Alice Russell : Got The Hunger?
taken from the album Pot Of Gold on Six Degrees (2008)

J Boogie's Dubtronic Science (ft. Ohmega Watts & Ragen Fykes) : 1.4.U
taken from the album Soul Vibraitons on Om (2008)

Friday I caught a really fun show put on by the Giant Step family at Hiro Ballroom: Alice Russell, Taylor McFerrin + J-Boogie. Coming from my bay area background, it's essential to get my fill of unpretentious, down-to-earth soul every once in a while. Even though I missed Taylor's set, I still managed to get my fix. Having shared the stage with Ms. Russell less than a year ago at a tiny venue in the Lower East Side, it was very encouraging to see her with a full band (the talented TM Juke on guitar) getting lots of love from a much bigger crowd. And her new songs are not to be slept on! At the end of "Hunger" she brought the song into some double-time foot stomping action ala The Isley Brothers' "Shout".

I've been listening to J-Boogie's latest CD too- letting my inner headwrap hippie get blissed out. "Patchouli Soul" perhaps? Like I said, I've been a fan of his jazzy-retro-conscious sound for years, and I'm glad he's still doing it, despite the total lack of play that this sound gets (at least in NY). And can anyone complain when Mr. Vigs gets on the talkbox? J-Boogie's got a handful of really hot remixes floating around right now as well, but you'll have to ask your local DJ for the connect since he's specifically requested "no sharing".

Mr. Scruff: Music Takes Me Up
Taken from the album Ninja Tuna on Ninja Tune (2008)

Allen Toussaint: Worldwide and Last Train
Taken from the album Southern Nights on Reprise (1975)

Rodriguez: Only Good For Conversation and Sugar Man
Taken from the album Cold Fact on Sussex (1970) and re-issued on Light In the Attic (2008)

Barbara Mason: Another Man and Jake & Jody: She Freaks
Taken from the album Uptown Soul, Downtown Funk on Perpetual (2007)

BONUS: M.I.A.: Paper Poppa (Murphy's Mix)
Courtesy of Yours Truly

Spent the day yesterday geeking around on the worldwide web. These were some of the fruits of my labors.

Quickly (because I'm running out the door):

--Mr. Scruff rules. Alice Russell rules. This song rules.

--Allen Toussaint hopefully needs little introduction. (Have you ever heard of Funk Music?) But these later efforts of his call to mind more Steely Dan than the Meters. And I'll be damned it don't make my heart flutter. (Also, a little FYI: Jean Grae sampled "Worldwide" pretty nicely on her first album. Just so you know.)

--Kinda sounds like Donavan? Kind sounds like Dylan? But who's that at the mixing boards? Dennis F'ing Coffey. This record is awesome. Get it.

--Amazing Mod-Soul comp that also boasts perhaps my favorite tune of this genre/era, Hipnotic's "Are You Lonely?". I didn't post it because I figured y'all should prolly buy the whole darn thing. Worth the bucks if you enjoy music/dancing/sex. (Another FYI--this one a bit more obvious: Sean Puffy P. Diddy Puff Daddy Combs say "thank you" to Barbara Mason.)

--Lastly. I know everybody's tired of it already, but a friend of mine asked me to give the most played out song of the year a latenight re-work for a piece she's choreographing. This is what happened....

And now look what happened: I'm LATE!

Kraak & Smaak : Ain't Gonna Take It No More & Squeeze Me
taken from the album Plastic People on Jalapeno (2008)

The Hot 8 Brass Band : Get Up (Diesler Remix)
taken from the album The Hot 8 Brass Band Remixed on TruThoughts (2008)

Aether : Orfeu Negro
taken from the album Artifacts on Exponential (2008)

Nujabes : A Day By Atmosphere Supreme & The Final View
taken from the album on (2003)

I've never felt like such a patriot- and I'm from New England! It's hard not to be excited about this latest twist in American history. Recognizing the importance of today, just taking a second to process that this moment is one that will be written about, that we can proudly remember to our grandkids, has me feeling kinda tingly. I don't need to get too cheesy and gushy, but I ain't afraid to admit that I had tears in my eyes on Tuesday. Newly imbued with pride in today and hope for tomorrow, I'm sharing some new music- funky house to keep us moving and mellowed out headnodders for contemplative train rides.

