Belita Woods passed away a couple days ago from heart failure, leaving behind a pretty stacked legacy that’s often understated. Belita played with Parliament-Funkadelic in the later stages of both their careers in addition to fronting Brainstorm, a boogie/disco troupe whose work was mostly around in the ’70s. She had a great voice, belting out easily over Parliament tracks with George Clinton. But her career began in Detroit in the ’60s where she exuberantly kills “Magic Corner”. I’ve always really liked this one, especially the arrangement, the piano, and the singing. This is her at 19, for the Moira label in 1967. RIP Ms. Woods.
“Magic Corner” by Belita Woods [Moira, 1967]
I spoke to EL-P around this past SXSW for an upcoming piece spanning his career from Co Flow to his latest, Cancer For Cure, and R.A.P. Music by Killer Mike (which he entirely produced). His approach has always certainly been against the grain but his progress as a producer can’t be overstated. Huge leaps are obvious between Funcrusher, Cannibal Ox’s The Cold Vein and I’ll Sleep When You’re Dead–and of course Fan Dam, his first solo record. All have cold, eerie templates but the latter are significantly more layered with a focus on structure (and overall just more explosive). Here’s a portion where we revisit his first joint, “Juvenile Technique”, a lo-fi number which samples an always great Bob James tune. Take a listen and read the full story in the upcoming Wax Poetics Magazine.
“I Feel A Song (In My Heart)” by Bob James ft. Patti Austin [CTI, 1975]
“Juvenile Technique (clean)” by Company Flow [Libra, 1994]
“I remember this being the first time I broke through and made something that I felt was presentable [laughs]. I was young then. I come from an era where people still don’t get to hear the first ten years of your music. Where as now, everyone can hear the first song anyone makes. This was the first song out of about fifty tracks that I thought finally sounded cool [laughs]. (Big) Juss wasn’t even in Co Flow yet and entered the picture later. We became friends when he ended up living in my apartment. He was working on his own shit so we said ‘lets just work on a project together’ and that’s kind of how the group started. This is Co Flow at the beginning when it was still just me and (Mr.) Len. This is us just trying to be different; just kids rapping our asses off and seeing what happens.” – EL-P
Selections From The Best of Perception & Today Records [BBE, 2012]
“Gingele” by Astrud Gilberto
“Matrix” by Dizzy Gillespie
“Honey Buns” by Bobby Rydell
I recently reviewed this terrific comp and it’s worth mentioning again since its one of the year’s best. What was meant to be a guest post over at one of my favorite sites, soul-sides.com, ended up schooling me on some history on one of the most short-lived yet varied labels ever, Perception Records (and its subsidiary, Today). What the comp compiles (and what you essentially hear) is a straight forward jazz label struggling to adapt itself to shifting musical trends, reaching out far and wide, sometimes radically, to stay afloat. The result was a hodgepodge of songs, huge hits, rare renditions, and artists in different career stages all on one magnificent catalogue. The comp was compiled by DJ Spinna & BBE Soundsystem, take a look at the review for more.
Filed under: Random, Tunes | Tags: D-Styles, Da Hermit, Motion Man, Opski Chan, Roughneck Jihad
“New World” painting by DNA of Illuskrate.
Here’s a nice new one featuring the legendary D-Styles on cuts, Opski Chan (out of San Jose) Roughneck Jihad (Third Sight) and longtime Kool Keith collaborator, Motion Man. Produced by Jerry ‘Da Hermit’ whom I spoke to briefly on his studio and said track. Peep the eerie, lo-fi posse cut and keep an ear out for more of the like from Sticky Lab Studio, one of the busiest studios from South Bay area.
(Though we typically cover tangents of hip-hop, funk, and soul, it’s fun to diversify here and there. The following piece is from Gabriel Ramos, a San Francisco native and musician who records as Ssleeping DesiresS. Here’s a rather in-depth q&a with fellow upcoming SF-based electronic troupe, Water Borders. Thanks Gabe! – DM)
By Gabriel Ramos
I first learned of Water Borders in late spring of 2009 while working in a warehouse. One of my co-workers was Amitai Heller, a member of the group. One morning, before the work day officially begun he handed me a CD-R wrapped in torn newspaper with “Water Borders” scrawled on it and said something along the lines of: “Here’s what I’ve been working on. Give it out to as many people as you want.” I tucked it away in my bag and threw it on shortly after arriving home. The first track “Even in The Dark” immediately entranced me not even 10 seconds in. “What is this?” I thought.
It was inevitable that I wouldn’t be the only one captivated by their music. It seemed like a blink of an eye between my introduction and the group unleashing a slew of carefully crafted releases on a myriad of smaller but much lauded labels. A 6-song release on witchhouse epicenter label Disaro, a 12″ EP on the blog 20 Jazz Funk Greats’ label Hungry For Power, and a cassette on Skrot Up. And in October 2011, they released an official full length on one of the UK’s most prominent up and coming labels of the year, Tri Angle Records. In addition to this prolific output of material, simultaneously Water Borders released free mixes and remixes through their Soundcloud profile and a variety of blogs and online magazines.
In early February I had the pleasure of interviewing the two men behind this murky electronic project. Comprised of Amitai Heller and Loric Sih, both formerly of gothic art punk collective New Thrill Parade, Water Borders, in a short span of existence, have carved out an impressive and significant niche for themselves within the darker regions of the electronic community.
I wanted to start from what I imagine would be the beginning. I was curious about the transition between your past group, New Thrill Parade, to your current one, Water Borders.
Amitai Heller: We were in a suburb of Atlanta, on tour, doing karaoke, it was someone’s birthday. We were on a grueling two month tour.
Loric Sih: Grueling.
