Jaw Gems |
• As Mainers find the unfolding story about the Kennebunk prostitution ring to be socially complex and all kinds of unfortunate, CAM GROVES sees the whole thing pretty simply. The Wells rapper released a video this week for a brand-new song titled "I Wish I Knew," a tongue-in-cheek R&B track in which he, uh, romanticizes the fitness instructor at the center of the ring ("Should I write this song? I might as well/If I had known I would've been your biggest clientele") and embarks on a fruitless quest to find her. Groves's tracks typically dial up the raunch; that he tackles the topic at all isn't a surprise, but his funniest, most effective lines here channel more than just his own libido, ranging from the pragmatic ("people mad as hell calling you a ho/I don't care what you do for work as long as you a pro") to the cheekily entrepreneurial ("from one small business owner to another/I mean, I got nothing but love for your hustle"). No doubt there'll be some who'll find this sort of thing tasteless — and Groves himself might agree — but the relief it offers from the conventional media coverage, with its moral bombast and general squeamishness about all matters sexual, is pretty refreshing. See the video at youtube.com/camgroves.
• The BULL MOOSE MUSIC Halloween contest awards a $250 gift card to the best visual reproduction of a famous album cover; judging by the few entries posted on their Tumblr (bullmoose.tumblr.com), the bar isn't exactly set that high. Be apprised: You'll have to fashion your entry at one of their stores to qualify (the forthcoming store in Mill Creek, SoPo doesn't count) and subject yourself to a fair amount of Facebook soliciting to win, but in the post-download era, $250 worth of music is pretty valuable indeed. Contest ends October 29; visit bullmoose.com for official rules.
• Bowdoin-trained jazz pianist AHMAD HASSAN MUHAMMAD leaves Portland for Atlanta next week, creating a pretty sizable hole in the city's progressive jazz circuit. His departure won't terminate the status of JAW GEMS, the popular, genre-busting group he played Wurlitzer for (download the tasty new mixtape EP Cuts & Scrapes on their bandcamp for the vanguard in Portland experimental hip hop) but it's a loss all the same. Jaw Gems have amassed an enormous cult following, during which Hassan developed a reputation for being one of the most warmhearted, inspiring, and sonically impressive musicians in town.
Topics:
New England Music News
, Ahmad Hassan Muhammad, Ahmad Hassan Muhammad, Bull Moose Music, More 
, Ahmad Hassan Muhammad, Ahmad Hassan Muhammad, Bull Moose Music, Cam Groves, Cam Groves, Jaw Gems, Less 
