Feed me Good Tunes

FmGT - We Can Be Happy Underground [Stayin' Alive remix]

2008-09-06T12:35:00.004-04:00

[underground: not buried]

FeedmeGoodTunes has been around for a while. Initially started one evening in Brooklyn, March 2005 during a session of drunken audio sharing and Peruvian chicken feasting. From there, your digital word of mouth made us stronger and stronger. We shared Funk, Rock, Underground Hip-hop and a multitude of Eclectic Electronic soundscapes. The FmGTeam grew with the additions and contributions of The Oatmeal Bandit, Codec and the additional special guests (Hi Moka!). Together, the four of us wrote about and shared tunes driven by our pure passion - to the point where FmGT began to receive over 400,000 hits per month - and we never added advertising. Our original file-serving service had to inform us that we were using too much of the "infinite bandwidth package" that we had purchased and we began to receive our first of many 'Cease and Desist' letters: the true indication that you've got at least a little exposure. Breaking music news and sharing obscure gems was our specialty.

Then something happened, the posts became less frequent and some of our fans began to wonder where the hell we had gone. To this date I still wonder where the hell we went. What I can tell you however is that each of us has gone through some life changing shit within the last year or so - so much that FmGT simply fell to the back burner - because as we can all agree, sometimes you simply have to get back to basics in order to sort it all out.

...so where are we now?

Oatmeal Bandit [bottom left] shapes the minds of America's youth, while rearranging our shoes when he comes to visit and still yearns for more Bon Chon chicken. Codec [top right] has become a successful video game producer, one of his mobile games was recently written about in XLR8R magazine and he's brought the delightful Lois-the-cat into our lives and onto my couch. JT [top left], not once having removed his headphones, continues to celebrate a clean bill of health after that early scare that our readers might recall - also, his work has really paid off as he's found his way to his dream job working with one of the most successful publishing houses in the world. As for me [Silent K, bottom right], I've found a new job that I enjoy, I'm madly in love, I still don't have enough time to play Wii and I'm running my first full Marathon this October. But this isn't supposed to be a "and they lived happily ever after" post...

THE EVEN BETTER NEWS: We're still doing it - we've just changed the distribution method. The FeedmeGoodTunes [FmGT] collective has transmogrified into One Track Mind [OTM]: a once-a-week-day-@-10am email/music newsletter with an .mp3 attachment. The distribution method and presence has been altered but the passion still resides. All you need in order to participate is an email in-box that can handle attachments - so email us at aonetrackmind[at]gmail[dot]com, we'll add you to the distribution list and the tunes can continue to flow.

On behalf of Oatmeal Bandit, Codec, JT and myself - we'd like to thank you for reading, listening and commenting over the past three years.

See you in another medium... and stay tuned,
-- Silent K & the FmGTeam

Work it out, baby.

2008-02-02T21:00:00.000-05:00

Fun fact: LoLcats is one of Silent K's serious vices. srsly.

Liberate
Force of Nature
III
Libyus Japan : 2006
[Listen] [Buy]

Endangered Species [Raeo remix]
Nickodemus
Endangered Species Remixed
ESL Music Inc. : 2006
[Listen] [Buy]

International Feeling
Todd Rundgren
A Wizard, A True Star | Daft Punk's Electroma
Rhino Wea : 1990
[Listen] [Buy]

So here we are again, it's 2008. I think that Audrey II in Little Shop of Horrors said it best when she said "It's feeding time."

Force of Nature is a Hip-hop/funk/jazz fusion group that I first got into because of their collaborations with Nujabes on the Samurai Champloo soundtrack. I finally found their 2006 effort, III. It's a solid listen chock full of instrumental electronic-hip-hop beats. The last track on this album really hooked me because it's a complete rip of the beat from Nine Inch Nails' Closer mixed with melodic elements that are seriously similar to Jan Hammer's Crockett's Theme from the soundtrack to the Miami Vice television show (which I love). It's a cool crossover that works really well - a chill track that's worthy of repetetive play.

We saw Nickodemus and Mariano perform live in mid January, opening up for The Pimps of Joytime at SOBs, here in Manhattan. the Pimps' were great, but I've been listening to a lot of Nickodemus ever since. There are over six Turntables on the Hudson compilation sets that he's put out with Mariano as well as a few solo releases - Endangered Species Remixed in particular is a great chill, beat laden selection. The title track, 'Endangered Species' is cool on the original release, but the Raeo remix sets the sound to a more subdued level of relaxation. Dig it.

I think that the real gem of this post though is Todd Rundgren's 'International Feeling' which I've become obsessed with by way of the soundtrack to Daft Punk's written & directed film, Electroma. Honestly, I'm pretty pissed that Vice Records is taking their sweet fucking time in releasing Electroma on DVD in the states. 'International Feeling is the first track to appear in the movie - a movie void of any Daft Punk tunes. It's a psych-like rock track that does nothing but make me feel good - something that I've really needed lately. Funny, because it's a characteristically non-Silent K track. Blast it.

Alright dudes and dudettes - that's it for now. Have a great Saturday night.
Stay tuned --
-- Silent K

Um.

2007-12-28T02:23:00.000-05:00

Running Up That Hill
Kate Bush
Hounds of Love
EMI : 1985
[Listen] [Buy]

Running Up That Hill
Chromatics
Night Drive
Italians Do It Better : 2007
[Listen] [Buy]

I regressed again.

I've put away a lot of the old jams, and been searching for something new, something to keep the taste in my mouth and the hunger strong. As such, I've been pulling for the stranger side of music.

Hours spent in my re-appropriated bedroom at the family house, hunched over my laptop, streaming the early experiments with electronic music. Some needlessly-obtuse Stockhausen in the days after his death. The search for modern dance music. The desire to plough through prog rock catalogs so I can try and chart the artistic progression, the evolution of style through sound.

I apologize if this all makes no sense, or if it sounds horribly pompous. It's late at night where I am, I've had a lot to drink, and I've been running through the synth-heavy, Italo and Italo-inspired area of my hard drive.

---
It's bigger than you might think; when I spin at home, I find myself reaching for the more outrageous end of my collection, the stuff packed with synths, vocoders. Huge, extravagant sound. Music with drum machines, looped 80s riffs, bright, shimmering vocals and little in the way of organic instrumentation. It comes across better, mixes better from time to time. Stylistically, it's off the map. It's almost childlike, playful. The optimistic chord changes and patterns, coupled with simple beats that chug along and inspire movement.

The other end of the spectrum was hit well in the late-80s by a lot of female vocalists, who took advantage of minor chords and the deeper bass notes that synths could produce, thus turning the bright into darkness, moodiness, introspection, mystery, intrigue.

This music was the stuff that made the cop movie so successful during that same era: a doe-eyed rookie or a world-weary veteran gets dragged into the smoky world of the seductress, with her soulful stare and her capacity to fight through heartbreak and break hearts anew.

---
Kate Bush had it down pat; in her heyday, you felt like you knew everything and nothing about her at the same time. That piercing voice, wild streak, and her deeply personal lyrics, all of them contributing to the mystique.

"Running up That Hill" was surely her peak. Odd, oblique words hiding a rather obvious sentiment, the wish that men and women could swap places for just long enough to gain a deeper understanding of the other side.

And yet, it comes packaged in this cloudy, haunting swirl of sound. The pounding drum beat appears almost immediately, each "snare" hit echoed out so the rhythm is persistent. The beat is attacked almost as quickly by that sour three-note keyboard/synth riff, catching the listener off guard. It doesn't seem to gel with Bush's sharp vocals, and yet when matched against the faint background keyboard chords that cloak each verse, it makes more sense. We're now lost in that same world of confusion that she fell into, and thus we're equally enthralled.

We reach that conclusion right in the middle of the song, at [2:52] when the bridge hits. The volume increases across the board, Bush's singing becomes more aggressive and impassioned. She's drawn us into her web, and the bridge forms the emotional and aural apex, her chance to strike. Her words reverberate, and the instrumentation follows suit, producing the great crescendo at the end of her plea. Sure, the song reverts to some kind of normalcy some 30 seconds later, but the point has been made. She knows it, and we know it too.

By contrast, the recent Chromatics release, a sparsely-arranged, slick electronic album, takes a different stance on the same tune. Stripping away the layers of murk and mist that shrouded Ms. Moss, the trio put the keyboards at the front, doubling the 80s echo of the drums with brief flickers of guitar and letting their version of Kate Moss, Ruth Radalet, bring a softer vocal sound to the same jagged words. Her voice not as versatile, yet still evocative, Radalet takes a straight approach to her take-off. The keyboard riff is the first thing to touch down after his sweet intro, and the familiar marching beat follows suit quickly.

It hits its emotional checkpoints in a different way; Kate Bush took the road less hopeful, whereas Chromatics embrace the dancier, more optimistic interpretation of the source material, choosing to swathe Radelet's vocals in thick layers of synth and rhythm.

---
I have no idea where I was going with this when I started, and I still have little in the way of insight. Yet, in listening to the odder corners of my collection, I'm finding fresh appreciation. It's important to be able to do that.