(Lateef at one point was the most vicious MC around, especially on songs like “The Wreckoning” (produced by DJ Shadow) an aggressively dark track where he details the decomposing body of a dead MC on the second verse. It was unlike anything then (or now really) as him and Solesides aka Quannum took over the West Coast. Here’s a recent talk I did for URB with Lateef, one of the most creative and genuine dudes who’s built quite the career over the last couple decades– DM)
“21 Gun Salute” ft. Lateef and Headnodic (Production by DJ Platurn)”
Hailing from the West Coast’s Quannum Projects (home to DJ Shadow, Blackalicious, Tommy Guerrero, Pigeon John, etc.) Lateef The Truthspeaker is a longtime MC with deep histories that precede him. As half of Latyrx (with Lyrics Born, half of Mighty Underdogs (with Gift Of Gab) and half of The Maroons (with Chief Xcel) there hasn’t been a shortage of output from the Oakland native. What is noteworthy is that, after all these years, after all the tours, all revered tracks, and a Grammy to boot, Lateef finally debuted with a long-awaited solo album, this year’s Firewire.
“I’m very happy with it” he says of the new album. “I always try to keep busy but it was nice to finally focus on just my own songs.” Lateef’s focus has been what’s driven him and his crew since they were college-aged kids in the early ‘90s when they were known as Solesides. It’s this early work that catapulted their subsequent careers, a body of work that ranks amongst the best West Coast has ever offered. And while “Lateef” translates as “gentle” in Arabic, Lateef the Truthspeaker is a vicious MC with a catalogue that precedes him. Here, we talk with this son of Black Panthers about work ahead in both political and musical realms, touching on some history, the time he battled Murs, the forming of Latyrx, old recordings and interesting new ones.
You’ve been doing this for awhile. Why so long for a complete solo project? (more…)
Another mix via Matthew Africa? Yes please. Like his past mixes, Yay Game is meticulously crafted and untrammeled with filler. This time, he celebrates Bay legend Earl Stevens, also known as Charlie Hustle but widely known as E-40.
Given 40′s lengthy career, this mix (40 E-40 tracks!) succinctly covers all eras of Fonzarelli’s vast catalogue, serving as both a primer for youngsters and welcomed nostalgia for oldsters. Head over to Matthew’s site to grab the mix and read more about the impetus behind it all.
Plug 1 and Plug 2 of De La are reinventing themselves (sorta), taking on monikers Dave Jolicoeur and Kelvin Mercer for their new project, First Serve. Though it’s more of an excuse to mess around and possibly explore newer avenues of output, First Serve seems like a modern De La project with a party vibe, plenty of laughs, throwback nods and a Handsomeboy-esque approach.
You can see more on the release on their Soundcloud page or peep their Tmblr to get a sense of the humor and aesthetics of the project.
In addition to the ensuing hype, peep their Goon Time Mixtape below, a party mix featuring some odd pairings, mainstream mashups and an old school party vibe– most importantly, it showcases the new First Serve joints. They might blow up but they won’t go pop!
Our buddies at Latinfunk.org recently dropped this incredible mix courtesy of Japan’s Soul Bonanza site. In tune with past heat, my dude Adam aka DJ Slim Jenkins filled this mix with mas South of the border gems–fast, funky and con alma (with soul!). Stream or download after tracklist below!
01. ricardo flores – pachanga ricardo (corona, california)
02. lucho y su conjunto – prende la vela (latin, colombia)
03. orquesta casino – el mosquito (dicesa, el salvador)
04. alfredo gutierrez – salsa mona (costeno, colombia)
05. mario allison – salvaje (sono radio, peru)
06. el caballo – me gusta como bailas (corona, california)
07. pedro miguel y sus maracaibos – descarga maracaibo (iempsa, peru)
08. rafael labasta – labasta llego (cbs, panama)
09. wuelfo – bueno y pico (inca, nyc)
10. joe quijano y conjunto cachana – mani tostao (fuentes 7” press)
11. edmundo arias – cumbia morena (sonolux, colombia)
12. hermanos cortez – apolo nueve (arcoiris, nicaragua)
13. los rumberos – sun sun babae (polydor, germany)
14. mulatu astatke – ebo la la (philips, ethiopia)
15. fajardo y sus estrellas – pa’ coco solo (panart, cuba)
Hear DJ Slim Jenkins’ Me Gusta Como Bailas HERE.
Filed under: Tunes | Tags: Itai Shapira, Ruby & The Romantics, The Decoders, Todd Simon
“Hey There Lonely Boy” is an American classic written by Earl Shuman and Leon Carr, recorded in 1963 by Ruby & The Romantics. It eventually charted at #2 in 1970 by Eddie Holman who famously covered the tune as “Hey There Lonely Girl”. It also was done again in 1980 by Robert John. And while John’s take is perhaps the least memorable, it’s 1980 version shows that “lonley” had legs that carried it almost 2 decades after it’s release.
The Decoders, Itai Shapira and studio musician Todd Simon (trumpeter/arranger for Mayer Hawthorne, TV On The Radio, The Lions, Dap Kings, Antibalas and Quantic) put out a new project and the lead single is another addition to the “Lonely” progeny. Overseen by Richard Rudolph (songwriter/producer and husband to Minnie Riperton) the project features Leon Ware, Coco Owino (Quadron) and a notable cast full of musicians both legendary and contemporary. Keep an eye out for future tunes from the LA-based duo and peep their classy take on a classic below.
“Hey There Lonely Boy” by The Decoders ft. Coco Owino
We’re big fans of Lee Fields (his debut was one of our top picks of ’09) and we’re glad to hear a new album is in the works. Faithful Man will be released on Truth & Soul Records and is co-written by Jeff Silverman and Leon Michels of El Michels Affair. Read our in-depth interview with Lee HERE and peep the lead single (“My Kind of Girl”) off the upcoming album due out in March 2012.
I recently came across this record and was really struck by the sound; very Philly soul, lush arrangements with strings and Barry White-esque moments. Then I was struck by its cover; who’s the blurred dude with the big gut and hockey stick and why are they all staring at him? The Joneses were out of Baltimore and had a long string of hits before releasing their debut, Keepin’ Up With The Joneses in 1974 on Mercury. Though its a famous record, its history is new to me.
