WONDERFUL NOISE PRODUCTIONS Presents: Leonard Charles & Guilty Simpson Join Forces for "Breaking Over You" (The Witzard Premiere)

"I have a She's So Rad EP I am working on, dreamy Shoegaze stuff. I have a Leonard Charles Modern Funk [album] with a Lo-Fi Disco tint full-length record that is nearly complete, a Basement Funk record that will feature Wildchild, Guilty Simpson, Declaime AKA Dudley Perkins, Team Dynamite, and Georgia Anne Muldrow, and then, I still have a few things up my sleeve... but I gotta stay focused on these records, for now. I am easily distracted by amazing music and stupid plans!" Jeremy Toy AKA Leonard Charles replied when asked what he had planned following Basement Donuts. Basement Donuts is, of course, Toy's 2016 album-length debut as alter-ego "Leonard Charles;" a Basement/Modern Funk album recorded in his basement as a 31-track tribute to Stones Throw/Instrumental Hip-Hop pioneer, producer, and rapper James "J Dilla" Yancey. During the interview prep leading up to our November 2016 The Witzard interview, Leonard Charles casually mentioned he met Dilla affiliate and frequent collaborator Guilty Simpson prior to the June-Feb. 2016 release of Basement Donuts on HIT+RUN/WONDERFUL NOISE. Early in 2015, Simpson was in Auckland, New Zealand for a short tour with DETROIT'S SON collaborator, Katalyst. As Leonard Charles tells it, Guilty soon stopped by the studio to lay down a verse for one of his own productions and casually played him an early draft of Basement Donuts. Guilty dug what Leonard had cooked up and gave it his stamp-of-approval because it was such an original interpretation of Dilla's beloved record.

Here's what Leonard Charles had to say about the making-of "Breaking Over You:" "With "Breaking Over You," I wanted to make something that sounded "Lo-Fi" enough to work as a follow up to Basement Donuts, but also have an air of "Hi-Fi" to it. It's a raw track that expresses the raw feeling of relationships. Guilty [Simpson] really came through with this one and I feel like the end result is a balanced, going in-and-out of love track that anyone can relate to. Guilty and I are currently cooking up some new material that I can't wait to get out on wax!"

Now, Leonard Charles has returned with Guilty's aforementioned "verse on one of [his] own songs," which has now been officially titled "Breaking Over You." It's tagged on WONDERFUL NOISE's Soundcloud as simply #Leonard Charles, #Guilty Simpson, #Wonderful Noise, #New Zealand, and #Detroit. "Breaking Over You" is a bit hard to quantize genre-wise, but it's dripping with sonic allusions to Basement/Modern Funk, Disco, Neo-Soul, Hip-Hop, G-Funk, and Electronic music. "Breaking Over You" is the first collaboration between Leonard Charles & Guilty Simpson, ahead of what I hear will be a "real raw and aggressive" collaborative 7-inch EP. Guilty recorded his verse over Jeremy Toy's Soul/Funk-oozing instrumental the last time he visited New Zealand, which was also when he initially heard the "Ruff Draft" (pun intended!) of Basement Donuts; "girl, it's true—I'm breaking over you. Ooh-woah, it's true, I'm breaking over you," Leonard Charles seductively whispers over his G-Funk-reminiscent self-produced beat.

Right around the 2-minute mark, Guilty Simpson abruptly bellows, "DON'T LEAVE! LISTEN..." before launching into his ruthlessly affectionate mid-song verse, which starts with: "we fuss and fight. We can't even break up right. Just say you hate me, but stayin' the night. Heart's sore from all the ache. How much more can ya take?" Leonard Charles & Guilty Simpson's "Breaking Over You" is premiering right here and now at The Witzard and will soon be released on 7-inch on Japanese-based imprint WONDERFUL NOISE, as skillfully mastered and lathe-cut by Dave Cooley at Elysian Masters. Stay tuned to The Witzard, as further "Breaking Over You" 7-inch release details emerge. Shout-out to Adi Dick for the dope "BREAKING OVER YOU" promotional artwork; head on over to dribble to check out more of his artwork, as well as recent musical output at both Bandcamp and Soundcloud.

"Let Me Shine for You:" Lindsay Lohan for Playboy (Winter 2011-12 Leak)

Lindsay Lohan essentially embodies exactly "What NOT to Do In Hollywood :" Fame, fortune, success... sex, drugs & Rock "N" Roll . Within a fairly short period of time, Lohan somehow managed to obtain a plentiful helping of POWER @ a very young age. This gradual rise-downfall was captured on film; Between 1998-2010, she portrayed a wide array of roles across the silver screen in movies including: Mean Girls, Bobby , Herbie Fully Loaded , Georgia Rule, Machete , and Freaky Friday . Between rapid-paced film shoots, Lindsay Lohan also found time to record 2 Pop Rock albums for Casablanca , Speak (2004) and A Litter More Personal-Raw (2005). Needless to say, Lindsay Lohan has gotten roped up in a lot of troubles and woes with the law over the last 3-5 years... a vicious cycle of drugs, arrest, court, rehab, "daddy issues," jail time [Repeat]. That's the pure basics of it - But Google that shit for additional info, if necessary. Towards the end of...

[W]reckless, Topless American Youth: Lana del Rey - "Born 2 Die" (Britney Spears Birthday 30)

Lana del Rey [Lizzy Grant] effectively became 2011's "It Girl" with the release of her phenomenal debut single, "Video Games" (Stranger) . Like many struggling singer-songwriters, Grant has been signed, dropped, and significantly changed her public image since bursting onto the scene (2009). With that said, it can be assumed that Lana del Rey has collected just as many "haters" as she has avid supporters. To be perfectly honest, the only other artist I can think of that made this much commotion... garnered so much wide-spread buzz/hate and critical acclaim -- right out of the gates -- with just one track is Britney Spears . And maybe in this post- Mike musical era, that's the true synthesis of Pop Culture: Britney Lynn Spears . After months of repeated teasing and speculation, Lana del Rey 's major label debut, Born 2 Die will [finally] be released this coming Jan. 30-31, 2012. Pitchfork reports that it will feature "Off to The Ra...

Liberty Bell Cracked In 1/2: Ween - "Freedom of '76" (Gene Ween's Final Send-Off)

Chocolate & Cheese (1994) was one of the first albums I bought with my own money. I was in some sort of BMG Music Club , where you'd buy 5 CD's and then get 10 for "FREE." It was all sent through mail order and you picked the titles from some special booklet. I'm almost positive that Chocolate & Cheese's side boob-baring album cover was what initially drew me in... mind you, I was 12-15 and the zany Ween logo/middle finger CD graphic really didn't hurt either. Honestly, I forget how I really felt about it @ the time, but a few years later, my older cousin Josh told me that Ween were this BIG college "jam band." CKY did some sort pf 93.3 radio takeover to promote their new album and played "Freedom of '76" late that night on air. Needless to say, I re-visited Chocolate & Cheese @ about 20-something this go 'round and I fucking loved it! Ween were really weird, yet talented... almost too talented. I can vaguel...

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