On Saturday I rocked a show with my group The Beatards opening for Kraak & Smaak and I was reminded just how funky these Dutchmen are! The stage show included a psychedelic LCD light extravaganza, a Moog keytar, soulful vocalists and lots of jumping from the crowd. When they started chanting "I'm mad as hell and I ain't gonna take it no more!" people were getting particularly rowdy. We'd be happy to open for them anytime! And yeah, I guess I forgot to mention here in the Crate, but it was the release party for our brand new Big Bad Beat EP - which really should get its own post. NEVER enough time!

Moving on... a crowd riling, call to hand clapping produced by the U.K.'s Diesler. I've seen The Hot 8 do their thing (yes, the same NOLA horn troupe known for their classic version of "Sexual Healing"), and I thing this track definitely captures the live energy while giving it that little extra boost that helps build necessary anticipation on the dancefloor. I think on the bigger scale too, IT'S ABOUT TO GO DOWN!

I was real pleased by this new album from producer/graphic designer Aether, who I was completely unfamiliar with. Fans of Flying Lotus and other abstract downtempo sounds should check for this one. A moody remake of a song I recognize from the Babel soundtrack also stands out to me as being perfect journal writing ambiance.

These jazzy beats from Japanese beatmaker Nujabes aren't quite as new, but they're new to me and they've been sounding quite appropriate for Autumn in the city- Cali heads, I'm sorry, you just won't get it. Also, hearing a simple remix of Yusef Lateef's "Love Theme from Spartacus" ("The Final View") gets a big 2 thumbs up from me. This was the record I always used to listen to lying in bed with my first girlfriend ever in the fall of '98! I can't believe it's been 10 years since then. Sixteen doesn't seem so far away listening to this now, and why be nostalgic when today is looking so good?

DANCING IN THE STREETS TIL 4AM.
BROOKLYN ON FIRE.
HAPPY DAY FOR THE USA!
POST LATER.

Talking Heads: Crosseyed And Painless and Born Under Punches
Taken from the album Remain In Light on Sire (1980)

And: I'm Not In Love
Taken from the album More Songs About Buildings And Food on Sire (1978)

And... Girlfriend Is Better
Taken from the album Speaking In Tongues on Sire (1983)

As a man who was born into the ignominious era of Reaganomics and Alf (among other things), it is easy sometimes to forget that I was also birthed into a exciting transitional period in American music. That as punk and disco were crashing and by most accounts burning; that while much of radio-played pop music bordered on the unlistenable (don't tell the revivalists--they might get upset); and even as many of the tried and true bastions of musical purity (see soul, see jazz) seemed to be pushing through uncomfortable growing pains... a unique climate was beginning to blossom. One that would allow the ushering in of some genuinely outsider music. The kind of explosive, subversive, bizarre and utterly enjoyable pop that probably would not have flown at all if the pervasive landscape had not been so barren.

I'm not going to embark on a whole hoo-rah New Wave rant here. Partly because, truth be told, I'm not a particularly ardent fan of the New Wave writ large... (Certain exceptions exist obviously; Blondie comes to mind.) I did however grow up listening to the Talking Heads (my dad was a fan and had a "Best Of" or two laying around) and though I largely took them for granted in my youth, I've been recently re-inspired by the how-shall-we-say "unique" vision that David Byrne & Co. realized with their music. Let's put it this way: I just saw Stop Making Sense for my first time and, um, it was incredible.

(If you haven't seen it, do not pass go, do not collect $200. Witness art. Byrne and director Jonathan Demme did it so proper they even got Pablo Ferro [Dr. Strangelove, anyone? Look him up.] to do the opening/closing credit font; I swear that's only damn font I've ever seen that makes me want to weep for its beauty...)

But I digress... So I went online and downloaded every Talking Heads album from '77 right on through and have since been slowly wading through this very impressive body of work, unearthing plenty of gems that were completely new to me and re-embracing a few of the ones that I had forgotten about...

The songs here are ones that stuck out as particularly innovative or amazing or, as in all of their cases, struck me as highly danceable. But again, these are just a small taste of a prolific and incredibly diverse body of work.

"Girlfriend" is the only one of them that I really remembered from childhood and still occasionally drop in DJ sets. The others were all pretty new to me. And boy oh boy. What treats. Listen to Brian Eno getting CRAZY afro-beaty on "Crosseyed"... And how 'bout the BLISTERING dance-punk of "I'm Not In Love"? LCD Soundsystem, The Rapture? Recycled goods.