There were minor lineup changes but The Joneses remained mostly a vocal group through the late ’60s and early ’70s. Some earlier songs had more falsetto but their later releases (perhaps due to the Philly soul explosion) leaned towards deep vocals and an unrelenting backbeat that switched between disco and funk– or a hybrid of the two. But they had good slow jams too, notably “Please Let Me Stay” where he talks about how his “ego trippin’ days are through…” A sweet song and a standout on the LP, especially the changing deliveries during the verse, bridge, and hook. The song is a proclamation of change and is a sleeper joint on an album full of charting singles.
“Please Let Me Stay” off Keepin’ Up With The Joneses LP [Mercury, 1974]
While researching a bit on the group it seems that through all their hits, the one that gets top mention is “Sugar Pie Guy”, part 1 and part 2– both appear on the LP. It’s an uptempo number and shows the band’s easy blending of disco, funk, touches doo-wop and sweet soul. Their records also apparently showcased some of Baltimore’s leading studio musicians of the time.
To my surprise, the 45 version is even better than the LP versions! Same song with extended drums at the start, lower vocals and overall much harder bass and drums. It’s still sugary but there’s no beating this hard, 45 version of what is perhaps their most remembered recording. “Sugar pie guy don’t tell no lie…”
‘Sugar Pie Guy’ (7″ version) [Mercury 1974]
Soul Boulders 2 has arrived, and it more than lives up to my ridiculously high expectations. As defined on the original mix’s packaging, Soul Boulders are slow, funky soul burners. Volume 2 hews closely to that theme, and incorporates some slightly left-of center ‘real-people’ moments that keep the listening experience lively. Revered Bay Area DJs and collectors DJ B.Cause and Matthew Africa have perfected the soul mix formula: Forgoing unnecessary intros and drops, assuring the songs are obscure without being rare for rarity’s sake, keeping the mixing minimal and letting the songs speak for themselves. Some tastefully chosen covers and forays into gospel broaden the sonic palette without distracting from the mix’s purpose. SB2 gets the Nerdtorious seal of approval! – Nate LeBlanc
Purchase the mix HERE or if you’re in the Bay Area wait until the physical copies arrive at Groove Merchant. Below are snippets off Soul Boulders 2 put together by B.Cause. “Part 2 in a series of carefully selected and mixed soul jams – for serious connoisseurs and casual listeners alike.”
Matthew Africa has been by Nerdtorious, read his post HERE. B.Cause will be dropping by with a guest spot soon, stay tuned!
“Amuse bouche”, “duck prosciutto” and “Tunisian olives” are a few things Action Bronson raps about. The Albanian chef / Flushing, Queens rapper has been on a rampage with his Dr. Lector album and more recently (and more impressively) his Bon Appetit…Bitch mixtape.
The first thing that strikes you is the voice– he sounds like Ghostface, a lot like Ghostface. Dude can’t help but be born with the same voice as one of the best to ever do it but the comparisons are indeed merited. In fact, he could distance himself a bit more (Wallabee references aren’t helping). Having said that, his approach is different too; he’s a bit less sporadic, less funnier than Ghost altogether while his culinary nods do add a different (pardon the pun) flavor to his rhymes. Plus, the gritty NY production hits hard, an aesthetic that fits Bronson’s agressive blunt smoking, women chasing narratives.
His career is on the upswing and we dig what we’ve heard. Check his newest work, Well Done (produced by Statik Selektah), out next week. Stay tuned for an exclusive food related Q&A with Bronson coming soon!
For now, peep “Not Enough Words” off Well Done in stores next week.
Adrian Younge’s awaited second project, Venice Dawn, Something About April comes out this week via Wax Poetics Records. We’re fans of Adrian ever since he came correct on the Black Dynamite OST, producing, playing, composing and arranging the score and original music. Adrian (and his band) have been touring the US, bringing live show madness to audiences ever since. Peep our in-depth, exclusive interview with Adrian HERE and take a listen to “Thunderstrike”, a track off the new album which features Shawn Lee, the legendary Dennis Coffey and others.
“Thunderstrike” off the upcoming Adrian Younge presents Venice Dawn Something About April
* FREE download of Adrian’s Venice Dawn teaser EP (all original compositions) HERE
We’re glad to hear Onra’s back, especially since it’s a followup to his breakthrough release, Chinoiseries. The forthcoming Chinioseries Pt. 2 is also widely sample based, all taken from records Onra grabbed on his travels through Southeast Asia. The album’s lead single “A New Dynasty” is another gong-filled production, neatly clocking in at under 2-minutes; followed by “No Matter What”, the album’s second single. Peep Chinoiseries Pt. 2 out in a few weeks (and it’s promo video seen HERE to get a sense of Onra’s style and approach).
From the upcoming Chinoiseries Pt. 2 :
‘A New Dynasty’
‘No Matter What’
Our friends at Tru Thoughts sent over this mix of Quantic’s career highlights, all strewn carefully together by J-Rocc of the Beat Junkies. Highly recommended if you’re a fan of both or either artists. Quantic’s new release, a ‘best of’ 32-song double CD celebrates 10 years of music and is now available. Listen to the new mix below.
Ed. Note: Since we’re on the subject of Quantic, head over to Soul-Sides where Will Holland (aka Quantic) recently joined O-Dub for the always informative ‘Sidebar’ series, discussing his prolific and diverse career up to this point.
El-P is one of those cats whose style gets more refined (and thrashy) with each release. If Funcrusher was his Bottle Rocket then I’ll Sleep When You’re Dead is his Royal Tennenbaums. His most recent release–Weareallgoingtoburninhell Megamixxx 3–was really slept on I thought. And the few recent glimpses of his newer work seem equally as booming, equally head rattling and layered. And while his rapping has never been aesthetically ear-catching to me, his writing has. Here’s a brand new one we just got; the uncensored version of “Drones Over BKLYN” done for Adult Swim. Classic El-P!
