Check It 4/20

Today is apparently International Cannabis Day, which is something I didn't know about until rather recently and to 'celebrate' and to 'mark the occasion' there're a few artists releasing albums who I thought you might be interested in. So, I submit, for your approval, a special edition of Check It.

10 Ft. Ganja Plant - 10 Deadly Shots Vol. 1 [ROIR]

Okay so, if your name is ‘10 Ft. Ganja Plant’, then unless Peter Tosh releases a brand new studio album on the same day (and that’s not happening), then you’re probably going to go first on a list like this, at least one that I’m putting together. I’ve never been too much of a fan of the group (there’re like a whole heap of State based bands (particularly in California) that I’ve just been neglecting on learning more about), but just listening to some of the new stuff and some of the older stuff, the musicianship (as it usually is with such bands) is TOP NOTCH. These things sound excellent and apparently just in celebration of the day, they’ve decided to give to the world 10 Deadly Shots Vol. 1. Currently, you can only purchase said album (at a discount price) on THEIR WEBSITE, but it seems like in a week, you’ll be able to get it everywhere digitally, sans the discount of course. Like I said, I don’t know a lot about them, but usually those bands have insane followings, so I’m sure this is a pretty big deal and the music does sound excellent (and you can hear sound clips on THEIR WEBSITE as well).

Ozomatli - Fire Away [Downtown Records]

Again, here’s another California based band and in this case, I don’t even know if they would want to be associated with the day (although I’m going to ‘go out on a limb’ and assume that they won’t give a shit), but Ozomatli is releasing what is apparently their fifth album to date, Fire Away. Listening through this album I found it not necessarily my type of an album, there seems to be a lot of Latin, Rock and Alternative type of vibes, but there is a faint undertone of Reggae on more than a few tunes and the very first song, ‘Are You Ready?’, actually sounds like Soca at times with the big horns, but again, I’m sure this is a very big deal and just searching around I see that it’s a very well discussed piece and maybe it’s something you’d enjoy as well and also you can check out THEIR WEBSITE as well.

Cypress Hill - Rise Up [Priority Records]

More than a decade ago I suddenly became a fan of predominately Hip-Hop band Cypress Hill’s and their (even then) older stuff in particular. I wasn’t a very good fan, of course, and even to this day I could probably only ‘safely’ name you about 4 or 5 of their tunes, but just as I was certain that the first two groups that I mentioned having albums was a big deal, I’m even more so in the case of Cypress Hill (especially considering the fact that their bio mentions that they’ve sold more than 18 MILLION albums to date). I’m also quite certain that there’s no surprise at all that they’ve managed to release an album for 4/20, Rise Up, which is their first in six years now. Tune #7 on the album is called K.U.S.H., that’s probably about all you need to know there and although I’ve long lost the ears to appreciate Hip-Hop music, for the most part, by now, just listening through the clips I wasn’t ‘turned off’ (musically speaking of course) and you’ll certainly excuse me if I cut this short to head over to YouTube to remember the old times.

Willie Nelson - Country Music [Rounder]

Don’t know a damn thing about Willie Nelson with the exception of the probability that wherever he is today, he’s most likely enjoying himself. And I’m not going to pretend that I know more than that. The well known premiere herbalist of country/folk music has released a brand new album Country Music today and if you want it, then buy it. Yep!

{Also releasing an album today (according to the 10 Ft. Ganja Plant press release (which was very well done by the way, whoever you are)) are the Kottonmouth Kings and I know nothing about them and that’s it.}

420 Mix [Zojak Worldwide]

Andddddddddddddd there’s also this very nice mixtape which I’ve already mentioned twice, 420 Mix from the boys and girls at Zojak Worldwide. It wasn’t released on today (maybe 2 weeks ago I think), but certainly it’s going to grab a bit more attention on this day and rightfully so, it’s very very good.

{Check back tomorrow for a (REALLY) full edition of 'Check It'}