Art of real character and depth should be discovered and re-discovered. Music this good might just require your own personal journey into the known and the unknown.

Chua Chua Boogaloo--El Gran Combo
Tumbando Coco-- Los Tropicales
Karakatis--Jose Maria
Soupy--Maggie Thrett
If you can want--Smokey Robinson
100 Yard Dash--Raphael Saadiq
You're Losing Me--Ann Sexton
Sayin' It and Doin' It--SugaSwing Session
Bomba--Hermanos Latinos
Belleza Espiritual--Orquesta Zodiac
Lupita--Perez Prado
Cookies--Brother Soul
Disco Function--Rare Function
Anikana-O--Kongas
No Nos Pararan--Charanga 76
Dilo Como Yo--Chico Mann
All I Do-- Stevie Wonder (U-Tern remix)
I'm Your Pimp--The Skull Snaps
One Way Ticket--The Real Thing
Eso Se Baila Asi--Willie Colon
Donde--Bronx River Parkway
Baby--The Phenomenal Handclap band
Under The Street Lamps--Joe Bataan

Right now, we have copies available for digital purchase; we haven't made a firm decision on how many physical copies we plan to sell but there will be CDs made at some point (beyond the ones that we gave out last Thursday) for those who prefer the physical object. The only caveat is that the final CD will be of the same sound quality as the download (256-rate MP3s).

By the way, if you didn't get a copy last week, come back and holler at me or Will this week or next and we should still have copies.

If you want to download the full-res artwork, go here.

Keziah Jones : Pimpin' & My Kinda Girl
taken from the album Nigerian Wood on (2008)

Curumin : Compacto & Esperanca
taken from the album Japan Pop Show on Quannum (2008)

Bio Ritmo : Bionic Boogaloo & Dime Vida
taken from the album Bionico on (2008)

Femi Kuti : Tell Me
taken from the album Day By Day on Mercer Street (2008)

New music from artists I love who refuse to sound like they're supposed to. Whether it's inventing new genres like Keziah Jones' Afrobeat-folk-soul, or giving up the big label and big studio production sound like Femi Kuti clearly did on this latest record, these guys are all going their own way.

Keziah is definitely one of my favorite artists around right now. There's just nothing else out there that sounds like his music. Gorgeous layered harmonies, creative instrumentation (I thing I hear an Indian Tamboura and baritone clarinet on "Pimpin'"), and elvolving arrangements that always seem to travel someplace new by the end of the song. So what, if this record sounds a lot like his first one? The first one was brilliant!
I'm his number one fan. Nigerian Wood includes a second CD of songs that feature just Keziah and his guitar- almost like a really good demo tape.

Curumin come correct with a laid-back album of funky samba-hop. Minimal production and simple song writing give the record a classic old-school feel. The whole album is very listenable and makes for a great Sunday afternoon soundtrack. I do kinda wish that there was another danceable track on here somewhere- "Caixa Preta" brings a lil Baile Funk flavor, but I'm talking about some simple dancefloor samba.

Bio Ritmo have really stepped up their sound with this latest release. High energy all the way through, this CD is a certified party starter. I love hearing spacey, retro-sounding synths in the mix on salsa records! Why don't more latin groups do this? It reminds me of a select few Latin records I have from the early 70's when psychedelic, funk, and rock influences were all finding their way into Latin music (check Tipica 73's "La Candela" for more of the good stuff).

And finally, a new album from Femi. Nothing dramatically new sounding on here, but his take on straightforward, minimally-produced Afrobeat is a treat in itself. Compared to other releases from Femi, this one comes closest to his fathers musical roots- thunderous horn section, churning organs, watery wah-wah and plenty of percolating percssion. 7 years after "Fight To Win", it's great to hear what Femi sounds like in the studio- especially in this somewhat stripped down setting.