Filed under: Random, Tunes | Tags: Amy Winehouse, ska ep, The Dap Kings, the specials
(“Only in America could you find a way to earn a healthy buck / And still keep your attitude on self-destruct”- MF Doom)
Judgements aside, it’s no doubt that Amy was enormously talented. During her short span she made one of the best albums of 2006, Back To Black, a slick, modern ’60s throwback done with the help of the Dap Kings. And while people, for the most part, have fixated on her antics, it’s apparent she bolstered the modern soul revival, bringing it mainstream regard, opening doors for similar projects both commercial and independent. And she did so in large fashion simply by killing every track (with such ease, as seen HERE).
“It’s always the good ones that have to die.” RIP.
In addition to “Valerie” and “He Can Only Hold Her”, Amy’s cover of The Specials’ “Hey Little Rich Girl”, off The Ska ep, is one of her best.
I spoke with the Beat Junkies’ founder for a quick piece in this month’s DJ Times Magazine, which can be read HERE. His first solo joint, Some Cold Rock Stuf, came out just last month; original production and turntablism, a mix of Latin, Funk, Jazz, Disco filled with hip-hop variants.
Peep a snippet of ‘Chasing The Sun’ from Some Cold Rock Stuf. [Stones Throw, 2011]
The J. Rocc print (below) is an exclusive done by Dion Bello (dNA), a Bay Area artist and illustrator whose work can be found on the Illuskrate site. Thanks D!
Snippet of ‘Darlin” off Love Craft
Multi-instrumentalist and Stones Throw intern-turned-artist makes random yet varied work– his first project was an electro-rap throwback and his second was a lo-fi post punk record. Both were interesting but never really stuck, at least with me. His latest, Love Craft, shows a lot of know-how underpinned with an uncompromising ethos. It’s also yet another reminder of Stones Throw recent deviation away from hip-hop.
I spoke to James for WaxPoetics issue #40 and he’s made more noise since. Peep ‘Darlin” off the new album. It’s a minimal, post-punk sounding garage track with doo-wop melodies and lyrics. And it works. Interested in seeing what dude does next.
(NERDTORIOUS has in the past worked with Musica del Alma given its solid selection and educational posts. So of course we’ve been following as its “Top 5 Latin Funk Tracks” have been announced in recent weeks. Numero uno was just unveiled and it doesn’t disappoint; a tune underscored with trumpets and trombones, rooted in Fela Kuti’s gorgeous catalogue. Follow the link to hear it (as well as the rest of the funky top 5!). – DM)
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——->>>> LISTEN TO MUSICA DEL ALMA’S ALL TIME TOP FUNKY LATIN TRACK !!!
(Here’s another great find by one of the hardest working dudes I know, DJ Platurn . Check some newer work of his available at Turntable Lab. And if you’re in the Austin area, peep his outrageous schedule at this year’s SXSW. Stay tuned for future installments of our ‘Breaking The Ice’ series which, as far as I know, is the only venue for Icelandic gems such as this.– DM)
Wuddup beat nerds, back once again with another from the cold Icelandic crates of Sveimhugi and DJ Platurn. If you read the last installment then you’re somewhat familiar with this series– basically these tracks were songs myself and my cousin unearthed in the motherland years ago; joints off Icelandic LPs and 45s that lie on the groovy side of things. We put them all on an unreleased comp called ‘Breaking The Ice V.1′ that never saw the light of day, until now.
‘Syrpa II’ Leikur Vinsæl Islensk Lög [SG Hljómplötur, 1970]
So ‘Syrpa II’ translates to ‘Medley Two’, a track off of an LP that literally means ‘Plays Popular Icelandic Songs’ by recording artist, producer, arranger and groovy Hammond player Þórir Baldursson. This LP is composed entirely of medleys of relatively well known Icelandic songs, none that would sound familiar to anyone outside of the indigenous population and primarily the generations before the last two or so. (more…)
I had the pleasure of speaking with Tony Cook recently. Besides serving as James Brown’s main drummer for 30 years, Tony also made dance tracks and early rap records while in London in the early 1980s. His career and musical history is the stuff of legend.
Read my talk with Tony recently done for Wax Poetics HERE and check out ‘On The Floor’, a monster dance cut from the early ’80s now dubbed “The Grandaddy of All House Records”.
‘On The Floor (Rock It)’ by Tony Cook & The Party People
I was intrigued with Tammi Terrell after coming across this recording a few years back. I’ve since grabbed most of her 45s and recently picked up Come On And See Me: The Complete Solo Collection , a 2-CD boxset of all her singles as Tammy Montgomery and arguably her best solo album, Irresistable. The second disc has live recordings, different takes, and unreleased songs.
”Baby Don’t Cha Worry’
‘Sinner’s Devotion’
This is probably the best, most complete collection of Tammi’s work. It’s available ONLY on CD and has been out for months now (admittedly, I’m real late on this). But I can’t remember the last time I even bought a CD, let alone one with so much great material. Plus, I wanted a some more Tammi on the blog.
‘I’ve Got Nothing’ To Say But Goodbye’
‘If I Would Marry You’
Collector and pal Adrian “Age” Mendoza sent me a copy of his newest 45 some months back. A fan of his Soulstrut mixes (and THIS latin/funk/soul/garage mix) I was also stoked to find a burn CD with “Owl Sessions’ cryptically written on it. Turns out it’s a random hip-hop mix, a pleasant surprise of classic rap from all over the map– Charizma, D.I.T.C., The Nonce and other stuff that makes me feel old. The selections all really hold up and the recording itself just sounds great. And it’s a NERDTORIOUS exclusive to boot; mixed on 3 turntables, 1 Vestax 06 Pro, A Stanton SA-3 Mixer & a Delay Pedal. Tracklisting and link below.