[UPDATE: Yeah, I know MOKB did a covers project regarding this song back in November. I still wanted to have my word on the subject, and our approaches couldn't be more different. It's well worth a look just to hear the evolution of this song over the years.]

Turner's Point [1931-2007]

2007-12-18T10:19:00.000-05:00

Music legends die all the time, we just don't always notice. Ike Turner's passing is quite a loss. But the amount of soul poured into his music assures that he'll surely live on forever in the ears of many. Rest in peace dude.

Getting Nasty
Ike Turner & The Kings of Rhythm
A Black Man's Soul
Funky Delicacies : 1969
[Listen] [Buy]

Stay tuned.
-- Silent K

Serving from Japan

2007-12-07T16:00:00.000-05:00

Yes, it was quite tasty.

I've been in Japan for almost two weeks now. I've checked out Tokyo (Harajuku, Yoyogi, Akihabara, Ometsando, Asakusa, Shinjuku, Shibuya, Tsujiki, Mitaka, Roppongi), Kamakura, Kyoto & Osaka. It's been an incredible journey. Tomorrow I leave for Hawaii for a few days of sleeping in the sand before diving back into the hustle of my day-to-day in New York City.

But, there are a few things I'd like to share while I'm still out there. First, you can view my entire trip-image collection on Flickr, here.

Second, I took this video in Shinjuku last night of this store employee rapping on the street - he was going non-stop!

Finally - no trip abroad would be complete without a nice gouging at the local record shop. I told myself that I absolutely had to hunt down the first Nujabes album Metaphorical Music. After some digging, I finally found it - alongside the new Hydeout Productions (Nujabes' label) release - Hydeout Productions - 2nd Collection. It's far better than the first collection. Much more like an entirely new Nujabes album - complete with appearances by Pase Rock, Substantial, Five Deez and C.L. Smooth. My favorite track at the moment, which has been my Japanese-trip-theme since I picked up this disc a week ago, is Fly By Night, featuring Five Deez. Give it a listen - the entire disc is very, very good.

Fly By Night
Nujabes & Five Deez
Hydeout Productions - 2nd Collection
Hydeout Productions - 2007
[Listen] [Buy]

I also picked up both Hifana albums and Dotstream (bit generations) which is never going to come out of my Gameboy Micro. Japan has such great style - the food, the women, the architecture, the temples, the entertainment and never-late train system. What a fantastic place. I am definately ready to come home though. See ya soon.

Stay tuned.
-- Silent K

p.s. - I really need a burrito.

Nippon Ho!

2007-11-24T16:09:00.000-05:00

Shinjuku, I'll see you soon!

Conroy
Cake
B-Sides and Rarities
Upbeat Records : 2007
[Listen] [Buy]

68 State
Gorillaz
D-Sides
Virgin : 2007
[Listen] [Buy]

Earth Changes
Jack High
Beatnicks Vol 1
Rush Hour : 2007
[Listen] [Buy]

B.E.A.T [extended version]
Justice
D.A.N.C.E/B.E.A.T [Vinyl EP]
Ed Banger : 2007
[Listen] [Buy]

Onde Anda O Meu Amor
Reminiscience Quartet
Thievery Corporation's Jet Society
Eighteenth Street : 1999
[Listen] [Buy]

Clipper's Discotheque Break
Yoshinori Sunahara
Pam Am: The Sounds of the '70s
Bungalow : 1999
[Listen] [Buy]

And there it was - it had been a while since his last FmGT-post. He found himself overworked, underslept and strangely enough - talking about himself in the third person. What?

Where was it? The crossroads baby - the motha fuckin crossroads. Remember those New Years resolutions that each of the FmGTeam wrote last year? It's time to check one of those off the list. I'm finally headed to Japan tomorrow. That's right, gonna pop my Tokyo cherry.

For the first time, in what seems to have been ages, I've reloaded my mp3 player with a slew of tunage - you know, because I got something of a 15 hour flight to endure (no worries, I've got a great Murakami book and Zelda: The Phantom Hourglass to keep me company ^_^). This will be a time of intense music digestion and not to mention the rising anticipation of kissing that sweet Japanese soil upon arrival.

Unfortunately I'll have to miss out on BlipFest 2007 - but if you're in New York City and you're fan of the ChipTune scene, don't miss this three day event of 8-bit breakdowns. Hopefully I'll be able to make up for it by reporting on some new sounds from Japan - we'll see.

In the mean time, your daily download today has a few tasty bits from my Jetset playlist: Enjoy these select h'orderves, compliments of Silent K...

Cake's recent B-sides release isn't anything astounding, but it's nice to have a few new tracks from these guys, even if there are like 3 different versions of 'War Pigs' on there - good track though. 'Conroy' - the instrumental of the track-list is much more my style though. In this instance, the Cake isn't a lie!

The Gorillaz too have released a selection of offbeat tracks that were either never released or never put onto their full LP releases. '68 State' is the lead-off track for this set, and it's surely the one that I've had on repeat the most - are you surprised that the second track from my post is an electronic-leaning instrumental? Loop it, dig it.

The Beatnicks compilation sort of dropped in my lap and I didn't even know it. It had been sitting in my inbox (read: tunes that need digesting) since July. I finally found it at the bottom of the crate last week and fell in love. All varied tracks that you'd only expect to find on vinyl. Jack High's composition is a left field, electro-jazz gemstone.

Justice, Justice, Justice - I know that everyone loves their sound, and even though the big cross thing sorta creeps me out, I can't resist the urge to shake my ass to their beats either. This 'B.E.A.T' is a re-edit of sorts of 'D.A.N.C.E.' done by the boys themselves. I don't think that it's as good as the original, but it's a great variation on something that dance-heads have been obsessing over since the beginning of the year. Yes, yes, I know that this track has been posted on every music-blog known to man since early July - But I don't care. I'm posting it because I love it as well as for the benefit of those who might have missed this one.

Here's another track that's been collecting nothing but dust since I acquired it in 1999 - sadly too, b/c this solid Thievery Corporation compilation is something extra special - and will surely be blasting in my Pioneer cans all the way to Japan. I've zoned in on the Reminiscience Quartet's upbeat track to promote this sweet compilation of yester-century. The entire thing is just as jroozy. Lap it up.

And we might as well end it with Yoshinori Sunahara's disco-funk track 'Clipper's Discotheqe Break' - a bouncy electronic groove that will surely find itself in the middle of my first dance floor set when I touch back down in the states in 3 weeks - but let's not get ahead of ourselves...

That's it! Add these tracks to your playlist, blast 'em and check out my Flickr page for updates on my adventures in Japan (and Hawaii). Damn, now that's a vacation.

Stay tuned...
-- Silent K

Bringing in the new week.

2007-11-05T07:55:00.000-05:00

Kwajilori [Sir Piers rmx]
Roy Ayers
Virgin Ubiquity Remixed [unreleased promo]
Rapster : 2007
[Listen]

Sugarloaf Mountain
George Duke
A Brazilian Love Affair
Epic : 1979
[Listen] [Buy]

Lonely for You Baby
Sam Dees
Need You Girl/Lonely for You Baby 12"
SSS International : 1968
[Listen]

Another week begins, and I thought there'd be nothing better than a quick-hit trio of fast tunes, full of bright beats and enough energy to make the mondays just another antiquated notion.

Roy Ayers made some incredible music, and thanks to the soulful superstars over at Rapster Records, we have a bangin' remix cd of some of Ayers' jazzy best. Solid, smooth grooves; here, Sir Piers flips Kwajilori on its head, pushing it to a classic on-the-1s dance beat.

Up next, a quick hitter from my favourite George Duke jazz-funk LP, A Brazilian Love Affair. It's 4+ minutes of cracking up-tempo fusion, complete with the big horn section, slap bass and indefatigable rhythm.

Finally, a smoother edge to nudge you towards the lunch break from the great Sam Dees. Primarily known for his writing and production credits behind the scenes [including Gladys Knight, George Benson, Aretha Franklin and Whitney Houston], he recorded a fair bit for Chess and Atlantic between '68 and '75. This is one of his earliest singles, a glorious piano-driven slab of soul. Set to a simple, sparse bassline and beat, Dees' voice shines.

---
More tomorrow. Hopefully this three-pack will replace that morning trip to Starbucks.

Remembering.

2007-11-04T14:29:00.000-05:00

Ghost Ship in a Storm
Jim O’Rourke
Eureka
Drag City : 1999
[Listen] [Buy]

Muscle Cars
Mylo
Destroy Rock n’ Roll
Breastfed Records : 2004
[Listen] [Buy]

Gut Feeling
Devo
Q: Are We Not Men? A: We are Devo!
Virgin Records : 1978
[Listen] [Buy]

Iambic 9 Poetry
Squarepusher
Ultravisitor
Warp Records : 2004
[Listen] [Buy]

I’m Tired of Giving
Spinners
Spinners/8
Atlantic : 1977
[Listen] [Buy]

Evil
Howlin’ Wolf
Moanin’ in the Moonlight
Chess : 1965
[Listen] [Buy]

Have you ever hurt someone?

Have you ever made another person cry? Have you ever pushed someone who didn’t want to budge? Or, let words slip your mind and mouth without thinking twice? Have you ever knocked someone down and never let them get back up?

