To know Anticon is to love Anticon. I’m sure casual Anticon fans exist; but by and large we are an obsessive breed; comparative, in some ways, to those that follow the Manson Family—you mention a trivial fact and eyes widen, speech accelerates with enthusiasm, rattling off dates, facts, and slogans. Anticon is that level of obsession without the creepiness—finding a fellow devotee is finding a new friend for life.

Anticon is an independent hip-hop record label, initially based in the Bay Area and founded in the late ‘90s. Similar to other hip-hop “crews,” they’ve released records as individual bands or performers, but other artists make guest appearances on nearly every release (of which there are MANY. Every artists is wildly prolific). Founding members of Anticon include Doseone, Jel, Sole, Alias, Pedestrian, Odd Nosdam, Telephone Jim Jesus, and Why?. Combined project acts of these individual artists include Themselves, Subtle, cLOUDDEAD, Greenthink, and Deep Puddle Dynamics. The combinations continue: Themselves + German indie band The Notwist = 13 & God, and Sole’s solo project that is now post-Anticon is Sole and the Skyrider Band.

For the past decade, unique and refreshingly quirky Illinois hip-hop wordsmith Serenegeti has been quietly amassing a large body of work (about sixteen albums worth) via a string of solo albums matched by an equally impressive series of collaboration projects with such other artists as Polyphonic and Hi-Fidel - not to mention a slew of memorable cameo appearances in verses on other emcee's albums. Clearly rarely idle this prolific Mid West artist recently found time to relocate west to Cali. He now calls Los Angeles home and for his just released latest (and perhaps most accessible to date) album,  Family & Friends released on CD and vinyl, he reconnected with the Cali based Anticon label through whom he also released the 2009 Polyphonic collab Terradactyl. He also recorded parts of it in Oakland, CA in Why? front-man Yoni Wolf's home studio.  The new album's other producer, Advance Base (otherwise known as Casiotone for the Painfully Alone) also has a knack for bringing out only the very best in this left-of-center lyricist. The result is Serengeti's best (and one of 2011's best hip-hop) albums to date.

For Family & Friends Serengeti delivers more of his trademark engaging stories (his albums are like books with the songs been character-driven chapters - this one an 11 chapter collection of short stories) delivered in a stream-of-consciousness sounding flow. As usual you know it's Serengeti the moment he opens his mouth and you hear his distinctive voice followed by these  lyrically rich, deep tales of complex characters - all personas (part fiction, part reality) that he adapts so convincingly that you are sure he is talking in first person, and from first hand experience.

If you are in the Bay Area today put a stop at Amoeba Music in Berkeley at the top of your to-do list! All day today, Sunday, November 14th, the famed East Bay Amoeba store that opened 20 years ago this month is celebrating with a big sale and non-stop entertainment. In addition to 20% off all used items and lots of other enticing store bargains and goodies (EG gift bags for customers who purchase over $20 + Amoeba Prize Wheel with fabulous prizes such as a collectible lunchbox amp from ZT Amplifiers or limited edition Amoeba 20th Birthday T-shirts) there will be non-stop music by DJs and other performers.

DJs include party rocker and turntable wrecker DJ Pam The Funkstress of The Coup, who, as you can see from the concert clip above, is an amazing DJ to witness live. Her set begins at 3pm today. Other spin masters today include two current Amoeba Berkeley staffers JoNasty (noon) and DJ Inti (at 1pm he will spin an exclusive "dollar bin" set), and two former Amoeba Berkeley staffers, DJ Platurn (6pm is when the famed Oakland Fader DJ kicks off the day's closing set) and DoseOne. Anticon's DoseOne (born Adam Drucker and a renowned emcee) is such an incredibly gifted & multi-talented individual. His DJ set starts at 2pm and is followed by a meet/greeting/signing session. In concert with his groups Themselves and Subtle he often simultaneously raps as he plays synth, sampler, and/or keyboard.

Today is the third and final day of the talent-packed, weekend-long Coachella Festival, which has been Amoeblogged about here intensively in the hella informative Coachella 2009 30/30 Initiative (30 Coachella Bands Featured in 30 Days) blog over the last few weeks leading up the annual diverse outdoor music festival at the Empire Polo Field in Indio, CA.

Rightfully dubbed by the UK music magazine NME as "probably the best festival in the world," today's (Sunday, April 19th) impressive lineup includes The Cure, Public Enemy (the recently reunited), Throbbing Gristle, Lupe Fiasco, Roni Size Represent, My Bloody Valentine, Groove Armada, K'NAAN, Brian Jonestown Massacre, Antony and the Johnsons, and Themselves, who I recently caught up with. I checked out their show (amazing!) and talked with member (and former Amoeba employee) Adam "Doseone" Drucker, who shares membership in the Oakland-based Anticon duo with fellow producer/emcee Jeff "Jel" Logan.

Although Jel and Doseone are both members of the group Subtle and are constantly producing together or just hanging out in the East Bay, where they both live, as the duo Themselves they had not performed or recorded together in six years until recently. They've just recorded an album that will drop in a couple of months or so, put together a kick-ass mix-CD, and have undertaken a national tour that ends today at Coachella. Then, on Friday (24th) they begin their European tour, starting in Paris, France. I caught up with them in NYC a couple of weeks ago when they played at Webster Hall and talked with Doseone about various things, including the Anticon group's ten-year anniversary. "We made up a ton of music we always wanted to make and one was a giant collaborative effort...with everyone we ever shared air with and that was something we always wanted to do in a million ways," said Dose-One of the new mix CD that includes such killer tracks as "Know That To Know This," featuring Aesop Rock. "There's nothing like an hour-long posse cut to clean the blood," he laughed. "And we finished our full-length, which is our kind of stoic little ten song banger for the ten year anniversary and [on it] every song has its place in the history of rap recording to us and our own personal history with respect to rap and how we make music these days. So, you know, it's a blast. It was great! It was like getting our fitted suits."

MARTY DOWERS
AMOEBA MUSIC, BERKELEY:

AMOEBLOG: How did you end up working at Amoeba Music, Berkeley and what is your job there?

MARTY: I was working at a record store in Hawaii and wanting to move back to the Bay. My sister inquired as to if Amoeba or Rasputin were hiring. Turned out they both were. I never heard back from Rasputin, but Marc (Weinstein) said come on out for an interview. This was just as the San Francisco store was opening -- so some of the Berkeley buyers moved over there, and there was a spot for me.

AMOEBLOG: What makes working at Amoeba different from other jobs you've had?                          

MARTY: I've been in the 'industry' since 1980, but always wholesale -- one stops, rack jobbers. The store in Hawaii was the first retail job. Going from that little store front shop to Amoeba was quite an experience. Amoeba has become an institution!

AMOEBLOG: Best place to  grab a bite nearby Amoeba Berkeley?

MARTY: Good luck. Where's the Japanese ramen?

AMOEBLOG: What's the best record of all time?

MARTY: (laughing) Obviously, that's a very difficult question. It depends on mood, genre, etc. But how about this: "Who's That Lady" (from '64) by the Isley Brothers -- a perfect single!