1)Typical Cats – “Take A Number”
2)Natural Resource – “Negro League Baseball”
3)D.I.T.C. – “Day One”
4)Nubian Crackers Feat.The Artifacts – “Can You Feel It”
5)Micranots – “141 Million Miles”
6)All City Productions Feat. Mysterme – “Unsolved Mysterme”
7)Eyedl Mode – “End of The Innocence/”Here comes the..” [partial end transition]
8)The Dereliks – “I Am A Record”
9)Tha Alkaholiks – “Turn Tha Party Out(Feat. The Lootpack)”
10)Casual – “Thoughts Of The Thoughtful”
11)Kurious – “Walk Like A Duck”
12)Jigmastas – “Execution”
13)Eric B. & Rakim – “In The Ghetto” (Mort Garrison/Age Plant Moog Remix)
14)Ahmad,Rass Kass & Saafir – “Come Widdit” [3 in 1 Edit]
15)The Nonce – “Mix Tapes”
16)Yaggfu Front – “Where’d Ya Get Ya Bobo’s?”
17)Charisma & P.B. Wolf – “Methods”
18)Outkast – “Elevators” ["Methods" Accapella Blend]
19)L’ronious – “In The C.O.R.N.”
20)Hobo Jubction – “It’s Just Not My Style”
21)Ugly Duckling – “Fresh Mode”
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> DOWNLOAD “THE OWL SESSIONS” by AGE
* Hit up New Medina Music for info on Age and his upcoming work.
‘Killa Bees LIve’ off Wudos Band [Wu-Tang/Budos Band]
This recent online release celebrates Staten Island’s gritty ethos, combining Wu-Tang with the Budos Band. Put together by Tekst (of The Higher Concept), a producer/engineer who’s worked with G Rap and Wu members in the past, The Wudos Band is considerably interesting if you’re a fan of both groups. It has a mixtape feel and Budos’ dark undertones matches quite naturally with Wu. It also makes you want a Budos/Ghostface project to happen. Give it a listen for free HERE.
‘I Wanna Go Back’
‘Relax In Mui Ne’
Parisian beatsmith Onra stopped by SF during a recent small tour that took him across major US cities. His visit reminded me of how much I dug his Chinoiseries, an instrumental release from ’07 with touches of Dilla and even early RZA, but with far out timbres and melodies all lifted from 30 or so Southeast Asian records he found in Vietnam. His latest, Long Distance, heavily deviates from Chinoiseries, sounding more like an electro boogie album than dusty boom bap. For a relatively new producer, dude’s already shown much versatility with a penchant for sampling the old and unusual. Glad he’s getting some shine. Peep a couple tracks from the Chinoiseries and purchase his latest album HERE.
Funny, kind, and candid, Gregory was an utmost gentleman years back when we spoke for a feature story that just recently hit newsstands. He never really viewed his career in hindsight, feeling that it was “always ongoing” and feverishly recording and touring up until he was diagnosed with cancer a few years ago. The interview is one of the lengthier ones I’ve done, as Gregory patiently recapped almost his entire career for longtime fans. Gregory passed today at age 59 and it’s with a heavy heart that we celebrate his songs, life, and well-kept career. Below are my favorite recordings from reggae’s Cool Ruler. Rest easy, Mr. Isaacs.
‘Far Beyond The Valley’ off In Person [Trojan 1975]
‘Too Late’ a-side b/w ‘Each Day’ single [Success 1970]
‘Sun Shines For Me’ off Gregory Isaacs Meets Ronnie Davis [Plant 1979]
‘Each Day’ b-side b/w ‘Too Late’ [Success 1970]
‘My Time’ a-side b/w ‘Rockers Time’ [Gussie76 1978]
Big L was such a vicious rapper— swift, smart and aggressive. This upcoming release, Return of the Devil’s Son is promoted as a “posthumous album” with “unreleased material” but actually features some remixes of old tracks. While the title leaves much to be desired, it’s still worth hearing since any ‘lost tracks’ from L are likely grimey and menacing as hell. Below is the tracklisting for the upcoming release along with ‘Zone of Danger’ produced by J-Love, a remix of ‘Dangerzone’ off L’s 1995 debut, Lifestylez Ov Da Poor & Dangerous.
‘Zone of Danger’ off Return of the Devil’s Son (out November 23rd)
1) “Return Of The Devils Son” (produced by Showbiz)
2) “Devil’s Son (produced by Showbiz)
3) “Zone Of Danger” (produced by J-Love)
4) “Sandman 118”
5) “School Days”
6) “Principle Of The New School” (produced by Showbiz)
7) “Unexpected Flava” (produced by Lord Finesse)
8) “Tony’s Touch”
9) “Right To The Top” f/Royal Flush & Kool G Rap (produced by Domingo)
10) “Once Again” (produced by J-Love)
11) “Harlem World Universal”
12) “I Won’t”
13) “Hard To Kill”
14) “Power Moves”
15) “If You Not Aware”
16) “I Should Have Used A Rubber”
17) “Doo Wop #5”
18) “Yes You Can”
19) “Audition”
20) “MC’s What’s Going On” (produced by Showbiz)
21) “Slaying The Mic”
*** If you haven’t already, peep DJ SOUL’S TRIBUTE TO BIG L, an awesome (and my opinion, the best) Big L ‘best of’ mix; released a while back hosted by Lord Finesse.
‘Party Machine’ from Farad: The Electric Voice [Stones Throw]
A new release further explores recent interest in voice manipulation by way of vocoders. Bruce Haack (1931-1988) was an experimental electronic musician who used a self-made vocoder he called ‘Farad’ on his recordings. He founded Dimension 5 Records, releasing strange but ultimately progressive abums, “pre-dating Kraftwerk’s Autobahn by several years” according to Stones Throw. Haack didn’t just use vocoders, he made them the centerpiece of his work, which included a children’s album, pop rock releases, dance tracks and a conceptual electronic psych-rock album called The Electric Lucifer. ‘Party Machine’ is an epic cut off Farad: The Electric Voice, the new 16 song collection which includes unreleased songs recently okayed by Haack’s estate.