Have you ever cast someone aside without ever knowing quite why?

More importantly, have you ever been hurt?

I’m sure you can remember the feeling well. It is the simplest emotion or memory to dial up, to recall. Of all the happy, joyous things we’ve experienced in life, there are those dimmer moments that jut out awkwardly, rub against the grain, irritate and agitate the senses to the point that they can never be ignored.

Some of us have done it more than once, done it many times, made it a habit, a reflex, a part of the unconscious. It often happens without prior knowledge, but always leaves a mark.

These memories come back easily to me, from both perspectives. The caustic sting of pain being inflicted upon me, the harsh sensation sinking in, the slow realization of what’s going on. It takes a few moments for the mind and body to synchronize and transmit that sensation throughout, until you feel nothing else but that acute force flowing through your heart, your brain, your limbs.

It’s inescapable, unavoidable, a necessary chapter in life.

I’ll never forget – the slip and fall on Pamplona’s wet cobbled streets, and watching the bulls charge past me, just inches from my vulnerable, prostate body. The methadone dreams while under the knife for yet another 6-hour surgery, imagining the scalpel easing through the layers of skin and viscera, and watching my organs get tugged out of their niches one by one.

The first girl who broke my heart, behind the Science Buildings at school, telling me I was too good for her or some other playground bullshit. Saying goodbye to my father at the airport more times than I can remember, as I boarded yet another plane back to the US and away from him.

The first time I went to prison and saw D. in the jumpsuit, and the guard who yelled at me for shaking D’s hand. The doctors’ stern words, the liability waivers, the chemo drugs, the vomit, the Christmas I spent huddled on a couch away from my family, struggling alone.

No matter what I do in my lifetime, these few fleeting moments inevitably rise to the surface, a counterpoint to joy, the balancing force that keeps me grounded and makes me realize I’m still human.

We’re all still susceptible to the cycle of life, the ups and the downs regardless of where we end up or how much money is in the bank, or whether we live in a palm tree-shaded paradise or another inner-city row house with astronomical rent.

Walking around town, the people we pass in the streets experience the same peaks and troughs, just like us, no matter how bleak things seem there’s always worse to be found. Remember to breathe, take stock, focus. Remember those feelings well, if for nothing else than to make the bright times feel that much brighter.

Look at how far you’ve come, know that the road up or down is the same distance either way, and we’re better for it. Humility is such a lost art in our saturated world.

These songs, for better or worse, keep me grounded. Atmospheric, some with lyrics that make you laugh and acknowledge their truth, some with instrumental crescendos that help you open your eyes and remember both the good and the bad.

---
More tomorrow.

Afrobeat/Afrofunk Treats

2007-11-02T19:59:00.000-04:00

The Same Blood
Tony Allen
Black Voices
Comet Records : 1999
[Listen] [Buy]

African Hustle
Mombasa
African Rhythms & Blues
Intercord : 1976
[Listen]

Racubah
Ice
The Afro-Instrumental LP
Musidisc : 1970
[Listen]

Eyi Su Ngaanga
The Sweet Talks
Adam & Eve?
???? : 1975
[Listen] [I think it's on Adam & Eve... if someone can verify, please let me know in the comments?]

New Bell
Manu Dibango
Soul Makossa
Atlantic : 1972
[Listen]

Hot and Jumpy
George Danquah
Hot and Jumpy - New Dimensions in African Hustle! Reggae! Native! Soul!
Quami : 1970
[Listen]

Afrobeat is music of the body. It is sound and rhythm that appeals to each and every sense, regaling the spirit with joy, passion and positivity. It's the beat to keep, the beat to pick you up after a difficult time, or a prolonged spell of tough living.

For its creators and first proponents, Afrobeat was the bridge between all types of African music, uniting people in sonic solidarity and providing a platform for lyrics and sentiments of profound change and political context.

Today, as we turn the corner into full-on winter and FmGT is preparing for the cold, I thought I'd present a variety of afro-beat and afro-funk for the ears. It's the best music on the planet; unhindered by tragedy, it flies defiant as a celebration of the human spirit against any and all obstacles put in our way.

And to be honest, that's where I find myself currently. Trying to turn things around. Looking to make changes, transitions, take on new challenges and shed all remnants of spiritual stagnation and woe. There's a lot of dust to beat out of the closet, a lot of voicemail to sift through and a lot of correspondence to be completed.

This soundtrack should help you all get back up to speed as well, with anything and everything you've been slacking on in your own worlds.

From the top....

---
Tony Allen is the rhythmic godfather of afrobeat. His polyrhythms and percussion mastery helped to define the genre and anchor it to spirit of dance. Allen's command of syncopation on the snare drums and frenzy behind the kit are synonymous with the movement, and this track, from his LP Black Voices, is as good as it gets.

It's all to do with that unmistakable beat, the one that roots you, props you up and drives you forward. It's dark, it's futuristic, it's funky. It's sexual, irresistible, seductive.

---
Next up, a funky cut from Mombasa, a European afro-funk band led by US trombonist Lou Blackburn [who was perhaps best known for his collaboration work with Mingus during the Mingus at Monterrey recordings]. Comprised of mostly African musicians, the band recorded and made a home in Germany, pressing this amazing LP during the mid-70s.

---
By contrast, Ice was an entirely different outfit. The band was born as the Bobby Boyd Congress on Long Island in 1966, but the band relocated to France shortly thereafter due to the abundance of US funk acts around that time period. When Bobby Boyd decided to head back to the USA, the band changed their name to Ice and worked on refining their sound. The end results were fantastic, thanks to the infusion and influence of African immigrants to Paris [particularly the Barbes district, where Ice had a huge following] throughout the 1970s.

Their funk became heavy with African rhythms and textures, and in 1973, after the release of their LP Each Man Makes His Own Destiny, the band changed their name to the Lafayette Afro Rock Band.

By this name, they are of course well-known throughout the hip-hop/funk world.... their songs have been sampled extensively by everyone: Jay-Z, Nas, the Wu-Tang Clan, Public Enemy and De La Soul to name but five.

This cut from their 1970 pre-Lafayette-era French release is a fantastic snippet of Afrofunk. Big, bold horn arrangements and flawless funk bass slammed together at a high tempo, signaling the beginning of a prolific, influential catalog.

---
The Sweet Talks were a Ghanaian highlife band, known for their jazzy, up-tempo arrangements and layered guitars. Led by the legendary A.B. Crentsil, they put out two or three records in the mid-70s before going their separate ways, and this is undoubtedly one of the highlights.

The beat is relentless, anchoring the rhythm section and the shimmering layers of funk guitar. Once that horn riff hits and Crentsil's voice kicks in, you're hooked. It's simply gorgeous music that grabs you by the collar and transports you back in time to the heyday of Ghana's music scene, the Talk of the Town club.

---
Next, Manu Dibango. Arguably one of Africa's most prolific musicians and ambassadors, the Cameroonian saxophone master has enjoyed great success in the jazz-funk world. His first LP, Soul Makossa, is one of my all-time favourite albums, and this track is its highest point. Thick with percussion and horns, Dibango's music is captivating.

---
To close out today, a little George Danquah, bringing in the gentler side. There isn't much on the web about Danquah, with a few of his tracks popping up on some West African funk compilations, but his music definitely belongs in this little collection. Led by a funky, countrified guitar, this song is fantastic. Look out for the monster funk break right in the middle, which catches you totally unawares.

---
And so I've returned. And the good form will continue with some treats on sunday, and then on into next week with some regular action. It feels good to be back.

Bringing in a new Era

2007-11-01T17:09:00.000-04:00

Once again, another three weeks have blown by. Living back in the city has consistently and constantly pulled me away from the computer, to the extent that I almost forgot how to run this place. I'm getting the mojo back though, although I'm thinking of switching it up a little, and changing the focus a little bit.

The Oatmeal Bandit is living it up in semi-retirement, Codec's playing the work game insanely hard lately, and Silent K's been equally busy. Me? I've been working on more than a few offline opportunities, including some serious work on the turntables to get back up to speed. As a result, something has suffered, and it's been this place. I can't tell you how sad it's been to see it dwindle over the last couple of months. For a good while, we were swinging along, writing a lot, posting an insane amount of music, and keeping up a breakneck pace of 6 articles a week.

I would love to get back to that, and I'm working on it, maybe bringing in some new people to the FmGT family or something, but in the meantime, baby steps.

I've got some treats for tomorrow, and we'll take it from there. I owe all of you out there so much more, because you've been loyal, dedicated, thoughtful, insightful readers, commenting up a storm on our bigger features and wading through the morass of our minds the rest of the time.

FmGT is still here, FmGT still has the desire and the content to poke its neck back above the sand, and I'm working hard on that. Some new graphics would be a start, and those are in the pipeline.

Music writers out there? Drop me a line and let's get a dialogue going, maybe some collaboration. You know what we do here, and it's time we got back to that.

I've some long-term series I want to produce, and those are being combed through slowly in order to bring some regularly-themed content to the table. More depth, more thought, more literary content.

I've a ton of music sitting here to be shared with the world, one tune at a time.

