Charley Crockett & New Kingdom with Infinity Knives (Tariq Ravelomanana)

CrossFade: The Dueling Album Review Show

“When I say ‘I like everything,’ I really, really like everything.”

So says Tariq Ravelomanana (https://twitter.com/infinitykniives), who creates music under the name Infinity Knives. He means it, too: He gets inspiration from everywhere: folk, country, experimental, grunge, pop, hip-hop, prog, rap. That idealist eclecticism comes through in his own music, including his 2022 record, King Cobra, which he created with Brian Ennals. It also led him to bring “Welcome to Hard Times,” the 2020 country record by country musician Charley Crockett, to his CrossFade debut.

Matt counters with 1996’s “Paradise Don’t Come Cheap,” the bombastic, iconoclastic second record by rap duo New Kingdom. Rife with industrial production and brusque lines complemented by the harsh vocals that carry them, it’s a heavier record than one might give it credit for.

Then, because they’re both obsessed with music, Matt and Tariq just kind of talk about other music for, oh, about 15 minutes. It’s a real treat if you love hearing people who love music talk about music they love.

Find Tariq at the following links:

• https://twitter.com/infinitykniives
• https://www.instagram.com/infinityknives/

Listen to King Cobra, the new record by Infinity Knives & Brian Ennals, at the following links:

• Bandcamp https://phantomlimblabel.bandcamp.com/album/king-cobra
• Spotify https://open.spotify.com/album/3yTbBdU09giCwa2FbgKVl2
• Apple Music https://music.apple.com/us/album/king-cobra/1631816416
• YouTube Music https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_nCRFvhvWDT8SylVMPu-XjX0kpGIzu-lek
• And wherever else you get music

We’d love it if you’d rate and review CrossFade on iTunes, ‘cause it means more people can find the show and love it, too! You can find Matt and Jason on Twitter at https://twitter.com/MattHelgeson and https://twitter.com/nintendufus respectively and in the #music channel of the MinnMax Discord server.

Our theme song is “The Lights” by Maps Of Norway from their 2008 record, “Die Off Songbird”: https://open.spotify.com/album/7tNrjnRB1f1oQizkkAePrI

Support MinnMax on Patreon and get access to tons of great, exclusive content: https://www.patreon.com/minnmax/

Listen to the CrossFade Community Playlist, a growing Spotify playlist of our community’s favorite music: https://spoti.fi/3aRRgox

Timestamps

0:00 - Charley Crockett & New Kingdom with Infinity Knives (Tariq Ravelomanana)

7:41 - Infinity Knives & Brian Ennals - “Coke Jaw”

9:34 - Charley Crockett - “Welcome to Hard Times”

10:12 - Welcome to Hard Times

13:05 - Fool Somebody Else

16:53 - Tennessee Special

20:09 - Blackjack County Chain

25:57 - Paint It Blue

32:18 - Heads You Win

35:08 - New Kingdom - “Paradise Don’t Come Cheap”

39:13 - Mexico or Bust

42:58 - Unicorns Were Horses

46:13 - Valhalla Soothsayer

48:51 - Suspended in Air

59:23 - Infested