* ‘Farad’ is named after Michael Faraday, an English chemist and physicist from the mid 1800s who some historians say is the ‘greatest experimentalist in the history of science’ and who contributed to the fields of electromagnetism and electrochemistry.
‘Witness To A Heartbreak’ :: The Dynettes [Constellation, 1965]
This single from The Dynettes is a real beauty, sung as if it were court testimony after ‘witnessing a heartbreak’. Not much is known about the Dynettes though this comes from Chicago, 1965, arranged by Maurice Williams (unlikely this Maurice Williams but who knows). The sluggish, delicate arrangement and interplay between the lead and background vocals make it what it is. ‘Witness To A Heartbreak’ is actually a b-side and is nothing like its upbeat a-side may have suggested. I’ve been trying to get my hands on a clean copy of this for ages and finally, I did. Dig it!
This mix is further proof of Japan’s love affair with Dilla. Recently in Tokyo, I saw his image on magazines and a lot of hip-hop flyers. There were also ‘Ma Dukes’ t-shirts and more than one free mix cd. This is one of those mixes and has a lot of Dilla tracks found on newer releases, like this one with Black Thought or this with Raekwon. I hadn’t heard of DJ Tsubasa but, in a sea of Dilla mixes, this isn’t as obvious as others have been– and is probably the best, most inexpensive thing I got in Japan.
:::::::::::::::::: DOWNLOAD DJ TSUBASA’S DILLA MIX Pt.1
:::::::::::::::::: DOWNLOAD DJ TSUBASA’S DILLA MIX Pt.2
Filed under: Guest Spots, Tunes | Tags: Connie Price, Dan Ubick, Little Willie John
(Dan Ubick, serious musician from Rhythm Roots All Stars, Connie Price and the Keystones and The Lions, has played with Ghostface and Slick Rick among so many others, recording for Blue Note, Ubiquity, Tru Thoughts, and Stones Throw along the way. In his spare time he also writes (I worked with him on this Richard Evans piece) but he’s a music head above all things. A guitarist who transitions between different genres, he’s apparently, at heart, a bluesman. Here’s his thoughts on Little Willie John’s ‘I Need Your Love So Bad’. – DM)
‘I Need Your Love So Bad’ by Little Willie John
“I Need Your Love So Bad” by Little Willie John is to my ears absolutely the most perfect song ever (a huge claim I realize… but true.). This recording contains the most heart wrenching and captivating vocal take I personally have ever heard committed to tape (and I’ve listened to a couple records at this point like most of you reading I’m sure!).
The lyrics, apparently written by Willie John’s brother Mertis John Jr, (their sister was Stax and Motown artist Mable John) are the kind of lyrics that you never forget. Willie John’s well-worn and perfectly loose delivery draw you in like a good friend sharing his troubles with you personally. A voice of wisdom, longing and truth we can all relate to.
“I need someone’s hand to lead me through the night, I need someone’s arms to hold and squeeze me tight. When the night begins and until it ends…I need your love so bad.” (more…)
‘Falling In Love’
Besides the awesomeness of having Syl Johnson’s best tracks in one HUGE BOXSET, it also allows fans of his work to fill in gaps between his rare songs and more known recordings. ‘Falling In Love’ is an early, simple Syl tune done for TMP-Ting Records, 1965.
The upcoming release, The Syl Johnson Mythology is being put out by Numero, probably the only label that could curate something like this and nail it. With Syl being sampled so much through the years, and with him hitting the road again, the timing of this is perfect. It’s also an effort to get some funds back to Syl, who is now 74, and who has in the past attempted epic lawsuits to get paid for his work.
This is a massive release, a 6LP + 4CD Boxset. Be ready for some epic listening (81 tracks!) and linernotes (52 pages!) when this comes out late October. I’ll be linking up with Syl soon for an upcoming interview, so keep an eye out in the months to come!
(Editor’s note: Recently, I stopped by Soul-Sides to talk about one of my favorite summer jams which you can peep here– as did Adam del Alma. Adam’s on a summer song rampage and we’re glad given his past record. Here are choice cuts he sent us for this late June 2010 (peep the Beto Villeno joint!). Finally, summer’s here. Let the sunshine in. –DM)
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** READ / HEAR SUMMER SONGS DEL ALMA… (more…)
Filed under: Tunes | Tags: Breakestra, California Funk, Connie Price & the Keystones, Jazzman, now-again
A couple great new releases happen to focus my home state. The first is the newest in Now-Again and Jazzman’s Funk Compilations. The entire series is a compendium of rare, regional songs, notably Carolina Funk, Florida Funk, and Texas Funk. California Funk is a collection of twenty-one 45s from San Francisco, Berkeley, San Bernadino, LA and San Diego. The liner notes add scope and are great themselves. Here are snippets of some choice cuts.
‘Smokin’ Tidbits’ by The Edwards Generation
A cover of ‘What’s Going On’ by Mr. Clean & the Soul Inc.
If there’s continuity of Californian funk, than Orgone fits tangentially somewhere. From the evergreen Los Angeles area, they’ve played with some of my favorite LA funk driven groups, Breakestra and Connie Price and the Keystones. A nine piece band, they play soul and funk with a little afrobeat too. Some songs have vocals, most are instrumentals. Here’s the first track off their latest, Cali Fever, (Ubiquity) out next month.
‘The Last Fool’
Filed under: Tunes | Tags: Marcia Griffith, Nora Dean, Phyllis Dillon, Susan Cadogan
I’m not too deep on Jamaican soul or reggae in general, but I’ve always loved things I’ve heard from say, Phyllis Dillon (pictured above), The Dreamletts, or compilations like this one. Below are random Jamaican girl-group joints I scored from my girlfriend, mixtapes, 45s, rare comps, and LPs. All of which are rather short, sweet, and uncomplicated.