Sabo & Zeb : Sanguebom ft. Andrea Monteiro
taken from the album Global Warmbeats on Irma (2008)

Sabo : Easy Star (Uptempo Mix)
taken from the 12" available here on Sol Selectas

Trick Turner : Buddahcada
taken from the 12" available here on Juxtaphone

Sugarloaf Gangsters : Ritmo Do Rouge
taken from the 12" available here on Gamm

Bebel Gilberto : Aganju (Spiritual South Remix)
taken from the album Bebel Gilberto Remixed on 6 Degrees

Here's a bag of dancefloor goodness inspired by the highly talented DJ/producer/all-around-nice-guy: Sabo. This man can be found DJ-ing regularly in NY (occaisionally he does Saturdays at Bembe where I still hold down Thursdays) and is often behind the counter at Turntable Lab giving good advice on what records to buy (I guess he just took over as store manager now, so go say hi). Last time I stopped in he introduced me to West Coast cool cat Trick Turner who was looking pleased with a stack of fresh vinyl in his hands which included my own Cleva Remix. Check his Sol Selectas website to try to keep up with all his gigs and records.

In addition to getting my mitts on the latest twelves from from both these guys, Sabo was generous enough to hook me up with a copy of his new full-length album (available in digital) produced with the funky Middle Eastern multi-instrumentalist Zeb. Global Warmbeats is a nice mix of dubby house and downtempo with plenty of touches from the Brazilian, Latin, and Disco sounds that can be heard in a Sabo set. Check "Rise Again" and "Devastating" for two other favorites of mine from the album.

Once I got in the samba/remix state of mind, I felt like sharing a few other staples I've been keeping in my crate for a while now. Sugarloaf Gangster's are at the top of their game with "Ritmo Do Rouge"- a song that sounds big enough to bring a packed stadium into a dancing frenzy. Check their compilations on Murge Discos to hear where they find some of their inspiration (and samples).

Bebel is of course Brazilian royalty; being the daughter of Joao Gilberto who helped invent the Bossa Nova. This re-work from Spiritual South-who have been featured here before- is a time tested crowd pleaser.

Lancelot Layne : Yo Tink It Sorf?
Biosis Now : Independent Bahamas
both taken from the compilation Calypsoul 70 on Strut (2008)

Orchestre Poly-Rhythmo de Cotonou : Iya Me Dji Ki Bi Ni
& Mi Homlan Dadale
taken from the compilation The Vodoun Effect on Analog Africa (2008)

Here's a few picks from recent compilations that I've had in heavy rotation. I figure we must be approaching the tipping point where nearly all the good forgotten 70's funky stuff from around the world has been unearthed and re-issued and then what will be left but to turn to the 80's! I'm picturing comps of drum machine & casio weirdness from Syria- wait a minute, someone's already released that record (and it's actualy pretty good)! But perhaps I'm wrong and more bounty like this will continue surfacing for as long as my hearing is good.

The Lancelot Layne is a track that I already had in my collection from the great Jeff Recordings compilation that came out a few years ago (is this recycling the sign that we're nearing the end?), but I'm glad that I was reminded of it again on this new comp from Strut. What a certified banger! Still will kill a dancefloor to be sure- and I'm scheming a remix. The rest of this compilation maintains a similar level of caribbean heat with plenty of disco, funk and reggae in the mix. The track from Biosis Now is something I heard when my good friend Busquelo picked this LP out of a Brooklyn thrift store.

And big shout Samy at Analog Africa for putting together this latest collection of lo-fi, syncopated (and sometimes perfectly out-of-tune) Beninese rarities. When he lacks frequent updates to his website, it must be because he's busy putting out another solid and legit release like this one.

Sad update: on my way to host my weekly radio show, I absent-mindedly left my bag full of all my latest and greatest CDs on the subway (to be fair, I was perhaps awestruck by the beautiful young lady sitting accross from me, but still, I'm stupid). So I've now lost both of these albums as well as about 50 others- most I hadn't even ripped to digital yet. Thanks to the almighty that it wasn't my VINYL!!!

Michna : Triple Chrome Dipped
taken from the album Magic Monday on Ghostly International (2008)

Brazilian Girls : Good Time & Losing Myself
taken from the album New York City on Verve (2008)

Sebastien Tellier : Kilometer (link removed by request)
taken from the album Sexuality on lLucky Number (2008)

I realize this may look like I'm jumping on a blog bandwagon by endorsing these albums, but these song are getting me really excited about the possible return to an era of sound where Talking Heads-inspired vocal ingenuity and Devo-esque synth tweakery finds a comfortable home in the ears of current pop consciousness.

BIG PROPS to the kid Egg Foo Young aka MICHNA, a familiar face from behind the counter at Turntable Lab, who shocked me with his trombone skills on this record. Deep and danceable at the same time is a difficult feat, but he pulls it off with panache on this never boring collection of gumbo-style instrumentals.