Please stick with us just a little longer, and we'll be back on our game.

Much love,
JT.

Tomorrow: a hearty dose of Afrobeat to soothe the soul and usher in the weekend.

Noble and No Bull.

2007-10-10T15:16:00.000-04:00

Sea Dreamer
Anoushka Shankar & Karsh Kale, Featuring Sting
Breathing Under Water
Manhattan Records : 2007
[Listen] [Buy]

I Want You
Common
Finding Forever
Universal : 2007
[Listen] [Buy]

Television Rules the Nation [Live mix]
Daft Punk
Live Mixes [Bootleg]
2007
[Listen]

The Wrath of Marcie
The Go! Team!
Proof of Youth
Sub Pop : 2007
[Listen] [Buy]

Complicated
Paul van Dyk, Featuring Ashley Tomberlin
In Between
Mute : 2007
[Listen] [Buy]

Class of 73 Bells
Prefuse 73 Featuring School of Seven Bells
Preparations
Warp : 2007
[Listen] [Buy]

Satisfaction
Uberzone
Ideology
Nitrrus Records : 2007
[Listen] [Buy]

It's Friday afternoon. Load up your playlist for that drive out of the office parking lot that you've been thinking about all morning...

Today's tracks are varied - but that's what I've been known for posting.

Anoushka Shankar has teamed up with Karsh Kale on an excellent album of chill and upbeat tunes pulling influence from the Indian sub-continent, elements of Rock and downtempo relaxation. Sure it might be a little 'adult contemporary' - but it's a slick production. They were HOT live.

Common's most recent album was okay - nothing blew me out of the water, but 'I want you' won the game of playlist-survivor - as far as that album is concerned. Put it on and rub up against someone in that forthcoming brisk autumn air.

Daft Punk's live show at Coney Island over the summer was pretty sick. The light show was amazing and and the tunes were solid. It was essentially the same style of set that they performed at Coachella last year - not that there's anything wrong with that. This remix of 'tv rules the nation' is very much in vein with that show. Say what you want about them, they're decent DJs. I can't wait for Electroma to finally drop on DVD

The Go! Team's recent album is a lot of what you'd expect. It's upbeat rock with elements that you'd want to say maybe came from somewhere in the '70s. The whole thing is a lot of fun to listen to - I favor it while driving.

Paul van Dyk's recent album is a little strange - it's still undeniably a PvD production - but it's missing that progressive quality that's indigenous to his German push-forward style. I still like it. It's a great one to have on your running playlist, but I don't know if I'd be including this one in any set lists any time soon.

Prefuse 73's new effort is another solid production. It's not going to blow you away like 'Uprock' did - but it's got it's moments - in fact, there are a whole helluva lot of them here. 73 bells was a no-brainer for sharing here.

The new Uberzone album is a breakbeat gem. While waiting for more remixes by Hybrid and the Stanton Warriors, you should definately pick this one up. It might be restricted to the 'Only for the Headstrong' category - but that's where a lot of us live anyway. Enjoy these beats - they be HEAVY.

Enjoy these taste tests. Buy the albums if you dig it all - you know how it works. I'm gonna go pick some apples or something.

Free Association.

2007-09-26T11:24:00.000-04:00

Slaughter Theme
James Brown & Fred Wesley
Slaughter's Big Rip-Off OST
Polydor : 1973
[Listen] [Buy]

Jungle Love
The Time
Ice Cream Castle
Warner Bros. : 1984
[Listen] [Buy]

The Deacon
Brute Force
Brute Force
Sepia Tone : 1970
[Listen] [Buy]

It's as random as I could make it, once again. The lack of activity around here has led me to drop all the themes for a while, and get back to basics. Great tunes, insight [hopefully], and entertainment. As such, it's a loose selection of tunes that have been scorching up our turntables for a while, whether used in mixes or used as something sweet to listen to as the evenings wind down.

---
Up first, a dusty gem from James Brown and his JBs. The movie soundtrack to Slaughter's Big Rip-Off, a classic Jim Brown vehicle [the second Slaughter film], was given over to JB's unmistakable funk style. An ominous opening, complete with stuttering strings and JB's voice, gives way to full-on funk. A dark and groovy gem from the era. Listen out for the sweet guitar-fronted break into major chords around [2:25], a gorgeous little bridge before we get swept back into the head.

---
Next, we have the Time. Do they really need an introduction? Is there anyone out there not aware of their charm? Referenced many times in Kevin Smith's "Jay and Silent Bob" universe [like here, for example], this is the classic jam, the one that put them on the map. It's got it all; heavy disco-era synths, the thick electronic vibe, and the floor-shaking chorus [anyone else coming in with the "oh-ee-oh-ee-oh" at home, right on cue?]. For 1984, the song's [and the band, for that matter] has aged remarkably well, sitting on that crossroads of Rick James-esque sex and bravado fault line, where distorted funk hit the mainstream and got people thinking dirty things.

I fucking love the breakdown where Jesse Johnson's guitar solo takes over and the bass drops out leaving us with drums and guitars alone, lost in our own handclapping to the beat. I'll take that chorus to the grave. [not to mention the next track on the album, the rather blunt slow-dancer "If the Kid Can't Make You Come"]

---
Up next, a lost classic from Ohio's own Brute Force. For my money, it's the anchor of this, their one and only album. Heavily influenced by the likes of Cymande and other bands that had perfected that africa/funk sound, they let it all hang out on his LP. Each track is chock-full of delicious horn arrangements and plenty of jazz flourish, held together with an incredible rhythm section and a profound understanding of funk. If you can get your hands on this, I'd strongly recommend you do. It's worth splashing out the extra cash to get a record of progressive funk well ahead of its time.

---
Another weird trio tomorrow. I'm trying to get these wheels turning again, I promise!

Breathe.

2007-09-19T17:39:00.000-04:00

Down the Line
Jose Gonzalez
In Our Nature
Mute Records : 2007
[Listen] [Buy]

West Palm Beach
Bonnie "Prince" Billy
Sings Greatest Palace Music
Drag City : 2004
[Listen] [Buy]

The Trader
The Beach Boys
Holland
Reprise : 1973
[Listen] [Buy]

Aynotchesh Yererfu
The Budos Band
The Budos Band
Daptone Records : 2005
[Listen] [Buy]

By the Time I get to Phoenix
Dorothy Ashby
Dorothy's Harp
Cadet [Japan] : 1969
[Listen] [out of print]

I'm in the wilderness again. You know, the metaphoric type, the sort of places we regress to when we need space and time to let us breathe. It's easy to forget how breathing works, because reflexes can get rusty. Yet, when we fall asleep each night, the motor takes over and we cruise through REM dreams on auto-pilot, thinking of the people we love, absurd situations, weird sounds, all with our chest rising and falling in lockstep.

Today, I need to consciously breathe, so breathe with me.

The Police, as seen through JT's lens

2007-09-06T19:06:00.000-04:00

Well, due to a couple of hardware glitches, the Sly Stone business isn't complete yet, so this is what's known as Plan B.

The Police are up there as one of my favourite bands ever, for reasons unknown to even me. As a kid growing up in the UK, what can I say? I was swept up royally in the white ska/punk movement that gripped us through the Thatcher years, even though I was still a little young at the time. Bands like Madness, the Police and the Specials were big in my early days of music listening; when you're full of energy, it's impossible not to be swept up in the infectious enthusiasm, the stuttering, tireless beats, the vocal harmonies, and the furious tempos.

While Madness had the kooky brilliance of Suggs, and the Specials had the vocal power of Terry Hall, Lynval Golding and Neville Staple, the force of the Police was rooted in their focus. Madness and the Specials both boasted large lineups, while Sting, Summers and Copeland were a perfect trio, each acting as weighty contributors from their own respective experience.

Copeland was the dynamo behind the kit, Summers furnished the heavy artillery on his Telecaster, and Sting threw heat on the lower end [not to mention composing the bulk of their catalog].

Nothing more needed, nothing more added. Three people who made music on the same wavelength and who, for the most part, matched each other every step of the way.

[It is worth noting that I didn't get to see them on the reunion tour, thanks to the exorbitant ticket prices, but Silent K did, and I think he's going to follow this post up with his take on the show, along with his Top 6]

---
Fall Out
Fall Out/Nothing Achieving 12"
Illegal Records : 1977
[Listen]

Really, where it all began for the trio. A short, sweet EP, of which this was the shining star. Punkish, aggressive, full of brio, and a good opening note to their frenetic catalog. A Copeland song from start to finish, it's 123 seconds of foot-on-the-gas, highlighted with Summers' fat guitar licks and Sting's piercing voice that became his calling card.

---
Does Everyone Stare
Reggatta de Blanc
A&M : 1979
[Listen] [Buy]

This is Copeland's song, and sure, he only gets to sing that first verse before being relegated once again to backing vocals [not to mention he gets royally drowned out by that piano riff that opens the song too; Sting's stifling post-production, or just Stewart being shy in the spotlight? You decide], but it's a cool little song.