The First Generation’s “Give Him Up”, a rare Jamaican soul track with, even rarer, a change-up in the arrangement! This song gets better and better as it moves along.
One of my favorite girl-groups in any genre, The Gaylettes. Here’s a b-side called “Goodbye”.
Susan Cadogan’s “Hurt So Good”. The her vocals really propel the simple arrangement.
Marcia Griffiths’ cover of the Beatles’ “Don’t Let Me Down” won’t let you down. Note the crashing cymbals and unexpected hi-hats.
Phyllis Dillon has so many great random songs. “Tell Me You Love Me All The Time” is another one.
The always enjoyable Nora Dean, “Mojo Girl”. Supposedly she’s 15-years-old on this one.
“Blurred” by Turquoise Days
“Game and Performance” by Deux
I don’t know exactly what it is, but it seems recently hip-hop dudes can’t get enough of no-wave. I can see why, especially since post punk’s entire wayward ethos, DIY concept, and gritty aesthetics probably speak to rap heads in many ways. Maybe hip-hop grew stale and cats begun looking elsewhere. Maybe it’s an age thing. I digress and present Stone Throw’s latest monster The Minimal Wave Tapes. I reviewed it for URB recently, which you can read HERE for more of an in-depth look at the album. Above are snippets from a couple choice cuts off the project. Out now, very interesting, and highly recommended.
Numero’s killer project, Pisces: A Lovely Sight, was among my top releases of last year and the Linda Bruner tracks in particular stood out. Bruner: Songs For A Friend, are her only known remaining recordings (6 total, mostly covers). Newfound songs include a cover of “Wichita Lineman“, which, like Bruner, has a dusty, disheveled aesthetic. The songs are sparse and sound as damaged as you’d think they would. Below are snippets of Bruner cuts that originally appeared on A Lovely Sight. Songs For A Friend comes out on Record Store Day, April 17th.
“Sam”
“You Are Changing In Your Time”
?uestlove is one of those dudes whose intelligence allows him to wear many hats. We touched on his hectic schedule a couple years back in a piece I did for The Metro, a local outlet based in San Jose. While he’s now essentially The Roots’ frontman on Jimmy Fallon (which I’m sure is time consuming) his productivity however hasn’t slowed. He maintains a blog, still gigs, writes liner notes, produces albums, acts, AND dropped this Dilla Tribute Set last week on Tony Touch’s radio show. It’s all Dilla related material thrown together in a very low-key fashion, first reported by It Takes A Nation….
====>>>> Download ?uestlove’s Dilla Tribute Set
I’ve been so mired in projects and deadlines that I forgot to plug my guest spot on Soul-Sides!
I was asked to write about the last record that struck me and decided on Paul Parrish's Forest of My Mind, this folky psych record from ’68 that left my face on the floor. I’m aslo real stoked that O-Dub called us one of his favorite sites. Dude, many thanks!
Here’s “Something of a Love Song”, a track off the album that isn’t included in the guest post. I felt it didn’t stand out as much as the other tracks, but I don’t dig it any less. It’s a real sweet one. Peep the post too. Enjoy!
*Note: The links on the actual post are down from being over a few weeks old, so below are the tracks that I originally wrote about. Peep ‘em!
“English Sparrows”
“Tiny Alice”
“I Can’t Help Myself”
My Love Will Follow Me is the new EP (out next month) from brooklyn hipster babes, Vivian Girls. Interestingly, the b-side to the lead single is a cover of “He’s Gone”, the killer Chantels song supposedly written by a 16-year-old Arlene Smith, the group’s lead singer in 1957. Both versions below.
The Vivian Girls’ cover is slower and aesthetically hollow sounding, but the harmonies at the end (which the group is “moving towards”) are pretty impressive.
“He’s Gone” was a big hit single for the Chantels in late ’50s, recorded on End Records. Classic material !
“Comencemos” by Phirpo Y Sus Caribes
“Woman Pin Down” by Dan Satch and his Atomic 8 Dance Band
It’s fitting Fela gets the deluxe treatment now considering his work experienced a revival of sorts in the last decade or so (and continues to). But Black Man’s Cry: The Inspiration of Fela Kuti is much more than a project of “Fela covers”. In fact, besides a couple tracks, these covers and interpolations themselves are from rare Nigerian 45s and other international LPs.
The boxset includes 4 x 10-inches and the book it comes with—written and researched by Egon—is a great, quick primer on Fela and partly why the project’s so strong. Above are a couple snippets. The deluxe boxset comes out on Now-Again late next month.
Edan’s Beauty and The Beat was one of my favorites albums of the last 10 years. It’s still so fun and all the nuances never get old. But it’s not just about a particular release, more so, it’s about Edan’s versatility and complete catalogue. From radio shows to guest spots, from mixes to his increasingly layered beats, everything is very detail oriented.
It’s been about 5 years since Beauty… and turns out his next move was Echo Party, a frenzied 30-minute opus that sounds like something out of a futuristic Black Ark studio. Now that it’s here and has sunk in, I got Edan on the phone to explain the project in his own words, what he’s been doing, and what’s up next. In the process, you’ll hear new tracks, rarities, and a song sent to us by Edan for readers to check out. Thanks E!
Explain to people how Echo Party and everything with Traffic went down.
I had a longtime friend at Traffic. I know those guys because they’ve distributed my records for a long time. And you know, they have a lot of access to a lot of stuff; Paul Winley, Peter Brown, all these old acts. They’re like the Rhino of old hip-hop. So they figured, it would be cool to have me do a mix for them. They offered me a little dough and that was that.
At what point did you decide to make it more involved than just a standard mix?
