIVE IN) JOE LALLY (FUGAZI) FUTURE ISLANDS T BIRD AND THE BREAKS CROOKS LEMURIA TV TORSO MANEJA BETO

white stage

SLAYER DANZIG LEGACY THE DAMNED

HOT SNAKES MURDER CITY DEVILS KID DYNAMITE

BORIS CAVE IN NEGATIVE APPROACH D GENERATION EYEHATEGOD RUSSIAN CIRCLES CAPTURED BY ROBOTS THEE OH SEES ZERO BOYS PAINT IT BLACK TRASH TALK YOUTH BRIGADE NO BUNNY BANE DAVILA 666 EARTH CRISIS GRAVEYARD DOOMRIDERS CEREMONY FROM ASHES RISE THE WORLD INFERNO/FRIENDSHIP SOCIETY DEATH GRIPS TOTAL CONTROL TOUCHE AMORE DEFEATER MIND SPIDERS OBN III SHAPES HAVE FANGS SCHMILLION THIEVES

blue stage

PUBLIC ENEMY MAJOR LAZER ODD FUTURE

DIPLO FLYING LOTUS NEON INDIAN FOUR TET RAKIM

SPANK ROCK DAN DEACON WUGAZI THE BUDOS BAND DEL THE FUNKY HOMOSAPIEN BIG FREEDIA YACHT BATHS MNDR AUSTRA DENGUE FEVER BLACK MILK DJ FRANKI CHAN OCOTE SOUL SOUND AUTO BODY BIRD PETERSON BRANDT BRAUER FRICK PICTUREPLANE CECIL OTTER (DOOMTREE) G SIDE SPEAK PURITY RING DJ CAR STEREO (WARS) B-L-A-C-K-I-E FAT TONY

yellow stage

HENRY ROLLINS REGGIE WATTS BRIAN POSEHN

UCB NATIONAL TOURING COMPANY TURQUOISE JEEP DONALD GLOVER

ALI WONG ANARCHY CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING NEAL BRENNAN (CO-CREATOR OF THE CHAPPELLE SHOW & HALF BAKED) BEST FWENDS BRODY STEVENS THE KENNY K STRASS STRASSER YO YO EXSTRAVAGANZA WHAM CITY COMEDY SET MATT BEARDEN LOUIS KATZ CHRIS TREW VEGGIE HOT DOG EATING CONTEST BROUGHT TO YOU BY ILOVEMIKELITT JT HABERSAAT + THE ALTERCATION PUNK COMEDY TOUR