Fluff ’n’ fold drama and ghostwriter blues

Sweet Scottish nostalgia: Belle & Sebastian’s Stuart Murdoch is not a candy-ass bitch, but that didn’t stop someone in Sacramento from hurling the pejorative phrase at the singer the last time he was in the area.

At least, that’s the story that the frontman shared from the stage at the Mondavi Center during Belle & Sebastian’s April 14 performance. The incident happened while Murdoch was doing laundry—presumably between tour stops.

Murdoch related the same story the week prior at Coachella, so it’s not likely just some made-up stage banter—although it was unclear when, exactly, the Scottish musician was in town to run his clothes through the spin cycle. In any case, he moved on with a shrug and off-handed “fluff ’n’ fold” comment. Why would he care anyway? This is a guy who’s fully comfortable in his skin, full of energy and good cheer.

The Mondavi set was an engaging trip through the Glasgow band’s extensive catalog. There were plenty of numbers off of Belle & Sebastian’s latest album, the dance-ready Girls in Peacetime Want to Dance, but the band also dug deep into its 19-year catalog, pulling out oldies such as “My Wandering Days are Over” (from the 1996 album Tigermilk), “Judy and the Dream of Horses” (from 1996’s If You’re Feeling Sinister), “The Boy with the Arab Strap” (from the 1998 album by the same name), “Dear Catastrophe Waitress” (from the 2003 album by the same name) and “The Blues are Still Blue” (2006’s The Life Pursuit).

Murdoch led a 12-piece band– the usual B&S line-up plus a string section–during a set that included an on-stage dance party with nearly 40 fans that the singer hand-selected from the audience (this despite some obvious discomfort on the part of Mondavi’s security squad which seemed befuddled by their task of having to deal with a small throng of well-behaved, dancing indie-rock fans).

The show wasn’t sold out but if the members of Belle & Sebastian were disappointed by this, even on the heels of playing Coachella and Berkeley’s Greek Theatre, they didn’t let it show. Murdoch is an engaging, fun performer—the kind of guy who actually listens to the requests fans shout out. “I can’t find that one in the archives,” he said, shuffling through some papers at his feet, after one request.

Overall it was a solid show, marred only by a few sound issues—the bass throbbed uncomfortably at times and, to be honest, the whole thing could have been turned up a few notches. Just because it’s indie rock doesn’t mean it needs to be quiet.

—Rachel Leibrock

Biting raps: The big question in Sacramento’s hip-hop community right now: Is Task1ne a fraud?

Task1ne (Corey Lakel Pruitt) has been a much-beloved, respected rapper in town for years, taking home the Sammie for best emcee in 2012 and recently gaining wider attention for cyphers on TeamBackPack. But a YouTube video that dropped two weeks ago with audio of Task1ne rapping the exact same bars as Detroit emcee ChrisCo has called Task1ne’s credibility into serious question.

Task1ne didn’t potentially accidentally use some of the same words in the same order as another rapper. It’s the bulk of a verse, lifted verbatim. According to the video’s uploader, Task1ne claimed to have used a ghostwriter. Yes, ghostwriters are also frowned upon in hip-hop.

Since then, more allegations have surfaced, suggesting Task1ne has quite a history of plagiarism. Last Sunday night, he posted his own response via YouTube video: “I am guilty of overworking myself and cutting corners, and by doing so, I broke hip-hop’s No. 1 rule,” he said.

Another big question in Sacramento’s hip-hop community right now: Is Task1ne done for good?

Fun-draiser: Once again, it’s time to tune into KDVS 90.3 FM and listen to college kids stammer about needing money. And you should absolutely consider donating—the UC Davis free-form radio station is a truly unusual treasure, chiefly supported by this $60,000-goal fundraiser each year.

Head to https://fundraiser. kdvs.org and take advantage of the premiums, a.k.a. really rad stuff you can get in exchange for a monetary donation: deejay compilations, gift certificates and seemingly endless KDVS swag. You have until Sunday, April 26.

—Janelle Bitker