"I never noticed the size of my feet/until I kicked you in the shins" is a great fucking line, although I am still confused as to what the heck it means. The weird, off-kilter piano line, almost comic in its composition fits the sentiment perfectly, a long rant about feeling awkward around other people and starting to date. Copeland wrote the bulk of this album, and I always loved his lyrics more than Sting's, for their honesty more than anything else. It's an odd track, but one that always stood out for me. Being a kid who had to work hard to fit in and find his place early on, it always stuck out, and I always sympathized with the lead character, all strange and

---
The Bed's Too Big Without You
Reggatta de Blanc
A&M : 1979
[Listen] [Buy]

This is where my obsession first began as far as the Police were concerned. I never knew it at the time, but the lyrics of this track would form a key part of my college years. [Sure, I slept on a futon from my sophomore year onwards, but hey, the analogy still counts] Having a girlfriend studying abroad in Maastricht for the better part of 8 months, forcing our relationship back to the almost-primitive letter writing campaigns and scheduled rotary phonecalls to her dorm building.

Sure, in the era of email, texting and the ability to track down yr loved one via GPRS this might seem quaint, but I guess 2002 is what it was. For the most part, it was alright, although the time difference meant most of our more meaningful conversations took place when the sun was rising in my world and her classes were almost done.

And so, this song took root. Copeland's patient backbeat timekeeping is filled in with Sting's plaintive falsetto and Summer's reggae-like power chord strumming.

Even though it was only a futon that creakily folded out into a twin bed, it was still too big without her through those fall months, and it consoled me to know that other people somewhere out there were facing the same difficulties decades before my own.

It was the perfect Police song, as it epitomizes the depth of their exploration into reggae while also nailing that plaintive, wistful tone that accompanied a lot of their lyrics. Pining for girls and loves lost, eons spent wondering what could have been, the incessant feeling of being the lonely outcast; this track hammers them home harder than any other.

---
When the World is Running Down, You Make the Best of What's Still Around
Zenyatta Mondatta
A&M : 1980
[Listen] [Buy]

This is probably my favourite Police album, purely because it captures that era of music to a tee. The trio were discovering the early edges of the new wave, the sounds reflected in the spacious, echoing guitar riffs and crisp, uniform rhythm patterns. Reverbed, distorted basslines and a slice of emptiness between and 1s and 3s, where I imagine throngs of grad students dancing with discipline to the beat.

It's such a straight-up, angular song, complete with yet more obtuse lyrics from the man himself, and yet, after a few listens, it begins to make sense. Don't worry too much about the details, and just make do with the things that make you happy, no matter what anyone else says.

You can also apply that to the myriad dances that people did back in the day. At least they knew what Sting was talking about before bursting into their repertoire. Music-wise, it represents the cooler side of the Police; spacey, simple, and thoroughly addictive.

---
Synchronicity II
Synchronicity
A&M : 1983
[Listen] [Buy]

Would this count as the first big hit on my Police list? [A lot of their songs that appealed to me most never would have grazed the charts, let alone topped them] This one was the big cheese for them, in many ways, as the rock and new wave influence took full hold and they shed their ska/reggae ways like a snake loses layers of scales.

This track had "big arena music" written all over it; a sense of being larger than the band itself. They crest through several bridges and b-sections between the unmistakable guitar line of the verses, into that almost-epic chorus, and a slow but steady emergence from the minor key into major chord magnificence.

When I first heard the song, I didn't understand the concept of "synchronicity", but I certainly do now; you can hear it in the grand crescendo of the bridge, inside Copeland's echoed, beefed-up snare hits. I hear it in the fact that it made the 80s edition of Guitar Hero, seemingly defining the Police for a generation of concertgoers that lived for the power of rock and its ability to absorb ideas from other genres in creating epic, huge pieces of music.

As the song gets out of control in its last minute, with a final iteration of the verse and Sting's repetition of the song's last line as the pressure builds, more layers are added, the guitars get stronger, Copeland's straight-up pattern withstands the volume and holds firm in the middle.

You can hear Sting hammering his bass notes for emphasis, and even though the album version fades out, you can shut your eyes and imagine it to be their show closer, with that last minute getting stretched out and reinforced interminably as the crowd goes wild, the lights flicker and get faster, and when they finally hit that last note, the applause engulfs them as they remain frozen on stage, letting their amps ring out before the doors open and the curtain goes down.

---
Truth Hits Everybody
Outlandos D'Amour
A&M : 1978
[Listen] [Buy]

Almost three minutes of pure fire. The live version, some 30 seconds shorter and a hell of a lot faster, is also a stunner, but I still fall back to the LP version. Sure, it's a touch slower, but it is still as intense as things got on that entire album. The relative calm of the verse sections, as Summers restrains himself to that simple, catchy riff before exploding on the choruses.

This is as good as it gets for me, as far as their songwriting. It's dynamite waiting to go off, full of youthful angst and those weird, elliptical lyrics we all tried to write as teenagers clutching our Fender Strats and perching on the edge of our beds trying to duplicate what we could hear through the stereo. There are no bells or whistles, just pure energy; Copeland rides the cymbals through each change, complementing the fury of each chorus and clearly tiring towards the end.

It is perhaps my favourite Police song, for the simple fact that it doesn't get lost in itself and doesn't waste a single second. Music distilled to its elements, ones that never get old even if the band members do.

Spinnable Treats

2007-08-20T20:56:00.000-04:00

The Coup

ShoYoAss
The Coup
Pick a Bigger Weapon
Rhymesayers Entertainment : 2006
[Listen] [Buy]

Golden Lady
Ronnie Foster
On the Avenue
Blue Note : 1974
[Listen] Out of Print right now, I believe

Devotion
Charizma and PB Wolf
Big Shots
Stones Throw : 2003
[Listen] [Buy]

Another day, another post, another trio of tracks I've been spinning a lot lately. They work so damn well, any way you slice it, and so I lavish them upon you below.

---
First up, The Coup, a band I love a lot. Socially-aware, funky hip-hop from the west coast [pick up Steal This Album and work forward from there]. This track from their latest offering is almost a no-brainer; deep, deep groove from the get-go that doesn't relent. It's booty-shaking funk that could have easily come out of Prince's or P-Funk's catalog, full of synth, swagger, and crisp production.

---
Next: the fantastic Ronnie Foster. The keyboardist/organist put out several albums in the early 70s that didn't gain him a huge following at the time, but for those of us raised in the acid-jazz era, going back and discovering him is like Christmas all over again. Up-tempo, tight grooves presented at break-neck, speaker-breaking speed.

This track, Foster's interpretation of the Stevie Wonder song, works great thrown in the middle of a live mix; its energy catches you unawares at first, and then you run with it. The shuffle beat, the skittish bass line, and the sweet brass lines thrown in around Foster's organ playing all add up to a perfect break. His solo is perfect, and his backing band doesn't let him down. Throw this on whenever you think the party is tiring, and they should soon perk back up. It might be too "smooth jazz" for some of you, but trust me -- it's worth the pick-up.

---
Finally, to wrap it up; a lazy, funky cut from Charizma and PB Wolf. I think I've probably posted this track in the past, but having dusted it off a couple of weeks ago at our big FmGT housewarming, it has shot right back to the top of my playlist again. Charizma's [nee Charles Hicks] life and career were cut woefully short when he was killed during a mugging back in 1993, but we must be thankful for what we have, which in this case is a great, neat, jazzy album collaboration between him and PB Wolf.

Charizma's rapping is sweet, and Wolf's samples and breaks are as good as ever. This track has the deep beat to throw it in anywhere on a mix, not to mention that friendly tempo. Well worth getting to know and love as much as I do.

---
More tomorrow, I hope, including finally getting into that Midnight Snacks series, with a deeper look into Sly and the Family Stone.

JT.

Back from the wild.

2007-08-19T21:27:00.000-04:00

Ruby Lee
Bill Withers
+'Justments
Sussex : 1974
[Listen] [Buy -- out of print right now]

Southern Freeez [12" mix]
Freeez
Southern Freeez 12"
Beggars Banquet : 1981
[Listen]

Strobelite Honey
Black Sheep
A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing
Mercury: 1991
[Listen] [Buy]

Well folks, after 6 weeks of white noise and interference, we're back. No way to really explain it, except the combined brilliance of summertime, living as a collective and in a new space led to a whole lot of not being on the internet taking care of business. Apologies. Everyone needs a hiatus from time to time, a chance to put down the world and leave it behind. We just took ours, and we're happy to be back. Thanks for being patient with us.

So, what marks my return? A trio of tracks I've been spinning a lot lately, and messing with as I create various mixes and get my turntable fingers back up to speed.

---
First up, the throaty, silky Bill Withers. Once that sultry bass line and steady, tick-tock hi-hat beat kick in, it's hard to resist. Give in to the vibe being thrown around and let his voice do the rest. He sings of the love he found and lost, wishing for his girl to be back by his side. As a guy with his ladyfriend living in another state at the moment, I share Bill's sentiment: there's just no substitute for that one and the shape they take next to you when you sleep.

---
Next up, Freeez. Heard of them? That's a shame if you haven't, because more than a few of their tracks are worthy of your praise. This UK dance-funk quartet made some quality up-tempo, energetic tunes, charting many times on both sides of the Atlantic with cuts like "I.O.U" [a track that made it into the Beat Street soundtrack], "Pop Goes my Love" and "One to One"... but for me, it begins and ends with "Southern Freeez". Led by some female guest vocals, the troop pound through 5 1/2 groove-packed minutes that will make you sweaty.