I knew that in this day and age, a mix of someone cutting up two copies of “Smokin’ Cheebe Cheeba” is not that interesting. And I don’t like to do things on consignment, which this basically was, so I figured if I’m gonna do it I might as well make it fresh. So I started fucking with it and realized that I should be real technical and showcase some sort of creativity. It wasn’t one of those mixes where I could just bank on the obscurity of the records just to impress the record community. So I basically decided to go the route that I went, which is make a record that was on some bugged out, freewheeling shit in the lab.
You mentioned collecting and not banking on obscure records. Have you grabbed anything interesting lately?
Yes! There’s this fucking record I got at this year’s WFMU Record Fair and it’s just perfect. It’s this one song called “Lookin’ in The Toaster” by this group called Research 1-6-12. The song is just this dude looking into a toaster and the lyrics are a trip [sings: Lookin’ in my toaster, lookin’ in my toaster, the face I see is mine. Weird is the image like a Hendrix poster, like a dream I had one time]. I got the test pressing which just had a piece of paper glued to the front. Once I heard it, I listened to it like 10 times. You want an MP3 of it to put up with this interview?
Yes, definitely. (more…)
Filed under: Random, Tunes | Tags: Bob Powers, Dilla, Mochilla, Suite For Ma Dukes
Here’s a track mixed and mastered by Bob Power, the grammy award-winning producer who worked on Tribe’s and De La’s early records. It’s from the Timeless Series which were held earlier last year. The DVDs and music will be released as an ultra-deluxe boxset this March, but for now, here’s the orchestral version of “Take Notice” off Dilla’s Rough Draft EP and a link to the video. The “Suite For Ma Dukes”, and said track, really add dimension and a sense of epicness to Dilla’s beats. Take notice.
“Take Notice” by the Miguel Atwood-Ferguson and the Suite for Ma Dukes orchestra
Bay Area ace, DJ B.Cause salutes Roger and Zapp with an ultra fun mix of famous tracks, rap choruses, interludes and a healthy dose of cuts and blends. Like his other work, everything is well-selected and ironed out. This is perfect since interest in vocoders will likely peak real soon. Peep the mix, the rest of B. Cause’s work, and familiarize yourself beyond “Computer Love”.
====>> DOWNLOAD PLAYIN’ KINDA RUFF: THE TROUTMAN LEGACY BY DJ B.CAUSE
One of my favorite audio blogs, Derek’s Daily 45, asked me to drop by a few weeks back. In fact, we ended up swapping posts. You can read (and listen) to Derek’s post HERE. Below is my quick contribution to his site. Thanks D!
“Dr. Strangelove” by Arthur Ponder
I first heard this on a mixtape years ago. “You know, that song where he says ‘Doctor Strangelove’ over and over in the chorus,” I’d ask people I knew. No one had info besides the occasional, “Does it have anything to do with the film?” “No,” I’d say.
This year I finally got it. I wish I could say I found it digging in Georgia somewhere, but it was Ebay. So here we are:
Arthur Ponder began his career singing with Johnny Jenkins, a left-handed guitarist and known influence on Jimi Hendrix who also played on Otis Redding’s early work. Not much info exists on Arthur himself, who recorded for Capricorn Records, a Georgian label founded in the late ‘60s known for spearheading Southern Rock led by their biggest signee, The Allman Brothers Band.
Arthur’s credited for additional vocals on other projects and also cut singles for Trey Records, another local Georgian label. He continually, albeit very quietly, put out material well into the ‘80s as far as I know.
I’ve since heard Arthur’s other work, but “Dr. Strangelove” is his defining opus: a song where he teeters on the verge of a nervous breakdown in the chorus, and where steady drums and a beautiful bassline propel the arrangement for roughly 3-minutes. The singing is so pained but the music’s so sunny. It was both written and produced by Eugene Davis. It’s killer Georgian soul, overtly filled with so many warm elements that can grab you. Hope you dig it.
Filed under: Interviews, Random, Tunes | Tags: Breakestra, DJ Dusk, Miles Tackett
I recently interviewed “Music Man” Miles Tackett, the cellist, producer, DJ, bassist and guitarist of Breakestra. If you haven’t already, check out their latest LP, Dusk Till Dawn. It’s funky and filled with all kinds of nice grooves. My talk with Miles recently went up on Soul Culture, a London-based music site focused on soul and all its modern tangents. Check the interview along with a couple great Breakestra joints below.
“Inner City Blues” (Live Mix Pt. 2)
“Got To Let Me Know” (Hit The Floor)
Filed under: Tunes | Tags: Good God! Born Again Funk, numero group, Thomas Dorsey
Pious funk from old Chicago? I was sold from the get-go. Personally, gospel—and just religious music in general—rarely moves me, but these aren’t your typical songs about Jesus. Actually, they’re not at all hymn-like: gruff vocals, sweaty grooves and bass slaps delivered raucously sums up Good God! Born Again Funk, a new project by Numero.
Derived mostly from Thomas Dorsey, an entrepreneurial bluesman who reconfigured praise-songs, these 18 tracks replace “baby” with “Jesus” and somberness for shouts. The singers, quartets, and neighborhood folks were recruited by Dorsey who sought to exploit the small but devoted market for religious music. In fact, the title of Ada Richard’s song “I’m Drunk and Real High (In The Spirit Of The Lord)” reflects Dorsey’s whole approach.
Please visit Numero’s site to hear and buy the upcoming album (1/26/10). Like their previous divine release, Good God! Born Again Funk is a thorough listen. Check out Numero’s blog to read more on the legwork behind this and other projects. Below are excerpts from a couple choice cuts:
The Sensational Five Singing Sons’ “Share Your Love With Your Master” has such personality and all kinds of elements–dialogue, an early break, crazy guitar work, and hard vocals. This track brings the funk and is fun to boot.
TL Barrett’s “Like A Ship” opens the album and is also its most mellow. Energy-wise, it’s tepid compared to the others but the lyrics (“Just like a ship…without a sail…but I know I can make it…”) sung faintly by the choir make it overwhelmingly earnest.