Are the Brazilian Girls considered mainstream now? I hope so. They deserve it. I remember when I would see them at their weekly Wednesday night residency at the tiny sweatbox that is still Nublu. And yes, Sabina is one of the sexier frontladies of our time.

Finally, I'm sharing another highly trendy and overly-blogged record, but it's so addictive! If you didn't know already, now you do. Lovemaking has just been given another great gift in the form of this seduction soundtrack. Hearing such perfectly broken English from a Frenchman makes me want to stop making sense so much when I speak. Who cares if the CD is available at American Apparel stores? Sebastian gets the pass for being greater the cloud of hipster hype which surrounds him.

The Bee Gees: Holiday
Taken from the LP Bee Gee's 1st on Atco (1968)

Count Five: She's Fine
Taken from the LP Psychotic Reaction on Double Shot (1968)

The Zombies: Leave Me Be
Taken from the 7" on Decca (1964)

Arthur Brown: I Put A Spell On You
Taken from the LP Crazy World Of Arthur Brown on Atlantic (1968)

BONUS!

The Id: Short Circuit and Butterfly Kiss
Taken from the LP The Inner Sound Of The Id on World In Sound (1967)

I was shocked when I realized recently--somewhere in between my not writing entries for this blog and wishing that I was writing entries for this blog--that for several weeks now, I have possessed exactly zero desire to listen to music. Sure, I would muster the goods for my weekly DJ throwdown, and occasionally I'd put something on, albeit noncommitally, while I made my breakfast or cleaned my house... but the sad, simple truth is that I just wasn't feeling it.

Hip Hop, for a little beat-y satisfaction? No thanks. Brazilian, for some tropical transportation? Maybe another time. Reggae, to reach higher heights? Feel too low. Jazz? Nope. Salsa? Nah. And horror of horrors: even the trusted sanctity of Soul music offered me no reprieve.

The doldrums, friends. Angsty music-less doldrums.

So this morning, I got desperate. And searching through my ill-organized quasi-by-genre clusters of LP's I fell into that heady mess of late 60's rock and roll nestled somewhere at the base of my IKEA Expedit shelving unit. And surprise, surprise: I GOT SAVED!

There it is: the twang of angst! There it is: the bassy rumble of discontent! There it is: the strained melody that I CAN SING ALONG TO!

And just in case I felt I needed a reminder of to the baffling nature of redemption, who should provide that first enticing morsel to refuel my malnurished soul... THE BEE GEES!

Being that this particular era of rock and roll was what ushered me from mush-brained childhood into music loving adolescence, it's only appropriate that it took a return to my roots to find solace again. That said, things being what they are, I thought I'd keep the selections in minor-key melancholy because, well, I still feel like Soul music should have saved me from this funk, so in it's place I found some soulfully infused white dudes who get the job D.O.N.E.

I'll update with a little more band information later on, but for now I have to take my new puppy to the vet and you have some music to listen to.

UPDATE:

Though hard to imagine now, those sequined goofs who once crooned "Night Fever" for ol' Johnny Travolta's dancing pleasure were once a prolific and widely respected ROCK GROUP. Yep. Initially heralded as the second-coming of the Beatles, they produced an impressive ten plus albums worth of material, before hitting a creative and commercial rut. At which point, at the advice of the late great Ahmet Ertegun, they repositioned themselves as an R&B-cum-disco outfit and changed the world of wedding parties forever. (Regardless of the sequins, I stand by the assertion that "Staying Alive" is actually one of the great disco tracks ever recored. Check the video to be reminded.)

Count Five: San Jose-based high school-aged shredders who, with their single "Psychotic Reaction", would lay the double time percussive foundation of punk many years in advance. And they had ILL music videos.

Pete Townshend from a band called The Who (maybe you've heard of them), produced this record of amazingness. Arthur Brown, who was a notoriously extravagant performer (Jimi Hendrix kicked him off his tour when his pyrotechnics on stage became a liability), would later be cited as a major influence on Kiss and Alice Cooper. This cover of one of my absolute favorite tunes EV-AR pretty much rules.

And do yourself a favor: If you're not very familiar with The Zombies or their music, remedy that. This is one of the absolute cornerstone bands of 60's psyche. As good or better than Nutella. And that's saying a lot.