Listen to it several times, and don't be afraid to bop around yr house [especially the three synth- and bass-packed bridge sections, where the percussion rides high and the band cruises through some neat chord changes into a thick wall of electronic sound]. Make Freeez a part of yr playlist, grab their LPs if you can find 'em, and let the slap bass replace your heartbeat.

---
Last but not least, a solid slab of Black Sheep. We should all be music-ified enough to know these rap legends well, so we'll spare the pre-amble.

I love spinning this track because of its deep beat, and the bass line that kinda steals more than one note [sampled in here: The S.O.S. Band, Change, Roger Troutman, Young and Company, and Mason Vaughn and Crew]. As a whole, it's punchy, full of their trademark attitude, and it showed as this track charted to #1 on the Billboard Dance Charts in '92. The rhymes aren't as classic or memorable as other Black Sheep classics, but it easily punches its weight in terms of bounce per ounce.

---
This should be an easy segue back into this blogging business. Sure, it's a little phoned-in, but I'm approaching with caution. Believe me, I've got a mass of quality tunes queued up around the corner, and my writing will slowly get back to where it once was. In the meantime, enjoy Freeez, Bill Withers and Black Sheep, and enjoy returning to FmGT on a regular basis.

Posting

2007-08-06T23:36:00.000-04:00

There will be a resumption to posting tomorrow. I have a lot of posts that are almost finished, and they'll begin publishing tomorrow. Apologies for the prolonged hiatus; we're ready to get back into the thick of things and feed you good tunes.

JT.

Songs of Summer, Vol. III

2007-07-11T01:02:00.000-04:00

Dujii
Kool & The Gang
Kool Jazz
De-Lite Records : 1973
[Listen] [Buy]

Sneakers [Fifty-Four]
Sea Level
Sneakers [Fifty-Four] 12"
Capricorn : 1979
[Listen]

Walk in the Night
Grant Green
Live at the Lighthouse
Blue Note : 1972
[Listen] [Buy]

Well, shit. So many apologies, so little time. It's been a solid couple of weeks since I've shown my face around here, but with good reason. The move was a giant pile of ridiculous, and now that the dust is settling and every last box is unpacked, it's time to return to the business at hand, and that's the ungodly heat of the summertime, and the tunes that should make it a little more tolerable.

I'm only at part 3 of my series, but already the groove is well broken-in, and it's time to really sink into the pocket, with another trio of shimmering beauty that'll knock the socks off anyone and everyone.

---
Simple enough to start; Kool and the Gang. Normally, people reach immediately for the slow, sexy, sweaty synth love-in that is "Summer Madness", not only because it has summer in the title, but because it drips with perspiration and really communicates the deadly heat, the feeling of being unable to move, immobilized by sweat, humidity and the blazing yellow sphere high above in the cloudless sky.

I prefer the chillier, but no less prolific, jazz groove of "Dujii".... listen as the unwavering beat lets a nasty horn arrangement and bass/organ interplay ride it into the sunshine. It's fresh, lively, and a whole lot of dance. Save "Summer Madness" for the bedroom or the poolside when the symbolism is more obvious, and take "Dujii" just about everywhere else until the temperatures drop below 70 at the end of the season.

---
Where do we hit next? The straight-up, weird, oddly-groovy fusion of Sea Level. Take 3 former members of the Allman Brothers Band [Chuck Leavell, Lamar Williams and Jai Johanny "Jaimoe" Johanson], give them a guitarist, and step back to watch what happens. Their music sounds exactly like it should for the time period, that late 70s vibe with that choppy guitar style, tight, bright drums and the godawful [for the most part] electric piano sound.

However, the tempo and the virtuosity of the players keep it from veering too far into bad territory. It's a well-honed sound, and with enough major chord turns [some of which come across a little too Eagles-esque for my liking, but I must calm down] to warrant summertime inclusion. Disco, rock, funk, and blues converge at the weirdest crossroads yet.

---
Finally, a quick hitter from one of my favourites, Grant Green. He died young [ish], taking a lot of talent with him, and never really got as much of the spotlight as he perhaps deserved. There's just something about his slick playing style on the frets that always got my attention, and this live cut is no different.

The tempo is breakneck, the guitar-playing is gorgeous, and the energy is relentless. Try playing this next time you break out Project Gotham Racing, or when you pinch Daddy's midlife crisis car for a late-summer afternoon. Push the pedal to 70, press play on this track, and off you go.

---
I'm off to the beach tomorrow, so the end of the week will come and go with little more from me. I think one of the others has it under control, but I'll be back tuesday with some tan, some rest and some perspective under my belt.

[And yes, these tunes will be part of the soundtrack.]

We're Here

2007-07-05T09:08:00.000-04:00

Your neighborhood tastemakers have survived the move to Harlem with no more than a couple of scratches and a wicked rush of positivity coming off the tail end of July 4th. It's in boxes, most of it, and we've yet to be wired up to the Internet, okay; but already stories and songs are quickly pouring together, setting up in concrete.

Disappointment has not been inventoried amongst the cartons and crates.

It gets better from here.

The Begining is the End [Is the Begining]

2007-07-01T01:00:00.000-04:00

Original imagery courtesy of mrdankelly.

This is Promotional
Copy
Hair Guitar
Audio Dregs : 2007
[Listen] [Buy]

Combination Reggae Dancing
Luke Vibert
Compilation Tracks for Which I Was Never Paid
Personal Stereo : 2007
[Listen] [I don't know where this can be purchased...?]

Dirty ROM Dance mix
Nullsleep
Electric Heart Strike
8bitpeoples : 2007
[Listen]

Old School Tie
Paul Hartnoll
Please [EP]
Kids : 2007
[Listen] [Buy]

Please [feat. Robert Smith]
Paul Hartnoll
The Ideal Condition
Kids : 2007
[Listen] [Buy]

Lazy Eye (Adam Freeland remix)
Silversun Pickups
Adam Freeland - Global Underground 32 : Mexico City
Global Underground : 2007
[Listen] [Buy]

Hit You with the Suffness
Suff Daddy / Digital Invaders
Invasion
(unsigned) : 2007
[Listen]

Site's been slow this week as we've been deep under cardboard boxes, packing tape and leather couches: we're busy packing and we're ridiculously excited about it. Tomorrow - JT, Codec & Silent K (along with another fine gentleman) are moving into a new apartment, here in NYC. It's gonna be sickness. Here's some fine tunes that have been upside my head all week.

Marius Libman is an electro artist releasing his second album under the moniker of Copy. He's got an Electro sound that's similar to Eliot Lipp with elements of IDM like Squarepusher and Hip-hop 'Dre style. It's also a surefire interest for fans of Chiptune, but it's a bit overproduced to be in that category. Really great stuff. Check out his MySpace for other tracks.

I love Luke Vibert. I stumbled upon a few releases of his recently. Not only does he go by Vibert, Plug, Wagon Christ, Kerrier District, etc. - but he's added Ace of Clubs to the roster as well. 'Combination Reggae Dancing' is a very groovy track and it's really got that Vibert-beat to it. A great bouncy track that Flat Eric might bob his head to after listening to enough Oizo. Can't find out where to buy this compilation though...any ideas?

Anytime that something new comes out from 8bitpeoples I grin, ear to ear. This past month the Chiptune supreme label's seen new releases from Mr. Spastic, RushJet1, Kplekraft and 8bitpeoples co-founder: Nullsleep. With Electric Heart Strike, Jeremiah has refurbished a handful of his previously released Gameboy & NES constructions - each with a noticeably denser fidelity. If you're as familiar as we are with 'Her Lazer Light Eyes' and 'Destination Tomorrow' then you'll notice the tweaks that each track has seen. 'Dirty ROM Dance Mix' is all over the place, and I love it for that - not being nearly as straight forward as his other tracks while still retaining a sense of directionality and the Nullsleep style - it's really great stuff. You can download the entire release (and a lot more) for free right from Nullsleep & 8bitpeoples. He gave a free (and quite animated) performance here in NYC on June 21st - check out the video of it here. Electric Heart Strike is on my running mix on my Shuffle right now - there I said it!

Remember Orbital? You should, the duo of Paul & Phil Hartnoll only broke up 3 years ago (I've still not quite recovered). If you don't remember though - then all you need to know is that Orbital is one of the most important names in Techno. Paul's solo release, The Ideal Condition, truly displays the evolution of his work. You can still hear key moments of that Orbital sound - the progressions and the layering remind me of nothing else. But, the production has gone through the roof. The album's first track 'Haven't We Met Before' is a cinematic beauty. Another track, 'Silence' reminds me of the kind of tune that would normally come from Hybrid - it's beautiful. 'Patchwork Guilt' has the most traditional Orbital sound on the album - calm, simplistic and melodically motivating with that THICK beat. The real hit though will surely be Hartnoll's collaboration with The Cure leading man, Robert Smith on 'Please.' 'Please' is a love ballad with a rolling beat, a very Orbital like melody and with the addition of Robert Smith? I'm hesitant to say "I'm in love" - but I've not been able to turn this track off for the past week - his vocals work so well. Also hosted today is one track off of the 'Please' single release - 'Old School Tie' is a B-side track that's an obvious throwback to the old Orbital sound - it's a track that I would have expected to have heard on their 1999 release (one of my favorite albums) Middle of Nowhere.

