Inspired by and based on a similar event in the MidWest today's  Oakland Internet Cat Video Festival is a fun and worthy event that is bound to delight the masses of cat fanatics out there who can't get enough of that internet preoccupation of viewing cat videos (like the one above) on YouTube and other websites. A co-production of The Great Wall of Oakland and the Walker Art Center and with involvement from (and benefiting) the local SPCA the Oakland Internet Cat Video Festival happens this afternoon and evening (Saturday May 11th) on West Grand between Telegraph and Broadway where the highlight will be an hour-plus collage of dozens of some of the best of aforementioned popular YouTube cat videos all tightly edited together - to be screened onto the "great wall" in downtown Oakland.

Today's event runs from 3pm to 10pm and folks are invited to bring along their own cats to the event where the East Bay SPCA will also have cats up for adoption for anyone who wants to take one home with them.  Supplying cat themed music for the event will be The Cat Man of West Oakland. Yesterday I caught up with said Cat Man - born Adam Myatt - who may not own a cat himself but sure has a compassion for (not to mention a good eye) for dozens of strays in his neighborhood as is evident from the wonderful feline photos in this Amoeblog - all taken by Adam in the area near his East Bay home. When we talked I asked the Cat Man about the event and what music he will be spinning to keep the cat party moving today.

        


1) Talib Kweli Prisoner Of Conscious (Blacksmith)

2) The Uncluded (Aesop Rock + Kimya Dawson) Hokey Fright (Rhymesayers)

3) Qwel & Maker Beautiful Raw (Galapagos4 Records)

4) Sunspot Jonz and BOAC Skywalkers (Outhouse Records)

5) Sole No Wising Up, No Settling Down (Black Canyon)

Thanks to E-Lit at Amoeba Berkeley for his run down (video and chart above) on all the latest in hip-hop releases at Amoeba Music this week that include such new joints as Sunspot Jonz (Mystik Journeymen/Living Legends) who teamed up with Bay Area producer BOAC (founding member of The Earthlings along with DJ Bootleg who used to book the hip-hop shows at the defunct SF venue Maritime Hall) for his latest release Skywalkers - released on the long running Living Legends label Outhouse Records. As E-Lit notes it is a fun, all killer, no filler hip-hop release.  Other new releases include the straight up hip-hop album from Qwel & Maker Beautiful Raw on Galapagos4 Records, and the much more alternative/adventurous hip-hop outing from The Uncluded: Hokey Fright on Rhymesayers Entertainment. The Uncluded is the pairing of Aesop Rock with Kimya Dawson who have worked together before this new collaborative full-length album. You may recall that Kimya Dawson made a cameo on Skelethon - the stellar solo album (following a five year gap) from Aesop Rock last summer (when he did a memorable in-store at Amoeba San Francisco), and that Aesop Rock in turn had made guest appearances on Dawson's album from the previous year Thunder Thighs. Released by Rhymesayers Entertainment it features the single "Earthquake." See the accompanying video below and you will immediately see why E-Lit describes it as like children's music in its production presentation of the 16 track album that, according to the publicity release from the label, "helps to tell the story of two people who are finding therapy through making art together."

Alexander Spit Preps Instrumentals Mixtape, Releases ‘Valet Park, CA’

Alexander Spit released a tantalizing debut LP earlier this year called A Breathtaking Trip to That Otherside. Now the West Coast rapper/prouducer has a mixtape coming out that could make even more waves than his debut, judging by the first taste, “Valet Park, CA,” a blissed-out track with warped vocals. I doubt Valet Park is less a real place and more of a pun, but the displaced, quietly melancholic vibe he summons here calls to mind so many nowheresvilles of California.

 

The Mantles Release Second Song From Upcoming Sophomore Album

The Mantles sound a bit like they’re from New Zealand (home of The Clean, The Bats etc.), but they’re from San Francisco, so hurray for us! This band hits all the right jangly notes, evoking The Byrds with their harmonic singing but in a perfectly disinterested way, while their guitars have swagger in addition to the jangle. “Hello,” indeed. Long Enough to Leave is due June 18 on Slumberland.

Usually DJ Quest goes to Amoeba but last week it was the other way around when the Amoeblog visited the Mission District home studios of the legendary San Francisco turntablist (video below) who has done several performances at Amoeba Music over the years including a record release set for his 2008 album Questulous and another with the DJ youth group the The DJ Project, that featured youth DJs from Horizons Unlimited and the Quest School of DJ Arts, where he mentors at-risk youth to gain arts education as well as the employment and entrepreneurial skills to help get them music-related careers. Throughout his two-decade plus career DJ Quest has always been as much of an inspiration and educator to aspiring DJs as he has been an artist/performer - using the turntable as a tool and sort of text book to educate and inspire. Last summer accompanied by talented young DJs he went down to Monterey County, CA where, as part of the Monterey County Free Libraries' (MCFL) Summer Reading 2012 program at several branches across the county he hosted several well-received scratch/hip-hop DJ turntable performances and Q+A seminars.

Donald Glover aka Childish Gambino found some time in his busy schedule to do a little shopping at Amoeba Hollywood. Many of you know Glover for his acting role on the comedy sitcom, Community. Or maybe you've seen his hilarious Comedy Central special Weirdo. Perhaps you are one of the 9 million people who viewed Glover in the viral video Bro Rape. It's obvious, the dude is funny, super talented and he's everywhere! Did you know he was a writer for the NBC show 30 Rock?

Not only is he quickly on his way to blockbuster status a la Will Smith, but he's proved to be a bonafide emcee and has the lyrical punchlines to rival Kanye West. ("The shit I'm doing this year? Insanity. Made the beat then murdered it: Casey Anthony"). Already an underground favorite, Childish Gambino (Glover's moniker) has released 3 mixtapes followed by his well recieved debut album CAMP (Glassnote). To further solidify his Hip Hop cred, Gambino has recorded tracks with the likes of Ghostface Killah and Kendrick Lamar.