I'm very pleased that Adam Freeland produced a Global Underground mix - though I do like them very much, I've had enough of Nick Warren, Danny Tenaglia, John Digweed & even Sasha (as far as the GU releases are concerned) - although I would very much like to see Paul van Dyk produce one. Freeland's mix is great, and I'm really digging the rock-tronic angle that he's taken. Such is the case with his remix of Silversun Pickup's 'Lazy Eye.' It's a relaxed beat with a soothing voice. Out of any of the tracks on both CDs, I find myself coming back to this track the most.

The Digital Invaders release has been up on a lot of music-blogs as of late, deservedly so - it's another entry in the trend of refreshing hip-hop instrumentals. The Digital Invaders collective is Bless 1, Suff Daddy, Hazeem, Lokid, Ellipsis, Powell, Theworthlessfew & Al 'Kay Foundation. [This is really the only good thing that Myspace has going on for it right now, the music pushin' - and I fuckin' LOVE it.] Most of these guys are from France or Germany and each has a smooth sound and an obvious respect for 8 bit anthems and the Dilla - as evidenced when you hit the Digital Invaders myspace. I find myself as quite the sucker for keys in hip-hop, so I had to post Suff Daddy's 'Hit you with the Suffness.' It's a very chill track - nothing groundbreaking here, it's a standard beat but it's surely my most recent whiskey-drinking-soundtrack. In fact - the entire album is. Even better, the whole thing is available for free, right here. Get it. Dig it. Tell your sister and your sister's friends.

We've got a lot of boxes and couches to move tomorrow (well, technically it's today, but I've not hit the sack just yet) These tracks have got me pretty prepped to move on to the next chapter - and so...I will.

The next post will be written from the future. Stay Tuned.
-- Silent K

Songs of Summer, Vol. II

2007-06-20T23:44:00.000-04:00

Chuck Berry.

Psychedelic Pucho
Pucho and the Latin Soul Brothers
Heat!
Prestige : 1968
[Listen] [Buy]

Didn't I Do It To You?
Skull Snaps
Skull Snaps
GSF Records : 1973
[Listen] [Buy]

You Two
Chuck Berry
St. Louis to Liverpool
Chess : 1964
[Listen] [Buy]

Good Music
The Roots
Organix
Remedy Recordings : 1996
[Listen] [Buy]

More songs of summer today, which is as good as anything really. All of them bring the warmest months to life, and have brought me much happiness in summers past. Again, they'll make me smile again.

---
Henry "Pucho" Brown has been an instrumental figure in the Latin boogaloo sound since the mid-50s, releasing several excellent albums with several excellent bands. He suffered through constant lineup changes, thanks to other artists poaching his best band members [Mongo Santamaria and Willie Bobo [to name but two] took a few, including Chick Corea] while searching for that Latin-jazz sound. His blend of Brazilian music, boogaloo, jazz and funk ensured a strong following, and this track, taken from his earliest efforts with the Latin Soul Brothers, is a perfect summertime tune.

The Pazant Brothers, Eddie and Alvin, feature prominently on sax and trumpet respectively throughout the album, each getting long solos, but it's Eddie here who commands most attention in the first half of the song, a laid-back, straight-ahead Latin groove underscored by the jittery, quick-fingered piano lines of Neal Creque [who left the band shortly thereafter to play with Mongo Santamaria on his '71 release Mongo's Way].

Around 4 minutes in, a brief percussion interlude segues smoothly into a much higher tempo, driven on to the end by Pucho on the timbales [and a sweet little syncopated solo to boot].

It's great for the summer because of that irresistible beat. Who could possibly remain stationary once the groove settles in?

---
Skull Snaps is, in essence, something more for the ladies and the summer, or at least, that lazy slow-dance in the heat. You lock eyes with yr special someone, share a smile, do whatever comes naturally, you know.

Skull Snaps, for the most part, were a complete mystery, living on only in the myriad of hip-hop beats poached from their one and only album, the self-titled LP from 1973. The opening drum break from "It's a New Day" found its way into a massive number of tracks [all of which I won't bother listing, but a very, very brief sample includes: Camp Lo - "Cooley High", DJ Shadow - "What Does Your Soul Look Like, Pt 3", Eric B and Rakim - "Step Back", Kruder & Dorfmeister - "Deep Shit pt. 1 & pt. 2", Lords of the Underground - "Keepers of the Funk", Pharcyde - "Passin' Me By", Prodigy - "Poison"], and helped to keep them in the general music consciousness.

On the whole, Skull Snaps is an incredibly smooth, groovy album, the product of a soul vocal group that found themselves fighting through the overwhelming deluge of British Invasion and into funk on the other side.

This track screams summertime, thanks to the gorgeous 3- or 4-part vocal harmony that kicks off the song and the sunny, bright arrangement underneath it. A steady R&B drum beat, augmented by waves of rich, lush orchestral strings and periodic accents of harp and horns to fill the space between your ears. The breakdowns are pure soul, and there's little to bring you down [besides the slightly melancholic lyrics].

Throw it on as the sun sets, and you make that final charge to win back the girl of yr dreams. She'll find it tough to resist once you snag her for a slow dance.

---
Chuck Berry requires little to no preamble or explanation. Sure, he's had his darker moments [ladies' bathrooms and underage girls, sadly, were his biggest vice], but his sphere of influence is undeniable, as is his colossal contribution to the rock n' roll landscape as we know it today.

This breezy, upbeat track is from my favourite CB album, St. Louis to Liverpool, mainly due to the amount of quality tracks. "You Two" is a little softer than the Berry we're used to, but it shows a little versatility for the gentler side of R&B [instead of the pyrotechnics we love him for], and it's ideal for the summertime thanks to the rumbling, jazzy bassline and Berry's little guitar flashes. Makes me wish I had 3 people to go camping and grilling with right now. Any takers?

---
The Roots have been around for donkey's years, and in selecting soulful hip-hop for the summer, there's perhaps a million tracks to choose from. At this very point in time, this is the one, and the first of many. It has that sound I equate to the time of year, as far as hip-hop goes; easy on the ears, easy on the mind. The band is already tight on this, their first album, and the sound is right. If you traveled back in time, you'd recognize their potential to go far. Makes me happy that they have delivered.

---
Time is getting tighter as 3 of the 4 of us get ready to move in together next week, but I have some posts queued up [including several more of these, and I'll finally start the Midnight Snacks series, I swear], so fear not. More tomorrow.

Night Notes: What's up your ears?

2007-06-17T23:30:00.000-04:00

What's up our collected earses

What can we say? We've got some eclectastic tastebuds, eardrums and then some.

Right now, OTB's pretty hot on Wilco's 'Handshake Drugs,' Rage's 'Year of tha Boomerang,' and Neil Young's 'Down to the Wire.' You can click on the track names to listen and you can purchase those disks here, here and here.

JT's always got a healthy love affair going on while taking shots [of wheat grass!]. This week he's slowly giving it to [or perhaps receiving from] CSNY's 'Almost Cut My Hair,' the Beach Boys' track 'Sail on Sailor,' and 'Where is Love' by Eldridge Holmes. Buy 'em here, here and (yep, you guessed it) here.

Codec, always burning the midnight oil, is feasting on these goodies - so why don't you? Ricci Rucker's 'Hetytirelasitshiswalalamedmforecrosrdndartscahcgni (Nessun Regole)/We'll Miss You [purchased here], EL-P's 'Poisenville Kids No Wins / Reprise (This Must Be Our Time)' [found here] and a track that I also share on obsession with 'New York Rush' by Yoko Kanno & The Seatbelts (feat. New York Musicians) [which can be bought here, though a little steep - but surely worth it to 'Bebop fans like us].

I'm all about Adam Freeland's new Global Underground mix session - that on my newly purchased orange iPod shuffle had me really racking up the mileage in central park this weekend. There's some breakbeat brilliance on that double CD set that shouldn't be missed. Other than that I'm really digging 'Snakes and Ladders [Rug N Tug rmx]' by Sly Mongoose, a very cool Japanese group that blend Funk, Jazz and Electronic sensibilities yielding psychedelic results that'll make your head go pop and your fingers tap. Tap that mouse right here to buy it.

So, now that we've shown you ours, it's only right that you show us yours. And don't chicken out like your sister did last night.

Stay Tuned. (]^_^[)
-- Silent K

Remix the Beach: Absolute Hotness

2007-06-15T16:40:00.000-04:00

Feed me Pet Tunes.

God Only Knows
Bullion
Pet Sounds: In the Key of Dee
2007
[Listen]

Let's Go Away For a While
Bullion
Pet Sounds: In the Key of Dee
2007
[Listen]

You Still Believe in Dee
Bullion
Pet Sounds: In the Key of Dee
2007
[Listen]

Recently I was tipped off to Bullion ["Boo-lee-on"], a dude whose Hip-hop has reigned dominance in my playlist, beating on my eardrums exclusively for the last 72 hours straight while seriously rocking everything else out of my personal soundtrack - Hey, sometimes there can only be room for one [+ Jello].

Acton, England based Bullion Ness has been playing the tune game for almost 5 years. He produces tracks with classic sources and current beats. These are the fruits of his unique tune-taste and the latest tools in creative audio technology [you know, like, computers and stuff]. Bullion has taken, what's referred to by many as the pinnacle Beach Boys album from 1966: Pet Sounds, and reworked it into a 25 minute session of refreshing Hip-hop. It's a sound that's bouncy, dark, progressive, confident and extremely smooth.

Additional to to the B-Boys' [not the Beastie Boys!] Pet Sounds, there are elements of Pet Sounds cover songs by various artists, as well as snippets from established Hip-hop deities like Slum Village. Bullion's affinity for J Dilla shines intense-immense by the quality of his manifested beats.

When taking The Beach Boys and flexing it up with various backings, one might comment that "Oh, it's like what Danger Mouse did with The Grey Album" - But, that would be a bit off base. DM's work was a brilliant mash, but Bullion's isn't another entry in the mash trend - it's an intelligent remix album of cut-and-paste proficiency that head bouncing can't resist. Another important difference is that Bullion's Beach Boys remix project is a labor of love and not meant for sale. Whereas those repping John, Paul, George & ~~Grumpy~~ Ringo had some serious issues when The Grey Album saw actual sales [albeit limited] - Brian, Dennis, Carl, Mike & Al should be flattered beyond legality. I'm hearing quality here that's got the ability to overtake the interest that aficionados had with The Grey Album - just as Pet Sounds propelled The Beach Boys' popularity past that of the Beatles with it's release in the mid '60s - which then motivated the Beatles to produce Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. Aside from the differences though - Pet Sounds: In the Key of Dee has a lot in common with the work of the prolific RJD2 and the production genius Prefuse 73. It's a layered sound that's great for casual chillin' or astute listening. It screams "I'm the coolest kid on the bus and you know what? I'm not even taking the fucking bus." It truly is "Brian Wilson with an MPC."

'In the Key of Dee is equally impressive when taste-tested as individual tracks or consumed as a whole progressive mix. Offered above is the soul-full and supremely jazzy 'Let's Go Away For a While,' a track with relaxed beats and a sexy leading horn set; the head-nodding controller 'God Only Knows,' with it's organ-ic dense flow; and the swift party pleasing bouncer 'You Still Believe in Dee' [which battles 'I Just Wasn't Made For These Times' for my selection of best-track-on-the-album].

If you're digging this thick sound - and I know you are - you can download Bullion's entire remix session right here. Make sure to burn that to a disk, blast it in your car and send him a few praising messages on Myspace. Bullion is proof that surprisingly fresh sound can be true to the art and not about the money - unless you're saying "this album is straight money" - because it is.

Stay Tuned.
-- Silent K

Songs of Summer, Vol. I

2007-06-13T23:39:00.000-04:00

That Ol' Bus Smell
Peter Herbolzheimer's Rhythm Combination and Brass
Wide Open
MPS : 1973
[Listen]

Mishaps Happening
Quantic
Mishaps Happening
Ubiquity : 2004
[Listen] [Buy]

Hole in my Life
The Police
Outlandos D'Amour
A&M Records : 1978
[Listen] [Buy]

Papa was a Rolling Stone
The Pioneers
[Listen]

Summer songs are well-worn blog fodder, especially when we get it right and actually post them while the sun is shining and the humidity is intolerable. I have a formula for summer music, which again, I don't think is unique, but hey, the beauty of having your own blog is that you generally get to talk a lot about yourself and the things you like. I reckon you'll like some of them too, and thus, hopefully we're all happy.

This will be a long series. Collect them all as you will be quizzed on the material. All of these tracks have something sunny about them, some combination of instruments, rhythms and chord progressions that beg them to be played when you're sitting on the deck knocking back more beer than was previously thought possible.

---
The first track brings to mind the essence of summer: being lazier than you are the rest of the year. Not necessarily lazy in the sense of sitting around doing nothing [although in the stifling heat, it's forgivable], but in the sense of being "unproductive" in the eyes of our square bosses and dreary workaday lives. Screw work, screw important stuff. Instead, run around and be a kid, do fun things, play outdoors, grill a whole lot of food, drink a lot, take the bike out for a spin, play wiffleball, whatever.

This song is like that for me. I drop whatever I'm doing and devote that 6 minutes of run time to shuffling around and dancing like an idiot.

Why?

Because there's just something to be said for those large, outrageous horn arrangements of the 70s, that swinger, Jaguar-driving, wear flared-pants-and-walk-suavely-down-Carnaby-Street sound.

Every funk and soul producer worth his or her salt was running around frantically, trying to figure out where to put more horns. They were the lifeblood of funk, and Peter Herbolzheimer [typical 70s producer] went no-holds barred on his second commercial release, flooding the mix with bright brass flurries as much as the ear could handle [read: three trumpets, three trombones, one saxophone, as best I can tell] and bringing the big band feel to some seriously dirty grooves.

The refrains, the head, the bridge, the solos; not a second of music is safe from the horn mania.

End result: fucking greatness. An orgy of overlapping timbres. It's hard to be productive or focused while this song is on, so relent, give up and surrender to some criminally-underrated jazz-funk.

---
This track brings out the second connotation of "summer laziness": I want to touch the stereo as little as possible. The sun is too hot, so give me an assortment of excellent sounds that run longer than you might think but keep the mood up, thus allowing me to remain where I am, drenched in sunshine, overcome with happiness, tranquility and various stages of intoxication.

Quantic, aka Will Holland, rarely fails on this count, because his musical influences and inspirations are perfect for the summertime. Every Quantic release has that bright sound, thanks to the boatloads of calypso, soul, salsa, bossa nova and jazz that he manically digests. This is good for the cooler-than-thou lounge idea you've been throwing around in yr head, or the back porch where conversation flows quickly and the vino flows even quicker.

Great beats, funky little breaks, the momentum changes are groovy and well-timed, and that jazz guitar is spot-on. Give me a 45-minute version of this track and I'll be in heaven.

---
Next up, the English ska crusties the Police. I am a little bitter that I couldn't get tickets for their gargantuan reunion tour, but it's no big deal. I'm sure their on-stage chemistry will be worth it. [Hating your bandmates is always a good recipe for cheap pyrotechnics as soon as the first flubbed note makes it through the earpiece monitors]

Do sad lyrics disqualify a song from being perfect for the summer? Definitely not, otherwise where would indie music lovers find their sunshine soundtracks?

This isn't entirely depressing; Copeland's shuffling, herky-jerky rhythm keeps you on notice, as does the gentle bass-guitar interplay of Sting and Summers. Infused with enough reggae soul to satisfy the summer contingent, it's solid lazy day singalong music [if you can manage to sing in Gordon's staggeringly high range].

---
The Pioneers also stick to the reggae/summer connection with their gorgeous rendition of the Temptations' classic soul hit. Known for their two big ska hits in the late-60s, "Longshot" and "Longshot [Kick De Bucket]", both about a racehorse, the Pioneers strip the song to its bare bones.

No elaborate arrangement, and no effort to emulate or outdo the epic sound of the original, instead we get something simpler, something more primal and wild. The beat shuffles along, backed with brief flashes of rhythm guitar [classic on-the-2s-and-4s strumming] and tambourine. The vocal harmonies are tight on the choruses and breaks, and the minimal use of keys is perfect.

This is perfect for the late evening, when the candles are almost burned out and the mood is right for this smoky, seductive, lusty interpretation.

---
A new batch of tunes tomorrow, but I feel like this should kick off the songs of summer just right. Stay tuned.

Feed me Good Links

2007-06-12T22:41:00.000-04:00

The onset of summer's dogdays are wearing us all down a little, leading to a lull here and there with the tunes, and so now's as good a time as any to bring in a new/not really new feature of the twice-weekly links roundup, bringing you some of the best from around the music world. Everyone's doing it, so now we are too.

We all have embarrassing music hiding somewhere in our collections; maybe we should let it out every once in a while like Flood does. [Floodwatch Music]

Hope Sandoval from Mazzy Star makes things better. FACT. [Hollywoodland]

Attempting a comprehensive list of top samples from through the decades is tough, but if anyone can step up, Souled On can. Start with the Icons, and work yr way back. [Souled On]

Never sleep on the brilliance of Marlena Shaw. This is the real deal. [OUTSIDE BROADCAST]

If Jeff's first guest poster is this good, it's going to be a good week. Get a load of impressive French rap, so you can be worldly too. [The Passion of the Weiss]

Man, I'd forgotten how much I love this album. Viva Mike Patton! [Blank Crisis]

Music is Context, part 5. An excellent series looking at songs that are important to people and why, including a little entry by yours truly. [Music is Art]

Little light the first time around, but heavy on quality. Email me at the address on the side with good links for me, and I'll look to them for future inspiration.

Good selection of tunes tomorrow.
JT